Tangled Web, by Crista McHugh, is the frist edition in her new Fantasy Romance series the Diezian Empire. Grab your poison tipped arrows and flying airships, because you're in for one smexy ride!
Plot:
The deadliest assassin in the empire just got too close to her target…
Azurha, a former slave turned deadliest assassin in the empire, has just been offered the ultimate challenge—seduce, then murder the new Emperor. But Titus is not the tyrant his forefathers were, and his radical ideas might be the glimmer of hope the empire needs.
Titus Sergius Flavus has yet to master the powerful magic of his ancestors—magic he must wield if he’s to protect his people—but his father’s death has left him no choice. Rule the Deizian Empire and attempt to right his ancestors’ wrongs, or watch her fall to his greedy kin.
More than just Titus’ ideas hold Azurha captive. Night after night, he awakens desires she thought lost, and uncovers the magic of her hidden lineage. As her deadline approaches, Azurha is forced to make an impossible decision—complete her job and kill the man she loves, or fail and forfeit both their lives.
Tangled Web may technically be a SciFi/Romance but it falls more along the lines of a fantasy novel in all the right ways. As our story starts out we are introduced to Azurha, the slave girl turned deadly assassin. With a tortured past rife with slavery and sexual abuse you're immediately sympathetic to this gal's situation and rooting for her till the end. Azurha starts out in the story very strong in her character but as we get into the second half of the book she starts to loose a little bit of that edge I was loving. Overall though, she's very interesting and keeps the whole story moving along at a well developed pace.
Titus is the newly crowned King of his people. Stepping into his father's shoes of authority, Titus is trying to figure out his new role right when a young beauty steps into the scene. Instant chemistry between this pair lights up the pages as the love story kicks into overdrive! Things get hot and heavy and for those that like an encore performance you won't be disappointed!
Tangled Web has some strong Arabian nights themes thrown into this fantasy world with a big reality check on slavery, which sat right on the fence of my comfort level. But a fantasy it is and I've got a big feeling that as this saga progresses there are going to be some major changes going on!
I enjoy Crista's writing style and the plot overall is both entertaining and thought provoking. I hope to see more character growth in the coming saga and lots of missing details falling into place. It's a bright and vivid world that's been created and I look forward to getting deeply invested!
Getting '4 Rabbit Foot' Sheep
***GIVEAWAY***
One lucky winner is going to get a paperback copy of Tangled Web and $25 B&N giftcard! To enter you must do the following: 1. Leave your email address
2. Must follow our website (Leave name & how you follow)
3. If you were an assassin, like Azurha, what would you want your signature mark to be?
Contest ends November 29th. Open to everyone.
Wow, that is probably the most beautiful cover I've seen all year!!
ReplyDeletemy email is riverinaromantics at gmail dot com
If I was an assassin I think I would do something that spoke of Karma. If the kill was something that I didn't want to perform but needed to, I would place coins over their eyes to pay their way into heaven, and if they were kills I enjoyed or that were deserved I would leave them strung up in a public place for people to see.
I follow via Twitter
Great! A series I can start at the beginning. Looks wonderful and I love the cover.
ReplyDeletedebby236 at gmail dot com
Love this series and the cover makes you want to read it with the great artwork. Balance magic elements would be an important element to any person in this line of work, so I love the idea. sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeletehmmm..maybe a knife in there harts...
ReplyDeletelulu_mirela90@yahoo.com
mirela_8923
gfc
DeleteLove the genre, and the cover. If I were an assassin I would mark the victim with a symbol of whatever caused them to end up on my list of victims.
ReplyDeleteNoraAdrienne(at)gmail(dot)com
GFC NoraA
I love fantasy romance ever since I read the CL Wilson books. And this just sounds so good!
ReplyDeleteI am a follower, auriansbooks at gmail dot com
oops, forgot my signature mark. Hmm a seductress/assassin: my targets would die with a smile on their face :)
ReplyDeleteOh wow this is a gorgeous cover and the story/series sounds intriguing.
ReplyDeleteMy email is love2read28@gmail.com
If I was an assassin I think I would kill my marks with ice pick to the heart. Quick, and easy death
gfc and email
ReplyDeletesherryfundin69(at)netscape(dot)net
a symbol of whatever their sin was that caused me to kill them
This sounds fantastic! Thanks so much for the post and giveaway! I've already read such great buzz about this book it's on my wishlist :)
ReplyDeleteI think that I would like a calling card like Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassins... a stylized, personal rune, either magical or a token that'd I'd leave.
gfc: erin
efende1(at)gmail(dot)com
Sounds like a fantastic read!
ReplyDeleteAs an assassin I think I would have varied ways I would kill my targets but leave some sort of calling card......a tarot card to indicate the crime/sin of the target.
Kassandra
GFC=Kassandra
email=sionedkla@gmail.com
I think I'd make some kind of a mark using the letter C (my initial) and the number 15 (my lucky number).
ReplyDeleteI follow this blog by email so I'm easy to find since I read your posts every time they come out.
carlscott(at)prodigy(dot)net(dot)mx
Thanks!
a question mark drawn on the body so that people ask why s/he was killed.
ReplyDeletei follow via facebook, gfc,rss and email.
ilona
felinewyvern at googlemail dot com
I'm not too creative, so I'd probably just go with my initial - a B.
ReplyDeleteBarbed1951 at aol dot com
GFC: Barbara E.
A symbol or my initials, thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteShortnsweetreviews(at)gmail(dot)com
Gfc: Van Pham
I would leave no symbol or mark, that would be my calling card. I would not be so vain as to need to leave one and I would not leave one because I would not want whatever I left behind to be traced with magic or forensics. To be successful as an assassin, one needs to leave no evidence. I would therefore be more feared because no one would know who I could be.
ReplyDeletepenumbrareads(at)gmail(dot)com
Follow by email at same addy above
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSo love the cover & I've been wanting this book since I saw a post on it some weeks back.
ReplyDeleteI would want my signature to be the method of killing my mark; that all of them have a peaceful look on their face even in death & their hands in a prayer position.
Follow via my email:
thumbelinda03@yahoo.com
I think if I was a assassin I would have to be a sniper. So I guess that would be my signature.
ReplyDeleteFollow gfc Andrea Wardlow
Email andieleah78@gmail.com
I'm not very creative in the assasin department. My symbol would be a cursive D, for dead. Guess that says it all.
ReplyDeleteGFC: Sheena-kay Graham
email: queendsheena@hotmail.com
sgiden at verizon.net
ReplyDeletegfc - sandyg265
I think my mark would be a playing card.
Its a beautiful cover but every time I see it I keep thinking the model is a robot because of that metal ring holding up her pants/skirt/curtain... it looks like a hip joint :)
ReplyDeleteWith my signature mark it would have to be something that wouldn't be messy so maybe some type of brand...if I had a fire to heat it up in... um.. guess not. Oooh a brand that is made from sharp metal. Like a cookie cutter. In the shape of a.... cats head? Because I'm sneaky, fast and agile. And I like ear scratches.
GFC: Gabbie
Gabbie-ethela(AT)hotmail(DOT)com
Mine would be N for my first name.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
I follow by email.
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
I'm not sure I should divulge that information ;) Hmmm...let me think. I would turn their clothes inside out and put them on backwards, lol. Great review and giveaway as always! Thanks!
ReplyDeletej-g-holmes(AT)hotmail(DOT)com
GFC: Julie H.
E-mail-bookandmoviedimensionblogger[at]yahoo[dot]com
ReplyDeleteFollow on GFC- Cassandra Ruiz
If I was an assassin would like to have engraved wolf emblem daggers.
That's basically it. In silver.
Hi, The cover of this book is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of mark would I leave as an assassin? hmmm.. I think I would draw a little heart with a falling teardrop.
I'm a GFC follower (Gail S), Pinterest & FB
gsryley(at)gmail)(dot)com
Thanks for the chance to win. :-)
Love that cover!!
ReplyDeleteHmm, I would use my knife to carve a YingYang sign into their skin.
GFC Follower! Andrea Diaz
andrea_rose95(at)rocketmail(dot)com
Thanks so much!
I love the premise of this, and the cover is beautiful. What mark would I leave as an assassin?
ReplyDeleteHmmm...Of course it would be a... WOLF! lol
I would have a handy dandy stamp with permanent ink no less...*BEG*.
Thank you for the invitation and the contest..*S*
Wishing you all the best!
Darcy
pommawolf @hotmail.com
Oh I like the poison tipped arrows, not to be a copycat, they are just so handy ;) Of course I might have to think of a creative place to shoot it and have that be my mark - just thing bum shot with a poison arrow - definitely memorable LOL This looks like a new fun read with room to grow, which always gets my fingers itching.
ReplyDeleteGFC Denise Zaky
dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com
Love the cover. I would leave a big kiss mark on the cheek as my signature. Thx for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteGFC Lona Stringer
email blinkysthebest at aol dot com
This book is beautiful and the plot sounds intriguing. If I were an assassin I think I would leave a bolt of lightning on my marks. I am not sure why, it just seems appropriate. I wish I had something deeper. :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your release! Thanks so much for the great giveaway.
Happy Holidays,
Marlena
charmedpoms(at)yahoO(dot)com
GFC follower-Scott Wilcox
Tarot Card - The High Priestess...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the amazing giveaway!
elizabeth @ bookattict . com
GFC: BookAttict
Gfc jc jones. Jonesjnd at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteI would leave a flower.
This book looks good! I follow via GFC: Jyl22075. I'm not sure I would want to have specific mark. I think I'd rather fly under the radar.
ReplyDeleteJYL22075 at gmail dot com
Sounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteI follow via email.
My mark would be to leave in a puff of smoke.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
If I were an assassin, I'd want my mark to be a big ole "X" on their forehead. "X" marks the spot, LOL! Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteGFC - Elizabeth H.
ehaney578 at aol dot com
contest closed! the winner is Van Pham :) thanks to everyone who stopped by, don't forget to check out our right side bar for a list of all giveaways going on. I will send an email to Van Pham, you have 3 days to contact me
ReplyDeletegrapeapril75(at)gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI follow on GFC K April Holgate
If I were an assassin I would do the kiss of death. So sort of poison lipstick. Sexy and deadly!