Swallowing Darkness

Swallowing Darkness (Merry Gentry series #7) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (November 4, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345495934
ISBN-13: 978-0345495938

I have totally quit reading reading reviews of Hamilton's work because I don't think some people are actually reading the same books I am. I have enjoyed Hamilton's work since Kiss of Shadows - the first Merry Gentry book. Up until this time, I hadn't read anything by her, but his quickly changed. Although Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter is my favorite series, Merry runs a close second!

Swallowing Darkness picks up right where A Lick of Frost ended. Merry has been raped by her uncle, King Taranis, and her beloved Frost has been turned into a stag. I was shocked with the opening scene because my joy at having "Gran" reenter the picture was quickly changed to horror because of a vengeance spell.

I was not expecting the Wild Hunt so soon after the last, but with Merry's kin plotting her murder and her uncles sadistic actions, I guess it was an obvious conclusion.

I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around Merry's pregnancy with twins and the huge number of men who share paternity. This is my problem, not Hamilton's problem - her writing is up to snuff, I'm just having trouble with several issues. I am happy to see the "mother bear" instincts rise up in Merry - after spending 6 books trying to get pregnant, I was wondering how she would react to the pregnancy.

For me, Swallowing Darkness answered some major plot points, but there are so many more questions to be answered. This is NOT the last Merry Gentry book, as so many other reviewers have claimed. According to Hamilton's website and blog (which I read faithfully every day), Merry's story is not finished, so the series goes on. Yeah for us die-hard Hamilton fans!