Jennifer Estep

When assassin Gin Blanco, a.k.a. the Spider, is robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint during the biggest gala event of the summer at Ashland's fanciest art museum, she is more than happy to show these unlucky thieves that red is her favorite color. Original.

Deadly Sting

Sarah Escorsa

And here comes the aftermath. Widow’s Web left us with Owen Grayson channelling his inner Donovan Caine after Gin killed Salina Dubois, his ex-fiancée. Okay, she was a sadistic bitch from hell and had it coming but Gin “finishing” her by cutting her throat right in front of Owen while she had Finn holding him at gunpoint… Well, let’s say that it didn’t work wonders on their relationship. 

So here we are now, Gin gave Owen all the space he needed and she’s trying to act tough as always but inside she’s a total wreck. Actually it’s funny to see how she’s changed since the first instalments in the series. Back then, she never would allow herself to become emotional or feel anything, much less get attached to anyone so this new situation is particularly heart-breaking for her. She gave in and let herself care for Owen despite her better judgement and now the nitwit “needs to take a break.” It doesn’t seem to matter much to him that Gin keeps saving his and his sister’s asses and that by killing Salina she was actually protecting them… Anyway, I’m pretty sure he’ll come to his senses sooner or later. Well, that doesn’t happen in this instalment, which I’m actually grateful for. It would be too fairytale-ish to have this issue resolved right away and I give Estep credit for taking things slow here. 

About the story itself, I have to say I just loved it. It seems that many readers didn’t enjoy the closed setting but I really enjoyed the change of format and of pace. It was a refreshing departure from the rest of the series and gave it a much-needed breath of fresh air. I also liked that this instalment focused on Gin and only Gin. The other recurring characters make small appearances (apart from Finn at the beginning of the book and then Owen when Gin rescues him from the vault) so we really get into Gin’s head. The book is action-packed but it is also more reflective. There is a lot of character growth here and I love the way Gin is evolving. She is allowing herself to feel more and at the same time she seems more ruthless than ever. Once again, she reminded me of Kate Daniels but this time for all the good reasons. When I first started reading this series I often used to compare both characters and thought that Gin was lacking in some way. Well, I don’t think so anymore. Alright, she is no Kate Daniels (the most freaking awesome, butt-kicking, snarky heroine of all times) but she’s pretty cool and getting better with every new instalment. Oh and did I mention how gruesome the fights are getting? Blood and gore and violence, I love it all! :)

Deadly Sting is definitely one of my favourite book in the series and I see it as some kind of turning point, with lots of new developments to come in the next few books. I can’t wait to see what direction this series will take and what surprises Estep has in store. 

Off to read Heart of Venom!

Deadly Sting

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