laurenjodi's review
4.0
Spider's Bite
4 Stars
The world building based on the concept of people with extrasensory abilities based on the four elements and their derivatives is original and intriguing. Estep gives just enough information at the appropriate times without dumping excessive information on the reader.
The plot is your typical, run-of-the-mill mystery focusing on Gin's attempts to discover the identity of a double-crossing client. The actions scenes are well-written and exciting but the investigation tends to drag in places and the writing is on the repetitive side, especially Gin's internal dialogue and musings. Moreover, the villain's identity is painfully obvious and the resolution predictable.
The main character and her sidekicks are the highlight of the book. Gin is a formidable heroine - flawed and complex but vulnerable and endearing at the same time. Despite her profession as an assassin and her overt attempts at presenting herself as cold and calculating, Gin has her own moral code that guides her actions and makes her that much easier to identify with. She is not nearly as cold as she likes to believe.
Gin's friends (more like family) add a touch of color and humor to a world that would otherwise be exceptionally dark and troubling. They include Fletcher, Gin's gruff handler who rescued her from the streets; his son, Finn with whom Gin shares an affectionate brother/sister relationship, and the dwarf sisters - Jo-Jo the socialite who likes to mother everyone and Sophia the Goth who has a penchant for cleaning up dead bodies.
The only supporting character to dim my enthusiasm is Gin's love interest, Detective Donovan Caine. Although their chemistry is tangible, the detective is a pompous, judgmental, self-righteous prick who really needs to get over himself. He makes my palms itch to smack him.
While the main plot threads in this installment are tied up neatly, the book ends with some interesting revelations and unanswered questions that make me eager to continue with the series.
4 Stars
The world building based on the concept of people with extrasensory abilities based on the four elements and their derivatives is original and intriguing. Estep gives just enough information at the appropriate times without dumping excessive information on the reader.
The plot is your typical, run-of-the-mill mystery focusing on Gin's attempts to discover the identity of a double-crossing client. The actions scenes are well-written and exciting but the investigation tends to drag in places and the writing is on the repetitive side, especially Gin's internal dialogue and musings. Moreover, the villain's identity is painfully obvious and the resolution predictable.
The main character and her sidekicks are the highlight of the book. Gin is a formidable heroine - flawed and complex but vulnerable and endearing at the same time. Despite her profession as an assassin and her overt attempts at presenting herself as cold and calculating, Gin has her own moral code that guides her actions and makes her that much easier to identify with. She is not nearly as cold as she likes to believe.
Gin's friends (more like family) add a touch of color and humor to a world that would otherwise be exceptionally dark and troubling. They include Fletcher, Gin's gruff handler who rescued her from the streets; his son, Finn with whom Gin shares an affectionate brother/sister relationship, and the dwarf sisters - Jo-Jo the socialite who likes to mother everyone and Sophia the Goth who has a penchant for cleaning up dead bodies.
The only supporting character to dim my enthusiasm is Gin's love interest, Detective Donovan Caine. Although their chemistry is tangible, the detective is a pompous, judgmental, self-righteous prick who really needs to get over himself. He makes my palms itch to smack him.
While the main plot threads in this installment are tied up neatly, the book ends with some interesting revelations and unanswered questions that make me eager to continue with the series.
lynseyisreading's review
4.0
I ended up really enjoying this book. I say "ended up" because for the first 50 pages or so I was a little bit worried I wasn't going to like it at all. I'd read a really positive review on it, and I was looking forward to reading it, especially since it would provide a change from vampires and werewolves for a bit (even the most die-hard urban fantasy fan needs a change from time to time!). So it could be a case of expecting too much on my part, perhaps. I admit I was kind of expecting to find a five star book to add to my list of all-time favourite series after the gushing review I'd read. Well... it's not up there yet, but by the end of the book, it had moved up in the world (or, at least, in my world) from a 3 star to a 4 star book.
The main character is Gin. I would perhaps not describe her as the most personable/friendly/outgoing main character you could meet, but you wouldn't really expect that of someone who has been an assassin for 17 years and is used to working alone in the shadows. Her occupation has made her a patient observer in life, much like the Spider she gets her assassin nickname from.
She isn't a completely cold-hearted bitch as you might expect either, though. She has a sense of humour that, if she had any other kind of job I'm sure you would get to see more often. She's pretty cool under pressure to say the least - a bit of a badass, in fact. And seems to be very good at what she does. The stabbity death stuff.
There's potential here for a romance plot line, albeit a very tricky one. Because there's an attraction to an extremely good, straight-laced detective called Donovan Caine, who, no matter how much he might try to, can't come to terms with, or in any way accept the fact that Gin kills people for a living. Talk about a relationship obstacle. I'm not sure how this is going to work out, but I'm eager to read more to find out.
4 stars! ★★★★
kkxx2's review
1.0
The most basic writer would know to SHOW, and not TELL.
IT'S THE MOST BORING PROSE EVER.
ENDLESS INTERNAL MONOLOGUES TELLING ME ABOUT YOUR BACKSTORY.
THAT'S LAZY WRITING, THERE, BRO.
IT'S THE MOST BORING PROSE EVER.
ENDLESS INTERNAL MONOLOGUES TELLING ME ABOUT YOUR BACKSTORY.
THAT'S LAZY WRITING, THERE, BRO.
albishka_2's review
4.0
Gin Blanko is really very attractive, not ordinary person. But she is an assassin, who kills for money,so it's no wonder that part of me just couldn't accept her first but then everything changed and now I find myself being interested in what is going to happen next in her hactic life.
chelseavbc's review
4.0
This review was originally published at Vampire Book Club.
Gin Blanco is the kind of protagonist I love. She knows who she is and is completely at ease taking charge. Also, she has wry wit, which is always appreciated.
Spider’s Bite heroine Gin kills people for a living. She’s an assassin, and has never had any real qualms about killing people. They deserve it. She’s good at it. And it’s never personal. However, when a client sets her up to be murdered, to take the fall for some nasty things and involve her family — well, she’s going to make them pay.
While Gin uses typical fighting skills, she is actually an elemental. She, like others within the Elemental Assassins world, is one who can wield magic tied to her element. She can call on stone to bring down a building if she wanted, but, well, that’s too easy. Plus, those who use their magic too much go insane. While investigating who is after her, we get to meet some engaging characters including a vampire former prostitute, a goth who loves to dispose of bodies and even an air elemental who runs a salon.
There’s a great juxtaposition of high society and its seedy underbelly. Mob queens out flaunt their power on the charity circuit and just about every cop is dirty. I say just about because the one good guy left on the force, Donovon Caine, finds himself under attack from the same person after Gin. They strike a truce, though he tells her he’ll hunt her down the moment it ends. I liked these two together. Gin makes no apologies about her serious crush on the detective and I appreciated her owning her sexuality by taking the lead.
There were a few writing quirks that threw me off while reading Spider’s Bite – mostly repetition of phrasing — but I believe they may be purposeful. Gin is methodical. She will wait as long as it takes to get revenge. So, it makes sense that she might say the same things or repeat her process of strapping on knives, each time. The function is well-thought, but I kept thinking “I just read that.”
With such a rich world, Spider’s Bite offers so much potential for an amazing series, especially as Gin begins to question what she really wants out of life. The events of Spider’s Bite shake her, and I will definitely continue with the series to see how she progresses. Fun and edgy, Jennifer Estep’s writing voice hooked me. I’m game for more.
Sexual content: Sex scene
Gin Blanco is the kind of protagonist I love. She knows who she is and is completely at ease taking charge. Also, she has wry wit, which is always appreciated.
Spider’s Bite heroine Gin kills people for a living. She’s an assassin, and has never had any real qualms about killing people. They deserve it. She’s good at it. And it’s never personal. However, when a client sets her up to be murdered, to take the fall for some nasty things and involve her family — well, she’s going to make them pay.
While Gin uses typical fighting skills, she is actually an elemental. She, like others within the Elemental Assassins world, is one who can wield magic tied to her element. She can call on stone to bring down a building if she wanted, but, well, that’s too easy. Plus, those who use their magic too much go insane. While investigating who is after her, we get to meet some engaging characters including a vampire former prostitute, a goth who loves to dispose of bodies and even an air elemental who runs a salon.
There’s a great juxtaposition of high society and its seedy underbelly. Mob queens out flaunt their power on the charity circuit and just about every cop is dirty. I say just about because the one good guy left on the force, Donovon Caine, finds himself under attack from the same person after Gin. They strike a truce, though he tells her he’ll hunt her down the moment it ends. I liked these two together. Gin makes no apologies about her serious crush on the detective and I appreciated her owning her sexuality by taking the lead.
There were a few writing quirks that threw me off while reading Spider’s Bite – mostly repetition of phrasing — but I believe they may be purposeful. Gin is methodical. She will wait as long as it takes to get revenge. So, it makes sense that she might say the same things or repeat her process of strapping on knives, each time. The function is well-thought, but I kept thinking “I just read that.”
With such a rich world, Spider’s Bite offers so much potential for an amazing series, especially as Gin begins to question what she really wants out of life. The events of Spider’s Bite shake her, and I will definitely continue with the series to see how she progresses. Fun and edgy, Jennifer Estep’s writing voice hooked me. I’m game for more.
Sexual content: Sex scene
tizi_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
thegeekyblogger's review
3.0
Bought on Audible
Read for Group: BBA on Goodreads
What I Loved: Gin! What a fantastic leading lady. She is tough yet vulnerable, has hobbies (cooking, taking classes), has friends (Fin, JoJo, Sophia), and has a kick ass ability that she does not overuse. I think that last thing was the most surprising but delightfully refreshing trait of all. I really loved her from the get-go and that is unusual for me in UF! She was just very well rounded and you could relate to her.
What I Liked: I really liked that I didn't quite parse out the whole story in advance. It is always fun when you can follow a case along and piece together things as the character does. I saw a few things coming but most of it was a mystery. The story played out in a very well paced way.
Complaints: None
Audio Specific Review: The story was narrated by Lauren Fortgang and she does an excellent job. There were only a few voices that I thought were a little off but overall it was a fantastic job.
Why I gave it a 3.75: This was a fantastic beginning to an Urban Fantasy novel. I usually don't get sucked in so quickly in UF but I am really looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.
Who I would recommend this too: Urban Fantasy Fans
Read for Group: BBA on Goodreads
What I Loved: Gin! What a fantastic leading lady. She is tough yet vulnerable, has hobbies (cooking, taking classes), has friends (Fin, JoJo, Sophia), and has a kick ass ability that she does not overuse. I think that last thing was the most surprising but delightfully refreshing trait of all. I really loved her from the get-go and that is unusual for me in UF! She was just very well rounded and you could relate to her.
What I Liked: I really liked that I didn't quite parse out the whole story in advance. It is always fun when you can follow a case along and piece together things as the character does. I saw a few things coming but most of it was a mystery. The story played out in a very well paced way.
Complaints: None
Audio Specific Review: The story was narrated by Lauren Fortgang and she does an excellent job. There were only a few voices that I thought were a little off but overall it was a fantastic job.
Why I gave it a 3.75: This was a fantastic beginning to an Urban Fantasy novel. I usually don't get sucked in so quickly in UF but I am really looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.
Who I would recommend this too: Urban Fantasy Fans
michellesantiago's review
5.0
I loved this book and I have found a new addicting series to obsess about. I am going to be counting down the days until the next book comes out for sure!
This uncompromising urban fantasy is very dark and violent. It is very well-written with memorable characters and the world building in this book is great.
Spider's Bite is the first book in Ms. Estep's new Elemental Assassin series, which features the kick-ass heroine assassin Gin Blanco (aka the Spider). She kills for a living, but she has her standards and very loyal to those she cares for. Gin is a flawed character but a very likable one and I like her voice. In addition to a great lead you will root for, the book also features great supporting characters.
Those in the mood for a fast-paced, no holds barred urban fantasy will love this book. I give it 5 stars out of 5 (see more about our ratings here). This book is great start to the series and the next book, Web of Lies, can't come soon enough!
This uncompromising urban fantasy is very dark and violent. It is very well-written with memorable characters and the world building in this book is great.
Spider's Bite is the first book in Ms. Estep's new Elemental Assassin series, which features the kick-ass heroine assassin Gin Blanco (aka the Spider). She kills for a living, but she has her standards and very loyal to those she cares for. Gin is a flawed character but a very likable one and I like her voice. In addition to a great lead you will root for, the book also features great supporting characters.
Those in the mood for a fast-paced, no holds barred urban fantasy will love this book. I give it 5 stars out of 5 (see more about our ratings here). This book is great start to the series and the next book, Web of Lies, can't come soon enough!
vikcs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0