The Challenge Factory discussion

Nichole & Trea - Elemental Assassin Series

Hey, Nichole! When would you like to read this? I've got to read Heart of Venom first, and I have a Group Read scheduled for Oct. 1, but other than that and 2 other BRs, I'm pretty open.

Also, how far would you like to go? The Spider and Poison Promise or would you like to read the rest of the series through Spider's Trap?

Hola! We can start it whenever you're ready. I don't have anything set in stone yet. I would love to read them all and catch up but I'll have to see how things are going first. I have several Buddy Reads and 3 team challenges going. I should be able to work these in though...*crosses fingers* Maybe we can try to do one book each week? How does that sound? If it proves to be too much we can finish up whatever is left in November?

If y'all don't mind and it works out, I might like to join you for The Spider. I won't get to more than that one next month, but I'm planning to read it then.

Nichole wrote: "Hola! We can start it whenever you're ready. I don't have anything set in stone yet. I would love to read them all and catch up but I'll have to see how things are going first. I have several Buddy Reads and 3 team challenges going. I should be able to work these in though...*crosses fingers* Maybe we can try to do one book each week? How does that sound? If it proves to be too much we can finish up whatever is left in November?"

That sounds like a plan to me! I requested the books in the series I'm missing from the library, and most of it is in right now, so I'm planning to read as much of it as I can in October.

How about we read The Spider on or around October 4th? That will give me a bit of time to read my Group Read and get Heart of Venom finished too.

Penni wrote: "If y'all don't mind and it works out, I might like to join you for The Spider. I won't get to more than that one next month, but I'm planning to read it then."

I don't mind at all if you join us, Penni! I suggested we read it on the 4th in my post above. Will that work ok for you too?

Works for me!

Welcome, Penni :D

Right now that looks good to me!

Awesome! I'll lock it in on my Reading List that I have to start The Spider on October 4th! Then we can discuss when we finish when we'll do the next read.

I couldn't sleep last night and started this hoping to get back to sleep.

I can't believe how reckless Gin is! Granted, it's youth, but still. I like her better as she is now and not this look into her past.

I've got an idea who the real villain is, and it's not Ceasar. I'm reading quick to see if I am right!

Okay, I'm starting this now.

I got delayed but I'm a few minutes in now -(view spoiler)[ So who is this blast from the past? I guess we'll find out shortly. For some reason, I was thinking this book would introduce the new MM instead of rehashing the past. I guess I should have read the blurb! :) (hide spoiler)]

Nichole wrote: "I got delayed but I'm a few minutes in now -[spoilers removed]"

The new MM comes in the next book, I think.

It looks to be an old kill of Gin's that affected her somehow...

Reckless huh? I sometimes think she is reckless in her current stuff, so this has got to be really reckless lol.

I hope to be starting later today. I'm finishing up Dead Beat.

I see what you mean about her being so reckless. I have a feeling she'll be learning a valuable lesson when all is said and done. Even as an adult, she might be reckless but she usually knows what she's getting into and that she might not come back from it. Don't get me wrong, she definitely pushes boundaries with being reckless and overly confident. So far, she's managed to pull it off though.

Just finished Ch. 6- (view spoiler)[ I'll admit that I'm wondering if this is going to be just a repeat of other books. I know it's a new story but we're seeing a lot of old faces here. In other books, I've really liked seeing the flashbacks to her early life and what made her who she is today. But a whole book? I dunno, we'll see.

I'm thinking that Sebastian is the one who took the contract out on his dad. Or maybe even the daughter and son together? And Gin seems a little dazzled by Sebastian which I think is going to turn ugly before it's over. Doesn't she see that something isn't quite right with him? Or maybe I'm being paranoid. Is Sebastian the one who sent her the roses?

Back to it so I can get some answers-hopefully. (hide spoiler)]

Nichole, your theory is the same one I have! Not sure about the roses though...

Another thing...(view spoiler)[ I think Vaughn might be innocent of everything. Well, not completely innocent as he seems to do a few shady business deals but still not the bad guy the contract made him out to be. Again, I have to ask myself if Charlotte is in on the contract too. Maybe he's not beating her at all. Estep is pretty good at making those innocent looking women actually be the ruthless killers. So is Gin going to end up killing an innocent man and being played by Sebastian and/or Charlotte? Hmmm.... (hide spoiler)]

I've finished it. The ending was a nice twist!

I had to stop and do a little running around. My husband is now demanding I watch movies with him-Ugh! He tends to pick crap, lol. And I can't really sit and watch tv/movies for very long before I get twitchy. I can read books for hours upon hours, go figure :)

Anyways, I'll try to get back to it later tonight. If not, I'll finish it up tomorrow! Nice twist at the end? Sounds promising!!

Men! :-)

Well, I watched 2 bad movies lol. I don't even know the names of them. They weren't popular ones and I see why!

Soo- Ch. 10-(view spoiler)[ Well Gin did it again! Made a stupid mistake when she went to kill Vaughn and almost got caught. And then she couldn't do the deed, at least not yet.

He stepped outside to meet Harry, the cop. So Harry's daughter likes roses, eh? Is that a clue for later or am I just grasping straws, lol.

Both Finn and Fletcher are warning her off Sebastian. The whole thing even. Why is she so blind!! Then again, Donovan Cain- that is all. (hide spoiler)]

I'm heading off to work in a few minutes. I can't comment while I'm there but I should get a couple of hours of listening time. I'll post more when I get back!

Nichole, yes, the roses is a clue for later. It's sad how interconnected she's made this. It pretty much ties everything up in a nice neat little bow, and that really irked me. I waited to put my review of it up, but yeah, this book annoyed me to no end!

Okay, I'm about 1/2 way through Ch. 19. A few things I learned at work today ~(view spoiler)[1. The Blue roses came from Vaughn originally, so I'm thinking either Sebastian or Charlotte sent them to her present day. Charlotte?

2. I'm even more convinced that she killed an innocent man and that Sebastian had something to do with it.

3. The cop friend that he was talking to was Bria's adopted father. Interesting that she saw Bria and even thought about how much she looked like her.

4. Gin has fallen in love with Sebastian and things are going to get ugly, I just know it!

5. We've had Cameo appearances from everyone except Owen at this point. Even Gin and Finn joking about Bria in 10 years... I'm guessing that Owen just hasn't made his appearance yet.

6. I'm not really irked but this seems like a novella. Why was it made into a full length novel? Let's see how this bad boy ends! (hide spoiler)]

5 minutes later...(view spoiler)[ Sebastian drugged her. Charlotte comes in to help her escape because he plans on hurting her! I knew he was a scumbag! Oh, but I think he'll pay for it in the end. (hide spoiler)]

Gin is so ballsy! (view spoiler)[ She just walks right into the library! Even though she's still wobbly. And he's in there with Mab. Ballsy! (hide spoiler)]

I'm about 20% in....

Theories? What do you think of young Gin?

Ch. 25- (view spoiler)[ And there's Owen! (hide spoiler)]

Nichole- 1 and 2)Yes.

Everything is too pat, too convenient. It's like she had to include everyone to ever enter Gin's orbit, just to show how they got started. I really didn't care for that.

I agree, this should have just been a novella, it was stretched way too far for me!

I'm almost finished- Ch. 31/36

The thing is, my attention keeps drifting so I'm going to finish in the morning. I might even watch some crappy show with my husband. Naaah, probably not! Lol.

I just finished Ch 10 - and I fear she killed the wrong person.

Trea wrote: "Nichole- 1 and 2)Yes.

Everything is too pat, too convenient. It's like she had to include everyone to ever enter Gin's orbit, just to show how they got started. I really didn't care for that.

I..."

I'm not too far in, so maybe I'll feel differently, but so far the people she has brought up that we "know" from the future - it hasn't bothered me. The circles these people ran in were rather tight...

Penni wrote: "I'm not too far in, so maybe I'll feel differently, but so far the people she has brought up that we "know" from the future - it hasn't bothered me. The circles these people ran in were rather tight..."

My problem was who she brought in later and how she did it. Both Owen and Bria appear at a later point, and Bria's appearance, I feel, was just because she could do it. Gin's reaction from previous books to the knowledge that Bria had survived made her appearance in this story too much of a coincidence. To me, Gin would have felt extremely compelled to dig into Coolidge to find out why she looked so much like Bria, and then the story would have been out that much quicker. Nope, too coincidental, and out of character for Gin in my opinion.

Owen's appearance was better explained away, as Gin never gave Owen her name. It was cool that he was the one to help her, but it could have just as easily been someone not in her orbit and just as kind.

Trea wrote: "Penni wrote: "I'm not too far in, so maybe I'll feel differently, but so far the people she has brought up that we "know" from the future - it hasn't bothered me. The circles these people ran in we..."

Interesting. not that far along yet. Bria would be difficult for me to handle. I know she ran across Owen before - when Mab killed Salina's father he was there. I will be curious to see how this is brought in now.

I finished it this morning. I have to say this was probably my least favorite. Gin still kicks ass but some of those things mentioned bothered me a bit too. I'll put things in spoilers for Penni though.

(view spoiler)[ I can't understand how not one person remembers each other! I can understand Gin not remembering Owen, maybe, because she was a little distracted with murder on the mind. But I would think he would remember her because of the state she was in when he picked her up and he did ask her out. Or maybe he does remember her and I just don't recall him mentioning it before.

Also the Bria thing. I mean, she talks about how much she looks like Bria. I know she thinks she's dead but when Fletcher leaves her that file on Bria doesn't she believe immediately? Or did it take her a while? I can't remember. I think it would be easier to believe it if Bria was a teen vs. an adult. *shrugs*

I guess I'm just going to chalk it up to maturity. When you're young things tend to revolve around you and you don't always pay attention to the people around you or even what's going on if it doesn't directly involve you at the moment.

Still, the battle scenes were great, as always. I think Gin learned a thing or 2 about trusting instincts (Fletcher's). She made a few errors by going in knives blazing and knew she screwed up. She still does that but she makes fewer mistakes now. I still liked it but I'm glad I didn't have to wait a year to read it. It still felt like a novella to me. A very long one but the feel of it. (hide spoiler)]

Nichole, if I remember correctly, (view spoiler)[you're right in that Gin had doubts about the truth of the file on Bria that Fletcher left her. I think she had to go to Jo-Jo to talk it out first before she started believing and went approaching Bria directly. If she had met Bria at this party or been told about her, then she should have believed the file instantly. But since this is a "prequel" story written in the middle of the series, Ms. Estep couldn't exactly go back and re-write the entire series to make it fit! My opinion is that the Bria angle should not have been included.

Owen never mentioned it before, but I can see where he might not recognize Gin from a split second flash of headlights on her and a conversation in a dark car. Gin should have recognized him though. (hide spoiler)]

To me, this was a kind of sloppy entry into the series that really was unnecessary and tied everyone into a nice neat bow. Just wasn't a good entry in the series, I think, and one I was disappointed to read.

Yeah-(view spoiler)[ I think the name Coolidge and remembering how that girl looked so much like Bria would have triggered something deep in her gut. She would have been pretty certain when the file came about, I think. But then maybe she was so absorbed in herself that she really was blinded to everyone else. Some of it still seems a little hokey to me.

Hopefully the next book gets us back on track! I'm ready for the new MM. (hide spoiler)]

Same here, Nichole!

Are we starting Poison Promise on Sunday?

Sounds good!

Nichole wrote: "Sounds good!"

Yippee!

Nichole wrote: "I see what you mean about her being so reckless. I have a feeling she'll be learning a valuable lesson when all is said and done. Even as an adult, she might be reckless but she usually knows what ..."

My thoughts also. Except I don't really see Charlotte involved. But I agree that whenever Gin goes down that path it doesn't end well.

Her Sebastian fascination made me think of Donovan Caine. She knows it's a bad idea but she does it anyway.

Nichole wrote: "Her Sebastian fascination made me think of Donovan Caine. She knows it's a bad idea but she does it anyway."

Agreed.

Sebastian, if he's putting on a show, is one scary bastard. I haven't quite figured out the motivations. However when he brought up her name early on, that made my blood run cold. What does he know?

Penni wrote: "Sebastian, if he's putting on a show, is one scary bastard. I haven't quite figured out the motivations. However when he brought up her name early on, that made my blood run cold. What does he k..."

Whose name are you referring to? Gin? If so, (view spoiler)[he knows she's the Spider, but I never figured out how he knew (hide spoiler)].

Trea wrote: "Penni wrote: "Sebastian, if he's putting on a show, is one scary bastard. I haven't quite figured out the motivations. However when he brought up her name early on, that made my blood run cold. ..."

I was thinking that was the case. He's about to make his move on her I think. I'm thinking he's (view spoiler)[ in with Mab (hide spoiler)]

But then I don't understand if he is that, how (view spoiler)[Mab wouldn't have known long ago that Gin was the Spider (hide spoiler)]

Of course I'm not that far yet. And since you confirmed my suspicions, that makes Sebastian a really scary bastard as I thought to be able to play it so well.

Penni wrote: "But then I don't understand if he is that, how [spoilers removed]

Of course I'm not that far yet. And since you confirmed my suspicions, that makes Sebastian a really scary bastard as I thought..."

Oh, yeah, Sebastian is a real piece of work, even worse than Donovan! (view spoiler)[And you're right in your thinking in the first message, but he doesn't share his secrets, even with Mab. Sebastian even says he wanted Gin as his pet assassin, but he changed his mind at how much trouble she was. I think he wanted to keep her around because he wanted Mab's throne for his own. (hide spoiler)]

Dont, don't, don't drink that!!!!

Penni wrote: "Dont, don't, don't drink that!!!!"

*laughs* Why can't she be wearing that date rape nail polish in every book?! Would solve so many problems!