The sixth darkly fantastic, deliciously dangerous outing into the sensual realm of Laurell K. Hamilton's bestselling Merry Gentry series - it's her most erotic adventure yet!

You know me. I am Meredith Gentry, princess and heir apparent to the throne in the realm of Faerie; one-time private investigator in the mortal world. You also know my circumstances: to be crowned queen, I must first continue the royal bloodline, and give birth to an heir of my own. If I fail, then my aunt, Queen Andais, will be free to do what she most desires: install her twisted son, Cel, as monarch...and kill me. My royal guards surround me, and my best loved - my Darkness and my Killing Frost - are always beside me, sworn to protect and make love to me. But still the threat grows greater. For despite my eager carnal efforts, I remain childless and all the while the machinations of my sinister, sadistic Queen and her confederates remain tireless.So my bodyguards and I slipped back into Los Angeles - hoping to outrun the gathering shadows of court intrigue. But even exile wasn't far enough to escape the grasp of those with dark designs upon us. Now, King Taranis, powerful and vainglorious ruler of Faerie's Seelie court, has accused my noble guards of a heinous crime - and gone so far as to ask the mortal authorities to prosecute them.

If he succeeds, my men face extradition to Faerie - and the hideous penalties that await there. But I know Taranis' charges are baseless - his true target is me. He tried to kill me when I was a child. Now, I fear his intentions are far more terrifying. Between the darkest faerie magic and the deepest desires of the flesh lies the world of Meredith Gentry - princess, private eye and powerful player in a deadly game of supernatural and sexual intrigue...

You know me. I am Meredith Gentry, princess and heir apparent to the throne in the realm of Faerie. Once I was a private investigator in the mortal world...

You also know my circumstances: to be crowned queen, I must first continue the royal bloodline, and give birth to an heir of my own. And if I fail? Then my aunt, Queen Andais, will be free to do what she most desires: to place her twisted son, Cel, upon the throne of Faerie...and kill me.

I am surrounded by loyal guards, and my best loved - my Darkness and my Killing Frost - are sworn to protect me and to make love to me. Yet for all our eager carnal efforts, I remain childless...while the machinations of my sinister, sadistic Queen and her confederates remain tireless. So my bodyguards and I, hoping to outrun the gathering shadows of court intrigue, have slipped back into Los Angeles. But it seems exile is not enough to escape those with dark designs upon us.

Now King Taranis, powerful and vainglorious ruler of Faerie's Seelie court, has accused my guards of a heinous crime and asked the mortal authorities to prosecute them. If he succeeds, my men face extradition to Faerie - and a hideous fate. But I know Taranis's charges are baseless. His true target is me. He tried to kill me when I was a child. And now I fear his intentions are far more terrifying...

Laurell K. Hamilton is the No.1 New York Times bestselling author of the Meredith Gentry novels - A Kiss of Shadows, A Caress of Twilight, Seduced by Moonlight, A Stroke of Midnight and Mistral's Kiss - and the acclaimed Anita Blake Vampire Hunter novels. She lives in St Louis, Missouri.

2008-08-15 Back on Form, Yay

The first Merry Gentry book was a breath of fresh air, more recent ones have got bogged down in endlessly creative sex scenes (emphasis more on the endless). This is the author back on form, much plot and characterisation, the story moves forward for the first time in ages and its a zinger - waiting impatiently for the next installment now.