Spider's Revenge

Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep

Elemental Assassin #5

Old habits die hard for assassins.
And I plan on murdering someone before the night is through.
Killing used to be my regular gig, after all. Gin Blanco, aka the Spider, assassin-for-hire. And I was very, very good at it. Now, I’m ready to make the one hit that truly matters: Mab Monroe, the dangerous Fire elemental who murdered my family when I was thirteen. Oh, I don’t think the mission will be easy, but turns out it’s a bit more problematic than expected. The bitch knows I’m coming for her. So now I’m up against the army of lethal bounty hunters Mab hired to track me down. She also put a price on my baby sister’s head. Keeping Bria safe is my first priority. Taking Mab out is a close second. Good thing I’ve got my powerful Ice and Stone magic—and my irresistible lover, Owen Grayson—to watch my back. This battle has been years in the making, and there’s a good chance I won’t survive. But if I’m going down, then Mab’s coming with me . . . no matter what I have to do to make that happen.

Retired from the assassin business, Gin's life should have been calmer. Yet she's preparing for the fight of her life against her nemesis, Mab Monroe, the woman responsible for her family's deaths, along with countless other innocents. Things are getting harder than ever to keep her identity as the Spider apart from her real one, as there is a huge bounty on both her and Bria's head. Bounty Hunters are crawling out from the woodworks to get a chance at that hefty prize. Making an already impossible job incredibly worse. Gin knows this will probably be the fight that finally takes her down, but she won't go out quietly. Mab must be stopped at all costs.

Since the outcome of this book was quite predictable, I had thought it wouldn't have been as enjoyable as the previous installments. Just the fact that everything had been building to this point, I didn't think there would have been enough of a sense of risk and danger. Boy, was I wrong. There was plenty of build-up and missed opportunities, with some botched chances that really upped the stakes each time. I was on the edge off my seat guessing (and hoping) whether or not each part would mean the end of Mab's evil reign. To be honest, the "trial runs" if you want to call them that, only added to the impact of when things finally came to a head. I felt Jennifer Estep handled the immediate aftermath extremely well, especially a certain conversation, as I think Gin really needed that closure. When you get to that point, you'll know what I mean, as I cannot say more without spoiling the surprise.

While much of Spider's Revenge was focused on exactly what the title says, it was even more about emotional development and relationships. Gin's walls finally crumble in this book as she accepts real help for the first time. Always before it has been her against the world, and the rest of her loved ones left on the sidelines only able to offer small amounts of help after the fact. However, in Spider's Revenge, she finally realizes that she doesn't need to be alone, and just how much she means to all of them. While the lone-ranger method may have worked in the past, it just won't cut it anymore, and I'm glad she was wise enough, and emotionally ready to accept that. Many would consider an assassin having emotion to be a weakness, but in Gin's case, it's only made her stronger.

Once again Gin proves just how very good she is, and that you just don't want to mess with anyone she calls family. You just won't live to regret it, as her enemies have learned countless times. I had wondered how things would be set up to continue after Gin's final showdown, as by all rights things could have been easily wrapped up there (Of course I'm so glad it wasn't). While there definitely is a healthy does of satisfaction and completion, there also was the sense that things aren't over yet. There will be plenty of danger and action to come in the future, and I cannot wait to see more from Gin! Looks like the Spider can't hang her hat just yet, as Spider's Revenge ends with my favorite quote, "My name is Gin, and I kill people."

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

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Spider's Revenge (Elemental Assassin)

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Previous Books:
     1. Spider's Bite
     2. Web of Lies
     3. Venom
     4. Tangled Threads
Challenge Categories:
     Outdo Yourself
     Horror and Urban Fantasy