This book hooked me on the entire series. I went back and began reading all of them, definitely not back to back but I have enjoyed them over the years since I read this book. One of my favorite things about authors is when they create a book that has you looking for their other stories. Ones that draw you in & make you want to curl up & read all day.
Let's just say, you should read this book & you should look at the rest of the series Ms. Estep has created.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

One important lesson I’ve learned in the assassination business is that to be the best you have to roll with the punches. Now that I’m queen of Ashland’s underworld—by default, not by choice—a lot more punches are being thrown my way. But I suppose that’s the price of victory for taking down some of the underworld’s top dogs. Good thing I have my Ice and Stone magic to help me survive my volatile new position. Just when I think things are finally settling down, someone tries to murder me during a hush-hush underworld meeting. But the real surprise is how strangely familiar my shadowy assailant seems to be.
My job is to maintain order among killers, crooks, and thieves, and soon I’m embroiled in a bloody game where the ability to keep secrets could be the greatest superpower of all. My enemies have all sharpened their knives and laid their traps, waiting for me to fall. But this Spider weaves her own webs of death…

*2.5 stars*

Another installment in the Elemental Assassin series - but the gloss has certainly worn off for me now.

I do still love Gin, but her uniqueness has certainly disappeared. What was once a character that I wondered "How on Earth is she going to get out of that?" has now turned into "Yep, just was I expected!"

And the villains are the same, too. Paint-by-Numbers bad guys will never win me over. I think the problem is that this series started with such a high calibre that it has been hard to maintain the levels of "badness" for the villains. When Gin killed Mab a while ago, that was like the last of the great villains - since then, it has been disappointing.

Will I keep reading more? I doubt it.


Paul
ARH

Getting another glimpse of the young Gin before she evolved into the Spider is always quite interesting. The reader gets a chance to understand her motivation a little bit better, and just how much Fletcher shaped her as an assassin and as a person.

This time it isn't quite as obvious whether Gin has a new nemesis or not, because neither the target nor the intention of the new enemy is clear. Snippets of memory are dragging on Gin's subconscious. Her gut feeling is trying to warn her and make her remember something she has locked away in a tidy little box in her head.
It's strange that Gin feels guilt rather than a sense of empathy with the actual target of the attacks. They have a lot in common, and yet perceive each other as enemies.

As a reader you can still feel the ripple of mega Mab being gone. So far not one person has lived up her evil scheming ways and ice-cold heart. Gin is just chewing them up and spitting them out like old bubble gum.

Estep needs to make sure to keep the story fresh for long time readers and intriguing enough that new readers want to go back to the beginning. It's time for a real challenge and not just another ode to her greatness.

Estep slips in the next potential threat in a very subtle way. A person who will certainly wreak havoc on Gin's family and friends. Can't wait to see the fallout from that in the next book.

Reviewed by Jen

Review: I’ve been a faithful fan of the Elemental Assassin series since book one. And now we’re at book thirteen. Has the series been perfect? No. There’s been a lot of repetition. And let’s be honest. Thirteen books in, it is to be expected. Bad guys start to blend together. Fight scenes aren’t as fresh as they were in the beginning. But when I’m in the mood for something action packed with a paranormal twist, this series is where I go.

Gin Blanco, the Elemental Assassin Spider, is now the reluctant queen of the Ashland underworld. This time around Gin’s enemy is a metal elemental. One of my favorite parts of this series is how Ms Estep plays around with the different elements. For example, Gin has ice and stone elemental magic. She can harden her skin with the stone magic or she can create ice picks with her ice magic. Over the years, Gin has fought against fire, acid, ice and so on. Metal magic was first introduced with Gin’s significant other, Owen, who wields the magic and uses it in his weapon making. However, our new villain has much stronger magic. Here’s a short excerpt that illustrates how powerful her new foe is:

“Did he just…” My voice just trailed off.

“Use his metal magic to reshape that spoon into a dagger?” Owen finished my thought. “Yeah. That’s exactly what he did.”

“Cool, ” Finn chimed in.

Owen and I both turned around in our chairs and gave him a look.

“What?” Finn protested. “It is cool in a completely sneaky, underhanded, deadly sort of way. I admire such things.”

Gin has to rethink the way she’s going to challenge a magic elemental. She can’t go running in with her daggers and hack and slash her way through a fight. It was a refreshing change and made for some interesting battle scenes.

Once again, the flashbacks that Gin experiences tie the current situation with something that happened years prior when her mentor was still alive and shaping her into an assassin. And all the supporting cast are accounted for and helping Gin along the way.

This book is meant to be read as part of a series and not a stand alone. Ms Estep does not really spend the time re-introducing characters or settings. I feel she is assuming you’ve been following the series and don’t need the recap. So, if you’ve not read other books in the series, you might feel you’re missing important information. But that said, this was a much needed change in the series and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Gin Bianco just keeps getting better! Love this series, world and peeps.