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in: Paranormal Detectives as Main Supe, Witches as Main Supe, Ghosts as main Supe,
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Alex Craft series

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GraveWitch

Grave Witch (2010) by Kalayna Price

The Alex Craft series is written by Kalayna Price. 

Genre and Sub-Genres[]

Urban Fantasy

Series Description[]

Alex Craft is a grave witch, which means that she has the power to raise the shades of the dead—not ghosts (the disembodied spirits of the dead) but shades (the truth-telling memories of the dead). She operates her own business, called Tongues for the Dead, meaning that she helps the dead to speak. In the usual manner for UF heroines, Alex's magical powers grow stronger and more complex as the series progresses.

Lead's Supe[]

  • Witch, ghost seer, Para-PI

Primary Supe[]

  • Ghosts, Fae

What Sets it Apart[]

  • Alex has a relationship with Death and has known him since she was a child. The courts of the fae are discussed and named aplenty including: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Light, Dark, Shadows and Nightmares.

Narrative Type and Narrators[]

  • First Person Narrative told by Alex Craft, protagonist.

Books in Series[]

Alex Craft series:

  1. Grave Witch (2010)
  2. Grave Dance (2011)
  3. Grave Memory (2012)
  4. Grave Visions (2016)
  5. Grave Ransom (2017)

Shorts, Anthologies and Guides[]

  • ?.?. "Alex Craft and the Gingerbread House" ()
  • 2.5. "Ruby Red" from Kicking It (2013)

Other Series by Author onsite[]

Haven series

Themes[]

Death, Independenc, lover's triangle

World Building[]

Fang-tastic Fiction: Kalayna Price: ALEX CRAFT SERIES

Setting[]

Nekros City

✥ Located in a territory between Georgia and Alabama. Nekros only came into existence at the "Great Awakening." It is 100 miles west of Atlanta.

Places:

  • Winter Court:
  • Magic Quarter: Nekros City's center for all things magical and witchy.

Supernatural Elements[]

✥ Paranormal PI, Witches, faeries, magic, Nulls, Black Magic, ghosts, shade, gargoyle, monsters, Aetheric energies, Chinese hairless dog, sorcerers, Faerie (land), Death, Faerie, mortal–paranormal politics, glamour, Winter Queen, voices from the dead, unaffiliated fae, glamour-infused drug,

Glossary:[]

  • Aetheric Plane: the magical plane
  • Wyrd witches: those witches who, instead of needing to be taught to reach the Aetheric plane to gather magical energy, had to be taught not to use magic—were an even smaller percentage.
  • Faerie Food: like a drug, addictive to humans; once a human eats it, they can't eat normal food 

Organizations:[]

  • FIB: Fae Investigation Bureau
  • NCPD: Nekros City Police Department
  • ABMU: Anti-black Magic Unit: a unit of the NCPD who had forensic spellcrafters to determine spells laid on objects and people.
  • MCIB: Magical Crimes Investigation Bureau
  • OMIH: Organization of Magically Inclined Humans

World[]

The series is set in the Nekros City in a territory that unfolded between Georgia and Alabama after the Magical Awakening occurred 70 years ago. Supernaturals (primarily witches and fae) in this world came out to the world at that time and have been living openly (if uneasily) with mortals ever since. After the Magical Awakening, "the veil between the Aetheric and mortal reality thinned. Magic was accessible, and a good third of the population proved capable of reaching it, of shaping it. When space unfolded, opening new areas, both the witches seeking a place where they could practice in peace and the norms who didn't want to associate with the magically inclined moved into the new territory." (Grave Dance, pp. 60-61) There were clashes among the groups at first, but witches and norms eventually settled safely in the city "because strange, long-forgotten legends were waking in the wilds." (p. 61) The human population is divided amongst norms (people without magical abilities), nulls (people who are unaffected by magic) and witches (people who can channel magic).

The city has several levels of law enforcement to maintain the peace:

  • Nekros City Police Department (NCPD): human crimes
  • Anti-Black Magic Unit (ABMU): NCPD department with forensic specialists who unravel spells
  • Fae Investigation Bureau (FIB), crimes involving the fae
  • Magical Crimes Investigation Bureau (MCIB): crimes involving magic of any kind
  • Organization for Magically Inclined Humans (OMIH): crimes involving witches
  • Ambassador of Fae and Human Relations (AFHR): heavier on public relations organization than law enforcement

Alex's two love interests are Falin Andrews, who is introduced as a police detective but turns out to be much more, and the man she calls Death—a soul collector who seems to have quite a crush on our Alex.

Protagonist[]

Grave witch protagonist

Alex Craft

Alex Craft is a grave witch, which means that she has the power to raise the shades of the dead—not ghosts (the disembodied spirits of the dead) but shades (the truth-telling memories of the dead). She operates her own business, called Tongues for the Dead, meaning that she helps the dead to speak. In the usual manner for urban fantasy heroines, Alex's magical powers grow stronger and more complex as the series progresses. Eventually, she learns that she is a planeweaver with the power to bring the mortal plane and the Aetheric plane together. ~ Fang-tastic Fiction: Kalayna Price: ALEX CRAFT SERIES

Sidekick[]

PC (Prince Charming) — Chinese hairless dog — sidekick to Alex — Book first seen: Grave Witch

Characters Chart[]

Characters What About
Alex Craft Grave Witch raises shades from dead bodies; often works with the police
PC: (Prince Charming) Chinese Crested, Sidekick Alex's dog; Chinese hairless dog
Falin  Andrews Fae; FIB Agent; love interest; also the lover of the Winter Queen; controlled by the Winter Queen; Alex has a crush on him;
Death Soul Collector known Alex since she was five but only recently has displayed the the desire for more;
John Matthews Nekros City homicide detective Alex's friend;
Holly District Attorney assistant Alex's housemate and best friend; Addicted to fairy food;
Tamara chief medical examiner Nekros city; Alex's friend;
Caleb fae Alex's landlord and friend;
Tommy Stewart medical examiner's intern
Lusa Duncan star reporter writes for Witch Watch;
Roy Pearson ghost Alex's friend
Casey Caine Alex's younger sister
George Caine Lieutenant Governor of Nekros City Alex's father;
Fred gargoyle
Rianna McBride grave witch Alex's roommate in academy who disappeared
Briar Darque special forces cop Tough
Winter Queen Faerie controls Falin;
Pratt Bartholomew

To expand the table, in Edit–Visual mode, right-press on a Row of the table or Column (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add Row or Column.

Kaylana Price

Kaylana Price

Author[]

Kalayna Price

Bio: 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. ~ Kalayna Price: Bio Page

Cover Artist[]

Artist: Aleta Rafton

Publishing Information[]

  • Publisher: Roc
  • Author Page:
  • Bk-1: Paperback, 325 pages, Pub: October 5th 2010—ISBN: 0451463803
  • Bk-2: Paperback, 371 pages, Pub: July 5th 2011—ISBN: 0451464095
  • Bk-3: Paperback, 373 pages, Pub: July 3rd 2012—ISBN: 0451464591
  • Bk-4: Paperback, 384 pages, Pub: February 2th 2016—ISBN: 0451416570
  • Bk-5: Paperback, 384 pages, Pub: July 4th 2017—ISBN: 0451416589

Book Cover Blurbs[]

✤ BOOK ONE BLURB—Grave Witch (2010): 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. ~ Grave Witch (Alex Craft, #1) by Kalayna Price

✤ BOOK TWO BLURB—Grave Dance (2011): Whoever said dead men tell no tales obviously never met Alex Craft. After a month spent recovering from a vicious fight with a sorcerer, grave witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil thanks to the disappearance of Fae Investigation Bureau agent Falin Andrews and a shocking “L” word confession from Death himself, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But her new case turns out to be a deadly challenge. The police hire Alex to consult on a particularly strange investigation in the nature preserve south of Nekros City. The strange part: There are no corpses, only fragments of them. A serial killer is potentially on the loose, and Alex has no way to raise a shade without a body, so she’ll have to rely on the magic of others to find leads. But as she begins investigating, a creature born of the darkest magic comes after her. Someone very powerful wants to make sure the only thing she finds is a dead end—her own. ~ Goodreads | Grave Dance (Alex Craft, #2) by Kalayna Price

✤ BOOK THREE BLURB—Grave Memory (2012): When the dead need to talk, Alex Craft is always ready to listen… As a Grave Witch, Alex solves murders by raising the dead—an ability that comes at a cost, and after her last few cases, that cost is compounding. But her magic isn’t the only thing causing havoc in her life. While she’s always been on friendly terms with Death himself, things have recently become a whole lot more close and personal. Then there’s her sometime partner, agent Falin Andrews, who is under the glamour of the Winter Queen. To top everything off, her best friend has been forever changed by her time spent captive in Faerie. But the personal takes a backseat to the professional when a mysterious suicide occurs in Nekros City and Alex is hired to investigate. The shade she raises has no memory of the days leading up to his brutal ending, so despite the very public apparent suicide, this is murder. But what kind of magic can overcome the human will to survive? And why does the shade lack the memory of his death? Searching for the answer might mean Alex won’t have a life to remember at all… ~ Goodreads | Grave Memory (Alex Craft, #3) by Kalayna Price

✤ BOOK FOUR BLURB—Grave Visions (2015): 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. ~ Goodreads | Grave Visions (Alex Craft, #4) by Kalayna Price

✤ BOOK FIVE BLURB—Grave Ransom (2017): Grave witch Alex Craft is no stranger to the dead talking. She raises shades, works with ghosts, and is dating Death himself. But the dead walking? That’s not supposed to happen. And yet reanimated corpses are committing crimes across Nekros City.

Alex’s investigation leads her deep into a web of sinister magic. When Briar Darque of the Magical Crimes Investigation Bureau gets involved, Alex finds herself with an unexpected ally of sorts. But as the dead continue to rise and wreak havoc on the living, can she get to the soul of the matter in time? ~ Goodreads | Grave Ransom (Alex Craft, #5) by Kalayna Price

First Sentences[]

  1. Grave Witch: The first time I encountered Death, I hurled my mother's medical chart at him.
  2. Grave Dance: When I first straddled the chasm between the land of the dead and the world of the living, I accidentally raised the shade of our recently deceased Pekinese.
  3. Grave Memory: "What do you think?" I asked, as I fumbled for the light switch.
  4. Grave Visions (2016): Something without your kept among the dead
  5. Grave Ransom (2017): Embraced by become absorbed in her deliminia's, conflicts, struggles and victories.

Quotes[]

✬ “Alex, you're a magnet for trouble, though in trouble's defense, you go out looking for it.” ~ Falin Andrews — Grave Dance
✬ “I find the world a more fascinating place when its corruption is fully revealed. Don’t you?” ~ Grave Witch
✬ “Memories hid in every cell of the body. Memories that my grave magic could unlock and give shape as a shade. Of course, that depended on having enough of the body at my disposal for my magic to fill in the gaps.” — Grave Dance
✬ If you’re going to carry a dagger, you need to learn to use it.” I frowned at him. “I know how to use it. I stick the pointy end in things I don’t like.” — Grave Dance
✬ How come when I end up in these situations, the bad guys have always disintegrated? — Grave Dance
✬ Ghosts, at least true wandering souls, were rare, but as a whole they were an obnoxious bunch. After all, it took a severely stubborn personality to withstand Death’s attempt to collect a soul. ~ Grave Witch
✬ Glamour was a belief magic so strong it reshaped reality. The basic principle was that I saw a chair, I felt a chair, and thus reality agreed there was a chair. ~ Grave Witch
✬ “The fae are not truly immortal, just unaging. Death for humans is expected, anticipated, and in some ways prepared for. Death among fae is always a shock. They do not prepare for it, and as a culture, have few precedents for it.” ~ Rianna — Grave Dance

Trivia[]

~ ranked on Goodreads | Best Urban Fantasy SERIES (347 books)

Lists by book: 

Special Lists: 

Awards[]

  • Maggie Award of Excellence (2011: Paranormal) — Grave Witch
  • USA Today Betseller (2011) — Grave Dance
  • Goodreads Choice Award (Finalist, 2011) — Grave Dance

Read Alikes (similar elements)[]

See Category links at bottom of page

Notes:[]

See Also[]

Category links at bottom of page

External References[]

Books:

Excerpts: 

Summaries: 

World, Characters, etc:

Reviews: 

Articles: 

Interviews: 

Author:

Community, Fan Sites:

Gallery of Book Covers[]

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