Review: Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep

Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep

Elemental Assassin #1

"My name is Gin, and I kill people."

My name is Gin Blanco. They call me the Spider — the most feared assassin in the South (and a part-time cook at the Pork Pit BBQ joint.) As a Stone elemental, I can hear the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet and feel the vibrations of the soaring mountains above me, though I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

After a ruthless Air elemental double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way. I may look hot in a miniskirt, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble when irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine agrees to help. The last thing a coldhearted killer needs when she's battling a magic more powerful than her own is a sexy distraction ... especially when he wants her dead just as much as the enemy.

Meet Gin, a very accomplished assassin known as The Spider. She is very good at what she does, and she never misses. When she gets set up and her handler is brutally murdered she sets out on a vendetta for revenge. Her handler's son, Finn, while not an assassin himself, does lend a great amount of assistance. As Gin and Finn unravel a very tangled plot they get mixed up with Detective Caine. Gin is inexplicably drawn to him and would love nothing more than to claim him for her own. However, there is a slight wrench in that idea since she was the one who killed his partner and he vowed to seek justice. The three of them make for an interesting motley crew as they seek justice. Well, Caine seeks justice. Gin and Finn seek whoever is responsible to meet and untimely death, and Gin is just the gal to administer that sentence.

I love reading a book where the heroine is majorly flawed, or just even the "bad" good guy. Gin's character is awesome. Yes, she is an assassin, but she has rules that she never breaks, no kids, no pets, and no torture. It is never specifically stated in the book but it appears she only kills those who actually deserve it, no innocents. I also love how she refuses to use her "powers" when she is on a job as she considers it cheating. Heck, she doesn't even use guns because they are too easy. This really keeps her from being "corrupted" by power.

The sexual tension between Gin and Caine was amazing. It felt so real, and I was rooting for some "action" between them the entire book. I think his character was a really nice balance to Gin's. His morals are so ideal, its amazing. I think as the series goes on both of them will begin to wear off on the other. He will harden and she will soften. Well, that is as long as the two continue to be around each other. I hope they do, because if he can get past his hangups, they would make an awesome couple.

I absolutely loved this book. Its a dark and gritty urban fantasy that will leave you begging for more as soon as you finish it. I cannot believe I didn't read it sooner. This is truly an amazing book that will make you root for the "bad" guy. I cannot wait to dive right into the next one!

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Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin, Book 1)