Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep
April 26, 2011
Urban Fantasy
Paperback
Pocket

Reviewed by Mandi

Favorite Quote: “Who the hell are you?”
I gave him a cold, hard smile. “The bitch who’s here to kill you.”

The Elemental Assassin series hooked me with the first sentence in the first book, Spider’s Bite:

My name is Gin, and I kill people.

And I am happy to say, now that we are on to book four, this series is only getting better in my opinion. Much of its appeal is the heroine Gin. I’ve gone on about her in previous reviews but I just can’t help myself. The combination of Gin being a calm, patient, cold-blooded killer paired with her other personality who puts her family first and cooks baked beans at the Pork Pit provides such a contrast. Jennifer Estep never holds back either and I think this is key. Gin kills people. Lots of people. She is an extremely feared assassin. But at the same time, she has a big heart and we watch as Gin struggles to live a life that is not totally devoted to killing. But Mab Monroe, who destroyed her birth family long ago, is still out there trying to destroy Gin and killing her is still on top of Gin’s agenda. But Gin is not alone. Now she has her lover Owen Grayson and her biological sister Bria in her life,  She is not necessarily a warm, fuzzy person, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t value her family or those that she loves above all else. And she struggles to show them how much they mean to her.

In Tangled Threads Gin is matched against another assassin, Elektra. Who as you can guess is very skilled at using electricity to off her opponents. Elektra is hired by Mab Monroe to take out the notorious Spider. However, Mab has no idea Gin is the Spider, which I think is a nice twist in this series. Elektra is a really evil bitch and I love her character. She kills with glee and has a nasty attitude.  She really makes a worthy opponent for Gin and their conflict throughout the book is well done. I do think it is about time Gin and Mab have the big showdown, but I really have enjoyed the build up in this series to the looming battle.

I think I’ve finally forgiven Jennifer Estep for having Gin’s previous lover, Donovan Caine, sail into the sunset because I am in love with Owen!! Owen accepts Gin for all that she is. He knows all her secrets. He knows she kills, she is on a mission to destroy Mab and he is okay with that. Now the question is, is Gin okay with that? Can Gin accept someone in her life who only wants the best for her?

I stared into his violet eyes, looking once again for any hint, any sign, that he’d finally wised up. That Owen had finally realized how cold, violent, twisted, and emotionally distant I really was, and that he was finally ready to pretend he’d never met me. But there was nothing in his gaze but warm acceptance – and stubborn determination to watch out for me, even if I didn’t want him to. Even if I didn’t think I deserved it. Even if I didn’t think I was actually worthy of someone’s time, consideration, attention and sympathy.

The tangled threads around my heart tightened a little more.

Their relationship is really building up nicely. If I had any complaint in the book it is that I would like to get to know Owen just a bit more. I feel like I really don’t know all that much about him.

Finn, Gin’s foster brother and one of my favorite supporting characters has lots of page time in this book. We see more of Bria, Gin’s sister and of course the dwarf sisters Jo-Jo and Sophia.

I love how this series is building up to the big show-down with Mab Monroe and I can’t wait to see where Gin and company go from here.

Rating: B+

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Hanging With Bells – 3.5/5 
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