Elemental Assassin #1
“Trouble has a habit of finding me. And I have a habit of dealing with it.”
Gin Blanco
Spider’s Bite is what you’d expect from an Urban Fantasy assassin’s tale. Crazy characters, powers, and a whole lot of gore. This book would have been five stars for me, except for the cringe-worthy, predatory attitude Gin has towards Donovan.
Gin is a seasoned pro at the assassination trade and has quite the reputation as the Spider. She is efficient and prides herself on quick, simple kills. There are crass language and jokes, but I wasn’t expecting it to be a clean read when I picked it up. She does have a moral code which means that she won’t kill children and heaven help the person who double-crosses her.
Someone makes that mistake, and it’s up to Gin and her friends to make sure that they don’t live to regret that choice. Finn is entertaining as he is a stuck-up snob who will only carjack high-end rides, and Sophia is fun as the goth girl Dwarf that is happiest while cleaning up the gory messes that Gin leaves behind. Donovan is the only one who falls flat as he constantly wavers about helping Gin find the double-crosser after she saves his life.
The action is brisk and fun. Gin is a professional with her knives, so the blood flows quite readily. She is not perfect, though, and takes her fair share of beatings. She also pauses in her work to indulge in fantasies about Detective Donovan, the one good cop on the police force who wants her in jail for killing his partner.
This obsession is the worst part of the book by far and absolutely destroys the experience for me. Donovan shows no interest in her other than arresting her, but she is determined to have a sexual relationship or at least act out her fantasies with him. Honestly, it is sexual assault as she always approaches him when he can’t walk away or make a scene without blowing their cover even after he tells her “no.” At best, it can be considered dubious consent.
Without the predatory actions by Gin, this book would easily be a five-star rating for me. It is a fun, easy, read that is entertaining and sports a great cast. The ending hints at exciting adventures that might be coming Gin’s way, but I am not sure that I will pick up the second book, especially after reading its synopsis, which hints that her obsession is not over.
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