After more than two decades following faerie princess and Los Angeles private investigator Merry Gentry, St. Louis novelist Laurell K. Hamilton is bringing the series to a close in two books. A Glimmer of Death, the first half of the conclusion, arrives November 3; A Ghost of Daylight is scheduled for April 2027.
Hamilton, who lives in Sunset Hills, announced the title of the final book on her website. She said the ending needed two full books to do it justice, writing that “one book just couldn't contain the epic ending for Merry and her men.”
Penguin Random House describes A Glimmer of Death as the first of two books concluding the series. In the novel, Merry investigates magical attacks targeting aspiring Hollywood actresses. Berkley Hardcover lists the book at 464 pages, with a cover price of $32.00.
A Royal Succession Fight
The Merry Gentry books have long centered on faerie court politics and a tangled succession battle. According to Penguin Random House's listing for A Ghost of Daylight, “before my lover Aisling, the rightly chosen ruler can be crowned King of the Seelie court, he is attacked by assassins.” The publisher's page for the final book confirms it will arrive in April 2027.
Hamilton is scheduled to discuss A Glimmer of Death on November 4 at .ZACK Theatre in St. Louis, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Public support for literary programs
For St. Louis-area literary organizations and programs, the Missouri Arts Council says its grants help make arts programming possible in communities large and small across the state. The council's literary-project focus includes public readings, print and digital journals, and independent and university presses, according to its funding information.
Local venues and author programming
The Kranzberg Arts Foundation describes .ZACK Theatre as a 194-seat proscenium-style venue shared by the foundation’s resident arts organizations. For readers seeking author events, the St. Louis County Library Foundation says its author series brings more than 100 nationally touring and bestselling authors to the library each year.
Why Hamilton Split the Finale in Two
Hamilton has described Merry Gentry as a series planned with an ending in sight, unlike her ongoing Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels. In an All About Romance interview, she said she created Merry after writing several Anita Blake books in a row and wanting to try something different.
Hamilton has said she will miss the world and characters as the Merry Gentry project wraps, the Post-Dispatch reports. In the All About Romance interview, she also said, “No. I love writing series.”
Anita Blake Marches On
While Merry Gentry is ending, Hamilton’s other flagship series continues. St. Louis Magazine reports that Slay, the 30th Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel, is scheduled for release November 7. It follows Anita as she plans her wedding despite her father’s disapproval after decades as a single vampire hunter. The magazine also notes that Hamilton typically publishes two books a year, sometimes more.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Hamilton began writing the Anita Blake series in 1993 and has published more than 40 novels overall.
