Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin, #1) in Book Bloggers Anonymous

Mar 30, 2010 Natasha rated it it was amazing

Spider's Bite is the first book I've read by Jennifer Estep, and I have no idea why I haven't heard of her before this. She's brilliant!
Why? For starter's, she really knows how to open a book and drag you right in.

Her first line says all...

"My name is Gin, and I kill people."
I really do judge a book by it's first chapters. Sure, I can still love a book when it's only really good from half way on, but to be promising from the start? That's a 5 star + for sure, for me. And this really is promisin ...more

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Feb 22, 2010 Julie rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2010, favorites

“My name is Gin, and I kill people.”
That’s the opening line to this book. When I read it, I thought “Whoa, this going to be good.” The first chapter is very good. But for some unexplained reason, it kind of fizzled out for me after that. It’s not that it was slow going or lacking action. You have an assassin who gets double crossed and who is now out for revenge – all the elements for a thrilling story. And I really like the idea of there being elemental magicians – it’s a cool concept. But as I ...more

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Feb 07, 2010 Melissa rated it it was amazing

"My name is Gin and I kill people." Those first words of this book draw you into a thrilling urban fantasy with a side of elemental magic. Gin is a very confident and swift assassin with ethics. These rules or ethics that she holds to allow her to stay cold and continue her work. She is known in her profession as the Spider who can meld with the shadows, take her victim and quickly disappear without a trace. You might think that someone like this would be hard to like, but she becomes the heroin ...more

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Mar 13, 2010 Jai rated it really liked it

http://janicu.livejournal.com/98899.html

I liked the fun series set in Bigtime about superheroes by Jennifer Estep, so when I found out she had an urban fantasy series in the works, it went on my wishlist. I won a copy of this book over at vampirewire.

The Premise: Gin Blanco is an assassin who works at a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit during the day. She relies on her knives and tools for her job, but in case she needs it she's also a Stone Elemental - someone with power over rocks and E http://janicu.livejournal.com/98899.html

I liked the fun series set in Bigtime about superheroes by Jennifer Estep, so when I found out she had an urban fantasy series in the works, it went on my wishlist. I won a copy of this book over at vampirewire.

The Premise: Gin Blanco is an assassin who works at a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit during the day. She relies on her knives and tools for her job, but in case she needs it she's also a Stone Elemental - someone with power over rocks and Earth with a small amount of Ice Elemental power as well. One day, Gin is hired to kill an embezzler, but is surprised during the job by a double cross by the client. Within moments, Gin is wanted by the police and everyone around her is in danger. To clean things up Gin makes a surprising move: she teams up with a straight-laced cop, Donovan Caine.

My Thoughts: Reading Spider's Bite right after The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay really highlighted how expectations of a character's morals and whether they live up to them is part of what affects my reading experience. Although I didn't always agree with what Gin did, I expected her to be ruthless, and it wasn't as much a problem for me when she was. I understood her rules, and although she was not above doing something I find questionable, she was consistent with what my expectations were: a killer who doesn't pretend to be one of the good guys. The interest is in knowing up front that Gin walks a fine line, and I'm not sure whether or not she will go over. Somehow, I root for her despite her profession.

Because of the female assassin, this book reminds me of Kelley Armstrong's Nadia Stafford series, which is a series I LOVE and am patiently waiting to continue. Of course this book is really different, but the smart, capable heroine is similar. I feel like this series, which has three books out this year (Web of Lies comes out in May and Venom comes out in September), fills some of the void I feel over Nadia Stafford, and I recommend this series for people who like that one.

What I really like about this book is how the hero, Donovan Caine, an honest detective with ideals, has to work with with an assassin in this story! He's the one trying to make sure that Gin doesn't do things that go over the line, and he has a moral dilemma - he likes and is attracted to her while he thinks that she's a cold-blooded killer. His his physical attraction to someone who may have murdered his partner and all the mixed up feelings of guilt and anger involved with that make their relationship kind of delicious. I'd love to see how things develop in the next two books. One thing I'd say though - Gin isn't subtle about her appreciation of the detective. Her thoughts are clear to the reader and I think that romance readers would be unfazed but readers who don't like anything explicit could be turned off.

The relationships in this series feel real life, maybe because I thought Gin felt like a three-dimensional character. The people in Gin's life felt like family - her handler Fletcher and his son Finnegan, and the twin dwarf sisters Jo-Jo and Sophia have a long back story that is hinted at but you feel like they've had years together to build their relationships.

Another thing I liked was the idea of the Elementals and how they are a normal part of society (along with giants, vampires and dwarfs). There are different shades and kinds of Elemental power: Ice, Stone, Air and Fire, and Elementals veer to certain jobs because of it just like any other talent. It's also common for people to have their own personal rune to reflect this talent.There's a promising introduction to Fire Elemental and Big Bad, Mab Monroe, who sounds like she owns the town and may be someone Gin will eventually confront in the next couple of books. Mab and Gin's past looks to be part of a larger story arc I''d like to read.

Note: for fans of Estep's Bigtime series - the Elemental Assassin series has a very different voice and a darker tone, but I noticed a nod to Estep's previous series in the form of a mention of Fiona Fine. It tickled me. :)

Overall: The more I think about it the more I like this book. I recommend this urban fantasy for people who like a smart, practical kind of heroine with a hard edge. If you liked Kelley Armstrong's Nadia Stafford, I think you will like Gin Blanco. I plan to buy the rest of these books. ...more

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Feb 03, 2010 Caitlin Wyatt rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010

Spider's Bite is action packed, and it really gets your adrenalin pumping. Gin is a major kick-butt heroine. She is fierce and full of attitude. She is a stone elemental, meaning she can manipulate stone to do as she pleases, and turn her skin into a hard defense. She also is an ice elemental but that power is secondary. She is an assassin, and a pretty good one. She lives in Ashland and works for her mentor/boss Fletcher. He owns the Pork Pit. He also gets her the assassin jobs he is the go bet ...more

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Feb 18, 2010 Bridget rated it it was amazing

Gin's name on the street is Spider because of her keen hearing. She knows when the slightest move is made by man or nature. She likes to fight fair and only uses her powers when other methods prove inefficient.

When her handler is killed, Spider sets out with a vengeance. Donovan, a detective, decides to help Spider take down the killer. The problem is, Donovan also wants Spider dead. When the attraction sparks, they find that love-hate relationship sometimes spawn a passion unlike any other.

I'm ...more

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Feb 15, 2010 Parajunkee rated it really liked it

A frenzied riot of violence, revenge and raunch all wrapped up in a fancy Urban Fantasy bow, Spider’s Bite, has it all. First there is the tough as nails heroine who would rather kill first and ask questions later. Then there is the boy-scout detective who sees everything in perfect black and white. Next, you add a few vamps, and a whole lot of magic. Spice it up with a bit of sexual tension, a great supporting character cast, and a plot that races by faster than you can turn pages. Spider’s Bit ...more

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Feb 09, 2010 Alisha rated it really liked it

Throw Gin "the Spider" Blanco into the esteemed group of kick-butt female protagonists who take no prisoners. She's not bogged down with laborious things like a "normal" conscience, and doesn't apologize for it.

That's not to say she isn't without rules, standards, honor (of a sort) and professionalism, however. And it's for that reason that she finds herself fighting hard on what should have been her last assignment before a well-deserved vacation.

The book reads in a very straightforward manner Throw Gin "the Spider" Blanco into the esteemed group of kick-butt female protagonists who take no prisoners. She's not bogged down with laborious things like a "normal" conscience, and doesn't apologize for it.

That's not to say she isn't without rules, standards, honor (of a sort) and professionalism, however. And it's for that reason that she finds herself fighting hard on what should have been her last assignment before a well-deserved vacation.

The book reads in a very straightforward manner (one woman, one mission, no meandering side-plots), managing a bit of world building but mostly spending time working out what's inside Gin's head. Why she does what she does for a living. What she cares about most in life and what she's willing to do to protect it. And most interestingly, how she can fall for a guy that is seemingly so unlike her.

Whilst reading I kept thinking to myself, "Hm, this is kind of like Payback/The Bourne Identity/Mr.&Mrs.Smith (without the Mr.)/Kill Bill." Which I mean to be a compliment, really...there's something really exciting about a well-done tale of someone having been done dirty and trying to avenge themselves. Especially when that person is not herself all that innocent and rosy-cheeked, either.

I loved how Gin was rather frank and unapologetic about her profession. Despite the fact that she kills people for a living (but "no torture, no kids, no pets"), she still manages to make you care about her. I wanted to her win, to get the BAD bad guy and save the day. Also fun to read about was Gin's reaction to "one of the only good cops in town," Donovan Caine. Their interactions were exciting not only because they clearly had the hots for each other, but because one couldn't be sure they weren't going to pull out weapons and "throw down" to the death at any given moment. Cop and killer; perfect love match, right? :o)

Gin's got a funny, likeable voice, and her character is multidimensional (also a bit contradictory, but in the same way most of us tend to be). Can't wait for books 2 and 3 (thankfully being released in mid- and late-2010, respectively).
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Nov 15, 2010 April rated it really liked it

(Originally posted @ CSI:Librarian)

This book took me ages to get through. Mostly because I have a real tendency to read library books and review copies before books I actually own, but also because of the main story being slow to develop. The opening was really exciting and incredibly unique in a lot of ways, but then the book sort of wandered around for a bit before finally picking back up again.

The best part of the book had to have been Gin, which is something I haven't been able to say about (Originally posted @ CSI:Librarian)

This book took me ages to get through. Mostly because I have a real tendency to read library books and review copies before books I actually own, but also because of the main story being slow to develop. The opening was really exciting and incredibly unique in a lot of ways, but then the book sort of wandered around for a bit before finally picking back up again.

The best part of the book had to have been Gin, which is something I haven't been able to say about a lot of Urban Fantasy series with female main characters. In this case, I enjoyed Gin's first person point of view. Above all else, I loved that she was equal parts competent and deadly, a winning combination that I would like to see more of. She was a bit sarcastic and cold at times, but in a way that made sense and wasn't just a way to bait or piss off other characters. I think this is because Estep was successful in balancing out those negative aspects of Gin's personality out with likable characteristics. Estep was also able to do so without saving the more important details in terms of Gin's backstory for later books. There's still plenty of issues and information left to reveal, but I never felt like I was being purposefully mislead or kept in the dark. Because of that, I can't wait to see how Gin deals with her traumatic loss of her family and new truths revealed in the second book of the Elemental Assassin series, Web of Lies.

Over all, Estep's writing was excellent and her world-builing was very well-done and enjoyable. I really appreciate Estep not bothering with endless sections of Wikipedia-like summaries of what life is like for elementals, giants, trolls, vampires, etc. By doing so, she allowed me as a reader to just sort of become submerged in a world with fairly familiar supernatural creatures without shifting through unnecesary explanations. And while elementals in of themselves might not be a new concept, I like the new spin Estep has taken on them here in Spider's Bite.

I think the only disappointing aspect of this book was Donovan Caine and Gin eventually getting it on despite their obvious issues with one another. This is not to say that I blame Gin for being interested or that I minded her aggressively pursuing him, but I don't need books, particularly those in the Urban Fantasy genre, to have failed or successful romantic subplots in order to somehow enhance my reading enjoyment. In Spider's Bite, the interactions were handled in a believable way for the most part and it never completely derailed the major plot of the book, which was good. However, because this romantic-ish subplot was totally unneccesary and added only drama and angst, it was also incredibly irritating.

In conclusion, a fun start to a promising Urban Fantasy series with a very cool main character. One that I definitely plan on reading a bit faster from here on out too! ...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Jess rated it really liked it

LOVED this book! Also, very glad I have book 2 here ready to go. Review coming after that!

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Feb 21, 2010 Terri rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal, vampires, urban-fantasy

Gin is an assassin - known at the Spider. And when she is setup and framed she gets mad. And its time for Payback.

This is the first in a new series by the author and has a very interesting urban fantasy setting with vamps, elementals, dwarves and giants. And the characters are intriguing and strong. Really liked it.

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May 18, 2010 Donna rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010-50-new-authors, 2010-100-plus-books-read

Great start to a new series. I love the characters the world that is set up and am really looking forward to more to come. While reading this one I am not really sure what I think of Donovan Caine. But hopefully we will see more of him and form a real impression.

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