Jennifer Estep

After a Fire elemental and his goons kidnap her close friend, assassin Gin Blanco ventures into the black woods of Ashland for revenge. Original. 75,000 first printing.

Heart of Venom

The hotly anticipated ninth novel in the hugely popular Elemental Assassin series finds Gin Blanco on a dangerous mission to rescue a friend. When I say you’re a dead man, take that literally. To me, killing people is like a day at the salon: cut and dry. Well, more like rinse and repeat when you moonlight as the assassin the Spider. But my last spa day ended redder than my freshly painted nails after a twisted Fire elemental and his goons kidnapped my close friend Sophia Deveraux and nearly killed her sister Jo-Jo in the process. Up Ashland’s most dangerous mountains, and deep into the heart of its blackest woods—I’ll track these thugs no matter where they take Sophia. It doesn’t matter what kinds of elemental magic they try to throw at me, my Ice and Stone powers can take the heat and then some. I will get Sophia back, over their dead bodies. Because anybody that hurts Gin Blanco’s family becomes a body.

Sarah Escorsa

** spoiler alert **
           Did I already say that series was getting better and better? I did didn’t I? Well I guess I’ll just have to repeat myself here: this series is getting better and better. Actually, if I had some advice to give anyone wanting to read Elemental Assassin, I’d tell them to start reading from Spider’s Revenge (book 5) on. The first instalments are not too bad but poorly executed, mainly in terms of writing (too many recaps and repetitions throughout the books). What saves them is the great cast of characters. The characters are actually what kept me reading this series. Had it not been for Gin and her eclectic gang I would have given up on Elemental Assassin a long time ago. Well I’m certainly glad I didn’t because I just love this series now. I think what makes the series so much better with every new instalment is the growing history and relationships between the characters. It makes it all richer and gives deeper meaning to the interaction between the characters. Despite the large cast, each and one of them fits in perfectly and they all serve a particular purpose. Great chemistry all around!

So, about Heart of Venom. I just LOVED it. Gin is getting much more ruthless now that she’s protecting (and avenging!) people instead of just being your average (okay, not so average) assassin-next-door, getting paid to cut throats. It really gives her character another dimension. Now it’s all personal and you don’t mess with Gin Blanco’s friend and live to see the consequences. Gone is the cool-headed, distant Spider. Here Gin just storms out to save Sophia, letting all her emotions take over. There is no carefully laid-out plan here, just plain furry and wrath. Nothing can stop Gin and she doesn’t care if she dies while trying to get Sophia back. All that matters is that Sophia is safe and that the bad guys die an awful death. Gin has changed so much since the beginning of this series, it’s actually pretty amazing. I’m loving her more with every new instalment! 

As for the rest of the recurring characters, the focus here is on Sophia and Jo-Jo. We learn a lot about their background story, how they first met Fletcher and Warren. And I loved to see Sophia beat Grimes to death. It was gory and great. I also enjoyed seeing more of Warren, Cooper and Philip here. I really like the extended cast in this series and Estep gives new depth to the characters with every new instalment.

As in the last few books for this series, Heart of Venom is action-packed but it is also very emotional. In the aftermath of Salina’s death, Gin’s relationship with Owen hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses and it’s really hard on Gin. Add that to Sophia’s kidnapping and Jo-Jo being on the brink of death… Not a good time to be the Spider. Still, Gin keeps it all in and kicks some serious butt. She really lets it all out in this instalment. She is more ruthless, vindictive and vicious than ever: I ignored the flames searing my skin, raised my knife high, and buried it to the hilt in the bitch’s black, burning heart. Hazel arched her back and let out a bloodcurdling scream. I ripped the knife out and drove it right back into her chest, twisting and twisting and twisting it in. Muscles ripped, tendons snapped, and one of her ribs cracked under my brutal assault. I tore the knife out of her chest once again. And this time, I slit her throat with the blade.I just had to quote that, I love how gruesome it all gets! :)


Oh, I almost forgot to mention the icing on the cake! HALLELUJAH, Owen Grayson finally lets go of his inner Donovan Caine and knocks some sense into his little self!! I’m actually glad this didn’t happen in the last instalment (some readers wished it had) because the wait made Heart of Venom so much better. I love the conversations he has with Gin throughout the book, love all their interactions and... their hot & steamy shower reunion (*swoons, sighs, sighs swoons and all that*). It’s all pretty cool! Still, I’m having a hard time figuring out with Gin is being so cautious with him now. Okay, he freaking messed up pretty badly but his repeated apologies and most importantly, his actions throughout the book prove that all he wants to do is redeem himself. I also get that he broke Gin’s heart in tiny little pieces and that she’s terrified he will hurt her again. Still, he is the love of her life and she obviously can’t bear to be apart from him so why be so hesitant? Just give in and say yes girl! It’s Owen Grayson we’re talking about, not Donovan “I’m a complete ass” Caine! Well, that certainly doesn’t mean Mr Grayson won’t have to work hard to win Gin’s trust back and I really hope she gives him a hard time in the next instalment, he really deserves it for treating her the way he did.

A great, fantastic, most enjoyable read!

Heart of Venom

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