Swallowing Darkness - Laurell K. Hamilton

...of Frost (2007)
Swallowing Darkness (2008)
Divine Misdemeanours (Dec 2009)

Meredith NicEssus is a faerie princess turned private investigator in a world where faeries are not only known to the general public, but are also fashionable. She changes her name to "Meredith Gentry" to hide from her family and her past while hiding out in Los Angeles, California as a private investigator at Grey's Detective Agency. ...
...that this book is called Swallowing Darkness, you might get a slight idea of what is waiting for you should you choose to read this novel!!

Astonishingly it takes Laurell 150 pages to describe her first sex scene and though Meredith starts (how can I put this!!) doing what's required to bring about the title of the novel, it never actually happens!!
As the couple are interrupted by Sholto (King of the Sluagh) offering one ... more

I don't know if you know about the writer Laurell K. Hamilton she is a US writer best-known for her series Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter. Merry Gentry is the title character of a new fantasy series
There are eight books in the series, that is eight too many!!

A Kiss of Shadows (2000)
A Caress of Twilight (2002)
Seduced by Moonlight (2004)
A Stroke of Midnight (2005)
Mistral's Kiss (2006)
A Lick of Frost (2007)
Swallowing Darkness (2008)
Divine Misdemeanours (Dec 2009)

Meredith NicEssus is a faerie princess turned private investigator in a world where faeries are not only known to the general public, but are also fashionable. She changes her name to "Meredith Gentry" to hide from her family and her past while hiding out in Los Angeles, California as a private investigator at Grey's Detective Agency.

You might think that this next bit of the review is rather coarse, but I'm afraid it has to be said, if only as a warning!!!

This review is about the seventh book - "Swallowing Darkness"
If you haven't had the 'pleasure' to come across this series of books I will just give you a bit of background on them. The vast majority of this series has contained more sex than plot (one book I read contained one sex scene that took over 90 pages to describe - that's right 90 pages!!!)
Now when I tell you that one of the characters in the series is called 'Darkness' and you remember that this book is called Swallowing Darkness, you might get a slight idea of what is waiting for you should you choose to read this novel!!

Astonishingly it takes Laurell 150 pages to describe her first sex scene and though Meredith starts (how can I put this!!) doing what's required to bring about the title of the novel, it never actually happens!!
As the couple are interrupted by Sholto (King of the Sluagh) offering one of his tentacles to( mm another tricky bit) pleasure her.
Amazingly there is only one other sex scene in the entire book - perhaps Ms Hamilton had some bromide in her coffee!!

In order to bring them their due power, Merry (oh no, tricky again) joins concurrently with goblin twins Ash and Holly. Ash is doing things the (erm) normal thing, while his twin is changing the title of the book to Swallowing Holly.

So with only 25 of the 365-page novel taken up with sex scenes, there is almost a plot in this book. Please remember at this stage, I did say ALMOST.

Meredith finds herself in the hospital after being raped by her Uncle, King Taranis of the Seelie Court, and is pregnant with twins (each baby has three genetic fathers) seemingly this means that Meredith is now able to demand the role of Queen of the Unseelie Court.

Things do not go to plan so we see Merry complete with her bodyguards/lovers/kings/father of her unborn twins decide to leave Faerie and move back to L.A. where they think they will be safe.

I did warn you - but at least there was more plot than there was sex!!

The only reason I came across these books was because my daughter had been studying them at college and a couple had been left when she left home (can't imagine for one moment why she didn't take them!!)
This is the second one I read and they will all be going in the recycle bin - they are complete and utter rubbish!!

Even with a smidgeon of a plot, it was trash.
I couldn't stand the character - Meredith - and the book was written from her perspective so there was just nothing down for it. One thing in its favour is that it is a quick reading book that wraps everything up at the end of the book just letting you know how it all ends.

But seriously, don't waste, money, time or effort on these books they are sheer trash.

I will give it 1 star because I have to!!

Summary: Certainly not my cup of tea!!

 

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