Reviewed by: Rabid Reads. 
 Finnegan Lane has been the most dependable character in Jennifer Estep's ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN series. The rest of the cast have all had temporary moments of weakness, or lapses in judgment, even Gin Blanco. I'm not saying that he's perfect because he's not, but he's never infuriated me to the point of wishing that he was next on the Spider's hit list. I can't say the same of other linchpin secondaries like Owen or Bria. So, he was definitely due, and BITTER BITE delivered his misadventure in style along with a new plot arc that I can't wait to see bloom! 
 I have no idea how many installments the author originally had planned because over the course of fourteen books many story lines have reached their conclusions, and yet Estep has somehow managed to not only keep the ball rolling, but also at a pretty decent clip. What I mean by that is I enjoyed reading this volume as much as the first. The high levels of action, entertainment, mystery and feels haven't dropped in the least! This title tied into previous threads involving Mab Monroe, Fletcher and Eira Snow while weaving another biggie that I can't comment on because I like to keep it spoiler-free. 
 Gin underwent a bit of a transformation too; she relied on her Stone and Ice magic more than her knives in this novel which is unusual for her. She tends to be a physical fighter, and even though she does tap in to her Elemental juju regularly, it was nice seeing her fully embrace it. I thought that her reaction to Finn's long-lost relative was mature, and aside from getting a little emotional (understandable), Blanco dealt with the situation like a champ. There were flashbacks of her and Lane's childhood together too which I loved. 
 Finn's blunder was totally relatable, and easy to accept because anyone in his situation would probably make the same mistake. Yes, I got annoyed when he got testy with Blanco, or blew off the Deveraux sisters; however, he remained realistic with his expectations, and when all was said and done, he apologized for his crappy behaviour. Lane also showed up when it mattered! Plus, to paraphrase the blurb: I wanted to be happy for him, really I did. Similar to Gin, I saw the potential for disaster, but given the importance of family, I had hoped for the best. 
 Read BITTER BITE, you'll have a stabbing-ly good time!