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Elemental Assassin #19
Last Strand
Every bloody thread has been leading to this . . .
I’ve battled a lot of bad guys in my time, both as Gin Blanco and as the notorious assassin the Spider. But I’ve never faced off against anyone quite as powerful and deadly as the dastardly leader of the Circle secret society.
Just when I finally have a lead on how I can defeat the evil group once and for all, new information comes to light that throws me for a loop. Suddenly, everyone and everything I love is in imminent peril of being destroyed, and I’m racing against the clock to figure out a way to save my friends.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the danger has never been greater. Somehow, I need to weave one last strand in my web of death—and kill my enemies before they kill me . . .
I’ve battled a lot of bad guys in my time, both as Gin Blanco and as the notorious assassin the Spider. But I’ve never faced off against anyone quite as powerful and deadly as the dastardly leader of the Circle secret society.
Just when I finally have a lead on how I can defeat the evil group once and for all, new information comes to light that throws me for a loop. Suddenly, everyone and everything I love is in imminent peril of being destroyed, and I’m racing against the clock to figure out a way to save my friends.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the danger has never been greater. Somehow, I need to weave one last strand in my web of death—and kill my enemies before they kill me . . .
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2021
255 people are currently reading
1,380 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Estep
95Ìýbooks11.9kÌýfollowersJennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author who prowls the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.
Jennifer is the author of the Elemental Assassin, Section 47, Galactic Bonds, Crown of Shards, Gargoyle Queen, and other fantasy series. She has written more than 40 books, along with numerous novellas and stories.
In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys hanging out with friends and family, doing yoga, and reading fantasy and romance books. She also watches way too much TV and loves all things related to superheroes.
For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit her website at or sign up for her newsletter: .
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Happy reading, everyone! 😎
Jennifer is the author of the Elemental Assassin, Section 47, Galactic Bonds, Crown of Shards, Gargoyle Queen, and other fantasy series. She has written more than 40 books, along with numerous novellas and stories.
In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys hanging out with friends and family, doing yoga, and reading fantasy and romance books. She also watches way too much TV and loves all things related to superheroes.
For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit her website at or sign up for her newsletter: .
FOLLOW JENNIFER ONLINE:
Facebook:
Instagram:
Twitter:
Amazon:
BookBub:
Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ:
Jennifer's blog:
Jennifer's newsletter:
Happy reading, everyone! 😎
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
September 26, 2022
This series was only ever a bit of a comfort read. No matter how big a threat Gin Blanco, the assassin known as "The Spider," faced, you knew that by the end she was going to kill the bad guy, then eat some barbecue with an ever-growing group of family and friends.
The writing was always pretty poor. The "Big Bad" threats she faced were pretty generic. Every single one was the most powerful threat ever, wielding more elemental magic than Gin had ever encountered before! ... Until the next Big Bad, who wielded even more.
There is always a certain amount of eyerolling with the narrative structure of this series. Gin always has "dreams" that are verbatim memories, without any detail lost, about some previous adventure/conversation she had with her old mentor. The memory will somehow dovetail into the details of the present plot. Often this is a deus ex machina, with her mentor having already given Gin the answer to every problem with some miraculous planning aforethought.
This particular installment --the series finale-- showcased most of the usual formulaic plot points, but I noticed that the writing was particularly bad. Gin had a tendency to talk about her heart a lot. Heartache, getting shot in the heart, that something emotional "hurt her heart," etc. She also had a tendency to list her emotions in groups of three. Like, she never just felt sad. She felt sad, hurt, and guilty. Over and over again, we got those lists of abstractions in threes.
For some reason there are humans, dwarves, giants, and vampires in this universe. But, no one explains why there are four known sentient species; nor is there any real discussion about issues of racism.
Vampires got the short end of the stick here. They definitely have fangs, drink blood, and have long lifespans, but that is all we know. It would appear that they are born, not made, in this universe. Maybe. What does it say that we are on book 19, and there have been additional short stories, but the writer never addressed the classic vampire motif of changing people into vampires? Vampire characters can have nieces who are not vampires, so it would appear they can interbreed with humans, and resulting children are either vampire or human, but never a hybrid. Which still doesn't make a lot of sense, because human characters can interbreed with giants and/or dwarves, and the resulting children are, in fact, hybrids.
The author was never too concerned with world-building, in case that wasn't clear.
The setting for this series was the fictional southern town of "Ashland," which never felt the need to explain what state it was in. Unusual for southerners not to brag about their home state, but, okay. All we really knew about this town was that it was highly corrupt, with crime everywhere.
Some humans have elemental magic, and we just accept that at face value. There was never any discussion about WHY some people were born with this magic, nor were there any sort of magic academies to train young mages. Instead, some characters were born with a supernatural blessing and just used it as they saw fit, without the police describing any separate licensing requirements or criminal charges specific to elemental powers. There was no religious question about whether these people were blessed by God or gods; it was just a fact of life that some people were blessed.
The "elements" in this universe never quite made sense. The primary four were earth, wind, fire, and ice. Secondary elements were metal, water, electricity, and acid. (The acid was very much of the variety you would expect from 1980s children's cartoons; it's an unidentified green corrosive liquid, and there is no discussion about combating it with a base.)
So, am I sad to see this series end? Not really. More, I'm just grateful to be done with it. But there is something to be said for a simple comfort read, no?
The writing was always pretty poor. The "Big Bad" threats she faced were pretty generic. Every single one was the most powerful threat ever, wielding more elemental magic than Gin had ever encountered before! ... Until the next Big Bad, who wielded even more.
There is always a certain amount of eyerolling with the narrative structure of this series. Gin always has "dreams" that are verbatim memories, without any detail lost, about some previous adventure/conversation she had with her old mentor. The memory will somehow dovetail into the details of the present plot. Often this is a deus ex machina, with her mentor having already given Gin the answer to every problem with some miraculous planning aforethought.
This particular installment --the series finale-- showcased most of the usual formulaic plot points, but I noticed that the writing was particularly bad. Gin had a tendency to talk about her heart a lot. Heartache, getting shot in the heart, that something emotional "hurt her heart," etc. She also had a tendency to list her emotions in groups of three. Like, she never just felt sad. She felt sad, hurt, and guilty. Over and over again, we got those lists of abstractions in threes.
For some reason there are humans, dwarves, giants, and vampires in this universe. But, no one explains why there are four known sentient species; nor is there any real discussion about issues of racism.
Vampires got the short end of the stick here. They definitely have fangs, drink blood, and have long lifespans, but that is all we know. It would appear that they are born, not made, in this universe. Maybe. What does it say that we are on book 19, and there have been additional short stories, but the writer never addressed the classic vampire motif of changing people into vampires? Vampire characters can have nieces who are not vampires, so it would appear they can interbreed with humans, and resulting children are either vampire or human, but never a hybrid. Which still doesn't make a lot of sense, because human characters can interbreed with giants and/or dwarves, and the resulting children are, in fact, hybrids.
The author was never too concerned with world-building, in case that wasn't clear.
The setting for this series was the fictional southern town of "Ashland," which never felt the need to explain what state it was in. Unusual for southerners not to brag about their home state, but, okay. All we really knew about this town was that it was highly corrupt, with crime everywhere.
Some humans have elemental magic, and we just accept that at face value. There was never any discussion about WHY some people were born with this magic, nor were there any sort of magic academies to train young mages. Instead, some characters were born with a supernatural blessing and just used it as they saw fit, without the police describing any separate licensing requirements or criminal charges specific to elemental powers. There was no religious question about whether these people were blessed by God or gods; it was just a fact of life that some people were blessed.
The "elements" in this universe never quite made sense. The primary four were earth, wind, fire, and ice. Secondary elements were metal, water, electricity, and acid. (The acid was very much of the variety you would expect from 1980s children's cartoons; it's an unidentified green corrosive liquid, and there is no discussion about combating it with a base.)
So, am I sad to see this series end? Not really. More, I'm just grateful to be done with it. But there is something to be said for a simple comfort read, no?
April 27, 2021
I've been with this series since the very beginning and I've loved it and everyone in it... but it was time to end.
March 19, 2021
The perfect ending for a FABULOUS series! Even with the little annoyances that continue to plague me with the last few books (Owen being nothing more than a cardboard character, repetition etc.) this book carried the signature Estep genius that made Gin and her cohorts so beloved by so many (myself enthusiastically included.) The twists are just as well thought out and surprising as ever and the action just as exciting and fun to enjoy.
I completely understand the reasons for ending the series (for the foreseeable future.) The overall arc has played out and the characters deserve a rest. Still, it is truly with a sad heart that I turned that last page of one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series ever.
I completely understand the reasons for ending the series (for the foreseeable future.) The overall arc has played out and the characters deserve a rest. Still, it is truly with a sad heart that I turned that last page of one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series ever.
November 25, 2021
meh.
ganska besviken på hur hela serien avslutades. visst det är kanske inte sista boken om gin, men 19 böcker och hur den "onda" dog i denna. kinda lackluster
ganska besviken på hur hela serien avslutades. visst det är kanske inte sista boken om gin, men 19 böcker och hur den "onda" dog i denna. kinda lackluster
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March 15, 2021Just end it already! This series should have ended with Mab's death.
June 22, 2023
5 🌟
Nice to see Gin's final fight for the moment.
Nice to see Gin's final fight for the moment.
April 20, 2021
Took me weeks to finish because I had to keep putting it down, otherwise I'd go nuts. Gin, supposedly an intelligent badass, seemed to have gotten dumber and clumsier as the series progressed. She prides herself as a great assassin and throughout the book kept reminding us about how smart she is, but does stupid things like severely stub her toe despite wearing boots, or walk directly into people because she was talking to her companion!?! I was so glad when the book ended and I don't have to read about her anymore.
May 21, 2021
4 Stars... A good ending to the series, but in Jennifer Estep fashion very repetitive and the presence of the same framework for her writing which becomes monotonous... It was definitely time for this series to have it's finale which certainly ended with a bang... I am glad I got to see these characters come full circle and find their HEA:)
March 18, 2021
**NOTE: This review contains spoilers from previous books.
Last Strand opens shortly after the conclusion of the previous book. Gin is searching for the money Fletcher stole from the Circle so she can take down her malevolent uncle, Mason Michell, head of the Circle. Word gets out that she’s found the loot, and that’s when things start to go sideways for Gin and the gang.
Fans know going into Last Strand, the nineteenth full-length Elemental Assassin book, that this would be the last Gin-centric adventure, for now; therefore, expectations were high for an end-all-be-all, explosive conclusion. Ms. Estep does not disappoint. The title is filled with all the quintessential Gin-isms. For example, she mentions her little white pills and recalls forgotten memories in her dreams. It’s her thing... I know. And while Gin has some very predictable traits, she’s really grown over the course of the series.
Mason and Emery are two strong enemies, and there is uncertainty that Gin will defeat her toughest foe. When one of Gin’s gang ends up badly beaten, Gin is racked with guilt - this has not changed over the years, which is why Gin makes for such a likable assassin-hero. I appreciate that Gin knows she needs her friends and doesn’t try to pretend she’s protecting them by leaving them out. She is up front about dangers and potential outcomes, tells them she needs them, but ultimately, lets them decide. She’s become a true leader and protector.
Last Strand is a fitting “ending for now� for the series. This story is exciting, filled with action, and something fans will enjoy. We’ve watched Gin fall in love, find a lost sister, and gain a new family of close-knit friends. Gin’s meandering storyline that began with Mab is wrapped up, but what happens next is unknown, and I like that. Now I am very excited about seeing some of the side characters get more stories.
My Rating: B Liked It -- Recommend
Review copy provided by author
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
Last Strand opens shortly after the conclusion of the previous book. Gin is searching for the money Fletcher stole from the Circle so she can take down her malevolent uncle, Mason Michell, head of the Circle. Word gets out that she’s found the loot, and that’s when things start to go sideways for Gin and the gang.
Fans know going into Last Strand, the nineteenth full-length Elemental Assassin book, that this would be the last Gin-centric adventure, for now; therefore, expectations were high for an end-all-be-all, explosive conclusion. Ms. Estep does not disappoint. The title is filled with all the quintessential Gin-isms. For example, she mentions her little white pills and recalls forgotten memories in her dreams. It’s her thing... I know. And while Gin has some very predictable traits, she’s really grown over the course of the series.
Mason and Emery are two strong enemies, and there is uncertainty that Gin will defeat her toughest foe. When one of Gin’s gang ends up badly beaten, Gin is racked with guilt - this has not changed over the years, which is why Gin makes for such a likable assassin-hero. I appreciate that Gin knows she needs her friends and doesn’t try to pretend she’s protecting them by leaving them out. She is up front about dangers and potential outcomes, tells them she needs them, but ultimately, lets them decide. She’s become a true leader and protector.
Last Strand is a fitting “ending for now� for the series. This story is exciting, filled with action, and something fans will enjoy. We’ve watched Gin fall in love, find a lost sister, and gain a new family of close-knit friends. Gin’s meandering storyline that began with Mab is wrapped up, but what happens next is unknown, and I like that. Now I am very excited about seeing some of the side characters get more stories.
My Rating: B Liked It -- Recommend
Review copy provided by author
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
October 22, 2021
I never feel let down by a Gin Blanco adventure. I have come to the conclusion that Fletcher Lane is a celestial being. Even though he has been dead for the majority of this series, he has prepared Gin and armed her for almost every situation she will ever face. He is truly a god-like being in this series.
Gin and her friends have unfinished business with her uncle and we get an inside peak into the mastermind of the leader of the Ashland Crime Syndicate. In this installment, Gin gets to match wits with the puppetmaster and get some revenge for her family's tragedy.
This story is similar to the ones before, lots of humor, adventure, fighting, and loyalty to the family they cobbled together. I love this heroine, her strength, wit, and her recipes. I wish the pork pit was a real place because I would definitely get some food. This is one of my favorite assassin series.
Gin and her friends have unfinished business with her uncle and we get an inside peak into the mastermind of the leader of the Ashland Crime Syndicate. In this installment, Gin gets to match wits with the puppetmaster and get some revenge for her family's tragedy.
This story is similar to the ones before, lots of humor, adventure, fighting, and loyalty to the family they cobbled together. I love this heroine, her strength, wit, and her recipes. I wish the pork pit was a real place because I would definitely get some food. This is one of my favorite assassin series.
September 20, 2023
3.5/5 STARS
July 5, 2021
"Always expect the bad guys to do the worst, most inconvenient thing possible."
Man, this was lovely... and I really can't believe I called a book about an assasssin "lovely". LOL
Gin Blanco, aka The Spider, has been through a lot. Lots of people have been trying to kill her... LOTS! But it's nothing compared to the fact that her own uncle wants her dead the most. Not only he's the most powerful elemental that Gin has ever encountered, he's also very smart and ahead of the game.
This is going to be the last book in the series for a while, according to the author. She's going to write novellas about other characters in this world . I felt sad about it being the last book in the series, as the Elemental Assassin series has been a favorite of mine for the past eight (!) years. I've been loving reading every book and waiting for the release of the next.
It's hard to give a summary about a book so far into the series (number 19!), but all I have to say is that I absolutely love Gin. She's such a wonderful character. Strong, loyal, smart, and funny. Her loyalty to the people that she loves is something to admire. I love the fact that Gin and Bria were able to resolve their differences and have the sisterly bond they have now. Owen is bae, Finn is always there to make me laugh. I wanna know more about Phillip .
A wonderful series if you love urban fantasy, I highly recommend.
Man, this was lovely... and I really can't believe I called a book about an assasssin "lovely". LOL
Gin Blanco, aka The Spider, has been through a lot. Lots of people have been trying to kill her... LOTS! But it's nothing compared to the fact that her own uncle wants her dead the most. Not only he's the most powerful elemental that Gin has ever encountered, he's also very smart and ahead of the game.
This is going to be the last book in the series for a while, according to the author. She's going to write novellas about other characters in this world . I felt sad about it being the last book in the series, as the Elemental Assassin series has been a favorite of mine for the past eight (!) years. I've been loving reading every book and waiting for the release of the next.
It's hard to give a summary about a book so far into the series (number 19!), but all I have to say is that I absolutely love Gin. She's such a wonderful character. Strong, loyal, smart, and funny. Her loyalty to the people that she loves is something to admire. I love the fact that Gin and Bria were able to resolve their differences and have the sisterly bond they have now. Owen is bae, Finn is always there to make me laugh. I wanna know more about Phillip .
A wonderful series if you love urban fantasy, I highly recommend.
August 16, 2021
I enjoyed this series, especially the earlier books up until the final confrontation with Mab Monroe. The series started to slip a little after that and then a lot. I still enjoyed it right up until the end. It had just become a kind of light confection by then.
This is one of the stranger fantasy worlds I’ve come across. The worldbuilding was always on the light side. I think the most fantastical element about it was that half the population seemed to suffer from some degree of violent psychopathy.
The saga of Gin Blanco and her friends was never the smartest series that I’ve ever read but I liked the slowly building family, the sense that if you didn’t have one you could build your own. I felt like that was a positive message. I also liked that, in the end, she won with help from her friends. All that stuff about her destined to be the most powerful elemental in centuries certainly went out the window by the end, but maybe that was for the best.
The series needed to end. I’m glad it did so on a positive note.
This is one of the stranger fantasy worlds I’ve come across. The worldbuilding was always on the light side. I think the most fantastical element about it was that half the population seemed to suffer from some degree of violent psychopathy.
The saga of Gin Blanco and her friends was never the smartest series that I’ve ever read but I liked the slowly building family, the sense that if you didn’t have one you could build your own. I felt like that was a positive message. I also liked that, in the end, she won with help from her friends. All that stuff about her destined to be the most powerful elemental in centuries certainly went out the window by the end, but maybe that was for the best.
The series needed to end. I’m glad it did so on a positive note.
April 5, 2021
Nineteenth in the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series and revolving around Gin Blanco, owner of the Pork Pit and the assassin with a heart of gold. Based in Asheville, North Carolina.
My Take
We FINALLY find out why the Circle has been after Gin for so long! But not to worry, it's not the end...Estep has warned us that she will be occupied with stories about secondary characters and that this is not the end of the primary Elemental Assassin series.
I will say, Estep has set up a nasty conundrum in Last Strand. Using first person protagonist point-of-view from Gin's perspective, the initial spark comes from how to remove bulky treasures from a strongly guarded bank without being observed by obsessive observers! And in keeping her friends alive...eek!
It's been a quest in Elemental Assassin, as Fletcher's secrets kept popping up to send Gin down yet another garden path, very slowly leading her clue by clue.
It always scares me, the idea of so many corrupt cops. Of course, an obsessive nutjob like Mason scares me even more with his egomania and cruelty. It doesn't help when Tucker lays out Mason's hate for Gin!
This one is Mason's final plan, spoiled by Fletcher's theft, forcing Mason to take out a loan. Gasp. Snicker.
It's a combination of the remembered past, cozy cooking, the support of friends and family, and some frantic action as Gin and company battle to stay alive
The Story
It's the "last" critical clue for Gin, getting the money, keeping it from her uncle. Unfortunately, Mason is too strong, too well-connected, and too eager to threaten Gin's friends...
The Characters
Genevieve "Gin" Blanco is the Spider, a highly successful assassin, and recently, the queen of Ashland's underworld with a strong Ice and Stone gift. Detective Bria Coolidge (Ice) is Gin's younger sister and the flirtatious Finnegan "Finn" Lane, Gin's foster brother, is an investment banker, who works at First Trust and Bria's significant other. Fletcher Lane, a.k.a. the Tin Man who helped people, had been Finn's dad, the assassin who taught Gin, and had owned the Pork Pit. Detective Xavier, a giant, is Bria's partner. And a friend.
Owen Grayson (Metal) is Gin's significant other. Eva Grayson is Owen's younger sister; Violet Fox, Elissa Daniels, and Catalina Vasquez (Silvio's niece) are Eva's friends.
Silvio Sanchez, a vampire, is Gin's personal assistant ( Poison Promise , 11).
The Pork Pit is...
...a barbecue restaurant which Fletcher gave to Gin in his will. Sophie Deveraux, Gin's goth head chef...and a dwarf with a particularly useful Air magic. Catalina is one of the waitresses.
Jolene "Jo-Jo" Deveraux, Sophia's sister, has an Air gift that she uses to great effect in running her beauty salon...and healing Gin and her friends. Rosco is Jo-Jo's basset hound. Stuart Mosely, a dwarf who owns First Trust, is currently honeymooning with Mallory Parker, Lorelei's dwarf many greats-grandmother. Phillip Kincaid is another friend of Gin's, and he owns the Delta Queen, a riverboat casino. Roslyn Phillips, a vampire friend of Gin's, owns Northern Aggression, a club.
Bellum Bank...
...caters to the criminal element. Charles Yang (Fire) owns the bank. Drusilla Yang, his daughter with a Fire gift as well, is senior vice president and practically runs the bank.
Hugh Tucker, a vampire who used to work for the Circle (saved Gin in Sharpest Sting 18) as an enforcer, is more of a free agent these days. Okay, not free... as Lorelei Parker (emotional Ice), a smuggler, is his jailer...and he seems to be in love.
The Circle is...
...the secret underground criminal world that has been chasing Gin since the beginning (, 1). Its leader is Mason Mitchell (horribly strong in his Stone gift) is Gin's uncle, Tristan's twin brother, and the head of the Circle. He murdered Tristan Mitchell, Gin's father, horribly. He also ordered the murder of Gin's mother, Eira Snow, and Gin's older sister, Annabella, by Mab Monroe, a Fire elemental. Emery Slater, a giantess, is one of Mason's enforcers, and she really hates Gin for killing her uncle Elliot Slater. Liam Carter is Mason's new security consultant ("Nice Guys Bite", 15.5).
The Mitchell Mile is a new development project.
Damian Rivera is a very wealthy Circle member ( Snared , 16). Dierdre Shaw (Ice) had been Finn's long lost "too-bad-she-didn't-stay-lost" mother ( Spider's Trap , 13, and Bitter Bite , 14). Madeline Monroe had been Mab's daughter ( Black Widow , 12). Other Circle members Gin "took care of" include Roxy Wyatt ( Unraveled , 15), Brody Dalton ( Unraveled ), Bruce Porter ( Snared ), and Alanna Eaton ( Venom in the Veins , 17). Jonah McAllister, Mab's lawyer, is still awaiting trial ("", 4.5).
Ivan Gere, a dwarf, had been a ruthless and notorious loan shark (murdered on an early assassination by Fletcher and Gin). Ethan, the muscle, had been his brother. Carpenter Consulting is where Mildred works the front desk.
Darrell Kline was a traitorous accountant who had worked for Owen ("Winter's Web", 17.5). Marisol Patton had been a heroine in the early 1900s. Blanche Langley had been a previous owner of A Lady's Reverie in Gray. Benji had been Blanche's idiot grandson.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a range of oranges, from the pillared front of the Mitchell family mansion with a hip-cocked Gin, in black leather jacket, black scoop-neck T, and black jeans, her long hair flowing past her shoulders. A spider web behind Gin, frames her, one of her favored knives in her right hand, aglow with her Ice magic. At the very top is an info blurb in white. The author's name is immediately below it in an orange outlined white in above Gin's head. At the bottom is the title in a combination of fonts, the first word starting at Gin's calves in the same style as the author's name. The last word is below it in a pale yellow outlined in red in a crazy font. Below that is the series info in white.
The title is that last thread, that Last Strand, that pulls it all together.
My Take
We FINALLY find out why the Circle has been after Gin for so long! But not to worry, it's not the end...Estep has warned us that she will be occupied with stories about secondary characters and that this is not the end of the primary Elemental Assassin series.
I will say, Estep has set up a nasty conundrum in Last Strand. Using first person protagonist point-of-view from Gin's perspective, the initial spark comes from how to remove bulky treasures from a strongly guarded bank without being observed by obsessive observers! And in keeping her friends alive...eek!
It's been a quest in Elemental Assassin, as Fletcher's secrets kept popping up to send Gin down yet another garden path, very slowly leading her clue by clue.
It always scares me, the idea of so many corrupt cops. Of course, an obsessive nutjob like Mason scares me even more with his egomania and cruelty. It doesn't help when Tucker lays out Mason's hate for Gin!
This one is Mason's final plan, spoiled by Fletcher's theft, forcing Mason to take out a loan. Gasp. Snicker.
It's a combination of the remembered past, cozy cooking, the support of friends and family, and some frantic action as Gin and company battle to stay alive
The Story
It's the "last" critical clue for Gin, getting the money, keeping it from her uncle. Unfortunately, Mason is too strong, too well-connected, and too eager to threaten Gin's friends...
The Characters
Genevieve "Gin" Blanco is the Spider, a highly successful assassin, and recently, the queen of Ashland's underworld with a strong Ice and Stone gift. Detective Bria Coolidge (Ice) is Gin's younger sister and the flirtatious Finnegan "Finn" Lane, Gin's foster brother, is an investment banker, who works at First Trust and Bria's significant other. Fletcher Lane, a.k.a. the Tin Man who helped people, had been Finn's dad, the assassin who taught Gin, and had owned the Pork Pit. Detective Xavier, a giant, is Bria's partner. And a friend.
Owen Grayson (Metal) is Gin's significant other. Eva Grayson is Owen's younger sister; Violet Fox, Elissa Daniels, and Catalina Vasquez (Silvio's niece) are Eva's friends.
Silvio Sanchez, a vampire, is Gin's personal assistant ( Poison Promise , 11).
The Pork Pit is...
...a barbecue restaurant which Fletcher gave to Gin in his will. Sophie Deveraux, Gin's goth head chef...and a dwarf with a particularly useful Air magic. Catalina is one of the waitresses.
Jolene "Jo-Jo" Deveraux, Sophia's sister, has an Air gift that she uses to great effect in running her beauty salon...and healing Gin and her friends. Rosco is Jo-Jo's basset hound. Stuart Mosely, a dwarf who owns First Trust, is currently honeymooning with Mallory Parker, Lorelei's dwarf many greats-grandmother. Phillip Kincaid is another friend of Gin's, and he owns the Delta Queen, a riverboat casino. Roslyn Phillips, a vampire friend of Gin's, owns Northern Aggression, a club.
Bellum Bank...
...caters to the criminal element. Charles Yang (Fire) owns the bank. Drusilla Yang, his daughter with a Fire gift as well, is senior vice president and practically runs the bank.
Hugh Tucker, a vampire who used to work for the Circle (saved Gin in Sharpest Sting 18) as an enforcer, is more of a free agent these days. Okay, not free... as Lorelei Parker (emotional Ice), a smuggler, is his jailer...and he seems to be in love.
The Circle is...
...the secret underground criminal world that has been chasing Gin since the beginning (, 1). Its leader is Mason Mitchell (horribly strong in his Stone gift) is Gin's uncle, Tristan's twin brother, and the head of the Circle. He murdered Tristan Mitchell, Gin's father, horribly. He also ordered the murder of Gin's mother, Eira Snow, and Gin's older sister, Annabella, by Mab Monroe, a Fire elemental. Emery Slater, a giantess, is one of Mason's enforcers, and she really hates Gin for killing her uncle Elliot Slater. Liam Carter is Mason's new security consultant ("Nice Guys Bite", 15.5).
The Mitchell Mile is a new development project.
Damian Rivera is a very wealthy Circle member ( Snared , 16). Dierdre Shaw (Ice) had been Finn's long lost "too-bad-she-didn't-stay-lost" mother ( Spider's Trap , 13, and Bitter Bite , 14). Madeline Monroe had been Mab's daughter ( Black Widow , 12). Other Circle members Gin "took care of" include Roxy Wyatt ( Unraveled , 15), Brody Dalton ( Unraveled ), Bruce Porter ( Snared ), and Alanna Eaton ( Venom in the Veins , 17). Jonah McAllister, Mab's lawyer, is still awaiting trial ("", 4.5).
Ivan Gere, a dwarf, had been a ruthless and notorious loan shark (murdered on an early assassination by Fletcher and Gin). Ethan, the muscle, had been his brother. Carpenter Consulting is where Mildred works the front desk.
Darrell Kline was a traitorous accountant who had worked for Owen ("Winter's Web", 17.5). Marisol Patton had been a heroine in the early 1900s. Blanche Langley had been a previous owner of A Lady's Reverie in Gray. Benji had been Blanche's idiot grandson.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a range of oranges, from the pillared front of the Mitchell family mansion with a hip-cocked Gin, in black leather jacket, black scoop-neck T, and black jeans, her long hair flowing past her shoulders. A spider web behind Gin, frames her, one of her favored knives in her right hand, aglow with her Ice magic. At the very top is an info blurb in white. The author's name is immediately below it in an orange outlined white in above Gin's head. At the bottom is the title in a combination of fonts, the first word starting at Gin's calves in the same style as the author's name. The last word is below it in a pale yellow outlined in red in a crazy font. Below that is the series info in white.
The title is that last thread, that Last Strand, that pulls it all together.
March 24, 2021
I have been reading the adventures of Gin for years and to now hit what is possibly the end of the series at least for the foreseeable future I find it a bit sad since there was always going to be another book but now I hope we get to see adventures of some of the characters as she promised in the author notes at the end. This story wraps up the events from day 1 and my own emotional feelings almost had me give it 5 Stars but some repetitive things always kept me from doing that and this book is no different (how many times was she going to mention the kidnapping) but make no mistake that if you have been a reader of this series you do not want to miss this one so 4 Stars, I wanted to give it 5 just for the years of revenge (my favorite genre) and enjoyment it has brought me. I hope we get to see here again but sometimes the author and the fans just have to let go since there are no good stories left to tell. Series that have gone too far and are a pale shadow of the early books are sad indeed, this one ended I think about the right time. I should always not do not read these books when hungry, the descriptions of the food they are fixing will cause you to gain 10 lbs. Hope to see ya again Gin
September 10, 2021
I thought maybe this was the last book but I guess not. It was okay. More of the same. Food playing a large role.
Though I like this series it has lost a lot of luster for me. It’s just more of the same. Gin who is supposedly the great Gin Blanco fails at every turn until she doesn’t.
I’m not sure what would make it better. Maybe raise the stakes. Let Gin get married and start a family. No I don’t mean her sister or one of her friends as that doesn’t raise the stacks as much for Gin to make it interesting.
But alas, who will the big bad be next book?
Though I like this series it has lost a lot of luster for me. It’s just more of the same. Gin who is supposedly the great Gin Blanco fails at every turn until she doesn’t.
I’m not sure what would make it better. Maybe raise the stakes. Let Gin get married and start a family. No I don’t mean her sister or one of her friends as that doesn’t raise the stacks as much for Gin to make it interesting.
But alas, who will the big bad be next book?
March 8, 2021
*Source* Author
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Last Strand is the 19th installment in author Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin series. **Slight spoilers** Last Strand is the final showdown between Gin and her Uncle Mason. Mason is the leader of the Circle, the person behind most of the crime in Ashland, the cause a whole lot of tragedy and discomfort that has affected Gin's personal life including his kidnapping of Gin's sister Bria, crashing a wedding between two of Gin's friends, and putting a target on all of Gin's friends and allies, and nearly killing Gin in the process. Gin also has some unfinished business with Emery Slater who seems almost untouchable
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Last Strand is the 19th installment in author Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin series. **Slight spoilers** Last Strand is the final showdown between Gin and her Uncle Mason. Mason is the leader of the Circle, the person behind most of the crime in Ashland, the cause a whole lot of tragedy and discomfort that has affected Gin's personal life including his kidnapping of Gin's sister Bria, crashing a wedding between two of Gin's friends, and putting a target on all of Gin's friends and allies, and nearly killing Gin in the process. Gin also has some unfinished business with Emery Slater who seems almost untouchable
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
May 6, 2022
I'm so sad this series is ending but it was a great ride
August 6, 2024
Series: Elemental Assassin #19
Rating: 5 stars - I loved it!
Wow! What an ending!
I have been a fan of this series since Spider’s Bite came out in 2010. Gin is one of my favorite heroines ever. I have spent the last two months rereading this series to get caught up to this book, which I didn’t realize was going to be the last one. This series is amazing and I love every minute of it. Gin is a wonderful heroine who does whatever she can to bring down the bad guys and protect her family.
The confrontation with Mason finally comes to an end in this one. Mason is the most dangerous enemy Gin has ever faced, with both elemental abilities and smarts. He may have outsmarted her a few times but Gin finally gets him in this one. It was bloody, intense, and everything I expected for this confrontation. I couldn’t put the book down and loved every minute of it.
While I am sad that this is the last book, it was a great ending for Gin and the gang. I am excited that she is going to be writing more stories about the side characters though because I have really enjoyed those. Also, I totally have a book hangover now that I have finished this series and I don’t know what I am going to do about it.
You can also find my reviews at
Rating: 5 stars - I loved it!
Wow! What an ending!
I have been a fan of this series since Spider’s Bite came out in 2010. Gin is one of my favorite heroines ever. I have spent the last two months rereading this series to get caught up to this book, which I didn’t realize was going to be the last one. This series is amazing and I love every minute of it. Gin is a wonderful heroine who does whatever she can to bring down the bad guys and protect her family.
The confrontation with Mason finally comes to an end in this one. Mason is the most dangerous enemy Gin has ever faced, with both elemental abilities and smarts. He may have outsmarted her a few times but Gin finally gets him in this one. It was bloody, intense, and everything I expected for this confrontation. I couldn’t put the book down and loved every minute of it.
While I am sad that this is the last book, it was a great ending for Gin and the gang. I am excited that she is going to be writing more stories about the side characters though because I have really enjoyed those. Also, I totally have a book hangover now that I have finished this series and I don’t know what I am going to do about it.
You can also find my reviews at
April 20, 2021
"My name is Gin Blanco, and I kill people." Thus ends the nineteenth (for now, at least) and final novel in the urban fantasy Elemental Assassin series.
It's been some time since I read the first novel in the series, Spider's Bite, but that may have been the first line of that one. If it wasn't, it certainly was mentioned a time or two throughout this series. It is said that every decent novel has a story arc. This whole series has an overarching story arc. The story of Gin Blanco's path of becoming the Spider, an assassin of extraordinary talents including being in control of two different elements, Stone and Ice, was amazing as she left more than her share of many dead bodies along the way, but also garnered a group of friends and family for whom she would have died to save them (and almost did many times...thankfully Jo-Jo was there to help with healing!).
In this one, Gin and her crew are battling the biggest and baddest bad guy in Ashland, the city that
has not only Elementals like Gin, but also giants, vampires, dwarves, and normal people walking the streets.
Her mentor Fletcher has left her one last mystery to solve, one that will trigger some bad, bad things. Will she figure it out before it is too late?
Someone is going to end up dead for sure, but will it be Gin or will it be her nemesis, the strongest Elemental she has ever come across?
Working with her friends and family shows the power of loyalty, love, and heart.
Love this series, and am sorry to see it end (except for promised short stories and novellas). Every novel has humor, an Easter egg or two (crossover mentions from her other series), Pork Pit food and a snarky kick-ass heroine (and yeah, a few What-the-tuck trends,too). What more can you ask for? A barbecue chicken sandwich with blackberry lemonade from the Pork Pit.
For a more comprehensive review of another of her novels, Snared, and a bit more about the series, see:
#TheSpiderForever
#PorkPitPalooza
It's been some time since I read the first novel in the series, Spider's Bite, but that may have been the first line of that one. If it wasn't, it certainly was mentioned a time or two throughout this series. It is said that every decent novel has a story arc. This whole series has an overarching story arc. The story of Gin Blanco's path of becoming the Spider, an assassin of extraordinary talents including being in control of two different elements, Stone and Ice, was amazing as she left more than her share of many dead bodies along the way, but also garnered a group of friends and family for whom she would have died to save them (and almost did many times...thankfully Jo-Jo was there to help with healing!).
In this one, Gin and her crew are battling the biggest and baddest bad guy in Ashland, the city that
has not only Elementals like Gin, but also giants, vampires, dwarves, and normal people walking the streets.
Her mentor Fletcher has left her one last mystery to solve, one that will trigger some bad, bad things. Will she figure it out before it is too late?
Someone is going to end up dead for sure, but will it be Gin or will it be her nemesis, the strongest Elemental she has ever come across?
Working with her friends and family shows the power of loyalty, love, and heart.
Love this series, and am sorry to see it end (except for promised short stories and novellas). Every novel has humor, an Easter egg or two (crossover mentions from her other series), Pork Pit food and a snarky kick-ass heroine (and yeah, a few What-the-tuck trends,too). What more can you ask for? A barbecue chicken sandwich with blackberry lemonade from the Pork Pit.
For a more comprehensive review of another of her novels, Snared, and a bit more about the series, see:
#TheSpiderForever
#PorkPitPalooza
April 10, 2021
While Im sad this is the last Gin Blanco books (for a while) I am excited to get some books from my favorite side characters.. which in this series is basically everyone. With Last Strand we have finally come full circle to the beginning of the series when we meet Gin for the first time, and learn what lead her to being an assassin. The murder of her mother and sisters..
Gin Blanco is one of my all time favorite characters.. She is an assassin in fact a quite famous one known as The Spider. She also works at the best BBQ restaurant in Ashland called the Pork Pit. I love how she never regrets who she is, she completly owns it. She uses her skills to help those in need.. or if the money is right.
Gin and her friends are finally confronting Mason, the man behind the murder of her parents and older sister. At the moment she has no idea how she is going to stop him from going after her or the people she loves to get what she wants. Thankfully Gin and her brother Finn have come across something that Mason wants. Now all they have to do is figure out how to use it to their advantage, before he finds out they have it and take it first.
I love how Gin uses her mind as well as her assassin skills to stop the people she is after, and she does her best to make sure her loved ones arent in the crossfire even if that means she could get seriously hurt which happens quite alot. The fight scenes are pretty epic, and even though you know mostly that Gin will survive, your never sure quite how she will manage it..
This is one of my favorite series, and I cant wait to reread them all from the beginning.
Gin Blanco is one of my all time favorite characters.. She is an assassin in fact a quite famous one known as The Spider. She also works at the best BBQ restaurant in Ashland called the Pork Pit. I love how she never regrets who she is, she completly owns it. She uses her skills to help those in need.. or if the money is right.
Gin and her friends are finally confronting Mason, the man behind the murder of her parents and older sister. At the moment she has no idea how she is going to stop him from going after her or the people she loves to get what she wants. Thankfully Gin and her brother Finn have come across something that Mason wants. Now all they have to do is figure out how to use it to their advantage, before he finds out they have it and take it first.
I love how Gin uses her mind as well as her assassin skills to stop the people she is after, and she does her best to make sure her loved ones arent in the crossfire even if that means she could get seriously hurt which happens quite alot. The fight scenes are pretty epic, and even though you know mostly that Gin will survive, your never sure quite how she will manage it..
This is one of my favorite series, and I cant wait to reread them all from the beginning.
March 7, 2021
I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
This journey started with... My name is Gin, and I kill people... and it captivated me for more than a decade.
Last Strand is the 19th installment of the Elemental Assassin series. I don't recommend this title to be read as a standalone, start at the beginning with Spider's Bite. However, if you have a firm grasp of Gin, the world-building, and the magic system, a longtime reader would have no issue jumping right in if they had missed a few books prior.
Is this the Last Strand for our Spider, Gin Blanco? As of now, yes, we bid adieu. But should Jennifer Estep have the time and the inclination to revisit our favorite assassin, she has given the hint she may give readers more.
What has drawn me back to this series time and time again is the connection Gin has to the side characters. The warmth and heart within the unconventional family Gin has created for herself, while her thoughts kept the memory alive for those she has lost. This humanizes our favorite assassin, lends the ability for the reader to relate and empathize with a character so far out of our realm of understanding.
Jennifer Estep attempts to weave all the strands into an intriguing web, answering all of our questions while tying up loose ends, giving us a satisfying ending to what has been over a decade-long adventure for this reader.
Without spoiling a single word of the plot, the novel is packed with action and emotion, one last showdown between Gin and Mason, showcasing how cleverness, perseverance, and smarts can sometimes overcome unsurmountable odds.
I will miss the sarcasm, the wit, the snark and banter, the heart-stopping action set in a paranormal Ashland, and the loyalty to family and friend that Gin has brought to life, while looking forward to the intriguing worlds Jennifer Estep creates next.
This journey started with... My name is Gin, and I kill people... and it captivated me for more than a decade.
Last Strand is the 19th installment of the Elemental Assassin series. I don't recommend this title to be read as a standalone, start at the beginning with Spider's Bite. However, if you have a firm grasp of Gin, the world-building, and the magic system, a longtime reader would have no issue jumping right in if they had missed a few books prior.
Is this the Last Strand for our Spider, Gin Blanco? As of now, yes, we bid adieu. But should Jennifer Estep have the time and the inclination to revisit our favorite assassin, she has given the hint she may give readers more.
What has drawn me back to this series time and time again is the connection Gin has to the side characters. The warmth and heart within the unconventional family Gin has created for herself, while her thoughts kept the memory alive for those she has lost. This humanizes our favorite assassin, lends the ability for the reader to relate and empathize with a character so far out of our realm of understanding.
Jennifer Estep attempts to weave all the strands into an intriguing web, answering all of our questions while tying up loose ends, giving us a satisfying ending to what has been over a decade-long adventure for this reader.
Without spoiling a single word of the plot, the novel is packed with action and emotion, one last showdown between Gin and Mason, showcasing how cleverness, perseverance, and smarts can sometimes overcome unsurmountable odds.
I will miss the sarcasm, the wit, the snark and banter, the heart-stopping action set in a paranormal Ashland, and the loyalty to family and friend that Gin has brought to life, while looking forward to the intriguing worlds Jennifer Estep creates next.
March 21, 2021
Final book but not final tale.
From first book to this 19th in the series I have been engaged with Gin Blancos character as it has changed over the course of each story.
Gin has flaws which make her believable and also easy to relate to.
However the one thing throughout this book series that fascinated me almost as much as it’s fictional characters were the elaborate delicious meals Gin cooked for her friends.
I was hungry despite all the violence that usually happened after said meals were eaten and another of Gins foes were finally subdued.
Looking forward to the promised stories about secondary characters.
From first book to this 19th in the series I have been engaged with Gin Blancos character as it has changed over the course of each story.
Gin has flaws which make her believable and also easy to relate to.
However the one thing throughout this book series that fascinated me almost as much as it’s fictional characters were the elaborate delicious meals Gin cooked for her friends.
I was hungry despite all the violence that usually happened after said meals were eaten and another of Gins foes were finally subdued.
Looking forward to the promised stories about secondary characters.
June 6, 2023
I was a bit disappointed in this as the conclusion of the series.
I didn't think it was as action-packed with as much forward momentum as the books normally have. There was a lot of just waiting around for something to happen.
I can see the author attempted to have an emotional ending with lots of introspection from Gin (but I was bored by it) and bringing back all the characters that we've grown to love (but I didn't think the plot justified the need for them to be there).
It was fine but not everything I had been looking forward to.
I didn't think it was as action-packed with as much forward momentum as the books normally have. There was a lot of just waiting around for something to happen.
I can see the author attempted to have an emotional ending with lots of introspection from Gin (but I was bored by it) and bringing back all the characters that we've grown to love (but I didn't think the plot justified the need for them to be there).
It was fine but not everything I had been looking forward to.
November 19, 2021
I loved this book, and thought it was a fitting end to the series! I am glad that there may be some future adventures of Gin, and her friends, but this book finished the series nicely! The spider’s bite, Bk 1 of the series was one of the first ebooks I bought when I first bought an ereader, and I bought the following books although I didn’t read the books for several years. When I finally settled down to read them I binged on the series, and found that the books continued to get better…especially when Gin started dating Owen, they had better chemistry than the original guy she was dating in the first books! Take a chance on this series, I recommend it!
August 29, 2022
I can’t remember how I stumbled across this series, but I can’t believe it’s been over 10 years. I’ve finally caught up on the last book and if she doesn’t write more in this series, she did a great job wrapping creating a happy for now ending. I switched between reading this via my kindle and the audible audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator, Lauren Fortgang.
March 15, 2021
See my review at
April 29, 2021
Wow, what a conclusion to the Elemental Assasin series! (Full review to come)
July 29, 2021
So bittersweet to come to the end of such a long and entertaining series�..
November 12, 2022
Very much doesn't feel like an end. Only the big bad that she had started was wrapped up.
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