Web of Lies (Elemental Assassin 2) by Jennifer Estep

Hello you!

 What a busy day today was , i didn't stop or nearly. Between helping in the roleplaying game meeting, cooking for the group and all the rest i had no time to read today, not one minute but i had to a few minutes share a review with you without going to bed ( so well deserved rest), sorry if there are some typo but i can't keep my eyes open anymore.

So still in my october mood, i went to a urban series i started ( finally) not long ago and enjoyed ... i do want more of books i'm nearly sure to enjoy right now^^ . No ghosts, no shifters (at least this time) but elemental, and dwarf without forgetting several other species made this book perfect for the season^^ so here comes my opinuion on Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep: second book in teh Elemental Assassin series.

Happy reading!

Publisher: Pocket Books

Publication: 2010

ISBN:  143914799X

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

 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.

My opinion:

          I loved this book, still not my favourite series but slowly it’s gaining more point to get on my list….really not far. This book takes place months after the event in book 1 “ Spider bite” and I can only recommend that you start by that one to get a better understanding of this so complex world, one very interesting but still mysterious after 2books.

I love the fact there are so many creatures: elemental, giant, dwarf, vampire… in fact so far shifters and werewolves are the only ones missing but  it’s early in the series so who know what we can discover in the future^^. The action is fast all the while the main Character “Gin” can be really patient I really love this subtle duality.  Really it’s a book that once started you want to finish without interruption because the characters are moving in their own way and the story is really captivating, you want to know how and why but Jennifer Estep distils the clue one at a time so you keep turning the pages in hope to get THE answer you are looking for.

Gin is retired or at least she thinks she is but it’s more boring that what she expected and thus when the need arise she can’t back down. And her so loved restaurant, full of Fletcher’s memories, being threatened that’s something she can’t forgive even if the culprit is the son of one acolyte to the elemental she never wanted to cross: Mab Monroe. On that side she isn’t patient as she put him in his place again and again, humiliating him time after time and thus making an enemy of him and of his father. However one good deed is never forgotten in a way or another because in doing so she saved the sister or another important man: Owen Grayson who is more than interested in our lovely student/cook/ retired and unknown assassin. It could be handy or more dangerous since important man like that have powers but also enemies so that’s for the rest of the series but so far I quite like him…; I don’t trust him really but he made me smile and gained point by being patient,  polite and useful.

Now Gin isn’t just defending the Pork Pit and his customers, when one come asking for the Tin Man, codename for Fletcher, she can’t resist and soon her knifes found back their work outside the kitchen. Because Fletcher had friends, she can’t let them down despite the risk. She is angry with him because he searched info on her and left her a file after his death without explanations, Gin is discovering that there is a large part of her mentor life she never knew about and this is a way to learn more.

Finn is helping her like his father would have done and he is still as funny and flirting with all females as before which makes is cute , smart and useful. He does care about Gin and wants to protect her like a brother; he didn’t mind one second that his father left the house, restaurant and money to her because she is part of his family. We can see how deep his bonds are this time in the way he worries and wants to help. Gin still has a little difficulty to accept that reality but she is coming to it.

Jo-Jo and Sophia the dwarves sisters are glad to continue working with her and they are more than busy this time however if they do more about Fletchers and about Gin’s powers they don’t  say anything and they are not that easy to understand. Those are complex characters but ones you are glad to find back in each book.

 I was a little disappointed in the romance part this time…. Donovan  Caine is one frustrating guy to said the least. Oh I can imagine his dilemma but I don’t think he is fair with Gin…. He doesn’t accept her for what she is and it’s the only thing she really hoped. in fact he is quite a coward: honest yes but cowards because sadly not is all black or white and he can’t accept that. So now I hope Owen will be a lot better ( and in a sense I don’t think he is so white, without skeleton in the closet than he seems to be^^)

Gin will learn more about her past but still not everything but I really hoped she came to some conclusion about herself and her life. I can only hope to read next book soon enough because I’m not addicted yet but I fear I will be soon is the writing’s quality and the plot stays at such a great level. Excellent urban fantasy series to recommend

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges: