Review: The Spider by Jennifer Estep

The Spider by Jennifer Estep
published by Simon & Schuster (Pocket) in December 2013

How did I end up in a career where I always have blood on my hands?

Well, let me tell you a story about an assassin who thought she could do no wrong…

Ten years ago. A blistering hot August night. I remember like it was yesterday. The night I, Gin Blanco, truly became the Spider. Killing people is what I do best, especially now that I’ve honed my Ice and Stone magic. But back then, I had yet to learn one very important rule: arrogance will get you, every single time.

This particular job seemed simple: murder a crooked building contractor with ties to ruthless Fire elemental Mab Monroe. My mentor, Fletcher Lane, had some misgivings, but I was certain that I had the situation under control… right up until I exposed my weaknesses to a merciless opponent who exploited every single one of them. There’s a reason assassins aren’t supposed to feel anything. Luckily, a knife to the heart can fix that problem, especially when I’m the one wielding it…

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Elemental Assassin, Book #10

The Story: The Spider opens up with Gin receiving a delivery of black roses accompanied by a cryptic note: "Happy anniversary." This gift and the date prompt Gin to take a trip down memory lane...

Ten years ago, Gin got an assignment to kill Cesar Vaughn, a Stone elemental who owned a construction company. There could have been any number of reasons why someone would target Cesar Vaughn... but what got under Gin's skin was the picture of Cesar's unsmiling daughter, Charlotte, with her troubled and dark gaze and the rumors that Cesar has been taking his stress out on her. While some facts don't act up and Fletcher wants to wait, Gin is not as patient. During one of her reconnaissance mission, she meets Cesar's older son, the charming Sebastian. Could she really have a romance with someone related to a target? And what happens when killers make mistake?

My Opinion: To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of prequels... They're okay when they come after the first or second books in a series, because they usually help us get a better understanding of the characters and the world building. But after 9 books? Is there really something about Gin that we don't know yet? In case you're curious, the answer is no.

The Spider turned out to be a pretty typical Elemental Assassin book in the sense that Gin gets a job that she's more keen on performing to help out instead of the money, gets beaten, escapes with some luck, is treated by Jo-Jo and finally gets the bad guy. The storyline was actually not bad, except that once again, it was quite predictable. Although I have no idea how Ms Estep could have written it with more subtlety... Perhaps it's because I've read so much, but as the characters were introduced and Fletcher's doubts were being voided, it was just so obvious where the story was going and who the villains were.

I did enjoy the peeks we got of Fletcher, Gin and Finn together. I enjoyed their interactions and wished there'd been more of it. It was also interesting to read about a younger and more vulnerable Gin. Despite being surrounded by people she can trust, you can see that Gin yearns a bit for the past and to be loved. While Fletcher is like a father to her, he's also her mentor and it doesn't look like Gin feels she can show him any weakness... because that's not what he trained her for. I also liked Gin and Finn's sibling relationship being reinforced :)

Finally, Ms Estep fell into the prequel trap by trying too hard to link The Spider with the current storyline. Roslyn's introduction and to a certain extent, Xavier's, were okay because they've been in Gin's entourage for a long time and we are aware that Gin met them around the timeline of The Spider. However, I really wished Ms Estep had not added Bria and Owen to the story, even if it was very brief appearances. To me, it ruined what we knew and the "first" encounters... especially Owen and Gin's. If The Spider had been written and released after the first or second book, it would have been all right, because it would have been considered foreshadowing. However, in this case, it just feels forced. How many times can Owen and Gin cross path and not remember each other?

In the end, The Spider wasn't a bad book. There were definitively some interesting tidbits, but they were not enough to warrant the prequel in my opinion. It makes me wonder if some of the events in The Spider will be the basis for a new story-arc in the future, because otherwise, I still wonder why Ms Estep chose to write this prequel instead of simply a "new" book.

My Grade: C.

TBR Challenge 2013: Widow's Web by Jennifer Estep

Look at me! Not only did I manage to write another review, but it's also my entry for the TBR Challenge! Yay me! I'd like to say that I'm on fire, but let's not push it, right? ^_^; Truth be told though, I didn't read Widow's Web specifically for this challenge. The newest installment of the Elemental Assassin series, Heart of Venom, is coming out next week and so, I was catching up on the series to be ready for its release and that meant reading Widow's Web... and it just happened to fit the criteria of a TBR book... Well my definition of a TBR book - a book I didn't buy this year LOL. It doesn't fit Wendy's suggested theme for August, but now, that'd really be pushing it :P

Enjoy!


***Warning: There are spoilers in this review. Read at your own risk!***

Widow's Web by Jennifer Estep
published by Simon & Schuster in August 2012

I used to murder people for money, but lately it’s become more of a survival technique. 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.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Elemental Assassin, Book #7

The Story: Widow's Web opens up with Phillip Kincaid, one of Ashland's top underworld shark, hiring Gin to cater a fund-raiser event on his luxe riverboat casino, the Delta Queen. Gin finds his a bit suspicious as everyone in the underworld has been gunning for her ever since she killed Mab. Curious, she accepts and, after an unfortunate incident and saving Kincaid's life, finds out Kincaid's real intention was for Gin to be aboard the Delta Queen to provide protection for the organizer of the fund-raiser, Eva Grayson... who also turns out to be Gin's lover's younger sister.

Gin is surprised to find out that Kincaid, Owen and Eva were friends and that they actually grew up together; although Kincaid and Owen's relationship seems to have soured. Then again, Owen has always been very quiet about his past. Unfortunately for Gin, the past has a nasty habit of always finding ways to re-surface and this time, it's in the shape of Salina Dubois, Owen's first love. A powerful water elemental and the daughter of Benedict Dubois who ran the underworld before he was assassinated by Mab, Salina is back in Ashland for revenge and to reclaim was she believes is her due... and that includes Owen.

My Opinion: Ever since the first book in the Elemental Assassin series, Spider's Bite, Ms Estep has been on my auto-buy list of authors. I like the premise, the idea of the heroine being an assassin, and I've really been enjoying the series despite some flaws. So if I like the series so much, why has Widow's Web been sitting in my TBR pile? Technically because of Ms Estep's warning which indicated the romance subplot would probably take a direction I wouldn't like much. So while I bought Widow's Web, I decided to wait for the subsequent installments to have the resolution of the romance subplot before reading it. After reading Kiss of Venom, a short novella from Owen's POV, it seems the resolution would come in Heart of Venom, so it was time to lift the ban and read Widow's Web :) Having read it now, I can tell it smart of me because I would not have liked to have had to wait for Deadly Sting ^_^; In the end, Widow's Web turned out to be an okay book for me. Basically, I think the idea was good and I liked the setting and where Ms Estep is heading; however, I really had problems with the execution :(

Widow's Web is the seventh book in the series, so by now, we pretty much know Gin inside out. As such, it was interesting that the book somewhat focused on someone else... and yes, I mean Owen LOL. I enjoyed getting to know more of his past, his connections with the underworld, his friendship with Phillip Kincaid who turns out to be quite an interesting character instead of simply being another slimy underworld boss :P Up to now, Owen had seemed a little too perfect for Gin - in the sense that he fit so well in her lifestyle and accepted her assassin identity a bit too easily. I can't really say that I liked Owen's behavior and actions in Widow's Web, but it sure was interesting and it made him more real. It just was good to see genuine emotions from Owen and to see him question himself and his relationship with Gin. I don't mean to say that their attraction or relationship were flimsy before Widow's Web, but it always felt like Owen integrated Gin's life too easily because he was a "shadowy" character... and I think there's a lot more to their relationship. And because of that, I agree with the direction Ms Estep has taken the romance between Gin and Owen, even if I was very apprehensive in the beginning. I think that Gin and Owen needed that obstacle in their relationship... because if they are going to be able to overcome it, their relationship will only be stronger for it. I feel Gin and Owen need to know how strong their bond is, that it can withhold everything. I feel that before, Gin and Owen were honest with each other, but there wasn't really anything to be honest about. Now there is, now they know that they have the capacity to hurt each other, now they are at the next level of their relationship.

To accomplish all this, I liked the idea of bringing back someone from Owen's past and who better than his first love, especially given the circumstances and the past they shared. However, as I mentioned above, I had problems with the execution. Actually, I was good with the emotional development that the plot has generated. As I said, Owen and Gin needed some conflict in their relationship and I liked the conflict it had brought in Owen. While he was dealing with Salina, I really wished he'd been more ruthless because that's the perception I had of him. After all, he's a "shadowy" man whose business has not always been all legal... but he turns out to be gentler than I expected... Not a good thing with a character like Salina because she's a villain, but when you think about it, it means he would treat Gin the same way... and that's not something to discount in my opinion. What didn't work for me though was how predictable the whole plot, the whole book was. This is an issue I've had with previous books of the series, but it was even worst with Widow's Web. First, there was the blurb! You know how readers sometimes complain of the blurbs being wrong or misleading? Well, in this case, it was too accurate and it gave the whole story away! And even if you didn't read the blurb, the story was still very predictable. The minute Salina was introduced in the story, you knew she was the villain. There was absolutely no doubt about it. As a result, when you consider that Salina was Owen's ex-fiancée and factor in Gin's profession, you knew exactly where the story was heading and the conflict it would generate. And if you weren't sure about it, well having two different characters asking Gin to kill Salina would have clued you in. There were other elements of the story that were too obvious as well. For example, the fountains. One of the first thing you learn about Salina is that she is a powerful water elemental... Yep, water elemental and fountains, hmmmm. Add two and two and it will give you four. There was no suspense in the story, no thrilling moment and no twist :( I thought the idea and the story itself were good; however, the predictability just ruined the enjoyment of it.

As a whole, I really enjoy Ms Estep's voice and writing, but this predictability is a real weakness of hers and it's not just in the Elemental Assassin series, the Mythos Academy series too. I feel she needs to be able to construct more complex storylines and be subtler in her writing in order to join the best urban fantasy authors... and I hope she does :)

My Grade: C. I believe that Widow's Web could have been a real winner if the story had been more subtle, more suspenseful because it would have combined action and conflict and created a nice emotional punch. Unfortunately, the obviousness, the predictability of the plot have dulled this emotional punch and its impact and made Widow's Web an okay book only :(

Review: Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep

Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep
published by Kensington in May 2012

I've seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I'm supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I'm just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me again. Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I'm also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me? It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can't use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me and I'm in for the fight of my life.

Genre: YA, Paranormal
Series: Mythos Academy, Book #3

The Story: The winter semester has just started at Mythos Academy and already, Gwen has her hands full. It all started with the attack from the Reapers at the museum where Gwen and her friends had to put in practice what they've learned in order to survive. It's one thing to learn how to fight, but to actually apply the theory... and kill someone? Problem is, the Reapers and Loki's champion will never leave Gwen alone until they find what they want: the Helheim Dagger which is the last artifact they need to release Loki unto the world. And it seems there's a possibility that all along, the dagger was hidden at the academy!

Unfortunately for Gwen, she has no one to turn to when she needs it most. Daphne is busy coming to term with her nascent Valkyrie ability which manifested during the attack. It's really not what she wanted nor expected, although it did save her boyfriend's life. Then there's Logan... He wants to be with Gwen, but he has issues with Gwen's gift, not wanting her to know his deepest and darkest secrets...Only, Gwen has already had a peek and there's nothing she can do if he doesn't accept that.

Finally, there's the new job Gwen has been hired for, to find Vivian's - another student at Mythos Academy - ring. It should have been simple, only it is not. She knew that there were Reapers among the students at Mythos Academy... but could it be that Loki's champion is among them as well?

My Opinion: Let's jump right in, shall we? :) I thought Dark Frost was better than Kiss of Frost... but it still hasn't reached the point where I'm going to go out and rave about this book or the series :( It still hasn't realized the potential it exhibited in Touch of Frost.

The positives of Dark Frost include once again a solid world building and interesting characterizations. The plot was also interesting and actually moved the overall storyline along well. It was tighter and I felt Ms Estep did a better job at balancing the action and the relationships. I actually quite enjoyed the relationships part of the book. I enjoyed seeing Gwen befriending more people and I really liked her growing friendship and chemistry with Oliver. Also, I think it was a good move on Ms Estep's part to add a bit of conflict between Daphne and Gwen. It's all good that Gwen has a best friend to depend on, but one has to remember the friendship is quite new and there can be waves to rock it. It's also more realistic given Gwen and Daphne are teenagers and at a crucial period of their lives. And all this will contribute to helping them build character.

Something else I enjoyed was seeing Gwen evolve in term of her abilities and ditto with her friends. Having a better grasps on their powers will only make the action more interesting in future books. There were also some interesting revelations in Dark Frost that shed some lights on some behaviors :) All in all, the series is really shaping up and that's a good thing.

Unfortunately, I do have one issue with Dark Frost and the series and it's a big one: the stories are too obvious. Quite frankly, I feel there's no subtlety in the plot and writing... therefore, if something is mentioned, you know it's going to be important ^_^; There is foreshadowing and there is "right there in your face" and the Mythos Academy series falls more in the "right there in your face" category ^_^; And that's really unfortunate, because it takes a lot away. I just feel the story is not intricate enough. Oh, there has been some nice twists, but for the most part, it's been too straightforward and easy to connect the dots. It's as if Ms Estep has a plan for the story and characters and she's following it... but I feel in this kind of series, you kind of need to throw the readers into the loop a little, let them figure out what's happening and why. In my review of Touch of Frost, I compared the Mythos Academy series with the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Well throwing the readers into the loop is something Mr Riordan achieved really well. When you start reading the Percy Jackson series, you are aware of the prophecy. You know where the characters are head, but you don't know how and while they go on new adventures, you don't know how these adventures connect to the end. In the case of the Mythos Academy series, you know how it connects to the endpoint and it just takes away from the enjoyment, from the wondering.

Something else that bothered me as well in Dark Frost was Gwen pining after Logan. Sigh. Besides the fact that Logan is the hottest guy in the Academy and he's been nice to Gwen on occasions, I don't know if he's really worthy of Gwen's feelings. I mean, so far, I feel the way he's been treating Gwen has been lacking. It doesn't matter the excuses he has, it's just not okay. He blows cold and hot and Gwen just let him. I wish Gwen would grow a spine when it comes to Logan and stopped letting him dictates everything between them... because the way it's going, it feels like Gwen is weak. It's really too bad there's no chance of any love relationship between Gwen and Oliver, because so far, he's the one who's been there for her.

Overall, I still think the series has potential, but it's not enough. Ms Estep needs something more for the Mythos Academy series to really stand out, to completely and utterly hook the readers... and personally, I think it's going to have come through the plots and storylines.

My Grade: B-.

WEM VII: Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep and Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

It's the week-end! It's the week-end! Just too bad that the temperature has started dropping. Although, I'm kind of happy... because now, it feels more like spring instead of summer LOL.

I haven't talked about it, but this week was the World Women Curling Championship and I've been following it religiously :) The teams either did great or not in the round robin and some teams I was expecting to see as the top 4 didn't make it like Scotland and China. The big, big surprise this week was Korea!! Wow, they won 8 games and lost 3... Their previous best record was the opposite, 3 wins and 8 losses and that was 2 years ago! Such improvement! So I'll definitively be rooting for the underdog. The funniest thing about Korea is that they came to Canada to train a couple of month and guess how they learn strategy? By watching TSN! TSN is our national sport channel on which I watch curling all the time because it's so popular in Canada. The commentators are very good and knowledgeable. They will talk about all the options available, what is the best call in their opinion, what should have been done for the perfect shot (brush more, brush less), etc. I just find it fun that Korea could improve so much by watching it LOL. Oh and USA was pretty amazing this week. They lost 4 straight games and everyone thought they were out... and had 7 consecutive wins! That meant there was a tie-breaker with Canada. Just too bad they had one bad end, so Canada ended up winning it. The top 4 teams are Sweden, Switzerland, Korea and Canada. Sweden is already sure of winning either gold or silver and it was a great match between Sweden and Switzerland. I hope this week-end's curling will be as good as last night :)

All right, back to books :) Since I've been pretty much up-to-date with my reviews this month, I thought I'd take the opportunity the books that slipped through the cracks last year :) And I decided to go by genre, which was YA last week. The whole week, Kiss of Frost was leading... and at the last minute, someone sneaked in a vote and we got a tie with Sean Griswold's Head! So here we go :)

Oh and for next WEM feature, the genre is historical :) As usual, the poll is on the sidebar :)


Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

published by Kensington in November 2011

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword...

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Series: Mythos Academy, Book #2

What do you need to know? The story actually takes place away from the Academy. The students are headed to a ski resort for the Winter Carnival. Otherwise, Gwen has been training with the Spartan boys. She still has a crush on Logan, but he's with someone else. So when she meets a cute guy at the ski resort from another Academy, she decides, why not? Also, Gwen has the feelings someone has been following her and perhaps there's been a few attempts on her life, but doesn't really speak up ^_^;

Why this book? In the past couple of years, I've become a big fan of Ms Estep. First with her Elemental Assassin series and now, the Mythos Academy series. I enjoyed Touch of Frost and thought the series had potential... so it was simply a matter of time for me to pick up Kiss of Frost. Plus, great cover!

My thoughts? Truthfully, I was a bit disappointed with Kiss of Frost ^_^; I thought Touch of Frost was a great beginning to the series and I thought Ms Estep would use this opportunity to ride the momentum. Instead, she seemed to have "halted" with Kiss of Frost, almost like a breather. It was bogged down by too many descriptions, internal dialogues and Ms Estep's Archilles heel, recaps. It's nice to provide information to new readers, but at the end of the day, this book is part of the series and therefore the author should expect that readers have read the previous books.

I did like that Ms Estep changed the setting for Kiss of Frost and that most of the story took place at the ski resort. I have to say, I wished there's been more action in this one, but what was there was good. As for the storyline, it wasn't great, but wasn't bad either. The idea was good, but I thought the identity of the villain was too predictable and I didn't like how it connected with Gwen's mother's death. Too coincidental and too obvious. I think for this series to be a success, it needs to be more subtle and intricate. The way it is now, you know that every new information or element is important and will come into play later on.

Something else that I liked about Kiss of Frost is that Gwen finally seems to be coming out of her cocoon and making friends. She's not universally loved, but at least, she has people that she can count on :) Aside from Daphne, I think Oliver will become someone she can confide in. While it's improving on the friendship front, there was little progress on the love front. It annoyed me that Gwen was mooning so much over Logan ^_^; I like Logan and I can see how someone would have a crush on him... but to say that he broke Gwen's heart is going too far as well as the way Gwen is hanging up on him. Yes, they could have started something but Logan backed out at the last minute. Both Gwen and Logan's attitudes towards each other is simply frustrating. Either you get together or you move on... However, as it is, one minute they care, one minute they don't: it's just so contradictory.

Luckily, what saved the day for me was the overall story about Gwen's family being Gypsies. It clears up some questions I had and kept things interesting :) And because of it, I think the series still has a lot of potential.

My Grade? C+. Kiss of Frost felt very much like a transitional book to me. However, the end sets up well for the next book. I'm definitively going to read the next and hope it's a winner :)


Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt
published by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books in March 2011

According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold... all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Series: None

What do you need to know? Payton is very close to her father, therefore finding out that he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) is a shock. While not life-threatening, the disease is debilitating on a long-term basis and obviously, life-changing. Payton is scared, but also hurt that her parents did not tell her and she was last to learn about it.

Payton decides to listen to her guidance counselor who suggested to focus on an object and write about it to help her go through this rough period. And she chooses the object that she has been seeing most since third grade: Sean Griswold's head. Well it starts out with the head, but quickly expands to the rest of him. Payton realizes that while she's been sitting behind him for years, she barely knows the boy. What are his likes and dislikes, his interests? As Payton starts getting to know Sean better, she finds she enjoys his company and likes his personality... But Sean's migraines are troubling her and she fears they are not simple headaches...

Why this book? This book first came to my attention on Rowena's The Book Scoop blog :) There was the cover which I found absolutely cute, but also the fact that this book dealt with the acceptance of MS. During my undergrad, I worked at the MS clinic, so I'm familiar about the disease. Also, I thought I'd enjoy this book since it's about Payton's acceptance of her father's disease instead of high school drama.

My thoughts? I'm really glad I read Sean Griswold's Head, because I enjoyed it a lot. It was also as I expected: the book was focused on Payton's acceptance of her father's disease and not centered on high school drama. I find that Ms Leavitt did a great job because the story was very realistic, what Payton and her family were going through felt really real and so did their feelings. In addition, the author did a great job at balancing the serious aspect with the silly, fluffy side of the story :) While the topic is serious and hard at times, the tone wasn't dark or heavy. Instead, it was easy to read and that made it a good read for me :)

All in all, I really liked this book. Payton was a good heroine, although a bit self-centered. I don't mean it in a bad way though. It's just a side-effect of being a teenager :) Payton is hurt and scared and as a result, she's angry at her parents. And while she was angry, she didn't stop to think about how her parents felt... Especially her father who is the one sick. I thought the reaction was very normal, very real... Not just from Payton's side, but also her father. I really liked his explanation for not telling Payton sooner. He himself needed time to accept the disease... by telling Payton, it became too real. I also liked that overall, Payton had a good relationship with her parents and her family was normal.

I also liked Sean very much. He was such a great guy in my opinion. I wished we could have read his POV or seen more of him. I liked how Payton started getting to know him better. First, it was a bit stalker-ish, but then, she started talking to him and made a new friend, found a new interest - biking... Seeing her develop feelings for Sean and her feelings being reciprocated, that was definitively the cute part of the book :) Especially when it started from such a silly idea LOL.

My only complaint is the author's need to add conflicts to a story that already had one. First, there was the fight between Payton and Jac, her best friend. I thought it was superfluous and especially, the way it was done ^_^; Then, there was Payton pushing Sean away because of his migraines. I understand that Payton doesn't want to care for someone who might be sick... She's dealing with her father's illness and so, is scared she could lose Sean. So instead of standing by his side, she pushes him away. I really didn't like that part because I think it spoke poorly of Payton ^_^; As it turned out, Payton's reaction was very premature and lucky for her, Sean forgave her... But what about the future? If something does really happen to him, will Payton rabbit again or will she be strong? Obviously, the relationship was pretty new and as it deepens, things will change... but it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. Finally, with these two conflicts, it meant Payton was pretty much on her own in the last quarter of the book... and it took out steam from the book. It just wasn't as interesting and engaging and I thought it was unfortunate since the first 3/4 was so strong :(

My Grade? B. Despite a couple of issues, I really liked Sean Griswold's Head and will definitively read more books by this author :)

Review: Thread of Death and By a Thread by Jennifer Estep

Finally, the week-end! I have no plans except for continuing to read and hopefully review :) I'm just looking forward to some time to relax and de-stress. What about you? I also need to try to read a book for the TBR challenge!!

I've been reading a lot of books I was looking forward to. So expect some reviews :) I thought I'd start off with By a Thread by Jennifer Estep. And I decided to knock out two birds with one rock by reviewing the novella that came out just before By a Thread, Thread of Death. Enjoy!!


***Warning: There are spoilers in this review. Read at your own risk!***

Thread of Death by Jennifer Estep
published by Simon & Schuster in January 2012 (e-book only)

Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider, might have finally killed her nemesis, Mab Monroe, but that doesn't mean that it's smooth sailing. Gin goes to Mab's funeral to say her goodbyes and runs into some of Ashland's most notorious underworld power players, including Jonah McAllister and Phillip Kincaid. McAllister wants her dead, and Kincaid has his own murky motives when it comes to the Spider, and Gin once again finds herself fighting for her life. Only this time, she might wind up in the cemetery right next to Mab.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Elemental Assassin series, Book #5.5

The Story: It is Mab Monroe's funeral and everyone with a modicum of power in Ashland has turned up. Gin and her entourage have also decided to come, for closure. However, not surprisingly, the Queen of Ashland's underworld will not go quietly - even dead...

My Opinion: When I heard that Ms Estep was contracted for two additional books in the Elemental Assassin series, I was thrilled :) And once I read Spider's Revenge, I was even more looking forward to By a Thread for the change of scenery and therefore less predictability. However, reading Thread of Death gave me some doubts as to whether or not my expectations for By a Thread were too high ^_^;

Basically, I had no issues with the writing of Thread of Death. I thought it was solid and I welcomed the additional POVs (Jonah McAllister and Phillip Kincaid) that we got. Although I admit that Jonah McAllister's voice seemed to be a bit off. I thought it wasn't distinct enough from Gin or Phillip... but still, it was a nice touch because it really let you know where he was coming from and how deep his hatred for Gin is. Gin hasn't only killed Mab and Jonah's son... but she single-handily changed his life the way he knew it. From very high, he now has fallen to the bottom. That loss of status is hard to swallow and he's definitively not going to accept meekly and thus, is going to try to take out Gin. That part of the novella made sense to me :) I also really liked getting Phillip Kincaid's POV. He's been mentioned several times in the series, but I think this is the first time readers got to meet him. For some reasons, in my mind, I thought he'd be older... Anyway, I'm now really intrigued about Phillip and Owen's friendship!! Obviously, there was a woman who came in between and has clouded Owen's judgement. From the bits we got, I think I'm really going to like Phillip's character! A ruthless man, but still loyal to his friends... almost honorable :) And I think Ms Estep did a great job at foreshadowing Widow's Web, the 7th book in the series. Right now, I'm really excited to read that book for Phillip, but also to know more about Owen's past!! I do hope that the friendship between the two men will be mended.

Where Thread of Death didn't work for me was the concept/idea of it: Gin attending Mab's funerals. I can understand that Gin and Bria need closure... but I think attending the funeral wasn't the right way to go about it. First of all, why would Gin - the owner of the Pork Pit and eternal college student, and Detective Bria Coolidge attend the funeral? Actually, could they? I mean, most of the people present at the funerals are the ones with power, the cream of society... Gin and Bria are neither. So wouldn't they stand out like a sore thumb? Okay, so Owen and Finn do have some status, but they were not friends or enemies with Mab. So even their presences are questionable. Then, there's the fact that Gin went after the sniper. For an assassin, it seemed to me Gin has tossed caution aside and has definitively tipped her hand here. Yes, there's been rumors and McAllister knows her true identity... but I don't think it was Gin's intention to confirm those rumors and that's exactly what she did. You'd have to be a moron to be at the funeral, see what Gin did and not wonder who that woman was and whether or not the rumors could be true... and most often than not, people in power are not morons ^_^;

My Grade: C+. To sum up my review, I think that Thread of Death's storyline was a bad idea conceptually. It simply didn't make sense to me. However, once written, it was well-executed and because of it, I'm looking forward to Widow's Web even more :)



By a Thread by Jennifer Estep

published by Simon & Schuster in February 2012

When killing people is your job, there’s no such thing as a vacation.

Then again, how often does an assassin live long enough to enjoy her retirement? In this line of work, you either get lucky or you get dead. And since I destroyed my nemesis Mab Monroe a few weeks ago, all of Ashland’s lowlifes are gunning to make a name for themselves by taking out the lethal Spider—me, Gin Blanco. So I’m leaving behind my beloved barbecue joint and heading south with my baby sister, Bria, to cool my heels in a swanky beach town. Call it a weekend of fun in the sun.

But when a powerful vampire with deadly elemental magic threatens an old friend of Bria’s, it looks like I’ll have to dig my silverstone knives out of my suitcase after all. Complicating matters further is the reappearance of Detective Donovan Caine, my old lover. But Donovan is the least of my problems. Because this time, the danger is hot on my trail, and not even my elemental Ice and Stone magic may be enough to save me from getting buried in the sand—permanently.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Elemental Assassin series, Book #6

The Story: Ever since Mab Monroe's death, rumors abounded that Gin Blanco, owner of the Pork Pit, is in fact the fearsome assassin, the Spider. As a result, Gin has been fielding ambushes and attacks right and left from everyone who wants to make a name for themselves. For a retired assassin, she's seeing a lot of action... and it's starting to take a toll on her. Thus, Finn proposes a vacation. They end up choosing Blue Marsh, a swanky beach town and Bria's hometown.

Gin ends up driving down to Blue Marsh with Bria a day before Finn and Owen join them. Ever since they have reunited, Gin and Bria's relationship has been fragile because of who Gin is and it has become even more tenuous after Bria has been kidnapped and tortured by Mab. Therefore Gin hopes this trip will give them the opportunity to strengthen their bond... especially since she's worried Bria has decided to return "home" now that their enemy is dead. However, Gin's bonding experience is not happening, in part because she feels like the third wheel once she meets Callie - Bria's best friend and the "sister she never had." Then, to her shock, Callie also turns out to be the fiancée of Detective Donovan Caine... Gin's lover who really hurt her in the past.

And to complicate the whole situation, Callie is in trouble. Callie is being harassed by a rich and powerful vampire to sell him her restaurant. She is the only land owner still holding out and therefore, is the only obstacle left in Randall Dekes' plan to build a resort and mega casino. Gin kindly proposes to take care of him... but let say her proposition doesn't go over well with Bria and Donovan... that is until, Dekes kidnaps Callie.

My Opinion: As I mentioned earlier, I've really been looking forward to By a Thread :) Overall, I have enjoyed the Elemental Assassin series; however, by the end of the first story arc, i.e. Spider's Revenge, I found the series really suffered from too many recaps and became too predictable. Therefore, By a Thread felt like Ms Estep's opportunity for another fresh start. In the end, although she didn't fully exploit the opportunity she was given, I think Ms Estep did a good job nonetheless :)

Overall, I did enjoy By a Thread. While the plot wasn't as refreshing as I hoped it'd be, it was a bit less predictable and still a very solid read. I guess there are plot limitations when your heroine is an assassin and her first reaction is to kill first and think later ^_^; Plus, Gin's victims have to be villains, people who deserve it... I mean, nobody likes a heroine who kills innocent, right? Going in By a Thread, I didn't expect Gin to be someone else and I knew she'd be doing her job, i.e. killing people... and in that respect, kudos to Ms Estep for being consistent with the characterization :) However, I can't help but be a bit disappointed because I felt Randall Dekes wasn't different from the previous villains in the series nor was the situation Callie was in which prompted Gin to take care of it. Once again, you have an underworld lord who appears to be nice and philanthropic bullying regular folks and resorting to violence and death. Like I said, it wasn't very original and I hope that in the next book Ms Estep will be able to come up with something different. In the meantime, Ms Estep pulls it off  in By a Thread because there are some interesting twists in the plot :) I really liked that Gin was reminded of her vulnerability in By a Thread. Not surprisingly, after killing Mab who is such a powerful elemental, Gin has gotten a bit too over-confident. It's a very normal reaction in my opinion... but it's also a very dangerous one and Gin pays for it. As an assassin, Gin cannot get sloppy... Sloppy means death. Also, there's always someone stronger waiting in the wings. So in that aspect, I think the plot worked :) And as usual, there was some nice action :)

The real strength of By a Thread wasn't the plot or the action this time around. Instead, it was the development and progress in the characterization and relationships in my opinion. I thought Ms Estep really did a great job. I liked that she tackled the broken relationship between Gin and Bria. I feel that ever since she's appeared in the picture, Bria has been acting like a spoiled kid. Bria was lucky... she was saved and then, was raised by a loving couple. Gin wasn't as lucky and in the end, she survived the only way she could. Obviously, Gin being an assassin does go against Bria's moral standards... but doesn't Gin deserve a break given what she's been through? I felt Bria should be the last to be so judgmental about Gin. Also, there was a lot of emphasis about how angry Bria was at Gin because Gin was the reason why Bria was kidnapped and tortured by Mab... and I just don't understand this part. The way I remember it, if it wasn't for Gin, Bria would have been killed right after she returned to Ashland ^_^; With or without Gin, Mab would have gone after Bria simply because of who she is... so I really didn't get why she blamed Gin. Anyway, I'm glad that seeing how Donovan treated Gin finally opened Bria's eyes and made her realized how badly she's been treating Gin. At the same time, I was also very glad that Gin was able to let go of Bria. Our heroine has been trying so hard to win over her little sister and really, I just thought Gin deserved better.

Another relationship that Ms Estep tackled was Donovan Caine. When I heard from Ms Estep that Donovan would make a return in By a Thread back during RT 2010, my first reaction was denial. I really wasn't looking forward to it, because I just hate love triangles... and there's no doubt to me that Gin has not let go, mainly because Donovan is the man who walked away and hurt her so much. Does someone you don't have feelings for can hurt you this much? No. So whether she admits it or not, I feel like Gin has loved Donovan at some point. I guess that in facing Donovan again, Ms Estep's intention was to give Gin some closure... and she did get closure, but it felt forced to me. My problem is that whenever Owen came up, Gin would think/talk about how much she loves him, how much they suit each other and how Owen accepts her... which is all true. However, the way it was done, it seems to me Gin was reminding herself. She was reminding herself to love Owen because he was safe, he wouldn't hurt her :( Also, in By a Thread, Donovan really acted like an ass ^_^; From his "too good" attitude towards Gin to the last scene at the restaurant... Ugh, Gin is totally better off without him. At the same time, I feel that Owen deserves more from Gin... And I hope Ms Estep will work on that in the next book. Oh and also, I loved Owen's attitude throughout By a Thread. Always supportive towards Gin, but also, he trusted her. He never pushed her, forced her in anyway to prove that she loved him... Sigh, such a great guy. I really hope Gin realizes how lucky she is :)

Finally, I want to say that I liked that Ms Estep addressed some of the issues readers have brought up in the previous books, mainly the recapping. I don't know whether she really listened to the readers or it's because By a Thread is a new story arc and didn't require as many recaps, but I hope she keeps it up :)

My Grade: B. I really wavered between a B or a B+. Had I not felt the way I do about the whole Gin and Owen, this book would definitively have been a B+. In the end, I just feel a bit uncomfortable with the whole situation and I hope Ms Estep will really make it clear in Widow's Web :)

Review: Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Ugh, what an awful few days it's been. First, it's been really busy at work... and second, my computer is giving me trouble. Again. This time though, I'm throwing down the towel and I'm ready to buy a new computer. Except, buying one is not as easy as it seems or as it should be ^_^;  I'm debating whether I should still go with Dell or another brand and how long it'll take till I get it if I order it. Just yesterday night alone, I got the blue screen of death 6 times!!  That's not counting the number of times Chrome crashed on me! At the rate it's going, I won't be able to wait for long... so I'm thinking perhaps instant gratification at a store is the way to go instead of ordering online. Sigh, decision, decision, decision.

In the meantime, I'm really happy to finally have this review up!! Yay!! I'm really having a hard time putting reviews together lately. It's just not coming together nicely in my opinion... Despite that, I hope this review still make sense :) Let me know if it doesn't!!


Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

published by Kensington in July 2011

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died...

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Series: Mythos Academy series, Book #1

The Story: In Gwen Frost's family, the women have powers. Her grandmother sees the future, her mother could sense the truth and Gwen knows, sees and feels an object or a person's history upon touch. Because of those powers, the Frost women are considered as Gypsies.

Six months ago, Gwen's mother died. Not long afterwards, Gwen was enrolled at Mythos Academy, an elite Ivy League prep school for the descendants of mythological warriors: Amazons, Valkyries, Romans, Vikings, Spartans, Trojans, Celts, Samurais, Ninjas and so on. Being the new kid is difficult, but in this case, Gwen just feels she doesn't fit in: she is not a warrior and cannot wield any weapon, she's not rich, she's not wearing any brand names and is into comics... Her friendless state doesn't really matter anyway as Gwen is still dealing with her grief.

Then, the most popular - and mean - girl, Jasmine Ashton, is murdered in the Library of Antiquities, where Gwen works, and the Bowl of Tears, one of the Thirteen Artifacts, is stolen... Jasmine wasn't among Gwen's favorite people, but she is bothered that everyone is indifferent to Jasmine's death. Something else that's on her mind is that Gwen actually touched Jasmine's blood and corpse... and didn't flash. Things just don't add up and therefore, Gwen decides to investigate Jasmine's death. And in the course of her investigation, she ends up making unexpected allies...

My Opinion: Well I've become a fan of Ms Estep with her Elemental Assassin series and I was looking forward to Touch of Frost because I thought that Ms Estep's writing would lend itself well to YA... and I was right :) Touch of Frost ended up being a really enjoyable read :)

I admit, I'm not a fan of high school drama. I know, I know, it's the predominant theme in YA books ^_^; I guess it's because I never experience high school drama to that extent, so I cannot relate. That's why I usually prefer paranormal or fantasy YA. However, in this instance, I think Ms Estep did a good job at blending the regular life of a teenager with the paranormal elements. It felt a bit like the Percy Jackon series version teenagers LOL. I like that while these characters were supernaturals: Valkyries, Spartans, etc., their concerns were ones from typical teenagers, i.e. going to school, having friends, their crushes, who are they going to go to the dance with and so on. For them, being supernatural didn't bring them more angst or make their lives so different. I liked that at Mythos Academy, they didn't need to hide who they were. As you can see, the setting  really worked for me.

Another aspect of the book that worked for me were the characters :) I really liked them. Gwen was a nice heroine that I could get behind and cheer for. She was quite independent and didn't really care about high school drama - a plus in my book :) I liked that she was her own person and was quite comfortable with it. I also liked that she wasn't too morose or depressed. Yes, her mother passed away and part of Gwen felt guilty and that's why she isolated herself in the past few months... However, she was ready to come out of her shell and move on, start making friends and live. Basically, she was a good character with a lot of potential and one that I'm curious to see what will happen to :) I also liked what I've seen of the secondary characters. I thought at first that Daphne would be a bitch, but it was nice to see things turn around and her becoming Gwen's ally. I'm looking forward for their relationship to develop :) Carson was a nice guy, a bit of a geek. I thought his romance with Daphne was cute and most likely, he will become the voice of reason in their little group. As for Logan, he was quite the mystery. It was hard to figure him out, as he blew hot and cold... Obviously though, the guy is interested in Gwen and I'm sure whatever his secret or reasons to be had to do with Gwen. Right now, I'm thinking he's her protector... He seemed to always be there at the right moment and probably know much more than he let on. I wonder how long it will take for Gwen to figure it out :)

There was a lot of world building in Touch of Frost, but Ms Estep was good at not dumping all the information at once. She was able to spread it out as the story went on and I thought the storyline was a good one. I liked seeing Gwen taking an interest and investigating Jasmine's death... although it felt like her amateur sleuthing was too easy. Also, the fact that the teachers didn't look more into Jasmine's death was highly suspicious in my opinion. In any case, the twist at the end was quite interesting and I didn't really expect it :) What I'm most happy about though is that Ms Estep cleared out the Gyspy thing in this book. First, it means she thought about it and so every dots should connect :) Also, it gives us a little idea of what to expect in the future.

All in all, Touch of Frost was a solid start to this series in my opinion. The style of the book is easy to read and enjoyable, the characters are engaging and the storyline was interesting. Ms Estep gives us enough information and answers so we are not too anxious and going crazy, but still looking forward to the next book :)

My Grade: B.

Review: Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep

Yes, I finally able to stop watching Startling Early Steps and focus on my review LOL. It freaking took me 3 days to write it, so I hope I did a good job... although I don't know. It doesn't feel complete to me ^_^;

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.
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.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
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!

Review: Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep

So, guess what? I signed up for the gym again this year and today was the first day I went to work out. I still don't like it at all, but I really need to move and do something as I've gained even more weight :( At least, this time, my sister signed-up with me... so hopefully, we'll be able to motivate each other.

Aside from that, nothing much is going on in my life. I was hoping to get this review up earlier, but now is not too late :) I hope you enjoy!!

By the way, who plans to wake up to watch the royal wedding? LOL, I know I won't, but apparently, my sister and mother are going to try :P


***Warning: There are spoilers in this review. Read at your own risk!***

Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep

published by Simon & Schuster

I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings.

But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead.

Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too.

The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling... or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Elemental Assassin series, Book #4

The Story: Tangled Threads takes place only a few weeks after the events of Venom in which the Spider, i.e. Gin, has declared war to Mab Monroe. As Ashland's underground lord, Mab is not about to let herself being threatened and has taken the necessary measures against Spider - hiring an assassin of her own, Elektra LaFleur. LaFleur fits right in Mab's crowd as not only is she good at killing people, but also enjoys it. However, the Spider is not the only name on LaFleur's list and when it comes to Bria, Gin's long-lost sister, all bets are off. Also, Gin continues to struggle whether to let Bria know of her identity, as both Genevieve and the Spider. As if she has not enough things on her plate to deal with, there is also this new relationship with Owen Grayson... the man who seems to accept who and what she is and is content...

My Opinion: Overall, as a fan of this series, I was satisfied after reading Tangled Threads. I think that Ms Estep did a good job and delivered a solid installment. However, as a reader, the more I thought about this book, the more I had issues with it ^_^; I'm not going to go too much into the details of the storylines or the characters because I've gone through it in the previous reviews :)

As a fan, I was satisfied because I enjoyed the story that was told; it was interesting, fast-paced, action-packed and a nice continuation from the previous events. I enjoyed the characters and their dilemmas, especially Gin. There's a lot going on in her life and she also has to worry about Bria and her new relationship with Owen. All in all, I liked how everything was handled and resolved. I liked seeing the familiar faces - Gin is having quite the entourage for an assassin :) I also liked that some light was shed on some issues - that's always nice. Also, I thought that Bria's reaction to Gin's identity was quite realistic and obviously, she'll need time to come to terms with it which I guess is what we'll see in the next book.

My favorite part of the book was without doubts the growing relationship between Gin and Owen. It bothers me a little that Gin is still so uncertain of Owen - especially since the man has been such a rock, but then it's only been a few weeks they've been together. I really like Owen and he's really what Gin needs. He doesn't condemn her and understand the path she's taken. I'm actually surprised though, I thought Owen was a bit darker and grimmer than he really is. In any case, it's a joy to see their relationship deepens.

All in all, I think that if you've enjoyed the series so far, you'll like Tangled Threads :) Ms Estep takes what has worked in the first three books and continues with it in Tangled Threads which explains why this is a good installment... At the same time, it's essentially where my first issue lies. There's nothing new to Tangled Threads. In the beginning, I felt that the writing style and the character were refreshing and original; however, after three books, they've become familiar. This is not a bad thing, familiar is good, but it also means that you have to compensate somewhere else and this is usually done through details or storylines. Unfortunately, there hasn't been many twists and surprises in the Elemental Assassin series. It seems to me, when Ms Estep sat down and thought of this series, she wrote down an outline of the main events that would happen and she's been sticking to that outline a bit too closely and too much to the point. And because of this, the series has become a tad too predictable. I mean, at the end of Web of Lies, when the new detective is mentioned, I knew right away it would be Bria. From the events in Venom, I knew that Bria would learn of Gin's identities in Tangled Threads... In the next book, I know that there will be a big show-down with Gin whose magic has grown so much and Mab. What I'm saying is that there's not enough subtlety in Ms Esptep's writing. If it's in the story, then there's a reason to it and from there, you can extrapolate and there's not a thousand possibilities ^_^; While it doesn't stop me from enjoying this series and Tangled Threads, I think it is holding back the storyline from being an absolute wowzer.

The other issue I had with Tangled Threads and this one with a lesser impact was the amount of recaps the book had. Gosh. I understand the need to remind the readers and inform the newcomers what has happened, but in this case, it was too much and simply bogged down the storyline and probably made the book thicker by 1/3 ^_^; Usually, main lines are fine but in Tangled Threads' case? It was every single event of importance from Spider's Bite to Venom: Fletcher's death, Gin's past, all the secondary characters, Donovan Caine, the previous books storylines, Gin's magic and so on. Really too much! Obviously, Tangled Threads cannot be read as a stand-alone and I'm sorry but for those who have short memory, well too bad for you!

My Grade: At first, after reading Tangled Threads, I was going to give it a B+. However, upon reflection and to be fair, it's really a B. I enjoyed Tangled Threads, there's no question about it; it was definitively a solid installment. Unfortunately, there are issues that cannot be overlooked and need to be rectified if the 5th and final book is going to be a wowzer.

Review: Venom by Jennifer Estep

How was everyone's week-end? Mine was very relaxed :) Exactly what I needed LOL. We're really getting fall weather this year and the temperature has dropped down a lot... all I really want to do is snuggle in my blanket and read :P

I'm so excited for this week, because there's so many new releases :P Good thing because I don't know what to read ^_^; I know, I know, it's ridiculous! I probably should bring back up my boxes of books from the basement. I think that will help.

Trying to write more reviews. I'm really behind, there's just so many books I want to review!! Today is going to be Venom by Jennifer Estep. It's hard to review the third book in a series without spoilers, so I tried to keep them at a minimum, but I didn't avoid them completely. And LOL, I thought I'd have nothing to say in my review... but I turned out to be quite chatty :P Hope you enjoy it :P


***Warning: There are spoilers in this review. Read at your own risk!***

Venom by Jennifer Estep
published by Simon & Schuster in September 2010

What kind of assassin works pro bono?

It’s hard to be a badass assassin when a giant is beating the crap out of you. Luckily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My current mission is personal: annihilate Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered my family. Which means protecting my identity, even if I have to conceal my powerful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. To the public, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best barbecue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spider, retired assassin. I still do favors on the side. Like ridding a vampire friend of her oversized stalker — Mab’s right - hand goon who almost got me dead with his massive fists. At least irresistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detective Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sister was dead. She probably thinks the same about me. Little does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer... who is about to save her life.

Genre: Urban fantasy
Series: Elemental Assassin, Book #3

The Story: Venom picks up not too long after the events of Web of Lies. In Web of Lies, Gin infiltrated Mab's party and killed two persons. Now, Mab is out for blood and trying to identify the killer. Under these circumstances, Gin should simply lie low... except her venture has brought Roslyn Phillips under the spotlight. Roslyn is a vampire, a madam and the owner of Northern Aggression, Ashland's most renowned nightclub. She is the one who helped Gin infiltrated Mab's party and has now become the fixation of Elliot Slater, a twisted giant and one of Mab's top goons. It is just a matter of time before Roslyn is raped and probably disposed. Feeling responsible, Gin decides to take matter into her own hands.

Of course, things get more complicated when Gin's long lost sister Bria shows up in Ashland as the new detective in charge. Before Gin can decide whether she'd want to reconnect with her sister, Bria is attacked by Mab's goons... Luckily, Gin is there to save the day, but also finds out that her little sister's real purpose for returning to Ashland is to bring their family's murderer to justice.

As if Gin's plate wasn't full enough, there's also Owen Grayson. It seems that Gin and Owen's paths keep crossing; however, Gin is uncertain. After her debacle with Detective Donovan Caine, she's hesitant to start a new relationship.

My Opinion: It's really no secret that I've been enjoying this series a lot - Spider's Bite and Web of Lies - and once again, Ms Estep has delivered another fast, action-packed and enjoyable installment :P

I really enjoyed Venom :P As previously, the book is fast-paced with lots of action... I won't go into Gin's character much, because, well, she's still the same Gin - smart, practical, loyal and a foodie :P What impresses me with Gin and it shows even more in Venom is that she chooses her battles. She knows when to act and when not to, like the opening scene when she's being beaten up by Mab's goons. She has her pride as an assassin, but she doesn't let it blind her. She thinks and acts carefully and I guess that is the key to her success :)

So what did I like about Venom? The overall storyline was interesting. We know that Gin is not a cold-blood assassin, we've seen it throughout the series and again in Venom. She feels responsible for getting Roslyn into the mess she is in and therefore is going to help her out of it. In fact, I feel she's quite honorable. I thought that Ms Estep did a good job with the balance of the two storylines: saving Roslyn and Bria's appearance. So far, I like Bria and she seems to be a good cop. I can't wait to see her character more developed. I did like the fact that Gin did not "reunite" with Bria right away, that she has doubts and hesitations. Obviously, it's not as if they can pick up where they left of ^_^; and there's Gin and Bria's professions to consider. An assassin and a cop. So far, my feel is that Bria is more open-minded and flexible than Donovan. Given the circumstances, I feel that she would understand Gin's choices. I think that Gin's hesitation is realistic, especially since Bria has really just shown up. The idea that perhaps the two of them could simply be friends is interesting and would be feasible, if they weren't both investigating the deaths of their older sister and mother. Although ultimately, it might be a bit unfair towards Bria.

My favorite part of the book was the budding relationship between Gin and Owen. I think Owen is so much better than Donovan :P I've liked him since he was introduced and again, liked finding more about him. He's all kind of shades of grey and gets Gin. There's no question that he suits her better and I'm glad that Gin is giving him a chance. I think that with time and trust, he'll become an asset for Gin :P I do think that Gin helping him out when they were both kids was a bit of an overkill... but it does explain why he took to Gin so rapidly.

While I really enjoyed Venom, I think there were a few hiccups. My biggest complaint is at the end, the way some information was imparted to the readers. Slater got his hands on Finn and instead of finishing him up, the two start talking and Finn asks why the Snow family was killed... and then, Slater spills it all. I was happy to find out more about Gin's family and the reasons behind their murders and what happened... but it really wasn't subtle ^_^; Just a bit too, "There are the answers." Aside from that, I think that the series is a little bit too predictable and that's something I mentioned in my review of Web of Lies. So far, there hasn't been any big surprises or twists. Either Ms Estep is too good at foreshadowing or the story is going through the motion. The problem though is I don't know what Ms Estep could do differently ^_^;

Overall, I think that the events of Venom really up the stakes and changed the game for Gin. By the end, she really had to make a decision - whether she would go after Mab or not. I think that Gin always had the notion that she would, but she didn't have any precise plans. Perhaps it wouldn't take place in a near future. I mean, she is the Spider and prides herself as being patient, so she could bide her time and wait for a better time... However, like I said, by the end of Venom, she really had to make her stand and she chose declaring war on Mab :) I think there were two reasons that made her reached that decision: 1) she'd be protecting Bria and 2) she had her friends behind her. It's definitively great to see that even as an assassin, Gin has a close-knit family and they are there, no matter what her decisions and choices are, to support her. It's really heart-warming ;)

Speaking of her close-knit family, I really like that we're getting to know them better. I love the relationship between Gin and Finn, it's really one of a sister and brother... and they definitively are there for each other. I also wonder why Jo-Jo is so willing to help Gin. Oh she seems very nice and all, but as a powerful Air elemental, it seems that she's been hiding her true potential to the world... and there must be something to make her take such risk... and I have a feeling it must have to do with her younger sister, Sophia. LOL, it was cool to find out how Sophia was disposing of all the bodies! In any case, I'm hoping that we'll find out more about the two dwarf sisters :P I also liked that we're getting a clearer picture of Gin's family and perhaps why someone would want them dead. It's clear that Gin is very powerful and from what we've seen, Bria is not bad either. It seems that there are a lot of things that as a teenager, Gin might not be aware about her family...

To me, what makes this series stands out so much is that Ms Estep has a clear idea where she is going with the storylines and the characters. Often, when it comes to series, especially with the same protagonist, it seems to me that authors are fumbling around a little bit, searching for their niches and what they want the series to be about in the beginning. Especially when they don't know how many books they'll be able to write, In the case of the Elemental Assassin series, the books - while having their own sequences of events - really read like one continuous book. Gin's story arc is 5 books and thus, Ms Estep knows exactly what she wants to happen in each book and what and when the end is going to be. I think this has help the pacing of the story tremendously and the building of momentum :) Also as a reader, I appreciate it. It seems like I'm able to connect with Gin a bit more. Also, I like knowing that I won't be blind-sided, that the author will be able to wrap up everything to her liking... not suddenly get the news that her contract is now renewed ^_^;

My Grade: A-. Venom is my favorite book so far in the series :P I really enjoyed it for the relationships and interactions between the characters and of course, finding out more answers. I think the series itself is gaining momentum and I just can't wait for the two final books :P

Review: Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

Still trying to balance out my blogging and blog-hopping ^_^; Unfortunately, it's not going as well as I wish... but hey, I've been reading! I think that's the trade-off most of the time. Reading more = less blogging :( Perfect world would be that I'm not working and so would have time to do a lot of both LOL. In any case, I've been missing you all!!


Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep
published by Simon & Schuster in May 2010

Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon.

I'm Gin Blanco.

You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I'm retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren't aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I'm a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn't made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man... dead or alive.

Genre: Urban fantasy
Series: Elemental Assassin, Book #2

The Story: I thought the blurb did a good job summarizing the book, but I'm going to add my two cents :)

After the events of Spider's Bite, Gin has retired as an assassin... but let just say she finds retired life a tad boring ^_^; Then, Gin learns how fast things can change. First, one of Ashland most influential man's son and his side-kick decides to rob Gin's BBQ restaurant, the Pork Pit. While Gin was able to stop the robbery easily, she sure isn't about to back down because of the father's threats and is determined to press charges. Then, someone takes a couple of shots at a customer, Violet Fox, again at the Pork Pit. Turns out Violet was there to ask help from the Tin Man - Gin's deceased mentor. Violet's grandfather was the Tin Man's best friend in their youth and is in trouble. Their property is coveted by Tobias Dawson, a coalmining tycoon and Mab Monroe's - Ashland most powerful Elemental - minion and he's done being civil to Violet and the old man. Gin comes up with a simple solution: get rid of the man... unfortunately, Detective Donovan Caine does not agree, only he's outnumbered. Unfortunately for Gin, the only opportunity to off Tobias will be at Mab Monroe's business party at her manor... Who said retirement was boring again?

My Opinion: I read Spider's Bite earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I was really happy to learn that I'd only have to wait a few months for the sequel, Web of Lies :) I got my hand on it as soon as I could, but didn't read it immediately... expectations, anticipation, you know. However, I'm glad to say Web of Lies does not disappoint!

Web of Lies packs quite a punch with conflict and action and I thought that Ms Estep did a marvelous job balancing the two, given the short timeline. Everything flowed well and even though Web of Lies clocks at 400 pages, the book was a quick read, but the reader was never rushed or overwhelmed by the events and the action. To me, this is proof that Ms Estep found the perfect pacing. The key seemed to have been Gin's narration. There was a lot of internal monologues in Web of Lies since that it's written with first POV and sometimes, it can make a book very heavy and drag, but it was not the case with Web of Lies. Partly, because Gin is such an interesting character due to the morals question of her job, but also because the monologues were not all about her emotions. They were really used to tell the story as well as show how Gin thought and reacted.

Needless to say, I really love Gin's character. She's definitively the heart of this series and as such, she needs to be strong and interesting and she is. There is so much layers to her and the most interesting is that they've all been revealed. There is no peeling layers one by one as the series goes on. Instead, her character has been totally exposed. There's her strength which was necessary to survive and become what she has become, there's her loyalty which has won her her entourage, there's fierceness and determination... but there's also this vulnerability that stems from her past and loving too much. In short, Gin is everything but a cold-blood assassin. Yes, her morals and principles are out of the ordinary, but it works, especially in the world Ms Estep has created :)

Speaking of world, the one that the readers are introduced to in this series is quite colorful :) There are humans, vampires, dwarves, giants... some of them are lucky to have an Elemental power - ice, stone, fire or air, others just are what they are. Truthfully, I feel that we are only given the basic information on all the species and I do have some questions, I don't feel this is a well-rounded world building. However, ultimately, the world works because the focus is not about what the characters are, but in what kind of world they live in - one that is corrupted where the strongest, no matter how rotten they are, rule. It does have a superhero caricature feel to it and would definitively want to find out more about it, but so far, I don't feel like it's been an issue really.

Okay, enough about the series, let's focus a bit more on the book itself :) I really enjoyed the plot and liked how the storylines came together. It was like two ends of a rope being tied together and forming a full circle :) As I said, there was action, but also plenty of conflicts - Gin dealing with her feeling of betrayal at Fletcher, her deceased mentor, her relationship with Donovan Caine and the revelation that her baby sister was still alive. What I found refreshing is that Gin didn't rush out to find out her sister, that she had reservation about it. It made it feel real. Yes, she's happy that Brianna is alive, but they've both built a life of their own and after all, Gin has been an assassin. Not something easy to slip into a discussion. I also like the fact that Gin is unapologetic about being an assassin, she doesn't regret it... She's always been many shades of grey and retiring hasn't made her lily white. The biggest issue between Gin and Donovan is the fact that she hasn't changed, deep down, she'll always have the reflexes of an assassin and she'll react like one. What Donovan doesn't understand though is that if you take that away, then Gin is no longer Gin. I really enjoyed Gin in assassin mode LOL and one of the best parts of Web of Lies was Mab's party - very intense. I also liked how the overall story-arc is going forward as well and the continuity between the books. Ms Estep never forgets the overall picture and merge everything together very well. I'm looking forward to see what Mab is going to do with the new revelation in Web of Lies.

My only issue with the plot though was the showdown at the end between Tobias and Gin. I understand that Ms Estep doesn't want to portray Gin as the invincible heroine, but I thought it'd be better if she found another way for Gin to come on top. I thought it was stupid of Tobias to not simply kill Gin when he had the opportunity and instead, toyed with her. I know what Ms Estep wanted to unfold with this event, but it just wasn't intense enough to hit it well with the readers in my opinion.

Now, onto the interesting stuff :) I'm so happy Ms Estep brought in a new love interest for Gin! Owen Grayson. *swoon* LOL, to me, he sounds perfect for Gin. He's a powerful businessman, the ruthless kind LOL. The kind that is many shades of grey as well. I'm really looking forward for him to play a bigger role. At first, I was curious to see how it would work out between Donovan and Gin... but at the end of Web of Lies, it's clear that it would not have work out. A relationship is doomed if the guy cannot accept his feelings for the girl. It's that simple... and I don't want Gin to change to fit in the relationship. Plus, Owen is much more interesting and mysterious. Wouldn't be surprised if he used to be an assassin as well :P I really, really hope that Donovan is out of the picture and there won't be a love triangle in the future - I hate those.

When I reviewed Spider's Bite, I said this had potential to become one of the best urban fantasy series this year and I still maintain that opinion. However, I think Ms Estep has to ante it up. While the characters are engaging, the plot interesting and the writing solid, there is a spark missing. I wouldn't say that the series is predictable, but at the same time, it's not out of the ordinary. So far, there hasn't been any twists or events that have knock me off my chair. Perhaps it has been too easy to connect the dots or perhaps Ms Estep is doing a too good job at leading the readers to where she wants. The point is, she needs to keep some cards closer to herself.

My Grade: I'm going with B+. Web of Lies is a definite solid read, but had it been a bit more exhilarating, the grade would have been higher :)