Grave Dance (Alex Craft Book 2)

This is one of the best Follow-ups I've read in awhile. The first one was good, but not very memorable IMO. The 2nd may be one of Price's best books to date.

The book has a lot going on, but it still flowed smoothly and everything seemed to tie-up well by the end. About a month has passed since the events in the last book. The book starts off similar to the last, with Alex raising the dead & working with the PD to unravel a paranormal murder mystery. With her love life in turmoil, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But when her new case forces her to overuse her magic, it might be the last mystery the Grave Witch ever gets to solve. About a quarter of the way through, the plot expands to the interesting world of Faerie and the sexy FIB agent, Falin, and of course the hot enigma-Death.

I couldn't help but get carried away with this Fantasy heavy plot. Lots of different genres converge within this series, which could have easily become muddled with too many subplots. Fortunately, Price does a superb job of keeping everything straight and moving along until the very end. Excellent World-Building & riveting plots, I cannot wait to read the next book.

More Like this: First Grave on the Right
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You know you have issues when your back up is a six pound dog and Death's minions.

High off her 15 minutes of fame after raising a shade on tv, business is booming at Tongues for the Dead. Unfortunately for Alexis Craft it seems like everyone wants a piece of her. The Nekros PD and independent fey want Alex to find a killer, the Winter Queen and Shadow King are trying to recruit her, mortal magical skimmers want to use her, while Death and Falin are trying to woo her.

Alexis Craft is up to her neck in.... Feet? Well, no one said her job was uninteresting. Alex is on the case of a serial murderer with a serious right foot fetish. Because only finding feet wasn't weird enough, they all had to be left feet. Unfortunately Craft can't raise a shade from foot alone, and any attempt Alex and her buddies at the NPD have made to find the bodies has yielded nothing. Literally. Like the feet only ever existed without an entire body. Of course this is only one of Alex's on going problems. It seems the Blood Moon ritual has awoken her Fey Soul. Craft is now finding it increasingly more difficult to lie, she is also developing a very annoying intolerance to iron, and her powers as well seem to be growing. Alex can now see across multiple plans of reality at once. This new ability not only makes her a hot commodity, it also puts her life in danger. But it's not like homicidal attempts are anything new for Alex. Especially when an abnormally high number of imaginary magical creatures keep trying to kill her. If the bad guys don't succeed her would be lovers might. Falin Andrews reappears after being MIA for a month, and the love triangle heats up with a little deathly drama as Mr. Muerte shows his interest and tries to keep the Queen's Bloodied Hands off Alexis.

Alex is going to have put her dancing shoes on to tango with the fey as she journeys into Fairy. To save her friends and herself she'll have to be quick witted and clever, while solving a few murder mysteries in the process, and finding the killers along the way.

Wow. Kalayna Price has really raised the bar in Grave Dance. The second installment of the gritty urban fantasy was packed with intricate storylines that keep you guessing until the end. Just when I thought Price had established her heroine she added layers to Alex's abilities and identity to create an even richer character. I really like how everything came together, as well as hints to future complications. Price planted a few plot points involving family, and lovers that I am looking forward to reading about. Grave Dance wasn't as fast paced as Grave Witch but there were a lot of action scenes. Alex's love life is still slow building and light compared to everything else, but what little of it there was, definitely leaves you wanting more.

Fans of the Fey genre will love this installment, since Grave Dance shifts the witchcraft focus to a predominantly more fairy one. But don't despair if your like me and like the witchy aspect, there's still plenty witch in Alex Craft. Overall this is a great sequel, another page turning edition that will leave you pining for the next edition.

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A new case full of mysteries sets Alex down an new path with more revelations.

Opening Sentence: When I first straddled the chasm between the land of the dead and the world of the living, I accidentally raised the shade of our recently deceased Pekinese.

Excerpt: No

The Review:

Alex is back and working with John, now that he is out of a coma. She is still adjusting to her awakening (she found out she was feykin in the first book) and the changes in her powers. Ever since the Blood Moon, when she accesses her magic she can see the the other plane as well. This new case has her stumped, the police have found three left feet and nothing else, John wants her to use her powers to find the bodies. When she opens her sight she finds that there are more feet and they are hidden by a glamour.

Shortly after a fae threatens her, and later when she is having dessert with Tamara and Holly, she sees that fae again. Before, she can call the police a disturbance down the street draws her attention. Soon a giant cu sith is attacking her and Holly, and when Alex opens her senses she realizes that it is a glamour and so she disbelieves it. But she is shocked when she sees Death take a soul from the magic construct.

Alex knows that things are happening that she can’t control, for instance when she meets Rhianna and finds out that she literally has blood on her hands and has also inherited a castle in Faerie, as well as a Brownie. Plus, her father is showing up and giving her advice, and Falin pops back in after disappearing for a month. When she sees a reaper stealing souls, she begins to suspect it may have to do with the constructs/glamours that keep showing up to attack her.

There was so much going on in this book, it hit the ground running and kept on going throughout it. The love triangle is still intense and I have to say that I really can’t pick one, other than they are both impossible for her to love. However, her abilities as a grave witch give her an edge with Death, but it doesn’t quite change the fact that he is a soul collector. I also love Fred and her cryptic warnings to Alex! I loved getting to know Caleb and Holly better in this book as well.

I admit that I just love this series and all the characters. I love the mysteries that are always interesting and yet tie back in with everything. I usually hate love triangles, but I am not mad at this one. I get them and love them both for different reasons, and I love that she doesn’t even pretend to be torn between them, I think that is what makes it work so well. If you haven’t read this series go start with Grave Witch and sit back and enjoy the series!

Notable Scene:

As I carved, the charm began to buzz with magic, the spell taking hold. By the time I cut the last stroke of the final rune, warning, the charm all but vibrated with poser. I released the rest of the raw magic I held, allowing it to dissipate harmlessly. Then I clipped the disk to my charm bracelet,. The wood looked out of place with all the silver but it felt like the strongest charm I’d ever personally cast.

FTC Advisory: ACE/Penguin provided me with a copy of Grave Dance. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Grave Dance is book 2 in the Alex Craft series. I'm so glad I got into this series recently and plan to binge listen to it as fast as I can. I've been craving Urban Fantasy and this hits the spot perfectly. These stories are full of fae, witches and whodunit and I can't get enough.

Alex Craft, grave witch and occasional consultant for the Nekros City police department is back and on a really strange case. We dive right in with Alex searching for bodies with the police and she quickly finds several left feet from different victims. This opens up a huge can of worms that no one wants her to find out about. With no leads, Alex decides to try her hand at solving the case but is left with more questions than answers. That's also about the time that fae creatures are being summoned to go after Alex and they're targeting anyone that's close to her at the time as well. It's a dangerous situation that our leading lady has to figure out quickly since it's leading up to something big.

Grave Dance was a rush against the clock that I couldn't stop listening to. I'm really enjoying this world that Kalayna Price has built and I can't wait to see what happens next. I really loved finding out a bit more about the fae in this installment and hope to see plenty more about them soon. If you haven't tried this series yet and you're a fan of Urban Fantasy with witches and fae, you have to pick these up!

Grave Dance is the second novel in the Alex craft series and the follow up to Grave Witch. It seems since the events of the first novel, Alex has undergone some …. changes. Like, a sensitivity to iron. It seems her fae blood has been awakened, and with her unique talents everyone wants a piece of her. Her foray into faerie leads her to discover some interesting information about her ancestry, and a certain queen has something that Alex really wants. Even if it confuses her.

Aside from her personal life, Alex is back to assisting the Nekros police department on a strange homicide case. Several left feet have been uncovered. Only left feet. Unfortunately, the case is not so easily solved by just raising the shade and asking the victim who they are and how they died, since a foot is not enough of a body to raise a shade. Maybe if she had some help….

Just venturing out of her house becomes a bit perilous for Alex in this novel. Several constructs attack out of nowhere, each “illusion” more dangerous from the last. The Anti-black magic unit is not making much headway on finding out what these constructs are made of and how to stop them. But Alex might have an idea.

While this novel is definitely entertaining, I did enjoy the first novel more. I felt like there were many seemingly unimportant scenes, and the novel had a bit of a slower pace than the first. It does seem like the supernatural world around Alex is expanding however, and I can only guess that things are going to get more exciting from here on out!

For more reviews visit Kickassurbanfantasy.ga

This last month grave witch Alex Craft has spent recovering from battling a sorcerer, she is itching to get back into her job of solving murders by raising the dead. Her love life in turmoil she needs all the distractions she can get. But when she is drawn into a perplexing case where the Nekos PD has only feet left and they need more information in order to figure it all out. But for Alex no body means any shade to rise so she turns to others to help her get a handle on this case. Unfortunately as she begins to investigate, she finds herself in the cross-hairs of a creature using dark magic and an ancient artifact to make sure she gets what she wants. As Alex gets closer to the truth, she finds herself in major danger even as she tries to stay one step ahead of the bad guy.

GRAVE DANCE is a wonderful second book in the Alex Craft series that I just devoured. Ms. Price delivers a wild ride from start to finish. The author does a great job in keeping the reader in suspense till the very end. I love that this main character is a bad ass who tries to use her wits and brain over her magic all the time. Alex Craft is a breath of fresh air to this reader and puts her right up there with Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs and Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews. The main heroine is a strong person with the right amount of sass and badass-ness that doesn’t tip over to martyrdom or whininess. Ms. Price delivers a wild edge of the seat ride from start to finish. What really drew me in were Alex’s relationships with some characters. From her love triangle with Death and the elusive FIB Falin to her friends, the author gives a complete look into whom this character is and I, for one, would love to meet her in the flesh for some chit chat and coffee. I do caution you to start with book one, Grave Witch, as this picks up right after book one.

The author does a great job in capturing who her characters are and letting them run with the story. The characters are well thought out, multi-dimensional and quite enjoyable, even as you get drawn into the story alongside Alex. This was an intricate storyline with a few twists I sure did not see coming with characters that had secrets come to light even as more showed t heir hand. The author delivers a stunning world building that left me gasping for air at the end of GRAVE DANCE. I couldn’t put this one down and the ending alone left me gasping in shock. If you enjoy a fast paced story with characters that fairly leap from the pages and a world that you can’t help but want to visit, then grab the Alex Craft series and get ready to be sucked into the stories set around this entertaining grave witch. Now I need to get book three and continue my journey in this fascinating world.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

Grave Dance by Kalayna Price
Urban Fantasy -July 4th, 2011
4 ½ stars

Grave Dance is the second in the Alex Craft, PI urban fantasy series. Fascinating and powerfully addictive, readers will love the heroine and her journeys.  

As a witch who can bring back the dead, Alex is often called upon to help the Nekros police department.   When her detective friend wants her to investigate decomposing feet. Namely find the bodies they were attached to. But as a result, she uncovers a dark corruption that may have dire consequences to her and her beloved city. When her friend is be-spelled and her previous lover the enigmatic Falin returns Alex isn't sure where to turn. And if life weren't difficult enough, she discovers her unknown Fae heritage has deep responsibilities. Namely the cold, Winter Court, which wants her for their own....

This was an exciting read! In this book, Alex's world is literally turned upside down. She must deal with a deadly investigation and the zealous and greedy Winter Court Queen. A Queen that wants Alex's complete loyalty -with a huge price. Plus the Fae warrior, Falin has returned. He seems to be her friend but other times he is compelled to hurt her. As she tries to navigate in a new world where she doesn't know the rules Alex must be extremely careful. I loved reading her journey as she learns more about her heritage and new found powers. The author characters are unique, the world building captivating and the heroine is bewitching. This series has non-stop action, dark mystery and some pretty hot romance.

This series has it all, I can't wait to read more!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

This being book two, some of the side characters from the previous novel get fleshed out a bit more. We also get to meet many more Fey, including Alex’s father, as well as the Winter Queen and the Shadow King. Alex has to feel her way through some very deadly negotiations, all the while trying to avoid incurring any debt to the Fey. And all of that is because she believes the bad guy’s accomplice can be found in the Fey’s realms.

Falin is back to help Alex, as is Death–the soul collector she has a crush on. There’s plenty of posturing between the two of them, and it isn’t helped by the fact that Alex knows Falin is the Winter Queen’s lover. But then again, it’s tough to have a relationship with a soul collector who, for the most part, can’t even interact with the living world (unless in direct contact with Alex and her unusual grave abilities). We’re getting to see more ways in which her abilities are highly unusual, although some of the little details occasionally feel inconsistent.

There was an interaction with the realm of nightmares in which Alex gets brief glimpses of other people’s nightmares–every single one of which is an overused cliche, so that was disappointing. I felt like there was a lot of squandered opportunity there.

I like this installment better than its predecessor largely because the characters had more depth and we got to learn progressively more about Alex’s odd abilities. I hope that the next installment digs even deeper!

NOTE: Book provided by publisher

Note: There are some spoilers from Grave Witch in this review. Sorry!

Before I finished Grave Witch I started downloading Grave Dance from my Audible library onto my phone. Because I knew I wouldn't want to waste even one minute after finishing Grave Witch before starting Grave Dance. Yes, I'm that hooked. Alex Craft is a drug and I really don't know what I'm going to do when I have to start quitting her. But let's not think about that for now 'kay?

As an aside I just have to say that I love title of this book because it's kinda brilliant in a sick way. I love titles that tell you a lot about a book but you have to read it to get it. That it chooses a fairly disturbing part of the book just makes it that much better. But you're going to have to read it to get it. *snickers*

I was giddy about the role of the fae in Grave Witch, but if I were to tell you what that book was about, the fae would be more of a side note for me - perhaps just because so much else was going on. But that's not the case with Grave Dance - this book has shifted the fae to a front and center position. Yay!! For one, Alex killed a fae at the end of Grave Witch. Turns out that has all sort of repercussions. Fun ones and terrifying ones. Particularly terrifying for a girl who lost a few days in faery not too long ago, when a fae tried to make her a slave and trapped Falin in the Never Ending Dance. The fae are tricky to deal with, so I don't blame Alex one bit for wanting to avoid them. Too bad that's not in the cards for her.

Not to mention, the case she's helping the police with as Grave Dance opens immediately involves the Fae, since she discovers a bunch of severed left feet (yes, no bodies, just feet), hidden by glamour. Glamour = Fae, which means in comes the FIB. Their involvement makes things super complicated, especially since they seem to be using the investigation as a license to mess with the independent fae in Necros, which includes Alex's friend and landlord - Caleb. So that puts things on a very personal level for Alex.

Oh and then remember that patch of pure etheric energy that Alex created in her father's house at the end of Grave Witch? Well let's just say it's a BIG DEAL, way bigger than Alex knew and when another one of the patches show up, things start to get a bit MORE complicated for Alex with the FIB (who are controlled by the Queen of the Winter Court, BTW).

So much happened in Grave Dance and so much of it I feel like I can only dance around (hehehe I crack myself up! Such a dork :p). There's lots of mystery, lots of action, and lots of magic. The fae are front and center. And the main plot line ends of taking us a bit further into the world of Death and the soul collectors. We get plenty of Falin and Death - keeping me equally happy and frustrated. Those men are so sexy and so secretive and so damn infuriating at times! I know who I like best, but I'm happy to enjoy the ride and see what happens (yeah, it's a love triangle and somehow I don't even care).

Seriously folks, if you like Urban Fantasy at all, read this series. Better yet, listen to it. Emily Durante is a fantastic narrator and only adds to my enjoyment of the series. She nails the voices, the pacing and the emotions. Obviously I'm so reading the next book ASAP.

I'm a sci fi fan, but the shortage of good new sci fi has reluctantly got me into fantasy and even more reluctantly into "supernatural romance". I spend a lot of time cringing at books that are Harlequin Romances with a dash of vampires.
While this novel definitely had an element of supernatural romance, it wasn't too cringe worthy, and it was primarily urban fantasy. There was the mandatory love triangle with two supernatural creatures...in this case a Faery Assassin from the Winter Court and Death (or, more precisely, a Grim Reaper). Fortunately, the author skipped the all-too-common bit where the love interests act devoted to the point of being servile while the protagonist abuses them for no apparent reason to show she is independent.
Another common trap thing the author avoided was describing the character as incredibly "kick ass" and then having her constantly get beat up. This character is NOT "kick ass". She isn't a helpless putz either...she is a consultant called in by the police, who is now very much out of her depth. About as good at combat as your typical forensic accountant. In some ways she is more sensible then most fantasy heroes. She calls the cops when she is attacked, a couple times she plans ahead and does the obvious things to investigate. (Surprisingly lacking in a lot of fantasy).
The mystery element is decent but not great. The character development of the heroine is very good. Unlike many heroes, she does not exist in a void. She has a family history, friends, roommates. You don't often see urban fantasy where the protagonist has roommates. I like the description of how her powers work, and her built in weaknesses. A major plot element is she is part faery and is somehow becoming more faery then she used to be. There were some funny bits about her dealing with the faery inability to lie and say "Thank You". She did acquire a new power that everyone is desperate to control, but I actually liked how that was handled. (They didn't suddenly make her too powerful). I really liked the book's take on Faery, the implications of that world's lack of decay and changelings.

This review was originally posted on my blog: The Bibliophile's Corner

My one suggestion to you, do not start reading this book only to set it down for a week. I made that mistake and I must admit, I forgot over a third of the plot from the first bit of the book and the rest of the book gives you even more plot and twists and turns and flip flops, it gets ridiculous. In a good way though. I love intricate plots, especially when things all come together in the end. Which, Kalayna did in the end.

Alex Craft kicked ass, as always. She has quite a knack for getting herself into all sorts of trouble, but has her abilities and amazing friends to support her. If you read my review of Grave Witch, my one problem was that I didn't get enough of her other friends Tamera, a medical examiner and sensitive, Holly, a kick ass attorney, and Caleb, Fae and artist. In Grave Dance, we got a lot more of them. Though still not as much with Tamera as I'd like. This book definitnely involved Caleb and Holly more.

***PARTIAL SPOILER***

One of my favorite additions to this series are the Fae courts. As Alex discovered in Grave Witch, she is a feykin. Meaning she has Fae blood in her. It's amazing the subtle changes that Kalayna added to Alex's character, such as not being able to lie, her sensitivity to iron, and being able to see through glamours. The scenes that took place in the Fae World were brilliant. We are introduced to the Winter Court and the Shadow Court. The Winter Court I always imagine as the White Witch's castle from Narnia. The Shadow Court was described as having a gothic feel with flying buttresses and spiral towers. The contrasting courts were set up wonderfully.

***END PARTIAL SPOILER***

Death and Falin present just as much confusion for Alex as they did in Grave Witch. I love that Death is invisible to everyone but Alex, it presents an absolutely hysterical scene when Falin and Alex are in the midst of a steamy kiss session. Death and Falin's pissing contests throughout this book are incredibly amusing. But this one, sadly, has even more confusion, especially the tragic twist at the end. Which I will not spoil or even partially spoil.

As for what I didn't like, honestly, I was thoroughly impressed with this book. As a sequel, this book was very well done. I can only hope that Kalayna Price will continue this series. So if you haven't read Grave Witch yet, go buy it and buy Grave Dance too. You will not be disappointed.

What happened with this book? I thought this was going to be a sure thing! Maybe it's more glaring because I read the first book, Grave Witch, immediately before I started this one, but everything felt off kilter. I'm not saying that I thought this was a bad book, because it wasn't, but it sure was a lot less engrossing than the first one was.

I don't understand what happened to Alex's character. I felt distant from her the whole time I was reading. And that's pretty amazing considering the fact that I was reading a first person book. She felt like a passive participant in her own story. People pointed her in the direction they needed her to go and she just went. No real thought or deliberation, she was just one reaction after another. And the fact that it always led to trouble made me grind my teeth.

Grave Dance starts a month after the end of Grave Witch, but in that time Alex didn't bother to learn anything helpful about the mysteries we were left with. Like Falin--why didn't she bother to learn more about him and his role in Faerie? It's not like it would have been hard to find information. She rents from a Fae who (based on how he reacted in the first book) would probably love nothing more than to give her the dirt on him in the hopes that she'd realize what a bad idea hanging around him would be. I know finding information on the new developments with her power would be near impossible, so I can't criticize that, but why not take a proactive role in finding out more about Faerie itself, since she now has a need to know? Why did she have to stay so clueless?

The Fae are the main focus of the plot, so her lack of knowledge about their customs and their plane was the driving force behind the action. She cluelessly tripped through one situation after another and always came out the worse for it. The events of the book came quickly one after another, but instead of feeling like I was on the edge of my seat, I felt confused by the disjointed storyline and wished it would just slow down a little and make sense. The situation kept changing without ever resolving and I couldn't see a need for half of it except to pave the way for future storylines.

The love triangle that was hinted at in the first book comes to full steam. Every time I blinked Alex was cozying up with another end of the triangle. I liked Falin in the last book--at least I did in the second half of it ;)--but he really turned me off here. The fact that he was constantly around in the second half did not help as my attention began to waver. His constant silence and half-truths, while still trying to cuddle up with Alex, did not impress me. The fact that she had such a hard time resisting him ticked me off and didn't ring quite true based on how she was presented in the first book. And that leads me to something that bugged me the whole book. Why exactly is Falin the only other person who can touch her without feeling scorchingly hot? That seems awfully convenient for me.

I was much more interested in Death, although I still am not happy about getting stuck with yet another UF love triangle. Are there even any Urban Fantasies out there without love triangles? Anyway, that's beside the point... In the first book Death was only a hint of any idea, but here he steps fully into the spotlight and completely captures my attention. He's trying to share more with Alex and you can see the struggle he goes through whenever he runs into an area where he can't. The rules and the constant cautioning by the other soul collectors has me intrigued. I haven't seen an indication of which way the triangle is going, which irritates me, because I don't want to get attached to the losing team. Logic tells me that Death is the less likely choice since she's the only one who can see him, but I have to admit that I'm pretty unhappy making that prediction.

Although it may seem by now that I didn't enjoy the book, that wouldn't be accurate. I really enjoyed learning more about her connection to Faerie and the new turn her magic has taken. I still love a lot of the side characters and would love to see more of them. Holly plays a nice role in this one. I wonder how things will develop with her and what will happen with the location it was hinted she might need to visit. I've really loved getting to know more about the soul collectors and am eager to see more develop with them in the next book.

Favorite Quote:

"Someone had come in my house. Had entered my space, violated the masculinity of my dog, and...and...cleaned?"

Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen.

Kalayna Price does an excellent job of keeping the case that Alex is working on in Grave Dance a mystery. The clues and possible leads are plentiful but will have you constantly changing your mind as to who the perp is. I love a good challenge! Although, I was really hoping for some progress in the Falin or Death department but alas, it looks like we have to wait for the next installment until we figure out what's up with the men in Craft's life. That is, unless Price decides to string us along past Grave Memory. A clever plan from the author's perspective but immensely frustrating for us readers!

The Alex Craft universe is hugely expanded upon in this second installment. The world of Faerie is dragged into the mix and we learn quite a bit about the fairer race. I enjoyed learning about the various Fae courts and their inhabitants. It was all very "Alice in Wonderland" which I LOVED! Kalayna has created some fascinating characters and I'm anxious to learn more about them in future books. I couldn't help but be taken aback by the sheer magnitude of Price's imagination. I mean, where does she come up with this stuff?

The side plots drew me in as much as the main one did. New twists and turns keep being thrown onto the pile and yet the story doesn't become a convoluted mess. That takes some serious skill! I can see this series continuing on for many more installments. There's just so much material that can be expanded upon. There was a lot more world building going on in Grave Dance which made the overall pace slightly slower than its predecessor but what this novel lacks in speed it makes up for with vivid details.

Now, on a more serious note, Team Falin or Team Death? I'm so torn! On one hand I think Alex clicks well with the Winter Queen's Knight. They compliment each other nicely and there's obvious chemistry between them. That being said, their relationship (if you can even call it that) is complicated. Craft's growing abilities make her powerful but also very vulnerable. Falin always seems to be in the right place at the right time to help her out. On the flip side, it's been two books yet Death still remains a complete mystery. Admittedly, I have a soft spot for him and I'm really hoping that Price will give us something in the next novel or I may very well start pulling my hair out!

Grave Witch was insta-love for me and Grave Dance has only further reinforced those feelings. I can't stress enough how awesome these books are! I'm counting down the days until Grave Memory comes out on July 3rd.

Wow, oh wow! Have you ever had a series that after reading the first book you dove head long into the second only to find that it lacked all the sparkle the first book had??? Happily this is **NOT** the case with Grave Dance! :-D Love, love, LOVED this book! It's just as fun to read as the first... well I'm not really sure you can classify murder and mayhem as "fun" but still, this book is just plain fun! :-D

Alex has this snarky-ness (snarkiness?) that says all the things you are thinking in your head as you read the book. I love books like that! LOL! You can relate to her and that ups the connection. Throw in not one but TWO delightfully hunky characters that actually have substance and purpose in the book and a yummy voila! you have love sparks! :-) Add in a bit of the aforementioned murder and mayhem and ~happy sigh~ you have a non-stop thriller quickly turn the page but don't skim because you might miss something book! :-D

Because I'm smart I picked up book three in the series at the same time I bought book two so my adventure doesn't have to end! ;-) I'm off to start the next book. Everyone is asleep here so I have a bit of reading bliss ahead of me. :-)

Go buy the first book in the series... or check it out from the library... or message me and I'll send my copy to you! Just READ IT! Then read this one! LOL!

XXOO
~Hope

I'm happy to report that I enjoyed this one more than the first. While I still don't like the idea of having a grim reaper as a real character (and a potential love interest at that!), I was more comfortable with him this time around. Alex is as enjoyable a heroine as usual, especially as we find out more of the mystery surrounding her abilities, history and genetics. Falin is back but the role is changed due to revelations from the first novel. He's as yummy and interesting as ever.

One of the main contradictory elements of the story stands as Alex's abilities and disabilities. Her powers come at high cost - when she uses her grave sight, she's temporarily blinded. Raising shades from bodies come with a price as well. Trying to blend the costs of her abilities while being forced to use them, amidst the confusing mess of characters who are all mysterious with their own hidden agendas, makes fun reading. Having to weight whether the risk is worth it to use an ability or not sometimes results in disastrous repercussions.

The author injected more enthusiasm this time because of how in-depth the fae world has grown. It's almost like an adult, surreal fairytale at times. The different characters were fascinating, especially the almost funny Nightmare Man. The Witch and King were unique as well, helping make this flow quickly into an easy read. Price again writes with a talented hand, including a depth of detail to make the literary world come alive in convincing, alluring ways.

While the first didn't have a plot issue, the plot for this one was even better. There are so many possible personal disasters now for Alex and several characters that it's easy to become engrossed. A hefty dose of suspense, too, as in the fae situations much was at stake. Price is a gifted writer with her phrasing and keeping the moment taut when much is at hand.

It seems the love triangle is still here and planting itself even stronger.

As before, the book really takes off toward the end, making it engrossing more then than when initially starting it. The series so far has its up and downs for me, being mediocre on some fronts while excelling in others. I'm anxious to read the third after that cliffhanger.

Business is picking up a little more for Alex Craft as this time it is up to her to solve a peculiar string of murders...or so we assume. Instead of bodies turning up police are merely finding body parts, namely the left feet of several people. This makes it particularly difficult for Alex who cannot raise a shade without a body (I'm thinking a head and torso would suffice).

This means she needs to call upon the magic of her friends, but that also puts them in the line of fire along with Alex herself as she draws the attention of the Fae court. Can she fend them off and get out of it in one piece?

I would say that I enjoyed Grave Dance a little more than Grave Witch, but that's not saying too much. I am still finding it hard to become attached to the characters and the world at this point. There are a few interesting developments, particularly Alex's eye sight which is at risk every time she uses her magic. Her normal sight is steadily depleting, making me wonder if she'll eventually be in the dark permanently.

Secrets are still slowly unraveling, but I still found myself wondering about a number of plot points, particularly when it comes to her father. He is more interesting this time around, but I wanted more questions answered about his motivations and his heritage. There is also the character Death. Her meetings with him are very sporadic and their feelings for one another are crossing lines into the taboo territory for reasons that we have yet to learn. So he remains mysterious.

The love triangle is an obvious focal point of this series, though it's hard for me to buy it. Death seems like the better choice, but only because he doesn't have the same baggage as Falin. She doesn't have any more chemistry with Death than Falin, but she gets more screen time with Falin so at this point I'm liking Falin more. I don't dislike Death, but I have a habit of getting attached to my first choices, so I'm trying to brace myself for disappointment. I hope it concludes soon enough one way or the other. This is why I don't like triangles.

Towards the end of the book the plot really picks up out of nowhere and I went from being mildly interested to not being able to put it down. Kalayna Price's writing shines best when writing about Faerie, and I couldn't wait for Alex to go back. I doubt this will be the end we see of it.

Usually by the third book I can tell if a series will become a favorite. I'm still on the fence about this one, so I guess that means I'll have to give Book 3 a try.

This is the second book in the Alex Craft series and it was even better than the first book. The third book, Grave Memory, is already out. The fourth book, Grave Visions, is expected to release in August 2013.

I listened to this on audiobook again and it was a very well done audiobook. The narrator does an excellent job narrating the different character voices and portrays character emotion well. Definitely a series I will keep listening to.

Alex is called to a scene by the police to investigate a case of left feet. Yep, someone is finding a whole bunch of left feet and Alex senses dark magic attached to them. As Alex starts to investigate this dark magic someone starts to come after her. They are sending evil constructs to attack her and those she cares about. She must figure out this dark magic before it's too late.

This was an excellent continuation of this series. This book shifts from just dealing with Alex's grave magic to exploring Alex's connection with Fey. As with the last book there is a contained investigation that solved in this book and also a larger story that continues developing from the first book.

I really am enjoying how complex, creative, and interesting this world is. A lot of new excellent characters are added to the story. Additionally both Falin and Death get a lot of page space and we learn more background on both of them. Alex also learns more about her past.

Alex is a fun and complex character to read about. She keeps learning new and interesting things about both her fey and grave powers; yet she is human too. She still needs to eat and sleep to keep functioning. She has a dark sense of humor, which I enjoy.

I am not a huge fan of love triangles, but I can make an exception for Death and Falin. Both of these male leads are just so darn interesting. We learn a lot more about Falin in this book and he is a complex character indeed. Death is still mostly a mystery though, while we learn a bit more about him, most of Death's character is still shrouded in shadow.

I also enjoy that Alex has a price to pay for using her magic. This reminds me a bit of Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom series and I love how having to pay a cost for magic balances out a character's power.

The main investigation tied up nicely. The book is well written and easy to read. The whole story is very engaging and well-paced; never boring but never frantic either.

Overall I enjoyed this second book even more than Grave Witch. The world is complex and interesting, as are the characters. There are so many things to learn about and read about in this world, I was just absolutely sucked into the story. Highly recommended to fans of urban fantasy; especially to those who enjoy reading about the Fey.

This is one of the best Follow-ups I've read in awhile. The first one was good, but not very memorable IMO. The 2nd may be one of Price's best books to date.

The book has a lot going on, but it still flowed smoothly and everything seemed to tie-up well by the end. About a month has passed since the events in the last book. The book starts off similar to the last, with Alex raising the dead & working with the PD to unravel a paranormal murder mystery. With her love life in turmoil, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But when her new case forces her to overuse her magic, it might be the last mystery the Grave Witch ever gets to solve. About a quarter of the way through, the plot expands to the interesting world of Faerie and the sexy FIB agent, Falin, and of course the hot enigma-Death.

I couldn't help but get carried away with this Fantasy heavy plot. Lots of different genres converge within this series, which could have easily become muddled with too many subplots. Fortunately, Price does a superb job of keeping everything straight and moving along until the very end. Excellent World-Building & riveting plots, I cannot wait to read the next book.

More Like this: First Grave on the Right
The Restorer (The Graveyard Queen)
Black Wings
Rosemary and Rue (October Daye, Book 1)
Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Book 1)

Business is picking up a little more for Alex Craft as this time it is up to her to solve a peculiar string of murders...or so we assume. Instead of bodies turning up police are merely finding body parts, namely the left feet of several people. This makes it particularly difficult for Alex who cannot raise a shade without a body (I'm thinking a head and torso would suffice).

This means she needs to call upon the magic of her friends, but that also puts them in the line of fire along with Alex herself as she draws the attention of the Fae court. Can she fend them off and get out of it in one piece?

I would say that I enjoyed Grave Dance a little more than Grave Witch, but that's not saying too much. I am still finding it hard to become attached to the characters and the world at this point. There are a few interesting developments, particularly Alex's eye sight which is at risk every time she uses her magic. Her normal sight is steadily depleting, making me wonder if she'll eventually be in the dark permanently.

Secrets are still slowly unraveling, but I still found myself wondering about a number of plot points, particularly when it comes to her father. He is more interesting this time around, but I wanted more questions answered about his motivations and his heritage. There is also the character Death. Her meetings with him are very sporadic and their feelings for one another are crossing lines into the taboo territory for reasons that we have yet to learn. So he remains mysterious.

The love triangle is an obvious focal point of this series, though it's hard for me to buy it. Death seems like the better choice, but only because he doesn't have the same baggage as Falin. She doesn't have any more chemistry with Death than Falin, but she gets more screen time with Falin so at this point I'm liking Falin more. I don't dislike Death, but I have a habit of getting attached to my first choices, so I'm trying to brace myself for disappointment. I hope it concludes soon enough one way or the other. This is why I don't like triangles.

Towards the end of the book the plot really picks up out of nowhere and I went from being mildly interested to not being able to put it down. Kalayna Price's writing shines best when writing about Faerie, and I couldn't wait for Alex to go back. I doubt this will be the end we see of it.

Usually by the third book I can tell if a series will become a favorite. I'm still on the fence about this one, so I guess that means I'll have to give Book 3 a try.

This is the second book in the Alex Craft series and it was even better than the first book. The third book, Grave Memory, is already out. The fourth book, Grave Visions, is expected to release in August 2013.

I listened to this on audiobook again and it was a very well done audiobook. The narrator does an excellent job narrating the different character voices and portrays character emotion well. Definitely a series I will keep listening to.

Alex is called to a scene by the police to investigate a case of left feet. Yep, someone is finding a whole bunch of left feet and Alex senses dark magic attached to them. As Alex starts to investigate this dark magic someone starts to come after her. They are sending evil constructs to attack her and those she cares about. She must figure out this dark magic before it's too late.

This was an excellent continuation of this series. This book shifts from just dealing with Alex's grave magic to exploring Alex's connection with Fey. As with the last book there is a contained investigation that solved in this book and also a larger story that continues developing from the first book.

I really am enjoying how complex, creative, and interesting this world is. A lot of new excellent characters are added to the story. Additionally both Falin and Death get a lot of page space and we learn more background on both of them. Alex also learns more about her past.

Alex is a fun and complex character to read about. She keeps learning new and interesting things about both her fey and grave powers; yet she is human too. She still needs to eat and sleep to keep functioning. She has a dark sense of humor, which I enjoy.

I am not a huge fan of love triangles, but I can make an exception for Death and Falin. Both of these male leads are just so darn interesting. We learn a lot more about Falin in this book and he is a complex character indeed. Death is still mostly a mystery though, while we learn a bit more about him, most of Death's character is still shrouded in shadow.

I also enjoy that Alex has a price to pay for using her magic. This reminds me a bit of Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom series and I love how having to pay a cost for magic balances out a character's power.

The main investigation tied up nicely. The book is well written and easy to read. The whole story is very engaging and well-paced; never boring but never frantic either.

Overall I enjoyed this second book even more than Grave Witch. The world is complex and interesting, as are the characters. There are so many things to learn about and read about in this world, I was just absolutely sucked into the story. Highly recommended to fans of urban fantasy; especially to those who enjoy reading about the Fey.

GRAVE WITCH was one of the most promising urban fantasy debuts from last year. It introduced us to strange and alluring Nekros City where all the horror stories and fairy tale creatures you've ever heard of live along side with humans, two potential romantic leads with enigmatic Death himself and a fae with ambiguous loyalties, and a fearless protagonist in Alex Craft who works as a private investigator with a talent for communicating beyond the grave. With so much going for the debut, could the sequel live up to it? No. It's better actually.

The worldbuilding in the Alex Craft series is a dense and vibrant tour de force. It's the best I've read since Ilona Andrews' Atlanta from the Kate Daniels series. Magic has serious consequences, especially for Alex who permanently damages her vision and goes temporarily blind every time she uses her Gravesight. Raising a shade from a dead body exacts it's own price on her too. It's this cost that made the stakes in GRAVE DANCE so high. Alex had to constantly weigh the benefits and risks every time she needed to use her abilities, and the choices she made often had devastating repercussions.

The plot was equally compelling. It was dark without being disturbing. There are harrowing moments of danger and bleak displays of capricious depravity especially from the many fae in GRAVE DANCE, but they are tempered with Alex's subtle humor and her impressive resourcefulness and bravery that made her `this is going to hurt but what choice do I have' attitude all the more appealing. And despite how many time I thought I had figured out the true motives of each character, Kaylayna surprised me while still remaining completely believable.

And the romance! Urban fantasy is the perfect genre to build really good romantic tension that can span several books and that's exactly what Kaylayna Price is doing with her Alex Craft series. Falin or Death? Death or Falin? I don't know who I want Alex to end up with, but if there are more scenes like delicious ones in GRAVE DANCE, I'm really going to enjoy the chase. No word yet on the next Alex Craft book, but this series is now firmly placed on my favorites list.

Sexual Content:
Kissing. References to sex

Second in the Alex Craft urban suspense series set in a mythical town and revolving around Alex, a wyrd witch disowned by her family. It's been a month since Grave Witch (Alex Craft, #1).

My Take
I am loving this series! Price takes our expectations of Faerie and the fae and mixes them up with human society to create an intriguingly fresh world. Nekros City seems to exist independently of the rest of the world. It certainly wasn't in existence over fifty years ago! Yet, I don't feel a lack.

Price has a great range of characters from the good to the nasty and it's important to remember that looks aren't everything.

I am enjoying the competition between Death and Falin. And I suspect it will only get better as the series progresses. Oh...man, wait'll you learn about Falin's misadventures and their cause...hoo, boy.

Alex is having so much more public interaction with Death and no one can see him but Alex. Unless she touches him and pushes some of her power into him. It makes for some interesting encounters, LOL. Then there's Falin. And, oh man, is Alex ticked at him!

After the big deal that Price had John make about Alex running about with an FIB agent, she doesn't go anywhere with this. It's as though someone pointed out that rival law enforcement aren't supposed to get along and this was the nod to it.

The Story
It's a foot. It's a left foot. And it seems the Nekros City morgue is collecting them. The city is also under assault by marauding beasts that are not alive. Everywhere they go, the battle to beat them down results in tears in the aetheric and you'd better pray that their claws don't touch you, for they carry a wicked spell.

The rulers of Faerie are also interested in Alex. Enough to put the hounds on her. There are too many reasons why they won't allow Alex to remain independent. Not when she keeps appearing at the wrong kind of crime scenes. Nor will they allow those fae who are already independent to stay that way.

On a more personal note, Rianna has some issues with which she requires Alex's help. Issues which only create messier problems. Although, they're not as nasty as Bell's requests!

The Characters
Turns out that Alexis Craft is Sleagh Maith with a bit of mortal. She uses her abilities as a grave witch to run Tongues for the Dead which "bridges the gap between the world of the living and whatever plane Death existed on". She consults for the police as well as helping the average citizen contact the dead and business has really picked up for her. She's also a planeweaver. An ability that the fae had thought died out, but seems to have manifested along with her new ability to see magic after the Blood Moon in Grave Witch (Alex Craft, #1). If the fae find out, they'll drag her off to Faerie and keep her there. Fred is the resident gargoyle on Caleb's property where Alex lives above the garage (turns out she's the equivalent of a high priestess); PC is her Chinese Crested dog. Roy Pearson is a former computer programmer whose body was taken over and is became a ghost who helped Alex in Grave Witch (Alex Craft, #1); now he's a not-so-silent partner. Caleb is fae; Holly is an assistant DA, Alex's best friend, and a fellow housemate.

Death is a grim reaper, a collector, and he has known Alex all her life. He is also feeling very proprietary and has upped the flirting. "Raver" and "the gray man" are two other soul collectors who work with Death frequently.

Tamara is a charm witch who is the chief medical examiner and another one of Alex's best friends. Detective John Matthews is with homicide and Alex's friend; Detective Jenson is his partner and not one of Alex's fans. He's got his own secrets that he's hiding.

Turns out that Falin Andrews is with the Fae Investigation Bureau (FIB) and he's the Winter Queen's lover and assassin, but he is also attracted to Alex. An attraction of which Death--and the Winter Queen--disapproves. His neighbor, Tess, at his human apartment is in love with him.

Special Agent Nori is also with FIB and she doesn't like Alex at all. In fact, she seems overanxious to pin it all on Alex as well as threatening all the independent fae in the area.

Governor George Caine is her father and a member of the HumansFirst Party. He's actually Sleagh Maith, a royal fae, and deep in hiding. The question is, from whom or what is he hiding? Osier is a brownie who is still with the Caine family and helped raise Alexis. Lusa Duncan is the star reporter for Witch Watch. She's relentless, but honorable. Dr. Aaron Corrie is a founding member of the Organization for Magically Inclined Humans and absolutely hates the fae. His house is a ad for overkill!

Rianna McBride is a grave witch, Alex's roommate and friend in college, and part of Coleman's property now that he's dead (see Grave Witch (Alex Craft, #1)). She's a changeling now and can never leave Faerie and she's rather peeved at Alex. Desmond is a barghest and very protective of Rianna. Malik Shellycoat is an independent fae with a message for Alex. Mrs. B is the brownie who maintains the castle. And she's not restricted just to Faerie. I want her to visit me! I could make her feel so wanted... Alex's Uncle Nandin is the Shadow King. He just can't wait to get acquainted...uh-huh... King Kyran is a self-made king. He's simply taking advantage of the situation.

Maximilian Bell, a billionaire who made his money from selling magic spell courses to susceptible humans through his company Spells for the Rest of Us, has his own agenda. Edana is one of the fae freed when Alex stopped the dance in Grave Witch (Alex Craft, #1).

It's been seventy years since Magical Awakening, "the day the fae...announced to the world...that...[they]...existed". The fae's announcement was followed by the witches.

The Cover
The cover is shades of gray creating the fore- and background with a nightlit city skyline in the back and a cemetery in front where Alex is pulling power. She stands, facing us, her arms apart and her hands cupped as she stares at the ground, concentrating. Alex is the only color in her blue jeans and weapon-studded belt, wearing a bright green corset-style top studded across the bust and down the front, her shoulder-length, wavy blonde hair hanging loose.

The title refers to the Grave Dance Alex is quickstepping to as she tries to dodge the law, the fey, family, and those too power-hungry to accept.

Originally posted at WickedLilPixie Reviews
"Alexis, I would reorder all of Faerie for you if it were in my power." -- guess!

Grave Dance is the second book in Kalayna Price's Alex Craft series. Alex is a grave witch, using magic and grave essence to raise shades. Since the events in Grave Witch, she is now fully discovering how her power has grown and enhanced very significantly. But now she has a giant spotlight on her and every group in the mortal and magical worlds want access to her, or want her dead. What starts out as a gory serial killer case, turns in to something way more involved. Kalayna's journey through this book is full of twists and turns, and is a page-turner! Ayee!

We see all the secondary characters we got to know previously: Roy the ghost, Rianna her old college roommate turned Changeling, her Fae roommate Caleb, and even Fred the stone gargoyle are all here which made me surprisingly happy. Falin, The Winter Queens' Bloody Hands, returns and the chemistry between the two is hot, holy cow. But we're constantly left wondering what is he doing back, and what are his motives? Oh and hellooooo Death... more sweet tension to the left over there with Death. Team Death! Team Falin! Aaaah. I am not a huge fan of love-triangle scenarios, but this one totally works for me. At the same time, I was so entranced by the new world building and new characters we meet there. Alex learns a lot more about her heritage and powers, and I am really pleased with the direction Ms. Price is taking Alex in.

I did get a little discombobulated going in to her grave sight and back out so often, because she is now able to see the world of the dead, Aetheric and human world and she is constantly using her vision to scope out all three planes. That being said, this book totally delivered for me. I enjoyed it more than the first, I seriously ate it up. The pacing is awesome, the plot twists are clever, and I really connected with Alex even more this time around. The action is non-stop and the different worlds we visit are fabulous. The tension between the characters is palpable. The revelations are awesome. I was left thinking about the end of this one for a while! You will have several of your own theories when you're done.

With Grave Dance, Alex Craft is now officially one of my favorite UF series. I was so pleased and satisfied by this second novel and I need the third Alex Craft book right now! Ms. Price's site says a book 3 is slotted for 2012. Not soon enough!

Grave Witch
Grave Dance
Third Alex Craft Novel - 2012

Grave Dance , book 2 in the Alex Craft series brings some new characters. We venture further into Faerie territory and Death and Falin are vying for Alex's attention, even though for one of them it is forbidden and for the other one, he is technically taken by the Winter Queen, complicated...much.

Alex literally has fae blood on her hands and she has caused a stir in the Winter Queen's court.

Alex is juggling new property, friends who have gotten themselves in a pickle, two smexi guys, trying to keep herself alive, helping solve the problem with the Aetheric tears, which she is getting blamed for. So she made one of them, doesn't mean she did them all. Alex's favourite homicide detective, John, isn't too pleased with the company she is keeping and I want me a Ms. B.

There really wasn't enough of Death in this book. I think he is a great character and I want to read more. We get introduced to some more collectors, which I enjoyed.

Lusa is digging around for a story and Roy is being a great friend to Alex, helping her out. I am rather intrigued about Desmond, he's a nice addition. I did laugh at Fred, who really isn't a Fred....hehe! I think Kyran is very cheeky and I hope he plays a further part in Grave Memory, book three and let's not forget the Shadow King.

When all your resources have failed or been captured or aren't willing to help you, who do you call...dad. Alex is not close to her dad but when it comes down to the crunch, he pulls through for her and there opens up some intrigue for me. Where are we going with her dad and his connection to Faerie and..and..and?

I'm looking forward to Grave Memory, partly because I am crushing on Death and Falin , but also because I feel like after being introduced to a swag of characters in this book, we may be visiting Faerie more and I am keen to see where Ms. Price is taking us.

Alex is no longer just Alex the raiser of Shades owner of `Tongues For The Dead', she is now much more.

FAVE QUOTE:

"You want coffee?" I asked, riffling through my cabinet.

"Among other things."

And there went my pulse rate.

Michelle

Still recovering from a blood moon, Alex Craft is back as well as her two love interests: fae Falin and Death. She has a new case that involves shadeless left feet with no bodies attached. There is a very powerful serial killer on the loose and Alex's magic may be the only way to stop the killer, even though it may be too much magic for Alex to handle. Weird and strange creatures move in the shadows protected by glamour and they have Alex as their target. To make things worse, Faerie is finally closing in on Alex and there are too many dangerous choices to be made.

I loved this book! It was better than the first, filled with action, magic and mystery. Be warned that the book ends with a cliffhanger but is a satisfying one, I may add. Alex is using more and more of her power as she is slowly discovering what she can do and the secrets her family holds. However, she also gets blinder and blinder as her power degrades her real sight. With all the help she can get, Alex tries to fight the foreign magic attacking her and stop a serial killer, while trying to understand what happened to the bodies the left feet once belonged to. She also cozies up to Faerie and meets other important fae characters along the way, as she discovers more of herself. Alex's world unravels with each page and I just loved how it pours magical creatures, power and amazing scenarios. What an action-packed book!

5/5 ⭐
This was even better then the first!!! uhg I'm torn between her being with Fallin,or Death, and seeing how Fallin is the Queen s, that prolly won't between him and Lex. But holy crap the ending! faire sounds terrifying but beautiful. I'm curious to see what will happen with the Queen being there and how Holly ate Fae food. And speaking of Death, he's got to come back some time soon in the next book.

Quite frankly, I was so awed by "Grave Witch" that I immediately purchased "Grave Dance" and "Grave Memory", read them all in a week, and enjoyed all three books. To put this in perspective, sequels usually bore me to tears.

The setting is a fantasy variant of modern day. Other creatures are immersed in a world similar to our own. Everyone knows it, which is a huge improvement from the typical. The main character, A--, is a young woman with witch powers. A-- is single, consults for the police occasionally and struggles just above the poverty line.

The plot is an adventure, with elements of mystery, action, fantasy / world discovery, and romance. The central plot is another mystery; and the romance continues to be more like two unresolved flirtations. The author introduced another whole set of new fantasy elements, each so unique and fun that you don't even need to read them in order for each to be enjoyable. Since this is a sequel, that really wows me. The book is written entirely from A--'s point-of-view.

My only complaint is that the author shifted A--'s personality in one major way. Suddenly, A-- had been engaging in a series of one-night-stands prior to book 1.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

I am suffering from a horrible cold/sinus infection as I write this, so please excuse me if I sound incoherent at any point in this review.

GRAVE DANCE, by Kalayna Price, is the second book in the Alex Craft series. Alex is a grave witch, and a quirky one at that. Between book one and two, so many discoveries are made--including her powers evolving (or perhaps manifesting would be a better word?) and learning of her heritage. Some may view all of these additions as over the top, and I admit that some moments in GRAVE DANCE made me roll my eyes, but I do not feel that these changes will ultimately ruin the story for readers... as it may in some other books.

While I did enjoy this book, it did not blow me away like its predecessor. There was one primary reason why I grew exasperated with the title--which I will state below--but despite my exasperation (and the intense desire to fling the book away at one point), I simply couldn't. I needed to know what happened next, and if I didn't, my life would suck until I did know. That alone is proof that while I may not approve of what is occurring within the novel's pages, Kalayna is a kick ass author and one I will follow with the utmost fangirly dedication.

The bad: the love triangle this time around infuriated me. In GRAVE WITCH (GW), readers were introduced to both love interests (Falin and Death). Like I said in my other review, I equally liked both men--though I was leaning more towards Death. In GRAVE DANCE (GD), there was no contest; Death had stolen my heart.

I felt that, while he did not appear as often as I would have liked, Death was a lot more developed in GD than Falin. Death has a vivacity about him that Falin lacks. Falin, I've noticed, is a lot more two dimensional in comparison. He's either injured, trying to hit on Alex, or he's depressed/pissed off. It worked for him in GW, but in GD, it made him seem like the weakest link amongst all the characters.

My frustrations--as a Death/Alex shipper--elevated after each scene where Alex kept fawning over the fae. She kept trying to be logical about the entire situation, but she would literally turn into jello whenever Falin touched her. And considering how Death was not shy about revealing his affections... I don't know, I was disappointed in Alex. Meanwhile, she would get flustered around Death--who didn't manhandle her--but she would mostly avoid her feelings regarding our mystery man.

The good: Death! What can I say, that guy is one sexy character. There were a lot of cool action scenes that kept me glued to the pages, and secondary characters that I've begun to like in GW made appearances. I enjoyed the descriptions of all the realms and the effects Alex's magic had on her and the environment when she tapped into her power.

My favorite part, despite my exasperation with Alex/Falin/Death, was learning more about faerie. The ending of the book was interesting in that regard, and I think the descriptions truly added another intriguing element to this series.

I also want to kick that soul reaper in the face for saying what he said to Alex by the end of the book. UNACCEPTABLE!

The Alex Craft series is one of those new urban fantasies that has captured this unsuspecting reader's attention. I would be stupid not to recommend this series to other readers who are searching for a great UF to read.

I loved the first book, so when I found out that it was going to be a series; I couldn't wait to pick up the sequel. Grave Dance picks up a month later, with Alex finally out of the lime light and working with her usual clientele. Her friend John who works at the NPD calls Alex in to help him solve a case, but the problem is how can you raise a shade without a body? There's a murderer on the loose, leaving body parts around...foots to be exact which is already weird but what's weirder is all the foots are left foots!

I was sucked in from the first page, and it didn't let me go till the end. Ms. Price does an amazing job of expanding the world of Alex Craft, where we see more of Nekros city, the world of dead, the aetheric plane, and faerie. The second book in the series goes into more of Alex's faerie heritage, and the reader's will get to see plenty more of faerie in this book. The readers will also get to see FIB agent Falin Andrews again, who was MIA for a month, and more of Death who in the last book announce is love for Alex. Other secondary characters like that I like will also have their moment in the spotlight ...Caleb, Holly, John and Tamara.

This book is action packed and full of suspense. I thought I knew who the murderer was near the end of the book, but let me tell you I was so off...and the killer was unexpected! This is an amazing series with two hot guys fighting for alex to boot. If you like reading about witches, magic and faeries, than you'll love this book. Highly recommend to Urban fantasy readers, this is a series not to be missed.

I might have gone into this book with too high of hopes. Don't get me wrong, it was still very good. It just wasn't on the level of good I had expected. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but when it comes to -everything- in life, I can be quite picky.

That being said, the author is very good at balancing new powers. If there was ever a point where I felt there would be some Mary Sue action, I was delighted to find the author had stunted other powers. Alex has different powers in different realms, and doesn't retain all powers across all realms. Also, in gaining more of her birthright, she mostly just gets into trouble and exhibits terrible symptoms when coming into contact with iron. Being so used to the Anita Blakes of the PN/UF universe, this lack on the Mary Sue front felt like the sky opened up and angels were singing a chorus.

I'm also glad to see that she just didn't jump right back into bed with Falin like a lost puppy. I'm so used to seeing accidental sex and then dealing with the consequences afterwards. No fan service here. The character stayed true to herself and that was wonderful.

I honestly had no idea who was the bad guy until they showed their face. Big surprise. Wonderful finish.

I'd like to see more Kelpie.

Grave Dance is the second book in Kalayna Price's Alex Craft series. I loved the first book in the series, Grave Witch, and am very happy to say that Grave Dance met the very high expectations I had for it.

It has been a month since Alex worked her last case and she is ready to get back in the game. The Nekros City police bring her in to consult on a possible serial killer but the only remains of the victim are feet. Since Alex can't raise a shade with just a foot, she must rely on the magic of others and her investigate skills to solve this crime. Her lack of knowledge could have deadly consequences for herself and her friends.

Price created wonderful characters in Grave Witch and they become even more complicated in Grave Dance. Death and Falin Andrews are back to confuse Alex a bit more with conflicting feelings. Each of them reveals a bit more about his past and his nature in this book. I love how Price is taking the time to reveal secrets instead of having Alex discover too many things all at once. Alex learns much more about her history in this book as well. It will be interesting to see how what she learns plays out in future books.

While some of the action in this book takes place in Nekros City some of it takes place in the realm of Faerie. The expansion of Alex's world and the collision of the two realms brings in more characters and more magic. Price paints each scene with detail even as the action continues at a fast pace.

The books of the Alex Craft series are ones I don't want to put down once I start reading them and Kalayna Price is now an author on my "Must Read" list along with Kim Harrison and Kelley Armstrong. I don't know how many books are currently planned for the Alex Craft series but I hope we get to have adventures with Alex and her friends for a long while.

(Lions & Tigers & Bears! Oh My!) -- 4.5stars actually

The second installment for this new to me series is richer than the first but I don't believe it has achieved its full potential as yet. On the romantic front Alex is still torn between an assassin and a reaper both delectable and both excite her girly parts. Her friends from a variety of species are still around and each has something to contribute besides a cameo to this ongoing series. Alex's all about body parts case helps complicate new dramas and the repercussions from the events of book one come into play including her new found media fame.

The tight storyline and better than average writing style get you into the book immediately and move you along quickly. I also quite enjoyed the new locations friends and enemies that I'm sure will be a steady draw for the series. But at the same time I felt a bit overwhelmed by so many new types of fae. Not to be outdone the older secondary characters appeared more fleshed as they anchor their paces in Alex Craft lore.
I was pleased with myself for putting a lot of the pieces together before they were revealed but didn't correctly identify the villain of the piece and I must applaud how masterfully the mystery was woven this time.

I was trying to figure out my next read and I tried the opening chapters of a couple of different books. Then I popped this one open and the next thing I knew I was halfway done. I love it when a book just sucks you in.

Alex is dealing with all of the revelations that happened in book 1. A lot of the book deals with her family's secret heritage. On the romance front, she is unsure what to do about Death, who loves her, but, well, he's Death so how is that going to work out? And Falin has disappeared without a word. Then there is a problem with a bunch of feet that have been discovered, so it looks like a serial killer is on the loose. Add in the unwanted attention of the Faerie courts and Alex is in over her head in no time.

I really enjoyed this one. It's a middle book, no doubt about it, but I liked how it built off events and complications from book 1. Also, I enjoyed the friendships Alex has in Tamara, Holly and Caleb. What I really liked, though, was that while there was romantic tension, Alex didn't just hop into anyone's arms. She's got deep reservations and is figuring out what she really wants. It was very adult and rang true. Now, there is a triangle, but before you throw up your hands and stalk away, I need to note that it doesn't feel like anyone is being strung along. It's a unique situation and is handled rather well.

I cannot wait until book 3 is out!

_Grave Dance_ is the follow-up to Kalayna Price's first Alex Craft novel, _Grave Witch_. I had mixed emotions about _Grave Witch_, but I'm happy to report that _Grave Dance_ is stronger and more original.

It's a month since we last saw Alex Craft. She's angry with Falin for vanishing from her life, conflicted about Death's interest in her, and reeling from the new knowledge that she's part fae. Her new case is a baffling one -- she finds a number of feet, but not the bodies they belonged to. Then she and her friends are attacked by strange creatures, and Alex's search for the connection between the feet and the creatures leads her deeper into the world of the fae. Oh, and Falin's back, but Alex isn't quite sure where his loyalties lie ...

_Grave Dance_ got off to a bit of a slow start with me, and I was never able to put my finger on why. But by the end of the book, Price had me compulsively turning pages as she revealed more and more of the fae realm -- a great mix of beauty and creepiness -- and as Alex raced to get to the bottom of the crimes and protect her loved ones.

Alex comes into her own as a character in _Grave Dance_. In the first book, I thought she was a little too much like Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, but now I feel like I know her better and she doesn't remind me of Anita much at all. If I were to compare her to another urban fantasy heroine now, it would probably be Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom. Alex, like Allie, can do awesome things with magic but always has to pay a price afterward.

_Grave Dance_ is a good second installment in the series and has put Price on my mental list of "authors who write cool fae realms." Check this one out for some spooky fun.

I adored Grave Witch and couldn't wait to get my hands on Grave Dance -- and it didn't disappoint. I read the first two Alex Craft novels before starting the Kim Harrison series about Rachel Morgan, and when I got to Rachel Morgan's world, (which was written years before Kalayna Price brought out Grave Witch), I couldn't help but think that Grave Witch/Grave Dance was a more sophisticated version of the same world. If you like Rachel Morgan, you'll like Alex Craft.

The characters are beautifully crafted and so is the gritty crime world that Alex Craft deals with. She's a witch who can raise the shades of the dead temporarily. Her skills are invaluable to the police department and loved ones looking for closure, in spite of this, she frequently finds herself with pennies in her purse -- and lately, a whole heap of fae troubles.

In a world where witches and fae abound but aren't fully accepted, Alex Craft carves out a carefully narrow social and economic existence. One where Death, a grim-reaper-type-hottie that only she can see, knows more about her than many of her closest corporeal friends.

Alex has spent plenty of time recovering from the outcome of the showdown at the end of Grave Witch, and is more than ready to get back out there. She really needs the distraction from her messy love life and throws herself head first into her latest case. Problem is that there will be no easy solve on this one. They are only finding pieces of bodies, no where near enough to raise a shade. Her investigations put her front and center and she becomes the prime target. Someone wants her dead in a bad way and it will take everything she has to pull out of this mess alive, let alone in one piece.

In the aftermath of the Blood Moon in the last book, Alex has noticed some major changes in herself. Her fae heritage is making itself well know and is definitely complicating things. She has developed new abilities as well as some difficulty controlling her old ones. It is almost as if that showdown unlocked a door to her potential. The downside to that is she now has to deal with the implications of being far without growing up knowing the "rules." Her new found sensitivity to iron as well as an inability to lie are all part of her growing pains. The lying in particular is going to be a very rough one as it will take time to learn to twist her words around in order to tell the truth yet mislead. That being said I have a feeling that once she comes into her own she will be more powerful than most of the far put together. She just seems to be able to harness so much raw power as well as break down glamour whereas other fae cannot. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of her journey and hope she is able to stay true to herself.

Alex's love life could not possibly be more complicated. One of the side effects of the changes she is going through is that her body temperature has drastically lowered, to the point where most men cannot stand to touch her skin. In fact only two men can handle her "chill," but of course things aren't easy as she can't seem to really have either one of them. Death made the shocking love confession at the end of the last book yet for some reason he seems to be forbidden from doing anything about that. Falin on the other hand seems to care as well, but he disappeared right after the blood moon. Even if he shows back up, he is the winter queen's lover, so that puts a wrench in things as well. Typically love triangles only frustrate me, and while Grave Dance does do a little of that, I also feel that Kalayna Price did a really great job of keeping a good balance. I honestly don't know who I would pick as they both seem to genuinely care but are kept away by something/someone else by force. I can only hope that in time once Alex is ready to make a decision, she will be strong enough to claim the one she wants and won't suffer further heartbreak.

I really enjoyed Grave Dance, especially the new shift into all things fae. I've always loved books that center around the fae, but have found some of them to be a little overwhelming at times due to all the rules and hidden agendas. Kalayna Price did a fantastic job at keeping things detailed enough to feel realistic without ever once stepping over into the realm if too much information. I really felt like I was learning the rules of being far right alongside Alex. I have greatly enjoyed all of Ms. Price's books, but Grave Dance has ratcheted her up into my top list of authors on "auto buy." If you haven't checked out the previous Alex book, Grave Witch, or her other series, The Haven books, you just don't know what you are missing. I know I eagerly anticipate her next release and hope to see many more in the future.

Once again, Kalayna Price managed to keep me on the edge of my seat from the front cover to the back. What a fun ride this book is. A quirky heroine with a sense of humor and a kick ass nature, two (count them, two!) sexy heroes, and all the engaging, well-fleshed side characters any reader could want. Just when you think that Alex Craft is getting things under control, another speed bump is thrown into her path. Rather than turning her into an all-powerful superheroine, the author makes the side characters as integral to the climax's solution as Alex is. Ms. Price's grasp of world-building is topnotch and internally consistent. She even manages to make the over-used Faerie world exciting. I'm waiting impatiently for the next book to reach the shelves. Well done, Ms. Price!

Another great offering from this para/supernatural author. In this second book the writer seems to have ironed out the slight issues in the first book, which was also very good by the way, and in doing so created a stronger story. The set of characters are strong, believable and make the reader want to know more about them. The first book Grave Witch ended with a revelation for Alex which explains why she is of such immense interest to the supernaturals around her. She is spunky and doesn't pretend to be something she isn't. I really like her relationship with Death, that is def. a concept that is one of the most interesting I have read in a while. Having Death have a thing for you in a romantic sense opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Highly recommend this series.

I really like the Alex Craft series so far. I personally feel that the author's strong point is her characters - even the side characters are interesting. The story is definitely fast-paced, a little morbid, and easily sucks you in.

I love when Death is an actual character, and I look forward to learning more about him and side characters like Caleb and some of the other fae. There's really a lot for the author to explore, so I hope she keeps it fresh and interesting.

The folklore her world is based around is definitely similar to a lot of other books out right now, but I don't feel like I'm reading a repeat of anything. There's a nice variety of creatures and fae races that she puts her own spin on.

I do have a couple of gripes in that the nightmare scene felt like a deus ex machina device. I won't describe it to avoid any spoilers, but it did make the ending feel somewhat rushed.

The other criticism I have is the cover itself. Unfortunately the books blend into the background with all the other urban fantasy books. It's a little too generic, and I actually always forget how much I like the series based on the blandness of the covers.

Other than that, fun ride and I love that she takes the care to include PC!

Since her fight to the death with the sorcerer, Alex Craft the Grave Witch has taken a month of R&R. Part of her respite is to better understand and improve the use of powers as she has learned she contains Fae DNA. However, she is disappointed that her main lover Fae Investigation Bureau agent Falin Andrews is away; besides which the Fairy Winter Queen owns him as a loyal knight.

Back on the job, Alex investigates the remains of left feet, which is not enough for her to interrogate shades. She also is attacked by strange essences apparently put together by magic; she applies her skill to take the parts apart. Her other lover Death AKA the Reaper is out of circulation too. Though exhausted from her two efforts, Alex has no time to rest as something wants her dead and the Winter Queen demands a meeting.

This engaging romantic urban fantasy continues the maturation of the heroine on two fronts: her paranormal powers and her love triangle while both elements bring her to the attention of the Winter Queen. Fast-paced the story line is more a sub-genre coming of age set up book. Still fans will enjoy the Grace Dance as Alex misses the Fae and the Reaper in her life while investigating left feet and fearing her meeting with the Winter Queen who owns the loyalty of one of her lovers.

Harriet Klausner

I love this series.

The Story
Alex gets herself in more trouble as we go through this book. In this one, we learn more about Faerie and what ties Alex has to the courts and we also learn a precious few snippets about Death. The FIB is tracking independents and rounding them up because of a case that Alex can't figure out is glamour or witch magic. Murders abound and things are trying to kill Alex. There are tons of unanswered questions about Faerie and Death and Alex herself. Can't wait to learn more about this world!

Likes
I like Alex as a character, I think she is strong willed and we see her learning in the process of all of her ordeals.
I like the story line, how it wraps up the debacle that is actually going on at the time, while leaving open questions that can be answered as Alex is learning about them in the next few novels.

Dislikes
This is completely personal, but I thought the dog was in this book too much. PC this and PC that...got it.
I don't know if this is because there is just sooooo much information to be had without a ton of info dumps but the story seemed long. It could also be because I took forever to read it because I had too much going on in RL.

Conclusion
If you liked the first book you will like this book. I say go read it!!

Grave Witch Alex Craft is called in to consult on a series of serial killings, but this time her ability to raise the shades of the dead is not going to help much, since there's not enough of the victims left to work with but when she uses her grave sight to try to find the rest, she instead ends up stirring up things for the unaligned Fae in Neckros City - and not in a good way.

I liked Grave Dance every bit as much as the first book Grave Witch well, maybe even more. There are more of the Fae bits in this one which I enjoyed and Death and Falin are still vying for Alex's affections and I actually like them both. Also, I still really like Alex - she's not too kick butty and not too snarky - and the suspense part of the story was interesting, especially when combined with all of the Fae interference which made for some page turning reading.

With this second book, author Price's series is progressing in a very intiguing direction, with Alex's world expanding and Alex learning more about her heritage and her powers. And adding just a bit to the mix, Alex's relationships are developing a nice amount of seemingly insurmountable conflict, so it's going to be hard to wait until the next summer for Grave Memory.

Originally posted @ Calliope's Domain - [...]

Book: Grave Dance

Author: Kalayna Price

Series: Alex Craft

Publishing stats: July 5th 2011, Penguin Group (USA)

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Cover Blurb: After a month spent recovering from a vicious fight with a sorcerer, grave witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil thanks to the disappearance of Fae Investigation Bureau agent Falin Andrews and a shocking "L" word confession from Death himself, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But her new case turns out to be a deadly challenge.

The police hire Alex to consult on a particularly strange investigation in the nature preserve south of Nekros City. The strange part: There are no corpses, only fragments of them. A serial killer is potentially on the loose, and Alex has no way to raise a shade without a body, so she'll have to rely on the magic of others to find leads. But as she begins investigating, a creature born of the darkest magic comes after her. Someone very powerful wants to make sure the only thing she finds is a dead end--her own.

First line: "When I first straddled the chasm between the land of the dead and the world of the living, I accidentally raised the shade of our recently deceased Pekinese."

What I liked: I love the world-building of this series. It's beautifully layered so that each book allows it to unfold just that much more, unveiling hidden depths and surprising twists that just seem natural in hindsight. Which, incidentally, is also how the mystery plays out; it really keeps the intrigue dialed up to ten and the interest just as high. I also love how Alexis' powers work - how they have the effect of stripping the world to show its state of decay, how they have the instantenous consequence of blinding her regular vision, how they reveal, conceal, bend, twist, and warp reality not just in her vision but in reality as well.

What I didn't like: I am not a fan of love triangles - more often than not they serve only to frustrate me and I end up screaming "JUST PICK SOMEONE!" at the heroine after the first debate-riddled chapter. Unfortunately for this book the love triangle seems a bit of a moot point; Option A is a fae bound to serve the Winter Queen like a good little puppy and Option B is essentially a grim reaper existing in another plane. They basically personify "unattainable." Naturally, as with the first book, by the last page Alexis was once again all by her lonesy.

Overall: I liked it. Admittedly, its rendition of Fae politics is a might confusing. Oh, and I kind of wish someone would drop a house on the Winter Queen - seems like it would solve a lot of their problems. Also, the Shadow King seems a lot better by comparison, so here's hoping for that in the next sequel.

Would I read this author again: Definitely. Next book - Grave Memory - releases on July 3, 2012.

My rating: ****/5

To purchase the book for yourself, you can find it at Chapters.Indigo.ca, the store.ca, the store.com or Barnes & Noble. Enjoy!

I liked Grave Dance a little better than Grave Witch since the reader is already familiar with some of the background story and the main characters. Alex Craft's world is further expanded in this installment as she spends more time in fairie meeting the Winter Queen and her court.
However, the descriptions of Alex's use of her grave sight and magic can be exhausting as it is repeated over and over again in every chapter. The same is true of the colors she can see in the Aetheric and in her grave sight; how she is left almost blind after using too much power, etc...
The ending was rather anticlimactic as well, and I didn't really care to find out what was going on with the severed feet. The plot was a little boring, and the scenes didn't flow very well together. In addition, the puzzle pieces surrounding the investigation that were introduced in each chapter didn't quite come together at the end.
An improvement, but barely 4 stars.

This is an amazing series! I read both books in 2 days. Excellent! Great world and great characters. Alex is a strong witch and really good at what she does. I love that she is so powerful and yet so compassionate and caring of both mortals and fae. She's impulsive, but she uses her brain and she lets us know what she's thinking so we get to be there in the moment with her, not just 'wam-bam, omg I'm screwed, how did I get here?'. And I love PC! (I actually had to google chinese crested.)
Kalayna Price has a great imagination and she can write some seriously good urban fantasy.

4 stars

I started this series last year. Then last week I bought this book,the second book in the series, and the 3rd one. Read them both in one 24 hour period. Now I can hardly wait for book #4 to come out.

I love the concept.
I love the characters.
I love the book.
I love the series.
'Nuff said.

Ok... really. If you like PN/UF, then this is right up your alley. Read the whole series. Ms. Price, thank you. I am hooked.

GRAVE DANCE was an exciting and thrilling read and when it ended I threw a fit because I didn't want this book to end. GRAVE DANCE exceeded my expectations on so many levels.

In the previous book, GRAVE WITCH we find out that Alex is fae, which comes a little bit of a shock to Alex and in this book we are really introduced to the fae world in the Alex Craft series where you feel like you didn't get enough. I love fae books and it is always interesting to see how each author creates their fae world and I thought Kalayna Price did a fantastic job.

Alex is back and has some special powers and all the fae want her for themselves and Alex is on the run. Not only does she not want to be the property of any of the courts, being in faerie terrifies her a bit. She is most comfortable in the mortal world. While she is on the run, she has a new case to solve that happens to involves the reapers. SO she has to work with them to solve this new case that she is involved in now.

Falin Andrews comes back and I don't think I realized just how much I missed this guy. I am a Falin fan through and through. There is just something about this guy that makes me go SWOON! We learned in GRAVE WITCH that Falin is the winter queen's knight and lover which comes quite a bit of a shock to Alex and we actually learn the why's and how's of this. I really love Kalayna Price for letting us know more about Falin's past.

There were some event's in GRAVE DANCE that made you hate Falin a little bit, but in my opinion that is all the winter queen.

Oh, Death. I love you. Can I have both you and Falin? Please? Death is just as yummy as Falin. Death as well as Falin makes their intentions to Alex known as well as coming face to face with each other and having a pissing contest. We also find out why it may be impossible for Alex and Death to be together.

Although I loved this book to death there were also a few parts where I got so bored I had to put it down for a while and I really think that had to do with the research/more about the big case Alex is trying to solve. Otherwise, amazing sequel.

There was a mixture of fae and witch stuff that blew me away and I really want to know more and more about the fae. Everything in this book just "WOW-ed" me and why oh, why doesn't the next book come out 6 months from now instead of a year. I will die before I get my hands on the next Alex Craft book.

The second entry in Kalayna Price's series about Alex Craft is a winner! Price continues to do an excellent job of world building, creating engaging characters, and adding ever-more-complex layers of complications for her protagonist, Alex.

Grave Dance has a good mystery, and the love triangle among Alex, Falin, and Death isn't just heating up, it's starting to scorch! Over the course of Grave Dance, it becomes apparent that Alex also is becoming more powerful as a witch and has new fae powers emerging. But one of the best things about Price's work so far is how carefully Alex has to weigh the costs of performing magic, as it always comes at a cost. This ratchets up the tension and makes her a more believable character. So I hope that Alex won't be morphing into a superhero who's unstoppable. Her humor and vulnerability are two of her most appealing characteristics.

GRAVE DANCE continues the Alex Craft series with humor, action, magic, suspense and mystery. I love just about everything in Alex Crafts world. The characters are interesting and well developed, the world building is creative, engaging and all around phenomenal. Alex continues to be involved in a love triangle and I really like both Death and Falin. Death is sexy, dangerous and mysterious. Falin is of course sexy, but also can be there with Alex at any time where death can only be there at certain times. Alex really found out some interesting things about her self and her heritage in GRAVE DANCE as well as some things from her childhood she didn't even remember. I'm hoping Price will dig deeper into Alex's dad and in the next book. I also really like Alex's magic. Kalayna does a really good job with making everything feel real with all the details she puts into everything. There are quite a few people either trying to get Alex on their side or trying to kill her and even though there was a lot going on it all flowed really well together and kept me interested in reading the book which is always a major plus in my eyes. I will keep buying the books as long as Kalayna is writing them.

Like some other reviewers I found Grave Dance lacking compared to Grave Witch. I was especially put off with the main antagonist this time. This book felt as if the main crime/mystery thread was really just a ploy to introduce all kinds of other plots the author wants to use. That said, I came away feeling apathetic towards the series largely due to the vast amount of new information, characters and shenanigans that Alex encounters. This book leaves a lot of questions, which I think is part of the point, but clearly there is no way the author could cover, in detail, all of the new things added to the world building this time around.

Alex herself was annoying. Like some others have mentioned her relationship with Falin is high school level. The waffling on her part over Falin is stupid at this point. Clearly, her feelings for him win out every time he touches her and every time she becomes jealous over his interactions with other women. I don't find Death to be a compelling romantic interest for Alex simply because their relationship is so underdeveloped. Death really gets shafted in terms of page-time in this book, which seems ironic since the main crime plot seems like it'd be right up his alley.

I also thought that Alex believing the antagonist was one of her friends was a Too Stupid To Live moment. The information that she knew about the antagonist never should have led her to that conclusion. It was so ridiculous, I can only assume the author was deliberately trolling us. I felt the end of the book was anti-climatic. However, though this book was a mess in terms of way too much new information and plots, I'm still interested to see where the author will go and I'll definitely give the next book a chance. Here's to hoping there's more of a cohesive plan next time.

This series just gets better and better!

Alex is one tough chick with a take no prisoners attitude. She's also very down to earth and out for the greater good, making her a very likeable narrator.

I think what I loved most about this installment, was the character development. Especially in the romance department. Finn and Death have both made their feelings towards Alex quite clear and now she's faced with the tough decision. I loved the way Price has written these two men because, while they're polar opposites I love them both equally for their own separate qualities. I envy and sympathize with Alex's tough decision.

Although I must admit, I'm curious to see where Price will take Alex and Finn's relationship in book 3, seeing as he is already "devoted" to another. Oooo the anticipation!

The mystery of the plot is exciting and not too predictable, but I feel it was the interaction between these three characters throughout Grave Dance that kept me up into all hours of the night.

I would recommend this book to fans of Stacia Kane's Downside Ghost series and just plain Urban Fantasy junkies in general!

Happy Reading!!!

In my review of Kalayna's first Alex Craft novel "Grave Witch," I accused the author of ripping off Anita Blake, Rachel Morgan, Meredith Gentry, and Allie Beckstrom. I take it back in this novel. The author has a very interesting and different take on her reality, and the world she creates for and with Alex is amazing. I am seriously looking forward to her next book in this series!

Though the first book started off slow, this installation of the series was a thrill from beginning to end. I'm a bit frustrated with the Felin-Death-Alex love triangle, but this book was action-packed and the characters continue to evolve and surprise us. Fun read!

The second book in a new series can really test the limits of the new world and the author's talent and skill. I'm not going to wax verbose about this book--it's fun reading and it's not destined to be the subject of a college-level book report (God, I hope not). Anyway, it was a blast to read and I loved the characters and world-building, oh, and the male leads? Yum. Compelling stuff, and I'm officially addicted to the series. More, please!

I'll be quick. What people really want to know in a review is if the book is good or not, and to not read spoilers in the process. This is a Good Book. I had no trouble following the story. The words flowed nicely. I'm really looking forward to the next book. The English police are never happy, just ignore them.

Keep up the good work Kalayna Price.

I absolutely love the Alex Craft Series. It's by far one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series. It has just enough romance/romantic tension to make me want more, but is a nice break when I get burned out on romance. I love the characters, Death especially and I can't wait to see what Kalayna Price has in store for him and Alex and of course Falin.

I really love this new urban fantasy series!!!! Price has created an engaging and interesting world rich with details and good ideas. I enjoyed this book a little more than the first one and I hope the next is even better!

I am so incredibly disappointed in this author. With the first book, I thought there was real potential for her to grow as an author. Instead she stagnates. The plots end up being incredibly predictable. Secondary characters tend to fall flat. The main character is supposed to be a hard ass or something but get dragged around by her feelings, mostly controlled by her vagina.

I loved the twisty world that the author built in Grave Witch. With magic out of the closet, the world literally expanded to include cities such as Nekros. Grave Dance builds on what happened in Grave Witch. We see more of the faery and more of the land of the dead. We begin to understand how magic works in the world that Price has created. She does this while building a thrilling, page-turning read. I couldn't wait to find out what Alex and her friends were going to do as the problems escalated throughout the book.

I'm not normally a fan of fae stories but this really grabbed me. I love the characters and the way they twist and intertwine the further you get into the story. July next year for book 3 is a long time to wait but well worth it!