Web of Lies

Web of Lies is an excellent follow-up to Spider's Bite. While I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first one, I did like it a lot. Like all of Estep's books, the characters grow and change over the course of the novel. The plot is action-packed and full of suspense, and the pacing is perfect. Like the Spider's Bite, I found Web of Lies difficult to put down. It definitely held my interest, and I can't wait to read Venom to see what Gin and company get into next.

One of my favorite things about this novel is how Gin changes as a character. She really grows and turns into someone who is more caring, yet still hardcore. She doesn't let her emotions get in the way, but she's learning that she can do good with her skills instead of always doing other people's dirty work. I enjoyed watching her learn more about Fletcher's past and more about herself through the process of helping the Foxes.

Speaking of the Foxes, I also like how Estep had Warren Fox be a Cherokee character, but she doesn't make a big deal out of it. The Qualla Boundary (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians' reservation) is right outside of Asheville (or Ashland), in the mountains, and I'm glad she acknowledges that the land is and always has been theirs. However, she doesn't depoliticize the EBCI or any of the other American Indian nations. She just states that he's Cherokee, and he states that the land has been in his family over 300 years and that he's not willing to part with it. No weirdo New Age/Pseudo-Powwow culture junk that a lot of authors try to throw into their novels when they have Indigenous peoples in them. Warren T. Fox is simply a mountain man who's trying to hold onto his family home. He's very much a contemporary mountaineer, and he illustrates that American Indians are still present and functioning in present-day society. I commend you, Ms. Estep, for handling this with such grace.

My main complaint about this novel is that Finn isn't present as much. I missed him, haha. Also, Donovan really pissed me off. He's just a jerk. One of my commenters mentioned she didn't really like him when I reviewed the last book. I have to admit that I fully agree with her. I did love Owen Grayson, though, and I can't wait to learn more about him. He seems like he may actually be man-enough to handle Gin.

The plot and pacing are perfect, as I've come to expect from Estep. I don't feel like things are as mysterious in this novel as they were in the last, but there is plenty of action and a little bit of romance thrown in. Again, there were times when I wasn't sure Gin would make it out alive, even though I knew the series continued. Estep is really good at keeping the reader on the edge of his or her seat.

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to anyone who loves good Urban Fantasy material. I've really enjoyed both books in the series so far, and I'm looking forward to reading Venom in the next day or so. ( )

Gin Blanco's best-laid plans to stay an ex-assassin blow up in her face when an old friend of her foster father's needs help. Would-be thugs attempting to knock over the Pork Pit, and some new and very deadly enemies add some spice to the sauce in the Elemental Assassin's second installment. Definitely a keeper. ( )

More reviews at: http://www.onstarshipsanddragonwings.com/2012/12/10/web-of-lies/

Another gritty urban fantasy, Web of Lies is the second book in the Elemental Assassin series and Gin’s life just can’t stay dull. Retirement doesn’t suit her, so when a young girl seems to be the target of a professional assassin, of course Gin needs to investigate and help. It doesn’t hurt that Donovan Caine is also interested in this particular case as well, nor the dashing Owen Grayson….
In my failed attempt to catch up with the read along for this series, I got Web of Lies from the library. I may still be behind, but at least I’m having fun :D. I’m not sure how much further I’ll be going with the Elemental Assassin series, but the first two books have proven to be a nice and classic urban fantasy distraction during stressful school times ;-). This review will certainly contain a couple of spoilers for the first book since it is the second in the series!

Title: Web of Lies
Author: Jennifer Estep
Pages: 400 paperback
Genre-ish: Urban fantasy, but not in our world
Rating: ★★★★☆ - fun elements, but that’s it
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 coalmining 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. – Goodreads

Strengths:
It was refreshing for the plot to be driven by a good deed for a change :D. I had trouble connecting with Gin as a trained and cold killer previously, but Gin as a killer who wants to help a kid and her grandfather was much easier to get into.
I won’t say too much, but I like the new romantic possibilities that have opened at the end of Web of Lies. It’s also refreshing that Elemental Assassin is taking a more realistic romance approach than a lot of series ;-).
There was some heavy hinting that Sophia’s past will be important in the future and it looks like it will be really interesting :D.
Weaknesses:
Nothing that major seemed to happen in Web of Lies unfortunately…. While we learn a little bit, it sort of felt like one of those holiday specials in TV shows that aren’t super connected to the main storyline….
Donovan Caine, you annoy me.
I originally really liked the magic system, however it has been expanded in Web of Lies and is getting a little overly complicated. It also seemed a little too convenient to the plot without being true to the system, which annoyed me.
Repetitive! I realize that these types of books are meant to be casual and able to be set down and picked back up easily, but there are only so many times that I need something explained! I got it, really, I promise, stop telling me over and over again.
Summary:
As I said with Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies is a great book if you are in the mood for a straight up urban fantasy with some not PG-13 scenes and a kick-butt heroine. If you are looking for something more, keep looking. I appreciate some of the new elements (haha, no pun intended) that Web of Lies brings to a rather over-saturated genre, but I still have a very hard time connecting with Gin and therefore caring much about what happens. These are fun books, and that’s what you should expect from them :). ( )

This review was originally posted on The Book Vixen. I won this book from a fellow book blogger.


Why I Read this Book: I have been sucked into this world since book one and I don’t see the momentum slowing down in the slightest.

What I Liked: You know when the question gets asked ‘if you could be any one character from a book, who would you be?’ – I finally have an answer! I can now honestly and enthusiastically say Gin FTW! I loved Gin in the first book and I love her even more now. She’s tough as nails and has the whole fierce, kickass heroine thing down. She’s not stupid but she has her flaws. I think it makes her relatable in a sense that we all make mistakes. She’s not perfect but she’s pretty good at getting rid of problems rather effectively.

The author is not stingy with information nor does she draw things out beyond necessity. Gin gets some answers regarding her mother’s and sister’s deaths. She also found out a little about Bria. Gin receives a folder full of information regarding Bria yet the reader doesn’t know what Gin’s going to do with that information. She talks about it, thinks about it, but doesn’t act on anything yet. There are also some bits and pieces of Fletcher’s past are revealed, which sheds some light on his character. I think we’re just touching the surface in regards to his character but it’s one layer that’s been peeled back for us to see.

A new character (and possible love interest for Gin) gets introduced – Owen. He comes into Gin’s world full force and I cannot wait to see how things transpire with him. He’s definitely interested in Gin and he’s completely upfront about it. He just lays his feelings and desires right on the table. And he doesn’t take her rejection to heart. Quite the determined fellow! And even though he knows that she’s still fixated on Donovan, he’s not going to give up. I like Owen but I have a feeling that he’s got some kind of ulterior motive when it comes to Gin. He seems to know A LOT about her.

I like that the reader gets to see glimpses of Gin’s past, while she was growing up, through her flashback dreams. We get to see how Gin came into Fletcher’s life and find out how she became an assassin at the tender age of 13. She’s a pretty complex character so every piece of information we get is gold.

What I Didn’t Like: We get more smexy time with Donovan but there’s a new development, which I’m not too happy about. I’m curious to see how this plays out in future books.

Memorable Moments:

“Donovan is [a fine man]. But he’s not the one for you.”

“See something you like, Detective?” I said in a soft voice. “Because I sure do.”

Overall Impression: This is the best Urban Fantasy series I’ve read so far. Each book is just as stellar as the previous one and I’m dying to find out what happens next. The author holds my attention, from beginning to end, even though there isn’t a whole lot of romance going on in this book. I cannot recommend this series enough. ( )

Courtesy of Smash Attack Reads

Interest in Book: I was truly blown away by Spider's Bite. Gin Blanco sauntered into my life, slapped me around a bit, and told me to buck up or get dead. Well, she actually just impressed the hell out of me, but I figure that's what she would do in real life. After the end of book one, I had to know what new developments would come about in Web of Lies.

World-Building: Damn awesome, is what the world-building in this series is. I love how simple yet intricate the network of maniacs is in this corrupt city. There is so much going on behind the scenes and around the characters but you never get lost in the details. The author explains things nicely and the pacing is well-balanced. I love Jennifer Estep's descriptive writing. I am not a fan of drawn-out, overbearing descriptions, but this author gets it just right.

This book starts out with a bang, literally! Gin has retired from the assassination biz, but her morals drag her into a life-or-death situation for some innocent people. Gin's flashbacks reveal more about her past and are eye-opening for her and the reader.Throughout the book, we learn about the mining business in Ashland, come up close and personal with some douche bags, and see Gin dress up as a Texas Barbie, complete with accent, ya'll. Win!

Characters: Gin just rocks my socks off. (And my feet are cold, damn it!) She continues to impress me with her moralistic thinking even though she has no qualms taking out a bad guy or 5. She doesn't take things lightly and refuses to allow emotions to affect her work. She is a true professional and I sometimes wonder if all the "professional perfection" is wearing thin on her emotional health. But then, I remember who she is and realize that no, it probably isn't. She has come to terms with her calling in life, and her work is bound by a strong moral code. She helps out people in this book who she could have easily ignored and sent on their way to meet Death. Nope. Not this chic.

Detective Donovan Caine continues to struggle with his opposing feelings about Gin, and honestly, I wanted to kick him in the jimmy. I completely understand his internal struggles about what she does, but dude is way too narrow-focused for my tastes. More fish in the sea, I say. And one of them is named Owen Grayson. We get snippets of this new character throughout the book, and I must say that I am thoroughly looking forward to more of this intriguing man. And, as always, the secondary characters are off-the-chain awesome. I love Finn, Sophia and Jo Jo to pieces. They are Gin's makeshift family and the quartet is full of love and respect. *big bear hug*

Lasting Impressions: The ending revelations are BIG and my theories are vast. The bad guys keep getting badder and the good guys continue to toe the line. The writing is solid, the characters are rocksauce and the plot thickens with the turn of a page. LOVE THIS SERIES!

Favorite Quote:
I went over, put my hand into Finn’s broad shoulder, and shook him awake.

“What? What?” he mumbled in a sleepy voice. “I didn’t touch her, I swear.”

“Relax, Casanova,” I said.