A Book Obsession..

Review: The Reburialists by J.C. Nelson

, by KT

The Reburialists by J.C. Nelson

Burying the dead is easy. Keeping them down is difficult.

At the Bureau of Special Investigations, agents encounter all sorts of paranormal evils. So for Agent Brynner Carson, driving a stake through a rampaging three-week-old corpse is par for the course. Except this cadaver is different. It’s talking—and it has a message about his father, Heinrich.

The reanimated stiff delivers an ultimatum written in bloody hieroglyphics, and BSI Senior Analyst Grace Roberts is called in to translate. It seems that Heinrich Carson stole the heart of Ra-Ame, the long-dead god of the Re-Animus. She wants it back. The only problem is Heinrich took the secret of its location to his grave.

With the arrival of Ra-Ame looming and her undead army wreaking havoc, Brynner and Grace must race to find the key to stopping her. It’s a race they can’t afford to lose, but then again, it’s just another day on the job . . .

I have rather mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, the characters and their dynamics were top notch, and the plotline is very well paced and had the perfect amount of stakes. But unfortunately to be blunt, the world didn't make a lick of sense, which left me more than a little frustrated throughout the entire read. I realize part of the book is supposed to have to do with different beliefs as to why the dead didn't stay dead, but nothing was really explained. We're just thrown into things without any knowledge or understanding at all. Even towards the end as more explanations came, I still frankly was confused. Perhaps by that point I had just given up trying to make sense of it and was just going with the flow. It's a shame because there's so much potential here, but I needed more explanation to really get sucked into the series. It was almost like everyone just accepted that the reanimates were there, and that was that. No one really tried to get to the route of the problem, or try and find ways to get rid of them once and for all. Just rang a bit false to me. I realize I've been a bit vague here, but even after finishing the book I still don't understand any of the mythology to explain it myself.

Now onto the good. I really enjoyed Brynner and Grace's characters. Where the world building lacked depth, their three dimensional characters made up for it. Brynner is incredibly damaged goods, and yet so strong at the same time. And of course Grace's fierce yet gun shy character was the perfect thing to help "tame" his wild ways. So I really enjoyed their progression together. It was more than a little bumpy along the way, making for a very enjoyable journey in the romance aspect. No complaints on that angle. The other good thing about THE REBURIALISTS is that despite my confusion on the world and mythology, it didn't stop the plot from progressing quickly and the stakes being very high. I was engaged and invested from the start, which when you think about it is rather impressive considering the disadvantage of the world.

I'm not sure if this is going to be a new series, or if it's a stand alone. Things ended well enough that I'd be satisfied here. But as there's potential for more, if it does continue I just hope there's more digging into the world to bring just a bit more depth.

All in all THE REBURIALISTS is an entertaining read with some world building flaws, but great characters that I enjoyed.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Between Dreams and Reality
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Review: Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

, by KT

Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

The Others #4

For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community...

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.

But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs…

I have to admit I may have danced a victory jig when I got my hands on this book. I absolutely love this series and wish the books would come faster. Each book blows me away and this one was no exception. At first the frequent shifting point of views were rather jarring and took a little while to get used to the flow. However, once I did I really appreciated all those multiple character angles as it allowed the suspense and pace to feel all the more widespread. Sure it didn't allow for quite as much character development in as in previous installments, but the action and horror of this book would have out-shadowed any large growth anyway. That being said, Meg still continued to grow and for the first time I felt like real progress was made towards a long term solution to save her life. The thousand cut expiration has felt like a looming axe, and while nothing is certain, that hope makes me a very happy reader. I also really enjoyed the small progression in the hints of romance with Simon and Meg. Again it was more hope than anything certain, but it's that hope that keeps me sucked in.

The ramifications of all the Humans First and Last terrible actions ripple throughout making MARKED IN FLESH feel like a turning point in the series. With the things between human finally coming fully to a head, nothing will be the same. I can't tell you how many times while reading this book that I was blown away by the majority of the human's stupidity, audacity, and utter cruelty. And yet they call the Others, "monsters." Anne Bishop did an incredible job at making those stakes feel so real. I was horrified at the humans, and utterly terrified of the Elders. She crafted them in a way that they were fully fleshed, and yet still mysterious at the same time, making them all the more terrifying for it.

The Others series is simply put, one of the best urban fantasy series that I have ever read. Considering just how many books I've read in the genre, trust me when I say that this is the one to read. MARKED IN FLESH proved once again that this series is an utter powerhouse in the genre that I hope will continue on for many books to come. Run, do not walk to get your hands on this one.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Between Dreams and Reality
Rabid Reads
Hot Listens

Previous Books:
1. Written in Red
2. Murder of Crows
3. Vision in Silver

Release Day Review: Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

, by KT

Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

Mercy Thompson #9

Mercy Thompson has been hailed as “a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself.”* Now she’s back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer...

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

I absolutely love this series. I start counting the days until the next release as soon as I finish the latest installment as I could read endless books in this world. There's just something about Mercy and her world that is so entertaining, and yet comforting that keeps me craving more. Each book makes me feel like coming home, and in fact this series is one of my favorites to listen to on audiobook as a re-read. So before I even get started fully into this review, if you haven't read this series, stop right here, run and start a binge read, as once you start you won't be able to stop.

It amazes me how the stakes continually get higher and yet different in each new installment. Some times when books try and outdo the previous installment, the constant one-upmanship only leads to unbelievable and unrealistic states. And yet, Patricia Briggs seamlessly writes each new obstacle and challenge where they are all unique, more dangerous, and yet in no way outlandish. She stays well within the rules she has set in her world and I truly admire her for that. There's no shortcuts here. This time around the threat brewing is an all out war between the fae and the werewolves, and the humans as a side result. Mercy takes some rather both actions as she is wont to do, and Adam ever the amazingly supportive hero backs her up soundly. In fact his actions throughout this book were incredible to put it mildly. Fans of the series will be delighted at the new road and choices the two of them have made in this round, and the new pack dynamics that result as a fact. All I can say is that it's about time.

One of the other great things about this series is that it weaves in its sister series, the Alpha and Omega as well, tying them together perfectly. There was one large character from that series that made a pretty terrible decision and actions towards Mercy. And while I understand them, they left me reeling alongside her. There's a lot of long reaching consequences from those choices, and I can't wait to see how that turns out in the next book in either series, whichever comes first.

Yet another brilliant installment in the always fantastic Mercy Thompson series, FIRE TOUCHED is one you'll want you'll want to get your hands on as soon as possible. Make sure to set aside a nice long block to read as once you start, you simply won't be able to put it down.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Under the Covers

Previous Books:
1. Moon Called
2. Blood Bound
3. Iron Kissed
4. Bone Crossed
5. Silver Borne
6. River Marked
7. Frost Burned
8. Night Broken

Review: Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill

, by KT

Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill

Chicagoland Vampires #12

As the Chicagoland Vampires series continues, Merit and Ethan find themselves in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, where winning may require the ultimate sacrifice...

A vampire’s grudges don’t stay dead long...

Merit is one of Chicago's most skilled vampire warriors; these days, she doesn't scare easily. But she and Master vampire Ethan have made a new and powerful enemy, and he won't give up until he owns the Windy City.

With his last plan thwarted, he's more determined than ever to watch Cadogan burn. Ethan has put the House's vampires on high alert, but their enemy will stop at nothing, including pitting vampire against vampire...

In this deadly game of cat-and-mouse, the stakes are life or death—and winning might mean sacrificing everything..

Each book in this series has continued at a frenetic pace, and MIDNIGHT MARKED was no exception. From page one, it takes off and doesn't stop once. The "Big Bad" this time around was a doozy, leaving the plot spiraling almost out of control. It definitely made for some intense scenes and stakes, so intense that the resolution almost didn't stand a chance at living up to the build up. Don't get me wrong, the resolution packed a punch and had some very high stakes. It's just that it almost felt just a tad easy. But then again if you really look hard, it was only a half fix, and the next book could become the final, final showdown. We'll have to see.

Merit and Ethan's relationship continues to be tumultuous, which adds both excitement and frustration to the series. It definitely keeps things interesting, but as I said it's rather frustrating as well. Granted Ethan does act in character with his ridiculous alpha male routine in this book, but it comes across as juvenile so very hypocritical. To be honest, it rang rather false to me how easily he got off the hook with Merit for his actions. He pulled a rather ridiculous stunt in this book, and while there was mentions of him being in the "dog house," there really wasn't any real consequences for him with Merit nor anyone else in the end. And yet, he claimed to have learned his lesson. Again. But in all honestly it just once and for all proved he'll never really change, which unfortunately soured my view of him a bit. Luckily he has one more book to potentially redeem himself and better control those actions, but only time will tell.

You can really feel this series starting to wind down, which is a shame, as it's one I've really enjoyed. Surprisingly, the span of this series despite so many books, has only been a year in total. In fact, Merit is celebrating her one year anniversary as a vampire in this book. So much has happened in only that short year, it's rather mind boggling. And yet it feels like there's so much more left unsaid/to be done, so if the next book is truly the finale, I can't imagine the frenetic pace that will entail to pack so much in. Should make for a bang of a book. So that being said, I highly recommend this book and this series to anyone who enjoys a fast paced and high stakes read in the urban fantasy genre.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Rabid Reads
Fangs, Wands, and Fairy Dust
Naomi's Reading Place

Previous Books:
1. Some Girls Bite
2. Friday Night Bites
3. Twice Bitten
4. Hard Bitten
5. Drink Deep
6. Biting Cold
7. House Rules

8. Biting Bad

9. Wild Things

10. Blood Games

10.5. Lucky Break

11. Dark Debt

Release Day Review: Midnight Bites by Rachel Caine

, by KT

Midnight Bites by Rachel Caine

Morganville Series

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine presents a collection of stories—including six new tales—featuring the little Texas town that’s overrun by the undead.

WELCOME TO MORGANVILLE.

YOU’LL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE.

By day, Morganville, Texas, is just a typical college town. By night, the vampires emerge and take control....

In a town where it’s not safe to be out after dark, student Claire Danvers and her friends have had their fair share of thrills. But Morganville still has a few secrets left to tell.

Now, in this collection, you can venture down the town’s strange streets, revisit all the tales you’ve come to love, and experience six new stories featuring your favorite Morganville residents—both human and vampire...

I really enjoyed MIDNIGHT BITES. It's been a while since this series closed, so reading this book was almost like returning home to some of my favorite characters. There's a good mix of new content in between the previously released stories. I hadn't read any of the previously released parts, so this anthology was entirely new content for me, making me enjoy it even more.

There's a great mix of stories in this anthology, from things that last a few pages, to ones that are a bit longer that let you get more immersed. A lot of times in anthologies I do get frustrated with the brevity of the stories, but that wasn't the case here. Despite there being so many different short stories packed into this book, I didn't get frustrated with that lack of depth. I think it had a lot to do with how the entire thing was set up chronologically, making it all flow well, and tie in together. Some of the stories themselves hinted at things that were then tied back to in later stories, so it was really enjoyable. There's a good mix of perspectives, something for every character fan.

There's one downside to this enjoyable anthology and that's that it has left wanting more from Morganville again. I had said my bittersweet goodbyes at the release of the final book, and I feel like this book has only reopened things back up. I want, would almost say need, more from this world. There's so much room and potential for more and considering just how many books and stories have been released in this world, that's saying something. That being said, despite wanting more, MIDNIGHT BITES is a very satisfying absolute must read for Morganville fans. As they say, you never really leave Morganville, and that's only been proven here with this fantastic anthology. Here's to hoping Rachel Caine returns again and again to this world in the future.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Library Lindsey

Previous Books:
1. Glass Houses
2. Dead Girls Dance
3. Midnight Alley
4. Feast of Fools
5. Lord of Misrule
6. Carpe Corpus
7. Fade Out
8. Kiss of Death
9. Ghost Town
10. Bite Club
11. Last Breath
12. Black Dawn
13. Bitter Blood

14. Fall of Night

15. Daylighters

Release Day Review: Firstlife by Gena Showalter

, by KT

Firstlife by Gena Showalter

Everlife #1

ONE CHOICE.

TWO REALMS.

NO SECOND CHANCE.

Tenley “Ten” Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live—after she dies.

There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the two realms who will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she’s drawn to isn’t home to the boy she’s falling for? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…

This book is going to be interesting to rate and review. To be honest I almost DNF it more times than I can count, and getting through the first third or so of the book was so slow going even when I kept deciding to push through. I found reasons to put the book down and do something else. Dishes, laundry, you name it. Considering my reading time is very limited anymore, you would think I would have just gone with the DNF and moved on. But there was just something about the world and storyline that kept me reading. And I'm so glad I did. There's a pretty big change in situations/surroundings for Ten, and once that event happens, I was completely hooked. I flew through the pages just to see what would happen next.

I think there were the foundations for a solid five star book here based on the incredible premise alone, which is what made the book even more frustrating than it should have. You have the first half the book which drags incessantly with no real explanations of anything, cruelty for the sake of cruelty at times it seemed that leave the reader completely detached and almost uninterested. And then the second half of the book takes up at an almost frenetic pace, and yet still somehow the reader still has no idea what's going on. I needed more info altogether, especially early on in the book. Towards the ends there were hints at somethings and peeks at conflicts to come, and while it was enough to keep me intrigued, it was not enough to satisfy.

The characters were solid and fully three dimensional, and yet I still felt a bit of detachment from them as well. I think that stemmed more from the lack of explanation about the warring sides, and no real reason ever given for why Ten refused to choose. Honestly it felt like just stubborn teen indecision, and that didn't jive with the tortures she went through because she refused to make a choice. Honestly it just didn't make sense why she would choose torture over a decision when she had no real reason not too. I guess I would have preferred a deeper reason. Add that into her obsession with numbers that seemed to randomly take over, and then all of a sudden disappear, which felt like a convenient quirk to try and make her more interesting rather than a real personality trait.

I realize this review sounds mostly full of frustration, and while that's accurate, it's not really the whole story. Once I was finally hooked, I couldn't stop reading and found myself flying through the pages. And then low and behold would you believe it ends in a killer cliffhanger. So now I'm frustrated, intrigued, impressed, and dying to get my hands on the next book all at the same time. And that ladies and gentlemen perfectly summarizes FIRSTLIFE, a whole mix of good and bad meshed into one package. So in the end I'll give this one a solid three star middle of the road and look to the next book to continue the trend/pace set at the end of this one.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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a GREAT read
My Guilty Obsession
Tome Tender

Early Review: The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

, by KT

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

Ravenspire #1

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

I really enjoyed THE SHADOW QUEEN. I'm not typically a fan of retellings, fairy tales made modern or changed never really were my thing. Too much of a been there, done that feeling for my tastes. And to be honest, Snow White even in the original form never was my favorite But the cover on this one completely hooked me in, so I gave it a try, and I'm so glad I did. It's Snow White, but it's really not. In fact, I think a lot of why I enjoyed this book so much is that it was far more "not" Snow White. Aside from just a few similarities, THE SHADOW QUEEN is fully its own story. Add that to the fully fleshed and intriguing cast of characters, and I was hooked from the start.

Lorelai is strong and fierce and yet very vulnerable as well. So much of this book was about her journey towards confidence and believing herself and powers. She faces so many trials and persevered through every single one, and I thoroughly enjoyed cheering her on the entire way. Then you have Kol who has similar confidence issues, but in a very different way. The two made for an interesting pair especially when you consider certain obstacles that were placed between them. But I really enjoyed how neither was over the moon instalove swoon for the other, but kept their heads and always remembered their duties. They are both to be the leaders of their countries, and I really felt their attitudes matched that. So many times once a love interest is involved everyone always seems to lose their heads, and it was a refreshing change of pace here to not have that happen.

That being said, while I enjoyed this book, it did have a few pacing issues that kept me from giving a five star rating. Some things that I felt could have used a bit more focus due to their importance/intensity were very rushed through. While in reverse, some things that I felt were less important seemed to drag a bit longer than necessary. For example, there's a pretty big loss relatively early on that seemed to happen in a blink. While I felt like I should have been devastated alongside the characters, I just wasn't due to how fast things happened and then moved on. Almost more of a telling rather than showing me the character's devastation. And then in reverse, there's several inner struggles that different characters go through that seem to drag on, and become a bit repetitive by the end. There's other examples of course, but I'll stay vague to avoid spoilers.

All in all, THE SHADOW QUEEN has made me think I might be a fan of retellings after all. From the characters, to the world building in a familiar yet different story, I was hooked from the start. While things wrapped up well in this book, and the story could end here, things were left just open enough to continue, and I can't wait to see what's next.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Between Dreams and Reality
Brandi Breathes Books
The Eater of Books!

Review: Wickedly Powerful by Deborah Blake

, by KT

Wickedly Powerful by Deborah Blake

Baba Yaga #3

Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one of them…

The only thing more fiery than Bella Young’s red hair is her temper. She knows that a Baba Yaga’s power without strict control can leave the people she cares about burned, so to protect her heart—and everyone around her—the only company she keeps is her dragon-turned-Norwegian-Forest-cat, Koshka.

But when Bella is tasked with discovering who’s setting magical fires throughout Wyoming’s Black Hills, she finds herself working closely with former hotshots firefighter Sam Corbett—and falling hard for his quiet strength and charm.

Sam may bear the scars of his past, but Bella can see beyond them and would do anything to help him heal. Only before she can rescue her Prince Charming, she’ll have to overcome the mysterious foe setting the forest fires—a truly wicked witch who wields as much power and even more anger than Bella…

I really enjoyed Bella's character in this book, and how she was very different than her other two Baba sisters. In fact that's one of the things I appreciate the most about this series. Each Baba has their own very unique voice and personality despite all their similarities. In Bella's case, she's more middle of the road between the two others. She's not as aggressive as Barbara, and not as easy going as Beka. I found her to be a good balance to the other two. That of course doesn't mean she doesn't have her own baggage. Far from it. In fact I think she had more baggage than the other two and that's saying something. However, that baggage made for an interesting character development as she learned to trust herself again. In fact, the theme of this book seemed to be emotional/scarred pasts and baggage. And while that may sound like it would make the book gloomy, it did the exact opposite. It made the book a journey of healing for all involved, and I really enjoyed every moment of it.

As far as the romance, unfortunately unlike each of the Babas being unique, I didn't find the main conflict between Bella and Sam to be so. Sure, when it boils down to it, Sam and Liam were very different, and Sam especially came with a scarred past like I mentioned. But the one thing that got me was that in both books the conflict that separates the pairs is the hero's need to follow the letter of the law rather than the spirit. Perhaps I shouldn't be quite so picky as the rest of the book was more than enjoyable. I just wanted a new "black moment" for the thing that drove them apart.

Getting back to the good stuff, not only did I really enjoy Bella's character, but the plot had me hooked as well. The ladies have faced some nasty troubles in the past, but I have to say this one takes the cake. Not only did it make this book rather intense, but there are a lot of far reaching implications that will be kicking off the next part of the series featuring the Riders. So all in all, WICKEDLY POWERFUL is a very enjoyable installment, and I can't wait to see where this series goes next.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Herding Cats Burning Soup
Badass Book Reviews

Previous Books:
1. Wickedly Dangerous
2. Wickedly Wonderful
1.5. Wickedly Ever After

Early Review: The Immortals by Jordana Max Brodsky

, by KT

The Immortals by Jordana Max Brodsky

Olympus Bound #1

MANHATTAN HAS MANY SECRETS.
SOME ARE OLDER THAN THE CITY ITSELF.

Manhattan.
The city sleeps. Selene DiSilva walks her dog along the banks of the Hudson. She is alone-just the way she likes it. She doesn't believe in friends, and she doesn't speak to her family. Most of them are simply too dangerous.

Murders.
In the predawn calm, Selene finds the body of a young woman washed ashore, gruesomely mutilated and wreathed in laurel. Her ancient rage returns. And so does the memory of a promise she made long ago. To protect the innocent-and to punish those who stand in her way.

Gods.
With the NYPD out of its depth, Selene vows to hunt the killer on her own. But when classics professor Theo Schultz decodes the ancient myth behind the crime, the solitary Huntress finds herself working with a man who's her opposite in every way. Together, they face a long-forgotten cult that lies behind a string of murders, and they'll need help from the one source Selene distrusts most of all: the city's other Immortals.

I had a really hard time with this one. So much so that I found myself continually skimming large parts and considered not finishing more than a few times. I mustered through however as the plot had intrigued me enough to see how everything played out, but it wasn't the smoothest of reads for various reasons. The largest being how flat the characters were, specifically the main character, Selene. Everything about her was wooden and completely flat. It's like all the personality had been sucked out of her, aside from her firm belief that all men are evil. She's supposedly the protector of the innocent, but somehow that only seems to apply to women, and even then she looks upon the ones she saves with contempt.

Now onto the thing that kept me reading, the mystery behind the plotline. I was hooked enough to want to find out the root of the evil rituals and see who was behind it all. Unfortunately despite being intrigued, this didn't make the plot progression exciting or engrossing. Far from it in fact. This is a rather long book, and honestly I feel a lot could have been condensed as again it all seemed flat, plot included. That being said, the twist at the end did make things rather interesting and did help soften the blow of my frustration.

Perhaps I should have DNF this book, but the greek mythology and mystery hooked me enough to stick around. I guess I kept hoping for it to redeem itself, and unfortunately that just didn't happen. Take my review with a grain of salt as looking over other reviews, it seems while some disliked the book like myself, a good bit absolutely loved it, so depending on your reading preference you might enjoy this. But in the end it's simply not for me.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Miss Em Recommends
The Literati Press
Civilian Reader

Grave Visions by Kalayna Price

, by KT

Grave Visions by Kalayna Price

Alex Craft #4

Grave Visions by Kalayna Price is the much-anticipated fourth installment in the kick-ass urban fantasy series about Alex Craft, a grave witch who can communicate with the dead.

If you want to hear voices from the dead in Nekros City, you call Alex Craft. She's a Grave Witch with reasonable rates and extraordinary powers, who specializes in revealing the secrets of the dead. But now she's the one fighting to keep her own secret. She's not human—and her newly discovered heritage is causing havoc for her both in the human realm and in Faerie. But her status as an unaffiliated fae also makes her an ideal candidate to investigate a new street drug that has surfaced in several of the spaces between the human and fae worlds.

This glamour-infused drug causes hallucinations that turn real—at least for a while and often with deadly consequences. Searching for the source of this drug—and its purpose—lands Alex front and center in the conflict brewing in Faerie and she must find answers before she's dragged so deep she loses her freedom.

While the wait for GRAVE VISIONS may have been incredibly long, after reading, I'm happy to say it was worth the wait. I had worried after all this time that I wouldn't remember the previous books and be lost picking up the one. However, I was pleasantly surprised at just how fast I slipped back into this world. There was no "re-learning" curve needed. I think that's really a testament to just how well this world is crafted. I love the characters just as much now as I did years ago when the last book was released, Alex in particular. This time around she really shines as she's learning to cope with her newly found Fae heritiage and all of the politics that come with it. Each time I thought she might just have to give in to the bonds and demands placed on her, she preserved and I found myself rooting for her more with each page.

The only reason I didn't give this book a 5 was due to it feeling like a set up book. Don't get me wrong, more than plenty happens and I was completely entertained throughout, but I felt like it was all leading to the next book. It felt like Alex had to over come the certain task/politic issues so she could move onto the next step of who she is becoming. And THAT is the book I really want to read. So that being said, I really hope the wait isn't as long as I simply want more from this world and these characters. All in all fans in the series will be more than pleased with this much awaited installment.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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