Review ~ Black Widow by Jennifer Estep

Black Widow by Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assassin #12
Published by Pocket Books on November 25, 2014
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 400

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I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

With wicked Fire elemental Mab Monroe long gone, 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 bulls-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.

I had a lot of anticipation for this book. After Poison Promise, and the introduction of our new foe, I could not WAIT to see how this was going to go down.

M.M. Monroe is new to the scene, so has not built her status with all the other bosses. I was totally baffled by this character’s actions. She just wasn’t doing what I anticipated she would do, moving into the shoes Mab left. I was not the only one who hadn’t anticipated M.M. Monroe’s plan. The rest of the gang so did not see it coming. Gin, with her instincts, just knew that certain things happening to her friends and family were not just everyday bumps in the road. It’s too coincidental and Gin knows it, but she just can’t see where this is going.

Boy, when the bombs start dropping, I was so full of anxiety! I think I can say this was one of the best books in this series to date! I couldn’t believe what was happening! The execution of M.M. Monroe’s plan was so unlike something Mab would have done. No, this was sneakier and cleaner. Usually Gin and the gang walk through a series of investigation and planning and then hit the bad guy in one, maybe two fell swoops. But in Black Widow, Gin was running pretty much constantly. It was one punch after another.

For the life of me, I could not figure out how Gin was going to have the energy to take down this foe. Monroe’s magic is strong and competing against it is going to take so much, that once again I was left with wondering if she was even going to make it through this one. Always, always, these battles get to a certain point where you just can’t tell who the victor is going to be. SO close! All the time! It is stressful. Put on some UFC, I think I can’t handle those bouts with less anxiety!

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2014 Blog Ahead
• 2014 Ebook Challenge

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