196 of 217 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An exhilarating and liberating book, October 7, 2000
I found "A Kiss of Shadows" the most exhilarating and liberating book I'd read in a long time. LKH's themes and references are complex and sophisticated, and the use of the word "ribald" was an excellent choice by one professional reviewer.
Meredith Gentry is compassionate and warm, clever and vulnerable. This is a quest story, with the narrator seeking to survive politics and find her life path.
The reviews here at Amazon are informative, in that they seem to be by readers who are angry. Either angry that LKH verged into a new series instead of writing Anita Blake books more-better-faster. Or the readers are dismayed at LKH's frankness and Meredith's pleasure in sexuality.
Of course, we don't see reviews at Amazon (or too many other places, since Amie is not a message board) complaining that the violence and action sequences, the crime scenes and the magic, and the blood in the Anita Blake:Vampire Hunter are grotesque and perverse and that reader is never buying another book from the author.
As LKH has said several times in print: "There isn't that much sex in this book."
She is correct. But unsophisticated readers will only notice the erotic elements. (And these are really, really, good.) They might miss the fascinating magic that occurs (entirely different from the Anitaverse), the strong family and loyalty bonds that fill Merry's life, the wit, the Celtic lore that has played out with the Fey living in the USA, the sense of the team at the Grey Detective Agency in LA, the range of diverse characters (not all male) at the Unseelie Court and throughout the novel, plus the Queen of Air and Darkness who is terrifying.
This is an adult book. I mean, it is for anyone who brings their mature, inquiring mind to a novel of speculative fiction. What if everyone around you is immortal? How do they spend eternity? And how precious is life to you (Meredith) as a mortal in their midst?
What would it mean for you if physical pleasure, the life of the senses, a bond with nature, and a search for a mate to awaken your personal magic and link to your fertility were key in your life as a woman?
I highly recommend this book. It is extremely unusual.
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48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent beginning for a great new series!, October 26, 2000
I'm not usually a fan of Elven lore. The only reason I purchased the book was because it was written by one of my favorite authors, Laurell K. Hamilton. To say that I was pleasantly surprised would be a huge understatement. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, the plot and the characters. I read a lot of what I consider to be unfair reviews comparing Merry to Anita Blake. There is no comparison other than they both like a little ammunition and are women of power. Personally, it would have been a disappointment for me to have a carbon copy of Anita in this book. Merry will grow into her powers and develop in future books just as Anita has had the opportunity to do. With her different background, she is free to do things that would be out of character for Anita. Please be aware, that if you don't enjoy erotica in your stories then this is not the book for you as it goes far beyond what we've seen from the Anita Blake series. However, if you enjoy a good romp and some sexually generated heat then you'll love Merry and her band of characters. My only question is when do we get the next one?
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34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great start to a new series, April 1, 2002
By A Customer
I read this book before reading any of Ms. Hamilton's other novels. I wasn't disappointed. It was a bit slow to get into, but once involved, it didn't let me go, and I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. Merry Gentry is another strong independent heroine, but much more feminine (but no less deadly) than the Anita Blake, the heroine of Ms. Hamilton's hit series. Merry is a sidhe princess in hiding who is forced to come back to her childhood home in order to hear the proposition that her aunt, the queen of the Unseelie court has for her. This series is also much more political than Anita Blake's (yes, there are vampire politics and were politics, but not to this extent). This series is more of a "fairy-tale" than Anita's is, and is therefore, not nearly as dark as Anita's story. Will Merry beat out her cousin Cel for the throne? For if she fails, she will undoubtedly be killed, and all those that are loyal to her as well. This story is a great beginning and I am eagerly awaiting the next installments.
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