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veraann's review against another edition
3.0
Merry Gentry Series Book #1
It is erotica with a storyline that moves quickly, so takes a back seat to all the sex and descriptions of what people are wearing? Seriously, like page after page of getting dressed and ready for something or page after page of sex scenes/characters considering having sex. Then a few paragraphs of a plot line. Which for something I consider erotica with a storyline this is a pretty good book. Strange enough or making me say ick enough to almost put it down, but keeping it moving and interesting enough for me to finish it. I like how at the end, the last chapter is a summary of the book. I considered giving this a 2 star, but I bumped it to 3 because by the end there's a possibility I might eventually check out more of this series.
It is erotica with a storyline that moves quickly, so takes a back seat to all the sex and descriptions of what people are wearing? Seriously, like page after page of getting dressed and ready for something or page after page of sex scenes/characters considering having sex. Then a few paragraphs of a plot line. Which for something I consider erotica with a storyline this is a pretty good book. Strange enough or making me say ick enough to almost put it down, but keeping it moving and interesting enough for me to finish it. I like how at the end, the last chapter is a summary of the book. I considered giving this a 2 star, but I bumped it to 3 because by the end there's a possibility I might eventually check out more of this series.
nightwillowfox's review against another edition
3.0
This is my 2nd time reading the book. But I read it like 10 yrs ago. When I read it the first time I really enjoyed it but this time i didn't really enjoy it. it might be because my reading taste have changed or I just wasn't in the mood.
It also took me longer to read this book just because of real life stuff stuff and I couldn't get into it.
It also took me longer to read this book just because of real life stuff stuff and I couldn't get into it.
kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
First in the Meredith Gentry erotic urban fantasy series revolving around a part-brownie, part-fey, part-human Faerie princess who fled Faerie lest she die. The story takes place in Los Angeles and in Cahokia, Illinois.
My Take
I want to say there was less depth to this story than in her Anita Blake series, although it's possible that the similarity of her Merry character is simply too much like Anita, and it feels as though Hamilton is cheating, that she can't be bothered to create another strong female character who is her own individual. And yet, Merry is strong. If only Hamilton had left off some of those tell-tale Blake signature moves...
I do enjoy Hamilton’s imagination and the twists into which it takes her. It’s a tale of faeries and goblins, magic and things that go bump in the night. It’s the Seelie and Unseelie with merely a mention of the former. It's the action that never stops as Hamilton takes what we “know” of the fey and twists it round and round: tension, drama, and an exciting combination of humanity and eros.
Politics, intrigue, murder, sex, and pain. Yes, be prepared for a descent into BDSM for Merry likes her pain, although A Kiss of Shadows merely dips its toe into the sting and throb of Merry’s preferences.
A Kiss of Shadows beautifully sets the series up with its background of the fae and Merry herself along with the cast of characters and how they intertwine. I love how simply Hamilton drops in the underlying plot for the series, how she sets us up, and then ties it into this story while exciting our imaginations for the next, A Caress of Twilight, 2.
It’s a gorgeous example of not using info dumps!
Each of the guards chosen by the queen’s ring is unique with his own strengths and weaknesses. Some I like, some intrigue, and others…hmmm, I’m not sure yet…
It’s a book that reads so easily that the pages fly by as piece by piece, the parts of Faerie that are dying call to Meredith, respond to her.
The Story
Having fled the Unseelie Court three years ago, Merry has lived with the worry of discovery all that time. If her aunt should ever find her, her death will be the least of Merry’s concerns.
But it seems that the power is dying in the Unseelie Court and perhaps, just perhaps, Merry has the power to bring life back.
The Characters
Meredith “Merry Gentry” NicEssus, half-Seelie and half-Unseelie sidhe, is one of the weakest members of the royal sidhe court and hiding in Los Angeles as a private detective. Roane Finn is an skinned Selkie and Merry’s boyfriend. Keelin Nic Brown, a goblin-brownie half-breed, was Merry’s childhood friend. Essus was the Prince of Flame and Flesh, and Merry’s father, the queen’s brother. Gran is half-human, half-brownie; Uar the Cruel of the Seelie Court was her husband because she bore him twins, one of whom was Merry's mother. Now Gran runs a bed-and-breakfast.
Jeremy Grey, a trow, is her boss at the Grey Detective Agency, which specializes in supernatural cases, and they have the personnel to back that up. Uther Squarefoot, a jack-in-irons, is a thirteen-foot giant while Ringo is a human who made a deal with the fey. Teresa is the resident psychic. Eileen Galan of James, Browning, and Galan is the lawyer representing Merry.
Detective Lucy Tate has worked with the Grey Detective Agency in the past. Detective John Wilkes has a lot to learn. Detective Alvera learns more than he wants. Maury Klein is a civilian sound expert, the best in L.A. And totally oblivious to Merry’s charms. Chris is his diplomatic assistant.
Frances Norton is the wife and Naomi Phelps is the mistress of a man who terrifies them both: Alistair Norton. Liam, Donald, and Brendan are his partners in crime.
The Queen of Air and Darkness is the queen of the Unseelie Court, and Aunt Andais, a sexual sadist. None of her guard are allowed to have sex with anyone but her. Eamon is the queen’s royal consort. Fflur is a healer fey and a weaver. Ezekial is the queen’s torturer.
Prince Cel is her son and makes Hannibal Lecter seem like a dozy grandfather. Siobhan is Cel’s right hand. Rozenwyn is another of his guards, Cel’s second-in-command, and one who challenged Merry to a duel and left her marked by her hand of power. Conri is one of Cel’s friends, and he tries to hurt Merry by challenging Galen. Pasco is Rozenwyn’s twin, and the spy the queen sends to Merry’s bed.
Sholto is King of the Sluagh, the leader of the Host, Lord of Shadows, and Lord of That Which Passes Between with the jealous hags---Nerys the Grey, Segna the Gold, and Black Agnes---as his confidantes or lovers.
The Ravens are the Queen’s Guards:
Doyle is the Queen’s Darkness, her right hand; his carrying Mortal Dread, another one of the queen’s private weapons, proves he comes from her. Galen was/is Merry’s childhood friend and love. The fey she would have loved to marry. Barinthus had been worshipped as a sea god, and he’s Old Court Sidhe, a power to be reckoned with. The fearsome Frost who carries Geamhradh Po’g Winter’s Kiss, a great sword, is feeling awkward. Rhys is a death god. Nicca is another spy with butterfly wings.
Queen Niceven is of the demi-fey with a hold over Meredith.
Kurag is king of the goblins with a taste for Meredith. Kitto is a snake goblin whom Kurag gives over to Merry to seal their alliance.
The King of Light and Illusion of the Seelie Court is her uncle.
Jenkins is a scumbag of a journalist who’s been tracking Meredith for years, capitalizing on her misfortunes.
Bureau of Human Fey Affairs. Griffin was her lover before he cruelly left her. The Black Coach of the wild hunt is sentient and thinks for itself.
My Cover
The cover is symbolic of Aunt Andais’ court: all blood and death with its red background and blackened roses as they curl up and around Merry’s naked legs.
The title is our introduction into Merry’s homeland, merely A Kiss of Shadows before we plunge deeper.
My Take
I want to say there was less depth to this story than in her Anita Blake series, although it's possible that the similarity of her Merry character is simply too much like Anita, and it feels as though Hamilton is cheating, that she can't be bothered to create another strong female character who is her own individual. And yet, Merry is strong. If only Hamilton had left off some of those tell-tale Blake signature moves...
I do enjoy Hamilton’s imagination and the twists into which it takes her. It’s a tale of faeries and goblins, magic and things that go bump in the night. It’s the Seelie and Unseelie with merely a mention of the former. It's the action that never stops as Hamilton takes what we “know” of the fey and twists it round and round: tension, drama, and an exciting combination of humanity and eros.
Politics, intrigue, murder, sex, and pain. Yes, be prepared for a descent into BDSM for Merry likes her pain, although A Kiss of Shadows merely dips its toe into the sting and throb of Merry’s preferences.
A Kiss of Shadows beautifully sets the series up with its background of the fae and Merry herself along with the cast of characters and how they intertwine. I love how simply Hamilton drops in the underlying plot for the series, how she sets us up, and then ties it into this story while exciting our imaginations for the next, A Caress of Twilight, 2.
It’s a gorgeous example of not using info dumps!
Each of the guards chosen by the queen’s ring is unique with his own strengths and weaknesses. Some I like, some intrigue, and others…hmmm, I’m not sure yet…
It’s a book that reads so easily that the pages fly by as piece by piece, the parts of Faerie that are dying call to Meredith, respond to her.
The Story
Having fled the Unseelie Court three years ago, Merry has lived with the worry of discovery all that time. If her aunt should ever find her, her death will be the least of Merry’s concerns.
But it seems that the power is dying in the Unseelie Court and perhaps, just perhaps, Merry has the power to bring life back.
The Characters
Meredith “Merry Gentry” NicEssus, half-Seelie and half-Unseelie sidhe, is one of the weakest members of the royal sidhe court and hiding in Los Angeles as a private detective. Roane Finn is an skinned Selkie and Merry’s boyfriend. Keelin Nic Brown, a goblin-brownie half-breed, was Merry’s childhood friend. Essus was the Prince of Flame and Flesh, and Merry’s father, the queen’s brother. Gran is half-human, half-brownie; Uar the Cruel of the Seelie Court was her husband because she bore him twins, one of whom was Merry's mother. Now Gran runs a bed-and-breakfast.
Jeremy Grey, a trow, is her boss at the Grey Detective Agency, which specializes in supernatural cases, and they have the personnel to back that up. Uther Squarefoot, a jack-in-irons, is a thirteen-foot giant while Ringo is a human who made a deal with the fey. Teresa is the resident psychic. Eileen Galan of James, Browning, and Galan is the lawyer representing Merry.
Detective Lucy Tate has worked with the Grey Detective Agency in the past. Detective John Wilkes has a lot to learn. Detective Alvera learns more than he wants. Maury Klein is a civilian sound expert, the best in L.A. And totally oblivious to Merry’s charms. Chris is his diplomatic assistant.
Frances Norton is the wife and Naomi Phelps is the mistress of a man who terrifies them both: Alistair Norton. Liam, Donald, and Brendan are his partners in crime.
The Queen of Air and Darkness is the queen of the Unseelie Court, and Aunt Andais, a sexual sadist. None of her guard are allowed to have sex with anyone but her. Eamon is the queen’s royal consort. Fflur is a healer fey and a weaver. Ezekial is the queen’s torturer.
Prince Cel is her son and makes Hannibal Lecter seem like a dozy grandfather. Siobhan is Cel’s right hand. Rozenwyn is another of his guards, Cel’s second-in-command, and one who challenged Merry to a duel and left her marked by her hand of power. Conri is one of Cel’s friends, and he tries to hurt Merry by challenging Galen. Pasco is Rozenwyn’s twin, and the spy the queen sends to Merry’s bed.
Sholto is King of the Sluagh, the leader of the Host, Lord of Shadows, and Lord of That Which Passes Between with the jealous hags---Nerys the Grey, Segna the Gold, and Black Agnes---as his confidantes or lovers.
The Ravens are the Queen’s Guards:
Doyle is the Queen’s Darkness, her right hand; his carrying Mortal Dread, another one of the queen’s private weapons, proves he comes from her. Galen was/is Merry’s childhood friend and love. The fey she would have loved to marry. Barinthus had been worshipped as a sea god, and he’s Old Court Sidhe, a power to be reckoned with. The fearsome Frost who carries Geamhradh Po’g Winter’s Kiss, a great sword, is feeling awkward. Rhys is a death god. Nicca is another spy with butterfly wings.
Queen Niceven is of the demi-fey with a hold over Meredith.
Kurag is king of the goblins with a taste for Meredith. Kitto is a snake goblin whom Kurag gives over to Merry to seal their alliance.
The King of Light and Illusion of the Seelie Court is her uncle.
Jenkins is a scumbag of a journalist who’s been tracking Meredith for years, capitalizing on her misfortunes.
Bureau of Human Fey Affairs. Griffin was her lover before he cruelly left her. The Black Coach of the wild hunt is sentient and thinks for itself.
My Cover
The cover is symbolic of Aunt Andais’ court: all blood and death with its red background and blackened roses as they curl up and around Merry’s naked legs.
The title is our introduction into Merry’s homeland, merely A Kiss of Shadows before we plunge deeper.
allivenger's review against another edition
4.0
When this showed up a chirp deal I decided to give the series another try. In my teens I was obsessed with her Anita Blake series but I never really liked this series for one reason or another. As I was listening I vaguely remembered what happened but there were alot of things I missed or just forgot. Overall it wasn't bad but it was literally smut with a solid plot.
Merry Gentry likes her quiet life as a private detective working for the Grey Detective Agency. But she's hiding a dark secret, one that, if discovered, will equal not only her death but the death of everyone she knows and loves. Because Merry is actually the lost fae princess Meredith NicEssus and her aunt has been hunting her for the last three years. But when a case goes awry, Merry's real identity is discovered and her aunt finds her. Only to present her with an offer she can't refuse. Pick from the men of her court and become pregnant with the next heir. But do it before her cousin Cel. Old grudges die hard and Merry faces assassination attempts from every corner. So not only does she have to become pregnant, but she has to survive as well.
At some point in the Anita Bake books I felt like they were an author insert with access to multiple men who were desperate to sleep with her. This book starts it right at the gate. Merry has a magic cooter and can heal with sex. And all of the men want her despite her being the smallest thing around (her height it mentioned at LEAST once in every chapter along with her ample breasts and hair color) and otherwise not a typical beauty. It had pick me energy throughout and that was a huge turn off for me. Despite that I guess I will continue the series and see where it goes. But again, it's smut with a plot.
Merry Gentry likes her quiet life as a private detective working for the Grey Detective Agency. But she's hiding a dark secret, one that, if discovered, will equal not only her death but the death of everyone she knows and loves. Because Merry is actually the lost fae princess Meredith NicEssus and her aunt has been hunting her for the last three years. But when a case goes awry, Merry's real identity is discovered and her aunt finds her. Only to present her with an offer she can't refuse. Pick from the men of her court and become pregnant with the next heir. But do it before her cousin Cel. Old grudges die hard and Merry faces assassination attempts from every corner. So not only does she have to become pregnant, but she has to survive as well.
At some point in the Anita Bake books I felt like they were an author insert with access to multiple men who were desperate to sleep with her. This book starts it right at the gate. Merry has a magic cooter and can heal with sex. And all of the men want her despite her being the smallest thing around (her height it mentioned at LEAST once in every chapter along with her ample breasts and hair color) and otherwise not a typical beauty. It had pick me energy throughout and that was a huge turn off for me. Despite that I guess I will continue the series and see where it goes. But again, it's smut with a plot.
kerithesmutslut's review against another edition
3.0
I have mixed emotions on this book. For approximately the entire first half of the book I kept wanting to just quit reading it.. only my ocd tendencies kept me from failing this book. I did start enjoying the second half much more. I really enjoyed where the book was going and the world that Laurel K Hamilton made... however her writing style was not for me. the amount of times the characters referred to each other by name almost drove me to slit my wrist (OK not literally)... so my review is 3 stars because I did enjoy the world building, but I wasn't crazy about her style of writing. I already own the whole series... so I will be giving the second book a shot.
mlkbn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
shannareadsitall's review
I like spice. I even like books that have more spice than plot. It just got boring and predictable that every single development, major and minor, was going to revolve around some kind of sex and I gave up.