Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton

Publisher: Ballentine Books/ Random House Publishing
Pages: 384


From the cover: I am Meredith, princess of faerie, wielder of the hands of Flesh and Blood, and at long last, I am with child -- twins, fathered by my royal guard. Though my uncle, Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, claims that he is the true father since he abducted me from my home, betrayed, and defiled me. And now he has branded my guards as a threat to my unborn children.....


Princess Meredith Nic Essus is the daughter of Prince Nic Essus and wielder of the hands of flesh and blood. Her aunt, Queen Andias, has promised Meredith her throne and court if only she can conceive a child, the first birth in the court for many years. Prince Cel, the queen's son is mad with jealously, it's his court and he will kill to keep it.

Meredith has finally conceived. Her Royal Guards and Consorts are the fathers of her twins she now carries. The Unseelie Court will become her's with their births. But all is not well, not only does she have to contend with her insane cousin, Cel and his followers, her Uncle Taranis, King of the Seelie Court is eager to father a child as well. He attacks Meredith and brings her to the Seelie Court where she is bound and raped. He claims to be the true father of Meredith's unborn twins. While recovery from her ordeal, Merry is called to the Wild Hunt, but will her unborn babies survive?

An unholy war is about to be unleashed on the world of Faerie. The Goddess has all but forsaken their worlds, until the rise of Meredith. She has started to bring life and blood back to all the courts. The ancient artifacts are returning and blessing those whose call they hear and feel. But, will Merry survive her vile cousin Cel's quest for power? How many of her royal guard must be sacrificed before all of Faerie is appeased? Darkness, Galen, Rhys, King Sholto--all of her consorts have vowed their lives before her's. She has already lost her Killing Frost, will she survive the loss of another?

Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton is the seventh book in the Merry Gentry series. Ms. Hamilton website can be found @ http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/ where her whole series can be viewed. She also writes the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series. Swallowing Darkness is not the place to start reading this series, Kiss of Shadows is the first in the series and I recommend starting there to avoid confusion. Laurell K. Hamilton weaves a world where the Faerie Courts are very real, and have been as far back as President Thomas Jefferson. Swallowing Darkness is urban fantasy at its best with a dash of romance thrown in; there is very graphic erotica through the story as well as, definitely not a PG13 rating. This series comes highly recommended, but be prepared for the graphic sexual nature the books, it maybe too explicit for some tastes.