Gwen’s review of Divine Misdemeanors (Meredith Gentry, Book 8 ) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Urban fantasy hardcover released by Ballantine 8 Dec 09

Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry novels typically revolve around the politics of the Unseelie Court.  A couple of the early books were more about Merry’s Men and her day job working for a private detective agency.  There are many LKH fans who, after the last few Merry books that were all about sidhe politics, were begging for a return to the private investigation roots.  With DM those beggars get their wish. 

I’m not sure what side of that fence I sit on – politics or private life.  I enjoy reading about Merry’s problems juggling all those men.  I also enjoy reading about the utterly foreign and Machiavellian sidhe courts.  With both, there is a significant sex element.  Merry has TONS of mystically enhanced sex with all sorts of creatures big and small.  It all normally combines to be a rather wild tale that is fun to read.

DM is certainly a return to Hamilton’s roots.  Merry and her men meander their way around a serial murder mystery involving the fey.  The PI agency that Merry works for is brought in for expert advice.  Things happen, sex is had, and the mystery solved.  End of book.

What I think LKH is trying to do with this entry in the series is show how Merry is growing into her role as leader of the sidhe.  In spite of her rejection of the crown(s) in the previous book and frequent verbal rejections of the title in this book, it becomes apparent that Merry still subconsciously feels she will have to be queen.  Her actions, decisions, and general behaviour in DM all point to Merry eventually accepting the crown(s).

If feels like DM is one of those “bridge” books that transitions the Merry Gentry story into the next big phase.  If I had a crystal ball, I’d say that the next book will have Merry giving birth to her twins – no doubt in some crazily mystical method – and something significant will happen on the throne(s) front.

I enjoyed this book, but felt the sex scenes were a little forced and not as hot as previous books.  And let’s be honest, we read Merry Gentry partially for the rampant sex.  Also, the “mystery” is a bit obvious.  It’s resolution is a little confused and facile.

Even with the flaws, this is a very readable book and an interesting entry in the Merry Gentry world.  I do not recommend the book if you haven’t read any of the other entries – it’s not a standalone book.  However, if you’re a fan of Merry, you should read it to see how she continues her evolution into the queen of the sidhe.

Grade: B-

Read more reviews and information on this series here.

Summary:

You may know me best as Meredith Nic Essus, princess of faerie. Or perhaps as Merry Gentry, Los Angeles private eye. In the fey and mortal realms alike, my life is the stuff of royal intrigue and celebrity drama. Among my own, I have confronted horrendous enemies, endured my noble kin’s treachery and malevolence, and honored my duty to conceive a royal heir—all for the right to claim the throne. But I turned my back on court and crown, choosing exile in the human world—and in the arms of my beloved Frost and Darkness.

While I may have rejected the monarchy, I cannot abandon my people. Someone is killing the fey, which has left the LAPD baffled and my guardsmen and me deeply disturbed. My kind are not easily captured or killed. At least not by mortals. I must get to the bottom of these horrendous murders, even if that means going up against Gilda, the Fairy Godmother, my rival for fey loyalties in Los Angeles.

But even stranger things are happening. Mortals I once healed with magic are suddenly performing miracles, a shocking phenomenon wreaking havoc on human/faerie relations. Though I am innocent, dark suspicions of banned magical activities swirl around me.

I thought I’d left the blood and politics behind in my own turbulent realm. I had dreamed of an idyllic life in sunny L.A. with my beloved ones beside me. But it becomes time to wake up and realize that evil knows no borders, and that nobody lives forever—even if they’re magical.

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Liviania’s review of Swallowing Darkness (Meredith Gentry, Book 7) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Paranormal romance released by Ballantine 4 Nov 08

I can’t quit Laurell K. Hamilton.  She writes a total piece of crap like Mistral’s Kiss and I think it’s safe to quit the Merry Gentry series.  Then she follows it up with A Lick of Frost, a one-two punch of featuring my favorite character from the series and more plot.  Fortunately, Swallowing Darkness makes me happy I haven’t been able to quit her yet.  (The lame double entendre title does cause a wince every time I think about it.) 

To be honest, I can deal with more sex in the Merry novels since the plot requires sex.  It does make sense to slow down on that some now that she is pregnant, but some fans may dislike the fact Swallowing Darkness has something like one full and two aborted sex scenes.  I don’t mind it, but feel there should be fair warning.  Why don’t I mind it?  Because the sex is replaced by movement of the plot.  And I love it when the plot moves, since LKH often seems to forget she’s telling a story.

Merry’s pregnant and should thus be declared the winner of the race to the Unseelie throne, but things are never that simple.  She has to protect her children and their fathers, which may require some extreme measures.  The violence isn’t up there with the early Anita Blake books, but there are several great battle scenes.  In between battles comes the political maneuvering.  After all, one of the fathers is already a king, and the Seelie King Taranis is claiming he’s actually the father.

There are no new characters, so if you don’t like the personalities of Merry and her men, don’t hold out hope for the hope of someone new.  (Although I can’t imagine someone making it so far in the series if not for the characters.)  I do think LKH does a good job of giving the men different personalities despite the large number present.  This one has a lot more Sholto than any since A Kiss of Shadows, which I thought was a good thing.  I rather thought that one was building him up to be more of a main character before he got shunted over by some of the others.  (Is Galen going to get his day in the limelight soon?)

Everything builds to a satisfying climax.  LKH ties off threads, completes the story she started in the novel, and finishes several of the stories she started in others.  While there are many plots left to explore in the future novels, the end of Swallowing Darkness feels like an end, rather than a convenient point to stop writing. Overall, it feels more like LKH at the top of her game rather than the dreck she’s been putting out lately.

I fell in love with LKH’s writing.  Then I fell out, but couldn’t tear free because I was attached to the characters.  Swallowing Darkness made me happy I hadn’t torn free, even moreso than A Lick of Frost, and I hope she keeps giving Merry the meaty plot she deserves.  Otherwise I may have to hate myself again for not having the willpower to stay away.  (At least my relationship with the Merry books is far less dramatic than that with the Anitas.)

Grade: A-

Read more reviews by following the series tag.

Summary:
.
I am Meredith, princess of faerie, wielder of the hands of Flesh and Blood, and at long last, I am with child-twins, fathered by my royal guard. Though my uncle, Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, claims that he is the true father since he abducted me from my home, betrayed, and defiled me. And now he has branded my guards as a threat to my unborn children.
.
Bearing an heir has placed me halfway to my aunt’s throne, that much closer to my reign over the Unseelie Court-and well ahead of her son, my cousin Cel, in this race. Now I must stay alive to see my children born and claim my place as queen.
.
But not all in faerie are pleased with the news, and conspirators from every court in the realm plot against me and mine. They seek to strip my guards, my lovers, from me by poisoned word or cold steel. But I still have supporters, and even friends, among the goblins and the sluagh, who will stand by me.
.
I am Meredith Nic Essus, and those who would defy and destroy me are destined to pay a terrible price-for I am truly my father’s daughter. To protect what is mine, I will sacrifice anything-even if it means waging a great battle against my darkest enemies and making the most momentous decision ever made as princess of faerie.
.
Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Gwen’s review of Swallowing Darkness (Meredith Gentry, Book 7) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Fantasy fiction released by Ballantine Books 4 Nov 08

The Meredith Gentry novels resonate with me on several levels: they’re fantasy novels, they have lots of action and suspense , they’ve got some good sex (sometimes a LOT of good sex), and they’re almost always interesting stories.  That’s not t say that some aren’t stronger entries than others, but they’re all interesting on some level.  This was one of the more interesting ones, if not necessarily the best.  Read on to find out why I think so… 

To begin with, I’m writing this review to those of you already following this series and who are already familiar with the characters.  If you are not and don’t know them, this AIN’T the book (or review) for you. The Meredith “Merry” Gentry world is a twisted, convoluted one full of frenemies, factions, and subplots that would be nearly impossible to unravel if you jump in to the middle of the series.  I don’t recommend doing that and I don’t recommend this book as your first foray.  Start at the beginning and be glad you heeded my advice.

This entry in the series opens with Merry acknowledging she’s pregnant with twins and the babies have three daddies EACH.  Based on what Queen Andais has promised Merry and her guards, anyone who got Merry preggers gets to be King.  Hence the reason for all the boinking in previous books.  This means that Merry’s Queen will have six Kings.  You can imagine the consternation this causes in almost all of the Courts of Faerie, including the Light, Dark, etc.  Some Courts are more accepting than others (Sluaugh) and some are downright pathologically incapable of acknowledging that they had no say-so in the whole process.

This leads to a LOT of assassination and kidnapping attempts, causing the “deaths” of various members of Merry’s entourage and other supernatural occurrences. And very little boinking.  I KNOW!  GASP! An LKH novel with only one or two sexed up situations!

As a fan of the series, I enjoyed this entry as being one of the more “story-like” entries.  I think Merry comes into her own in this entry and starts acting more royal and less “scared little girl” than in the other books.  I think her character can see the finish line to her travails on the horizon.  By the end of the book, Merry thinks she’s living her HEA, but we know better.  There’s still at least two more Merry books on the horizon and she hasn’t had her babies yet.  I have a feeling that these babies will be forces to contend with on their own and that we’re in for a very interesting ending to this series.

I can recommend this book to any fan of the series and fan of LKH.  If you’re new to the series, and like fantasy with some edge, don’t start here but do start.  You’ll like it (some more than others).

Grade: A

For more reviews and information, follow the Meredith Gentry series tag.

Summary:

I am Meredith, princess of faerie, wielder of the hands of Flesh and Blood, and at long last, I am with child – twins, fathered by my royal guard. Though my uncle, Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, claims that he is the true father since he abducted me from my home, betrayed, and defiled me. And now he has branded my guards as a threat to my unborn children.

Bearing an heir has placed me halfway to my aunt’s throne, that much closer to my reign over the Unseelie Court – and well ahead of her son, my cousin Cel, in this race. Now I must stay alive to see my children born and claim my place as queen.

But not all in faerie are pleased with the news, and conspirators from every court in the realm plot against me and mine. They seek to strip my guards, my lovers, from me by poisoned word or cold steel. But I still have supporters, and even friends, among the goblins and the sluagh, who will stand by me.

I am Meredith Nic Essus, and those who would defy and destroy me are destined to pay a terrible price – for I am truly my father’s daughter. To protect what is mine, I will sacrifice anything-even if it means waging a great battle against my darkest enemies and making the most momentous decision ever made as princess of faerie.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series (links are to mass market paperbacks, where available):

I figured that if I wait until I have time to do full reviews of these six books, airborne porcine would be commonplace. So I decided to just do it – write a bunch of quick hits. These are all over the place as far as genre and release dates, so bear with me. Below are short reviews for:

~ A Lick of Frost (Meredith Gentry, Book 6) by Laurell K. Hamilton – fantasy fiction

~ The Kiss by Sophia Nash – regency historical romance

~ The Last Warrior by Karen Kay – American west historical romance

~ Creation in Death by J.D. Robb – Furturistic thriller

~ How to Propose to a Prince (The Royle Sisters, Book 3) by Kathryn Caskie – regency historical romance

~ Midnight Rising (The Midnight Breed, Book 4) by Lara Adrian – contemporary paranormal romance

A Lick of Frost (Meredith Gentry, Book 6) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Fantasy fiction released by Ballantine (hardcover) 23 Oct 07

This is a very good entry in the Merry Gentry world. We finally learn what Frost is and where he comes from. Plus the overall plot in this slow moving series actually moves forward in steps in this book and not in the millimeters it had before. Love the cover, too.

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 excerpts (scroll down).

The Kiss by Sophia Nash
Historical romance released by Avon 26 Feb 08

This was a very nice historical. Some of the details surprised me – I haven’t seen too many authors deal with characters in quite so real a way before and it was refreshing. I did think The Big Misunderstanding was carried on about 50 pages too long, however. I just wanted to see the hero and heroine get together and see how they overcame their collective histories. Enough preamble already. Would have gotten an A from me if that had happened.

Grade: B-

Summary:

He had once been her cherished childhood companion, and then the man she lusted for in secret, but Georgiana Wilde hasn’t seen recently widowed Quinn Fortesque since the day he married another woman and shattered her heart. Then fate intervenes and brings the man she dreams about each night back to her . . . .

Returning to the estate on family business, Quinn would like nothing more than to turn the land over to Georgiana and leave the memories of his former life behind. But then the brooding marquis finds himself under the spell of the beauty he once left behind. With her barely concealed passions, Georgiana melts his coolly guarded heart. Suddenly his well-ordered world is in danger of crashing down. And it all began with just one kiss . . . .

Read an excerpt (scroll down).

The Last Warrior by Karen Kay
Historical sorta paranormal romance released by Berkley 4 Mar 08

Even I, Nathan Kamp’s #1 Fan, have to admit that this is a craptastic cover. Totally not the author’s fault, but I do with the publishers could have found a model who looked remotely like a Native American.

This was an okay book. The premise was a little unbelievable, and the author didn’t do much to suspend my disbelief. It was a decent poolside read, though. Nice romance and interesting time period (1892).

Grade: C+

Summary:

Many centuries ago, a village killed the children of the Thunder God. For their crime, the Creature bannished them to live a half existence in the land of mists, neither dead nor alive.”

But once in a generation, a brave is given the opportunity to save his clan. In 1892, that warrior is Black Lion

There was only one way for Black Lion to melt the Thunder God’s anger; listen for a sacred white-man’s song — and sing it perfectly with the one who introduced him to it. He joins Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and travels to London, where he encounters the daughter of two opera singers — the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. However, Suzette Joselyn is already engaged to another man…

But the two are destined to meet again when Suzette shows up in America, pregnant and abandoned by her fiance. Reunited with Black Lion she finds it impossible to turn down his offer of marriage to save her child from life as a bastard. But she doesn’t realize that her brave new husband is consumed with a mission that may force him to choose between his people and the woman he loves…

Read an excerpt.

Creation in Death by J.D. Robb
Futuristic thriller released by Putnam (hardcover) 6 Nov 07

I’m an Eve & Roarke fan from way back (Roarke = dark chocolate in my fantasies). I feel CiD is the least “romantic” of all the In Death books. It is definitley more a “thriller” than a “romantic suspense”. I also get less of the “futuristic” sense in this book than is evident in the other In Death entries. Nevertheless, the tension is very high throughout and I really had the feeling of “time running out” the whole time I was flipping pages faster and faster. Terrific read.

I was a little disappointed by something that Eve asked Roarke to do at the end, though – it seemed dishonorable to me and a little out of character. But it’s something I think will likely create an interesting problem for our hero and heroine in future books.

Grade: A

Summary:

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas keeps the streets of a near-future New York City safe in this extraordinary series. But even she makes mistakes, and is haunted by those she couldn’t save-and the killers she couldn’t capture. When the body of a young brunette is found in East River Park, artfully positioned and marked by signs of prolonged and painful torture, Eve is catapulted back to a case nine years earlier. The city was on edge from a killing spree that took the lives of four women in fifteen days, courtesy of a man the media tagged “The Groom”-because he put silver rings on the fingers of his victims.

When it turns out that the young brunette was employed by Eve’s billionaire husband, Roarke, she brings him in on the case-a move that proves fitting when it becomes chillingly clear that the killer has made his attack personal. The victim was washed in products from a store Roarke owns, and laid out on a sheet his company manufactures.

With the Groom’s monstrous return, Eve is determined to finish him once and for all. Familiar with his methods, Eve knows that he has already grabbed his next victim. Time is running out on another woman’s life.

And chances are he’s working up to the biggest challenge of his illustrious career-abducting a woman who will test his skills and who promises to give him days and days of pleasure before she dies: Eve.

Read an excerpt.

How to Propose to a Prince (The Royle Sisters, Book 3) by Kathryn Caskie
Historical romance released by Avon 26 Feb 08

I mostly didn’t like was irritated by this one, but it was readable. The heroine kept insisting that the hero was her soul mate (not in so many words, thankfully) and that they would be married, all because of a dream she keeps having. Perhaps I would have believed it more if the author hadn’t kept hammering it in, over and over again. The heroine comes off as a little desperate and the hero a little callous.

I REALLY hated some of the details at the end. They made me want to say “then why the f__k have you dragged your characters through all that crap!?” – but the author wiggles out of it at the very last. Barely.

Notwithstanding the teeth-grindingly irritating details, it’s another poolside read if you’re a fan of light historicals. Not awful, but not great.

Grade: C

Summary:

If the tiara fits, wear it! And that is exactly what Elizabeth Royle intends to do. After all, if you can’t be acknowledged as the daughter of a prince, the least you can do is marry one.

When Elizabeth Royle, youngest of the notorious Royle sisters, comes face-to-face with her future husband, a man she’s seen only in her dreams, she nearly swoons–especially when she discovers he is a prince. But her ecstasy is short-lived as she quickly learns that the man she longs for is soon to be betrothed to someone else–a princess no less. A lesser woman would give up, but Elizabeth is a Royle, after all.

Refusing to surrender her dreams of a royal wedding, Elizabeth takes the position of lady-in-waiting to the princess, determined to get close to her perfect match. But the lover she desires is not who he seems…and only once she discovers the true man behind the crown will she find the perfect love she’s been longing for all her life.

Read an excerpt.

Midnight Rising (The Midnight Breed, Book 4) by Lara Adrian
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Dell 25 Mar 08

This was a good entry in this series. However, I don’t recommend it if this is your first foray into it. I liked how Adrian made the hero a little more “human” – well, as human as an alien vampire can be, I suppose. Good read with some interesting twists.

Grade: B

Summary:

In a world of shadows and dark, consuming hungers, desire is the deadliest weapon…

For journalist Dylan Alexander, it began with the discovery of a hidden tomb, thrusting her into the center of a gathering storm of violence and secrets. But nothing is as dangerous as the scarred, lethally seductive man who rises from the shadows to draw her into his world of dark desire and endless night.

Fueled by pain and rage over a shattering betrayal, the warrior Rio has pledged his life to the war against the Rogues. He will let nothing stand in his way—least of all a mortal woman with the power to expose the entire vampire race. For an ancient evil has been awakened, and a stunning darkness is on the rise. Suddenly Dylan is powerless to resist Rio’s touch, even as she uncovers a shocking link to her own past. And now she must choose: Leave Rio’s midnight realm, or risk it all for the man who has shown her true passion and the infinite pleasures of the heart. . . .

Read an excerpt.

And that’s it for now folks! I have a couple of others, but I’m saving those for a “themed” post (can you say, “Kresley Cole is a Goddess”? I knew you could).

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.