Fanart by the incredible Claudia Redl, @cludi_a_ on Instagram
Rune Winters is a socialite witch in The New Republic where witches are purged by the Blood Guard. While juggling both her status as a socialite and a secret witch, she is also known as the Crimson Moth, a vigilante set on saving all witches from being purged. Gideon Sharpe, her best friend’s brother and witch hunter, is the Captain of the Blood Guard. He is close to catching the Crimson Moth but becomes enthralled by Rune Winters and suspects she is the one he is looking for. He gets closer and closer to her to try and find out if she is the Crimson Moth. In doing so, she uses him for his entail on where witches are being held and he uses her to find out if she is the infamous Moth. But in the process they come to understand and love each other.
When I say I absolutely enjoyed this duology, I mean it. It was so good and I personally just love stories that feature witchcraft. Since Fae are so popular currently, it was refreshing to read a story that did not focus on the Fae but rather on witches.
This was my first time reading anything by Kristen Ciccarelli and I loved every second of it. The world building and just the overall magic in the story was refreshing and had a new take that I have not read before. The aspect of the witches using their own blood to cast magic was very unique. To cast spells, witches cut their skin to produce blood and leave what are known as casting scars. If someone were to find their scars it would incriminate them. I did find it a bit weird when Rune would use her blood from her time of the month for her magic so they would not see her casting scars. But, it really was a smart move because no one suspected her to be a witch because of it.
Heartless Hunter
Heartless Hunter, the first book in the series truly had me on the edge of my seat! From the banter between Rune and Gideon to the nonstop action that took place. The relationship between Rune and Gideon felt so natural and not forced. I found myself rooting for both of them even when Gideon was literally hunting her down. I was fairly lucky to start reading Heartless Hunter a few weeks before Rebel Witch came out. But, when I finished Heartless Hunter, it was always in the back of my mind. I semi expected the twist but I was still in shock by the outcome. I finished this book just hoping that everything would work out for Rune and Gideon in the end.
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
416 pages
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy
Publisher: Wednesday Books in 2024
★★★★★
Rebel Witch
Rebel Witch exceeded my expectations. For me, I really enjoyed that the relationship between Rune and Gideon was not completely on pause. Heartless Hunter left us with Rune and Gideon at odds with each other but Rebel Witch starts off with them already in contact with one another. I appreciate that Ciccarelli did not make us wait for them to get back with each other as allies. It can be hard to live up to the hype of the first book of any series but I was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty fast paced but I personally liked that it was. I felt myself wanting to read more and more of it. But now that it is over, I am a bit sad to say goodbye to this world. I will miss Rune and Gideon.
Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
464 pages
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy
Publisher: Wednesday Books in 2025
★★★★★
Overall, I ended up giving both of these books five stars on GoodReads. For this duology, I read them on my Kindle but to be honest I might end up buying the physical copies of both of them. Both of these books were a hit for me and I want them to be in my physical book collection. I hope this review gives you an idea of what this series is about. I did my best not to spoil too much but if you have read this book, let me know your own thoughts about it in the comment section. Thanks again for reading!
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