Jennifer Estep’s Spider’s Bite is the first book in the Elemental Assassin series.
In this alternate universe, humans share the earth with elementals, giants, dwarves and vampires. While each species has its own gifts, status and weaponry have leveled the playing field. The story takes place in the corrupt Southern town of Ashland, Tennessee. There, poverty is rampant, people are at risk of being raped and beaten, and the cops are paid off. Fitting almost perfectly in this town is Gin Blanco, an assassin. Gin Blanco is a Stone elemental giving her the power to control and listen to the whispers of stone. These abilities can be very useful in her profession. As an assassin, she is aware of the misdeeds and knows that trust is hard to come by, but after an Air elemental double-crosses her and murders her handler, Gin desires revenge.
Gin is another kickass protagonist. She is an assassin providing her with characteristics like ruthlessness and violence. Her cold, calculating, and patient nature aids her during missions. As can be expected, Gin is more than just an assassin. She has a strong moral code that keeps her from killing kids and innocents, an attitude dipped in dark humor, and a rich backstory. She is an orphan who was taken in by a kind man who helped her develop her deadly techniques. A small girl with stone magic was turned into a killing machine. As a smart, talented and determined character, Gin has the makings of a great protagonist.
Spider’s Bite was an excellent read. Immediately, the book starts with lots of energy and sarcasm. The plot moved quickly tossing Gin from one situation to the next and leaving a trail of bodies in her wake. It is never boring and always full of action. Jennifer Estep also provides Gin with an snarky attitude and hilarious lines. This first installment not only established Gin as a strong lead, but also provided her with a support group. Little is known about them, but each has a unique quirk distinguishing them among other characters. There is little character development in this book, but the story changes the perspectives of some characters and provides room for them to grow in future installments. The world building in this book is also well done. Pop culture references solidify the books setting in a world very similar to our own. The elemental’s magic system is intriguing. It considers Ice, Stone, Air, and Fire to be the four elements with offshoots like water, metal and lightning instead of the usual four elements of water, earth, air, and fire. These elements had unique abilities that differ from or expand on the usual element based magic system. It was extremely interesting to have a Stone elemental as a main character. Out of all four elements, earth is usually neglected in favor of water and fire. It provided a nice change of pace. Before you read this amazing book, you should know that this is an adult book. Jennifer Estep makes no attempt to mask Gin’s sexual desires and was descriptive in writing the sex scenes. The scene isn’t integral to the plot so it can be skipped. I give this 395 page book 4.5 stars.
Elemental Assassin
In this world. humans share society with elementals. dwarves, giant, and vampires. Elementals have control over one of the four elements: Ice, Stone, Air or Fire. Some have power over offshoots like water, metal, and electricity. Vampires suck blood, giants are distinguished by their strength and height while dwarves are known for their lack of it.