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Summary: Caress of Twilight
Review: A Fair-Folk-in-modern-day fantasy, character-driven, with a lot of romance and a bit of darkness.I actually really enjoyed both this book and its prequel. Granted, this isn't great literature--it's definitely light entertainment. Though this volume doesn't have any scene as (inadvertently?) funny as the who's-going-to-clean-up-the-tentacles scene in the last one, Hamilton's thoroughly bizarre idea of what makes for attractive male clothing goes a long ways to add humor. I like the "romantic" aspects of these books, and I actually think quite a few of the characters are well written, though there are a few too many so we don't get quite enough of each. I particularly liked the small and angstful Sage, but all Meredith's harem are appealing. There are interesting worldbuilding elements. Yeah, it's light stuff, romance fiction for fantasy readers, but there's a place in my world for that. In this one, the plot wasn't great -- particularly the climax, which had promise but fell apart, segueing into an expository wrap-up. The ideas were good, but not developed. However, it did set up for a sequel, and if I see a third book I'll read it.
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Summary: Make sure you don't have work the next day
Review: I read Hamilton's book in one night (everyone). I like this one even more than her Anita Blake series. The Fairie realm is intriguing and rich with adventure and orginality.
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Summary: Hooray for Merry!! A no-guilt heroine!
Review: I won't go into a description of the book. The other reviewers have done that in wonderful detail. What I will say is - THANK HEAVENS!! A Laurell K. Hamilton series with no guilt. Can it be true? After reading the Anita Blake series (all the way up to Cerulean Sins), I am SOOO sick of Anita's constant whining and moaning about killing and sex. She feels guilty - she doesn't mean to be a killing machine. She feels guilty - she doesn't mean to be the prime sleeze in fantasy world. Yet she continues to kill and you-know-what constantly and non-stop and she continues to feel guilty, guilty, guilty! Amazing. I'm to the point where I wish she would just shoot herself. However, Merry is an entirely different heroine all together. She is a half-fairy, completely sexual and almost completely without a conscience. It's wonderful. She does what she has to do and that's that. If it means sex or murder, well, oh, well. The two stories are simply wonderful. Fantastic writing, beautiful scenes, descriptive dialogue. Do yourself a huge favor and buy both books today and wait impatiently for the third - as I'm doing.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: Silly me. I waited until this book came out in paperback before I purchased it. I even waited a few weeks. And then it sat on my desk for days and days before I finally read it. Silly, silly me. Wow. When I first read Kiss of Shadows years ago, I didn't really think anything of it. I thought, "Yeah, it was okay, but it was no Anita Blake book. Why is she making this new series, anyway?" A Caress of Twilight has completely changed my opinion of the Merry Gentry series. Do I now like them better than the Anita Blake books? Quite possibly. A Caress of Twilight is one of the best books I've read so far this year. I can't even express what I liked so much about it. Sure, it does have a little too much in common with romance novels for my taste, but there is something else about the story that captured me. Now I'm eagerly awaiting for the next Merry Gentry novel. More so than the Anita Blake novels. This book continues the story begun in A Kiss of Shadows. Merry Gentry, known to the faery court as Princess Meredith, Princess of Flesh, is on a mission to become pregnant so she can inherit the Unseelie throne from her Aunt Andais instead of her cousin, Prince Cel. Prince Cel (through his henchwomen) had tried to kill Meredith in A Kiss of Shadows, but he is locked away, being tortured for his crime. So Meredith is busy with her faery guardsmen, hoping that one of them can get her pregnant before Cel is released from his torture and tries to kill her again. Meredith is hired by an exiled Seelie noble, now known as Maeve Reed, a famous actress, to help her become pregnant since her human husband is dying. But why has this Seelie been exiled? What does she know about Meredith's uncle, Taranis, king of the Seelie? And what is the supernatural force behind the gruesome murders in L.A.? Merry is joined by the same bunch of Unseelie men that appeared in A Kiss of Shadows (Frost, Rhys, Doyle, Nicca, Galen) and her goblin Kitto, and although she doesn't travel back to the Unseelie court, her Aunt Andais does appear, and provides some comic relief. We also meet new characters, such as Sage, a demi-fey, and characters from the Seelie court, such as King Taranis himself. It was hard for me to stop reading this book; there was so much that happened in each chapter, more to add to the plots until the end, where they all connected in a surprising finale. A wonderful book by Laurell K. Hamilton; I cannot wait until the next Merry Gentry novel is released.
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Summary: Great tale - not for the 'fairy' folk.
Review: Merry is a Fey princess who lives in an alternate USA where all sorts of creatures from the fairy realm live alongside mortals. But Merry is also half human and now has become the co-heir to the Unseelie throne with her cousin Prince Cel. Cel has tried to kill her before and will again. To gain the throne either Merry or Cel must sire an heir. Merry is now obliged to make love to the select Queens Guard in the hope of having a child. The Guard are all immortal fey with their own long history that is becoming evident with each novel. They are not just 'studs' but once were much more.While the story has many erotic and sensual scenes, it remains a great read with well written plot elements and characters that are the central elements of a good book. If starting to read this series go back and get the first book as it explains some of the various convoluted characters that surround Merry. Not everything in Fairie is as it seems and everything and everyone have their own game. But Merry is not just a cute half-fairy Princess she packs weapons and magic and is not afraid to use either. Novel by novel the characters are developing and the overall tale is evolving. It is so engrossing that I read it in less than a day - I couldn't wait to find out the end and now am waiting impatiently for the next story to find out what will happen next.
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Summary: Dark fantasy at its best
Review: In addition to being a private investigator, Merry Gentry is a princess...a faerie princess. She's in a race to conceive a child and win the throne. Plus she's got to round up a bunch of ghosts and a huge monster. But it's all in a day's work for Merry and her men! Laurell K. Hamilton's worlds are gripping and page-turning. Her characters, despite their otherworldliness, feel real and connect. I've yet to pick up a LKH book I didn't love!
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Summary: Don't tell me after umteen books, she's run out of steam
Review: I just admit, the first part, and up until the "climactic" ending, I was really into this book. I really enjoy Hamilton's twist putting fairy tale of old creatures in the "new" world, but lately I've noticed a pattern developing. I have to agree with many of the other people on this review. Lately it seems that Hamilton just has some sexual frustrations to get out. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like lately, her books have become more about the sex and less about the plot.
If there's a problem, sleep with Meredith one REALLY good time, and all will be fixed. Everything in the past two books Hamilton has put out have been more about getting layed. At first, I thought the whole "sexual side of powers" was an interesting take, but now, it's just getting tired.
Other than the huuuuuuuuge amounts of sex, the writing style was really enjoyable. I really got into the book, and it seemed like the climax was really going to be something. Boy was I disapointed. Just in the nick of time, Meredith gets a totally new power and is not THE LEAST excited or suprised. It's just, "Doyle had told me once that I would have second hand of power..." What the heck?! I'd be a little more excited. She really could have handled that seen a bit better.
The last thing I'll comment on is the quickness that the climax ended. It seemed to me that Hamilton realized that she was at deadline really soon and just shoved the ending together. It was a little too convenient, too easy for such an impossible to kill being. I have to say three stars because I feel that Hamilton could have done a little more with what she created.
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Summary: Amen for really well written Science Fiction
Review: Amen to Laurell K Hamilton . This book is well written and a very good read . It can take you on a once in a lifetime experience without you even leaving your seat . a real page
turner that will have you reading a book a day . i recommend this to those who want their imagination exercised and taken to the limits of the mind
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Summary: Whatever Frosts your cookies....
Review: Laurell K. Hamilton is concerned with the monsters within, and she holds nothing back in exploring this dark realm. The book deals primarily with primal forces associated with masculinity - lust, bloodlust, strength, and rage. Merry is the alluring feminine force that both elicits these demons from her men and soothes them. (One thing I like better about the Anita Blake series is that there is a much higher tone of bisexuality, which goes very well with Ms. Hamilton's theme of a character struggling to resist desire, and of course, giving in.) Blood and desire are enticing secrets, and daringly private. Many people, as evident from these reviews, will find this and her other books plotless and porn-ish. But for others the forces she's exploring are irresistible. This is for people who like fiction that's devoted to the question of why people are attracted to each other, and what it means to accept or quell our human desires. Ms. Hamilton explores this through non-human characters, but really, her themes are very, very human. If this frosts your cookies ... then you're about to jump in really deep. Have fun.
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Summary: An added Plus in the Paperback edition
Review: I have not yet seen the paperback version (I read the original Hardback Version) but due to being on Ms. Hamilton's Mailing list I know that this edition includes a preview of the 3rd Merry book "Seduced by Moonlight" (due "Spring 2004"). For those who want to read the preview (which might also be in the new Anita Blake novel "Cerulean Sins"), this adds buy this edition in lieu of the 2-year old Hardback (aside from the price). She seems to be alternating now between Merry and Anita Blake so there is a 2-year wait to see the next installment in either series. As for the book itself, I enjoyed it although I did feel that the copy editor fell down on his/her job by not spotting a few places where the same information was given more than once (this is not a story being serialized in a magazine where that is permissible if the reader needs to be reminded of a plot point from a prior installment). Also the title of the "Golden Goddess" is given a number of times but not all the titles match (ie: She is said to be the Goddess of Attribute1 and Attribute2 in same places and in others is Goddess of Attribute3 and Attribute4 [sorry for the lack of specifics on the Attributes but I can not put my hands on my copy right now to look them up]). I hope this error was at least corrected in the Paperback edition.
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