"a gritty urban fantasy"
Gin Blanco, a retired assassin and the owner of a barbecue
joint, is jumped by several giants on her way to class at
the community college. It seems Gin's past has come back
to haunt her, because, even though her nemesis' goons don't
know her true identity, they have connected her to the
deaths of two of their people. Gin has a debt to settle
with the crime boss of Ashland, Mab Malone, a Fire
Elemental, who murdered her mother and older sister and
tortured Gin. On that fateful night that her family was
killed Gin's youngest sister disappeared. Mab is a very
powerful Elemental and Gin has been biding her time before
facing her. When one of Mab's goons starts stalking a
vampire acquaintance, Gin and her friends decide to
eliminate the stalker, but that is easier said than done. VENOM is a gritty, urban fantasy novel with a kick-ass
heroine, flawed, but likable secondary characters, and
truly heinous villains. VENOM is part of the Elemental
Assassins series, and although I haven't read any of the
previous books, I had no trouble following the story. Ms.
Estep likes to tease the reader with a hoped for
resolution, but, unfortunately, this got a little annoying
after the first few times. I did enjoy the interactions
between the secondary characters and Gin, and I rooted for
them to defeat the villains of the piece. The final battle
was exciting, surprising, and left room for further books
in the series. Overall, VENOM is an entertaining read, and I'll be looking
forward to the next book in the series.
Reviewed by Marlene Breakfield
Posted December 20, 2010
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A girl never fogets her first job: killer-for-hire.
What kind of assassin works pro bono? It’s hard to be a badass assassin when a giant is beating the crap out of you. Luckily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My current mission is personal: annihilate Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered my family. Which means protecting my identity, even if I have to conceal my powerful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. To the public, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best barbecue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spider, retired assassin. I still do favors on the side. Like ridding a vampire friend of her oversized stalker—Mab’s right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his massive fists. At least irresistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detective Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sister was dead. She probably thinks the same about me. Little does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer . . . who is about to save her life. Genre: Urban Fantasy
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