Last Strand and Last Book

Last Strand by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last Strand and last book in the series. This wraps the plot line up in a very entertaining way. Gin and friends finally win out on the one trying to kill them all. Loved the ending and the story line moved in an interesting way. This kept my attention throughout the book.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 90 - Wanted and Wired by Vivien Jackson, Snared by Jennifer Estep, Echoes in Death by J.D. Robb

Wanted and Wired by Vivien Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first in a new paranormal series Wanted and Wired spends its time developing the world and the characters. It starts with a job gone bad and moves on to developing the two main characters. Heron is a post human which means he is wired and part machine. Mari is his partner and is different from what she seems. While the job gone bad puts both in the crosshairs of some very bad people Jackson uses that to build and develop the world Heron and Mari live in. At the same time we get to know more and more about Heron and Mari and how they react to the danger they are in. This is book one and a lot is left up in the air. I did enjoy seeing the world through Heron and Mari eyes and look forward to the next book in the series.


Snared by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gin has been through a lot and in book 16 she goes through even more while trying to find and rescue a friends sister. While that is the focus of the action the flashbacks that Gin has change her focus. She is still going after the Circle but now she has some additional information that leaves her wondering about one of her main opponents. Estep has stepped up the action and the mystery and set Gin on a path that has some different elements including help from an unexpected source. There is still a lot that Gin needs to know before she succeeds in her quest to bring down the Circle. As usual there is a great cast of characters who help keep the story moving. A very interesting addition to the series.

Echoes in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In this latest book Eve Dallas faces a situation that closely echoes something that happened in her past. While chasing the person responsible she has to face her past again. She does get her man and in a surprise at the end helps someone face what they did. Both are stronger at the end. We do get to see more of Roarke and how he and Eve are doing after several years of marriage. I liked this story and thought it was one of the better in the series.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews #20 – Unwanted by Jennifer Estep, Dark Run by Mike Brooks, Forces From Beyond by Simon R. Green

Unwanted (Elemental Assassin #14.5) by Jennifer Estep

Paranormal Novella

While this is part of the Elemental Assassin series it is told from Finnegan Lane’s point of view.  In the last book Finn royally messed up.  Now he is having to pay the price.  The people he works with want nothing to do with him and he knows that he deserved how he is being treated.  His reaction is what makes this such a nice story.  Instead of crawling into a hole and pulling it closed he works help someone he hurt.

Dark Run (Keiko #1) by Mike Brooks

Science Fiction/Space Opera

On the space ship Keiko your past does not matter until suddenly it does.  Captain Ichabod Drift’s past comes to haunt him and leads to a job he really does not want.  The back-story and world building are very well done.  There is action, tension and a lot of danger both before and after they make a dark run to deliver a cargo to Earth.  A fun story and a great set up for a series.  While we know Drift’s past there are others on the ship whose past is still a mystery.

Forces From Beyond (A Ghost Finders Novel) by Simon R. Green

Paranormal

I have listened on CD to JC, Kim Happy and Melody through all of their adventures. I did the same with Forces from Beyond.  I did not realize that this was their last adventure but I have to say it was a very good one.  The Flesh Undying has been an enemy for a long time and now it is time to send it back where it came from.  Other old enemies also show up to make trouble.  While there is danger there is also humor to go with it.  I loved the ending.  It was just right for all four of the main characters.

The Spider (Elemental Assassin #10) by Jennifer Estep

Paranormal

From Goodreads:

The tenth book in the bestselling and “outstanding” (Romantic Times) Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series finally reveals for the first time the origins of Gin Blanco’s career as the deadliest of assassins.

For the first time, the origins of Gin Blanco’s career as the deadly assassin “the Spider” are revealed in full. In a story that pre-dates the other nine books in the series, Gin Blanco goes through her paces to become the most feared assassin in the Ashland.

About this time last year I read the first book in the Elemental Assassin’s series and inhaled the next 7 in very short order.  # 9 came out shortly after and I immediately read that one too.  For some reason I had The Spider on my TBR pile for several weeks before picking it up to read.  I think maybe I was worried that this would be one that I did not like.  I do like it but with some reservations.

This story is set in the past, long before the events in the previous books.  For the first time we see Fletcher alive and working.  Gin and Finn are getting over sibling rivalry and working out their relationship.  Gin takes a job Fletcher has questions about and the story unfolds from there.

You might think starting here with a prequel would be the best way to get into the series but I do think you need some back-story before you read The Spider.  Hints are dropped into the story but you will miss some of the small things if this is your first book in the series.

Some of those include the introduction of characters that will play an important part in the series.  They are just side characters here and without the knowledge gained from the first 9 books you will not see how important they will become.  Even Owen has a bit part here.

For me the story divided into two parts:

Part one is a train wreck waiting to happen.  You can see it from Gin’s actions.  She thinks she knows it all and it is a set up for part two.  I really did not enjoy that part.  In fact I almost skimmed thought it because I could see what was about to happen.  I read really fast get to part two.

Part two was where all the action happened.  Gin realizes that she was set up and takes revenge.  Here Gin really comes into her own as an assassin.  She learns and uses what she learns about herself to really fully grow into The Spider.

While this is listed as telling the origins of Gin Blanco’s career what it really tells is the job that happens after she had started her career.  It tell a lot about how she accepts jobs in the future and shows that she is more than her job makes her.

The Spider is not my favorite book in the series but it does play an important part in the series.  If you have started this series The Spider is an important book to read.  If you have not started the series you have 10 books ready to read.

Pocket Books published The Spider by Jennifer Estep in 2014.