A Stroke of Midnight is the fourth novel in the Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton. The story follows Princess Meredith Nic Essus Merry Gentry as she navigates the intricate world of the High Court of Faerie. The book is filled with a mix of violence, intrigue, and intricate world-building, as Merry faces threats against her and her companions while unraveling mysteries and dealing with political machinations. The plot is fast-paced, delving into murders, magic, and the complexities of fae society, all while Merry strives to secure her place in the royal hierarchy through pregnancy and power struggles.
Despite the engaging world and fast-paced plot, some readers find the book to be heavily focused on explicit sexual encounters, with the narrative sometimes feeling disjointed between these scenes and the overarching storyline. The writing style is a blend of fantasy, mystery, and erotica, with detailed descriptions of both the fantastical elements of the fae world and the intimate interactions between characters.
From The Publisher:
I am Meredith Gentry, P.I., solving cases in Los Angeles, far from the peril and deception of my real home-because I am also Princess Meredith, heir to the darkest throne faerie has to offer. The Unseelie Court infuses me with its power. But at what price does such magic come? How much of my human side will I have to give up, and how much of the sinister side of faerie will I have to embrace? To sit on a throne that has ruled through bloodshed and violence for centuries, I might have to become that which I dread the most.
Enemies watch my every move. My cousin Cel strives to have me killed even now from his prison cell. But not all the assassination attempts are his. Some Unseelie nobles have waited centuries for my aunt Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, to become weak enough that she might be toppled from her throne. Enemies unforeseen move against us-enemies who would murder the least among us.
The threat will drive us to allow human police into faerie for the first time in our history. I need my allies now more than ever, especially since fate will lead me into the arm of Mistral, Master of Storms, the queen's new captain of her guard. Our passion will reawaken powers long forgotten among the warriors of the sidhe. Pain and pleasure await me-and danger, as well, for some at that court seek only death.
I will find new joys with the butterfly-winged demi-fey. My guards and I will show all of faerie that violence and sex are as popular among the sidhe as they are among the lesser fey of our court. The Darkness will weep, and Frost will comfort him. The gentlest of my guards will find new strength and break my heart. Passions undreamed of await us-and my enemies gather, for the future of both courts of faerie begins to unravel.
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1 comment(s)
I came back to this series after years. I recently read the previous book in this series and now this one. This is a really good story, although I think I liked the previous book in the series better.
That's not to say that I didn't like this book, on the contrary, I thought it was really good. It's quite a long book, so I was very surprised how quickly I was able to read it. I even wonder a little if it's not unnecessarily long, because when I was somewhere around the middle, I found that the plot didn't progress that much. But when I read this book, I didn't feel like it dragged on or was particularly long. This author is very proficient at her craft.
I can also really appreciate how unusual these books were at the time they were written. Of course, they were written that long ago, but still, pieces like this just weren't so obvious back then. Now this kind of ideas are much more popular and we can see many books of this type. And yet, despite everything, this book stands out from the rest of the subgenre in my opinion. And I have to admit that it's very funny to see how reverse harem is getting more and more popular now. To some, it may seem like a new concept. And yet, this series many years ago showed how it can be done really well.
I'm really invested in the story and I like all the characters, not just the main characters, but the whole Meredith's expanding circle of lovers. I enjoy the dynamic between all these characters. And the fact that although there is a lot of sex, it is always very well connected to the plot. Sex scenes always serve more than just adding eroticism into the story. While still being really sensual.
I will definitely be reading the next book in this series soon.
About the Author:
Laurell K. Hamilton is a full-time writer and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry series. She lives in a suburb of St. Louis with her family.
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