Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin) [Mass Market Paperback]

In a new urban fantasy series, JE creates a world in which giants, vampires and dwarves mingle with humans. In the city of Ashland, betrayal is met with a knife in the back, addicts (to both narcotics and magic) litter the streets, vampire hookers drain clients dry if they refuse to pay for their pleasures whilst the police force is in the pocket of those willing to bribe them. Sitting on top of this pile of corruption and treachery is Mab Monroe, a Fire elemental believed to be the most powerful born in five centuries.

Unlike Mab, Gin Blanco lives under the raider; her persona of cook in The Pork Pit is the perfect cover for her other job as the Spider; the most feared assassin around. Despite killing for money, Gin has her own code of honour, and when her handler is brutally killed by an Air elemental she seeks revenge.

Aiding her is Donovan Caine, the only honest detective in Ashland, yet he has his own agenda; find the assassin who murdered his partner and bring them to justice. Yep this assassin is none other than Gin, yet she and Caine work in uneasy harmony to uncover the mastermind behind a variety of schemes, all of which hinge on framing Gin for a murder and then killing her. Good guy Caine certainly holds his own against his enemies, whilst his reluctant attraction to Gin is equally reciprocated and creates a steamy undercurrent as the drama and action intensifies around the pair in the final few chapters.

From the first line of this book I was hooked, as Gin calmly informs her next target exactly how long she has left to live before clinically committing the assassination and making her escape, yet the story line flagged somewhat following such an action fuelled opening. The initial investigation into who double crossed Gin and why is rather slow paced before the drama is upped again in a variety of physical confrontations which tend to end in gory deaths.

Gin herself makes this book in my opinion. She may be able to coolly slit the throat of a target, but she has her own rules and is intensely loyal to those she loves. She is attracted to Caine but is not blinded by lust and whilst she may like the detective, she would not hesitate to gut him should he threaten her plans of revenge or do anything stupid like arrest her. Gin is also a Stone and Ice elemental, but rarely uses her magic on the job, instead preferring a more hands on approach involving sharp knives. This gritty, dark urban fantasy is a great start to a new series with some great secondary characters (in particular Finn, and dwarf sisters Jo-Jo and Sophia) plus some great loose threads which I hope are explored further in book 2 "Web of Lies".

SPIDER'S BITE is an urban fantasy with a top notch conspiracy that fascinated me from cover to cover. From the very first page I got nonstop action and a conspiracy that unravels itself in a thrill ride that kept me expecting everything from anyone. There are already many first person POV, tough-as-nails, leading ladies out there who fight evil but Jennifer Estep managed to instantly hook me with Gin's own code of honor and her utter professionalism in her line of work. From there I got to meet the people who matter to her the most, I got to feel her pain, her determination and her humor.

The story unfolds itself on the backdrop of a fictional southern metropolis of Ashland where the Rune images proclaim someones family and power. The Rune symbolism and the importance to the characters are one of those details I crave to read in an Urban Fantasy. I didn't get an info dump but along the way I got enough for Ashland to become a vivid and energetic city that is the home to a few distinctive characters.

As written from the first person it is all about Gin. She is tough but her honor and empathy balance that in her personality. She can be deadly cold but she is also deeply committed to those she cares about. There is an interplay between revealing slivers of information from Gin's present situation as well as her past that gives a complete picture of her persona. It speaks of events from her past that shaped the driven assassin she is today.

Gin is flanked by two men; cop Donovan Caine and the son of her handler and teacher; Finnegan Lane. Finnegan is a metro-man, he loves to cloth himself in the finest there is, he is a business man, cultured, sophisticated, a charmer. Never underestimate him though, he was raised by his father, he can pack a mean punch and understands how the assassin world works. Now Donovan Caine is a cop, not a cop that is susceptible to bribes but one who is righteous, idealistic, a believer of the system. Justice is what Donovan is all about in a rugged and sexy way. He gets under the skin of Gin and at an occasion or two their verbal sparring make the sizzle between them ignite in to a blazing physical heat. Their budding attraction contains a promise for the stories ahead but for now it was about a certain amount of raw heat that needed an outlet, nothing more or less. If there was one thing I missed at a few moments was Donovan's point of view in the attraction simmering between them. It created a distance that is the downside of a first person narrative.

Of course I got to meet more characters but the dwarf sisters JoJo and Sophie Deveraux deserve an honorary mention. They add their own pizzazz to the story that turns them in to beloved supporting characters who hopefully become recurring character in future series releases. Now what would a conspiracy be without the enemies? If only to think of Mab Monroe, an extremely dangerous and powerful Fire Elemental. Somehow I don't think we've seen the last of her or her power hungry tendencies. Also the sadistic evil doer who is behind the conspiracy adds a chilling presence to the tale. So many were able to be the mastermind behind this plot I was kept guessing until the very last chapters. While the set-up of book #2 Web Of Lies didn't surprise me I am most eager to see where the overall story arc is going.

At a gradual pace SPIDER'S BITE delivers on a tale that kept me up till the late hours of the evening. I got much in the right amounts that enhanced the overall impact of this story. It gives fight scenes in all its lethal splendor, a kill-or-be-killed chase for the truth that alternates with an investigation that is bend on uncovering all the information needed to make the evil doers pay for what they did. The action is going from silent and deadly, to a full-scale, hands-on, down-and-dirty fight that gets the blood pumping. There is also enough explanation about how the Elemental magic and runes work to deepen the understanding of their effects on the characters and this world. All the aspects in this novel aim for a nail-biting, tension filled Urban Fantasy that grabs the reader from the get-go. I can say that it for sure delivered for me, and I closed this novel with adding another author to my list who can satisfy my craving for an exhilarating Urban Fantasy.

SPIDER'S BITE is a more than welcome addition to the wildly popular Urban Fantasy genre. Jennifer Estep delivers the good stuff with a memorable leading lady, and a character-driven and tightly plotted story that captivated me from the first page.

Best tag line ever!

Well whoa! I really didn't expect that beginning! As you can most probably tell I didn't read the blurb. But after the initial shock I soon settled into it, then quickly found myself hooked.

I didn't think I'd like Gin as much as I did. I really liked her no apologies attitude. She is what she is, and she's good at it. Even though we don't get to know much about Fletcher I still felt Gin's pain. and understood her need for revenge.

I liked Finn and I liked the close sibling-like relationship he has with Gin. I admit I got a little something in my eye when Finn hugs Gin and tell's her he thought he lost her too. I hope he sticks around in the next book. Actually, there wasn't anyone I didn't like, or that got on my nerves.

It was a great read. The pages went by unnoticed as I was that engrossed. Definitely a series to go on my favourite list. It doesn't have the humour of The Disillusionists series, but it would come a close second if I judged it based on how much I enjoyed the story :)

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