amyiw reviewed Grave War by Kalayna Price (Alex Craft, #7)
None
3 stars
3 1/2
After the last book, this was just not as good in the actual storyline as Alex fumbles around and doesn't figure things out but then stumbles on the save. I felt like she was stumbling the whole time trying to figure it out yet SHE didn't actually do any of the figuring, it was all thrown at or on her. She saves herself after draining herself with the mirror spell, which was obvious after the first attempt but she does it again. We never get to know what happened to the troll :-(. And she, by the skin of her pants, makes an escape. Then she bumbles into faerie. The shadow king just by chance notices her key. She doesn't mention before about the blood. All the information that her dad keeps from her seems like a real detriment and not sure of his motive when his son, …
3 1/2
After the last book, this was just not as good in the actual storyline as Alex fumbles around and doesn't figure things out but then stumbles on the save. I felt like she was stumbling the whole time trying to figure it out yet SHE didn't actually do any of the figuring, it was all thrown at or on her. She saves herself after draining herself with the mirror spell, which was obvious after the first attempt but she does it again. We never get to know what happened to the troll :-(. And she, by the skin of her pants, makes an escape. Then she bumbles into faerie. The shadow king just by chance notices her key. She doesn't mention before about the blood. All the information that her dad keeps from her seems like a real detriment and not sure of his motive when his son, Ryese the big reveal, has done so many horrible things. He should have protected her by at least telling her about him. And then when she has all the power, she has no ability to even get out of the ivy. Really? Faerie is still listening to Ryese and obeying? OK he is the Light King? right, and we never got if he killed his mom or just stole the crown somehow.
So the whole of the "mystery" was just a chance here and there and her alone most of the bumbling trip, so not my favorite of the storylines to get to the end. The beginning was a very good start but from there it was just one chance to the next, and luck is on her side, or not depending on where the storyline needed to go. Alex is getting these flowers and by the last, I knew it had to be one of two people only the two working with her knew where she was but I didn't think the troll until she gets the call and he insists on meeting her. Where are you? Yea. And she is caught, for what purpose, we never find out. Why didn't Ryese just kill the dad and take the high Kings crown? He stabbed him and he seemed to be able to do more. Instead she ends up there and last minute kills him instead. Hmm...
So after the turn after turn of chance and not skill, we get the ending, which really I loved. It almost makes me want to give it a 5, but I cannot. We get to see death for a second, he tells her that she still has her magic unlike the others. But I always loved death so I wanted a little more. I did start to like Falin but he had really ticked me off a couple of times too. Still I really like the ending here. There are lines that could be followed but it looks like a much nicer faerie for all.
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So I read on and finished this series and enjoyed it quite a bit. I think there was only one book that had a little too much unanswered in the over plot line but mostly they are complete stories. Of the 7 novels in the series, I gave 3 of them 5 stars, and all the rest 3, so they either were great or at least good to pretty good. I consider it a pretty good/ really good UF 7/10 series.
