Web of Lies (Elemental Assassin, #2)

by Jennifer Estep

Following up the first book in her new "Elemental Assassin" series, Jennifer Estep's Web of Lies once again brings readers into sexy assassin Gin Blanco's world, which is populated with giants, goth dwarves, elementals, and some kick-butt BBQ.

Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon.

I’m Gin Blanco. You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren’t aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coal-mining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn’t made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man...dead or alive.

• ISBN10: 143914799X
• ISBN13: 9781439147993
• Publish Date: 25 May 2010
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Pocket Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[Berls]

This review appeared first at Fantasy is More Fun.

Note: This review will have some spoilers for those who haven't read the first book

What happens when an assassin retires? They get bored. And what happens when a former assassin gets bored? They find trouble. Or it finds them. At least that's how it worked out for Gin in Web of Lies. Surprised? Me either. What fun would it be if Gin's retirement were quiet and peaceful?

As soon as I started listening to Web of Lies I started kicking myself for taking so long to pick it up. I read Spider's Bite in September 2013 and didn't pick up Web of Lies until October 2014. Well that was dumb, because Web of Lies was great!

I just love Gin's personality - she's a smart aleck and likes to pretend she's hard as stone. And, while she can use her elemental stone magic to make her physically HARD AS STONE, she's a softie deep down. And she's still feeling a bit hurt from the events of Spider's Bite. She feels a little bit betrayed, because she feels like maybe she didn't know Fletcher after all. Why does he have the folder about her past and why hadn't he told her he knew that her sister was alive? What does he want her to do with this information?

Gin's frustration, though, became mine. Ok, you're feeling a bit lost. But golly gee whiz, can you stop moping about the folder Fletcher left you and do something about it? If, like me, you were hoping this book would have a lot to do with the contents of that folder, you're in for a disappointment. For all but maybe the last 10% NO progress is made on that front. Gin just wonders about it the whole book.

Ultimately that was okay, because Web of Lies had plenty of action to keep me happy. Fletcher's life before Gin and Fin (his son) comes to light and sends Gin down a very different, and yet somehow familiar, path. The good detective Donovan Kane is back for the fun - once again trying to figure out the balance between what's legal and what's right - not to mention how his feelings for Gin factor in. A new potential love interest and big player also shows up - Owen Grayson - and I'm VERY interested. He may just be better for Gin than Donovan. Or he may be trouble - I'm not quite sure.

For me, the highlight was once again the magic/world that Jennifer Estep has created. It's so intricate and even after leaving it for more than a year, I easily slid back in and had no trouble remembering how things work. In fact, it was so easy to reorient myself, I found myself saying things with the narrator - Lauren Fortgang. I think this was mainly that there was a bit of predictability - not boring in the least, but takes away some of the potential wow factor. It could also be that Lauren's narration is so slow paced. I love her voices for the characters and for me, she's the perfect Gin, so I'll definitely be continuing in audio. She just has slightly longer than I would like pauses - sometimes I would think I accidentally hit pause or something, they would be so long. Not a deal breaker, especially if you can speed up your playback (I can't on my Audible app).

If you're a fan of action, snarky main characters, and well developed worlds, I recommend this series. I'm eager to see if the next book will dig further into the mystery of Gin's past than Web of Lies did!




This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

[Angie]

Web of Lies is good, but not as good as the first book. It's a few months after the events of Spider's Bite, and Gin has retired. She's now working at the Pork Pit and taking more classes at the community college. But she's bored, so when a young woman comes in asking questions, then is promptly shot at, Gin is intrigued. A money hungry dwarf is after this girl and her grandfather, and she just can't help but to step in and stop the bullying.

The plot of Web of Lies was quite cheesy, and not in a good way. It's the typical rich guy pushing around the small business man because of a hidden agenda, and then the kick ass assassin comes in to save the day. I mean, the aforementioned money hungry dwarf is also a cowboy; it can't get any cheesier than that. At least this job didn't end as neatly as her previous one, so it did keep me on the edge of my seat.

Some of my world building issues from the first book were cleared up in Web of Lies so that made me happy. I'm really liking the mix of supernaturals that the author is using, and how their strength hierarchy isn't what you'd assume it to be. Dwarves are not to be messed with it! I still have a few lingering questions, so hopefully they get answered soon.

Now for the romantic aspect. Donovan Caine is the most frustrating man on the planet! He and Gin continue to have some insane chemistry, but he's still conflicted because of morals! He's the only good cop in a town of corruption, and she's an assassin (or ex-assassin). He's driving me crazy! Then something happens at the end, but I think it was too early in the series for it to really have an effect on me. On top of that, there's already the start of a new romance.

In the end, Web of Lies was still a fun read. I breezed right through it and was never bored. I just wish the main plot had been more unique. There are some interesting developments about Gin's abilities, so I'm curious to see where that goes.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Hixxup]

It been some time since I've read the first book of this series, but I didn't forget what happened in it, not really. But this one, just helped in reminding me what happened, and who I liked and didn't like. I love Gin and I love Finn, and the devereux sisters. Who I don't like is Detective Donovan Caine, he was just too righteous in a world full of hate and corruption, and sometimes morals just got in the way of the bigger picture. I was glad that he left at the end, because Mr. Warren was 100% dead on when he said to Gin "He's not good for you." Though a new player came in, on this book Owen Greyson, sleek millionaire business man, with the sexy violet eyes. I liked him from the start, hope to see him more in the coming books.

[littleread1]

Eh. Better than the first one, but still not sold on the series. Will come back to it. Might try to read it in stead of listening. It is VERY repetitive - I know your 5 point arsenal, and where you keep your knives. I KNOW you have scars on your palms and how you go them ...

[Amanda]

Actual rating: 3.5

Original review: http://onabookbender.com/2011/12/09/review-web-of-lies-by-jennifer-estep/

Web of Lies picks up very soon after Spider’s Bite. Gin is retired from her assassin gig, but it’s more “retired” than retired. But, like the summary says, she is curious. So of course she sticks her noise into stuff that gets her into trouble. I would expect nothing less. Gin may be a cold and patient assassin, but in her own way she has heart. And her own morals.

The detective made a very big appearance in Web of Lies, but the complicated relationship between him and Gin only gets more complicated. We are also introduced to another possible love interest. Now, you know me and my intense dislike of love triangles. And I do dislike them. But I also appreciate having the story spun so that whatever happens feels appropriate and right. Despite Gin’s involvement with Donovan from the beginning of Spider’s Bite, I was never able to fully connect with him. He was successful at holding himself back, because in the end, a relationship between Gin and Donovan is rough and doomed. Thus, the introduction of someone new makes sense, especially given that he stands to give Gin what Donovan can’t. Rather than being annoyed by this, I am intrigued.

Web of Lies is also important in the series, as it slowly builds the Mab Monroe story line that will continue through the next few books. We don’t necessarily learn anything more about what happened to Gin’s family the night they died (though I want to), but we are introduced to Mab a little more, and are left wondering what the hell Mab knows and what she is up to. In that sense, the job that Gin takes in Web of Lies is not quite as important as the implications of the job as well as who it brings Gin in contact with. Web of Lies sets the stage for something more, and it is perhaps for that reason it didn’t quite dazzle me the way Spider’s Bite did. Or I was just in one of those moods.

Gin is one helluva character, and other than the continual references to eye color, the Elemental Assassin is shaping up to be one of my favorite series. I appreciate that Jennifer Estep’s writing forces me to set aside my own personal likes and dislikes (hello, slight love triangles) and simply experience the story for what it is. In other words, whatever happens makes sense and is logical for the story. When both my logic and emotions are engaged, that’s the sign of a successful series.

And before I forget: don’t read Web of Lies on an empty stomach. The descriptions of food that Gin makes (because hey, she cooks just as well as she kills) are slightly sinful.

[Melanie]

I didn't think this was a good as the first book. I will read the next book and see how it goes. I am a little sick of Donovan Caine. Hopefully, he will not show up in the next book. I am a little tired of his attitude.