Rating: 
Summary: Finally! Hamilton is back to providing horrific endings
Review: Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton greet each new book from the author with a sense of trepidation. Originally the uneasy feelings were because we never knew what terrible things were going to happen next to Anita Blake. Hamilton routinely came up with some of the most horrific scenes in the history of the genre. I have been saying for years that the main reason Hamilton's Anita Blake novels have never made it to the silver screen is simply because to be true to them would be to end up with an "X" rating. But now the uneasy feelings are because in both the Anita Blake novels and these Meredith Gentry books Hamilton has been going for the more traditional justification for an "X" rating by having her heroines engage in more and more explicit sex. In "Seduced By Moonlight," the third in the series devoted to Princess Meredith NicEssus, the half-mortal heir to the throne of the Unseelie Court. At this point in the erotic story of the immortal fey we are now half way through the six month period during which her cousin Prince Cel has been imprisoned by his mother, Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness. Merry and Cel are the two claimants to the throne and the winner will be the first to produce a child. Towards that end the Queen has given Merry some of her personal guards, the Queen's Ravens, to the bed of the princess. So far their efforts have been unsuccessful and the fact that each instance of intercourse is fraught with such profound implications for the fey is wearing thin on Merry. To put the matter delicately, Merry is longing for sex that is not procreational in nature. This is not to say that Merry does not have romantic problems as well. If you thought Anita Blake sat on the fence a long time trying to choose between Jean-Claude the vampire and Richard the werewolf, then Merry mulling over Doyle, Frost, Rhys, Galen, and which ever new lovers end up in her bed in each novel might prove even more exasperating. But then which one she loves the most is a moot point, since it is whoever impregnates Merry who will be her consort. Sex is a key part of the politics of the fey, where the flesh and blood of the sidhe have power and are additional bargaining chips for those who would dare to play them. Merry is not only out to keep herself alive but also to protect those who are loyal to her and if that means bargaining with the goblins and other members of the fey, she will do what has to be done. My biggest complaint Hamilton's novels in recent years has been that whether we are talking Princess Merry or Anita Blake the recurring motif has been for the heroine to pull another power out of her hat at the climax of the story. Since Merry has already come into both of her hands of power, flesh and blood respectively, I had to wonder what part of her anatomy would suddenly display a new power. Indeed this happens, but instead of being part of the grand finale it is woven throughout the narrative as Merry's importance to the fey continues to grow in leaps and bounds. Meanwhile, Queen Andais sends more Ravens for Merry to bed, apparently convinced that the secret to getting the princess pregnant is for her to take two lovers to her bed at the same time (there are also indications that the former divine aspects of the lovers is a critical part of the equation: to be continued). The climax of "Seduced by Moonlight" is when Merry and her company return to the Unseelie Court to meet again with the Queen of Air and Darkness. More importantly, this is where the old Laurell K. Hamilton returns with a vengeance. Andais has a taste for pain and cruelty, but what Merry and her escort find is beyond their expectation and experience. This is only the opening act in the novel's end game, where Hamilton finally proves that she still remembers how to pour it on. I had been reading chapters of this book here and there, but once Merry got back to the Unseelie Court I read the rest of the book straight through. I really do not care if Hamilton wants to keep throwing soft core porn into her novels as long as she also delivers on the gut-wrenching horror. At the end of this novel she provides exactly what attracted me to her writing in the first place and what made me claim her best stories make Stephen King look relatively tame in comparison.
Rating: 
Summary: Another small step downhill for LKH
Review: This is a library / loaner, not a must-buy. LKH still has the ability to grab attention, and make the reader want to see the next page. So 3 stars, not 2. But the surprises, drama, and sense of action are getting lost in a lot of stuff about goblin, sidhe, and demi-fey social conventions. Some of the plot twists just aren't convincing - if x is so powerful, and has been for so long, how could he/she/it be open to that trick now? Alas, LKH seems to be losing control of the complexity of her characters and plots. This book adds to the trend of more & bigger weird powers, more (talk about)odd sex, at the expense of a compelling story. For fans of Merry, go ahead, read it once, and move on. For others who want to see a better example of LKH's capability as a writer, start with Guilty Pleasures.
Rating: 
Summary: mmmm Fairy sex
Review: If you're looking for a book to get you a little hot and bothered, but not the normal "her milky white breasts heaved as he teased her with his manhood" crap, then this series is for you. Granted, you do have to read the first two books in the series to get the third, but don't you appreciate not having so much back-story in a book that you can't get to anything new for a few chapters? I do. I thought that was a huge plus to this book. Plus, Hamilton finds new and interesting ways to make sex far from mundane with her character's atributes as well as with situations. Yes, I was left wanting more, but that also is a part of any good series; you're supposed to want more.
Rating:
Summary: Celtic history anyone?
Review: I enjoyed this book for the background in Celtic folklore and myth. I think the background story, characterization and main storyline are doing just fine. This book is obviously a bridge between the first two and the next however many. Hamilton gives you little clues in each book as to the origin of each of the characters. For Doyle, it was the second book. For Rhys and Frost and a few others, it was this book. She really plays on the fertility gods, of which the Celts were famous for worshipping so it is no surprise that many of them are showing up and enjoying the fruits of their labor, so to speak. Of course there is a lot of sex, it's about fertility and the gods and fairies who were proponets of sex. If you don't want to read about sex and fertility don't read this series. If you want a bloodthirsty, psychopathic, sexless sociopath you'll have to find it elsewhere. I can recommend Carol O'Connor's series featuring just such a heroine. Hamilton has done some bang up research and brought the Celtic gods and goddesses into the 21st century. I for one found this book enjoyable, other than Merry has way too much happen to her in a two day period. I get the same feeling from the Anita Blake series.
Rating: 
Summary: Uh, no.
Review: Besides being plotless, which in and of itself is impressive -- 400 or so pages of no plot is quite a feat, LKH's latest has waaaaaaay too much unnecessary sex. I've actually been to a book signing and heard Ms. Hamilton get snippy when asked about the gratuitous sex in her novels. "There is no gratuitous sex in my novels," she said, uh, snippily. Clearly the woman has some soul searching to do. "Seduced" is barely readable. And I'm a fan. Was a fan. At any rate, I won't go on and on about what's really bad about this book. Other reviewers have done so already and all of them are directly on point. I would like to say, in regard to those reviews that have given "Seduced" 3 stars and above with interesting titles such as "great filler" or "a bridge to the next book in the series" or some such; when I pay $25 for a book, when I run out to the bookstore on my lunch break the day the book is released, in the pouring rain, in a pair of Charles David heels that cost me 4 arms and 3 legs, I expect more than 400 pages of "great filler." Especially when that "great filler" needed only 40 pages to get the job done. Do better, Ms. Hamilton.
Rating:
Summary: A tad disappointed
Review: This is the third book in the Merry Gentry series and I have to say that I was a tad disappointed. Not only did the book end half way through the story but Merry is becoming less in control and more and more Whorish! I liked her character a lot and the last book was absolutely FAB. This wasn't dull by any means, but I felt myself become more and more alienated from Merry. Though I have to admit that I adore strong women characters and am saddened that I'm not liking the evolution happening to this one. One of the other reviews said Merry was like a fresh Anita Blake, that may have been true in the last book but it's certainly not in this one!
Rating:
Summary: Set-Up for Future Novels
Review: All the criticisms are valid but so are all the positive remarks. This is indeed the weakest of the three books in the sense that you need to read the first two to make sense of anything at all and yes, there is sex, lots of it, but you did expect that didn't you? This book serves as a set up for the next volumes in the series which would cover Merry's future visits to the Goblin Court and the Seelie Court. So, for the hardcore fans this book in the series is a must and serves as a bridge to further action. Interesting things for the Merry junkie occur which includes finding the origins of Frost, what name Rhys went by before he lost his powers and a host of other little details that should make the obsessive happy for a time. ... I would definitely recommend this volume for the hardcore fan but for the beginner in the series it would be very painful and a little soap opera driven. It is a sign though that the series will not be ending any time soon. I would argue that you will be seeing at least two more volumes in the series - taking into consideration the pacing that is occurring in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Gruesome, sexy, and darkly fascinating
Review: Meredith Gentry, princess of the Unseelie court, has a problem. Her cousin will do anything to kill her--and anything for an immortal is quite a bit. If Meredith can get pregnant, however, she'll become heir and be largely out of danger. With a male harem of willing bodyguards and a huge sex drive that doesn't sound like it should be much of a problem for Merry. Except fertility is terribly low amongst the sedhe and she seems to be no exception. In the meantime, court politics continue and Merry has more enemies than just her cousin--including perhaps, her aunt, the Queen of the Unseelie court. When she's invited to the Seelie court for a ball in her honor, Merry has no choice but to go--to refuse would show weakness, something no one of faerie can afford. But first, she needs to make a trip to the Unseelie Court and shore up her rough relationship with her aunt. Strange things are happening, however and Merry seems involved in awakening magic that had been lost for generations or more. The long-lost caldron/grail shows up in Merry's dream and then materializes and she is able to restart a long-dead magical spring in the Unseelie Court itself. But she is still mortal--and a few good tricks don't seem likely to stop her aunt who is on a murderous rage. Author Laurell K. Hamilton cooks up a fascinating world of sex, violence, perversion, and power in her Meredith Gentry series. All of these, sex, politics and blood are connected and Merry finds herself torn between the lessons of her father--assassinated for his weakness--and those of her aunt who kills without compunction. Since she awakens magical powers through sex or blood, there is plenty of opportunity for both--especially when her blood-covered appearance in the Unseelie Court causes magical challenges against her--and her aunt. SEDUCED BY MOONLIGHT moves a bit slowly. Merry has ample time to sample her males, negotiate with the goblins and fey, and generally go about her business of awakening magic. Lack of a ticiking clock generally weakens a story but in this case, the story is the characters--how Merry and her guard/harem deal with her powerful aunt and with one another as they vie to become the male who impregnates her and becomes consort to the heir. I find Hamilton's writing to be strangely fascinating and her best-selling status proves that I'm not alone. But SEDUCED BY MOONLIGHT is not for the faint of heart--it's graphic, often grotesque, and darkly compelling. Give it a try--but you may want to read the books in order.
Rating:
Summary: Literary pornography
Review: She should probably start listing her books under the romance category. I don't know. Hamilton always starts off a series so well. Anita was deteriorating into something with left a bad taste in one's mouth, and Merry seemed like this fresh young Anita. Merry's needing to be impregnated seems like just a horrid excuse for excessive sex. Nightseer is now currently my favorite LKH series. Probably just because the main character hasn't declined into absolute slut-dom. I like being able to respect the main characters. And you know, I really love the way Hamilton writes dialogue, and the detail and style in which she describes things. But a good book should fill you up and satisfy like a great meal. This was a delicious imagionary meal. Beautiful words and imagery and completely lacking substance. Maybe LKH is feeling frustrated writing Sci-Fi and starting to evolve into another style. I don't hold it against her, but it's horrible seeing your favorite characters just run into the ground. I don't think she should feel obligated to finish the Anita series at all, and just go vent her sexual frustrations in some new novel series. Maybe under a different name. Hey, Anne Rice did it.
Rating: 
Summary: A very disappointed fan - LKH continues her downward trend
Review: This book feels like LKH finished only half a manuscript by the time her deadline rolled around. You know how most book jackets give a teaser about the contents of the book? Well, this teaser summarizes everything that happens in the book. Seduced by Moonlight continues the downhill trend that's been evident in LKH's most recent Anita Blake novels. I think people who were originally drawn in by the characters are now just staying around to see if anything happens to them. Too bad there's so little plot/character development in this book!
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