Cocktails and Books
Written on Apr 18, 2015
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.
"How did I end up in a career where I always have blood on my hands? Well, let me tell you a story about an assassin who thought she could do no wrong. . . . Ten years ago. A blistering hot August night. I remember like it was yesterday. The night I, Gin Blanco, truly became the Spider. Killing people is what I do best, especially now that I've honed my Ice and Stone magic. But back then, I had yet to learn one very important rule: arrogance will get you, every single time. This particular job seemed simple: murder a crooked building contractor with ties to ruthless Fire elemental Mab Monroe. My mentor, Fletcher Lane, had some misgivings, but I was certain that I had the situation under control . . . right up until I exposed my weaknesses to a merciless opponent who exploited every single one of them. There's a reason assassins aren't supposed to feel anything. Luckily, a knife to the heart can fix that problem, especially when I'm the one wielding it. . . ."--Page 4 of cover.
- ISBN10 1451689012
- ISBN13 9781451689013
- Publish Date 24 December 2013
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
- Format Paperback (US Mass Market)
- Pages 400
- Language English
Reviews
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.
littleread1
Written on May 13, 2014
Melanie
Written on Apr 12, 2014
I was not a huge fan of this book. It was okay. I just wasn't that into the going back in the past thing. I think this could've been a novella. Not sure how it affects the overall story arc of the series. The words "filler book" come to mind.
As for the narration, I'm not sure what I think. The narrator talked really slow, which I know that is supposed to be the Southern thing, but I've never heard anyone talk this slow. It got better when I sped up the audio. I might try again with the next book and see what I think with a better story.
Angie
Written on Mar 22, 2014
The Spider is a full length prequel to the rest of the series. It does start out in current times, with Gin working at the Pork Pit like usual. Then she gets a special delivery. Gin being Gin is highly suspicious, but she opens it anyway to find a dozen blue roses and a seemingly sinister note. Owen asks her about it, so she sits him down and tells the tale of 10 years ago.
It was interesting to get to see a full mission from Gin's past in The Spider rather than the random snippets we get in other books. It also helped avoid all of the annoying recaps since none of it had happened yet! However, it never fully held my attention. We already know how things turned out, so there's no sense of mystery or urgency. I was just waiting to see if this past job has any effect on the direction of the rest of the series, which it does not, so I was disappointed in that regard. But younger Gin wasn't as badass as her current self, and she was still a bit naive, so her job didn't go the way I had assumed.
What I did really like about The Spider was all of the cameos from the other characters! Of course, Fletcher and Finn are involved, and Jojo and Sophia. But we also get to see Roslyn, Xavier, Owen, and Bria before they were important parts of Gin's life. There's also lots of small details that stand out after having read nine other books set in this world, and that was a lot of fun.
I liked The Spider, but I wish it had been more relevant to the current story arch instead of just being a prequel. This type of story felt better suited to an in-between novella rather than it's own main book.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.