The tenth book in the bestselling and “outstanding” (Romantic Times) Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series finally reveals for the first time the origins of Gin Blanco’s career as the deadliest of assassins.
For the first time, the origins of Gin Blanco’s career as the deadly assassin “the Spider” are revealed in full. In a story that pre-dates the other nine books in the series, Gin Blanco goes through her paces to become the most feared assassin in the Ashland.
*My Thoughts*
"It all begins with a girl-a stupid, arrogant girl who thought that she could do no wrong.." Gin Blanco
In the 10th installment of the Elemental Assassin series, Jennifer Estep takes her character, Gin Blanco aka the Spider, back in time 10 years after she receives a mysterious package of Dark Blue Roses with a note attached saying "Happy Anniversary." Who is the mysterious person sending Gin roses? Why is Gin receiving them on this particular date and time? Is this person an enemy, or someone Gin met along the way as the Spider?
Gin then tells a whale of story to Owen Greyson, who she is back together again after the tumultuous events of Widow's Web and Deadly Sting left many readers wanting to strangle or gut Owen. The story is one fraught with a painful experience that Gin won't soon forget and a deeper understanding about who Gin the assassin really is. Estep also tosses in a few bread crumbs about the mysterious M.M. Monroe who has yet to be exposed to Gin and readers but always seems to be in the background just waiting to pounce.
Our heroine in The Spider is a 20 year old gang buster who has been trained by Fletcher Lane for the past 7 years to be an assassin. Gin still has no clue who the Fire Elemental is that killed her mother Eira, and older sister Annabelle. She has no clue that her baby sister Bria is alive and well and living with a loving couple in Blue Marsh even when she is confronted by someone who looks like her. She has no clue that her life as she knows it will fundamentally change forever because of one horrific mistake that leads to 10 years of being a guardian Angel to a young girl who witnessed the entire episode because of Gin's mistake in killing an innocent man, and then falling for his son.
Gin truly believes she is unstoppable and tries to live by the rules that Fletcher has set for her. Don't Be Memorable. Don't do anything to attract attention to yourself, and Don't engage potential enemies or targets in anyway. For Gin, this story gives you an idea that Gin hasn't always made the correct choices, and her mistakes always come with severe consequences for those she loves. By breaking the rules that Fletcher has sought to live by, Gin makes a bad choice that leaves her fighting for her life.
The Spider features some series mainstays like Finnegan Lane, Sophia and Jo-Jo Deveraux, Jonah McAllister, Mab Monroe, Xavier Grant, and Roslyn Phillips. Like I said above, there is a hint that M.M Monroe has been in the background the entire time. It will definitely be interesting to find out when Estep releases this person's true identity, and whether it will be the finale we are all expecting to go out like gangbusters.
In the end, The Spider is a nice walk down memory lane. For me, I can't really get enough of this series and will be sad when it comes to an end. Learning more about Fletcher Lane and how he took Gin under his wing and trained her to become an assassin, has always been appealing. Personally, I would love to go back in time and read a Fletcher Lane's story about what he actually saw in the 13 year old Genevieve Snow and also Gin's relationship with Finn which surprised me.
ARC provided by Pocket Books via Edelweiss
Recvd via Edelweiss 10/08/2013 - Expected publication: December 24th 2013 by Pocket Books
Author - Jennifer Estep
Title - The Spider (Elemental Assassin # 10)
Publisher - Pocket Books
Released - December 24, 2013
Genre - Urban Fantasy
E-ARC received from Pocket Books through Edelweiss
No comments:
Post a Comment