SPIDER'S REVENGE by Jennifer Estep

Spider's Revenge
Jennifer Estep

Rating: A-
Synopsis:
Old habits die hard. 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 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 she 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 Stone and Ice magic — and my irresistible lover Owen Grayson — to watch my back. This battle has been years in the making, and there’s a 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.

My thoughts on the book:
Spider's Revenge is a terrific end to the first story arc of this series. Like the other books in the series, it's action-packed and suspenseful. I couldn't put this one down. If you're a fan of urban fantasy, then this is one book you can't miss. 

Gin's character comes to the end of its first growth cycle in this novel. Things come full circle in many ways, and I've enjoyed the past five novels of growth for her. I'm interested to see how she changes in upcoming books. I know she's on a different path in life, and I agree with it. She's turning into a more sympathetic character, and she continues to blur the lines of right and wrong. I'm really happy with how she's turning out. 

The secondary characters are still terrific, though Finn has disappointed me lately. He is a bit insensitive toward the end, and I really wanted to beat him in the face with a shoe. Also, Bria really let me down. I was hoping there'd be some girl out there who wouldn't hop into bed with Finn. Apparently not. Disappointing to say the least. Owen keeps getting more and more fantastic, though, and I really enjoyed getting to know more about Sophia. 

The plot is action-packed, though frustrating at times. Mab is the enemy that just won't die. She's like the bad guy in a horror moving that keeps narrowly avoiding death and coming back when you least expect it. I wanted to scream out of frustration a few times when Gin missed an opportunity. Mab is definitely one stubborn foe, and one who is an excellent match for the Spider. The falling-action was my favorite part of this novel. It really made the whole frustrating ride through this book worthwhile. 

Overall, as I've said before, I'd recommend this book and this series to urban fantasy fans. You're sure to love the Elemental Assassin series if you enjoy Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld, Kim Harrison, Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson series, and Laurell K. Hamilton. If you haven't read this series yet, you are missing out. 

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