Lethal, sexy, and always ready to protect her friends, Gin Blanco (a.k.a. the Spider) takes on the mysterious M.M. Monroe in book twelve of the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. 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 … 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 bull’s-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.more
5 stars – I loved it!
M. M. Monroe has finally made her appearance in Ashland. Gin expects this Monroe to be like Mab was but quickly learns that she is far sneaker than anyone expected, and far stronger.
This is book 12 in the series and it could have easily been a repeat of Spider’s Revenge but it wasn’t. This was completely different and I couldn’t put it down. Monroe was a sneaky and cunning enemy that really did some damage to Gin and her family. What I love about this series is that with each mission we see how smart Gin is when it comes to survival. She really has a wonderful mind that quickly can assess and make plans to get out of most things, and its always intense.
My only complaint about this book was the lack of relationship development between Gin and Owen. They have some small scenes but it definitely was put on the back burner to the threat of Monroe. I did enjoy the back-and-forth between Finn and Silvio though. He is really becoming an important part of the team and I can’t wait to learn more about him.
Overall, this was nonstop, high anxiety, and an eventful book for Gin and I loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the underworld acts towards her now.
Mab’s daughter is in town and she wants to run the underworld. Madeline had a different approach, smile, lie, cheat, and use the legal system to try to get your way. All parties are a target this time. Gin’s funeral was a surprise however the fight at the end was worth it. Good story!
One of my absolute favorite series. I have read them all three times.
I’ve been a longtime fan of Jennifer Estep. I started with her Bigtime series and then transitioned over to the Elemental Assassin series. For years I’ve been rooting for Gin and the gang as they come against progressively meaner and more dangerous enemies. With Black Widow , Gin is up against the toughest of those foes to date.
This is the twelfth book in the series. I really don’t suggest starting at this point. You could probably read it and enjoy it, but I don’t think you’d get the full effect. You’d probably also be a little lost in the massive cast of characters which keeps growing as the series goes on. This particular book is tied to the first couple in the series (more than the last few), so again, it would help to have started from the beginning.
I have to say, I find it amazing that twelve books into the series, Ms Estep can still make a story fresh. There are still some elements of repetition, and in the grand scheme of things, the plot is pretty much the same every time. But Ms Estep keeps finding new powers for the bad guys to possess, twisted ways for Gin to get tortured and then creative ways for Gin to get out of it and best the villain.
The introduction of Madeline and her acid magic was an interesting twist in the series. I kept turning the pages wanting to know what was going to happen next. And the big showdown at the end (which happens in every book) had me biting my fingernails.
With most of the books in the series, there are moments of graphic violence that are just a bit too much for my personal taste. But it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment. However, if that bothers you, you’ve been warned. All in all, this is another enjoyable installment in one of my go-to series.
My review originally posted at Romancing the Book.
I’m having some trouble rating these books properly. On the one hand I’m thoroughly enjoying these books, rating them a five, on the other there are some inconsistencies regarding the abilities of the protagonist that make me want to give it a three; so it becomes a four.