Rating: 
Summary: Open Minds Create Good Book
Review: I must warn those that have already taken the leap into the imaginary world of Laurell K. Hamilton's wonderful mind in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. This book can in no way compensate for it's predecessor's many books, characters, and plots. This book only displays a minimum view into the life of Meredith Gentry.The book does, however, reveal many specific characteristics about Merry that differs incredibly from Anita Blake. Her attitude towards people and the situation that surrounds her, her strengths and weaknesses, and her constant chase for sexual attention from the men around her. The sex scenes written into this book are explicit, yet, no where near pornographic. The lead character simply explores her sexuality more openly than Anita Blake. Does it make this book hard to read? Definitely no. If the reader is searching for a character who isn't as hard headed as Anita Blake, then this book is perfect. My suggestion would be to pick this book up before you take the plunge into the world of Anita Blake. If you already have taken Anita by the horns, then approach "A Kiss of Shadows" with a very open mind and you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Danger, Fornification, Fear, Flesh and Blood could you ask for more?
Review: I admit I was disappointed when I found that the new Laurell K. Hamilton's next book was not an Anita Blake continuation. Then I read the teasers and found it was on the Fey, now I'm obsessed with all things supernatural and this grabbed my interest. I picked up the book and sat down to read it. And I couldn't stop! She's done it again, written a GREAT novel. One that catches the attention and teases the mind. I have not been able to put this book down. I even read it at work! Everyone has to pick it up. It's an awesome mix of danger and fornification...two great combinations, and it draws you into the story to be the character. LKH takes you on a trip through the world of the fey and their different classes and beings, she gives you an open look into the heirarchy of everything while creating a history intertwined with the workings of the human world. She's done a great job and I'm panting in anticipation of the next novel the way I pant for every Anita Blake Novel! You go GIRL! Forget the 5 stars I give you 10!
Rating: 
Summary: Good for testing your gag reflex.
Review: If you extrapolate the degeneration of the Anita Blake series from its beginning as a neat mystery/fantasy series to its current status as bad fantasy to its no doubt logical and ugly conclusion as a sort of Hellish amalgam of bad Anne Rice novel and Harlequin romance you have "Kiss of Shadows". Our heroine and protagonist, Merry, is a mortal elf-princess who is on the run from her aunt, the Queen of Air and Darkness, the leader of the Fey court. At the beginning of the story Merry is working as a private investigator and is hired for what looks like a straightforward domestic abuse case. This turns out to be more than it seems though, the abuser has links to dark magic from the courts of the Fey, and in the process of investigating this Merry's cover is blown and her aunt finds out where she is. Merry decides to stop running, go back to the courts of the Fey and face her aunt and the other members of the court. Now, under other circumstances this might have been a pretty good story. What makes it utterly gag-worthy though are the sxe scenes, which at best are boring and detract from what little plot there is and at worst are gruesome and sickening and the heroine's ruminations on relationships matters saxuel (why can't you use the "s" word in an Amazon review?) and which go on and on and on and on and which are neither interesting nor well-written and which the rest of the novel can, in no way, compensate for. Summary: Avoid.
Rating:
Summary: A Life Changer!
Review: All I have to say about this book is that it is the BOMB! I could not put it down and when I finally did finish it I went directly back to page 1. I almost read it a third time, but thought that was a bit obsessive. I am waiting with bated breath on the sequel. This is actually the 1st fantasy book I have read and as strange as it may sound it changed my life in more ways then one...literally. The characters are wonderful and add a slightly different twist on the Fae that you are not used to seeing. This book is filled with lust, passion, danger, action, comedy...need I really go on. My favorite was Doyle. UUHH!!! He made me wish I was Meredith. I really can't wait for the sequel.
Rating: 
Summary: Taking On Sex in American Culture
Review: The jacket on this book intrigued me and knowing how wonderfully complete this author is at creating a believable alternative to our current society - I bought this book in hardback with high expectations. What I quickly found was a very interesting writer who had decided to take on the morals of our society concerning sex. Unfortunetely, I feel that Hamilton gave away a piece of incredible storytelling in order to continually shove our society's sexual conservatism in our faces. The sensuality gets lost admist the varied attempts to seduce the reader into Merry's sexuality. How many different creatures can she have sex with? How many men? How many times? The author tells us, with a written shrug, that it is Merry's ancestry from 5 different fertility deities that make her Playboy Bunny of the epoch. Ultimately Merry is only as strong as those who support her - strong, immortal, gorgeous men. And all that she has to offer them is sex (which after 800 years of celibacy becomes fairly important). This is her power and her weapon. She is truly "of the Flesh". I found Hamilton's message disquieting - that her heroine's triumph is due to her ability to offer up her body as payment and reward. As a woman I recognize the kernal of truth in this and applaud the author for her moxie. I would have liked to see Merry rise above this truth and become something more inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: Meredith rocks!!!
Review: Merry, Merry, quite contrary, How does your new court grow? With silver, black, green, and blue, Lovers lined all in a row! A Kiss of Shadows is the first book of a really cool, really erotic, really breath-taking series! LKH's unique writing style is quite evident throughout this book. Merry is a lot like Anita: short, pretty, tough, intelligent, possessing some powers that have yet to be discovered. But of course, Merry has a MUCH more interesting sex life than Anita. Merry Gentry is an awesome character, working at the Grey Detective Agency in Los Angeles: Supernatural Problems, Magical Solutions. However, Princess Meredith NicEssus leads an ABSOLUTELY captivating lifestyle at the Unseelie Court. Especially when Merry's Aunt Andais, Queen of Air of Darkness, wants Merry, and Merry alone, to sleep with the beautiful royal Guards and produce an heir to the Unseelie throne. Now THAT is an extremely interesting proposition. I really like all the hot sidhe characters that LKH introduces, especially Doyle (the Queen's Darkness) and Frost (Killing Frost). Screw the other males in the book (I know Meredith will probably do each of them sooner or later). MY favorite male in the book is definitely Cel, Andais's son and Meredith's cousin, Prince of the Unseelie Court, heir to the throne (or at least he was before Meredith returned to court) Sure he's cruel, evil, and sadistic, but what can I say? I have a weakness for gorgeous bad guys in black. I would just love to see Cel plotting to kill Meredith again (or bed her). Something tells me that we'll see him many more times to come in the series. I just totally love this series! Now I don't know which series is better: Anita Blake or Meredith Gentry? Which world is more interesting: vampires or faeries? Who is more powerful: Anita or Merry? Which series has the sexiest men: Jean-Claude (my fave), Asher, Damian, Edward, Richard (hate him), etc, or Cel, Doyle, Frost, Rhys, Galen, etc? Parallel worlds, parallel characters: Anita=Merry; Jean-Claude=Doyle; Richard=Roane; Asher=Galen; Bert=Jeremy; Edward=Frost; Jason=Rhys; Gabriel=Cel; Marcus=Barinthus; Raina=Andais; Larry=Kitto; Ronnie=Lucy; Cassandra=Rozenwyn; Catherine=Keelin; Marianne=Teresa; Olaf=Sholto A Kiss of Shadows is perhaps my favorite book of all time now, knocking out The Killing Dance from the #1 place. I am so so glad that I bought this book, expensive as it may be. Laurell K. Hamilton, you are simply the best!!!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointment turns to Joy
Review: When I realized that the next Laurell K. Hamilton book would not feature Anita Blake, I was disappointed and angry. I needed my Anita, Jean-Claude and Richard fix. I bought the book anyway, and my disappointment soon turned to joy. Although no one in A Kiss of Shadows is quite as sexy as Richard or Jean-Claude, the book was as captivating as the the Anita Blake series. The story of Merry, her history and her adventures, is engrossing and exciting. Merry may actually have more depth than Anita. Where Anita is the straight man for the other charcters, Merry is the central character. This is a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: I'd love to live there-maybe...
Review: I am still waiting for some resolution for the first series--Anita, Jean-Luc and Richard. However, I have enjoyed Merry and Co in book form and even better, on audio cassette.The characters and story line are very engrossing. From the beginning to the end, I was guessing what would happen next. Her characters are wonderful, male and female alike. Very hot! Very engrossing. I enjoyed the audio so much that I'm glad I own it. Audio cassettes make hum-drum work so much easier. Listening to Merry's adventures makes housework, ironing, driving, etc so much more enjoyable. I hope there's a sequel soon!
Rating:
Summary: Erotic romp through LA and Faerie
Review: While I was prepared to be disappointed with the shift away from the Anita Blake series, I must say that my husband had to DRAG me to bed at 2:30 in the morning. Laurell has created a definately surreal, erotic storyline in this new series. She takes a no-holds-barred approach to her descriptions of the Unseelie Court and what the politics of an ancient, sometimes amoral people can be like - something Merry wants away from desperately. While this book may look to be straight out of a fairytale - this is NOT a book for children. Prepare to be shocked, amused and sympathetic to Merry Gentry. Sometimes staying alive can be the greatest challenge and the greatest fun! This was one of the few books that I could not put down and wanted more pages when I reached the end. Hopefully, the next installment in this series will be available soon.
Rating:
Summary: She does it again..
Review: Laurell K. Hamilton whips up another book..and once again,I love it. The main character in this book is so unique,and so interesting,that it makes this book twice as good. "A Kiss of Shadows" is well written,and it looks like she has done quite some research to write this book. This book caught my attention rather quickly,and once again I love all the characters. It was oddly sad to me when I read it,but it is none-the-less a great book. I highly recommend it.
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