Spider's Bite

Elemental Assassin, Book 1

By: Jennifer Estep

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South -- when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way -- good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction... especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.

©2010 Jennifer Estep (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Fortgang’s captivating drawl sketches Finn’s flirty, genteel arrogance and Caine’s horrified disapproval of her. Fortgang portrays Gin’s well-hidden emotions as well as her habitual analysis of combat probabilities. The capable narration ensures that Gin comes across as an intriguing mix of battle-weary assassin, sorceress, and affectionate homebody. Fortgang also delivers the book’s wry humor with subtle elegance." ( AudioFile)

Has potential for a good series

I like this story. It can potentially work its way up to one oft favorite series. Likes the narrator as well. She fit the story quite well

Well, that was surprising...

...surprisingly good that is! I have been putting this book off for months. One day, when I had no other book to read/listen, I decided it was finally time; I pressed 'play'.
SURPRISE! I was quickly transported to the seedy world of Ashland and I didn't want to come back. Gin, Finn, and yes, even the brooding Donovan Caine kept me locked in this universe of vampire hookers, giant cops, dwarfs and elementals. I can't wait to start the next book in the series!!

Spider’s Bite

Second book I listened to by this author, but it will not be the last. Supernatural with twists and turns made it hard to put down this book.

I am bitten

I have been looking at this title for a few years. Finally I purchased it in a sale. I am hooked on the series now. The author has a good sense of humor. No time is wasted on tangent information. And the story moved right along. I will definitely be buying the rest the series. Thank you Audible for making titles like this available at a lower price. I would never have tried this series if it hadn't been on sale.

Decent addition to the genre

It is a decent addition to this genre: kick-butt heroine with a troubled past and a difficult "career". Gin doesn't even spend time whining about stuff, which is (pleasantly) out of the ordinary in this genre.

Are there problems? Sure... Gin is supposedly a high-calibre assassin and yet there are several scenes where she is nearly defeated because she behaved in ways an expert assassin wouldn't. The "angst" between her and Caine is based exclusively on a misunderstanding... we're given a reason as to why Gin doesn't clarify things with Caine, but this reason changes as the book progresses and neither of the reasons provided seem very believable.

But, of course, this angst is what allows them to have some quick sex but not get saddled in a relationship with each other. There are many more references to sex than actual sex scenes (only one) and I think there could have been a bit more sex, and maybe a bit less angst, but anyway, it was decently handled. The narration was excellent.

Overall, I liked the characters and the world they live in. And I'll be starting the next one immediately. Oh, and while the settings are quite different, Richelle Mead's Succubus series has a similar feel to this one.

Worth a chance

It took a while to get into this book, but it was enjoyable. I will probably buy the next in the series. The narrator was was good. She helped me get through the book when I wanted to put it down.

Hooked Right out of the Gate!

I really enjoyed this book. It took me no time at all to be hooked, and by extension I have no doubt I'm going to be addicted to this series all the way through. The writing is good, I really came to like the main character, even if she is an assassin. (Who would have thought?) Though she absolutely does not kill anyone innocent...Gin is resourceful, tough, and wise enough to question herself and ponder NOT forgetting her heart. She has taken her place among my absolute favorite paranormal female heroines. Her background is well-introduced and solid enough...I also enjoyed the supporting characters who are well-fleshed out. I couldn't help but be a little drawn in by Finn, he cracks me up and is such a charmer! And Detective Caine is a bit of a mystery...an attractive character. Lauren Fortgang's narration is absorbing, compelling, and (IMO) spot on for the story. Her Appalacian-Southern accent really brings out the atmosphere and the feeling (vibe) of this book.

Be warned, this is about as good as it gets.

I am embarrassed to admit that I purchased most of this series - hoping against hope that it would get thicker. By the time you have read the third book you have reheard the first and second books twice...the retelling does not help. Ms. Estep has a great idea here, I love the duality with our own world, but....well I want a whole story, not a rehash of what has been before...In all I would suggest read a couple, maybe towards the end, (you won't miss anything), then move on to something new.

Wow. Fantastic start to an awesome UF series!

Wow. Any book that starts with the heroine stabbing someone in the balls is a book for me!

Spider’s Bite starts with a thrill ride that you find yourself riding through out the whole book. Like all great roll coasters there are not just ups and downs but there are a few loopy-de-loops and twists and turns just like the plot of this excellent Urban Fantasy tale that Estep was crafted.

If you are a fan of the Urban Fantasy genre then you know that they can be dark and gritty, some more than others. Spider’s Bite is very dark with a high body count but it also has a little something for the smexy fans as well. Estep has done an awesome job in creating a kick ass heroine that’s dirty and not just in the hardcore kick ass way. Sure Gin gets dirty and bloody doing her job but she also knows the value of getting dirty in a broom closet by having hot monkey sex. BRAVO to Estep for knowing that a hard core chick needs her fun sweaty time too.

So when Gin’s not in broom closets having the sex, she is an assassin for hire that is known by her nick name, The Spider. All the great assassins have one and they all have meaning to them. Gin’s means that she knows how to hide in the shadows and wait for her prey to come to her before she strikes them down with her knife.

There are different types of elementals in this world; air, fire, stone, ice, etc. Gin happens to wield both stone and ice, even though stone is the stronger of the two for her. But when Gin finds herself without a knife she can make a handy ice stake for a weapon that works just as well as her knife in a pinch.

I know what you’re thinking. How can you root for an assassin? Even though Gin kills people for money, she has standards. All of her hits are on bad guys; like rapists and murders. Think of her as an exterminator, she takes out the low life and trash.

In Spider’s Bite we follow Gin, on her mission to clear her name and hand out revenge on a client that has framed her for the murder that she was hired after. But the kicker is, Gin didn't get to finish the job.

Gin has a handler named Fletcher; he’s more than a handler, he’s like a father to her. He took her off the streets after her whole family died at the hand of a fire elemental when she was just a kid. Fletcher is a retired assassin that is the owner and cook at the Pork Pit, a B-B-Q restaurant where Gin works part time when she’s not busy killing people.

While Gin is trying to find out who framed her, she gets closer to one of police detectives in town, Donovan Cane. Who just happens to be the partner of a bad cop that Gin assassinated for raping and beating a young girl. But Donovan being the good cop doesn't know that his partner was a rapist and believes that Gin assassinated him just for sh*ts and giggles and he has been hunting her ever since his partner’s death. But once he meets her all he can think about is getting her naked.

And like most heroine, Gin has a side kick like character, Finn. Finn is Flecther’s son and like a bother to Gin, a smoking hot bother that she once slept with (when they were young and stupid, her words not mine). Finn is great for comic relief with his snarky comments. He is a solid member of Gin’s team. He is always there for her and her for him, and he is a total man whore.

I HIGHLY recommend Spider’s Bite to any Urban Fantasy fan that loves reading about a kick ass chick that has way too knives and knows how to make a mean .

Narration Note: Lauren Fortgang is now on my favorite narrator list. She does an amazing job with Gin. She has a smokey voice is great for the gritty feel of urban fantasy and she can take Gin’s voice from bad ass to 1-900 sex line worker from 0-60 when it’s needed in the plot. I feel like her male characters could be a little more deeper but she still does a good job with him.

Pleasantly Surprising

What made the experience of listening to Spider's Bite the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the story. I felt it was not as predictable as I believed it would be. I was surprised by many of the turns and ultimately happy with how the book ended.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gin was my favorite because she, unlike many other female characters I've encountered, was very methodical and restrained.

Which character – as performed by Lauren Fortgang – was your favorite?

I didn't have a favorite character (performance-wise). I felt that Lauren Fortgang did a very good job illustrating the differences in the characters and helping show their personalities.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not always, but it was pretty close. I really enjoyed listening to this book, and I am normally watching/reading many different series/books at a time because I require different mediums (audiobook, kindle, hard copy). This book became a front runner for me out of the three different books I was switching between.