The Merry Gentry Series by Laurell K Hamilton

Author Laurell K Hamilton has earned immense respect for her prolific fiction works, which have received critical acclaim. Though she writes across genres, fantasy and erotica standout for readers. One series that has proved particularly popular with readers is Merry Gentry: these novels follow Princess Merrygentry as she investigates various realms within a fantasy setting.

This series has already run for nine books and continues to delight fans of both genre and writer alike. Boasting an engaging narrative style and fascinating characters, this series promises an experience readers won’t soon forget. Each book starts off with an investigation theme at its center before building upon that initial premise with fantastical elements that captures readers imaginations.

A Kiss of Shadows, the inaugural book in this series, introduces Princess Meredith NicEssus from Faerie as its protagonist: she has taken to living undercover as an ordinary human in Los Angeles as an investigator specializing in supernatural crimes, working undercover for her aunt’s court if she can produce an heir before Cel becomes dangerous to their reign as Queen.

As she attempts to gain the throne, Meredith finds herself threatened by court plots, including attempts on her life and that of her unborn twins, as well as threats from Taranis (her uncle) wanting to replace her as queen. Yet despite these risks she remains determined to get to the bottom of everything that’s going on in her case.

Meredith finds out she is expecting twins through one of her royal guards, to her great joy – but her happiness is dampened somewhat by her aunt’s attempts at blocking it. Additionally, mortals Meredith healed using magic are suddenly performing miracles, something which threatens the existence of faeries on Earth.

Each book in this series can be read independently, though their plot relies heavily on knowledge gained from prior stories in the sequence. Therefore, reading them chronologically is recommended so each will build upon and further advance the previous narrative arc. Additionally, the series features an engaging cast of memorable characters like Rhys – who is actually Cromm Cruach; Maeve Reed as Conchenn; Doyle as a sithen; and Frost, the god of Winter himself. There are also other characters, many of them becoming fan favorites over time. Their vivid and nuanced characters make this series an engaging read for any fantasy fan looking for an imaginative tale.