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A review by vikingwolf
Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Gin has been studying the file that Fletcher left for her...could the fearsome Mab Monroe be the Fire elemental that murdered her family? And how can she track down her younger sister who she thought was dead? Those matters need to be shelved when an attempted robbery brings her to the attention of fearsome lawyer Jonah McAllister, and helping an old friend of Fletcher puts her at odds with a mine owner prepared to kill anyone to protect his business ambitions. Maybe she isn't quite retired yet...
Fletcher's oldest friend is in trouble-his land is needed by the greedy dwarf Tobias who runs a nearby mine and he won't take no for an answer. His grand-daughter Violet asks Gin if Fletcher is around to help, and Gin is curious enough to follow her, saving her from a rape and murder attempt. Now Gin is determined to help but the only way to stop Tobias is to kill him, which causes more problems between Gin and Donovan in their already complicated relationship. He may have forgiven her for killing his partner but hearing that the retired Gin intends to solve a problem with murder is too much for him.
The son of Jonah McAllister is one of the punks who tries to rob Gin's Pork Pit. He may not be impressed by his son's lawbreaking but it doesn't stop him doing everything he can to get Gin to drop the charges against Jake. The last thing she needs is to draw the attention of Mab's lawyer when she is trying to keep a low profile in town but Gin refuses to be intimidated by anyone even if it costs her business. Jake swears revenge on Gin and she is concerned about having an unhinged Fire elemental gunning for her again.
Coming out of her short retirement means getting the usual gang involved in helping her again. Finn uses his considerable skills to get information on her new enemies, while Jo-Jo is ready to heal all her wounds as Sophia disposes of the bodies. I really love this team together. I also like seeing the interaction between Gin and Roslyn, now that Gin knows how Roslyn is partly responsible for the death of Fletcher. We also get to see more of the very scary Mab, and the whole of the party Mab is hosting makes very interesting reading. You really do have to be kind of crazy to consider taking out an associate of Mab at her own party.
I liked the use of the flashbacks and an old man's memories to build a better picture of the relationship that Gin had with Fletcher, including the jealousy that Finn once displayed towards her when his father took her in off the street. It makes me sad that the series is going to miss such a good character. I also like the way Gin can get the information through her magic, just listening to the murmur of the stone in the buildings to be able to sense what recently happened there or to get a full painful history of a house and its owners. It is so inventive and different.
The complicated relationship between Gin and Donovan rears up when he gets dragged into the case against his will. Lawbreaking is not his favourite way to pass the time but finds himself helping Gin anyway. His attraction to her is at war with his disgust for her former career and I must admit he was really bugging me by the end of the book! He doesn't treat Gin well and I understand why she gets so mad at him. There is also the added interest of a new man-Owen. He is not shy about making his interest in Gin clear and seems to have no issue with her morals-which might mean that he has few of his own. I'm not sure what I think of him yet.
This was a solid sequel in which Gin learns more about the people closest to her, uncovers secrets from the past and learns much more about her own magic.
Fletcher's oldest friend is in trouble-his land is needed by the greedy dwarf Tobias who runs a nearby mine and he won't take no for an answer. His grand-daughter Violet asks Gin if Fletcher is around to help, and Gin is curious enough to follow her, saving her from a rape and murder attempt. Now Gin is determined to help but the only way to stop Tobias is to kill him, which causes more problems between Gin and Donovan in their already complicated relationship. He may have forgiven her for killing his partner but hearing that the retired Gin intends to solve a problem with murder is too much for him.
The son of Jonah McAllister is one of the punks who tries to rob Gin's Pork Pit. He may not be impressed by his son's lawbreaking but it doesn't stop him doing everything he can to get Gin to drop the charges against Jake. The last thing she needs is to draw the attention of Mab's lawyer when she is trying to keep a low profile in town but Gin refuses to be intimidated by anyone even if it costs her business. Jake swears revenge on Gin and she is concerned about having an unhinged Fire elemental gunning for her again.
Coming out of her short retirement means getting the usual gang involved in helping her again. Finn uses his considerable skills to get information on her new enemies, while Jo-Jo is ready to heal all her wounds as Sophia disposes of the bodies. I really love this team together. I also like seeing the interaction between Gin and Roslyn, now that Gin knows how Roslyn is partly responsible for the death of Fletcher. We also get to see more of the very scary Mab, and the whole of the party Mab is hosting makes very interesting reading. You really do have to be kind of crazy to consider taking out an associate of Mab at her own party.
I liked the use of the flashbacks and an old man's memories to build a better picture of the relationship that Gin had with Fletcher, including the jealousy that Finn once displayed towards her when his father took her in off the street. It makes me sad that the series is going to miss such a good character. I also like the way Gin can get the information through her magic, just listening to the murmur of the stone in the buildings to be able to sense what recently happened there or to get a full painful history of a house and its owners. It is so inventive and different.
The complicated relationship between Gin and Donovan rears up when he gets dragged into the case against his will. Lawbreaking is not his favourite way to pass the time but finds himself helping Gin anyway. His attraction to her is at war with his disgust for her former career and I must admit he was really bugging me by the end of the book! He doesn't treat Gin well and I understand why she gets so mad at him. There is also the added interest of a new man-Owen. He is not shy about making his interest in Gin clear and seems to have no issue with her morals-which might mean that he has few of his own. I'm not sure what I think of him yet.
This was a solid sequel in which Gin learns more about the people closest to her, uncovers secrets from the past and learns much more about her own magic.