I wasn't planning on starting this series as I love the Anita Blake one, and I heard bad reviews about this one... how it was similar to the Anita Blake series after it became more about the sex than story. Besides, I wasn't entirely interested in the world of faerie until that is, I read books by Karen Marie Moning and Patricia Briggs. I figured that since I've enjoyed two versions of the fae already, why not give LKH a chance?

Book one started out with what I thought was potential. It had an interesting set up with the main character being Meredeth (Merry) Gentry, who was hiding in LA pretending to be human from the faerie royals because of previous attempts on her life. Merry is part royal unseelie sidhe (with some brownie blood), part seelie, and part mortal. The last thing she expected was to be in line for the throne... but that's a little later in the book and the series.

One of the things that annoyed me was the massive cast of characters that are introduced so quickly in book one. Surely it was necessary to understand Merry's world, but half way into the book you realize that the entire first half (and the characters you just got acquainted with) don't really matter for the rest of the book, or the next 4 books if you will. Because soon you'll be introduced to another huge list of characters while Merry is in the land of Faerie, and the troubles she ends up in there.

Overall, book one wasn't bad and it perked some interest in what should happen next. I'm sorry to say I can't recommend it or this series in general, but I'm using it as a time killer til other books on my wish list are out.

Reading "A Kiss of Shadows" was like stepping into the middle of the Anita Blake series when things first started heating up - but that is what I liked about this book! The characters that Laurell Hamilton creates are so wonderfully complex and the land of faerie that she creates is just beyond imagination. I found myself devouring book after book, I just could not stop reading about Merry Gentry and her men! (Maybe I'm a little elf-struck? lol!)

A Kiss of Shadows is the first in Hamilton's Merry Gentry series - centering on P.I Meredith Gentry a half human Faery princess (with both Seelie and Unseelie blood) who has been in hiding from the courts after several attempts on her life. The Unseelie Queen wishes Merry to return to court, for unknown reasons, and Merry must choose whom to trust with her life as she returns to the highly political world of the Fae.

Similar to her Anita Blake series Hamilton is an expert at creating complex storylines and character development, but the book is really lacking in actual plot - the case that Merry is assigned to is really just a launching pad to her return to the Courts and the book is ALL about the Fae and political maneuvering. We're introduced to so many characters and there is so much information that needs to be imparted to the reader that much of the book is comprised of introductions and world building - which I found to be very well done, this is probably the most comprehensive and well developed world centering on the Fae that I've read.

I've read some negative reviews regarding the sexual content of the book and I didn't find it to be overwhelming, but yes there is sex and it's tossed around fairly liberally amongst the characters. I find that I enjoy Hamilton's work much better when I don't try to read the books back to back, not that this is a bad thing - but like a rich dessert a little goes a long way in one sitting. 7 out of 10

Never start reading Laurell's books at 10:00pm! I was up til 3 am devowering this book. Wonderful but could have been expanded to two or three to explore the wonderful world she's created. Lots of room to grow future plots and characters to meet & greet.
Pleeeese let this be a new series!