Grave Destiny (Alex Craft, #6)

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 right 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.

• ISBN10: 0451416597
• ISBN13: 9780451416599
• Publish Date: 2 April 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Ace Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780451416599

Reviews

[Melanie]

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

I really love this world that Kalayna Price has created. It features mostly witches and fae. Alex Craft is our main character and is a grave witch. She can raise shades of the dead to help police find out what happened to them and other things.

In this one, Alex has to help the Shadow Prince and the Winter Queen solve a murder of a member of Shadow Court that takes place in the Winter Court. Then there is Death’s boss, The Mender, has his own agenda for Alex. Oh, I can’t forget that his father is up to something too. The poor girl is pulled into so many directions in this book (actually, that might be everybook). A lot happens in this book and it ends with a lot of changes in store for the next book.

This is a fun urban fantasy. If you like investigations and fae politics, then this is the series for you. The characters are a lot of fun and the worldbuilding is complex. I’m not sure how long the wait will be, but I’m eager for the next book.

Narration
Emily Durante has always read this series and I’ve really enjoyed narration. She has no issues with the ever growing cast filled with many men, women and creatures of all kinds. I always look forward to listening to this series and Durante is part of that reason. I can’t even imagine just reading this series without Durante.

**I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[MurderByDeath]

Probably one of the strongest entries in this series; it felt tightly plotted, well paced and clearly part of a larger series arc.  Not all the previous books, even when they were good, felt like they were part of a larger story.   Most of Grave Destiny takes place in Fairy, which truthfully, I don't find nearly as compelling as the mortal realm, where Alex is a grave witch (able to talk to the dead through their shades).  Alex's life is divided between her mortal witch existence, and her fae existence in Fairy, which she's only becoming reconciled to.  My personal preference is for the mortal side, where I find her relationships more interesting, but Price managed to keep me invested in this story anyway.   Major character development took place at the end; it will be interesting to see where Price goes with it, as it's clear she's got a plan for these characters.  Hopefully I won't have to wait as long for the next book to find out what that plan is.  

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Grave Destiny through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Grave Destiny is the sixth book in the Alex Craft series, and based on how events went in this book, it’s nowhere near the last either. Fans of Kalayna Price can rejoice at that news! If you’ve never heard of the Alex Craft series; it follows a Grave Witch on her increasingly more dangerous adventures amongst the fae.
One of the things that first drew me to this series was the covers. I love the light blue and white tones of the covers (hinting at the chill of the grave, naturally). And Alex is always a striking image on her covers.
The series is urban fantasy heavy, but it also steadily has more and more time spent in the world of fairy. It’s perfect for any fantasy of fairy fans out there, especially because it’s so intelligent in how it discusses fae nature and politics.



Grave Destiny may just be my favorite novel in the Alex Craft series, which is probably saying something. This has been one of my favorite series for year, and it feels like each new novel ups the ante from the last one.
This was an intense and fast-paced novel. I’m not exaggerating when I say I read it in one night. I couldn’t put it down, so instead I opted to stay up late and read it start to finish. I may have been a bit of a zombie the next day, but I have no regrets about my decision.
One of my favorite elements of Grave Destiny, and all of the Alex Craft novels in general, is how carefully Kalayna Price describes her fae. They’re sneaky and while beautiful, fully capable of malicious deeds. They’re intelligent and witty, and are always looking to get the better end of the deal. That Alex is relatively new to this world and having to struggle through their politics just makes the series that much more interesting.
I’ll confess that this novel did leave me missing a lot of the secondary characters. We didn’t see much of Alex’s friends, roommates, or coworkers here. Unless you count Falin (I put him in a whole different category though). And I missed Death too. But honestly? That’s my biggest complaint about this book, and it isn’t much of a complaint either.
I loved the plot, it was intense and held my attention the whole way through. I kept trying to predict how each part was going to play out. I was too curious not to. It was refreshing to have a story told mostly from the fae side of things, in its own way. And I loved seeing more of some of the other characters.
I really enjoyed reading Alex’s perspective in this novel. She’s had a lot to deal with as of late, but nothing ever seems to slow her down. I loved that she was self aware enough to seek out help on a couple specific points (and no, I won’t tell you which points).
As for Alex’s abilities…I have always loved that they come at a cost to her. It’s been a major reason why I love her character and her ability set. It just…fits. I’ve always liked her Grave Witch abilities, and wanted to know more about her Planeweaving abilities. I got both in this novel, so I really can’t complain.
This novel did bring with it a surprising amount of changes. I won’t say what changes, for obvious reasons. But I will say that I’m anxious to see how those changes play out in the next novel (which I don’t think has a name yet?).
No matter what the title ends up being for the next novel, I know I’m going to end up reading it. Now I just have to be patient and wait for news.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks