Early Review: Venom by Jennifer Estep

*This title will be released on September 28, 2010*

 

Book Description

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.

 Review

Book 3 in The Elemental Assassin Series

~Reviewed by Julia~

VENOM was by far my favorite book in the Elemental Assassin series, Estep has taken her best and kicked it up a notch. It is build-a- pillow-wall-at-2-a.m.-so-the-light-doesn’t-wake-my-husband good. All of my favorite parts of Gin and her family of mis-fits came into play, but with a few new faces and unexpected twists.

One of my favorite moments with Gin took place right at the opening. For the first time in the series, I began to believe in “Gin Blanco” as a secret identity. Prior to this book, all of Gin’s “Clark Kent” cover story seemed to be based on Finn’s electronic skills and Gin trying not to kill in front of witnesses. But don’t be misled by my admiration for the technical aspects of being an under-cover, retired assassin. The storyline in VENOM is much more personal than in the two previous books.

Gin finds another piece in the puzzle of her past: the baby sister she thought was dead. Turns out she’s a cop. As you can imagine, Gin and Bria clash a bit in this book, given their polarizing professions, but both share a dogged determination when it comes to the truth. Bria when it comes to finding the person who killed her family, and Gin when it comes to making the killer pay. When Gin’s long lost baby sister first appears as a cop, I was very concerned we would have a replay of the disapproval and heartbreak Gin faces in her relationship with Donovan Caine (minus the possibility of great sex). Bria has many of the qualities I enjoy in Gin, but with the interesting twist of being on the other side of the law. I ended VENOM wanting to learn more about the years after she and Gin were separated, as well as being eager to see how their relationship will develop from here on out.

While Gin weaves a strategy for reconnecting with her sister (without getting arrested), her relationship with Donovan takes a particularly hard hit. Added to this is her growing attraction to Owen Grayson. Despite their physical chemistry (and the assassin-sexy fact that Owen wallpapers his den with weapons), Gin does her best to test the waters before leaping in, a process that I enjoyed immensely.

Ultimately, VENOM is the book I’d been hoping Spider’s Bite and Web of Lies had been. It contains vintage Finn moments, further insight into Sophia Deveraux’s mysterious skills, and a surprise romance for two of the supporting characters. The highlights for me, however, were Gin, her sister Bria, and the ever-enticing Owen Grayson. Estep always has more than one thread moving at a time, and VENOM has me looking forward to Tangled Threads when it releases in May 2011

Sexual Content: Two detailed sex scenes.  Mention of rape and an explicit attempted rape.

My Rating (out of 5):
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

Click HERE to read an excerpt of VENOM

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (September 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439148015
• ISBN-13: 978-1439148013
• Cover Art: Tony Mauro

*Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Jennifer Estep

---

Disagree with this review?  Contact me with your review for this or any other book reviewed on ATUF and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Review: Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep (allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com)
• Cover Art Coverage: 2 new titles! (allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com)