I received this book for free from the author as a free story in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the author as a free story
Spider’s Nemesis
by
Jennifer Estep
It is part of the Elemental Assassin #4.5 series and is a urban fantasy in eBook edition that was published by the author on September 19, 2011 and has 35 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads
Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies, Jennifer Estep, Venom, Karma Girl, Tangled Threads, Touch of Frost, Spider's Revenge, Kiss of Frost, Hot Mama, By a Thread, Dark Frost, Widow's Web, Crimson Frost, Deadly Sting, Midnight Frost, Heart of Venom, The Spider, Killer Frost, Tangled Dreams, Tangled Schemes, Spider's Bargain, "Poison", "Wasted", "Web of Death", "Web of Deceit", Black Widow, Poison Promise, Cold Burn of Magic, The Spider's Trap, Dark Heart of Magic, Bitter Bite, Unraveled, "Nice Guys Bite", Bright Blaze of Magic, Snared, Kill the Queen, "Winter's Web", Last Strand, Sharpest Sting, "Unwanted", Dirty Deeds 2, "Heart Stings"
This short story is 4.5 in the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series and focuses on Mab Monroe.
You can read this short story for free on Estep’s website.
My Take
It’s a mish-mash of Mab from her point-of-view and revolving around the day the Spider killed Elektra to her past as a seven-year-old psychopath and all the killing and whining she’s done through the years. I’m kind of surprised her family never had her assassinated.
We also get a bit of back history between Mab and Eira Snow when they were girls — Mab was seven and already preferred hurting people. It’s a summary of events from that seven-year-old point-of-view to now with a look at the nasty inside of Mab’s mind.
Poor thing. So misunderstood. So confused about the people who get assassinated through the years.
The Characters
Mab Monroe is a Fire elemental and the head of the underworld in Ashland. Jonah McAllister is her lawyer. Marcus is her father, a Mob boss with a gift for Fire, whom she killed. Elliot Slater is a giant and head of the giant bodyguards she employs. Douglas is one of Elliot’s men, very capable, and Mab sets him on the Tin Man’s trail.
Great-Aunt Magda is Marcus’ aunt with a gift for visions. She also lives in a pigsty of a house, and Mab would love to burn her and her house down.
Elektra LaFleur uses her electrical elemental magic to kill. She’d been hired by Mab to take out the Spider (read all about it in Tangled Threads, 4).
Detective Bria Coolidge is the Spider’s sister. Xavier, a giant, is her partner on the force and not in Mab’s pocket.
Eira Snow met Mab when Mab was seven, and they’ve hated each other ever since. When Eira married Tristan, a handsome and rich Stone elemental whom Mab had wanted…that was the end.
Porter Kincaid is another Mob boss, one with whom Mab is having trouble.
The Title
The title could well refer to Mab or Elektra, for both were the “Spider’s Nemesis”.
