Black Widow by Jennifer Estep

I've had to reduce the amount of time I spend reading and reviewing due to work and one of the casualties of this tragic change was BLACK WIDOW. For the first time in a long time, I'm putting up a review of a Jennifer Estep book long after its release and it feels weird, particularly since BLACK WIDOW is an outstanding book.

As I've said before, series often get stale when they hit double digits but not the Elemental Assassin series. BLACK WIDOW is the twelfth book in Gin's story and it's a very strong entry in the series, with lots of big moments that will keep you hooked from page to page. Why? It's the big confrontation between Gin and Madeline Monroe, the latest Big Bad in the series.

Spoilers ahead for previous novels!

Madeline's been trying her mother's place in both the underworld and glossy high society of Ashland and all of her machinations come to fruition in BLACK WIDOW. With everything set, she also unleashes her endgame against Gin and it's a confrontation that has been books in the making. Madeline's plans are suitably devious and it was gratifying to see Gin go up against a foe who's more than her equal in terms of strategy. None of Gin's previous victories have been terribly easy but she definitely has her mettle and her abilities tested in BLACK WIDOW. The book puts Gin and her friends and family through the wringer, emotionally and physically, and it was an incredibly exciting read.

Because the focus of the book is on the Gin vs. Madeline showdown, there's not a lot of development for other characters. All of the gang are involved in the novel but the focus is fully on Gin and her response to the major gauntlet that Madeline drops, going after everything and everyone that Gin values. Things happen that I never would have expected and it was so much fun (for me). Estep always writes great stories but this might be my favourite book in the series because Madeline's such a great nemesis.

The end of BLACK WIDOW is particularly exciting because it establishes a very interesting shift in the Ashland underworld. As always, no spoilers for BLACK WIDOW here but I will say that it's a thrilling way to wrap up to this chapter of Gin's story.

Read an excerpt (scroll down)

Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Adult, Assassin, Edelweiss, Elemental Assassin, Jennifer Estep, Pocket, Review, Simon and Schuster, Simon Schuster, Urban Fantasy  Leave your mark

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

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