I suppose this is my own fault for picking this up, but I have gotten pretty sick of this series. The plot for each novel is essentially the same and yet it keeps managing to jump the shark over and over again.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

There’s nothing worse than a cruel, cunning enemy with time to kill—and my murder to plan. 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 bull’s-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.

This is the 12th book in the Elemental Assassin series - and, as far as I am concerned, one of the better entries.

What makes this one better than most of the others? That's kinda hard to pinpoint. But let's give it a try...
* One of the biggest challenges for a series of this length is to come up with new and more powerful enemies for Gin to fight. And the clever approach undertaken here to give the baddie a new, fresh approach pleased me no end.
* The action sequences (of which there are a number) feel cleaner, crisper, than in the last few novels. The don't drag on page after page, losing any form of excitement for the reader. I liked that because it kept me glued to the page as opposed to rolling my eyes in boredom...
* Finally, the secondary characters really came to the fore in this book. Sure, they have been about in this series a lot, but in this book, for some reason, they seemed to get more "page time" than in other books - and that really allowed Gin to be a slightly different character as well. It wasn't all about Gin and how good is Gin, and we wish we were like Gin...

There were some minor irritations but, on the whole, another really good entry in this series.


Paul
ARH

Review: I’ve been a longtime fan of Jennifer Estep. I started with her Bigtime series and then transitioned over to the Elemental Assassin series. For years I’ve been rooting for Gin and the gang as they come against progressively meaner and more dangerous enemies. With Black Widow, Gin is up against the toughest of those foes to date.

This is the twelfth book in the series. I really don’t suggest starting at this point. You could probably read it and enjoy it, but I don’t think you’d get the full effect. You’d probably also be a little lost in the massive cast of characters which keeps growing as the series goes on. This particular book is tied to the first couple in the series (more than the last few), so again, it would help to have started from the beginning.

I have to say, I find it amazing that twelve books into the series, Ms Estep can still make a story fresh. There are still some elements of repetition, and in the grand scheme of things, the plot is pretty much the same every time. But Ms Estep keeps finding new powers for the bad guys to possess, twisted ways for Gin to get tortured and then creative ways for Gin to get out of it and best the villain.

The introduction of Madeline and her acid magic was an interesting twist in the series. I kept turning the pages wanting to know what was going to happen next. And the big showdown at the end (which happens in every book) had me biting my fingernails.

With most of the books in the series, there are moments of graphic violence that are just a bit too much for my personal taste. But it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment. However, if that bothers you, you’ve been warned. All in all, this is another enjoyable installment in one of my go-to series.