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Haven #2
Twice Dead
Newly undead shifter-turned-vampire Kita Nekai is coming to grips with the reality that her cat has not awakened since her change. What she needs is a little time to adjust to her new liquid diet and the increasingly complex attraction to her sire, Nathanial. What she gets is a headless harlequin.
With the body count rising, Kita is dragged into a dangerous game of vampire politics. Her involvement draws the attention of an ancient vampire known as the Collector who has a penchant for acquiring the unusual—like a pureblood shifter-turned vampire. Kita still has unfinished business of her own and finds herself deeper in magical debt. It's a bad time to be a kitten who can't slip her skin...
With the body count rising, Kita is dragged into a dangerous game of vampire politics. Her involvement draws the attention of an ancient vampire known as the Collector who has a penchant for acquiring the unusual—like a pureblood shifter-turned vampire. Kita still has unfinished business of her own and finds herself deeper in magical debt. It's a bad time to be a kitten who can't slip her skin...
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2010
60 people are currently reading
1616 people want to read
About the author
Kalayna Price
11 books3,627 followersUSA 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. To find out more, please visit her at www.kalayna.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
January 14, 2019
It is ok.
I actually liked the first half of the book better than the first book. However, I lost interest during the second half.
I won't be continuing this series, I am not interested in the story any longer.
Once Bitten (Haven #1)
I actually liked the first half of the book better than the first book. However, I lost interest during the second half.
I won't be continuing this series, I am not interested in the story any longer.
Once Bitten (Haven #1)
October 7, 2018
I've had this book in my netgalley downloads for a while but only just got around to it. And it wasn't a bad book. I haven't read the first one so I didn't really have the background of the series but I still enjoyed it.
The characters are interesting but there are a lot of them so not as well developed as I would have liked. There's a lot of promise for the series and I'll try and look out for the first and subsequent books.
The characters are interesting but there are a lot of them so not as well developed as I would have liked. There's a lot of promise for the series and I'll try and look out for the first and subsequent books.
June 16, 2017
My Thoughts - 4 out of 5 Unicorns - I really liked it!!!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!! Yes, I got a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!
This is the 2nd book in the series, and it is for adults only due to the scenes of violence and sexual imagery. I highly recommend reading the books in order, so you have a better understanding of the characters and what’s going on.
This series is definitely getting better! Kita is an amazing lead with more strength than I would have considering her penchant for getting into loads of trouble without much effort. It is like she is a magnet for it! Though I really want to slap her and Nathanial, I keep expecting them to realize they have feelings for each other, but they keep screwing it up. There is a time or two that I wanted to slap Nathanial, but you will have to read it to figure out where and why. Of course there is tons of action, mystery, intrigue, and still quite a bit unknown about this world. I can’t wait to learn more about the trouble Kita will get herself into and what she is capable of!
I recommend this book to any paranormal fan who like mystery and intrigue of an unknown world with a hybrid that we have no idea what she is capable of!! You will find shifters, vampires, hybrid, skinwalkers, mages, necromancers, murder, death, treachery, magic, and more!!!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!! Yes, I got a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!
This is the 2nd book in the series, and it is for adults only due to the scenes of violence and sexual imagery. I highly recommend reading the books in order, so you have a better understanding of the characters and what’s going on.
This series is definitely getting better! Kita is an amazing lead with more strength than I would have considering her penchant for getting into loads of trouble without much effort. It is like she is a magnet for it! Though I really want to slap her and Nathanial, I keep expecting them to realize they have feelings for each other, but they keep screwing it up. There is a time or two that I wanted to slap Nathanial, but you will have to read it to figure out where and why. Of course there is tons of action, mystery, intrigue, and still quite a bit unknown about this world. I can’t wait to learn more about the trouble Kita will get herself into and what she is capable of!
I recommend this book to any paranormal fan who like mystery and intrigue of an unknown world with a hybrid that we have no idea what she is capable of!! You will find shifters, vampires, hybrid, skinwalkers, mages, necromancers, murder, death, treachery, magic, and more!!!
March 20, 2011
I read Once Bitten and thought that while it was a promising concept, there were far too many issues - with the plot, characters, and technical writing aspects - for me to like. I almost didn't bother with Twice Dead because of it. I would've missed out on a fantastic, gritty, dark AU fantasy if I hadn't. I can't remember ever reading such a huge improvement between a first and second book in a series, but I'm thrilled that I have now.
Twice Dead continues the story of the natural shifter-turned-vampire Kita and her vampire sire Nathanial, and where Once Bitten was a boggy, confusing mess, Twice Dead was a taut, lean, bloody and dangerous lesson in vampire politics and etiquette...or lack thereof in Kita's case. Out with Nathanial at a party held by Tatius, Master of the city of Haven, to welcome the vampire known as the Collector to his city, the struggling (and starving) Kita - just over two weeks undead and still none too fond of being a vampire - is nearly overwhelmed with hunger and almost eats a member of the Collector's retinue. The only thing that stops her is the unfortunate fact that the albino triplet is not only already dead, but also gruesomely headless. In a room full of vampires who didn't notice. Talk about a PR nightmare.
Soon more bodies without heads...and heads without bodies are turning up, ruffling the feathers of creatures that can eviscerate you for being ruffled. Kita's stuck in the middle of it all through no fault of her own - she found the first body, she didn't make the first body - but with vampires it doesn't seem to matter. There are intense vampire power plays, and Tatius is his arrogant, ancient, over-entitled self as he maneuvers Kita into a companionship she doesn't want. But the Collector, one ancient and scary PT Barnum-esque vamp, finds Kita to be unique, and that's the definition of a bad thing. She's called the Collector for a reason, after all. Suddenly neck deep in a bloody mess of murder and politics and danger, Kita's still got to find out if she tagged any other rogues beyond the murderous bastard that was on a killing spree just weeks ago (in Once Bitten), and then there's that pesky and confusing attraction to Nathanial that she's trying not to think of, not to mention the continuing lack of ability to shift since being turned. Just how much can a calico kitty swallow with without hacking up a hair ball?
I thought the plot of Twice Dead was exceptionally well done in relation to pacing and progression, and where I was riddled with unanswered questions in Once Bitten, most of those were answered in Twice Dead in very subtle, satisfying ways. Kalayna Price has created a very dark alternate universe world and she's starting to define it and flesh it out quite a bit more here. It's definitely not a place I'd like to visit, but I sure enjoy reading about it. While there were a couple of minor plot holes in Twice Dead, I didn't think they were so significant to the flow of the story that they were overly distracting. My biggest issue with Twice Dead, and the only thing that truly kept it from being a five star read for me, actually, is the same major issue I had with the first book; I'm just not sure I'm all that fond of Kita.
She's definitely progressed as a character, even though the events of Twice Dead take place only two weeks after the conclusion of the events of Once Bitten, so I'm holding out hope that I'll like her eventually. She wasn't nearly as contrary and immature as she was in the first book. Yes, she's contrary by nature, but she partnered that with a lot more common sense and fortitude in Twice Dead and it made her character far more palatable. I still think there are some odd contradictions in how her character is being written, though, and I'm not sure if it's an oversight by the author or her intent for the character.
Kita hates vampires, resents being one, refuses to feed on humans (part of that makes sense, she doesn't want to risk tagging them, but there are ways around that which she doesn't take), and willfully pushes away any trace of anything concerning that mezmer ability she's got going on (the development of which I apparently missed in the first book, so I was confused when that popped up), or any other vampire skill - but she bemoans being a broken vamp when the aspects of the vampire nature she does want don't work. That hypocrisy grated on me a bit, even though it's unfortunately familiar to me from other urban fantasy heroines. In fact, when that character trait was combined with the delicacy and intricacy of the vampire politics, the two aspects together reminded me vaguely of LKH's Anita Blake character and series back when it was good (years ago) - before that series decomposed into a rancid quagmire of inexplicable and plotless emotional vomit and debauchery spewing over pages and pages between pathetic glimmers of the ignorant butchery of a Mary Sue character posing as character development (not that I feel strongly on the subject).
So all in all, Twice Dead was far better than Once Bitten and is a very good addition to the dark AU fantasy genre. I love vampire politics done well. I like what I saw of Kita's character development here. I can handle her being frustrating if she's going to keep developing, and I saw good signs of that in Twice Dead. I love Nathanial (always have) and like Gil, Bobby, and even Tatius. Everyone's feeling far more three dimensional and the plot was totally kick ass. A visit to the author's website confirmed a planned six-book series, with the next in the Kita chronicles, Third Blood, coming out in 2011.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Twice Dead continues the story of the natural shifter-turned-vampire Kita and her vampire sire Nathanial, and where Once Bitten was a boggy, confusing mess, Twice Dead was a taut, lean, bloody and dangerous lesson in vampire politics and etiquette...or lack thereof in Kita's case. Out with Nathanial at a party held by Tatius, Master of the city of Haven, to welcome the vampire known as the Collector to his city, the struggling (and starving) Kita - just over two weeks undead and still none too fond of being a vampire - is nearly overwhelmed with hunger and almost eats a member of the Collector's retinue. The only thing that stops her is the unfortunate fact that the albino triplet is not only already dead, but also gruesomely headless. In a room full of vampires who didn't notice. Talk about a PR nightmare.
Soon more bodies without heads...and heads without bodies are turning up, ruffling the feathers of creatures that can eviscerate you for being ruffled. Kita's stuck in the middle of it all through no fault of her own - she found the first body, she didn't make the first body - but with vampires it doesn't seem to matter. There are intense vampire power plays, and Tatius is his arrogant, ancient, over-entitled self as he maneuvers Kita into a companionship she doesn't want. But the Collector, one ancient and scary PT Barnum-esque vamp, finds Kita to be unique, and that's the definition of a bad thing. She's called the Collector for a reason, after all. Suddenly neck deep in a bloody mess of murder and politics and danger, Kita's still got to find out if she tagged any other rogues beyond the murderous bastard that was on a killing spree just weeks ago (in Once Bitten), and then there's that pesky and confusing attraction to Nathanial that she's trying not to think of, not to mention the continuing lack of ability to shift since being turned. Just how much can a calico kitty swallow with without hacking up a hair ball?
I thought the plot of Twice Dead was exceptionally well done in relation to pacing and progression, and where I was riddled with unanswered questions in Once Bitten, most of those were answered in Twice Dead in very subtle, satisfying ways. Kalayna Price has created a very dark alternate universe world and she's starting to define it and flesh it out quite a bit more here. It's definitely not a place I'd like to visit, but I sure enjoy reading about it. While there were a couple of minor plot holes in Twice Dead, I didn't think they were so significant to the flow of the story that they were overly distracting. My biggest issue with Twice Dead, and the only thing that truly kept it from being a five star read for me, actually, is the same major issue I had with the first book; I'm just not sure I'm all that fond of Kita.
She's definitely progressed as a character, even though the events of Twice Dead take place only two weeks after the conclusion of the events of Once Bitten, so I'm holding out hope that I'll like her eventually. She wasn't nearly as contrary and immature as she was in the first book. Yes, she's contrary by nature, but she partnered that with a lot more common sense and fortitude in Twice Dead and it made her character far more palatable. I still think there are some odd contradictions in how her character is being written, though, and I'm not sure if it's an oversight by the author or her intent for the character.
Kita hates vampires, resents being one, refuses to feed on humans (part of that makes sense, she doesn't want to risk tagging them, but there are ways around that which she doesn't take), and willfully pushes away any trace of anything concerning that mezmer ability she's got going on (the development of which I apparently missed in the first book, so I was confused when that popped up), or any other vampire skill - but she bemoans being a broken vamp when the aspects of the vampire nature she does want don't work. That hypocrisy grated on me a bit, even though it's unfortunately familiar to me from other urban fantasy heroines. In fact, when that character trait was combined with the delicacy and intricacy of the vampire politics, the two aspects together reminded me vaguely of LKH's Anita Blake character and series back when it was good (years ago) - before that series decomposed into a rancid quagmire of inexplicable and plotless emotional vomit and debauchery spewing over pages and pages between pathetic glimmers of the ignorant butchery of a Mary Sue character posing as character development (not that I feel strongly on the subject).
So all in all, Twice Dead was far better than Once Bitten and is a very good addition to the dark AU fantasy genre. I love vampire politics done well. I like what I saw of Kita's character development here. I can handle her being frustrating if she's going to keep developing, and I saw good signs of that in Twice Dead. I love Nathanial (always have) and like Gil, Bobby, and even Tatius. Everyone's feeling far more three dimensional and the plot was totally kick ass. A visit to the author's website confirmed a planned six-book series, with the next in the Kita chronicles, Third Blood, coming out in 2011.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
July 10, 2012
A much, much, much better read than book one. The mystery was better, the characterisation of Kita and Nathaniel (aka The Hermit) was better and focused on more, the plot twists, turns and drama were all really good and the sexual tension has me bouncing up and down waiting for the next book.
I like slow developers. I like to be teased and tantalised by the mere possibility of a love connection over several books. Insta-love has its place when I'm in the mood for it, but those are not the pairings that stick with me long after I finish a series. I need time to grow to love the characters as they grow to love each other. But, having said that, I'm glad to confirm I was at least given some nice crumbs in this book. In book one you might have been forgiven for wondering if you were imagining the tension (If you are not an expert at spotting it like me:)). But in this one we got....some good scenes, shall we say.
More now please! But not too much more, only a little. And then maybe take it all away again for a while just to torment me and make me that much happier when you give it back again.
I'm a glutton for punishment, I know.
The plot is a kind of 'whodunnit' affair and it involves Nathaniel and Kita having to appear in front of the vampire council. This all reminded me a bit of Anita Blake, only back when Anita Blake was good and before she became a ho-bag. And for those who know how much I now detest Trampita, you'll know I don't make that comparison lightly, but you've gotta hand it to Robocrotch, when she was good, she was good. She is, after all, the original and very first UF heroine.
The vampires in this series remind me of those same types. They've lived a bit too long and are a bit too bored to be safe around humans. You've got the rare ones who are decent and good (like Nathaniel) but even he isn't totally tame; ones who are bad but maybe a little bit good if the situation calls for it and it suits them; and then there are the just plain bad; and lastly, the scariest of them all: the complete headcases. 'Cause you just can't reason with the crazies.
So, to sum up, I'm now very glad I started this series and am glad to see it's been re-released and had its third book confirmed for august 2012. I will be one of the first in line to buy it. Jolly good stuff.
4 Stars! ★★★★
I like slow developers. I like to be teased and tantalised by the mere possibility of a love connection over several books. Insta-love has its place when I'm in the mood for it, but those are not the pairings that stick with me long after I finish a series. I need time to grow to love the characters as they grow to love each other. But, having said that, I'm glad to confirm I was at least given some nice crumbs in this book. In book one you might have been forgiven for wondering if you were imagining the tension (If you are not an expert at spotting it like me:)). But in this one we got....some good scenes, shall we say.
More now please! But not too much more, only a little. And then maybe take it all away again for a while just to torment me and make me that much happier when you give it back again.
I'm a glutton for punishment, I know.
The plot is a kind of 'whodunnit' affair and it involves Nathaniel and Kita having to appear in front of the vampire council. This all reminded me a bit of Anita Blake, only back when Anita Blake was good and before she became a ho-bag. And for those who know how much I now detest Trampita, you'll know I don't make that comparison lightly, but you've gotta hand it to Robocrotch, when she was good, she was good. She is, after all, the original and very first UF heroine.
The vampires in this series remind me of those same types. They've lived a bit too long and are a bit too bored to be safe around humans. You've got the rare ones who are decent and good (like Nathaniel) but even he isn't totally tame; ones who are bad but maybe a little bit good if the situation calls for it and it suits them; and then there are the just plain bad; and lastly, the scariest of them all: the complete headcases. 'Cause you just can't reason with the crazies.
So, to sum up, I'm now very glad I started this series and am glad to see it's been re-released and had its third book confirmed for august 2012. I will be one of the first in line to buy it. Jolly good stuff.
4 Stars! ★★★★
January 10, 2013
A little more interesting that the first book, but it still isn't really grabbing me. I would love to know more about Kita at this point--her power, her history, her fears, her emotions, etc--and I just don't feel that I really do. Not sure if I'm going to check out the rest of the series.
February 27, 2010
Kita is a very new vampire, but she is not new to the paranormal world. She has been able to shift into a calico cat her entire life, that is until Nathaniel bit her a few weeks ago and now she is stuck in human form as a vampire. Nathaniel has become her friend, if not maybe more, as is discovered in this book. Kita is not one to always follow the rules and she thinks drinking from humans is pretty gross, however her animal diet is just not cutting it.
The collector is in town, a very old and powerful vampire who enjoys collecting odd things. One of her vampires in her collection, part of a triplet of albino sisters, turns up decapitated at a function that all vampires in Haven were in attendance for. Unfortunately for Kita, she found the headless vampire so she is the lucky one to be questioned by the Collector herself. Nathaniel is powerless and the vampire king of the city,Tatius takes advantage of the meeting, by making Kita his special companion. Kita is enraged she has to play puppet to Tatius and the collector, but if she wants to get Nathaniel and herself out alive, she sucks up her usual sarcasm and independence, and lets herself be used.
Things become even more complicated when more decapitated bodies start showing up. On top of that, she gets involved with a mage, and now owes him a new body. While she is up over her head in vampires, mages and shifters, she is also battling the pull and confusion her heart has every time she looks at Nathaniel.
Twice Dead is the second book in Kalayna Price’s Haven series and I think better than the first book, Once Bitten. This series is told in Kita’s point of view, a heroine who is very sarcastic, stubborn and while relies on her friends for help, she often has her own ideas on how things should get done. Nathaniel turned her into a vampire in the first book. He is not only her master, but someone she definitely trusts in the weird world she lives in. She has grown up a shifter, and now that she is a vampire, she is having a hard time dealing with vampire politics, feeding, and the new set of “friends” she is forced to hang out with.
Her relationship with Nathaniel can only be described as frustrating. There is so many “brushing of the lips” moments, as I call them in this book. In the first book, Kita and Nathaniel are really only getting to know each other, but now there are so many times where Nathaniel makes a little bit of a move and Kita pushes him away and feels awkward. If you like romantic tension, Kalayna Price definitely delivers it in this book. Nathaniel is a great character, not overly tall and strong, but oh so powerful in that quiet kind of way. He would never force himself or do something to Kita that she absolutely doesn’t want – and when we get the glimpses into his head – when Kita has to drink from him, his feelings for her are a bit heartbreaking.
I sometimes think Kita is too stubborn and set in her ways, but that also makes for a heroine who I am growing to like. This book had a great mystery aspect, and Kalayna Price has a great world set-up. I love that Kita is so set in the shifter world, and now this new vampire world has knocked her off her rocker.
Kita, in her previous cat form, had a unique problem, in that if she scratches someone with her claws that person becomes “tagged.” Meaning when the gates to Firth (her hometown) open, all those that she has tagged, will shift. She is terrified that using her fangs on someone could also provoke this tag, and so she just can’t choose any human to drink from, which puts her in quite a predicament in this book.
I think readers would definitely benefit from reading Once Bitten first to get all of Kita’s history and Twice Dead is a solid sequel into this Haven world.
The collector is in town, a very old and powerful vampire who enjoys collecting odd things. One of her vampires in her collection, part of a triplet of albino sisters, turns up decapitated at a function that all vampires in Haven were in attendance for. Unfortunately for Kita, she found the headless vampire so she is the lucky one to be questioned by the Collector herself. Nathaniel is powerless and the vampire king of the city,Tatius takes advantage of the meeting, by making Kita his special companion. Kita is enraged she has to play puppet to Tatius and the collector, but if she wants to get Nathaniel and herself out alive, she sucks up her usual sarcasm and independence, and lets herself be used.
Things become even more complicated when more decapitated bodies start showing up. On top of that, she gets involved with a mage, and now owes him a new body. While she is up over her head in vampires, mages and shifters, she is also battling the pull and confusion her heart has every time she looks at Nathaniel.
Twice Dead is the second book in Kalayna Price’s Haven series and I think better than the first book, Once Bitten. This series is told in Kita’s point of view, a heroine who is very sarcastic, stubborn and while relies on her friends for help, she often has her own ideas on how things should get done. Nathaniel turned her into a vampire in the first book. He is not only her master, but someone she definitely trusts in the weird world she lives in. She has grown up a shifter, and now that she is a vampire, she is having a hard time dealing with vampire politics, feeding, and the new set of “friends” she is forced to hang out with.
Her relationship with Nathaniel can only be described as frustrating. There is so many “brushing of the lips” moments, as I call them in this book. In the first book, Kita and Nathaniel are really only getting to know each other, but now there are so many times where Nathaniel makes a little bit of a move and Kita pushes him away and feels awkward. If you like romantic tension, Kalayna Price definitely delivers it in this book. Nathaniel is a great character, not overly tall and strong, but oh so powerful in that quiet kind of way. He would never force himself or do something to Kita that she absolutely doesn’t want – and when we get the glimpses into his head – when Kita has to drink from him, his feelings for her are a bit heartbreaking.
I sometimes think Kita is too stubborn and set in her ways, but that also makes for a heroine who I am growing to like. This book had a great mystery aspect, and Kalayna Price has a great world set-up. I love that Kita is so set in the shifter world, and now this new vampire world has knocked her off her rocker.
Kita, in her previous cat form, had a unique problem, in that if she scratches someone with her claws that person becomes “tagged.” Meaning when the gates to Firth (her hometown) open, all those that she has tagged, will shift. She is terrified that using her fangs on someone could also provoke this tag, and so she just can’t choose any human to drink from, which puts her in quite a predicament in this book.
I think readers would definitely benefit from reading Once Bitten first to get all of Kita’s history and Twice Dead is a solid sequel into this Haven world.
March 15, 2010
Better. 3.5.
Is Tatius channeling Eric to anyone else, in a way?
Will read the 3rd one,if only for hopes of seeing more of a certain neon-haired, multiple-pierced, leather-and-mesh-clad ancient vampire. Ahem.
Still bored to death by the Kita-Nathaniel pairing. I also don't like Nathaniel.Brooding,lonesome vamps belong in YA novels,where they can shine in all their fairy-tale glory.(no,I actually mean that as a good thing.Really.) But here,I just kept going "Gah!Get over yourself already and quit whining!" Bleh.
Book was quite good except for these two things.
Is Tatius channeling Eric to anyone else, in a way?
Will read the 3rd one,if only for hopes of seeing more of a certain neon-haired, multiple-pierced, leather-and-mesh-clad ancient vampire. Ahem.
Still bored to death by the Kita-Nathaniel pairing. I also don't like Nathaniel.Brooding,lonesome vamps belong in YA novels,where they can shine in all their fairy-tale glory.(no,I actually mean that as a good thing.Really.) But here,I just kept going "Gah!Get over yourself already and quit whining!" Bleh.
Book was quite good except for these two things.
June 24, 2019
Fantasy who dun' its are my kryptonite and KP writes them well. Bought for a surprisingly reduced price on Amazon after this was sitting in my wish list for a looooong time. Unfortunately there seems to be little evidence the series will get a conclusion so its ending is a little unsatisfying.
June 1, 2018
Twice dead by kalayna price.
Tatius vampire king of haven has summoned Kita and Nathanial to his little party. While there kita finds a decapitated body. Drained of blood. Who did it and why?
A fantastic read. I loved the story and the characters apart from tatius. Kita was my favourite character. I loved the ending too. 5*.
Tatius vampire king of haven has summoned Kita and Nathanial to his little party. While there kita finds a decapitated body. Drained of blood. Who did it and why?
A fantastic read. I loved the story and the characters apart from tatius. Kita was my favourite character. I loved the ending too. 5*.
August 24, 2010
First off, I have to admit that this took me four months to read. Part of it was that it was an ebook, so I couldn't read it for long spans of time. Even if I had been able to, I don't think I would have wanted to. I was very unimpressed with this book. There was very little character growth and even less world building.
Main character Kita is originally a shapeshifter who turns into a small cat, but in some vaguely described incident that occurred in the first book, she is now also a vampire. A very whiny, Mary Sue vampire. Despite trouble following her around, everyone seems to be fascinated with her and almost all of the main male characters want her. She's whiny and petulant like a child, and yet you're supposed to be on her side. At the same time, you have Nathaniel, her sire, who is the strong silent type. And that generic stereotype is about all we know about him. All the other characters who are given any amount of page space to make an impression are similar stereotypes - the maniacal, possessive Tatius, the quietly possessive Collector, the scheming china doll-esque Elizabeth. Then there are all the interchangeable characters who are just around to hate on Kita because her life is so. hard.
Bland two dimensional characters would be palatable if they lived in a vivid well-structured world, but these don't. Maybe there was more world building in the first book of this series, but in Twice Dead, I couldn't tell if this was supposed to be an Earth-like world, an alternate version of Earth, or something completely different. Humans were very minor elements, so is the world primarily full of supernaturals? How does this world relate to Kita's original home of shapeshifters? Is that in another dimension, on another planet, etc. Mostly you're life to assume this world is just like ours with a supernatural underlining so fill in the blanks yourself. Except there are so many supernatural elements that it doesn't make sense how it could run any entire city/council underneath the humans without anyone noticing.
I readily admit I never read the first book, so some background was definitely lacking. Any subsequent books in a series should still give a brief overview of what has happened before so that the plot makes sense in context. The references to rouges and judge's marks were not fully explained and I'm still not quite sure what the point of the mage was other than to be a convenient way to get Kita in and out of trouble. And finally, the book ends and then continues until the new sequel is setup like in a movie with a brand new character appearing out of nowhere with one or two lines of dialogue, except that doesn't really work in a book.
Underneath all this, there might have been a pleasant plot, but too many of the large elements did not work. There was one moment, in the middle of the novel, where I couldn't put the book down, but I think that was more because it was so much fun to read on an iPad than my computer. Wouldn't recommend it though I've read worse.
Main character Kita is originally a shapeshifter who turns into a small cat, but in some vaguely described incident that occurred in the first book, she is now also a vampire. A very whiny, Mary Sue vampire. Despite trouble following her around, everyone seems to be fascinated with her and almost all of the main male characters want her. She's whiny and petulant like a child, and yet you're supposed to be on her side. At the same time, you have Nathaniel, her sire, who is the strong silent type. And that generic stereotype is about all we know about him. All the other characters who are given any amount of page space to make an impression are similar stereotypes - the maniacal, possessive Tatius, the quietly possessive Collector, the scheming china doll-esque Elizabeth. Then there are all the interchangeable characters who are just around to hate on Kita because her life is so. hard.
Bland two dimensional characters would be palatable if they lived in a vivid well-structured world, but these don't. Maybe there was more world building in the first book of this series, but in Twice Dead, I couldn't tell if this was supposed to be an Earth-like world, an alternate version of Earth, or something completely different. Humans were very minor elements, so is the world primarily full of supernaturals? How does this world relate to Kita's original home of shapeshifters? Is that in another dimension, on another planet, etc. Mostly you're life to assume this world is just like ours with a supernatural underlining so fill in the blanks yourself. Except there are so many supernatural elements that it doesn't make sense how it could run any entire city/council underneath the humans without anyone noticing.
I readily admit I never read the first book, so some background was definitely lacking. Any subsequent books in a series should still give a brief overview of what has happened before so that the plot makes sense in context. The references to rouges and judge's marks were not fully explained and I'm still not quite sure what the point of the mage was other than to be a convenient way to get Kita in and out of trouble. And finally, the book ends and then continues until the new sequel is setup like in a movie with a brand new character appearing out of nowhere with one or two lines of dialogue, except that doesn't really work in a book.
Underneath all this, there might have been a pleasant plot, but too many of the large elements did not work. There was one moment, in the middle of the novel, where I couldn't put the book down, but I think that was more because it was so much fun to read on an iPad than my computer. Wouldn't recommend it though I've read worse.
February 23, 2011
As all of my readers know, I've become an avid fan of Kalayna Price's writing (if not, see my reviews of Once Bitten and Grave Witch). This second book in the Haven series, Twice Dead, is no exception. This book was brilliant and exactly what I'd needed to make my reading worthwhile and exhilarating.
In this second book, our little kitty, Kita is on the hot list of vampires. Not because she wants to be, but because of some jealousy and want for power. Isn't that just always the way. Why oh why people can't just be happy with what they have *tsk tsk tsk*. Oh well, guess that would be flouncing upon human and vampire nature. Plus, it makes for an interesting story.
A story with our vampire master Nathanial in a war for the little kitty against the ancient, merciless vampire that rules the city. It just so happens there is also a twist in there which really, believe it or not, surprised me.
We still have the same awesome characters, including Kita who - although a shifter turned vampire and is still trying to learn the ropes - is strong and unrelenting. She still doesn't take the crap the homicidal vamps throw her way, she just pushes it back in their face. Don't get me wrong, as a 6 pound kitty among lions she knows how to stay alive and it's not always with a fight. Plus, she takes stubbornness to an all time high. I'm always at a loss between wanting to cheer her on or wanting to slap her upside the head.
Then, there is Nathanial. I'd say we get an even better side of him in this book, not that we didn't get a good character development of him the first. But in this one, we get to see his feelings for Kita slink through the lines and absorb into our skin. I felt like the pulses of his emotions were being pushed off the electronic pages of my Kindle directly into my nerve endings. And, to top it off, there is a particularly delicious shower scene that involves a blood covered Kita and a similar looking Nathanial. I think it gives a better description to my mind of what exactly Nathanial looks like. *prrrr*
In addition to them, there are also cities of vampires everywhere, mages in abundance and a couple shifters on the prowl. (I fully enjoy Gil, the apprentice mage scholar who follows her around to study her - cracks me up!) I enjoyed this book even more than the first and I can't wait to get my hands on book three. I highly recommend Kalayna Price's Haven series to anyone who is looking for adult fantasy fiction with vampires and intrigue. You won't be disappointed.
In this second book, our little kitty, Kita is on the hot list of vampires. Not because she wants to be, but because of some jealousy and want for power. Isn't that just always the way. Why oh why people can't just be happy with what they have *tsk tsk tsk*. Oh well, guess that would be flouncing upon human and vampire nature. Plus, it makes for an interesting story.
A story with our vampire master Nathanial in a war for the little kitty against the ancient, merciless vampire that rules the city. It just so happens there is also a twist in there which really, believe it or not, surprised me.
We still have the same awesome characters, including Kita who - although a shifter turned vampire and is still trying to learn the ropes - is strong and unrelenting. She still doesn't take the crap the homicidal vamps throw her way, she just pushes it back in their face. Don't get me wrong, as a 6 pound kitty among lions she knows how to stay alive and it's not always with a fight. Plus, she takes stubbornness to an all time high. I'm always at a loss between wanting to cheer her on or wanting to slap her upside the head.
Then, there is Nathanial. I'd say we get an even better side of him in this book, not that we didn't get a good character development of him the first. But in this one, we get to see his feelings for Kita slink through the lines and absorb into our skin. I felt like the pulses of his emotions were being pushed off the electronic pages of my Kindle directly into my nerve endings. And, to top it off, there is a particularly delicious shower scene that involves a blood covered Kita and a similar looking Nathanial. I think it gives a better description to my mind of what exactly Nathanial looks like. *prrrr*
In addition to them, there are also cities of vampires everywhere, mages in abundance and a couple shifters on the prowl. (I fully enjoy Gil, the apprentice mage scholar who follows her around to study her - cracks me up!) I enjoyed this book even more than the first and I can't wait to get my hands on book three. I highly recommend Kalayna Price's Haven series to anyone who is looking for adult fantasy fiction with vampires and intrigue. You won't be disappointed.
July 18, 2011
Second book in the Haven Series.This is a reread for me. Yes, I enjoyed it more the second time around.
Kita is in trouble again. She is summoned by the Council to attend a vampire party in honor of a visiting master vampire, the Collector. One of her humans is murdered and Kita is the one who discovers the body. This makes her the center of the attention and a suspect. The truth seeker confirms she was not the murderer. But, when more dead headless bodies start appearing this starts a vampire politics war.
The Collector, a very powerful vampire is interested in Kita, after all she likes to acquire unusual things and a shape shifter calico cat turned vampire qualifies as one.
Kita is pulled in many ways and used as a pawn. Gil, the mage apprentice is following her and writing her thesis based on her life. At the same time she is helping her figure out if there are more shifter rogues created by Kita. We have a necromancer wanting a new body as form of payment on a debt, the Collector wanting her to find a shape shifter to add to the master vampire entourage, Bobby wanting to take her back to Firth, her attraction to Nathanial is increasing and not knowing if these are her feelings or a vampire side effect from sharing blood. In this mist of all this Tatius, the King of Haven/Puppet Master wants to take her away from Nathanial and is trying to bind her to him.
This second book is full of action. I still like Nathanial as the HEA. He has a lot of patience and he cares for her. His mask of aloofness slips several times. Also, they share their first kiss (super excited here!!)
After I finished this book I was upset I have to wait until the fall to get book three.
4/5 Fangs
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com
Kita is in trouble again. She is summoned by the Council to attend a vampire party in honor of a visiting master vampire, the Collector. One of her humans is murdered and Kita is the one who discovers the body. This makes her the center of the attention and a suspect. The truth seeker confirms she was not the murderer. But, when more dead headless bodies start appearing this starts a vampire politics war.
The Collector, a very powerful vampire is interested in Kita, after all she likes to acquire unusual things and a shape shifter calico cat turned vampire qualifies as one.
Kita is pulled in many ways and used as a pawn. Gil, the mage apprentice is following her and writing her thesis based on her life. At the same time she is helping her figure out if there are more shifter rogues created by Kita. We have a necromancer wanting a new body as form of payment on a debt, the Collector wanting her to find a shape shifter to add to the master vampire entourage, Bobby wanting to take her back to Firth, her attraction to Nathanial is increasing and not knowing if these are her feelings or a vampire side effect from sharing blood. In this mist of all this Tatius, the King of Haven/Puppet Master wants to take her away from Nathanial and is trying to bind her to him.
This second book is full of action. I still like Nathanial as the HEA. He has a lot of patience and he cares for her. His mask of aloofness slips several times. Also, they share their first kiss (super excited here!!)
After I finished this book I was upset I have to wait until the fall to get book three.
4/5 Fangs
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com
April 7, 2010
Twice Dead is the second book in the Haven Series. In the first installment we met Kita the half Werecat / half Vampire and her band of misfit "friends" and followed them in search of a rouge shifter. This time around we witness Kita being torn between two master vampires battling to control her, Kita searching for more humans she may have accidentally turned into shifters, a murderer framing Kita and an odd zombie/necromancer/ghost...thing....just to name a few.
I received Twice Dead through the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing.com. Surprisingly I really liked this book more than the first one in the series. It takes us so many places and has so many things going on, you would think that you would be lost or confused, but Ms. Price does very well with keeping you up to pace. I'm really liking all the characters and just can't wait to read the next book. We still don't see anymore of an explination of what Kita's homeland, Firth, is, but according to the exerpt in the back of this book, it looks like the next book will take us there. I definately recommend reading Once Bitten first. I started to read Twice Dead first, but was pretty lost after the first two chapters.
I received Twice Dead through the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing.com. Surprisingly I really liked this book more than the first one in the series. It takes us so many places and has so many things going on, you would think that you would be lost or confused, but Ms. Price does very well with keeping you up to pace. I'm really liking all the characters and just can't wait to read the next book. We still don't see anymore of an explination of what Kita's homeland, Firth, is, but according to the exerpt in the back of this book, it looks like the next book will take us there. I definately recommend reading Once Bitten first. I started to read Twice Dead first, but was pretty lost after the first two chapters.
February 7, 2012
I am just loving this series! You know you truly love a book when you want to read it again and I've already started reading this book a second time."Twice Dead" takes Kita and Nathaniel into the arms of the vampire council. Tituis wants their presence to introduce them to another powerful vampire known as the Collector. She collects people with unusual skills and looks. When Kita discovers one of the Collectors' people decapitated, she is forced to reveal what she knows and in doing so she is now on the Collector's radar.
If that is not enough, the necromancer who helped Kita and Gil wants payment form her in the form of a new body. He gives her 24 hours to produce one. Before Kita can deal with any of these events, the Collector kidnaps Nathaniel and her. They take her to Durga the place she created the rogues. She is anxious to see if there are any other rogues lurking out there that she must destroy.
While in Durga so much occurs. Hidden plots, deceptions, kick butt action scenes and my favorite, Kita's snarkiness. Additionally, she and Nathaniel appear are becoming closer and she is not quite sure what to do about it. The ending promises more mystery for the next book in the series. I cannot wait.
If that is not enough, the necromancer who helped Kita and Gil wants payment form her in the form of a new body. He gives her 24 hours to produce one. Before Kita can deal with any of these events, the Collector kidnaps Nathaniel and her. They take her to Durga the place she created the rogues. She is anxious to see if there are any other rogues lurking out there that she must destroy.
While in Durga so much occurs. Hidden plots, deceptions, kick butt action scenes and my favorite, Kita's snarkiness. Additionally, she and Nathaniel appear are becoming closer and she is not quite sure what to do about it. The ending promises more mystery for the next book in the series. I cannot wait.
April 1, 2010
Kita is clearly in a more vulnerable state in Twice Dead. Our Calico shape-shifter turned undead is now more in demand than ever, and I don't mean that as a good thing. No. Kita is being stalked, wooed, wants to be collected, killed, you name it. A necromancer, a skin walker, the collector- a powerful vampire, to name a few. Besides that awful predicament... Am I awful for being thrilled that The vampire king Tatius is out to get Kita away from Nathanial? Will you blame me if I find Tatius amusing? Am I being super critical towards Nathanial? Am I the one who thinks he's a bit boring? And is it me or "authorities" in this book keep blaming everything on Kita? In Once Bitten she was blamed for rogue shifters and now she's being blamed by beheading and draining vampires? Seriously, how can someone manage to always look guilty? I can't say that I blame the company she keeps because on the first book she was alone when all the blaming happened.
Twice Dead is definitely a must read if you're a fan of YA Urban fantasy. Action pack and full of intrigue and frustrating sexual tension. I can't wait to see what's going to happen on Haven # 3 book - Third Blood.
Twice Dead is definitely a must read if you're a fan of YA Urban fantasy. Action pack and full of intrigue and frustrating sexual tension. I can't wait to see what's going to happen on Haven # 3 book - Third Blood.
February 2, 2018
....Meh....
While I enjoyed Once Bitten, the first novel in the Haven series, I can't say I was exactly waiting with bated breath for the next installment. There was plenty of potential evident in the first book, but the multitude of characters introduced were only mildly developed, the main character wasn't the most likable of heroines and while there was certainly a lot of potential for some cool world building in the first book that potential was never fully realized. So, while I enjoyed the first book, it was mainly its potential as a series that convinced me that the second book was worth a read.
Now, the first thing worth mentioning about Twice Dead is that it isn't particularly new reader friendly as there isn't much to be found in the way of recap of previous events and the character development, particularly of the supporting cast, is pretty slim. It's just sort of generally assumed that you're familiar with the supporting cast and the main events of the first book and, if you aren't, you're given only the occasional tidbit to help you out. So, basically, you'll enjoy Twice Dead considerably more if you've either just finished Once Bitten or you have a pretty decent recall of the events and characters going in to Twice Dead. This probably wouldn't be quite such a problem if the pacing were a bit more even, but the breakneck pace often makes the narrative feel rather disjointed as the majority of the supporting cast seems to appear primarily for the purposes of punting the heroine from location to location and from bad situation to worse giving the reader very little in the way of transition. Add to that the fact that there are a variety of sub-plots vying for attention throughout and a dozen characters are added to the already crowded supporting cast and it becomes increasingly difficult to invest in the world as a whole.
But really, at the end of the day, your enjoyment of Twice Dead won't really be decided by any of that. The main thrust of the narrative focuses rather exclusively on Kita & Nathanial and their navigation of both the great minefield that is their evolving relationship and the ever exciting waters of vampire politics. If you're a consistent reader of urban fantasy and/or paranormal romance you'll find those waters incredibly familiar which is either a good or a bad thing depending on your tastes & tolerance level. There's a great deal of grandstanding, some well-executed power plays and a good bit of violence. Several interesting concepts are introduced, but nothing particularly ground-breaking and the politics in this instance primarily exist to service the mystery that is introduced to steer the narrative. Unfortunately, once the groundwork for that mystery is laid, the mystery is then sidelined for great swaths of time to make room for the advancement of sub-plots and to give Kita & Nathanial plenty of time to explore the nature of their relationship and examine their feelings for each other. Basically the mystery just pops back up periodically to give the narrative a much needed kick in the pants, often initiating enough of a change in circumstances as to allow the sub-plots and the relationship to take precedence once again. Eventually it all comes to a rather anti-climatic conclusion in which some folks die, the various sub-plots conveniently resolve themselves and Kita & Nathanial take a few baby steps forward in their relationship.
So, basically, whether you're going to enjoy Twice Dead comes down to whether you find the increasingly co-dependent relationship between Kita and Nathanial compelling. If you like them and buy them as a couple, you probably liked Once Bitten and you'll probably like Twice Dead even more. Since the relationship really doesn't work for me, it's no particular wonder that Twice Dead isn't really my cup of tea.
While I enjoyed Once Bitten, the first novel in the Haven series, I can't say I was exactly waiting with bated breath for the next installment. There was plenty of potential evident in the first book, but the multitude of characters introduced were only mildly developed, the main character wasn't the most likable of heroines and while there was certainly a lot of potential for some cool world building in the first book that potential was never fully realized. So, while I enjoyed the first book, it was mainly its potential as a series that convinced me that the second book was worth a read.
Now, the first thing worth mentioning about Twice Dead is that it isn't particularly new reader friendly as there isn't much to be found in the way of recap of previous events and the character development, particularly of the supporting cast, is pretty slim. It's just sort of generally assumed that you're familiar with the supporting cast and the main events of the first book and, if you aren't, you're given only the occasional tidbit to help you out. So, basically, you'll enjoy Twice Dead considerably more if you've either just finished Once Bitten or you have a pretty decent recall of the events and characters going in to Twice Dead. This probably wouldn't be quite such a problem if the pacing were a bit more even, but the breakneck pace often makes the narrative feel rather disjointed as the majority of the supporting cast seems to appear primarily for the purposes of punting the heroine from location to location and from bad situation to worse giving the reader very little in the way of transition. Add to that the fact that there are a variety of sub-plots vying for attention throughout and a dozen characters are added to the already crowded supporting cast and it becomes increasingly difficult to invest in the world as a whole.
But really, at the end of the day, your enjoyment of Twice Dead won't really be decided by any of that. The main thrust of the narrative focuses rather exclusively on Kita & Nathanial and their navigation of both the great minefield that is their evolving relationship and the ever exciting waters of vampire politics. If you're a consistent reader of urban fantasy and/or paranormal romance you'll find those waters incredibly familiar which is either a good or a bad thing depending on your tastes & tolerance level. There's a great deal of grandstanding, some well-executed power plays and a good bit of violence. Several interesting concepts are introduced, but nothing particularly ground-breaking and the politics in this instance primarily exist to service the mystery that is introduced to steer the narrative. Unfortunately, once the groundwork for that mystery is laid, the mystery is then sidelined for great swaths of time to make room for the advancement of sub-plots and to give Kita & Nathanial plenty of time to explore the nature of their relationship and examine their feelings for each other. Basically the mystery just pops back up periodically to give the narrative a much needed kick in the pants, often initiating enough of a change in circumstances as to allow the sub-plots and the relationship to take precedence once again. Eventually it all comes to a rather anti-climatic conclusion in which some folks die, the various sub-plots conveniently resolve themselves and Kita & Nathanial take a few baby steps forward in their relationship.
So, basically, whether you're going to enjoy Twice Dead comes down to whether you find the increasingly co-dependent relationship between Kita and Nathanial compelling. If you like them and buy them as a couple, you probably liked Once Bitten and you'll probably like Twice Dead even more. Since the relationship really doesn't work for me, it's no particular wonder that Twice Dead isn't really my cup of tea.
October 1, 2025
3.7 stars
Contrary to the opinions of most reviewers, I think I liked this one a little less than the first one. I think that's because - out of the threads left dangling from the first book - I was most interested in what happens when the full moon hits and the gate opens. Apparently, she was saving that for the third book which DOESN'T EXIST!!!! It has been over a decade, and there is pretty much no chance of it ever happening. I am so upset.
So we are just dealing with some vampire politics and mage stuff in this one, which is not my favorite thing. On the positive side the first half of the book has some phenomenal yearning and longing between Nathaniel and Kita which I just adored, and in the second half there was that fast-paced, chaotic energy that I really liked from the first book. However, the first half also contains a lot of icky vampire weirdness and possessiveness (which I know, goes with the genre, but I don't like it), and in the second half Nathaniel "accidentally" sexually assaults Kita TWICE. Once, because of a misunderstanding while he's high on being vampire bitten, and the second time he "accidentally" enthralls her. There was so much lovely tension built up between them from the first book, and the first half of this book - and then she does that?! Nathaniel and Kita have enough personality flaws between the two of them to cause plenty of roadblocks on their way to getting together. WHY would you make your romantic lead do something so terrible - while making it an "accidental" thing that won't lead to any real or significant guilt, shame, or consequence - not only once, but twice! Especially when there is already that huge age and experience gap between the two, considering Kita's sheltered upbringing. I don't get invested in romantic subplots very often, but I was really enjoying these two. Then I was turned off so quickly, it just boggles the mind.
I will probably not read her other series, that she ditched this third book for, because I found out it is a witch police procedural. I hardly ever care about any police procedural, that is so not my vibe or genre. So I guess this is the last I'll read of her work unless she miraculously releases the third book someday. As upset as I am, I am still invested enough to want to know how it ends. Despite that upsetting development in the second half, I still really care about these messy disaster characters and the world they inhabit.
Contrary to the opinions of most reviewers, I think I liked this one a little less than the first one. I think that's because - out of the threads left dangling from the first book - I was most interested in what happens when the full moon hits and the gate opens. Apparently, she was saving that for the third book which DOESN'T EXIST!!!! It has been over a decade, and there is pretty much no chance of it ever happening. I am so upset.
So we are just dealing with some vampire politics and mage stuff in this one, which is not my favorite thing. On the positive side the first half of the book has some phenomenal yearning and longing between Nathaniel and Kita which I just adored, and in the second half there was that fast-paced, chaotic energy that I really liked from the first book. However, the first half also contains a lot of icky vampire weirdness and possessiveness (which I know, goes with the genre, but I don't like it), and in the second half Nathaniel "accidentally" sexually assaults Kita TWICE. Once, because of a misunderstanding while he's high on being vampire bitten, and the second time he "accidentally" enthralls her. There was so much lovely tension built up between them from the first book, and the first half of this book - and then she does that?! Nathaniel and Kita have enough personality flaws between the two of them to cause plenty of roadblocks on their way to getting together. WHY would you make your romantic lead do something so terrible - while making it an "accidental" thing that won't lead to any real or significant guilt, shame, or consequence - not only once, but twice! Especially when there is already that huge age and experience gap between the two, considering Kita's sheltered upbringing. I don't get invested in romantic subplots very often, but I was really enjoying these two. Then I was turned off so quickly, it just boggles the mind.
I will probably not read her other series, that she ditched this third book for, because I found out it is a witch police procedural. I hardly ever care about any police procedural, that is so not my vibe or genre. So I guess this is the last I'll read of her work unless she miraculously releases the third book someday. As upset as I am, I am still invested enough to want to know how it ends. Despite that upsetting development in the second half, I still really care about these messy disaster characters and the world they inhabit.
June 26, 2017
This the second book featuring shifter Kita Nekai - newly turned Vampire .
A much, much, much better read than book one with better characterisation .
Newly undead shifter-turned-vampire Kita Nekai is coming to grips with the reality that her cat has not awakened since her change and she now has a liquid diet ....BLOOD !
Now the Vampire Council has insisted that she must appear before them - where she draws the attention of The Collector ...... an old Vampire who likes to collect the unusual .... KITA ??.
Whilst the Council meet a bored Kita decides to find a quiet seat and watch the Vampires around her ...BUT the other person on the seat , dressed as a mannequin , turns out to be dead ... and she happens to be one of triplets , owned by The Collector!!
Kita immediately becomes the center of attention , the last thing she or Nathaniel wanted , and must face questions regarding her possible involvement .
The vampire king of the city,Tatius takes advantage of the meeting, by making Kita his special companion.....but if she wants to get Nathaniel and herself out alive, she sucks up her usual sarcasm and independence, and lets herself be used.
Unfortunately more bodies start to be found and Nathaniel and Kita , with a little help from the apprentice witch and old flame , must find who the murderer is and what the intended outcome means for their future .
This was a much better book in this series which bodes well for more in the future .
I was given an arc of this book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review
A much, much, much better read than book one with better characterisation .
Newly undead shifter-turned-vampire Kita Nekai is coming to grips with the reality that her cat has not awakened since her change and she now has a liquid diet ....BLOOD !
Now the Vampire Council has insisted that she must appear before them - where she draws the attention of The Collector ...... an old Vampire who likes to collect the unusual .... KITA ??.
Whilst the Council meet a bored Kita decides to find a quiet seat and watch the Vampires around her ...BUT the other person on the seat , dressed as a mannequin , turns out to be dead ... and she happens to be one of triplets , owned by The Collector!!
Kita immediately becomes the center of attention , the last thing she or Nathaniel wanted , and must face questions regarding her possible involvement .
The vampire king of the city,Tatius takes advantage of the meeting, by making Kita his special companion.....but if she wants to get Nathaniel and herself out alive, she sucks up her usual sarcasm and independence, and lets herself be used.
Unfortunately more bodies start to be found and Nathaniel and Kita , with a little help from the apprentice witch and old flame , must find who the murderer is and what the intended outcome means for their future .
This was a much better book in this series which bodes well for more in the future .
I was given an arc of this book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review
December 8, 2017
Now this is a good book!
After finding Once Bitten in the meh waters, Twice Dead fixes all of those bad feelings that I had about the series in a spectacular fashion. Price finds her stride in this book. Kita is faced with so many different trials and tribulations that it’s hard to book this book down. Being a were isn’t easy, but being the first were/vampire crossbreed is doubly hard. Kita is unique in her world, and with that, comes with an entire laundry list of hurdles to jump. Throw in the fact that she’s literal in the middle of a were-vamp pissing match between her attached ex and vampire sire, and you have one hell of a story! The tension between these three characters is off the charts, and add some sizzle and spice to an already interesting story.
This series has definitely moved up higher on my TBR list for the book that is set to release next year. I just hope the pop and sizzle of this series only continues to grow more.
June 17, 2017
Vampires, shifters, skinwalkers, mages, rogues, clanless, necromancers, supernatural politics, mind games, blood, guts, and just a little bit of Beethoven. Oh. My. This 2nd installment in Kalayna Price's Haven series had me on the edge of my seat and reading through the wee hours (after promising,myself "just one chapter". There are so many different storylines Kita can follow that I sincerely hope there are many, many more installments to come. Read this series in order. And it might be advisable to have all of the available ones handy if you are a binge reader.
Review based on ARC provided by NetGalley.
Review based on ARC provided by NetGalley.
October 14, 2018
I love author Kalayna Price's ALEX CRAFT series so not sure how I missed her HAVEN series. The first book in the HAVEN series is entertaining, but TWICE DEAD is all-consuming. I read it start to finish in one sitting! There is just so much going on with the main characters... Kita and Nathaniel. Is it terrible to say that I want to see more of Nathaniel's brother, Tatius?! I cannot wait to read the next installation in the HAVEN series!
June 20, 2024
Entertaining snagging your attention
I found this novel very entertaining. Kata and Nathaniel snagged my attention. It also reminded me of Anita Blake series; the traveler was a similar character in that series. Kata is also as stubborn and aggravating a character as Ms. blake. Overall I do Georgia book. Can't wait to see how the visit back home turns out.
I found this novel very entertaining. Kata and Nathaniel snagged my attention. It also reminded me of Anita Blake series; the traveler was a similar character in that series. Kata is also as stubborn and aggravating a character as Ms. blake. Overall I do Georgia book. Can't wait to see how the visit back home turns out.
June 10, 2017
Another smashing hit by Price! Darker, edgier, and even more action packed than the first book, if you can believe it! The characters really shine through in this book and I devoured thier sorry in one sitting. This is an epic paranormal fantasy that will have readers unable to put this one down.
September 12, 2017
I found this book to be better than the first book but still only just okay. Hence the extra half star. The series held promise. It just didn't deliver.
- - Received copy through NeyGalley- -
L
- - Received copy through NeyGalley- -
L
September 29, 2020
Second book in the series. Good continuation of the story. Very interesting change on the vampire shifter interaction.
October 16, 2022
Better than book one by far. But this is def a series without a natural path leading into another book.
August 28, 2023
Oh my god just shut up and kiss him already.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2010
Review first posted on http://rubysreads.com[return][return]I warn you now: this review has spoilers for Once Bitten. Don t read on if you don t wish to get spoiled.[return][return] [return][return] [return][return]I am already suffering withdrawals. I think I actually liked Twice Dead better than Once Bitten. It had all of the good stuff from the first book and less of the bad. Like, we don t see much of Bobby. Yea! And there s a lot less of Kita being contrary for the sake of being contrary. In a way, I guess we had to go through all that stuff in the first book in order for the absence is believable in the second one.[return][return]Twice Dead continues Kita s story, picking up about two weeks after the end of Once Bitten. In the last book, Nathaniel (Kita s sire) agreed to become part of head vampire Tatius council in exchange for being allowed to keep Kita as his own. As the story opens, we learn that Bobby s still in town and Kita s been feeding on animals in order to survive. She has two reasons for doing so: One, she s still squeamish about the whole blood-drinking thing. Two, there s the risk that every time she bites a person they could become tagged , or get turned into a shifter. Which would be bad because Kita s gotten in trouble for that already. It s only her special status as a rare vampire/shifter that saved her life.[return][return]Kita learns pretty darn fast that Nathaniel s been urging her to drink from him for pretty compelling reasons. With her usual knack for trouble, Kita discovers the decapitated body of a visiting vampire s servant. This, of course, brings Kita and Nathaniel to the attention of all the VIVs, as Kita calls them: Very Important Vampires. And when Tatius discovers Kita s malnourished condition well, let s just say the consequences are severe. Even worse, Kita soon becomes implicated the death of the servant. To add insult to injury, Gil, the mage, pops up every so often to get Kita s help, taking her away at inconvenient moments. Things are also complicated by Kita s very uniqueness. Other people have tried to change shifters before but their attempts weren t as successful. That Kita survived the transformation brings her to the attention of The Collector, a vampire who got her name for surrounding herself with objects as rare as Kita.[return][return]I feel like if I go too much further into the plot, I m going to give too much away. What I can tell you is that Kita, as usual, has a lot on her plate. Of course, I m a romance addict, so the part that thrilled me the most was the further development of Kita and Nathaniel s relationship. Things are really, really complicated between them. Things are complicated by Tatius interest in Kita, too. With the events of Once Bitten under her belt, Kita is more accepting of the fact that she and Nathaniel have a strong connection. What comes into question in Twice Dead is how much of their connection is vampire magic and how much is just the two of them. It s a question that they re not going to get away from anytime soon. No matter the origin of their attraction, they re hot together. There re also sweet together. And they have the kind of tactile relationship that you usually get in books about shifters. Touch is comfort. Nathaniel is still a big mystery. We learn a major piece of the Nathaniel puzzle but it only brings up more questions about him.[return][return]On the subject of Nathaniel, I want to give Price props for creating a hero that is strong but not omnipotent. I ve admitting to liking alpha heroes and part of my reason for liking them is that they re strong. However, writers often over the top with this and heroes become so untouchable as to become unbelievable. And when there are two contenders for a heroine s heart, all too often she takes a moment to reflect that, in a fight between the two men, she doesn t know who would win. Nathaniel knows his limits. In particular, he knows that Tatius is more powerful than him. What s so delicious about Nathaniel is that he doesn t let that fact prevent him from trying to protect Kita in whatever way he can, even at the risk of his own life. His desire to protect her remains unwavering throughout the book. How can I not love him?[return][return]I can t wait to read Third Blood. It s going to take us into the Firth. We ll get to meet Kita s dad and hopefully learn more about her decision to run away. I m creating a new point category for this book. It gets five and half points: I would have this book s babies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2019
Good storyline but the MC's relationship is very frustrating, they should just get together already. Also the female MC is really annoying & pathetic.
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