I'm really having difficulty lately to write review. The worst is that I want to review!! But when it comes to choosing which books and to put my feelings into words... Ugh. So frustrating. I guess I'm having the reviewing blues ^_^;
In any case, I hope it was the right decision to choose Spider's Revenge and that you will enjoy the review!
***Warning: There are spoilers in this review. Read at your own risk!***
Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep
published by Simon & Schuster
Old habits die hard for assassins.Genre: Urban Fantasy
And I plan on murdering someone before the night is through.
Killing used to be my regular gig, after all. Gin Blanco, aka the Spider, assassin-for-hire. And I was very, very good at it. Now, I’m ready to make the one hit that truly matters: Mab Monroe, the dangerous Fire elemental who murdered my family when I was thirteen. Oh, I don’t think the mission will be easy, but turns out it’s a bit more problematic than expected. The bitch knows I’m coming for her. So now I’m up against the army of lethal bounty hunters Mab hired to track me down. She also put a price on my baby sister’s head. Keeping Bria safe is my first priority. Taking Mab out is a close second. Good thing I’ve got my powerful Ice and Stone magic—and my irresistible lover, Owen Grayson—to watch my back. This battle has been years in the making, and there’s a good chance I won’t survive. But if I’m going down, then Mab’s coming with me . . . no matter what I have to do to make that happen.
Series: Elemental Assassin series, Book #5
The Story: Gin Blanco, aka the Spider, is anxious. She has declared war against Ashland's strongest elemental and mob queen Mab Monroe, who turned out to be an old family enemy. Now, she just wants it to be all over - which means killing Mab - so her family and friends can be safe. However, Gin is not the only one growing anxious... Mab is too. She wants things to be over just as much as Gin - with a different ending, of course. To speed it all up, she has called in reinforcements: bounty hunters... and some of them are actually competent! The stakes get higher when Gin finds out that Mab has not only placed a bounty on the Spider - which is expected, but also on her baby sister, Detective Bria Coolridge. It's high time to end things... but can Gin really take on Mab in a face-off? And whom will Lady Luck favor?
My Opinion: So, Spider's Revenge. LOL, well the title says it all, right? Very appropriate :) It was a satisfying ending for the story arc and overall, I enjoyed it :)
As usual, Spider's Revenge has a very short timeline and is action-packed... and as usual, Ms Estep makes it work :) I think the storyline of Spider's Revenge was very solid. While we all knew how this book was going to end - with the death of Mab, Ms Estep was able to make the storyline interesting with a few twists :) The addition of the bounty hunters was a good idea to mix things up. I really liked Ruth Gentry and Sidney. Not because Sidney reminded Gin of herself at that age; instead, it was the fact that they were competent foes for Gin. Also, there's the fact that they're not "bad" like the other people that work for Mab and Gin has gone against in previous books. That meant Gin's dealing with them was different. Oh I'm sure that if they had really pose a danger, Gin wouldn't hesitate to get rid of them... but since it wasn't the case, she had to be a bit more wily :)
Another aspect of the book that I really liked was the relationships. Finn and Bria finally pair up - not surprising, but good to see :) You also have Owen and Gin declaring their love for each other :) I'm glad that Gin is finally overcoming Donovan Caine. I mean seriously, Owen is a prize and she should never let go. Also, the image of Owen fighting with hammer... I'd like to see that :) What I liked best though was the part where Jojo revealed to Gin how she met Fletcher and how her alliance with Fletcher and later Gin started. When you depend so much on a person to put you back together injuries after injuries, it's nice to know where their loyalty stems from... So you know that your own loyalty is not misplaced. After all, Gin is from a very dark world.
What dimmed my enjoyment of Spider's Revenge a little was the lack of excitement... and this lack of excitement stems from the predictability of the series. Yes, Ms Estep was able to make things interesting with the twists, but ultimately, I knew that Gin and Mab would face off and Mab would die. Or for example, Finn and Bria hooking up. It was great to see happening, but as I mentioned it wasn't a surprise. I just think that all along the series, Ms Estep has been too obvious in her next moves and her agenda. Her foreshadowing was big neon signs in the dark ^_^; Which is actually why I'm so glad this storyarc is ending. It means that with the next book, By A Thread, we're going into unknown territories. Ms Estep can start a whole new storyarc and we, the readers, are totally in the dark :)
My Grade: B. Spider's Revenge had the potential to be great in my opinion... if only it had been accompanied by a breathless feeling, the urge to turn the pages as fast as you can to know what will happen next. It is nonetheless a very solid and enjoyable read :) And as corny as it may sound, Spider's Revenge is not the end of things, but a new beginning for the readers :) And guess what? When I was at RWA, Ms Estep told me that Donovan Caine would be back in By A Thread... I think things are going to get exciting!
