MERRY GENTRY NOVELS

Well I said I was going to devote a whole post to this series of books. I could probably devote as whole blog to them but I'm trying not to get carried away here!
I truly stumbled across these by accident when I was looking for more Anita Blake series and there were some titles that didn't match my list. Not only does Laurell K Hamilton seem to be a very busy author I have now decided that she must have some seriously weird dreams to come up with what she does.
Basically, I LOVED these books. From the first page book one until the last page of book eight I couldn't put them down! 

Meredith Gentry is a fairy princess who has left the fae world to live a human life in the big city.
She's left her former life with good reason as because she is possible heir to one of the fairy kingdoms her creepy, insane cousin is always plotting to kill her. However her new life unravels when her sadistic Auntie, who is the Fairy Queen, calls her back and presents her with a chance to become the true heir as long as she gets herself pregnant before her cousin does. Do you see where this is going???? Forget 50 shades of grey as my face went 50 shades of pink, red and crimson as Merry is given permission to "explore" her new guards, most of whom have been celibate for a thousand years!!!

And the surprises (?) don't end there as there are all sorts of fae, with all sorts of stories and hidden talents (and extra body parts)! These books were often hilarious, sometimes gruesome, continually surprising and thoroughly, thoroughly entertaining. I was often heard shouting "Don't interrupt me I'm with the fairies!"

Like the Anita Blake character, I found I really liked Merry Gentry, as she found lots of ways to laugh at herself and her often absurd life. I particularly liked the character Frost, who we know as Jack Frost, and his back story but all the characters were engaging and I kept wanting more and zooming onto the next book.

I seemed to finish them all too quickly but I'm sure with the way the last book ended there will be more to come.

My one criticism, and it may not be Laurell K Hamilton's fault, but put in by her publishers, is that the books often retraced back stories unnecessarily, obviously hoping to ensnare readers who had stumbled on the books midway through the series. This rehashing of already known facts was infuriatingly irritating as it happened so often but was not enough to turn me off the series. It's a shame that the publishers don't have confidence that the books will draw you in enough to find out if there are others. It was just so unnecessary!

 So an absolute 10 out of 10 for pure, silly escapism. And if you love Charlaine Harris like I do, then you will love these.

1. A Kiss of Shadows
2. A Caress of Twilight
3. Seduced By Moonlight
4. A Stroke of Midnight
5. Mistral's Kiss
6. A Lick of Frost
7. Swallowing Darkness
8. Divine Misdemeanours