ARC Review: By a Thread by Jennifer Estep

 

By A Thread

(Elemental Assassin # 6)

by Jennifer Estep

With Mab Monroe out of the picture, Gin takes a much needed vacation with her sister, Bria. They stop at Sea Breeze, Bria’s friend’s trendy restaurant where Gin takes a bite out of the sweet owner, Callie. While I think Gin has grown from the previous books in the series, there are still times when I feel like she is still the callous person she was in book one. She notices how friendly Callie and her sister are and can’t help but feel jealous of their relationship. Gin has tried to develop the same kind of relationship with her sister, but it hasn’t reached the same affect so far. So while she pouts about that, I can’t help but wonder if they ever will learn to love and trust each other.

Now that Gin’s reputation as the Spider is common knowledge, violence seems to follow her everywhere. The action still doesn't stop! I think it’s safe to say that new readers can open this book and not feel like they are completely lost with the events that have happened before. Estep does a really good job of reviewing the past events so that are not too repetitive, but refreshing to old readers and summarizing those events for new readers.

Meanwhile, Estep pulls a few surprises in this book. A certain someone comes back into Gin’s life and his appearance causes her to stumble back a bit. I wasn’t sure how to take this because while I did like their relationship in the previous books, I don’t think his sudden appearance in this one should have changed or rocked the relationship Gin and developed with Owen.

I have to stay how well-paced and smooth this book is. Estep really knows how to hit home with each end to her chapters, making me want to read “just one more chapter!” It’s very well written, but I do feel like sometimes there is repetition of who Gin is, where she is from, what her powers and weapons are and so on.

Because Monroe is dead and gone, I was worried about where Estep would take this series. She introduces Randall Dekes, a powerful vampire who has a sick addiction of collecting things – you’ll find out what these things are when you read. Dekes was a sick bastard and loved his involvement in this book!

Now if only Gin can keep her jealously in check and remember that she’s got her own people in her life that care about her, then I think her and I could get along well.

*ARC provided by publisher

 

 

Purchase Link: Amazon