Today’s friend is the amiable Angela from Angel’s Guilty Pleasures. I got to know Angela through the Library Love Challenge which she co-hosts. I enjoyed talking with her each month in the group about our library reads. She was also so kind to comment on my choices and progress. But there are many books we both enjoy. This review will be at her site next week here.
Grave Witch by Kalayna Price Narrator: Emily Durante
Series: Alex Craft #1
Published by Audible on April 18, 2011
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Length: 10 hours, 3 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble
As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself—who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans—nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around...
To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something—though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex—but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life... and her soul.
Mystery, surprises, tension, & edge of our seat moments.
Holy Cow, Grave Witch was more than I expected it to be. I was pulled in from the start and couldn’t stop until the very end. We get ghosts, a murder mystery, weird magic, and so much more. It was one thing after another, that you never know what will happen next.
Alex is a fun, unique, and powerful character. Everything we learn about her just leads us to wanting more. Her numerous and complex problems change the book into an entertaining and unpredictable read. Her grave sight is a pretty nifty ability, but it comes with a price. I liked how in this world there is a price to having magic. The more Alex is in contact with the dead the colder her body temperature gets and after being in contact with her power she has issues with her eyes. Alex does find ways to deal with the price.
The secondary characters were wonderful. I had fun with all of Alex’s friends. She’s picked a great group of people to be with.
The relationships Alex has with Death and Falin makes me wonder if their might be a love triangle looming in the future. I like the relationship between Alex and Death. As for Falin and Alex, they were together to help with the backlash of her power this time around. I’m curious to see where things go on the man front. I will say the relationship comes second to the murder mysteries in this story.
Narration: This is my first experience with narrator Emily Durante. I didn’t have any issues with the audio. I was sucked in that I couldn’t stop and when I had to I was a little sad and I wanted to jump back into the audio book. The story comes alive. There are a lot of characters and Ms. Durante does a good job making them each unique.
Grave Witch is a humorous suspenseful murder mystery Urban Fantasy that’s hard to put down. I can’t wait to dive into the next installment.
About Emily Durante
Emily Durante has been acting since the age of seven, performing in a number of stage plays professionally, in the community, and at the college level. Other performance credits include commercial and industrial voice work, educational live theater, and singing telegrams. She has been narrating audiobooks for over ten years. Her titles include the Midnight Twins trilogy by Jacquelyn Mitchard, Casting Off by Nicole R. Dickson, Impossible and Locked Inside both by Nancy Werlin, and Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas. She has also directed audiobooks, including the Earphones Award-winning performance of Heaven’s Keep narrated by Buck Schirner. Emily resides in the Philadelphia area with her husband and two children.
About Kalayna Price
USA Today Bestselling author Kalayna Price writes the Alex Craft Novels, a new dark urban fantasy series from Roc, and the Novels of Haven from Bell Bridge Books. Her works have been translated into several languages and are available (or have been contracted for release) in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Poland, Russia, and Germany. Kalayna draws her ideas from the world around her, her studies into ancient mythologies, and her obsession with classic folklore. Her stories contain not only the mystical elements of fantasy, but also a dash of romance, a bit of gritty horror, some humor, and a large serving of mystery. Kalayna is a member of SFWA and RWA, and an avid hula-hoop dancer who has been known light her hoop on fire.
About Angela at Angel’s Guilty Pleasures
Hello, My name is Angela and I am the owner/reviewer and mind behind Angel’s Guilty Pleasures. However what I am not is a writer. I apologize now for the grammatical and punctuation errors I make, because I know I’m going to make them.
I never once thought I would start my own blog, but with the help of my computer geek husband and a little pestering from him to do a blog, I ended up with Angel’s Guilty Pleasures.
I’m a mother to a 6-year-old who is non-stop on the go since the day he could walk. I’m a wife, dog owner, animal, and book lover. My favorite animals are horses (i.e. Appaloosas, Lipizzans, & Friesians). I grew up in Northern Indiana on a farm and my father is a veterinarian, so animals have always been in my life and have been a passion of mine. I no longer live on a farm, but we are currently dog owners to a beautiful Australian Shepard named “Saphire”. Some of you book lovers might recognize her name!!
As for reading, my love started as a kid, but then my teen years came and reading fell away. It wasn’t until I hooked up with my husband in College and met his family, who are avid readers, that I really got back into reading. When we moved to the same state as my husband’s Aunt, who is a very big reader of YA/PNR/UF, she suggested I try the first book in Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series Halfway to the Grave. She handed over her Nook and I read the book in a day. That was my first PNR/UF and I got sucked back into reading. Now I read a verity of books and have many authors I enjoy. A few of my favorites are Ilona Andrews, Jeaniene Frost, Gene Showalter, Terry Spear, Lynsay Sands, Patricia Briggs, Setta Jay, Anna Lowe and G.A. Aiken aka Shelly Laurenston.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- 🎧 Echo by Tracy Clark @tracypc6161 @ChanteMcCormick #BrillianceAudio #LoveAudiobooks #KindleUnlimited🎧 - December 3, 2024
- Read-along & #Giveaway: Edge – Innkeeper by Ilona Andrews @ilonaandrews @reneeraudman @natalienaudus @AceBooksPub @nyliterary @TantorAudio @AudibleStudios #Read-along #GIVEAWAY #LoveAudiobooks - December 1, 2024
- Sunday Post –1 December 2024 @kimbacaffeinate @readingreality - December 1, 2024
Thanks again Angela! Great review; now it is ANOTHER series I want to read.
It was my pleasure to join in the Friends on Friday series and to add to your TBR ^_^.
I want to read this series (narrator is not a favorite of mine). Maybe I’ll get to it this year.
I’m thinking about doing a poll of series I have waiting for me which I want to read. My series1 shelf on Goodreads has like 156 on it but some of those are Kindle freebies which aren’t in the highest priority. I need to make a new list / shelf.
I do enjoy this series. I just listened to the most recent book (review to post on HL soon). I continue to love this series.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Rabid Reads
Just another reason to make a high priority series1 list. The more blogs I read, the more I add to the TBR. Eeeeek.
I know, right? So many great books/series/authors out there. I add books way faster than I get through listening/reading them. I guess the good news is that I will never be out of books to read. 😀
Exactly, and at the rate I read books I figure I only have about 10-12 years worth on my TBR. I mean what am I going to do when I retire after all? I hope I live at least 10-15 years after I stop working.
Hello Angela! I have heard such good things about this series. I may need to check it out sooner than later! Thanks!
I know; it’s so hard to read reviews from the bloggers I enjoy and then I want to read all those books too!
[…] This review was originally featured on Books of My Heart. It was my pleasure to be part of her Friends on Friday […]