ARC Review--Grave Destiny by Kalayna Price

Grave witch Alex Craft can speak to the dead, and that makes her a dangerous enemy for anyone with something to hide...

Alex is still trying to come to terms with her changing powers and her growing ties to Faerie when a case she'd rather avoid falls into her lap. A fae prince desperately needs Alex to investigate a politically sensitive murder. She reluctantly agrees to the case, taking FIB agent Falin Andrews along as her backup.

But as Alex begins to delve into the mystery, she realizes that the intricate web of alliances and intrigue in the Faerie courts is strained to its limits. War is about to break out, one that threatens to spill over into the mortal realm. This murder is tied right to the center of centuries-old arcane unrest, and if Alex isn't careful she may follow the twisting path ahead of her right into her grave end.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Diving back into Kalayna Price’s Alex Craft series was a lot easier than I expected after two years away. Grave Destiny picks up where we left things, which was kind of foggy for me, but the story is quick to move forward with new events and refresh us over the old ones that are important. All in all, it was a breeze getting back into this series.

Alex is approached by a member of the Shadow Court, but not just anyone, it’s her betrothed, Dugan. He wants Alex to raise the shade of a goblin that was murdered, one that was a friend to his who was found with a Winter Court faerie who was also murdered. It seems like it could be an easy case to solve, but nothing is ever easy where Faerie is concerned and Alex reluctantly agrees to it. Joining them is Falin who is the Winter Queen’s Knight and ex-lover, and there’s still some chemistry and feelings between them but Falin’s duty is to his queen.

Things move along at a sedate pace that’s typical for a mystery. Alex, Falin, and Dugan are looking into the crime, trying to find suspects to question and then trying to survive the everyday dangers of Faerie. Alex is still infected with basmoarte, a Faerie disease that will continue to slowly kill her unless she finds a cure for it. We do get to see Death again, though since their relationship has ended things are awkward, and sadly, he doesn’t stay around long even with their meeting.

Romance wise things were kind of complicated. Alex and Death are no longer a couple, she’s betrothed to another that she doesn’t know or love, and things with Falin are what they’ve been for ages now, even more complicated! True, there were a few stolen kisses, and there’s really no love triangle to speak of when it came to Dugan being in the picture. I’ll be curious to see how things will play out in the next installment!

It was fun being back with Alex and solving mysteries or trying to solve them anyway. There were quite a few shocking surprises that came along during the investigating and the solving. Then that ending! Whoa! I wasn’t expecting that to happen so soon, but then I remembered this is book 6, it just doesn’t feel like it’s been that long!

Grave Destiny was quite the page-turner! It’s one of those books you can easily sink back into between its releases. It’s got a nice pace to it, one that’s not too fast or too slow, it’s rather perfect! The world-building continues to be amazing as well. It’s refreshing to be in a world where people know about magic, but not all the dangers and darkness that is attached to it.

There were a few new developments along the side that happened to Alex that are sure to be around for future books and future problems. It will be interesting to see where these developments will take us. And the ending itself was nothing short of mind-blowing!

In the end, Grave Destiny was just the kind of read I was looking for! It once again reminded me why I love paranormal books. These are the stories that I live for! Kalayna once again continues to amaze and delight me with her words and stories. I cannot wait to see what will happen next in this series. If you’re a fan of Urban Fantasy, this is a series you will not want to miss out on!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars


Grave Destiny releases April 2, 2019

It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep (ARC)--Review to come at a later date

Currently Reading:

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman (ARC)

What I Plan to Read Next:

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi

Other Posts of Interest:

Totally Should've...Tag!

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Waiting on Wednesday--My MOST ANTICIPATED Release in 2019

Random Thursday 

Book Blogger Hop 

The Spring Cleaning Book Tag 

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality.


This week wasn't that much better than last week. I did have a book signing to attend which was fun, but right before that I had someone rear-end my car in a parking lot. I was sitting in my car, reading a chapter before I headed into Subway and the guy across the lot was backing up and just kept going. Everyone was fine, but I was just so aggravated that this happened to me and I felt like it was just one giant headache that I didn't need. Luckily, my car had no damage and his was fine from what I could see too. He was backing up slowly, so it was more that he tapped my bumper, so thankfully I won't need repairs. But yeah...could've lived without that headache and stress this week.


But it wasn't all bad! I did get some great new reads that I am really excited about!

Here's what I bought:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi--I decided to go ahead and buy the hardcover of the first book to match my series. Yeah...it's silly, but I can't help myself sometimes!

Shadow Me by Tahereh Mafi--since I finally spent the rest of my Amazon gift card I decided to buy this one right away! As I mentioned before I am weird and refuse to use my gift cards on digital items! Lol.

Then to my excitement I received this for review:

Finale by Stephanie Garber (ARC)

THANK YOU Flatiron Books!

Then I received some preorder gifts this week:

Bloodleaf: I got the beautiful full colored map & a gorgeous journal that was far bigger than I anticipated! Which was a happy surprise, I thought it would be like half the dimensions!

Bloodwitch: Enamel Pins set!!

Then my mom was buying shirts for herself online and picked this one up for me and I LOOOOVE IT!

It says: Get Lost Get Found and naturally there's a book beneath it! It's a long sleeve shirt from Life is Good and it's SUUUUUPER comfortable! Omg, I LOVE IT!

And that was it for me this week! Not too much added to the TBR pile, so that was good! What did you all get?

The Spring Cleaning Book Tag

I saw this tag at As Told by Tina and I thought it looked like fun, so I decided to join in! I borrowed this image from Tina as well. She initially saw this tag on book tube here.

The struggle of getting started: a book/book series that you have struggled to begin because of its size.

While The Last Magician isn't terribly long (in Harry Potter pages) at 512 pages, it does seem daunting in some ways as I remember trying to start it at one point and then putting it down. I'm hoping to give it another go one day!

Cleaning out the closet: a book and/or book series you [almost] want to unhaul.

 

I won this one so very long ago and have yet to start it. I kept putting it off since I read mixed reviews but haven't decided what I will do with it. I never write off a series before giving it a try at least, so in the TBR it remains.

Opening windows and letting fresh air in: a book that was refreshing.

 

One of my more recent review books and oh my goodness this one was good! Really really good!! I love a good fairy tale retelling and this take on The Twelve Dancing Princesses was most refreshing!

 

 

Washing out sheet stains: a book you wish you could rewrite a certain scene in. 

 

The scene at the end...basically the ending itself since there was never a sequel.

 

 

Throwing out unnecessary knick-knacks: a book in a series that you didn’t feel was necessary. 

 

Even though I did enjoy this one, I didn't see how it was necessary to the series as it felt pretty wrapped up with the second one. My review of this will be up next month.

 

 

Polishing the doorknobs: a book that had a clean finish. 

 

Though it will always eat at my soul, this one does have a fairly clean ending.

 

 

Reaching to dust the fan: a book that tried too hard to relay a certain message. 

 

Okay, maybe this one's a stretch but we all know that in The Beauty and the Beast that the Beast was a spoiled person who had to change. I think this one might have tried a little too hard to be different, yet at the same time, I liked that it did that. I don't know. I feel like I can't answer this question accurately with a book because I generally like the books I read and if I didn't like one it's not because it "tried too hard."

The tiring yet satisfying finish of spring cleaning: a book series that was tiring yet satisfying to get through.

 

I read Snow Like Ashes when it first came out in 2014,  I finally read the sequel last year. So with a four year gap between books 1 and 2 and with little to no recaps it was a struggle to get back into the series. I still enjoyed it overall, but I've got to stop leaving big gaps between books 1 and 2 when it comes to series!

 

 

 

You know the drill, if you're feeling up to this challenge and want to join in, consider yourself tagged!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Blogger Hop

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: Do you read along with your Audio books? (submitted by Angelica @ Paperback Princess)

MY ANSWER: I don't read/listen to audio books, so I can't answer this question! Lol.

Random Thursday

Time for amazing Animal facts from Doug Lennox's The Little Book of Answers! These factoids regarding animals has been really intriguing since they sometimes have nothing to do with animals at all!

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

Unknown contestants earned the nickname "dark horse" back when Sam Flynn, a horse trader from Tennessee would go to town to town trading horses at auction. When it so happened that a race was held in the same town, Flynn would add a coal black racing horse in with his workhorses. This horse was called Dusky Pete. He would bet heavily on his own horse and would win. When Flynn's deception started to spread so came the warning to "beware the dark horse."

That's an interesting twist! I didn't know that!

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

All unneutered male cats earned the nickname "Tom" from a 1760 book called, "The Life and Adventures of a Cat." The feline hero of this book was named, you guessed it, Tom. From then on all male cats who weren't neutered were called toms.

And that just gives us an eye-opened to another Tom!!

(image borrowed from The Spruce Pets)

The saying, "Never look a gift horse in the mouth" means to never examine a gift for value. The saying is traced to St. Jerome; in 400 AD he wrote a letter advising an unhappy recipient of a horse to be grateful for the gift itself and to not look for flaws. Although, it's still common practice--as it was then--to look into a newly acquired horse's mouth where you can tell its age by looking at its teeth.

Another interesting factoid that I never really knew its origins. Though, it does kind of make the "beware Trojans bearing gifts" controversial! Lol!

(image borrowed from BBC)

John T. Scopes is famous for being on trial in 1925 when he was teaching Darwin's theory of evolution at a school instead of the biblical origins of mankind. The trial shocked many people who never knew that people might be related to apes. From these exclamations came, "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle!" And thus the phrase is still used when one is taken by surprise by something!

 

 

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

Thomas Hobson was the owner of a livery stable in Cambridge. He was a very stubborn man who earned the nicnkame "Livery Nazi" because no matter who the customer was he would always rent the horse nearest to the stable door first. He would never rent horses out of order and became famous for this. "Hobson's choice" came to mean "take it or leave it." And that's why we say when we have no choice at all, it's a Hobson's choice!

 

 

I actually never heard of this particular choice! Lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waiting on Wednesday--My MOST ANTICIPATED Release in 2019

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

Welcome, welcome to Finale, the third and final book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Caraval series!

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...all games must come to an end.

It’s been two months since the last Caraval concluded, two months since the Fates have been freed from an enchanted deck of cards, two months since Tella has seen Legend, and two months since Legend claimed the empire’s throne as his own. Now, Legend is preparing for his official coronation and Tella is determined to stop it. She believes her own mother, who still remains in an enchanted sleep, is the rightful heir to the throne.

Meanwhile, Scarlett has started a game of her own. She’s challenged Julian and her former fiancé, Count Nicolas d’Arcy, to a competition where the winner will receive her hand in marriage. Finaly, Scarlett feels as if she is in complete control over her life and future. She is unaware that her mother’s past has put her in the greatest danger of all.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun―with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win...and those who will lose everything. . .

Without a doubt my #1 MOST ANTICIPATED release this year!! I ADORE this series so much, so hard! I've already ordered 4 copies of this one, tentatively 4 more, but I'm waiting to actually place an order for the UK ones once it's out so I can get all 4 covers! I'm even planning to re-read the series leading up to this one's release. If I am lucky, I'll finish Tuesday afternoon so I can go to the bookstore after work and pick up my copy! If only B&N could guarantee release day delivery for members, they'd have it made then!

TITLE: Finale

AUTHOR: Stephanie Garber

PUBLISHER: Flatiron Books

GENRE: YA Fantasy

RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2019

 

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker.

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

"'Cordelia is dead, Vasilia is dead, and whatever deals they struck with you are dead as well.' I looked from one noble to another. 'I am queen now, and I will not be bullied, cowed, or otherwise intimidated or insulted by any of you.'" Kindle loc. 8%*

*This quote comes from the eARC, therefore it and its location are not final.









TITLE: Protect the Prince
AUTHOR: Jennifer Estep
PUBLISHER: Harper Voyager
GENRE: Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is: Books On My Spring 2019 TBR

*in no particular order

**subject to change based on mood or other gained review books or new releases! :D

10. THE DEVOURING GRAY by Christine Lynn Herman

9. RESTORE ME by Tahereh Mafi--to be followed by Shadow Me, then Defy Me!

8. THE BEYOND by Chloe Neill

7. CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber--YES! I am planning to RE-READ Caraval and Legendary prior to Finale's release!!

6. THE KINGDOM by Jess Rothenberg

5. THESE REBEL WAVES by Sara Raasch--to be followed by These Divided Shores...if I like it. PLEASE let me like it!

4. BREATH OF FIRE by Amanda Bouchet--to be followed by Heart on Fire, if I'm lucky!

3. THE WICKED KING by Holly Black--wishful thinking!

2. POLARIS RISING by Jessie Mihalik--upping this in the TBR pile based on all the rave reviews!

1. 99 LIES by Rachel Vincent--would like to get one of her duologies completed and I still need to start the other!