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By a Thread (Elemental Assassin #6)

by Jennifer Estep (Goodreads Author)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 4,123 ratings · 366 reviews

When killing people is your job, there’s no such thing as a vacation.

Then again, how often does an assassin live long enough to enjoy her retirement? In this line of work, you either get lucky or you get dead. And since I destroyed my nemesis Mab Monroe a few weeks ago, all of Ashland’s lowlifes are gunning to make a name for themselves by taking out the lethal Spider—me,...more

Kindle Edition, 1st Edition, 388 pages

Published February 28th 2012 by Pocket Books

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May 01, 2012 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, I really gave this another try. I even made it to 70% but I am absolutely bored with it. I no longer find Gin a likable character. The only characters that I truly like are Owen, Finn, and Sophia.

update....
I decided to give the book another chance. Too many people have messaged me regarding how much better this book is than the previous one. So im trusting all of them!

My old ranting below

I'm giving up on this series. There was so much I liked so much about this series but I can't do it any...more

17 likes · like · see review

Feb 21, 2012 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: highly-anticipating-2012, urban-fantasy, magic, glistening-fangs, horrible-whiner, incredibly-stupid-choices, just-another-book-crush, moments-of-great-frustration, arc-2012, totally-saw-that-coming, what-does-she-see-in-him, reviewed-in-2012

Fans of the series won't be disappointed at all.

Now that Mab Monroe is finally gone and Gin’s identity has become common knowledge, every aspiring criminal out there is trying to make a name for himself by killing the (in)famous Spider. Sophia Deveraux is busier than ever, what with cooking for all the people who come to the Pork Pit to stare at Gin and getting rid of the bodies Gin leaves behind in their back alley. So when Finn suggests a vacation for the four of them (Gin, Owen, Bria and hims...more Fans of the series won't be disappointed at all.

Now that Mab Monroe is finally gone and Gin’s identity has become common knowledge, every aspiring criminal out there is trying to make a name for himself by killing the (in)famous Spider. Sophia Deveraux is busier than ever, what with cooking for all the people who come to the Pork Pit to stare at Gin and getting rid of the bodies Gin leaves behind in their back alley. So when Finn suggests a vacation for the four of them (Gin, Owen, Bria and himself), Gin jumps at the chance to leave town, hoping things would blow over by the time she gets back. She’s also excited about spending some time with her newly found baby sister, but Gin is well aware that things rarely work out the way she wants them to. Thinking that she’ll really be able to enjoy an uninterrupted vacation would be downright naïve, and let’s face it, Spider may be many things, but naïve she’s not. Fortunately, she never goes anywhere without her five Silverstone knives – the ones Owen made especially for her. She’ll need them to fight a foe even worse than Mab Monroe. It’s a shame that she can’t use her knives to resolve emotional issues as well, especially when her former lover, the much despised Donovan Caine, comes back into the picture.

The beginning of By a Thread was a little hard for me. I was disappointed in Gin, especially when it came to her attitude towards her baby sister. She carried all this guilt and allowed Bria to make her feel not good enough, making the same mistakes she’d made with Donovan Caine. I’m not used to Gin feeling so helpless and inadequate and when she kept beating herself up over things she had no way to control, it was infuriating and really hard to read. I’m glad to say that there was a reason for this and that it became apparent in the second half of the book.

I know this is a strange thing for me to say, but I’m normally not a big fan of fight scenes. There is just something messy about them that doesn’t appeal to me at all. Fortunately, the ones written by Estep are among the rare exceptions. She writes these scenes with such clarity, describing just one thing at a time, thus allowing me to picture them vividly in my head, and yet somehow making them rich, eventful and extremely interesting.

To me, Mab Monroe was never especially scary, and I’m glad to be rid of her. Her actions never once sent chills down my spine and I was never truly worried about Gin when she was fighting her or the ones Mab sent after her. But the vampire who feeds on elementals to absorb their powers was a very convincing villain. I knew, of course, that Gin will make it out eventually, but I was unsure of how damaged she’ll be. Major points to Ms. Estep for that.

Old fans, I promise you won’t be disappointed. And those of you who haven’t even started the series, try the first book. Jennifer Estep maintains the same level of quality throughout the series. If the first one works for you (as it did for me) the rest surely will, too.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the author for review purposes.

For this review and more, please visit The Nocturnal Library
(less)

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May 16, 2013 ♠ Sharon is an emotional book junkie ♠ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013

After the events regarding Mab in Spider's Revenge, Gin is now having to deal with other lowlifes on a daily basis and it's taking its toll. Finn tells her she needs to go on vacation and thinking it might be a good way to spend some quality time with Bria, they head off to Bria's hometown.

description

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Okay...I finally get the whole Donovan debacle. Not that I was wanting Gin to get back together with him especially after getting to know Owen but I'm not sure if I was expecting this! I really do...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Anna (Bobs Her Hair) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: UF/PNR Fans

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Lots of good stuff...tension between Bria and Gin, a vacation spot with a bigger badder fish than Mab Monroe, the reappearance of Gin's ex-boyfriend Donovan Caine, and Gin's oh-so-sexy-best-boyfriend-in-the-world Owen, fight scenes, bloodshed, spilled guts, and good food...What's not to like?

***edited to add full review***

The Story
After defeating Mab Monroe, the fire elemental responsible to the murder of her mother and big sister, Gin Bianco wants life to return to normal but rumors of her bei...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Katie(babs) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jennifer Estep has tied up a very big loose end with her fifth book, Spider’s Revenge in her popular Elemental Assassin series. So you’d think that would be the end of this series? Think again. Our favorite assassin, Gin Blanco, aka the Spider is back in By a Thread (with at least another 3 books to follow). Gin has eliminated her biggest enemy and now is open to living a normal, mundane life. Not so. She’s been targeted for assassination by criminals who want to take over Ashland that’s now up...more Jennifer Estep has tied up a very big loose end with her fifth book, Spider’s Revenge in her popular Elemental Assassin series. So you’d think that would be the end of this series? Think again. Our favorite assassin, Gin Blanco, aka the Spider is back in By a Thread (with at least another 3 books to follow). Gin has eliminated her biggest enemy and now is open to living a normal, mundane life. Not so. She’s been targeted for assassination by criminals who want to take over Ashland that’s now up for grabs. Gin never has a dull moment, even when her sister Bria makes her go on vacation with her to the small seaside town where she grow up to visit her best friend Callie who’s getting married. Off Gin goes expecting fun in the sun. What she gets instead is another mob type boss, in a form of a vampire this time by the name of Randall Dekes, who wants the land Callie owns. But the real kicker is, Bria’s friend’s fiancé is Gin’s ex-lover, Donovan Caine who tore her heart in two.

Gin is pretty much over Donovan because she’s in love with Owen, a rich business man who accepts all Gin is, unlike the self righteous Donovan. It still stings that Donovan looks upon her with loathing, but also with lust. Gin tries to ignore it by being lusty with Owen on the beach instead. But an assassin’s work is never done and Gin will do whatever she can to help Callie because of Bria. But when Gin almost dies because of Randall, she takes off the gloves with the help of her friends, including Owen and her foster brother, Finn.

I can’t get enough of Gin and these books. Jennifer has done great things with Gin and the world building. The cast of characters are incredible and the passion Gin and Owen share is intense and everything that’s right and wonderful between a couple. Jennifer has quite the shocking zinger by bringing Donovan back, and his reaction to Gin will make you grit your teeth because he’s still a self-serving, over the top moralistic jerk. Watching Gin still hurt over his rejection, even with Owen in her life, will make your chest tighten with emotion. But Gin gets the last laugh, especially when Donovan confronts Gin and shows her how much he wants her back in his life.

I want to see Donovan again because it causes some great tension. What if Donovan started walking a fine line and lost some of his morals? What a twist that would be if say, Donovan became Gin’s newest enemy? Will it happen? I can’t wait to see what Jennifer does with the next books in this very enjoyable series with a group of well written characters you'll never tire of. A very unique and different urban fantasy series I can’t stop recommending.(less)

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Feb 27, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: elemental-assassin, urban-fantasy

I have to admit, I was worried. When Jennifer Estep wrapped up the Mab Monroe storyline in the last book, it felt like it could be the end of the Elemental Assassin series. Then I head two words that made me shudder: road trip. Few authors can take their main character out of the familiar environment and make the story work. But let me tell you right now, not only did Jennifer Estep make it work, she's given us the very best installment in the series to date.

After Mab's death, Gin thought her li...more I have to admit, I was worried. When Jennifer Estep wrapped up the Mab Monroe storyline in the last book, it felt like it could be the end of the Elemental Assassin series. Then I head two words that made me shudder: road trip. Few authors can take their main character out of the familiar environment and make the story work. But let me tell you right now, not only did Jennifer Estep make it work, she's given us the very best installment in the series to date.

After Mab's death, Gin thought her life would get easier. But thanks to Jonah MacAllister, Gin's identity is no longer a secret. And every day, a new thug is showing up at the Pork Pit to challenge her. So Finn convinces her to take a vacation. Gin jumps in the car with Bria, back to her sister's home town, hoping to leave the violence behind. She also hopes she can bridge the growing gap between her and her sister.

I must say, Bria really ticked me off here. She is so judgmental of Gin; she blames her for things that are not her fault; she basically acts like Gin is beneath her. Very reminiscent of Donovan Caine in the earlier books. --And speaking of Donovan-- He is suddenly back in the picture as Gin finds herself in the middle of a conflict involving one of Bria's old friends. The woman is getting pressure from a vampire crime boss to sell her restaurant and Gin can't help but to try and help the woman who was like a sister to Bria for years. The woman who also happens to be involved with Donovan... who is still a complete toad.

This book is fast paced and full of action. But what makes it so good is that its also full of emotional turmoil in Gin's life. She has to learn hard lessons about the limits of her power. She must decide how much crap she is willing to take from her sister. And she needs to figure out where her heart lies. Is Owen the only man for her? Can she let go of her old feelings for Donovan? Do I ever stop wanting to punch him in the 'nads?

The absence of Mab and the change of venue gives the series an infusion of new life. It feels fresh without trying to reinvent the core of the series. It brings back all my favorite characters (and even some better left to rot beneath a bridge.) It is unpredictable. And it managed to make me worried, angry, sad, hot, happy, and triumphant, all in equal measure. I couldn't have been more satisfied and I wouldn't change a thing about how it all played out. I can wait to find out what's next for my favorite assassin. 5 stars.

*ARC Provided by author for review(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Suz marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

2/28/12 - Undecided about whether I'll continue this series. Can't stand the rehashes.

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Sep 01, 2012 Katyana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ass-kicking-women, fantasy, vampires, uf

Well. This one was honestly disappointing to me. I'll admit that the ending was good, and did a lot to salvage the book, but I was pretty irritated for the first 200 pages.

The biggest flaw in this book is Bria.

I know that she was never thrilled with Gin being an assassin, but she did make her peace with it. So in this book, when Bria suddenly morphed into a female Donovan Caine, I was pretty shocked. I thought it was needless drama in the Gin/Bria relationship, and was way out of character for h...more Well. This one was honestly disappointing to me. I'll admit that the ending was good, and did a lot to salvage the book, but I was pretty irritated for the first 200 pages.

The biggest flaw in this book is Bria.

I know that she was never thrilled with Gin being an assassin, but she did make her peace with it. So in this book, when Bria suddenly morphed into a female Donovan Caine, I was pretty shocked. I thought it was needless drama in the Gin/Bria relationship, and was way out of character for her. It made her seem like an idiot. The fact is, with their history, there is plenty of other drama that is in-character and way more interesting that the author could have tapped in this book. The two of them just becoming friends, now that the Mab situation is over, would have been fun to explore.

And there was a shitty additional side-effect to the Bria-as-moral-police development: it made me disbelieve her relationship with Finn. Which is too bad, because I thought their relationship developed beautifully over the last few books. But it occurred to me, during one of Bria's bitchy, self-righteous, condescending rants: how can she be in love with Finn? If Gin is the very devil herself, doesn't Finn at least qualify as a demon? So then either she's a hypocrite on top of being a judgmental asshole (as in, it is okay when Finn does it, but not when Gin does), or she has no consistency and is now a flat, 2-dimensional character (which I frankly think is the case).

Look, I get what Estep was trying to do. She was trying to set Bria and Donovan up for this parallel relationship. It was a re-tread, as far as I am concerned. Bria HAD this concern, and got over it when she showed up at Gin and Owen's Christmas party a few books back. She chose to get over her black-and-white view of the world. The events of the series since then should only have reinforced Bria's view of the world in shades of gray. There is just no reason at all for her to revert to her old self, and then twist into an even more extreme version. It was forced by the author to play against Donovan Caine, and it felt forced. It was a bad call.

And speaking of, if I never saw Donovan Caine again in this series, I would have been MORE than fine with that. Him popping up again was nauseating, to say the least. Him popping up with Bria's best friend/shoulda-been sister-who-is-just-like-an-angelic-version-of-Gin-so-of-course-Donovan-loves-her ... again, way too contrived. This whole book felt horribly, horribly contrived.

Really disappointing. I hope this doesn't define the new, post-Mab direction for what was one of the best UF series currently running.(less)

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Mar 18, 2012 VampireNovelFan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires, paranormal-romance, abandoned-series

Ain’t no rest for the wicked - more like a 3.5

It seems as if Gin Blanco can't catch a break no matter how hard she tries. As Jennifer Estep's prior novel, Spider's Revenge, and short story, Thread of Death, wrapped up the first major arc of this series, this book was more of a cool down with Gin taking a vacation with her sister, Bria, in an attempt to bond and heal after all they've been through.

The location of choice for this vacation is Bria's old hometown, a swanky beach town where all look...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

It is no secret by now how much I love this series and this newest installment is no exception. As a matter of fact, this is my favorite of the series so far. Gin Blanco has been outed as The Spider; at least rumors abound. Because of Mab's death the underworld is in turmoil and it seems every lowlife wants to make a name for himself by taking on The Spider. It does not take long before Gin is over the drama and agrees to take a vacation with Owen, Bria and Finn. As you would expect even a retir...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for_review, urban-fantasy, favorites

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

*Spoilers for previous books in the series*

With all the prior books centered around Gin’s need to kill Mab Monroe and help find some peace for her family that was murdered, I wondered what Gin would be doing after she successfully removed Mab for good. According to Finn, she needs a vacation. Gin and Bria head to a small resort town a day ahead of their men to attempt to relax and get away from the uneasiness in Ashland that has jumped up in intensity sin...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

By a Thread is the sixth book in Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series and it continues to demonstrate how awesome this series is.

This time around Finn suggests that it may be time for Gin to take a vacation. A weekend away with Owen, Finn and Bria. You see, since taking care of business back in book five, Gin’s alter ego as the assassin The Spider is starting to become public knowledge. Well, that’s not completely true - It’s becoming public specul...more Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

By a Thread is the sixth book in Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series and it continues to demonstrate how awesome this series is.

This time around Finn suggests that it may be time for Gin to take a vacation. A weekend away with Owen, Finn and Bria. You see, since taking care of business back in book five, Gin’s alter ego as the assassin The Spider is starting to become public knowledge. Well, that’s not completely true - It’s becoming public speculation. Therefore every idiot hotshot is trying to kill Gin to prove that they are better than the ‘maybe’ Spider. So after some consideration, and being attacked one more time, Gin agrees to Finn’s suggestion.

They decide to go to Savannah, Bria’s old stomping grounds. Not only will it give Gin a chance to see where her baby sister was living the years they were apart but it will give Bria a chance to see Callie, her BFF. When they arrive, Callie introduces the sisters to her new fiancé – one Donovan Caine.

I was debating whether or not to actually talk about the bastard er…I mean Donovan. Let me explain something…I sometimes read blurbs and I sometimes don’t. I post blurbs on my blog yet I don’t always read them. The blurb for By a Thread I did not read. Why? No clue. So I went into this book pretty much clueless as to what was happening. I only knew Gin was going on vacation with Finn, Owen and Bria because Jennifer told me so a while back while we were discussing Spider’s Revenge. When Donovan appeared on the page, I was shocked. I didn’t see it coming at all. I messaged another blogger and asked if they were going to talk about Donovan because it’s a big surprise but it’s very tricky to talk about this book without talking about the bastard er…Donovan. I asked her if it would be too spoiler-ish. She’s the one who told me to read the blurb…and sure enough, it’s right there. *facepalm* So I guess it’s not a total surprise…I’m just a little slow. *g* The fact that he appears in the blurb also made my mind up for me. We are going to talk about him.

I always wondered why Gin was so hung up on Donovan. I mean, the guy has never been nice to her. Yes, he’s a cop and yes, she’s an assassin. But she’s a ‘good’ assassin and she’s lovely! How can you not love her?! When he left I was happy and I was hoping to never see him again. But Jennifer said she wanted to bring him back to bring Gin closure. Well, I didn’t think Gin needed closure. I thought burn the photos and throw a party, he’s gone. And besides, she has Owen! Yummy, amazing, yummy Owen! My initial reaction to seeing Donovan was shock. Then I was grr… And yes, grr is totally a feeling. But you know what? He worked in this book. By the end of all things, I was very happy with what Jennifer did with him and Gin and everyone. And I did feel like Gin got her closure. And I felt it made things that much stronger between Gin and Owen, yummy Owen. So all in all, I am happy he was in this book. But I am still hoping to never see him again. *g*

Not only did Gin get her closure with Donovan but she also got closure on many other things, including her relationship issues with Bria. I was really impressed with how Jennifer did all that. It’s like this book is the ‘clean slate’ book Gin deserved and needed after Mab. Everything is on the table now and everything feels right with the world. So now the rest of Gin’s life can happen.

I guess I should mention a bit about the story other than Donovan and closure and holiday. Of course, there is no such thing as a vacation for Gin and her friends. They find out upon arriving in Savannah that Callie is being threatened by the local big wig who wants to buy her restaurant for the land it’s on. Callie is not accepting his offer so he is getting more aggressive with his ways of persuading. Dekes, the bad guy, happens to be a vampire. And when vampires drink an Elemental’s blood, they temporarily acquire their power. Yes, that seems sort of random but it’s important to remember. So we have Callie being threatened by a man that almost makes Mab look like a sweet little old grandma and lots of action and plots to keep you on your toes and turning the page. By a Thread is a ride and really fun to read.

Man I love this series. Yes, the repetition is a little bothersome at times, but if you can push through that you are in for some amazing stories. And the characters…you just can’t beat characters like Gin, Owen, Finn and pretty much everyone else that you meet in this world that Jennifer created. By a Thread shows us that there are many more great adventures waiting for us from Gin – that even after taking her revenge after so many years, there are many more stories to tell.

The next book, Widow’s Web, is due out August 21st 2012. This is the book where we are to find out more about Owen, Gin’s love interest, and I can’t wait. Owen has quite the story…I don’t know what it is but I can tell it’s a good one. I have marked my calendar for Widow’s Web’s release and you will too especially after reading By a Thread.

4.5 stars(less)

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Mar 08, 2012 Beatriz Lins rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: every single person on this planet

Shelves: awesome-protagonist, badass-characters, creepy-villain, crush-worthy-guys, fantasy, ebook, go-and-read-it, favorite, omfg, paranormal, quick-read, romance, sarcastic, urban-fantasy

It's no secret how much I love this series. You know that kind of setting that immediately draws you in, a main character that's simply fantastic, and non-stop action scenes? Yeah, that's what Elemental Assassin means to me. Through each book, we came to know a bit more of Gin Blanco, the Deveraux sisters, Finn, and the other characters. Since Jennifer Estep just sold 3 more books, I was hesitant to read By a Thread. I was afraid it would be like Anita Blake. Thank God it was nothing of the sort...more It's no secret how much I love this series. You know that kind of setting that immediately draws you in, a main character that's simply fantastic, and non-stop action scenes? Yeah, that's what Elemental Assassin means to me. Through each book, we came to know a bit more of Gin Blanco, the Deveraux sisters, Finn, and the other characters. Since Jennifer Estep just sold 3 more books, I was hesitant to read By a Thread. I was afraid it would be like Anita Blake. Thank God it was nothing of the sort.

After killing Mab, Gin finally tries to find some piece. But even with her arch-enemy dead, things haven't gotten easier for Gin. Everyone wants to get a taste of what the Spider is capable of, and fights and duels in the back of the Pork Pit's a common thing now. When Finn suggests a vacation, Gin takes the opportunity. But, just like the synopsis said, when you deal with blood in a daily basis, even a week off town can't keep you out of trouble.

Bria's friend is being harassed by Dekes, a vampire, constantly. He's basically Mab Monroe with a suit and fangs, so Gin offers her services to deal with him. With her friends' help, Gin finds out Mab wasn't the hardest target she'd ever face. Dekes is more powerful than the Spider ever imagined. Since book 2, I was always afraid of Mab. The woman was Devil on Earth. She was evil and twisted, but Dekes is no better. Seriously, Jennifer Estep has a way with villains. Dekes freaked me out.

I don't even need to say how heart-racing the action scenes were. Just like in the previous books, Gin's not afraid to get dirty and do whatever is necessary to survive. She's such a strong character. I've never seen anyone like her, and that's saying a lot. Gin's reputation as the Spider is not a joke, if she has to cut a guy's throat or decapitate him, so be it. She gets the job done at all costs, but even then, she doesn't lose her humanity. She's an assassin, but that doesn't mean she isn't human.

However, as much as I love Gin's soft side, I was bothered by her selflessness when it came to Bria. Fine, she's your sister, you'll always love her. I get that, I have a sister myself... but it was wrong for Gin to accept whatever Bria told her. There was a certain scene in which Bria was ashamed of Gin, because she was an assassin. Gin just bowed her head and acknowledged the pain without confronting Bria. This bothered me immeasurably. It's not okay to be ashamed of your sister, or blame her because you were tortured by Mab. She almost died trying to save Bria's life, and yet, the detective just continued to throw evil stares at Gin. Ungrateful much?

This brings me to my next point: Owen. He cares so much about Gin, loves her so much, that the fact that she's an assassin doesn't concern him. He accepts her, bloody parts and all, which is one of the best aspects of the series. Their relationship is heart-warming. Owen would do anything to protect Gin, but if she's about to fight nine guys and tell him "Go, I'll meet you outside", he goes. He trusts her to make her own decisions. I love that about him. No, risk that. I love everything about him. I was so glad Owen was there for Gin when Donovan came back into her life. Compared to Owen, Donovan is trash. He's a hypocrite, selfish, and know-it-all. Also, the way Jennifer Estep resolved the "unfinished business" between Gin and Donovan was freaking awesome. That's all I'll say.

By a Thread is the perfect sequel to Spider's Revenge. There's so much going on, and that still need to be dealt with, and I can't wait to read Widow's Web. August can't get here fast enough. If you haven't read the series yet, or never heard of it, please do. You have no idea of what you're missing.

Note: This review can also be found on my blog.(less)

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Apr 18, 2012 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-releases, urban-fantasy, borrowed-library

*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0

*Review*

Jennifer Estep’s By a Thread, is the sixth installment in the Elemental Assassin Series. For the record, I was a bit tense and nervous when I picked up this book from the library knowing that the Mab Monroe storyline was finally dead. Finally after 13 years of Gin trying to get back at her for the deaths of her mother and older sister she has her revenge against Ashland’s number one super villain.

The worrying part was also towards the repetitive nature of...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Lita Bouquard rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

Gin & Bria take a road trip. So when an assassin and cop travel together you should expect trouble. The Snow sisters are working on building their tenuous relationship as they travel a day earlier than Finn and Owen. Bria is going to show them the home town she lived in with her foster family. Gin hasn't had any normalcy in her life since her mom and sister were killed. She doesn't know how to vacation and Bria's constant ravings about her best friend, make her uncomfortably jealous. The BF...more

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Feb 03, 2013 David M rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I went to a book signing last week and the question was asked, "Will there be more books after book X?" The answer was "Would you really want more books after the story is over?"

I've come to the conclusion that the story for the Elemental Assassin series is over. It really should have been a three or four book series, but here we are. To be honest, once I got a few chapters in I almost put it down. I have seen this story before. I would put a SPOILER ALERT here, but if you've gotten this far in...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-sheila

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: An assassin’s work is never done, not even when on vacation.

Opening Sentence: “You need a vacation.”

The Review:

After all the recent killings and near-death experiences, Gin Blanco, notorious assassin and Pork Pit owner, is getting a little tired of it all. You would think that killing Mab Monroe would discourage others but instead, every two-bit hack is now trying to make a name for themselves by taking out the infamous Spider. It is becomin...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Kajol rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, paranormal, romance, magic-mumbo-jumbo, ass-kicking-totally-awesome-heroine

I'm calm.

I.
AM.
CALM.

Oh MY God!!!
This novel was just AMAZING!

I'm so happy, and this big-as-elephant smile on my face not just makes me look like a fool, but is a proof of how fabulous this series, this story was!

Okay, so Bria was an a class-fucking-A bitch in the very beginning, pissing me of to no end with her selfishness and the sneering I'm-a-good-cop attitude and practically just being a donovon-copy all over. Of course, that didn’t last long, only a few pages as she soon got over her PMS and...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Katrina Ly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow just...wow

This series is the best! I love how everything just melds together in perfect harmony- the romance, the action, the thriller-ness. I love the way it's written- the way it just grabs me right from the start and never lets me go. It's that good. I love the main character. She's smart, sassy, deadly, fiercely loyal and kind in her own way. What's not to like? And I liked the plot in this one.

I loved the fact that she's finally resolving her personal issues. Instead of just killing pe...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Alicia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

By a Thread is the first Elemental Assassin book where Mab Monroe doesn’t play a major part – after all she’s finally dead. I was really curious to read this book because it was going to be the book that decided whether or not this series could continue after the Mab storyline was over. What would Gin be up to now that her arch-nemesis is dead, she finally had her revenge for the death of her family, and Ashland is somewhat safe? Estep did an amazing job at finding a way to keep Gin’s story goin...more By a Thread is the first Elemental Assassin book where Mab Monroe doesn’t play a major part – after all she’s finally dead. I was really curious to read this book because it was going to be the book that decided whether or not this series could continue after the Mab storyline was over. What would Gin be up to now that her arch-nemesis is dead, she finally had her revenge for the death of her family, and Ashland is somewhat safe? Estep did an amazing job at finding a way to keep Gin’s story going and making it feel perfectly natural.

Gin cannot stay out of trouble no matter where she goes and she managed to find quite a bit on her vacation. I loved getting to see these characters in a different environment. It was also nice to see Gin finally slowing down a little bit and acknowledging that she had some emotional issues, especially family issues, that she needs to deal with (the final scene with Gin and Bria literally brought tears to my eyes). Another great thing about this book is that it did tie up another loose end in the series as Gin finally got some closure on the Caine issue, so she can finally move on and look towards the future not the past. I’m hoping that future books will allow her to do that and won’t dwell too much on issues that she overcame in this book.

My only complaint about this book in particular is that I wasn’t sure about the big villain in this book, he was supposedly stronger than Mab Monroe was and because he was described to be that powerful his defeat seemed almost too easy. Not that Gin had an easy time but it seemed as though she just wasn’t thinking through her plans as much.

As a generalization for this series; Estep recaps way too much. She recaps more than we need to know for each particular book, and then towards the end of the book she is recapping earlier chapters of the book. She also tends to use the exact same phrases which makes it seem as though she can just copy and paste some paragraphs from one book to another (for example, every time we are re-introduced to Finn we are told the same joke about how Gin can’t believe some irate husband has not hired her to kill him yet). There are a lot of pages which I end up skimming or skipping because they are entirely made up of recaps. It just gets frustrating when the stories are so great that I want to dive right into them and instead every five minutes I’m dragged out of the current storyline into a long reminder about what happened in the last five books.

As always, Estep does a great job of making the big bad Spider into a real person who readers can easily sympathize with. The bad guys are so bad that you are happy to see them dead and gone. Overall, it was a fantastic installment in the series and I cannot wait for the next book to come out (especially after the teaser we were given in this one!).
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May 04, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gin Blanco is having a holiday. There’s just too much stress in Ashland, especially since everyone knows she’s the Spider now and she’s constantly having to fend off petty thugs trying to take her down for the reputation. Time for some relaxation with just her, her friends and her sister Bria, to see if they can finally build a relationship in the aftermath of the epic battle they just fought

Of course, even on holiday there’s no peace. Bria’s best friend since childhood is being menaced by a pow...more Gin Blanco is having a holiday. There’s just too much stress in Ashland, especially since everyone knows she’s the Spider now and she’s constantly having to fend off petty thugs trying to take her down for the reputation. Time for some relaxation with just her, her friends and her sister Bria, to see if they can finally build a relationship in the aftermath of the epic battle they just fought

Of course, even on holiday there’s no peace. Bria’s best friend since childhood is being menaced by a powerful vampire of extreme influence and power. Past people who have stood up to him have died – and he’s virtually untouchable from the police. Of course, being untouchable to the police doesn’t make them beyond the Spider’s grasp. And she’s just killed the most powerful and devastating elemental in 500 years - how hard could this be? But Gin’s own over-confidence may be her undoing.

And there’s another problem – her old lover, Donavon, is Bria’s friend’s fiancé. And he’s just as judgemental and disapproving as ever – firmly holding to his morality that won’t have anything to do with assassins no matter who they are killing and why. He doesn’t want her help, even if it costs his fiancée her life. Worse, will opposing Donavon’s morality also put her at odds with Bria, another police officer who is more than a little disapproving of Gin’s murderous ways?

I won’t say the story was exactly a twist per se – but it wasn’t linear either and it did catch me by surprise. Because of the aftermath of killing Mab, there was a strong sense that Gin was just going to walk over the enemy – the real conflict was going to be Donovan and Bria disapproving of her naughty murderous ways and getting in the way of her actually getting the job done. It wasn’t going to be difficult to kill the bad guy – but it was going to be hard to do so without Bria and Donavon knowing and/or handling the fallout. So I was shocked by the twist that all that confident set up was a case of supreme over-confidence and cockiness – which turned into a storyline to run along side the much better planned assassination attempt, the hecklers disapproval and Gin’s re-examination. I think this made the story work on many levels and in many ways because we had the same plot line but multiple different themes and twists on that plot and the implications of it and what it means for all of the characters and their interactions. It took the plot line and made it far more complex and nuanced than imagined – while keeping the excitement of hunting down a truly evil, exploitative and powerful foe and examining related issues without being bogged down in angst

I did like how Gin learned in this book and grew in many ways. In particular I liked the mistake she made. She’s just killed her nemesis, the most powerful Elemental in centuries, or so everyone says. And she’s, well, cocky. She’s a little arrogant about it – which is a very natural human mistake, but it’s also a mistake and it does end up costing her. This was really well done because it was a humanising element of Gin – yes, the Spider believed her own press too much and after spending the last few weeks killing low level thugs she’s underestimated a severe situation. It also helped re-establish tension in the story. We have killed the big bad, but something doesn’t have to be on par with Mab’s level of personal power to be dangerous nor is Mab the only person out there with that kind of power. For the story this is a great step because it re-injects the tension and threat rather than us, like Gin, resting on the laurels of Gin’s power and Gin’s victory – the fact that the bad guys are still dangerous and deadly has been really well reinforced.

Now while I’m not especially pleased at the amount of violence Gin has inflicted on her, she does have a violent profession and she usually stabs the people who attack her so it’s very much redeemed. Similarly, the mistakes that Gin made in this book were reasonable not Spunky – and she asserted her agency and self-worth (and had both validated) in an amazing way which we have needed for a while.

Which brings me to the next issue of growth I adored. Gin embracing that she is an assassin and refusing to be ashamed of it. For a long time she has been judged for being a killer – first by Donavon and then by her sister Bria – both are very good, very honest, very by-the-rules people and judge Gin for being such a bad/evil person. But they’d both be dead – along with most of the rest of the characters – if it weren’t for Gin’s willingness to kill. In the extremely corrupt world they’re living in, playing by the rules is not only naïve, but in the face of some of the murderous people they’ve faced, it’s almost morally unconscionable. But still they judged her and its been getting on my very last nerve as Gin cringes back in shame from their judgement and her own damaged sense of self-worth as she hunts for the love of these two people.

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Apr 29, 2012 Jessie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I picked this book up, I was wondering what the author was going to write about since the major story arc of the series had been resolved in the last book. I'm so glad that I decided to read it! This book was as good as the previous five! I really love this series but this book seemed to draw out a lot of emotion. Gin may be The Spider, Ashland's most deadliest assassin, but she has a lot of emotions to sort out. Unfortunately, the bastard detective from the first two books made a reappeara...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Katepc rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've stuck with this series for six books because they're quick, easy reads. By book three the author stopped referring to every character by both names (and titles, Detective Donovan Caine...) every time they were mentioned so I figured things were looking up.

However, by the end of book six the dialogue is still clunky and awkward (bad guy threatens innocent victim - "But I think it’s going to be quite a bit more serious than that now just to make sure our boss’s wishes are coming through loud...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Sheyla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Girls on a road trip.

Gin Bianco (aka Spider) is tired of killing people. Since she killed Mab Monroe everyone is gunning for her. They believe by killing Gin they will gain respect and power.

Flynn offers a solution. Why doesn't Gin take a vacation, leave town for a bit and relaxed. Bria has a friend in her old hometown that she would like to visit. Gin decides this may be the best way to bond with her baby sister.

When they get to town, they stopped by the restaurant Bria's friend owns. While en...more

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Mar 22, 2012 MJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: really-liked, paranormal

After the fall out from killing Mab Monroe, Gin Blanco decides a vacation is in order. So she sets off to enjoy a weekend away with her sister Bria. But when you are the famous assassin The Spider, trouble follows you where ever you go. Bria's childhood friend is in trouble and when no one else is able to help her Gin decides that her vacation is over. But things are more complicated than she expects especially after her former love interest Detective Donovan Caine shows up engaged to the very p...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-stars

Plot: 5 Stars
I feel like a broken record, but I absolutely loved this novel. Although she was supposed to be relaxing and enjoying her vacation, Gin ended up getting into yet another dire situation that left me wondering how she'd make it out alive. Gin always surprises me with the situations she gets in, and then the lengths she must go to to get out of said situations. The author does a great job of putting her in mortal peril, while keeping her escapes completely believable.

Pace: 4.5 Stars
Th...more Plot: 5 Stars
I feel like a broken record, but I absolutely loved this novel. Although she was supposed to be relaxing and enjoying her vacation, Gin ended up getting into yet another dire situation that left me wondering how she'd make it out alive. Gin always surprises me with the situations she gets in, and then the lengths she must go to to get out of said situations. The author does a great job of putting her in mortal peril, while keeping her escapes completely believable.

Pace: 4.5 Stars
This novel started out with a bang, as Gin takes care of another threat that dropped by the Pork Pit after hours. She finally gives in to Finn's idea of a vacation. Of course, it wouldn't be a vacation for Gin if it didn't involve at least a little bit of killing. I loved how quickly she became involved in the local mob boss problems without even trying. There were a number of times I had to remind myself that Gin would make it (book seven comes out in August), because I wasn't sure she would and I couldn't put the book down.

Characters: 5 Stars
The strong characters and relationships were the best part of this installment in the series. Not only did we get to see more of Gin, Finn, Bria, and Owen, but there were new characters and someone from Gin's past. Gin gets to meet Bria's best friend, Callie, who also owns her own restaurant. After a meal at the restaurant, Gin and company get dragged into the local mob boss' politics when he sends some goons to threaten Callie. And then Donovan makes an appearance. I enjoyed reading as Gin dealt with the reappearance of Donovan, and how she dealt with him. The mob boss of Blue Marsh was a crazy S.O.B. and definitely made for an eventful vacation.

Cover: 5 Stars
This series is totally blessed by the cover gods. Each stands out in its own way, but they all work together and look fantastic on my bookshelf. The bright green of this cover grabs the eye, and also depicts the setting of the novel very well. My favorite part of the cover is how the cover model's jeans fade into the green of the background, but her blue tank top stands out. I'm not sure if I'd be running around in those heels if I was killing people, but they make the model seem like a badass (even without the knife on her belt). I also really enjoy that the cover model is facing forward completely, showing off the rune in her palm, as if to say, "Yeah, I'm the Spider. What are you gonna do about it?" And lastly, I will always enjoy the font choices of this series.

Overall: 5 Stars

Disclosure: I received an e-ARC of this novel for review. (less)

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Mar 12, 2012 Matthew rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel is much more self-contained than most in the series; it's after the five-book plot that began the series, and it has the feeling of being something of a bridge book between what came before and what will come. It follows the established pattern of the series - Gin finds someone acting like a bully, Gin pisses off her friends to some extent and justifies the killing she's about to do, Gin goes to fight the big-bad of the novel halfway through and barely escapes with her life. Gin recov...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

By a Thread by Jennifer Estep
Urban Fantasy – Feb. 28th, 2012
4 ½ stars

This Urban Fantasy series only gets better as the heroine, an assassin with a heart of gold, unexpectedly finds more danger and an old love.

Exposed as the assassin that killed the powerful and corrupt Mob boss of Ashland, Gin finds herself under scrutiny by those who want to kill her or those who see her as a legendary hero. But there are deadlier consequences as a big power vacuum is left in Ashland and unsavory new criminals...more By a Thread by Jennifer Estep
Urban Fantasy – Feb. 28th, 2012
4 ½ stars

This Urban Fantasy series only gets better as the heroine, an assassin with a heart of gold, unexpectedly finds more danger and an old love.

Exposed as the assassin that killed the powerful and corrupt Mob boss of Ashland, Gin finds herself under scrutiny by those who want to kill her or those who see her as a legendary hero. But there are deadlier consequences as a big power vacuum is left in Ashland and unsavory new criminals look for a piece of the pie.

Tired of battling constant thugs who want to prove themselves, Gin finds herself worn down and decides to go a vacation under the persuasion of her adopted brother Finn. She decides to enjoy time with her new found sister Bria. But trouble seems to follow Gin. When her sister’s best friend Callie is being strong-armed into selling her successful restaurant by a vicious vampire named Dekes. Gin is determined to come to the rescue. However, complications occur when Gin finds out that her ex-lover Detective Donovan Caine is financed to Callie! Donovan left Gin because he did not approve of her actions outside of the law and his coming back opens up old wounds and rifts.

Gin is like the proverbial underdog who overcomes the gigantic evil in her world. You can’t help but root for her. The sudden appearance of her former lover Donovan brings up unexpected feelings of insecurity for Gin and complicates matters. But it also reaffirms the love between her current boyfriend Owen and herself. Her mission to kill Dekes and save the resort town seems easy enough with her deadly skills but things never work out simply for Gin. Gin discovers that Dekes knows all about her powers and wants to add her to his collection. Worse, since Dekes knows her weaknesses, Gin may have finally met her match! Dekes has also hurt many people and these new characters have added a new dimension that I hope will be included in the author’s next book!

Fabulous and exhilarating, Gin is like a cat with nine lives that keeps bouncing back. She has a hero complex and is impetuous but always does the right thing- a fantastic heroine that readers will love!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

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Mar 09, 2012 Shasha rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finished the series in about 3 days, did enjoy it don't get me wrong. But it is only "it was okay" 2 stars. Why? Because I wanted to read it but instead had to resort to only skim through it, and not on purpose. It's a refreshing world, I love me some magic and assassins. I quite liked Gin, Owen, Finn, Bria, and all the others. But the writing just wasn't that great. A lot of repetition about Donovan and Bria. I get it, in case someone didn't read the previous books, but it just got tiring aft...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Romancing the Book rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Reviewed By~Jen
Review Copy Provided By~ARC by Author

Warning: Slight spoilers ahead for those who have not read the series.

Review: For the first five books of this series, Gin Blanco has been focused on exacting revenge against her arch-enemy, Mab Monroe. At the end of the last book, Gin and Mab have their showdown. I'll admit that when I learned that the series wasn't done, I was quite curious to see how Jennifer Estep was going to continue now that her foe is no longer a threat. But obviously M...more

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About Jennifer Estep

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.

Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin adult urban fantasy series for Pocket. Books in the series are SPIDER'S BITE, WEB OF LIES, VENOM, TANGLED THREADS, SPIDER'S REVENGE, BY A THREAD, and WIDOW'S WEB. THREAD OF DEATH, an e-novella, is also available.

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Tangled Threads (Elemental Assassin, #4)

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Quotes from By a Thread

“Hello, sexy. I knew that you couldn't get through the night without me," Finn's smug, slightly sleepy voice filled my ear. "So why don't you tell me what you're wearing?"

I rolled my eyes. Apparently, my foster brother hadn't bothered to check his caller ID before he picked up the phone. I wondered if this was how he answered all his late night calls, or if he was actually expecting to hear from Bria. I really hoped it was the second one.

"What am I wearing? Well, right now it would be the blood of two giants, among other naughty unmentionables," I purred. "What does that do for you, sexy?"

Silence.

Then Finn cleared his throat. "Uh Gin? Did you dial my number by mistake? Shouldn't you be cooing these sweet, sweet nothings into Owen's ear instead of mine?” — 27 people liked it

“I looked at Bria. “How do you put up with him?”
Bria started to open her mouth, but Finn piped up instead.
“She puts up with me because I happen to be rich, handsome, charming, a witty conversationalist, and exceptionally talented in bed,” he smirked. “Flexible too.”
I groaned. “I did not need to hear those last two.” — 22 people liked it

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By a Thread (Elemental Assassin #6)

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