Bev(QB)’s review of A Lick of Frost (Meredith Gentry, Book 6) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Fantasy fiction released by Ballantine Books on 23 Oct 07

It all started with Hamilton wondering “What if?” What if the myths of Faery were real. How would the Fae be perceived in our modern culture of paparazzi and celebrity worship?

The series centers around Meredith Gentry, an L.A. private investigator who is also a part-mortal faery princess, fifth in line to the Seelie throne, and one of only two contenders for the Unseelie throne. To be crowned Unseelie Queen, she must first give birth to an heir of the royal bloodline. If she fails, her sadistic Aunt Andais, the current queen, will seal the fate of the Unseelie by placing her demented son, Cel, on the throne instead. Surrounded by her guards (and potential kings, if they father her child), Merry must evade assassination attempts and maneuver through the complex intrigues of multiple Fae courts in what may turn out to be a race to save all of Faery.

Unlike Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, the Merry Gentry series really must be read in order (see below). In fact, the world building and cast of characters is so complex it is not unusual for fans to discover that multiple readings yield previously unnoticed pertinent facts. I’ve read them several times and supplemented those readings with the audio books. It’s fascinating to note that, as many times as I read the print books, listening to the audio books brings out nuances I didn’t catch with my readings. The Anita Blake series may be more commercially successful, but the Merry Gentry series, in my opinion, truly exemplifies Laurell Hamilton’s unmatched skill in world building.

A Lick of Frost opens in Los Angeles a month after Mistral’s Kiss and the chaotic events that sent Merry and her guards fleeing for their own safety from the Unseelie sithen in St. Louis. Merry is giving her statement regarding the rape charges that have been leveled against three of her Royal Guards, Galen, Abeloec, and Rhys, by the Seelie noble, Lady Caitrin. Since it was Merry’s uncle, the Seelie King Taranis, who brought the charges to the human, rather than the Faery, justice system, and since all three of the accused can be proven innocent, the motives behind Taranis’s actions are of the greatest concern to Merry and her guards.

It quickly becomes frightfully obvious that Taranis considers himself above the laws of Faery and is endangering all of Faery by blatantly ignoring the conditions of the agreement that allow the Fae to remain on American soil. But Taranis’s manipulations prove to be almost minor compared to the other jaw-dropping events that take place in this riveting book.

There were complaints about the last book, Mistral’s Kiss, and, while I didn’t consider it a disappointment, I agree it was the weakest book in the Merry Gentry series. But Hamilton is back on track with A Lick of Frost (FYI: ALoF’s first sex scene doesn’t appear until Chapter 16). I’ve only read this book once (so far) but I think it may well end up being my favorite of the series! Events proceed at a breathtaking, spectacular pace. Plus, Rhys FINALLY appears “on stage” for some one-on-one time with Merry and we learn some of Frost’s fascinating history.

Hamilton blogged while writing A Lick of Frost that she needed to whittle down the amount of men surrounding Merry. And she does it in a world altering way! Several of the events in this book would have been expected at the end of the series, however Hamilton is anything but predictable and chose to instead transform Merry’s world in ways that leave me at a booklust filled, complete loss to even GUESS where she will go with the rest of this 8 to 15 book saga!

Grade: A+

     Summary:

I am Meredith Gentry, princess and heir apparent to the throne in the realm of faerie, onetime private investigator in the mortal world.

To be crowned queen, I must first continue the royal bloodline and give birth to an heir of my own. If I fail, my aunt, Queen Andais, will be free to do what she most desires: install her twisted son, Cel, as monarch . . . and kill me.

My royal guards surround me, and my best loved-my Darkness and my Killing Frost-are always beside me, sworn to protect and make love to me. But still the threat grows greater. For despite all my carnal efforts, I remain childless, while the machinations of my sinister, sadistic Queen and her confederates remain tireless. So my bodyguards and I have slipped back into Los Angeles, hoping to outrun the gathering shadows of court intrigue. But even exile isn’t enough to escape the grasp of those with dark designs.

Now King Taranis, powerful and vainglorious ruler of faerie’s Seelie Court, has leveled accusations against my noble guards of a heinous crime-and has gone so far as to ask the mortal authorities to prosecute. If he succeeds, my men face extradition to faerie and the hideous penalties that await them there. But I know that Taranis’s charges are baseless, and I sense that his true target is me. He tried to kill me when I was a child. Now I fear his intentions are far more terrifying.

     Read Chapter One and Chapter Two.  And watch/listen to LKH read it.

Other books in this series:

Coming soon:

Book 7, Swallowing Darkness, November 2008

Drop by my personal blog, Cubie’s Confections. It’s the often bawdy, and not always work safe, musings of a pervy old broad with opinions about books, chocolate, and eye candy (you know– the important stuff), and who is convinced that hot flashes burn away brain cells.