Former slave and famed assassin The Rabbit accepts the job she can retire off. All she has to do is kill the Deizian Emperor for a power hungry Deizian governor. She's happy to do it, since the Deizians have been enslaving her people for decades. She's sent to the imperial palace as a concubine and assumes she'll kill the emperor the first night he sends for her and then be on her way. What she doesn't expect is to learn that the Emperor is a good person, one who is trying to find a way to free the slaves while keeping the empire stable. And, of course, she also doesn't expect to fall in love.

This had more sexytimes and romance than I expected, but I ended up liking Azhura (The Rabbit) and Titus (the Emperor) so much that I didn't mind. The undercurrent of political maneuverings was fascinating and it kept me reading. Same for the mystery of Azhura's people and what magic, if any, they may possess.

[I have no idea who this lady on the cover is. Azhura is Alpirion and frequently mentions her brown skin.] ( )

Check out my review and two teasers on my blog during and after my blog tour stop on October 11, 2012 -- GIVEAWAY of this novel going on until October 17th, be sure to sign up! -- http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2012/10/blog-tour-feasted-on-tangled-w... ( )

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.

There may be some spoilers, but I'll try not to. Really.

I wasn't sure how much I would like this one, but it was more fantasy oriented than sci-fi (which I don't mind, but sometimes have a harder time getting into). I liked the story, although I do tend to get frustrated with heroines who don't just tell the truth, which leads to further problems--although I know that spoils all the fun in the end and would make life far too easy. Does that count as a spoiler? I liked Titus and Azhura, as well as the other friends Titus has at the palace; Marcus, Galerius, and Vallo. I loved the airships! I liked that Titus' mother liked Azhura right from the start, so there was no catty in-law stuff.

One thing I really did like was despite the fact that the truth wasn't revealed, the men really did actually think about the circumstances regarding her presence, the reputation of the Rabbit, and the fact that no harm had come to Titus in two weeks (the opposite, in fact), and they used their brains instead of jumping to conclusions--you can't blame them for doing that right away, but it didn't drag out forever, and I think that was really well done.

There's definitely a lot of romance--fans won't be disappointed, and I liked their mutual seductions, and Titus' restraint. All in all an enjoyable and exciting read! ( )

Part romance, part fantasy with great characters, tense plot and a nice sexiness. Enjoyed the read! ( )

TANGLED WEB is a great story. I've read other books by McHugh and always enjoyed them but this was my favorite, so far. I love the world she creates - a merger of magic, Romanesque time frames, paranormal other-worldliness with a hint of steampunk-like technology. Her characters are wonderfully likable and yet edgy. Azurha is strong and even she is a bit surprised to find she can love after growing up a slave and spending her free years as an assassin. She begins almost immediately to care for Titus. Titus surprises everyone with great strength as a ruler, beyond what his bookish childhood would imply. They find each other through the worst possible situation but love is fated for them. The book is full of hot sex which, for me, enhanced an already rich story. I finished the book anxious for book two!

Rating: 4.5

Heat Rating: Hot: Detailed sex scenes, profanity or graphic violence.

Reviewed By: ReadWarrior.My Book Addiction Reviews ( )