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Twice Dead (Haven #2)

by Kalayna Price (Goodreads Author)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 1,033 ratings · 99 reviews

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...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published February 12th 2010 by Bell Bridge Books (first published February 2nd 2010)

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Jul 10, 2012 Lynsey (The Demon Librarian) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kick-ass-chicks

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 pairing...more 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! ★★★★(less)

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Feb 19, 2013 Maria Renee rated it 4 of 5 stars

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May 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I strongly recommend you read the previous book in this series (Once Bitten) before reading this book.

Kita, shape-shifter turned vampire is back and her life is even deadlier than ever. As a shape-shifter, Kita was never the huge lion in the sandbox but a tiny calico cat instead. As a vampire, she is even more vulnerable and requires a protector, a master. Kita's uniqueness is enough to keep her alive but her rarity makes her a desirable pawn in everyone's game. Kita becomes an especially valuab...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Angella rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 po...more 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.

The story line is interesting but throughout the book the main character was very annoying.She bitch and moan and talk big but in the end can hardly do any thing to protect herself or the people she cares about. On one hand I can understand Kita's behavior...but she was frustrating as hell lol.I hope in the next book her character start growing up. Another thing that annoyed me was there was hardly any info share between kita and Nathaniel about vampire rule and so fort. In the first book they were busy running around but in the second book she could of gotten a vampire guide book or something. Further, I hope she starts developing what ever powers she pocesses soon cause its very irritating how all these vampires just take advantage of her and ultimately in the end after her big talk there is nothing she can do.But all in all I like this series and look forward to the next installment.(less)

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Jul 18, 2011 Sheyla rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 po...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Manda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I instantly fell in love with Once Bitten, and it was one of the first I ever read on my (now not-so) new Kindle. Twice Dead is a deliciously dark paranormal adventure that is just as entertaining as the first and has more depth. The characters are more fleshed out and you learn more about the different species of supernatural. Kita is still her spunky self, but her attitude is slightly toned down and less flaky. That still doesn't keep her from questioning everything.

Price does a wonderful job...more I instantly fell in love with Once Bitten, and it was one of the first I ever read on my (now not-so) new Kindle. Twice Dead is a deliciously dark paranormal adventure that is just as entertaining as the first and has more depth. The characters are more fleshed out and you learn more about the different species of supernatural. Kita is still her spunky self, but her attitude is slightly toned down and less flaky. That still doesn't keep her from questioning everything.

Price does a wonderful job delving the reader back into the intriguing world of Haven and its inhabitants. It isn't without its faults, though. Since it's not helpful to do nothing but sing praises in a review, I'll focus on what I didn't like.

For starters, I'm not a fan of first person POV - it becomes tiring, is very limited, and doesn't allow for any voice but the narrator's to shine. Not only that, but your opinion of other characters becomes biased by their emotions. Not that I don't like Kita and her sassy attitude, I really do, but her narration gets old after a while. I find myself wishing it was written in third. Although it would dampen her in-your-face 'tude, she isn't the only character I'd like to become more familiar with.

The story is completely plot driven, as was Once Bitten. I was really hoping that would change in this novel. I'm amazed that the story could go on for so long with Kita only having minimal control over ANYTHING. Not only must it be frustrating for her character, it is frustrating to read. She has absolutely no control over her surroundings, and the only reason things progress seems to be because everyone else is making assumptions and decisions on her behalf. It seems highly unrealistic she would have this little control over her environment all the time.

The novel builds and builds and doesn't reach its peak until somewhere around 10% before the end. By then, I'd already figured out how the rest of the story would play out, and the resolution wasn't as strong as I'd hoped. There's also a bunch of little underlying subplots, much like in Once Bitten, but they're more distracting to the overall story and the amount of time spent on each isn't weighted very proportionally. I feel like some didn't really deserve as much attention as the author gave: the politics with the Collector and Nathaniel; the necromancer.

Overall, I really loved this story. Once it got rolling, I couldn't put it down. If you like dark paranormal romances, there's a good chance you'll just eat this one up. (less)

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Mar 20, 2011 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-universe-fantasy

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-...more

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Oct 13, 2010 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Sharon by: sharon.passmore@yahoo.co.uk

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy

This is book two in the Haven series following Book one - Once Bitten, your left off with Kalayna trying to get to grips with new half vampire status, she's still upset that she cannot reach her inner cat, & stuggling with feeding, to the point where she is starving herself by just sustaining on animal blood.
Nathanial her maker comes under fire for this, from master of the city & decides to 'bind' Kita to him. A vampire contingent arrive lead by the 'Collector' has an unhealthy interest...more

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Apr 22, 2010 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kita is in major trouble. She has been turned by Nathanial who cares for her deeply. She can't shapeshift anymore, apparently being a vampire is enough for one body to handle. (And she was such a cute little kitten!!) Her friend Gil, magic student extraordinaire, keeps popping in and out of the atmosphere and Bobby, a shapeshifter friend wants to be much more. What's a girl to do?

In Twice Dead, the second novel of Haven by Kalayna Price, it seems all Kita can do is keep paddling like hell to ke...more

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Apr 06, 2010 Halona Skaggs rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 th...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

“Twice Dead” by Kalayna Price is the second book of the Have series and it’s about Kita, a shape-shifter turned vampire!
The second book is even more fast paced than the first with lot of action and new characters. Kita’s only wish is to be left alone and not become a part of vampires’ political schemes. But, this isn’t going to happen anytime soon. She finds herself again in the wrong place the wrong time and then all hell breaks loose!
Kita is as always strong and she deals really well with th...more

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Feb 05, 2011 Kait Ballenger rated it 4 of 5 stars

efore I read Twice Dead I thought this was a writer to keep an eye on, now that I’ve read the second novel, my belief has only strengthened.

While the first novel was definitely enjoyable, the second novel was a big improvement. Price dove deeper into the unique paranormal world she created in Once Bitten and the character development continued at a good pace. I saw a nice twist in Price’s writing from the first to the second book. Kudos to her!

Not only was the paranormal world more intricate, bu...more efore I read Twice Dead I thought this was a writer to keep an eye on, now that I’ve read the second novel, my belief has only strengthened.

While the first novel was definitely enjoyable, the second novel was a big improvement. Price dove deeper into the unique paranormal world she created in Once Bitten and the character development continued at a good pace. I saw a nice twist in Price’s writing from the first to the second book. Kudos to her!

Not only was the paranormal world more intricate, but the heat really cranked up on Kita and Nathanial’s romance for book two. By the time I’d reached the end of the book, I was craving for more between them. And though I won’t explain how this sizzling situation came about, I was surprised by the unexpected chemistry between Kita and Tatius, the head vampire of the city of Haven. Honestly, I think I like Tatius, an all around badass vampire and seemingly cold-hearted soul, more than I like Nathanial. But that has nothing to do with Price’s writing and characterization, and is more my own personal taste for bad boys. Nathanial just doesn’t really fulfill that bad boy complex for me.

However, for you ladies, and maybe gentlemen as well, who enjoy a sweet, hopeless romantic hero, look no more—Nathanial is your guy. In my opinion, the best way to describe Nathanial is to say he is a slightly less mischievous Edward Cullen (the hot Edward from the first Twilight book, before he went completely starry eyed over Bella *gags at the thought.* Go team, Jacob). However, Tatius, my personal favorite, is similar to Eric Northman in punk clothing, though a little more rough around the edges than the smooth talking Eric (and all of you regular readers know how much I LOVE Eric).

In other words, the fact that I am comparing Price’s characters to two major fictional hotties shows my opinion of the novel.

This book is just as equally good as the first, plus a tad bit better. This book is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys a good urban fantasy novel. I'm looking forward to the release of the third novel.(less)

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Feb 21, 2011 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal-futuristic

Book 2 of the Haven series takes place not long from the event in Book 1. This time, Kita encounters a number of beheaded vampires, a dangerous politic of the vampires council, a snake shifter, a debt with a necromancer, a brother of the rogue she turns in book 1. All in while she is fighting her feeling for her Master, Nathanial.

Oh, I love book two very much -- I think the mystery of the beheaded vampires are really enjoyable. Plus there is a development in Kita and Nathanial's relationship. I...more

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May 19, 2012 Hayley G rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a gripping second installment to Price's Haven series.

Kita is still learning how to deal with her new identity, but it doesn't hurt to have the gorgeous Nathaniel around to show her the ropes. The tension between these two will leave readers craving for more.

But let's not forget Bobby the ever loyal love of Kita's past, but is he a potential love interest for the future?

This has got to be one of the most complicated love triangle's I've ever read (but also one of the best) at least I th...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Jen (In the Closet With a Bibliophile) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

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 pe...more 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.
(less)

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Nov 23, 2010 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Finished Twice Dead by Kalayna Price today and it was just as exciting as the first one!! I truly didn't know what to expect besides what the BOC described and was thrilled to see more returning characters, such as Bobby and Gil.

There were also a few new characters as well that played into the vampire murder mystery aspect which was done very well. I so didn't guess who the villain was, although I had some suspects and an inkingly of the real killer at one point, but still never made it my fina...more Finished Twice Dead by Kalayna Price today and it was just as exciting as the first one!! I truly didn't know what to expect besides what the BOC described and was thrilled to see more returning characters, such as Bobby and Gil.

There were also a few new characters as well that played into the vampire murder mystery aspect which was done very well. I so didn't guess who the villain was, although I had some suspects and an inkingly of the real killer at one point, but still never made it my final conclusion.

The pacing was done rather well, for it had only been a short time between the novels, for Bobby is still there instead of returning home. And right away Kita is thrown into the thick of things, at the end of chapter 1 the first body is found and the mystery and chaos begin!

I truly loved seeing more development between Kita and Nathanial. OMG, I totally love Nathanial! He is so gentle and patient with Kita and it's clear that he cares for her. And there are quite a few intense moments between them, yet there were also some new problems that kept thrusting them apart as well which became really annoying because I wanted to see them together. But it was a good kind of annoying, not to say I was ever angry with the book, in fact I think when you get emotional over the book it proves it's a great read! And Twice Dead so was!!

And of course after the mystery was solved a new problem arised just at the ending, so now the wait to Third Blood is going to be torture! I don't even know its exact release date yet either. I thought it was supposed to be later this year, which is almost over, or at the beginning of next year.

Kalayna's Haven series is truly different from some of the other urban fantasy books I've read--although each book is always different in its own way. I'm a big reader and love each one for its own details and whatnot!--but I really like the idea that Kita's home, Firth, is a completely different world than ours. It's a whole other dimension and yet there isn't really the eerie Sci-Fi/Twilight Zone feel to it, it's more natural and yet we still havn't been to Firth yet. There's still a lot of mystery to be had here in this series and that's just part of its appeal.

Gil is still learning more about magic and Kita along the way, sometimes unwillingly, but still even being the reader you learn more and more about what is the world we know and details from Kita's mind about Firth. Both are different places entirely and it's just exciting!

Overall I have to give Twice Dead 5/5 stars because it was really truly that GREAT! I so can't wait for Third Blood and finally get a glimpse, well more than a glimpse, of Firth!! Yay!

*I received this book from Deborah Smith at Belle Bridge Books for review. Thanks again Deb!(less)

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Aug 22, 2011 Jackie Uhrmacher rated it 5 of 5 stars

First of all, the cover for Twice Dead by Kalayna Price is hot, hot, hot! The model looks like a sultry Maggie Gyllenhaal wearing the leather outfit Tatius picked out for Kita during the foreign dignitary’s visit. It perfectly sets the scene for the novel—the darkness, the sensuality, the sense that there is more going on than meets the eye.

Second of all, I could not put this book down. Er, I mean, tear my eyes from the computer screen. Kita is stepping into her role as Nathaniel’s companion wit...more

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Apr 01, 2010 Peace Love and Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 amus...more

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Nov 11, 2010 Dorri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sexuality, urban-fantasy, vampire, shape-shifters

It's been a while since I've been so charmed by a bloody good mystery. Kita, a shapeshifter on the run in the mortal world, Nathaniel, a vampire with an aversion to politics, and Gil, a scholar mage in training, wind up in one of those accident prone moments that only get more complicated as they try to get themselves out of trouble.

Nathaniel has been ordered to bring Kita to meet the vampire king of the city, Tatius. What they don't know is that the Collector is in town, a very old and powerfu...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Teresa Vangilder rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, shapeshifter, vampire

I started and finished this book in just over one day. I really enjoyed it and love the fact that Kita is starting to come into her own. There were some twists in the book I did not expect which was nice and I look forward to the development of those relationships. There were a couple of negatives in the book. About 2/3rds of the way through it gets very frustrating because while Kita doesn't generally help herself in situations, she is in completely over her head through the actions of others w...more

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Aug 28, 2010 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-release, vampires, shifters

Kita's story continues in Twice Dead. She's learning how to deal the fact that she's now a vampire, and required to play vampire politics. As a shift-changer, she avoided all the politics of her home world of Firth, by running away. Then there are the usual suspects; Taitus, the master vampire of Haven, who wants to take away Kita from Nathaniel. The Collector wants Kita for her own collection of unusual beings, including a shape-shifting snake. Kita is stuck right in the middle of it all, when...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Lawn2000 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook

I received this eBook in the early reviewers list. It took me a while to start because reading on the computer is both uncomfortable and just not as entertaining. Books are so much better because you can go anywhere with them. So I got a Nook from B&N and transferred it over. I finished it rather quickly after that. The story was very entertaining and the characters are very well defined even though it was the second book in the series. There were some things I would like to have known about...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Trish Stuff rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was very good. Almost as good as the first, but not quite as urgent feeling. It definitely felt like the 2nd book of a trilogy, but better than most middle books I've read.
I love that little to no time had passed between the two stories, but poor Bobby really got pushed to the background in this one. Most of it is centered around the Vampire intrigues. One thing I loved was how the politics were put into animal terms reminding us of Kita's heritage. Which also explained some of her etiquette...more

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Dec 25, 2011 Marsha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, shapeshifters, vampires

This was a step up from the first story. It picks right up where the last story fell off. Kita makes a small bit of progress with her tendency to run from everything but it seems that is largely due to circumstance. It's hard to run from problems that follow you everywhere, and good lord does the poor girl have a host of problems. She is a remarkably unlucky kitty.

The end bothered me a bit; I can't help but feel that the deal made with Avin will come back to haunt her given her poor luck so far...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, urban-fantasy

A huge improvement over Once Bitten, Kalayna Price’s second Haven book, Twice Dead, had the imagination of the first installment, with none of the boring descriptions of endless walking around looking for clues, and a lot less annoying behavior from Kita. Kita’s introduction to the vampire world in Once Bitten was the most interesting thing about the book, and Price played to that strength in Twice Dead. The addition of Avin the necromancer was fun, and the progress of the relationship with Nath...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Hali Sowle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal, vampires, shifters, kalayna-price

The second in the Kita series sees Kita still not fully reconciled to being a vampire and hoping for the return of her shifter abilities. But danger is still stalking her when she finds a headless corpse in the middle of a vampire party, a party given to welcome the head of a distant city. The discovery plunges Kita and Nathaniel deeper into vampire politics and garners the attention of an ancient vampire who would like to add Kita to her "collection" Trying to understand her now shape-shifterle...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading Once Bitten, by Kalayna Price, I couldn't wait to pick up this next one in the Haven series. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I found this book to much better than the first.

The story twists and turns on every page. There is no lack of action, no slow-moving points in the entire 256 pages. I love the characters and how well-rounded they are. Even minor characters have depth. And the way the author intertwines all tho different aspects of the supernatural world is seamless.

My only...more

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Feb 27, 2010 Mandi Schreiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 po...more 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.(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Cheryl M-M rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the second in this series, so I must have missed the first somewhere along the way. I think the authors Grave Witch series is a lot more concise and flows better. This vamp series is chock a block full of ideas. The abundance of them has the reader chasing after each new angle and in doing so the main storyline becomes less distinctive. The mage subplot, the shifter subplot and the vampire plot are all worthy contenders for books on their own. The combination of the three needs to be mor...more

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Jul 11, 2010 Jackie (Literary Escapism) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, urban-fantasy, shapeshifters, read-2010

Overall, Twice Bitten wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t call it a great read, but it was a good book to have continually open. It took me a bit (about a month actually) to read, but whenever I picked it up, I was able to get right back into the action. Enough of the story would come back to me that I didn’t feel lost or feel the need to re-read a few pages to get a sense of where I was in the story. Thinking about this, I would say that the story does have a memorable feel to it, just not a captivating one...more

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About Kalayna Price

USA Today Bestselling author Kalayna Price writes the Alex Craft Novels, a new dark urban fantasy series from Roc, and the Novels of Haven from Bell Bridge Books. Her works have been translated into several languages and are available (or have been contracted for release) in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Poland, Russia, and Germany. Kalayna draws her ideas from the world around her,...more

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“Elizabeth's fingers slipped around my arm. She stepped forward, her fangs flashing. My breath caught, but not in fear.
Damn Tiffany and her vampire-bite addiction. I shoved the reaction away just in time for Elizabeth's fangs to break skin.
Warmth rushed up my arm, the blaze filling my body, my mind. On my other side, Tatius's hand on my arm was like a cool oasis. I groped for his fingers, locking mine around his, pressing the long side of my body along his, and the fire in my body calmed enough I could still see, still think.
Cool.” — 2 people liked it

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