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:

Spider’s Bite ( Elemental Assassin 1) by Jennifer Estep

Hello to all,

   The heat is really tiring me down and it made me forget to post this yesterday . For those who love history and geography, Sunday, 21th july, was the national day in Belgium and this year was really special because our king Albert 2 decided to let the throne to his son Philippe on that day, it's something completely unusual in Belgium so it was synonym of huge party, more firework and such.
 Not sure how i'm feeling about that i always appreciate Philippe and i think he will be a good king but at the same time i didn't want changement so i'm adjusting.

Now back to books topic, i will try to finish more books including witches sinces it's the main topic of this month but i also read a little other genre so the rest of the month should be interesting.

 Today i'm introducing you to the first book in a series already well know "elemental assassin" by Jennifer Estep,  currently 8 books and several novellas , it's urban fantasy and i heard more than promising things about it, but i didn't get the books in order ^^ in fact i'm still having huge gaps so i was hesitant to start until i got all the books... but "Spider's bite", book 1, has witches in it so i couldn't wait longer and now that i've read it i'm even more impatient to get my hand on the missing titles on my list.

Happy Reading

Publisher: Pocket Books

Publication: 2010

ISBN:  1439147973

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

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

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.

My opinion:

          Not the kind of character I’m used to but I could get addicted to this complex universe quite quickly, in fact the more I got into the book the better I liked it but this one was still quite dark and perhaps a little too much for my taste, at least for an introduction.

Jennifer Estep made a believable world where creatures having magic are not uncommon, they can be vampires, dwarves, humans, giants and perhaps they are others which aren’t cited yet. I admit I’m a little curious about the vampires in this world because it looks like they can have natural family, the author doesn’t speak of it like a change but like a born race…so I would love to get deeper and see the specificity of this version of vampires.

 Now, the main character, Gin, is an assassin yes but you can’t said she is evil, in fact it would be more the opposite and it explain while the good cop, perhaps the only one in the city, is torn when she is concerned…there is what she has done yes but she is more and he doesn’t know exactly her reasons but inside he is sure there must be some. I really could feel his turmoil and Gin’s too because she could have told him but she wants to spare him…she admire his integrity and I guess she would have loved to stay as naïve and innocent as he can be. Her life has been difficult, worse even it started with a tragedy…Fletcher, owner and cook at the Pork Pit, saved her years ago and taught her to be a good assassin, like himself, before retiring but he still kee care of her, watch her back so when he is killed, it’s her new family that’s destroyed but now she can take revenge and she is determined to do so while protecting Finn, Fletcher’s son.

Speaking of Finn, he is a funny, though deadly, character. He doesn’t love to get his hands dirty and love the luxury, the expensive cars and clothes. However, despites his good look, his fortune he is still his father’s son and he is quite a good assistant for Gin, handling the research and having the contacts. I couldn’t help but smile at the way he was selecting the car he stole, really like he had all the time of the world and was in a specialised market for that^^. He likes to banter with Gin too, considering her like a sister (though it wasn’t the case in the past since they had a relationship). In danger and devastated by his father’s murder, Finn still manage to be effective and more important in my opinion… he IS loyal.

Donovan Caine is a cop and determined to catch or kill the spider for his partner’s murder.  He is proud of his honesty and do his job the best way he can however he can also be blind... he doesn’t see the corruption running in the police force, give the doubts first at his own risk etc . When he meets Gin, in fact when she saves his life, he is attracted yes but his integrity made him want to catch her, ignoring who she is.  When his life get in danger, because his integrity put him on the path on dangerous persons, he reluctantly accepts the truce and partnership Gin offers… Unfortunately for him, his attraction only grows and he discovers some of the assassin’s side he never envisioned.

I liked him but I find strange he didn’t went to ask Finn for information after Gin refused to answer..

The Plot in itself is really well constructed. I didn’t guess the reasons behind the double crossing or the way it was done and the part some of the secondary characters played in it. So I was immersed in the adventures…. But like I said it also dark and I really enjoyed the ending offering at least a little hope, some closure. While the case is solved, you also see glimpse of a new one so while it’s not completely a cliffhanger, you could want to start on book 2 right away too.

I would recommend this book to the fan of dark  urban fantasy who love investigation and lot of action.

Score:  3,5/5

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

Challenges: