• Web of Lies

  • Elemental Assassin, Book 2
  • By: Jennifer Estep
  • Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang
  • Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (2,893 ratings)

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Web of Lies  By  cover art

Web of Lies

By: Jennifer Estep
Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang
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Publisher's summary

"Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon. I'm Gin Blanco. You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I'm retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day, when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren't aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox.

"Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, Im beginning to wonder if Im really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I'm a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn't made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man...dead or alive."

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

Critic reviews

“The second chapter of the first-person ‘Elemental Assassin’ series is just as hard-edged and compelling as the first. Gin Blanco is a fascinatingly pragmatic character, whose intricate layers are just beginning to unravel. Estep has truly hit the jackpot with this outstanding series!” ( Romantic Times)

What listeners say about Web of Lies

Average customer ratings
Overall
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Story
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Brilliant, Unique, Interesting with just 1 oddety

To be up-front on the matter, I have read all 5 of the books, this and the following 4 as they are very easy to listen to, follow the story line and interesting enough from Story line and Characters to be very enjoyable.

A minor flaw in reasoning by the author is the heroin who is a professional assasin but during the run of the 5 books never completes a fully successful hit. All here Enemy's eventually get done in but as a professional top rated Assasin.....ugh.

Yet, this is just a minor issue, even though it may seem no so. The flow of the story is clear, the characters goo and consitent, the evil dudes a bit predicatble but still good. The Narrator is also brilliant, no ams & ahs or other suprflous noises, just the story!

If you want a good read without too many complexeties, this is it! And so are the following 5 Books! Hope there is more!

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The "Caine" component nearly ruins the story...

I didn't like it as much as the first one. It is very similar in some ways, but had a lot more "angst" between Gin and her completely unexpected, out-of-character and out-of-the-blue "love" for Caine. To the point that her continual harping on about him became annoying. At one point she decides she's had enough of his cold shoulder and yet, a bit later in the story, she's upset over his neglect again. They were never a couple, he never indicated he wanted to be one - sure he shagged her a couple times, but so what? - and yet she spends way too much effort being "upset" because, gasp, he doesn't want to be in a relationship with her? I think that much was clear from book one sweetheart.

There was also a long "trapped in the mine" scene that went on and on and on with nothing much happening... like it was a page quota filler. Oh, and I thought the whole drama with Jake thing was a bit weak too - an unexpected problem pops up and is cleared up as unexpectedly. It wasn't even very believable: if someone kicks your butt once, chances are she's going to be able to do it again next time, so don't go following her around and expect to live.

Overall, I was disappointed in the story. I will read the next one and hope Gin stops being so sad-sack and gets on with her life. That, and if she's supposed to be an assassin, ex-or-otherwise, she should really be more competent than she was in this story - all her "successes" here were due to luck, not skill.

The narration was very good.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Aw Shucks, No Choice, Guess I'll have to Kill Him

I know it's a series about an assassin. Gin's retired now, and winds up involved in the lives of a family who are beset by a bad guy. I hope it's not a surprise that she ends up killing someone. I just really don't like how she immediately leaps to assassination as the only solution. She tries to explain how nothing else would work, and it's just incredibly weak and nobody calls her on it, not even the straight-arrow cop she's throwing herself at who has the disapproving hots for her. We live in a world where tough things are happening all the time, and a lot of problems are tough, and-we don't just decide to kill people. It was too close to a real-world problem to require this fantasy solution. This weakness together with Gin's ill-placed affections make her hard to respect. Is this a step on a path from amoral killer-for-hire to some sort of defender of the innocent, or is this all Estep has for us? I just didn't like this time with Gin enough to find out.

Estep uses a few repetitive phrases that grate pretty quickly. The goth dwarf and gin joint really need to be retired or used more sparingly. Find some other way to describe Sophia, for the love of all your readers.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very Good

Loved this series, got all four audio books at once and was done in 3 days, I just couldn't stop listening. Lauren Fortgang was a wonderful narrater, I loved her voice, make the book easy to listen too.
Good storyline, lots of visual words, which some don't like, but I do, it adds to the story for me.. Gin, the main girl in the book is one hard, cold ass kicking assassin, I loved her...
Hoping for book 5 sooooooon...

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Takes escaping reality to a whole new level!

Thanks to Lauren Fortgang's mesmerizing voice, Jennifer Estep's poignant first person POV writing style and Gin Blanco's stellar personality; the Elemental Assassin books are rapidly turning into one of the best Urban Fantasy series that I have ever read. So much so, that I find myself forsaking all of the other lovely novels on my shelves because I can't seem to get enough of this amazing story. I rarely step into a heroine's shoes while reading but with this series it's hard not to. Now, whether adopting an assassin's mindset in my daily life is a good thing or a bad thing still remains to be seen but regardless, Web of Lies takes escaping reality to a whole new level.

Usually I only read a handful of audio books a year but after having had Estep's first two stories read to me I can't imagine experiencing the Elemental Assassin world any other way. Nailing the first person POV is not an easy task to begin with but Jennifer makes it look easy. Her incredible writing style paired with Fortgang's superb narration helps to tip the realism factor of these novels over the edge. Taking a break from reading a good book is never easy but Estep makes it damned near impossible with this series. They say that the first step to dealing with an addiction is admitting that you have one well, I full-heartily acknowledge that I have a problem and that I have absolutely no intention of fixing it. The story itself is exceptional, the characters are outstanding and the writing is to die for.

Oddly enough, I found that the earlier parts of Web of Lies were a little dull; I just couldn't get into the McAllister side plot. However, once Jake was "dealt with", the story really picked up from there. I guess that I've come to expect non-stop action from Jennifer Estep and when she actually took the time to focus on some the other important aspects of a good book I got a little impatient. Regardless, once Tobias Dawson showed his ugly mug it was go-go-go until the end. Speaking of the ending, talk about one hell of an "oh shit" moment! It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that I'll be reading Venom next.

Donovan Caine is a douchebag. Other than the scorching sexual chemistry between him and Gin, I had a hard time seeing any long term potential for them. Even though I felt sad for Blanco about the way she was treated and how everything kind of blew up in her face; I think that everyone's better off in the long run. Plus, I barely even know Owen Grayson and I'm already infatuated with him! There's just something about him that makes me go rawr, hubba-hubba! Yes, I realize that those are sound effects and not actual words but you get the idea.

After two stunning installments and more awesomeness on the way; I think it's safe to say that the Elemental Assassin series is a must read. Web of Lies is bursting at the seams with snark, badass-edness and unforgettable characters. The main plot that connects all of these books together promises to be a doozie and I for one can't wait to uncover Jennifer Estep's end game.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Series & Narrator

This is a well written series. Interesting characters that draw you in. For me, audiobooks can be made or ruined by the narrator. Lauren Fortgang does a wonderful job! I highly recommend this series!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved It

Any additional comments?

Great narration. I like to list this first as it can make or break a story.

Loved this story. Easy listerning and very entertaining. Will be impatiently waiting for any new books in audio from this author.

I really enjoy it when readers with similar reading interests list their favourite authors and series. It really helps me find new authors too follow. Mine are Charlaine Harris, Jeaniene Frost, Jennifer Estep, Faith Hunter, Molly Harper, Ilona Andrews, Kresley Cole, Deborah Harkness, Nalini Singh, Coreene Callahan and Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Happy Reading

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

From beginning to end, awesome story

I loved how this one ended. In an Urban fantasy you have to have the big fight and this one gives you an end fight like you wouldn't believe, especially since it served to changed things and move the story forward. All hail Gin Blonco, wish there was actually a Pork Pitt to go to because I'd love to taste that cheese sandwich. Looking forward to the next installment.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Sadly worse than the first

What would have made Web of Lies better?

Not having her chase a guy (with whom she has spent NO time with). Who is disgusted by everything she has done (so no matter how much she changes for him it won't change her past). And we know how well a relationship works when you change your very nature for someone else. And once again, not repeating what has happened to her family in detail four or five times.

What could Jennifer Estep have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I think I have groused enough

Would you be willing to try another one of Lauren Fortgang’s performances?

Depending on the book, yes. She does womens voices well. She has warmed to her character in this book and has improved her performance.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Gin is awesome!

Lets go through Ashley's awesome books checklist:

- Awesome MC- CHECK
- Unique Supes- CHECK
- Boys?- CHECK
- Potential for more books?- CHECK
- WANT to read more books?- CHECK

Gin Blanco is, by far, my favorite assassin in all of fiction land. She kicks so much booty. So much. Please or please let me read more about her.

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