A Lick of Frost by Laurell K Hamilton

Some improvement but tale is truncated...

Note: This is not a standalone book.

With A Lick of Frost (Meredith Gentry Book 6), Ms Hamilton has made an effort to bring her storytelling back to focusing on plot and characterization rather than the sex-fests her Merry and Anita series have degenerated into.

The changes pay off for the most part: the various political and legal machinations, as well as Merry's dilemma in dealing with both the Seelie and Unseelie courts, are welcome and interesting enough to carry you through the rest of the book. Unfortunately, A Lick of Frost, like the previous Merry books, ends just when things get really intriguing -- making this book seem more like a weekly TV episode or a serialization of a book rather than an entire tale in and of itself.

A great deal of the book covers the legal entanglement Taranis has brought to bear on Merry and her men. The solution as to how Taranis, the Seelie lady who was apparently raped, Merry, and the 3 accused Unseelie men could all be telling the truth was so simple that I knew the answer long before it was mentioned, so I can't fathom why it took so long for the characters to figure it out.

** MILD SPOILERS BELOW **

The rest of the book deals with the fallout from Taranis's apparent breakdown and the "revelation" of his true colors, no pun intended. The effects of his behavior are felt in both the Light and Dark courts, and the consequences are both hazardous and still to be determined.

Many new characters are introduced and "old" ones are mentioned, but this is pared down and manageable. What's lacking is some of the back story surrounding these characters. For example, it is well known that Merry didn't have a happy time when she lived with the Seelie Sidhe; with the appearance of possible supporters from that court, it would've been nice to have a few lines showing us what Merry's dealings, if any, with these specific Sidhe were like when she was a child.

Cel is mentioned a couple of times, but in passing only, which is surprising as Merry and her men's situation begin to become yet more precarious with both Andais and Taranis. The circumstances become even more dire with the events toward the end of the book.

** MILD SPOILERS ABOVE **

All in all, this was a good but not spectacular read, primarily because it felt unfinished. Of course, this is one in a series, but going back to the TV episode analogy, there should have been more of a resolution than was present. Still, the way Ms Hamilton has chosen to deal with the "problems" of Merry's fertility, who her king will be, and Frost (if he turns out not to make her pregnant) are unusual and somewhat unique. It will be fascinating to find out how these will be tied up (if at all) in the next book.

Link