Friday, June 26, 2015

Review: Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin #1) by Jennifer Estep

Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin, #1)
Title: Spider's Bite

Series: Elemental Assassin #1

Previous short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, urban fantasy

Publication date: January 2010

Published by: Pocket Books

Source: Library Book

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Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis:

My name is Gin, and I kill people.

They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South — when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way — good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction... especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.

My rating: ★★★★☆

If you've been around for a while, you may have realized that I don’t actually read many books in the Adult genre. But seeing as how I've loved every other book I've read by Jennifer Estep, (Mythos Academy is one of my favorite series ever, and I had just finished reading Cold Burn of Magic before starting this one--which was also awesome!), I knew I had to at least give her other series a chance. And boy was I not disappointed! This Elemental Assassin series just has a very complex and interesting world with equally interesting and likable characters.

Our main character, Gin Blanco AKA the Spider, is one of the best if not the best assassin there is. Yes, she is quite good at her job. However, lately she's been thinking that it might be time for her to retire. Just one last job... like I said, she's good at her job, so this one last assignment should be a piece of cake, right? Wrong! So, Gin is in place, just about ready to take out her target, when all of a sudden she's the one who's being attacked! Someone double crossed her then framed her for a murder she didn't even commit...

"I'm the one wanted for murder. Normally, that wouldn't bother me, except this time I didn't even do it." -Gin Blanco

... Then--yeah, there's more!--one of Gin's loved ones is killed. Good grief, can't an assassin catch a break? Determined to avenge the murder of her loved one and clear her name (well, as clear as an assassin's name can get), Gin sets out on a mission to find out who's behind all this and kill them before they try and kill her (and succeed this time) or anyone else she cares about.

I loved Gin! She may be a cold-hearted assassin, but boy, you can't help but sympathize with her. She's just so badass and awesome and contrary to what you may believe about assassins, Gin is not all that cold-hearted, honestly. She is very caring, loyal, and fiercely protective of those she loves. Speaking of those she loves, I adored Finn! He's so charming and I love how brotherly he is with Gin. I just loved their relationship and their back-and-forth bantering :) The one person I did not like at all was Detective Cain, well at least not as Gin's love interest. I really didn't care for the sort-of-but-not-really relationship that was developing there. Actually, I found it--him--a bit annoying. He was always brooding and serious and moody and... ugh! Sure he may be hot, but I honestly didn't see what Gin saw in this guy. Yeah she's an assassin for hire, but the detective was just a huge a-hole for not accepting Gin the way she is. I understand that he is, well, the law, but... I just don't like him, okay?

Sorry Donovan Cain, but is what it is...

I just don't see this relationship going anywhere =/ But beside this little nuisance, I loved this book! As I said before, it was really good. I loved the idea of elementals--there were just so many cool powers! I loved whole world, the story, all the other characters, and oh my gods the food! The way Jennifer describes the food... *drools* I hate her for it because she always makes me hungry and wish Gin would hop out of the book for a sec to cook me something, lol.

Anyway, it was a lot of fun and so adventurous! That cliffhanger at the end though... whoa! I really feel like this is going to be a great series! :)


Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below! :)

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