Book Reviews of A Kiss of Shadows (Meredith Gentry, Bk 1)

Part of the Merry Gentry Series
1. Kiss of Shadows
2. Caress of Twilight
3. Seduced by Moonlight
4. Stroke of Midnight
5. Mistral's Kiss
6. A Lick of Frost (summer 2007)

This was the first book I've read by Laurell K. Hamilton. After hearing so many good things about her books, I was terribly disapointed and will never read another one. It's all stupid blather. Her writing takes all the magic and excitement out of the paranormal and turns it into a flat boring world. I know I'm in the minority but I had to force myself to finish this book. There are too many good authors out there for me to read anymore of this series or any others.

I love LKH and this book doesn't disappoint. I wasn't sure if I would like this series as much as Anita Blake, but I was wrong. Merry Gentry is just as interesting and entertaining and I can't wait to get to the rest of the books in this series.

I absolutely LOVE Laurell K Hamilton's books. This is a great read for someone just discovering her books. She has a certain style and flair in all the books she writes.

First book of a series. Different take on paranormal with Fairies, trolls and fey magic.
Meredith being second in line to take over the throne left the court to live on her own. Which meant she had to hide so her Aunt Queen Andais couldn't find her and have her brought back to court. For three years she was able to hide nad make a living as a Private Investigator who specialized in supernatural crimes... Til Doyle, the Queen's Chief bodyguard showed up to bring her back to her aunt...
She returns to find that her Aunt Queen Andais wants to get new blood in to the court so it's up to Meredith and the Queens son Cel to produce a child the first to do so will be the one to take the throne.....
The book is a little slow in the first chapter but picks up and moves along with the rest of the book.... As far as erotic sex scenes nothing till the later part of the book and honestly it's mild compared to some other erotic paranormal books I've read. I honestly if asked to rate the book I would give it an R rating I've seen worse in R rated movies....

This is the first in the Meredith Gentry series. Be aware that this book is very erotic.

wait wait wait...she wants her to sleep with her cousin?....blah.grose.ick....was going to read but now I'm not.Cousin lovin' icky.*Shudders*

It took me a bit longer to get into this one than it did when I first read an Anita Blake, but after sticking with it, I found it to be quite enjoyable and an excellent book. It think introducing the characters and the world itself took a bit. It continues to amaze me how Hamilton takes the time to describe things with such vivid detail. I love the imagination that she uses in creating a world completely different, yet still as addictive, as her Anita Blake series. I also like that Meredith is an entity all her own and not another complete clone of Anita.

This was a really fun, sexy read with fantasy elements. I look forward to reading the sequel.

If you like the later books in the Anita Blake series chances are you'll probably enjoy A Kiss of Shadows which is written by the same author but deals with faeries, goblins and other creatures instead of vampires and shapeshifters.

This book was complete bilge! I have never before picked up and read a greater mass of useless of erotica in my life! I had to stop on page...40? I think it was. I love Laurell K. Hamilton, I am a DIE-HARD fan, but I guess that is why this book was disappointing, we all know she can do MUCH better!!

Amazing. First book I read of this author and she got me hooked. This book is a keeper.

I came to this series after losing interest in Hamilton's "Anita Blake" series. In the "Meridith Gentry" series Hamilton keeps a good balance between plot (which is sometimes lacking in the latter books of the Blake series) and steamy supernatural sex. A must read!

Wow, what a starting point for a new series! Great story, great characters and sexy as hell! I love the Anita Blake series and this one lived up to my expectations for LKH.

This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in the faerie sort of life. I first began with Laurell K Hamitlon's other books featuring Anita Blake(another reccommended read). She has a fantastic way of bringing the story to life, wraping it around you, drawing you into the lives of these charachters. A faerie spell perhaps?
As soon as I finished this first book, I ran out to the store as soon as I could(unfortunately no 24 hour bookstores around) and purchased the next two in the series. I'm completely hooked.
This first book brings you into the life of Merideth Gentry, a princess of the High Court of Faerie, the Unseelie court- who can find pleasure in the darker side of nature. She is in hiding in Los Angeles, after too many attempts on her life at Court.
Just a brilliant story introducing her to us, and to the world of the Fae. Political overtones, Merideth's coming of age(so to speak) and power.
I fell in love from the beginning.

A book of pure lust.......... Good characters- would like to see what she can do with this series

Laurell K. Hamilton is one of my favorite authors - she's got an incredible imagination. She's the first author that has made me enjoy reading this type of book ... faeries and such were never my cup of tea before.

Meet Meredith Gentry, princess of the high court of Faerie. She poses as a human and has to deal with the queen's assisin. She has a job awaiting her that involves gorgeous men.......not bad to be her. A great book. Love Ms. Hamilton.

I was a big Anita Blake fan......now I am hooked on Princess Meredith.

Vivid. Good easy read. Not traditional romance. Definitely intrigued enough to get the next in line.

My favorite paranormal romance novel writer. But, I like her Anita Blake series best.

I liked this book. It is the introduction to Meredith.

LOVED IT!!!

Good Read. A bit Short for my taste

I liked it a lot more than I thought I would...it actually has a plot! =)

The first of the Meredith Gentry novels. Meredith is summoned back to court to take her rightful place. The reward, to live and the crown, the penalty for failure is death.

meredith Gentry, fey princess, is working as a private investigator in L.A. Suddenly she receives a summons to appear at court and fight for her crown.

I loved it. Action and suspence. Both me and my current roommate Anna loved this book and cant wait to read the next.

It was ok. A good start to the series, but I lost interest as I read the second and third (which I didn't finish).

More Erotica than Anita Blake. An interesting story to say the least.

A great read; one of the better ones in the "Meredith Gentry" series

Excellent Laurell Hamilton

An erotic book but I LOVED the whole storyline! I cant wait to read more in this series.

Excellent was one of my keepers. Meredith Gentry princess of the high court of Fairie. 1st one in series.

The first book I've read by this author and I was impressed by her imagination! I was drawn into the book and the characters.

I loved this book! The start of it is a bit slow but after a few pages it really gets rolling. I couldn't put it down.

Great Story

love the new series - cant wait for next one

I enjoyed this first book of Meredith Gentry so much I cant wait until I can read the 2nd one!

A book worth rereading

Laurell K. Hamilton revitalized vampires, werewolves, and zombies in the popular Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter books. In this new series, she updates faeries. A Kiss of Shadows introduces Merry Gentry, a.k.a. Meredith NicEssus, a faerie princess of the Unseelie Court, where politics is a blood sport. Merry, who's part sidhe (elvish), part brownie, and part human, never really fit in. She's short, not skilled in offensive magic, and mortal because of her human blood. These are real liabilities when your family, especially aunt Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, is out to kill you. Merry has been in hiding for three years, living in Los Angeles and working for the Grey Detective Agency, which specializes in "supernatural problems, magical solutions." A new case sets her against a man who uses forbidden magic to seduce fey women and drain their power. A plan to trap him goes awry and Merry's cover is blown. Now Andais knows where she is. But things have changed in Andais's court, and Merry is changing too.

Meredith Gentry, princess of the high court of Faerie, is posing as a human in Los Angeles, working as a P.I. specializing in supernatural crime. But now the queen's assassin has been dispatched to fetch her back-whether she likes it or not. Suddenly Meredith finds herself a pawn in her dreaded aunt's plans. The job awaits her; enjoy the constant company of the most beautiful immortal men in the world. The reward: the crown-and the opportunity to continue to live. The penalty for failure: death.

I enjoyed this, though I found the pace a little slower than what I am used to from LKH. The first of Merry Gentry series, that might explain the slower pace, as she was setting up her future works. Listed on Bookcrossng. I'd appreciate it being journaled there. :)

Meredith Gentry, princess of the high court of Fairie, is posing as a human in Los Angeles, working as a P.I. specializing in supernatural crime. But now the queen's assassin has been dispatched to fetch her back--whether she likes it or not. Suddenly Meredith finds herself a pawn in her dreaded aunt's plans. The job that awaits her? Enjoy the constant company of the most beautiful immortal men in the world. The reward? The crown--and the opportunity to continue to live. The penalty if she fails? Death!
Grade AAA sword and sorcery, with a definite sensual bent.

excellant book tring to find more by her.

Vampire novel with romance novel overtones.

loved it can't wait for the next one.

Great book! Paranormal action and adventure at its best.

First in the Merry Gentry series.

A very grown up existance of fair tales as we know them. Meridth Brooks seems to be a normal every day dective @ an agency that specializes in the demon fey existance(you may have an oger for a next door neighbor) Buy she's really a fairy princess hiding from her evil sadistic auntie, The Queen of the Darkness...

Great book. Laurell K Hamilton has created a very interesting world of fairies.

Three years ago, Princess Meredith fled the court of her cruel Aunt Andais, the Queen of Air and Darkness, leaving that garden of decadent delights and backstabbing intrigues for the comparative calm of Los Angeles. Using her magic to pass for human, Meredith began a new life as a private investigator specializing in supernatural crime. But now Doyle, the Queen's chief bodyguard and assassin, has been dispatched to fetch her back--whether she likes it or not. The product of a marriage designed to cement peace between the rival Seelie and Unseelie courts, Meredith has always been scorned by both factions in spite of her royal blood. But that blood is behind the Unseelie Queen's surprisingly urgent summons. For ever since the fey's exile from Europe to America, their power and purity have been fading. Desperate to renew her race, Queen Andais now pins her hopes on a contest between Meredith and her own son, the sadistic Prince Cel. The first to produce a child will win the throne. The loser's reward will be death . . .

*taken from the author's website

I love the Merry Gentry series!

This one wasn't even as good as the first few books from the Anita Blake series. The first book was a bit mis-leading. You think that it's a mystery (similar to Anita Blake) but it turns into porn pretty fast. Some people like reading about sex, but I'm not one of them. To each their own.

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