Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
Darkness can't always be beaten by the light. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. Amber Morgan is a rookie in The Elite, an organisation tasked with the elimination of rogue preternatural beings in King City. But she has a secret. She's a witch and only joined The Elite to settle a personal score. Her first case is supposed to be the routine investigation of a rogue vampire but it soon becomes clear that dark forces are at work, darker than anything the team has dealt with in the past. When an irritatingly sexy Hunter offers to help, Amber wants to say hell no! The last thing she needs is another distraction even if he is sin personified. But with the fate of a missing child at stake and a possible connection between the case and her past, how can she refuse?

277 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 18, 2015

543 people are currently reading
1130 people want to read

About the author

Bilinda Sheehan

28 books121 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
409 (27%)
4 stars
514 (34%)
3 stars
393 (26%)
2 stars
135 (9%)
1 star
38 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
922 reviews18 followers
June 27, 2022
I did not finish this book so this review must be read in light of that. The reason I did not finish the book is because the author makes her MC too incompetent. The MC first fails to stand up to her boss, which only bothers me in hindsight because she is essentially a rookie cop and that is a tough situation to handle. But later when her boss makes an extremely inappropriate sexual advance towards her she doesn't report him, the MC just uses it to get back on the case that is the focus of the book, A CASE HER BOSS ONLY TOOK HER OFF SO HE WOULD HAVE LEVERAGE OVER HER FOR SEX SO SHE BASICALLY JUST LETS HER BOSS COMPLETELY OFF THE HOOK EVEN THOUGH HE IS DUMB ENOUGH TO TELL HER HE HARASSES ALL THE FEMALE COPS. But wait, it gets worse . . .

In this world being a witch is illegal and carries a death sentence so the MC IS STUPIDLY AND UNNECESSARILY RISKING HER LIFE BY SIMPLY GOING TO WORK EVERY DAY. Her reason for doing so? To help her solve her father's murder. Except the MC apparently already knows her father was killed by a demon and there is no evidence that the cops even know one demon from another. I'm guessing the MC will eventually learn from some other witch, fey or demon who killed her father and so her being a cop will be meaningless. Also the MC has apparently never heard of Father Dowling, Murder She Wrote, Matlock, Sherlock Holmes or any one of 10,0000 other people, fictional or otherwise, who investigate things without being a cop.

Basically the MC goes from one incompetency to another. I'll start with her inability to handle the "door man" at a fey bar. She has to be rescued from that "door man" by a man. A man who makes her so weak in the knees she can't think straight so he helps her get in to see the fey owner of the bar but she fails to handle that interview competently. Later she is attacked by a vampire in her home and gets her ass kicked even though she is supposedly trained to handle vampires. She only survives because her mother has apparently lied to her about her magic all her life and because her dead father comes to her in a dream (so, AGAIN THE FEMALE MC IS RESCUED BY A MAN).

Plus how hackneyed is the whole "parent doesn't tell child something that puts the child's life in danger". I haven't kept track of the number of books that use this moronic device but it is starting to feel like about 1 in 3.

Bottom line: The MC is so incompetent I don't know how she survived to the point this book starts.
Profile Image for Megan.
181 reviews29 followers
May 17, 2016
I liked this, but it needs a lot of work. For one thing, our narrator is too forgiving and has these rapid changes in mood and decisions that aren't realistic. Oh hey Graham, you just almost could have killed me and I was mad for literally five minutes but now it's cool. I guess I didn't need to be a bitch about it. Yes, yes you did. And if you think what you did was bitchy, then have I got news for you. Also the character Nic is in it a little, but we're already supposed to have more of a connection with him then we do since he's going to be the love interest, but we've had no development on that score. Graham's characterization is fairly weak as well. Sheehan made the relationships stronger than really makes sense with the information and story we're given.

If I had to read "well I really had no power" one more time, I would have found a way to burn the ebook.

There are also a ton of inconsistencies, most annoying of which is her athame that goes missing after the fire/murder attempt, but then suddenly she has it in one of the end fight scenes. How????? Where?!

There are possibilities here, and I know the first book is the hardest so I'm hoping the following books are better.
Profile Image for Katter.
345 reviews9 followers
September 17, 2017
This is the first Bilinda Sheehan book that I have read and all I can think is 'hmm' and the reason for that 'hmm' is because this book falls into the usual UF trope. The heroine is a young eager woman with a fiery spirit who wants to go out into the world and help people fight baddies!

I swear that is pretty much the setting for damn near all Urban Fiction books. Like with a lot of those stories the MC in 'A Grave Magic' is immature and annoying. Amber would get upset/angry at just about anything. She got upset about wearing a hospital gown for reasons that I simply cannot fathom.

I have noticed that a lot of authors make their characters dramatic and hot headed to seem more intense and exciting but after reading so many books that are like this all I can say is that it's a real drag, man.

I want new fresh ideas for UF books! Unfortunately I didn't find was I was looking for here. So why the two stars? Well even though Amber was the cliche female protagonist the rest of the story was interesting! That is the silver lining of this novel!

The MC is a cookie cutter hero but the events that take place are good. Vampires, demons, and fae things are not friendly in this book. If you want a vamp romance then you are going to have to read something else because vamps in this book are just nasty creatures.

The plot started out a mystery and then it surely became predictable minus one surprise at the end. Even knowing what was coming I still found myself sucking down the pages. I wasn't bored when I read this story but I don't think I will continue on to the next one. The direction things are going in doesn't hold my interest so this will have to be a standalone for me.
Profile Image for Samantha.
77 reviews
May 4, 2016
I would honestly give this book a 3.5 star due to a few things. one of the main reasons is there are a few grammar errors, where the author used a completely wrong word and I would have to reread the entire sentence, just to figure out what word was supposed to be there. another thing that bothered me about this book was the pacing, there were times where it didn't really feel like the story was going anywhere. I felt like the author could have given her female main character a little more oof, there were times where it just felt like Amber was stuck. I lost count of how many times we were told that Amber had little to no magic, I'm not sure that was something we needed to be told about, so much. I'm looking forward to seeing how the next book goes
Profile Image for Rebecca.
757 reviews9 followers
March 14, 2017
This was a pretty good first book in a series, allowing readers to get to know the characters and the fantasy world they live in.

The main character is Amber; a girl struggling away at a desk job until she gets invited on a ride along. But she has a secret for why she's so good at finding the other supernaturals in the world, because she's a witch. She also has a vendetta against one of the supernatural race; her current case leads to her getting more clues about her vendetta.

There are some secondary characters but this book was focused on starting off introducing the main character.

The storyline was fairly original, but it only varied a little from the other books in this genre. The pacing was really good though keeping readers interested all the way through. I will read the other books in the series but maybe after I've read the other books in my list.

4 stars a decent read.
11 reviews
March 23, 2025
Brilliant Read

Brilliant read, couldn’t put it down. Didn’t want to get to the end it was so good. Looking forward to reading the next book.
1 review
July 2, 2021
It is very, very rare that I encounter a book that is so poorly written that I stop reading it in disgust, but this was one of those books. I wanted to give up on it halfway through the first chapter but continued until it became obvious that it wasn’t going to get any better. (In fact it got worse.) The problem was not the urban fantasy genre. (If the author would like to see how these are supposed to be done, I would suggest she read Jim Butcher or Faith Hunter, to name only two.) This author not only belabored points past the boundary into absurdity, but then proceeded to beat the reader over the head with it on virtually every page. (Example: I got that the protagonist believes she possesses only weak magic the first time, thanks, as well as the odiously obvious “reveal” which I am sure came later in the story that her magic was in fact quite strong. Once was enough.) In addition the plot line, dialogue, and the protagonist’s internal motivation and dialogue were… well, inconsistent and “forced “ would be putting it kindly, but “tortured “ is the word which actually springs to mind. Do yourself a favor and skip this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Julie.
153 reviews
April 27, 2018
Mixed feelings

While I like the concept of this book, setting and authors writing style, I still had a hard time with it. It simply comes down to the fact I didn't like the heroine. She's young and immature. She stumbles around in the dark, not wanting anyone's help and she desperately needs it. She has no idea what she's doing in anything. If it wasn't for luck and Nic , she definitely woulda died. Frankly, deserved to die. I normally like a smart mouth, sassy heroine but this girl is an idiot. I'm gonna check out the next book bc again I like other books I've read by this author. I hope to see growth and maturity. There was a glimpse of it in the end. Crossing fingers bc there is potential for an amazing story here.
Profile Image for Bernard.
491 reviews6 followers
February 3, 2020
The main character is kind of an idiot. She does the whole loner thing and continually ends up getting herself deeper into bad situations. She ignores everyone else because she always has the answer. Unfortunately for her, her answer is half right and all messy.

The ending was, to put it kindly, abrupt.

It seemed to me that everyone in the book has issues. One moment, they seem normal, a minute later, some traumatic event or magical threat is messing with them.
62 reviews1 follower
June 14, 2021
Way too violent

This is a well written book but it is filled with violence and gore. Too much so for my taste and I have a pretty high tolerance. Amber Morgan, the main character, is a witch desperately hiding her real self. She seems to be throwing herself a pity party throughout the book. She constantly reminds the reader what a useless disappointment she is to her mother, her mother's coven and herself. I just can't say I enjoyed this one.
Profile Image for Kim.
791 reviews49 followers
June 27, 2019
I have had this on my Kindle for a few years now, and I really wish I would have read it sooner. This book reminded me of the Hollows series by Kim Harrison, which is one of my favorite supernatural/fantasy series.

It is fairly typical of the witch/urban fantasy genre. Witch comes into her powers, witch realizes she must save the world from impending disaster, witch gets some sidekicks to help her, witch succeeds in the end…. Or does she?

Bilinda Sheehan takes a unique idea and runs with it. Her characters are starting to get developed in this book, and I’m sure as the series continues, we will also see the growth of the characters. Sheehan’s world building is pretty good too, not as in depth as other series, but, once again, I imagine it will continue to expand in the next books in the series.

As some other reviewers mentioned, this could have done with another round of edits, to just make sure the consistency of the story flowed. But when you’re self-publishing, sometimes you don’t have the money or other resources, that the big publishing houses do. Not so much an excuse, but I want the reader to be aware of this. And for me it would not stop me from reading the next book in the series, Blood Craft, in hopes that Sheehan’s skills get even more finely tuned.

Sheehan shows that she knows how to keep the reader wanting more, by the amazing cliff hanger she wrote. I know it made me excited to see what Amber Morgan has in store for her next!
40 reviews16 followers
August 31, 2021
Great book, fast paced,exciting

I really liked this book, Right from the begining it caught my attention. You find the main character sitting in a job that most of us would hate and wishing for something better and next thing you know she gets her wish. Even thought it is not what she wanted. Amber is someone looking to find her place in life and wanting to help people with the gifts that she has, the only problem is she cannot let them know what she really is, a witch. Especially one from Ireland. When she works a case with a someone from her office who has hidden motives she finds out what she can really do and this opens more doors to what/who she really is. Someone she is not sure she wants to be. She also finds out what really happened to her father and why she was sent to the US. I highly recommend this book and look forward to seeing what trouble she gets into next.
Profile Image for Blake.
1,358 reviews44 followers
July 7, 2022
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I completely change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring.)


First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: No

Would you recommend?: No


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
Profile Image for Jade.
1 review
June 27, 2022
I almost didn't finish it. Didn't like it at all. MC made a lot of stupid decisions. And also, why was she trying to find who killed her dad? She was there when it happened, knew it was a demon too. What else did she want? Why did she go all the way to America to do it?
Also she mentioned "constant flirting" about Nic and I'm just???
What constant flirting? At that point they had met just 3 times, one of them in which they didn't even speak to each other too. And he just kissed her in The Sanctuary because he was trying to hide from people????? That is sexual assault ma'am.
The book is too short, felt very rushed and not paced well. The storyline also had lots of plot holes.
There is really nothing that would make me go to the second book, no form of suspense and nothing to look forward to, just that she is a shadow sorceress, big f***ing deal.
Profile Image for Eric Lahti.
Author 21 books46 followers
February 7, 2018
As I understand it, this is the first of Amber's adventures, so when you get hooked there are more books out there to read. A Grave Magic is a paranormal romp through some very realistic crimes with characters you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.

Sheehan has done a fantastic job of building a world where magic is a thing, vampires and witches are real, and it all still feels perfectly believable. Trust me, that's not as easy to do as you'd think.

If you like your urban fantasy sassy and bold with just the right amount of humor, this is a good place to start. Personally, I highly enjoyed it.
Read the full review on my blog
Profile Image for Hectaizani.
733 reviews23 followers
September 24, 2017
Protagonist Amber Morgan is a rookie member of The Elite a force that investigates paranormal occurrences. However, Amber just happens to be one of those paranormal occurrences and could lose not only her job but her life if she's found out.

The police procedural part of the story was interesting. As were Amber's witchy abilities. However, her personality left a lot to be desired. She let her partner and boss walk all over her, and her mood changed from seriously annoyed to everything's peachy at the drop of a hat. I don't think I'll be picking up the future books in the series.
Profile Image for Sara Fitzgerald.
173 reviews4 followers
November 25, 2017
What is she??

Sent from home to find her father's killer, Amber joins the Elite to help save humans from the pretunatural creatures. But Amber has a secret that she cannot let anyone know.....her partner suspects....And is willing to blackmail her for her help.
Can she solve all of her mysteries...including the biggest one of all....exactly what she Was?
Love this book...Cannot wait to start book 2
19 reviews
June 18, 2021
Could be better

Multiple misspellings throughout the story, constant referrals to her not having powers instead of just going on and telling the story. I absolutely hate stories that are quick bait instead of standalones. This one wasn't as bad as some of them and you can just stop at the end but I still hate when they don't finish and stay alone even at the next book is the same storyline.
Author 6 books17 followers
September 12, 2017
3 1/2 stars (I round up) This book is a good, at times I felt like the author wasn't sure where the storyline was going so it wasn't developed like it could have been. Amber's emotions all over the place and didn't always fit the situation. Then there was this whole hidden plot that...well read the book; yes it's good even with a few problems. Still a good read.
Profile Image for Julia Stephanie.
2,113 reviews6 followers
October 6, 2017
I'm not as drawn to Amber as I was to Darcey in Banshee Blues (great series, FYI), and I don't feel like there's a great transition between scenes here, but I do love the overall plot and look forward to book 2! Knowing this was the author's first book makes sense, though, and knowing what her current stuff is like certainly encourages me to continue!
534 reviews3 followers
April 13, 2018
Not truly a fan of this series thus far. The premise is interesting and depending on how the author proceeds it could be good. I think though that the entire patricide aspect of the story kind of detracted from the story. I mean the whole idea was she was going to find the creature and kill it. Just to find that the entire story is more complicated than she thought.
1,216 reviews10 followers
June 7, 2018
Amber has magic she can't control, after years of being told her magic was weak. She seeks revenge for the person who killed her father, but her memories are limited. Its an interesting story, that runs towards the dark side. Its a bit gory. But, there are enough surprises along the way that keeps you turning the pages.
Profile Image for Michelle  Tanksley.
8 reviews1 follower
September 23, 2019
I love Sheehan...

However, the MC got on my nerves with how weak and jumpy she was every time you turned around. If you are strong enough to get into the elite THEN YOU SHOULD BE strong enough to bust balls and not be a ninny. I'm hoping she grows enough in the next book to not grate on my nerves. But as always I'll read alI her books because I love the author.
Profile Image for Dana Wood.
631 reviews3 followers
June 11, 2021
Disjointed and dark without enough backstory. The MC is hiding a secret about being a witch and then gets sucked into a case about a vampire killing and although it has a lot of action it has very little character development and relationship building. A little twist at the end but not a shocker.
Profile Image for Larry.
3,070 reviews18 followers
July 18, 2021
This is yet another "new to me" author, and I was pleasantly surprised at just how good this book is. The main characters are believable, interesting, and the reader wants to know more about them. The plot is easily followed and the story was good enough to make me want to read the next one in line. I can easily recommend this book to anyone fascinated with supernatural fiction.
81 reviews38 followers
August 3, 2021
Good But Could Be Better

The premise is good, but for me, there wasn't enough to help me understand who the main character really is, or the world she inhabits. The reason witches are reviled is briefly given, but it's not the same everywhere. Probably will not continue the series.
Profile Image for Stephanie Barnes.
456 reviews12 followers
July 6, 2022
Amber 's magic is hidden from her, she goes through life thinking she's a disappointment to her mother.

Now, Amber Morgan is working for Elite, who are a special team for apprehending rouge preternaturals.

Amber's job is pretty boring until she can persuade her boss into letting her into the field.

The story did keep my attention even though there are grammatical errors. I am going to continue to read this series.
Profile Image for Cozzie.
261 reviews
June 19, 2023
Witches, Vampires, Demons.

Not sure about this book!

It asks more questions that never get answered!!

Characters start to ask questions and then stop. Questions start to be answered, and then the character stops with the explanation.

Good concept but unfortunately the story didn't do it justice.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.