Review: Grave Witch

Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Well this had all the makings of a 3 ½ to 4 star book until it hit the sex chapter, before that it was a dark bloody tale told in a light and entertaining way. Alex is a Grave Witch is one who can talk to the dead, and she does one ghost in particular is very entertaining Roy, she can also see and talk to death and his cronies

SPOILER!!!!













I was really enjoying the book until Alex who is temporarily blinded and Falin who is spelled and acting drugged start to have sex. Now you could see this was coming all through the book but the author waited until they were impaired to actually get the ball rolling. I don’t particularly care if there is graphic sex scenes in a book but I do have condition, it shouldn’t be boring. Sex isn’t boring, reading about it shouldn’t be boring. The chapter just seemed to go on and on, maybe I didn’t like it because they were impaired and it was written as though they were. I’m not sure. But all and all a fine book, I just should have skimmed that chapter and it’d be a 4 star book




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Bloodshot by Cherie Priest

Bloodshot by Cherie Priest

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The first-person narrative is well suited to this novel. The strong willed smart talking vampire thief read almost like a mystery novel with dashes of thriller thrown in. The most exciting part of the story without giving away any spoilers was just after she received the call about the PDF and what it drove her to do. The weakest part of the story was when she confronted the intruder in her warehouse, I thought she should have been much tougher and less vulnerable then she appeared to be.



There is a second book in the series and I’ll be checking it out, this being one of the most enjoyable urban fantasies that I’ve read. I recommend this book to fans of Kim Harrisons Hollows series, although I enjoy the Hollows series more.





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Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I'd say really a 2 1/2 star book, the first half was confusing as so many characters are introduced and seemingly dropped as soon as they started to become interesting, in the end the only two character's that seem to get any development at all are the heroine Kate Daniels and one of her adversaries through much of the novel.


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Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, Book 1) Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

My review

rating: 1+1/2 of 5 stars the extra 1/2 comes from the 2nd part of the book.
I really enjoy urban fantasy, love Kim Harrison’s Hollow’s series which includes a little werewolf lore but had never read a novel focusing on werewolves and packs and just wasn’t drawn into the story much at all. I hadn’t read Briggs’s first series “Mercy” but started with this because it was an Urban Fantasy group read last August before I’d joined and thought I’d give it read. It’s very slow to get moving but about halfway through the pace picks up and it was a little better then the beginning had been. The main characters are somewhat likeable but the rest of the pack were either not very well fleshed out or unlikeable. It was good enough to finish but it’ll probably be a long time before I read another fantasy that focuses on werewolves. If you’re a big fans of werewolves or the Twilight series you may enjoy it, if not I’d give this a pass.


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On the Prowl by Patricia Briggs

On the Prowl by Patricia Briggs

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Just read the Alpha and Omega short story before starting the novel, Cry Wolf which the short story serves as an introduction to the characters


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Undead and Unappreciated (Undead Series, Book 3) Undead and Unappreciated by MaryJanice Davidson

Undead and Unappreciated by MaryJanice Davidson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really like this series a lot and this book brings in another major character, Laura, the devil spawn who is destined to rule the world. She also just happens to be Betsy's half sister. The laughs are still coming and my only complaint with the book is it's too short. But that's a minor complaint, I'd much rather wish for longer books then feel that the story has been padded.


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Moonheart Moonheart by Charles deLint

Moonheart by Charles deLint

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This novel is of course magical, because other wise it wouldn't be an Urban Fantasy, but it's also very musical.



From the Author's Note.

" this book was written under the influence of Alan Stivell, Andreas Vollenweider, Neville Marriner, An Triskell, Edgar Froese, Klaus Schultz, Radio Silence, Robin Williamson, Silly Wizard, the Fureys, and Kate Bush-to name the most prominent"



I too had my mp3 player dancing with Celtic tunes as I read the book, the music references peppered throughout the novel are almost a subliminal influence forcing you to listen to some Celtic tunes as you read.

Aside from that I loved the way that the author has integrated European legends and mythology with North American mythology, throwing in a healthy does of Taoism to boot makes for a very satisfying setting and story. The main characters are both believable and likeable; the human villains are a little one dimensional but that’s a small quibble for such a terrific novel.


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War for the Oaks by Emma Bull

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Terrific book from the introduction straight through to the appendix where the author includes scenes from a screenplay that she and her husband Will Shetterly wrote, scenes that didn't appear in the book.

Aside from the great extras this story has everything I'm looking for in an Urban Fantasy book, a quick introduction to the magic that makes it "Fantasy" and great characters that you really care about. I read this because it's a URBAN FANTASY GROUP BOOK OF THE MONTH -February Group Read. A terrific choice by it's members that's why I joined the group to get different recommendations of great books to read.


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Heart Of Stone (The Negotiator Trilogy, Book 1) by C.E. Murphy

Heart Of Stone by C.E. Murphy

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
"Talking to you in the park the same night that girl died was an unspeakably bad coincidence" Alban to Margrit



That's just one of my problems with this book, he watches her for 3 years and speaks to her on the night of the 1st murder. 2nd coincidence Cara another of the old races comes to her for help, why because she was on TV. She arrives on the same day that Grit wins the pardon and is on TV isn't that awful fast. BTW Cara is a squatter, does she even have a TV or power to run it? 3rd bad coincidence her mother already knows the vampire. 4th coincidence her sometimes boyfriend is in charge of the murder investigation. I take it that later in the series perhaps the author is going to reveal why all these coincidences take place. My other big problem with the book is the length of the opening before much of anything "fantasy" takes place. The first 75 pages read more like a legal thiller than an "urban fantasy novel" I think that the info in those pages might better have been presented later in the story and get right into the puzzle/action with the background added later. Just my opinion but I think I would have enjoyed the book more that way if it had started out in the night club.






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The Graveyard Book The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Great book, I love Neil Gamian's work from Sandman to Neverwhere to his work with Terry Pratchett in Good Omens and later solo novels.

Best News is that today, it won the John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to children's literature.

I'd highly recommend the audio book version read by the author. I watched everyday as he crossed the country promoting the book, in different bookstores reading a chapter a day the video was then posted online. Thank You Neil, I ordered my copy of the audiobook after seeing you read the first chapter, but it was great not having to wait for it to be delivered before hearing and seeing more.


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Undead and Unemployed by MaryJanice Davidson

Undead and Unemployed by MaryJanice Davidson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I liked that the sex scenes were cut back from book one, but it just wasn't as funny as the opener "Undead and Unwed" which had me laughing out loud, something pretty rare for me even though I read a lot of tongue and cheek stuff. This book is still a great read but I recommend starting at the beginning so you get the full storyline about how "Elizabeth Taylor", no not that E.T., becomes a vampire and how it changes her life or death depending how you look at it.


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Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson

Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a funny book, this is a 4 9/10 star book at the least, the only reason I took a star away because I thought the sex scenes intruded on the storyline, not every scene but enough that I wished they were cut back on. The high point of the Ms. Davidson's novel for me is her characters and their dialogue. Only other complaint is that it's too short but I'd rather finish a good book wanting more rather than a mediocre book that I think is padded for length.


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Dead Witch Walking (Rachel Morgan/The Hollows, Book 1) Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I couldn't believe it when I began this book on of the first urban fantasies I'd read. When into a bar walks a witch Rachael an investigator for Inderland Security (sort of a supernatural FBI) , with her pixy partner Jenks who works as her backup. She sits and drinks with another I.S. investigator, Ivy, a living vampire as she tries to spot the leprechaun who's " accused of fabricating a rainbow for the purpose of misrepresenting the income generated from said rainbow, failure to file the appropriate requisition forms for said rainbow, failure to notify Rainbow Authority of said rainbow’s end-" . Set in a fantasy modern day Cincinnati.


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