Black Widow by Jennifer Estep Series: Elemental Assassin #12
Published by Gallery Books on November 25th 2014
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Format: paperback
Source: Library
Purchase @ AMAZON or BN
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There’s nothing worse than a cruel, cunning enemy with time to kill—and my murder to plan.
With wicked Fire elemental Mab Monroe long gone, you’d think I could finally catch a break. But someone’s always trying to take me down, either as Gin Blanco or my assassin alter-ago. Now along comes the Spider’s new arch-nemesis, the mysteriously named M. M. Monroe, who is gleefully working overtime to trap me in a sticky web of deceit.
The thing is, I’m not the only target. I can see through the tangled threads enough to know that every bit of bad luck my friends have been having lately is no accident—and that each unfortunate “coincidence” is just one more arrow drawing ever closer to hitting the real bulls-eye. Though new to Ashland, this M. M. Monroe is no stranger to irony, trying to get me, an assassin, framed for murder. Yet, as my enemy’s master plan is slowly revealed, I have a sinking feeling that it will take more than my powerful Ice and Stone magic to stop my whole life from going up in flames.
Liezel’s Thoughts:
It has been quite some time since Gin has come across a worthy adversary and in this twelve installment of the Elemental Assassin Series she sure does find one good match. We finally are introduced to the mysterious M. M. Monroe. Does her last name sound familiar? If you have been a fan of the series from the very beginning then of course it does. M.M. Monroe actually stands for Madeline M. Monroe – the one and only heir of Mab Monroe.
Knowing the extend of her mothers reign in the underground world Madeline moves to Ashland to claim her rightful position. But before she can take over she has to finish off “The Spider.”
An attack against Gin isn’t anything new. She fends off a wannabee assassins multiple times throughout her day. What makes Madeline a likely competitor is the fact that she actually has a plan. A smart one. She strikes where it is likely to hurt her the most -her family, her friends and the one thing that she holds dear to her heart, her business.
If you’ve read the previous books you know how many close calls Gin has had but what made this one different was the extent of her inventiveness. Her entire world was literally burning down around her yet she still managed to keep her wits in exerting all her effort and her resourcefulness to survive.
After all that was said and done, it doesn’t end there. Gin puts her foot down and decides that once and for all she needs to prove that she is not to be messed with any longer. She finally comes up with this brilliant plan to end all attempts on her life. This leads to the unexpected … a change in Gin’s role in Ashland. Who do you think becomes the queen bee now?
What I loved most about the book was the degree of emotions that came pouring through the pages. We’ve always known just how important Gin’s crew is important to her and in this book it is manifested just how deep those feelings are reciprocated. In all honestly, I was beginning to think that it was time for Gin to find a new love interest because Owen seemed lacking but in this book he proved otherwise. For once we come to witness the depth of their connection and the passion and love that they have for each other.
Another thing that I found striking about the story was the introduction of a unique power. We’ve seen fire, ice and air wielded throughout the series what we’ve never heard of was acid. Does that make any sense to you? It didn’t at first for me but surprisingly the author made sure that this unusual magic work. It was new and therefore unpredictable which then made the story even that more interesting.I truly appreciate how Jennifer Estep stepped up to the plate in delivering something fresh and new.
“Black Widow” was definitely a heart pounding and compelling read. A read that certainly will be enjoyed by diehard fans of the series.
The Verdict:
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.
