A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton

It's another America than you know in the here and now. Jefferson invited the fey into the New World. They settled in Cahocia, sometimes mixing themselves with humans. Meredith NicEssus is of such mixed blood and this means she is mortal even if she belongs to a royal Sidhe family. A dangerous disadvantage in a court where magical duels are legal and common. An easy way to remove a mortal from her third position in the line of succession.

So she left and took the name of Meredith Gentry to hide from her enemies. She is working as PI for the Grey Detective Agency (Supernatural Problems, Magical Solutions) and life could be nearly perfect. But then her past is catching up to her.

I really can't figure out if I like Laurell K. Hamilton's novels or not. But after reading eight of her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books I was still interested enough to buy A Kiss of Shadows.

A Kiss of Shadows doesn't belong to the Anita Blake series but is the start of a new series: Meredith Gentry. Fey instead of Vampire. While Anita Blake doesn't go much further than kisses (so far), Meredith Gentry is far more explicit. That's no wonder because the main theme of the series seems to be getting into the bed with as many lovers as possible.

Well, maybe I am exaggerating, but not much.

I give Laurell K. Hamilton bonus points for creating again an intriguing, magical version of America, mixing folklore and fantasy into our reality. Again her main character is a shorter than average woman with special gifts and an abundance of good looking men at hand.

Again she uses the first person point of view. Personally I don't like that. Usually I avoid books written as told by one of the main characters. Despite that I couldn't stop reading A Kiss of Shadows until I finished it. The deadly schemes and intrigues of the Unseelie Court captivated me. Points for spinning an interesting tale.

All the characters are believable, though we don't get to know anyone but Meredith more intimately. Partly this is to be blamed at the point of view, I believe, and partly because the cast is rather big. Obviously Laurell K. Hamilton introduced most of the characters for the whole series, but I would have preferred that she focuses only at a few and explores them more deeply.

You will realize at the end that this book is not meant to stand alone, but is part of a series. Too much stays unresolved. In fact, the last act of Merry's former consort is skewing the story line in my opinion. It's too obvious a hook for the next books and diverts from the main plot of this book.

I'm scratching my head and can't answer the question: Did I like it or not?

It's a good book, I think, with some flaws. It won't belong to my personal Top 10, but is definitively above average. If you like A Kiss of Shadows will depend largely on your personal taste.