Claudia Pacilus is living in fear with a strong touch of anger. She has been the dutiful daughter to her father. She has obeyed his order to marry and bring riches to his coffers, while earning a horrible reputation. But now she has failed to capture the interest of the emperor, so is she now useless to him? She only wants to live in peace away from all the intrigue so she begins to weave a dangerous DECEPTION'S WEB, and prays she will not fall victim to it.

Galerius Metellus, former Captain of the Legion, resigned his commission after learning that an assassin got to the former emperor under his watch. The guilt has been eating away at him since that time, but now the new Emperor and his Empress have a mission for him. He's been given a second chance and he will take it. This determined soldier could never envision that the danger he faces will be mostly to his heart. The last thing he plans is to fall in love.

DECEPTION'S WEB is the captivating and provocative return to the Deizian world author Crista McHugh has created so skillfully. Sparks fly when Claudia and Galerius meet again, mostly because she isn't sure if he is there to stop her father or help him, so she must play the role of the haughty Deizian purebreed. It was fascinating watching her try to figure out the truth of the matter and then follow along as they learn to trust each other and to finally fall in love. The intrigue and posturing that is going on around them has you holding your breath waiting for what will happen next. I admit I had little sympathy for Claudia when she was first introduced in Tangled Web but after seeing her family and the world she has lived within, including the death of a slave she promised to protect, I found myself completely on her side.

Of course, Titus and Azurha return in this book and it is evident that there will be changes made in their empire and soon in their own lives. Their love story still intrigues me today as it did in the first book. This is one of my favorite series and I certainly cannot wait to read more, as I am hoping that soon I can read Marcus' story.

Book Summary

A soldier looking for redemption falls into the arms of the empire's Black Widow... Galerius, former Captain of the Legion, is honored to be given a chance to redeem himself by discovering who is behind the failing barrier. A series of anonymous letters all point to Hostilius, governor of Lucrilia, but Galerius thinks he'll learn more about the plot by seducing the governor's thrice widowed daughter, Claudia. Although he warns himself not to fall into snare of the empire's most deadly temptress, one kiss leaves him begging for more.

Claudia has spent years as a pawn in her father's political games and longs to break free of his rule, even it means betraying him to the emperor. When Galerius arrives in Tivola, she's not sure if he's there to aid her father or stop him. She willingly submits to his seduction, despite their class differences, in order to find the truth. What she doesn't expect to find is a man who indulges her secret fantasies, satisfying her in a way none of her previous husbands did, and treats her as something more than a conquest. As time runs out to thwart her father's plans, she must decide if she can trust Galerius not only with her life, but her heart.