Deadly Sting Review

Title: Deadly Sting
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assassin #8
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Elemental Magic, Assasins, Vampires, Giants, Dwarves

Review:

This review took long to get posted as work got in the way. Fortunately I was able to download the audiobook version and I was able to finish the audiobook in less than a day (listening while working has it's perks). 

I commend the author for changing the dynamics of the plot of Deadly Sting which is a change of pace compared to the previous releases. I like the new direction of the plot which is slightly similar to Steven Seagal's "Under Siege" with a twist. As with the previous book, Gin Blanco does her best: Killing her enemies with her silverstone knives and her elemental powers. 

I like the conclusion because we get to read one of Gin nemesis "removed" from the picture but the story doesn't stop there as a new up incoming nemesis comes which could come out on the next book entitled "Heart of Venom".

Deadly Sting Cover Revealed

I have been a staunch follower of the Elemental Assassin series since last year and the author has recently released the the latest cover of the upcoming book "Deadly Sting". The book is scheduled to be released on March 2013.

Widow's Web Review

Title: Widow's Web
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assassin #7
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Elemental Magic, Assasins, Vampires, Giants, Dwarves

Overview:

Once an assassin, always an assassin. So much for being plain old Gin Blanco. With every lowlife in Ashland gunning for me, I don’t need another problem, but a new one has come to town anyway. Salina might seem like a sweet Southern belle, but she’s really a dangerous enemy whose water elemental magic can go head-to-head with my own Ice and Stone power. Salina also has an intimate history with my lover, Owen Grayson, and now that she’s back, she thinks he’s hers for the taking. Salina’s playing a mysterious game that involves a shady local casino owner with a surprising connection to Owen. But they call me the Spider for a reason. I’m going to untangle her deadly scheme, even if it leaves my love affair hanging by a thread.

Review:

I am very fortunate to received the advance E-ARC of this book (in pdf format) from miss Jennifer Estep herself and was able to finish reading before the official release which is today. Widow's Web basically revolves around the Owen and Eva past lives (which is a good "change" in the series since the previous books are mostly focused on Gin and her personal struggles). This story also introduces a very cold-blooded antagonist which virtually mirrors Mab Monroe's and to make matters worse: She was Owen's former lover (Talk about a battle for this dudes love). 

As with the all the previous books the "signature Jennifer Estep story structure" is still intact (Meet the Antagonist ->Help The Victim -> Gin Got beaten by the main antagonist -> Healed back by Jo-jo Devereaux ->Kills the antagonist in the finale) to which I am getting used to and still loving it. Even the the catch phrases are still there (The count downs, "Crack, Crack, Crack") although I personally missed my favorite phrase "Sloppy, Sloppy Sloppy". 

Overall, I love the direction that the author takes in the series as we are able to transition from the post Mab Monroe era. I would hope that the author brings in another "bad ass" series antagonist that would span several books rather got killed in one book (I would assume Jonah MacAllister is that very person to which I would hope so).

Red-Headed Stepchild Review

Title: Red-Headed Stepchild
Author: Jaye Wells
Series: Sabina Kane #1
Audiobook Narrator:Cynthia Holloway
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Assasins, Vampires, Demons, Mages, Nymphs, Faeries

Review:

While waiting for Widow's Web to be released (which is month's away), so I to read another urban fantasy assassin book and I choose Jaye Well's Red Headed Stepchild. What's interesting about this book (and the series) is that Sabina Kane,the protagonist is half-vampire and half-mage. Red-Headed Stepchild is set in a world where vampires, mages, demons and faeries exist mostly unnoticed by its largely human population. The vampires in this world are not undead but are living supernatural beings that are born, rather than made. They have a lot of the usual strengths and weaknesses of vampires but their origins, and their genetic red-hair, are linked back to original bible myth (they are the descendents of Lilith and Cain).

During the course of the novel Sabina is forced to re-evaluate the relationship she has with her grandmother and the Dominae - rapidly coming to the conclusion that she has been a useful tool rather than a loved family member. Sent to infiltrate a group of rival supernaturals and assassinate its leader, she has to think on her feet and make some new friends if she wants to avoid her assignment turning into a suicide mission…

What I love about this book is the comical banters between Sabina and her demon/cat familiar Giguhl on which resembles the banters of Harry Dresden and Bob the Skull in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series and Rachel Morgan and Jenks in the Hollows series by Kim Harrison (which I will be writing a review soon).

All in all, Red-Headed Stepchild is a great introduction for the protagonist's personal history and to the series as a whole. I am glad that I already have the next audiobook "Mage in Black" in queue.

By A Thread Review

Title: By A Thread
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assassin #6
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Elemental Magic, Assasins, Vampires, Giants, Dwarves

Review:
I was surprise after I learned that Jennifer Estep released the her first official novella of the Elemental Assassin series which the story took place days after the final events of  Spider's Revenge. I considered Threads of Death to be somewhat of a "prequel" to a second arc of story in the series since Gin still has to deal with Jonah McAllister. 

Upon reading By A Thread there are still the 'patterns' similar to the previous books (the first chapter fight scenes, a lot of "coincidences" and of course the signature Gin Blanco phrase "Sloppy, Sloppy Sloppy"). 

Threads of Death Review

Title: Threads of Death
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assasin #5.5
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Elemental Magic, Assasins, Vampires, Giants, Dwarves, Novella.

Review:

Threads of Death was the very first novella ever written by Jennifer Estep which took place several days after the final events of Spider's Revenge which is Mab Monroe's funeral. 

The funeral was attended by Gin Blanco and most of her "family" so as to say their final "farewell" to the Fire Elemental. Also in attendance was Jonah McAllister as well as other major players in Ashland's criminal underworld like Phillip Kincaid.

What's interesting about this novella there are two other POV's (point of view) ala George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice & Fire book series. The other POV's are of Jonah McAllister and of Phillip Kincaid. Threads of Death will serve as a "prequel" to the second arc of story in Gin Blanco's life which will continue on with the 6th book "By A Thread". 

Threads of Death is a must read for all hardcore Elemental Assasin fans as you will enjoy the action and the upcoming trials in Gin Blanco's life.

Spider's Revenge Review

Title: Spider's Revenge
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assasin #5
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Elemental Magic, Assasins, Vampires, Giants, Dwarves, Bounty Hunters.



MY REVIEW
Spider's Revenge is practically an arc finale as finally, Gin Blanco will get to kill Mab Monroe. But the stories gets some twists which bothered me early on as Gin embarked in a "solo" mission of killing Mab which practically failed (we can read several times that Fletcher Lane will surely be disappointed with her if he was still alive). She barely escapes but was able to fallback and planned the next attack with her companions.

Another twist that came out was involvement of bounty hunters which made this book so exciting which will make this book the most action packed book ever written by Jennifer Estep. Before the final showdown, Gin was able to get some assistance from his companion as they clear the area from any distraction setting up the final match between Gin and Mab.

A lot of revelations are being unveiled: Bria Coolidge has finally realized who Gin really was; Owen Grayson finally asserted his intentions to Gin and her reciprocating his love and revealed her true feeling to him and finally Jojo Devereaux's talk that Gin's magic will only get stronger as she goes on.

I initially though that this will be final book yet I learned that there will be two to three more books in the series and rumors that an official novella will be released to serve as a "transitional prequel" to the newest arc in the series.

Tangled Threads Review

Title: Tangled Threads
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assasin #4
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Elemental Magic, Assasins, Vampires, Giants, Dwarves.

Review:

Tangled Threads the 4th installment of the Elemental Assassin series as usual follows the some "sequential patterns" as with the previous. The books start when Gin and Finn where on a job to kill a dwarf who handling a shipment of illegal items for Mab Monroe which was later revealed to be a trap to lure "the Spider". The trap was setup by Mab's newest hire the electric elemental Elektra LaFleur.


It was later reveal that the one who spread the info about a shipment of illegal stuff was Vinny Volga an ice elemental who work as a bartender for Roslyn Phillips in Nothern Agression. It was reveal later on that Volga was coerced by LaFleur to spread the rumors about the trap or else she will kill her daughter Natasha. Volga attempted to escape but was caught by LaFleur's giants. As usual, Gin rescued Vinny from the giants and set her sights on rescuing her daughter from LaFleur (another pro Bono job for our heroine).

A twist in the story came when Jonah McAllister visited the Pork Pit along with LaFleur for a meal which in reality, LaFleur was scouting the place as she plans to kill Gin at the behest of Jonah McAllister as he still suspect Gin was the one who killed his son. It was later revealed that LaFleur plans to kill Bria Coolidge too as part of Mab Monroe's plan.

Gin gets to kill LaFleur in a showdown between two elemental on the same train yard where Natasha was held captive.

Gin finally reveals to Bria that she was her long-lost sister as well as the "Spider" who killed Elliot Slater, etc. The revelation did not initially did not bode well to Bria because of her principles as a cop.

On the romantic side of the story, Gin has finally accepted Owen Grayson as his boyfriend.  It was also reveal that Bria was also smitten with Gin's foster brother Finnegan Lane.

Overall this book is great penultimate to the series as arc as I feel that this feud will come to an end very soon.

Web of Lies Review

Title: Web of Lies
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assassin #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Elemental Magic, Assasins, Vampires, Giants, Dwarves.

Review:
Web of Lies, Jennifer Estep's second installment of the Elemental Assassin series has become a landmark of various patterns in the succeeding books starting with Gin in action (in the book a botch holdup in the Pork Pit which involves the son of Mab Monroe's top lieutenants as one of the assailants), to a lot of coincidental incident ( Violet Fox one of the customers in the Pork Pit during the botch holdup who is the daughter of Warren T. Fox who is also a very close friend of Fletcher Lane AND Donovan Caine.. with this number of coincidence to we can create a "spider web" now.). Lots of flashback during Gin's teenage year while training under Fletcher Lane and the now famous phrase "sloppy, sloppy, sloppy" and this is also her very first "probono" work since she considered herself retired anyway.

My initial impression is that this book is quite the same as as Spider's Bite but as I read a long it become more interesting. This is the also a first for Gin gets "sidetrack" during her jobs as she attempts to assasinate the target a dwarven stone elemental in Tobias Dawson (and as a bonus gets to kill Jake McAllister for being such as hot headed jerk) but failed to do so as the Dawson has identified Gin as the one who attempted to crack his safe in his office.

Dawson, who has a penchant for elemental duels challenged Gin to a duel of Stone Elementals not knowing that Gin also has Ice Elemental powers too. She defeats Tobias Dawson by burying him under the mining tunnel they are dueling in and cutting his vein using her ice elemental knife. Another change in the book is the transition of Gin love life from the moral superiority Donovan Caine into the more open minded and caring Owen Grayson.

Web of Lies is a must read for every Urban Fantasy fanatics out there and I'm sure you'll get a hang of Gin Blanco's and his company's wit, sense of friendship and of course a lot of action.

Spider's Bite Review

Title: Spider's Bite
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assasin #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Elemental Magic, Assasins, Vampires, Giants, Dwarves.

Summary:
"My name is Gin, and I kill people"

Review

Spider's Bite introduce us to Gin Blanco, a strong,brunette girl with a heavy southern accent who works as a waitress for a restaurant in the fictional city of Ashland called Pork Pit but moonlights as an assasin with stone and ice elemental skills. The restaurant is owned by an old man named Fletcher Lane whom was also a former assassin named "Tin Man" who is also Gin's mentor.

The story starts with Gin on job to which give us reader a glimpse of how Gin works his assassin jobs: swift, precise and brutal. After successfully killing the target, she was advised by his mentor to retire for from the assassin business which she still can. She was finally given a new job which requires her to kill a CFO of big company who was suspected of laundering money from the company accounts. When the time for her to do the job, she soon encounters another assassin who was contracted by the same client to eliminate Gin and pin her as the fall guy.

This begins a series of events that lead to murder of her handler/mentor at the hands of an Air Elemental, Her rescuing detective Donovan Caine and finally killing the Air Elemental. Sexual tension between Gin and Donavan Caine reached it's peak as they engaged into "one-hour" stand despite Donovan Caine's moral reluctance.

Overall, Spider Bite is a great introduction to this great urban fantasy series. I would recommend listening to the audiobook while reading as this will enhance the reading experience. The narrator Lauren Fortgang did a great job conveying the "southern gal" vibe of the main character.