text: The first novel of Laurell K. Hamilton's Merry Gentry series is not, actually, that terrible a book. It's by far the best in a not particularly great series, actually. What made it almost impossible for me to read is that the basic premise, the set-up, is one of the most grotesquely, ridiculously stupid things I've ever read. 
  
  Princess Meredith NicEssus has fled Faerie, in fear of death at the hands of her aunt, Andais, the Queen of Air and Darkness and ruler of the Unseelie Court. High profile fae in this world are major public figures, like rock stars or the royal family of England. The sudden disappearance of one of the Unseelie royals is a very big deal indeed. Every news media in the world reports the story....and it never goes away. We are told solemnly that reports of Princess Meredith being spotted are right up there with Elvis sightings. Meredith's image, the story of her mysterious disappearance, is everywhere. I mean, neolithic pygmies living in deepest Africa know who Meredith is, and what she looks like. 
  
  Meanwhile, Princess Meredith has disguised herself as a mortal private eye. Thing is, she hasn't disguised herself very much at all. Her supernaturally pale skin is now humanly pale skin. Her fae red hair is now human red hair. Her facial features remain the same. And with everyone on the planet wondering where is Princess Meredith, for years on end, no one recognizes her. Let me hasten to add, there is no magic involved in this, they honestly simply don't recognize her. And the crowning touch to this masterful disguise, the name chosen for her pseudonym to hide the fact she's actually Princess Meredith is....wait for it....Merry Gentry. 
  
  Jesus wept. 
  
  And for years, none of her co-workers, no one who knows her, says to themself, "Hey, wait a minute, that women who looks almost exactly like Princess Meredith....Merry Gentry....Princess Meredith....oh my God, Merry Gentry is Princess Meredith!" Nope, she's just incognito, baby. 
  
  At which point I almost threw down the book and said, "You have GOT to be kidding me." It's absolutely amazing to me this made it through the editing process. Do Laurell Hamilton's editors do anything other than rubber stamp her writing? Given her past six or eight novels, including this one, I'm tempted to say: no, actually
  