Swallowing Darkness

Swallowing Darkness

Author	Laurell K. Hamilton
Language	English
Series	Merry Gentry
Genre	Horror, Erotica, Fantasy novel
Publisher	Ballantine Books
Publication date	4 November 2008
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
Pages	384 pp
ISBN	978-0345495938
OCLC	192080540
Dewey Decimal	813/.54 22
LC Class	PS3558.A443357 S93 2005
Preceded by	A Lick of Frost
Followed by	Divine Misdemeanors

Swallowing Darkness (2008) is the seventh novel in the Merry Gentry series written by Laurell K. Hamilton.

Plot introduction

A faerie princess turned private investigator in a world where faeries are not only known to the general public, but are also fashionable, the title heroine is Princess Meredith NicEssus, also known as Merry Gentry. As niece to Andais, The Queen of Air and Darkness, she is a royal of the Unseelie Court. While her aunt tried to kill her as a child, she has since offered her the title as crown princess as the Court needs more heirs.

Plot Summary

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.

Bearing an heir has placed me halfway to my aunt s throne, that much closer to my reign over the Unseelie Court -- and well ahead of her son, my cousin Cel, in this race. Now I must stay alive to see my children born and claim my place as queen.

But not all in faerie are pleased with the news, and conspirators from every court in the realm plot against me and mine. They seek to strip my guards, my lovers, from me by poisoned word or cold steel. But I still have supporters, and even friends, among the goblins and the sluagh, who will stand by me.

I am Meredith Nic Essus, and those who would defy and destroy me are destined to pay a terrible price -- for I am truly my father s daughter. To protect what is mine, I will sacrifice anything even if it means waging a great battle against my darkest enemies and making the most momentous decision ever made as princess of faerie.

Major characters

Swallowing Darkness features the following major characters.

Andais - Is the Queen of Air & Darkness the absolute monarch of the UnSeelie Court, she's also Merry's aunt, the sister of Essus, and mother of Cel. Andais is a war goddess, and the sadistic Queen of the Unseelie Court. Her personal guard, called the "Queen's Ravens" is composed exclusively of men. Although she is a sadist and is widely believed to be insane, Andais appears to have the best interests of the Court & her people at heart and has sworn to abdicate her throne in favor of a member of her own blood line, either her only child, her son Cel or her niece Merry. But to claim the crown they must demonstrate themselves capable of producing new sidhe children, and whoever is with child first will become monarch. Her consort is Eamon.

Taranis - Absolute ruler and King of the Seelie Court, King of the Light and Illusion, Merry's uncle, the brother of her Grandfather. The king is a powerful worker of illusion, can use his mastery of light as an offensive and burn his enemies.

Cel - Prince of Old Blood and son of Andais. His personal guard is made up entirely of women. His guard is called the "Prince's Cranes" they are primarily made up of the guards from the Queen's brothers Guards, or were until Merry, the daughter of Esses, the Queens brothers daughter found out that he lied and said the Queen gave the guards to him after Esses's death, since they did not give oath to him many left his service in favor of Merry, or simply not serving at all anymore. The Cranes is not the name Cel gave the guards, as it was the name that Esses gave them, and Cel just kept the name, as he kept the guards.

Doyle - Captain of the Queen's Ravens. Often referred to as the Queen's Darkness (or simply as my Darkness by the Queen.) He was the Queens "right hand" for nealy 1050years, during much of that time he was deeply in love with the Queen and server her out of loyalty and love, but she refused to ever bed him because she believed that if she were to bore his child his would be a true king, and she refused to share power with any. When Merry was named heir apparent, he became Merry's Darkness, as well as her Lover & future King to her Queen. Hes as black as the night and can transform into a black mastiff, a massive eagle, and a black stallion.

Frost - Doyle's second-in-command. Often referred to as Killing Frost. He was not borne Sidhe, as he was not truly born. He was breathed to life by the thought of a god, and he eventually came to be full sidhe. His magics control snow, and frost. He is one of Merry's lovers, and she truly loves him, he shows jealousy with some of the men when it comes to Merry, and showing such jealousy is said to be a very un-sidhe thing to do. He is always very very heavily armed, carrying more weapons then any other guard, he will only go somewhere unarmed if ordered to do so directly by the Princess, or Queen. When hes nervous he rubs his swords and weapons as a nervous habit. Also sometimes when hes moody his eyes look as if they have a snow covered hill within them.

Galen - The youngest member of the Queen's Ravens hes only around 100years old and also Merry's best friend. His lineage is half-pixie and half-Unseelie sidhe. His powers include subtle ability to have everyone like him. Extremely unpolitical, naive and idealistic. He is the voice of childhood reasoning for Merry. Unfortunately, letting go of those ideals is allowing Merry to survive. Though she loves him, she knows to place him on the throne would be the death of them all.

Meredith NicEssus/Merry Gentry - Title heroine, Princess, Daughter of Essus. Her name NicEssus means daughter of Essus. She is the vessel of the Goddess, current custodian of the chalice, wielder of the enchanted sword Aben-dul, wielder of the Hand of Flesh, wielder of the Hand of Blood.

Rhys - Raven, former God of Death. Film Noir buff. He is known as Cromm Cruach as well as many other names, his true age is unknown but its mention, that the tattoos of fish on his arms, he says he has not carried them in over 4,000years. He can kill with a touch, as well as have blood suck into his body and dissapear into him as if it were never there. Hes one of Merry's guard, as well as one of her lovers. He has but one eye left, as he was given to a goblin for a night as punishment, the goblin was half snake goblin and half sidhe, he didnt know that you could bargain with goblins during torture & sex, and tell them no permanent damage etc. So during his torture the goblin ripped one of his bright blue eyes out of his head and placed it in a jar as a permanent reminder of him for her. Her swore blood oath on her, and with Kittos help killed her.

Sholto - Lord of the Sluagh, Shadowspawn is a nick name some times whispered by those how fear him. Huntsman for the last Wild Hunt of Faerie

Mistral - The Lord of Storms. Him & Merry have sex twice with the Goddess riding them, the first time is in the hall of the sithen and during this he gets his "godhead" back, after doing this the sithen near where they were starts changing the walls from dark grey to white marble with gold lines. The second time when they have sex they bring life back to the gardens in the sithen as well as causing rain to fall inside for the first time in nearly 500years.

Siobhan - Captain of the Prince Cel's Guard, shes also Cel's right hand and personal Killer. She can kill with a touch.

Minor Characters

Recurring characters include: Hettie/Gran - Grandmother of prinecss Meredith NicEssus. Part Brownie and human. Helped raise Meridith as a child. She lived with Meredith, & her Father when Meredith was young, and helped keep the household. Now she lives outside the Faerie mounds and owns a bed and breakfast, she can levitate things as part of her magic.

Major Walters - Works for the St. Louis police. He is the liason for the Fairy. Also known as Fairy duty. He took the "Fairy Duty" because the person that held the post before him once done with the job got offered a job with a hugh company making a very large salary. He took the job simply to say he helped guard "royalty" and collect his paycheck, but when marry is nearly killed on his watch, and other things go wrong his dreams look like they may slip away, but Merry helps him restore his credibility.

Gethin - one of the Sluagh

Ash - one of the goblins, half Seelie and half Red Cap, twin brother to Holly, has the Hand of Flesh. Along with his brother Holly they sleep with Merry, trying to come into the Sidhe powers, for this Merry gets 1 extra month of alliance with the Goblins for each Goblin, brought into Sidhe power.

Holly - one of the goblins, half Seelie and half Red Cap, twin brother to Ash, has the Hand of Blood. Along with his brother Ash they sleep with Merry, trying to come into the Sidhe powers, for this Merry gets 1 extra month of alliance with the Goblins for each Goblin, brought into Sidhe power.

Jonty - one of the Red Cap goblins, the Red Caps were considered the Shock Troops of the UnSeelie. He has sworn a personal oath to make sure no harm comes to Merry. He still speaks with the Goddess, and in the past has heard Merry's prayer for help.

Hugh - one of the Lords of the Seelie Court, has the Hand of Fire

Besaba - mother of Meredith NicEssus, member of the Seelie Court. She is also known as Bridge of Peace, she was given to the Unseelie court as a peace offering, she was to spend a few years among the "unclean" UnSeelie and when she came back she could have a Seelie lover, but very soon after coming to the UnSeelie, her and Esses (Merry's father) got with child(Merry), she hated the UnSeelie, and had little to do with Merry leaving her with her father telling her she was to short, and to UnSeelie. Merry is known as Besaba's Bane.

Non-Recurring Characters

Cair - Cousin to Princess Meredith NicEssus. Member of the Seelie Court

Eileen Galan - Lawyer

Gregorio - Human woman and witch assigned to the Illinois National Guard, Rank Specialist

Dawson - Human man and wizard assigned to the Illinois National Guard, Rank Sgt.

Conri - UnSeelie Warrior and member of Cel's supporters

Iomhair - one of the Sluagh. A nightflyer, cousin to King Sholto and a member of the King's personal Guard.

Chattan - one of the Sluagh. A nightflyer, cousin to King Sholto and a member of the King's personal Guard.

Tarlach - one of the Sluagh. A nightflyer, Uncle to King Sholto and a member of the King's personal Guard.

The death toll in Swallowing Darkness

Hettie/Gran - bespelled by granddaughter Cair to kill Sholto & Doyle, finally killed by taking the spine of a nightflier to her heart, under Sholto's orders in an effort to protect Meridith from harm of Cair's control.

Cair - Meredith pierces her through the heart with Sholto's Spear of Bone after first calling the Wild Hunt to locate her.

Onilwyn - Meridith stabs him in leg with a iron arrow head & kills him with the Hand of Blood.

Siobhan - Killed by Meredith using the combined power of the Hand of Flesh & the sword Aben-dul.

Conri - Killed by Meredith using the combined power of the Hand of Flesh and & sword Aben-dul.

Cel - Killed by Merry with the combined power of the Hand of Flesh & Hand of Blood.

External links

• Book page on Official Laurell K. Hamilton website
• Publisher website