Book Description:
My name is Gin, and I kill people.
They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South -- when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.
Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way -- good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction...especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.
Review:
Gin, aka the Spider, is an elite assassin for hire. As she puts it, she’s got the skills, blood doesn’t bother her, and the money is good. She does have her own code of ethics that limit her services to the truly deserving (as well as a strict no pets, no kids policy). When her current client double crosses her and kills someone close to her, Gin has a clear conscience in vowing revenge, and enlists the help of the only honest cop in Ashland (a metropolis in an alternate South) who has been hunting Gin ever since she killed his partner.
I loved the thoroughness of the world building in Spider’s Bite. Magic is common. Some people are gifted with magical abilities tied to various elements (Stone, Ice, Earth, and Fire) and vampires, dwarves, and giants are part of the population. And I definitely think that the urban fantasy genre was ripe for a good female assassin
It should come as no surprise that Jennifer Estep is a self proclaimed fan of the show Alias. In the opening scene of Spider’s Bite, Gin is trying to escape from an insane asylum in a way that is very reminiscent of one of my favorite episodes of Alias. Gin had to be resourceful, patient and quick on her feet. And as an assassin, I liked her immediately. When she wasn’t killing people? Not quite as much.
Gin is an extremely aggressive character in every sense of the word. Alpha with a capital ‘A.’ In her professional life, that aggression is vital. She would have died long ago without it. In her personal life? It’s a little hard to take.
Normally I prefer at least a little romance in my urban fantasy, but I hate to say that I think Spider’s Bite would have fared better without it. That’s not to say there actually is any romance in this book, there isn’t. But there is a fair amount of sex. I’m all for strong women and all that, but Gin came off as very masculine in her encounters with Detective Donovan. Which in turn made Donovan look like a chick. The way she objectified him, the way her fought his lust for her because of moral reasons…we’ve seen it before in a hundred other books (and movies) with the roles reversed. It sounds like it would be a fun switch, but I found it off-putting. On a side note this type of switch worked amazingly well in the movie Point of No Return which incidentally also featured a female assassin. So it can work, I just don’t think it did here.
What did work was the meta-narrative that was set up for the series. The history of Gin, who killed her family and why. It’s clear that Jennifer Estep has an endgame in mind with this series. The next two books in the Elemental Assassin series are scheduled for release in 2010 (Web of Lies in June and Venom in October). I’ll be looking forward to them, hopefully Gin will lighten up just a little with her personal life. In her professional life? She already kills.
Sexual Content: References to rape and pedophilia. Several brief but semi graphic sexual fantasies. A scene of sensuality. A sex club with vague references to people having sex in public. A brief ménage a trois. One long, graphic sex scene.
My Rating (out of 5):
Click HERE to read an excerpt of Spider’s Bite
Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
- Publisher: Pocket; Original edition (January 26, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1439147973
- ISBN-13: 978-1439147979
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I just ordered thsi book, I cant wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to read this one.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good :) I've seen it all over, but your review really helped in my decision to read it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSounds decent enough. The cover is great
ReplyDeleteYES! Thank you! To me, Donovan ended up looking like some blushing virgin who didn't want to go all the way. Their relationship was just too forced - heck, practically every one of Gin's relationships seemed forced - which is a shame really because the concept and world building were solid.
ReplyDeleteI think Gin was so tough that she did outshine her men. For me it worked...but I can see how it could be aggravating. Thanks for the honest review. Excellent as usual. ♥ Parajunkee
ReplyDeleteI just picked up this book. I think I can deal with three stars. It means it was still good, just wasn't amazing. Enjoyed your review!
ReplyDeleteOnly 3 bats, huh. I am really curious to check this one out. I am following many people who are on this tour and it is just killing me reading all these reviews and seeing the book everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great review!