Sunday 18 August 2013

Tangled Web by Crista McHugh

Title: Tangled Web
Author: Crista McHugh
SeriesDiezian Empire #1
Genre: Adult, Assassin, Romance, Fantasy
Source: Kindle
Pages: 352 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars

Available at:

Blurb: (via Goodreads)
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

My Review:
This is going to be a short review strictly because I have read so many books like this. This review DOES contain SPOILERS but I'll type them in red for those who want to read the book without too many hints!

Tangled Web managed to hit one of my favourite reading topics: Assassin Novels! (Can you see why it's going to be a short review, I review ALOT of these books) And within the Assassin Novel realm, it was pretty cliche. Now I am not saying thats a bad thing, there IS a reason its been done before, it works, so if it ain't broke, why fix it? However, when you're like me and you read so many assassin novels, the same story can sometimes get old.

So, yes, it was extremely predictable. A girl escapes slavery to be taken in by a master assassin to learn the trade. In turn, she becomes one of the best assassins in the world and people fear even her name "The Rabbit" because she's quick to come in, quick to kill you, and quick to leave without a trace. And, of course, she has been contracted out by someone who is next in line for the throne, so all she has to do is kill the Emperor. Easy, right? Wrong, because she accidentally falls in love with him, and now she has to choose: do her job and live a long life with guaranteed security? Or, follow her heart and possibly have a target on her back for the rest of her life?

That was my own little blurb for the book, and while I don't usually do that, I wanted to do that here just to show you how predictable this book may be to you. SPOILER AHEAD: The part I disliked the most was how quickly she falls in love with him. She is placed in his harem as a concubine, and has a perfect opportunity the first night to kill him, but even then she can't for some 'unexplainable reason'. This totally could have been dragged out and been less obvious. He could have ignored her and she had to win his attention in order to get close to him and in the process fallen in love with him, or he could have always had an advisor close, or... I don't know. I have said it before, I am a reader not a writer, but there had to be SOMETHING to make that section of the book easier to get through. 

For all it's short comings plot wise, Tangled Web was actually written very well. What Crista McHugh lacks creatively she makes up for in talent, and that is the main reason I am reviewing this book for you today. SO, if you are a lover of Assassin novels, PLEASE, read this book and comment below or email me about your thoughts! I'd love to hear from you <3 I give it a good 3.5 stars!



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