In preparation for next week’s visit from New York Times best selling authoress of mayhem and magical mischief, Jennifer Estep to showcase her latest release, I decided to move my Read, Interview, Review piece up. In July 2013, she was gracious enough to indulge this newbie writer (at the time) with an interview. She’s the mind behind the Elemental Assassin series (adult Urban Fantasy) featuring Gin Blanco and crew, the Young Adult Urban Fantasy series Black Blade and Mythos Academy, plus a Paranormal Romance series entitled Bigtime. Yep, she’s a very busy woman.
The Elemental Assassin series of books focuses on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone. I found Jennifer when I picked up Spider’s Bite, and from page one I was well and truly caught in Gin’s web and the happenings in Ashland’s underworld. Seven years later and she has 16 books in the series, with three more coming down the pike. It takes a strong character to carry a series through that many books, and Jennifer’s heroine (okay, maybe that’s too strong of a word for her, but…) Gin is more than capable of the job. In fact, Gin could give some of my heroines a run for their money. Chances are high Gin would come out on top. She’s neither black nor white, but a beautiful shade of gray. For hired killer, she has a core of honor that’s stronger than the bones she tends to break on a regular basis. If you enjoy wit, suspense, magic, and good ol’ fashioned ass kicking, this series is a must read. Here’s a snapshot of what you can add to your To Read piles…
As I mentioned, Jennifer will be swinging by next week with her latest release, SNARED, so be sure you come on back. It’s a beautiful cover, goes with the rest of the stunning collection.
Now, if you’re in love with Young Adult stories, you need to pick up Jennifer’s Black Blade series which focuses on Lila Merriweather, a 17-year-old thief who lives in Cloudburst Falls, West Virginia, a town dubbed “the most magical place in America.” Tourists come from around the world to tour all the magic-themed shops and attractions, as well as see monsters like tree trolls, copper crushers, and more in their natural habitats. No matter your age, this series won’t disappoint.
While I haven’t started the Mythos Academy series. This one centers around Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more. However, considering the first two series are great, I can’t think this one won’t be right there with them.
So, yes, I’m still reading Jennifer’s books all these years later and while I know that Gin must come to an end at some point, I’m not in a hurry for it to happen. Feel free to share your takes on any of Jennifer’s series and we’ll see you all next week when she brings SNARED for a visit.