The hotly anticipated ninth novel in the hugely popular Elemental Assassin series finds Gin Blanco on a dangerous mission to rescue a friend. When I say you’re a dead man, take that literally. To me, killing people is like a day at the salon: cut and dry. Well, more like rinse and repeat when you moonlight as the assassin the Spider. But my last spa day ended redder than my freshly painted nails … than my freshly painted nails after a twisted Fire elemental and his goons kidnapped my close friend Sophia Deveraux and nearly killed her sister Jo-Jo in the process.
Up Ashland’s most dangerous mountains, and deep into the heart of its blackest woods–I’ll track these thugs no matter where they take Sophia. It doesn’t matter what kinds of elemental magic they try to throw at me, my Ice and Stone powers can take the heat and then some. I will get Sophia back, over their dead bodies.
Because anybody that hurts Gin Blanco’s family becomes a body.more
Heart of Venom is book nine in the Elemental Assassin series by Jennifer Estep.
In Heart of Venom we get to see a different side to Gin. Her patient demeanor slips and is replaced by emotion. She takes risk’s that in her line of work is dangerous. We see that she won’t let anything happen to the ones she loves. You mess with her family and friends and the Spider comes calling.
As the Spider she is always patient, waiting in the background to strike when the time is right, but this time around she doesn’t take her time and do the homework. She just reacts. Her friend has been threatened and she barrels into an impossible situation guns blazing. She’s always been cool headed, but we see that her emotional state is affecting her this time around.
Sophia has always been a mystery. She doesn’t talk much, but is a pro at disposing of bodies. The Deveraux sisters are a big part of this series. It was wonderful to finally learning more about one of them. We uncover the whys behind her goth wardrobe, her knack for disposing of bodies, and why she is the way she is. It was heartbreaking to learn about her past, but it also explains so much about her. We also get some nice flashbacks. They add to the story and friendships. As always Fletcher is still an interracial part of the story, even though he’s gone, he still affects life today.
Now with Owen. There’s progress on that front and I was satisfied with how things are going. His heartfelt apology and actions speak volumes, but their is still a long hard road ahead before forgiveness. I approved of Gin’s caution where he’s concerned. As much as I love him and want an HEA, I’m happy that she didn’t succumb and give in. Their relationship needs time to heal and rebuild for it to work. Owen really messed up. This novel is a turning point for their relationship.
Heart of Venom gives us a different side of Gin, shows us Sophia’s past and how it affects her, and Owen’s fight to win back the love of his life. Estep does not disappoint! It’s another superb installment with heart-stoping action-packed moments. I can’t wait to dive into book ten and see what’s next for Gin and the gang.
Rated: 4 Stars
Truly awesome. This is grade A.
I’ve had the pleasure to read this entire series and was thrilled when this book was released. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy and devoured the book. But I have had trouble putting my thoughts of the book on paper.
I enjoyed this book. But it was a little darker than past books in the series. And while that’s not a bad thing, sometimes it was just a little too much for me. In fact, there were a few times and I just said “Ew!” out loud and wondered what the heck was going on. I wanted more lighthearted moments. And while this book can stand on its own and Ms Estep does a little recapping, it’s going to make a lot more sense if you read earlier books.
So, on to this story. We have a new bad guy (Grimes)… and what a sadistic dude he is. And his sister is just as insane. Both of them got off on torturing others, including Gin and her friends (Sophia in particular, which was bumped up to a main character for this story). They were exactly what you’re looking for in a pair of villains, although maybe a little over the top for my tastes.
We got to learn more about Sophia and then some more background on Gin, Finn and Fletcher and their pasts come back to haunt them as Grimes comes storming into their lives. And Owen is back and determined to fix his relationship with Gin.
So as you can see, I have mixed feelings about the book. I liked it and it was a good installment in the series. But too dark for my tastes and honestly, I probably won’t pick this one up again. However, if you’re reading the series, I’d definitely read this one… but if you’ve not started the series, I wouldn’t recommend starting here.
My review originally posted at Romancing the Book.
I think this book was meant to drive as intensely as #8. While the action was there it was more emotionally driven.
It gave us more of the protagonist on an intimate level, better yet it also gave us history on major supporting characters as well the lead.
Gin Blanco proves without a shadow of doubt that she’ll do anything to protect those she considers as her family. Taking on a long time sadistic fire elemental tests Gin’s ability to stay alive. Owen proves he can be trusted, at least for now. Relatable characters with a highly emotional and entertaining read.