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The Crimson Moth #1
The Crimson Moth
Enemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli's latest romantic fantasy.
On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can't help but find herself falling for.
Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?
Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.
On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can't help but find herself falling for.
Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?
Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 20, 2024
About the author
Kristen Ciccarelli
10 books4,151 followersKristen Ciccarelli grew up on a grape farm, dropped out of college, and worked various jobs before becoming an author. Some of her previous trades included: baker, potter, bookseller, and NGO worker. Kristen lives in Canada’s Niagara Peninsula with her husband and daughter. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Heartless Hunter (Book 1 in The Crimson Moth duology), as well as Edgewood, and the internationally bestselling Iskari series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 18,753 reviews
August 4, 2024
i loved this! like, whole-heartedly loved this.
it reminded me of my reading experiences with ‘blood and moonlight,’ ‘serpent and dove,’ and ‘small favors.’ not because the plots are similar (theyre not), but because i was so effortlessly submerged in the stories.
the characters are fully developed, the plot is engaging, the writing is spot-on, and the overall vibe is entertaining. its just a high-quality novel in all the ways that matter to me as a reader.
so this is an easy book to recommend!
↠ 4.5 stars
it reminded me of my reading experiences with ‘blood and moonlight,’ ‘serpent and dove,’ and ‘small favors.’ not because the plots are similar (theyre not), but because i was so effortlessly submerged in the stories.
the characters are fully developed, the plot is engaging, the writing is spot-on, and the overall vibe is entertaining. its just a high-quality novel in all the ways that matter to me as a reader.
so this is an easy book to recommend!
↠ 4.5 stars
March 7, 2024
That ending😭😭💔 Been crying for hours now, so if this review comes across as messy- it's cause of that.
✔️ Witches + witch hunters
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Love triangle (resolves by the end)
✔️ Forbidden magic
✔️ Morally grey characters
It's mostly a character driven story and is quite fast paced. The world building is minimal but as I draft this review I realised I was so mesmerized by the story I didn't even care for the world build. The main characters- Rune, Gideon and Alex are not perfect, have their flaws and tragic backstories but their dynamic is so perfect with each other.
Rune kinda disappointed me which is why it's not a perfect read for me. Given her reputation as the Crimson Moth, I was expecting her to be more badass, fierce and hands on action. But she came across as just a girl stuck in a love triangle, a damsel in distress who needed rescuing by the two brothers. I did like her personality but she did not live up to her reputation. Gideon the witch hunter, had me blushing, giggling and kicking my feet. I loved his confidence, his flirting, and how much he cared for Rune and Alex. His trauma and the loss of everyone in his life, gave his character depth. Alex, Gideon's brother and Rune's friend was the sweetest. I loved the lengths he went to protect Rune and how much he loved her. Alex, although flawed was the purest character in this book.
The romance is pretty swoon-worthy. I was torn between Gideon and Alex throughout the book. Both of these guys are so different but so deserving. Their genuine affections for Rune was nice to see. I personally do not mind love triangles, so it wasn't much of an issue. But if you are looking forward to reading this book and worried about it- the issue gets resolved by the end of this book. There are a lot of sweet and heartbreaking moments, so don't miss out 👀
The ending... Bro don't make me talk about that 😭😭 It's gonna take few days to recover. But I will say, the plot twist regarding Verity did not surprise me as I was suspecting her already. But the other stuff 😭😭😭 I can't wait for the next book.
If you are looking for a simplistic, easy to get lost in romantasy, this is the one for you. Do give it a go 🥰
Thanks to my girl Gillian for reading this with me, had a great time with you babes 💜
✔️ Witches + witch hunters
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Love triangle (resolves by the end)
✔️ Forbidden magic
✔️ Morally grey characters
It's mostly a character driven story and is quite fast paced. The world building is minimal but as I draft this review I realised I was so mesmerized by the story I didn't even care for the world build. The main characters- Rune, Gideon and Alex are not perfect, have their flaws and tragic backstories but their dynamic is so perfect with each other.
Rune kinda disappointed me which is why it's not a perfect read for me. Given her reputation as the Crimson Moth, I was expecting her to be more badass, fierce and hands on action. But she came across as just a girl stuck in a love triangle, a damsel in distress who needed rescuing by the two brothers. I did like her personality but she did not live up to her reputation. Gideon the witch hunter, had me blushing, giggling and kicking my feet. I loved his confidence, his flirting, and how much he cared for Rune and Alex. His trauma and the loss of everyone in his life, gave his character depth. Alex, Gideon's brother and Rune's friend was the sweetest. I loved the lengths he went to protect Rune and how much he loved her. Alex, although flawed was the purest character in this book.
The romance is pretty swoon-worthy. I was torn between Gideon and Alex throughout the book. Both of these guys are so different but so deserving. Their genuine affections for Rune was nice to see. I personally do not mind love triangles, so it wasn't much of an issue. But if you are looking forward to reading this book and worried about it- the issue gets resolved by the end of this book. There are a lot of sweet and heartbreaking moments, so don't miss out 👀
The ending... Bro don't make me talk about that 😭😭 It's gonna take few days to recover. But I will say, the plot twist regarding Verity did not surprise me as I was suspecting her already. But the other stuff 😭😭😭 I can't wait for the next book.
If you are looking for a simplistic, easy to get lost in romantasy, this is the one for you. Do give it a go 🥰
Thanks to my girl Gillian for reading this with me, had a great time with you babes 💜
March 8, 2024
HOLY FUCK!!!!&:$:):$:$/&&£ $/&/&/bxnsjshsbssh !!! AHABBSSBSBB
June 1, 2024
4.75 … i cannot identify why this isn’t a 5, because it was legit perfect like i cannot identify a problem but in my core it feels like 4.75… like i don’t have 5 star feelings but this is an iconic romantasy!!
March 6, 2024
“I want all of you, Rune. Not just tonight, but every moment from now on.” ❤️
This book was so good! This was an enchanting and exciting fantasy romance about love, friendship, betrayal, power and courage. Heartless hunter follows Rune, a witch who must hide who she is after a revolution changed witches from powerful to hunted. At night Rune is the Crimson moth, a vigilante who saves captured witches and during the day she pretends to be a noble woman. Rune decides to court Gideon, a witch hunter in order to gain insight after a rescue mission goes wrong. Will Rune develop feelings for Gideon or will he be her biggest enemy?
I become immersed in this magical world from the very beginning. The pacing was great and the plot was very interesting. The plot twists were so great, I was so shocked at several of the reveals. There were several betrayals that were shocking, although I did guess one betrayal. I really enjoyed the magic, the spells were unique and have different levels of power. The world building was great, I enjoyed the enchanting world of witches, power and hunters. I enjoyed learning about the backstory of the revolution and how the world has evolved. The writing was descriptive and engaging. I felt like I was in the world with the characters experiencing the scenes with them.
The characters were relatable and had many challenges in their past. I really like Rune, she is kind, tenacious, brave, resilient and relatable. I was a bit disappointed in her character development and I was expecting to see a more badass side to her. I can relate to Rune is many ways because I am also kind and resilient. I really liked Alex, Rune’s friend, he is caring, sweet, protective, charming and artistic. I loved Rune and Alex’s friendship, it’s so sweet and they care for each other a great deal. I love Gideon, he is charming, mysterious, resilient, protective and has a softer side that she shows to Rune. I loved all the sweet things that Gideon did for Rune. There were several romantic scenes that had me blushing and giggling. 🤭 Gideon’s character development was well done, he showed all his sides to Rune and put his walls down for her. The chemistry between Rune and Gideon was amazing! 😊 The tension and enemies to lovers romance was so well done! I really enjoyed how their romance developed from enemies to friends to lovers to enemies again.
The ending was so heartbreaking and shocking. I cried so much at the end, my heart is broken. This book ended on a huge cliffhanger, I can’t wait to read the next one!
I recommend this book to anyone who loves YA fantasy with romance, great chemistry between the main characters, epic plot twists and awesome characters.
Thank you so much lovely SK for buddy reading with me! I had so much fun guessing the plot twists and giggling over the romantic scenes. 😊
This book was so good! This was an enchanting and exciting fantasy romance about love, friendship, betrayal, power and courage. Heartless hunter follows Rune, a witch who must hide who she is after a revolution changed witches from powerful to hunted. At night Rune is the Crimson moth, a vigilante who saves captured witches and during the day she pretends to be a noble woman. Rune decides to court Gideon, a witch hunter in order to gain insight after a rescue mission goes wrong. Will Rune develop feelings for Gideon or will he be her biggest enemy?
I become immersed in this magical world from the very beginning. The pacing was great and the plot was very interesting. The plot twists were so great, I was so shocked at several of the reveals. There were several betrayals that were shocking, although I did guess one betrayal. I really enjoyed the magic, the spells were unique and have different levels of power. The world building was great, I enjoyed the enchanting world of witches, power and hunters. I enjoyed learning about the backstory of the revolution and how the world has evolved. The writing was descriptive and engaging. I felt like I was in the world with the characters experiencing the scenes with them.
The characters were relatable and had many challenges in their past. I really like Rune, she is kind, tenacious, brave, resilient and relatable. I was a bit disappointed in her character development and I was expecting to see a more badass side to her. I can relate to Rune is many ways because I am also kind and resilient. I really liked Alex, Rune’s friend, he is caring, sweet, protective, charming and artistic. I loved Rune and Alex’s friendship, it’s so sweet and they care for each other a great deal. I love Gideon, he is charming, mysterious, resilient, protective and has a softer side that she shows to Rune. I loved all the sweet things that Gideon did for Rune. There were several romantic scenes that had me blushing and giggling. 🤭 Gideon’s character development was well done, he showed all his sides to Rune and put his walls down for her. The chemistry between Rune and Gideon was amazing! 😊 The tension and enemies to lovers romance was so well done! I really enjoyed how their romance developed from enemies to friends to lovers to enemies again.
The ending was so heartbreaking and shocking. I cried so much at the end, my heart is broken. This book ended on a huge cliffhanger, I can’t wait to read the next one!
I recommend this book to anyone who loves YA fantasy with romance, great chemistry between the main characters, epic plot twists and awesome characters.
Thank you so much lovely SK for buddy reading with me! I had so much fun guessing the plot twists and giggling over the romantic scenes. 😊
August 16, 2024
This was very reminiscent of Serpent and Dove, and I think it fell short for me because of that. I really liked Serpent and Dove and the dynamic that the main characters had, but the dynamic here was nowhere close.
I don't think I ever got behind Gideon as the MMC. He had a horrible experience with witches, and so he hated them (understandably so), but I find it so hard personally to make the jump from hatred to mass genocide. Obviously, that's what all these witch/witch hunter books are covering, but this story just didn't seem grounded enough to make Gideon a sympathetic character on the witch hunter side. Usually, the witch hunter I think is portrayed with more humanity or an internal struggle. I think that may have been attempted here but didn't quite hit the mark.
I really liked Rune as the FMC, so she brought it back for me a little. Though I wish we got to see more of her as the Crimson Moth and had some more action and forward progression on that storyline. Her encounter with Gideon in the mine was the most exciting part of the whole book, and KC could have really capitalized on that. But the ending certainly upped the stakes a bit more and got the story moving along again.
I was debating with myself the whole time I was reading this if I will continue the series, and I think I will. I think that maybe this suffered from First Book Syndrome and is really just setting up a banging sequel.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
I don't think I ever got behind Gideon as the MMC. He had a horrible experience with witches, and so he hated them (understandably so), but I find it so hard personally to make the jump from hatred to mass genocide. Obviously, that's what all these witch/witch hunter books are covering, but this story just didn't seem grounded enough to make Gideon a sympathetic character on the witch hunter side. Usually, the witch hunter I think is portrayed with more humanity or an internal struggle. I think that may have been attempted here but didn't quite hit the mark.
I really liked Rune as the FMC, so she brought it back for me a little. Though I wish we got to see more of her as the Crimson Moth and had some more action and forward progression on that storyline. Her encounter with Gideon in the mine was the most exciting part of the whole book, and KC could have really capitalized on that. But the ending certainly upped the stakes a bit more and got the story moving along again.
I was debating with myself the whole time I was reading this if I will continue the series, and I think I will. I think that maybe this suffered from First Book Syndrome and is really just setting up a banging sequel.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
August 30, 2024
Kristen.. The ending? APOLOGIZE. What did I do to deserve to cry at 4am? 😭
February 19, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ A fast-paced romantasy set within an intriguing world.
***This review contains spoilers***
"It's not the times you don't need saving that I'm worried about. It's the one time you'll need it, and there will be no one to do it."
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ forbidden romance
✨ witch x witch hunter
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ insta-lust
✨ best friend’s brother
✨ fake courting / dating
✨ he courts her because he suspects she's a witch
✨ she dates him for information to help free a witch prisoner
✨ brothers love triangle
✨ loss of virginity
✨ size difference
✨ .5/5🌶️ (brief, not explicit)
✨ high stakes
✨ cliffhanger
✨ 3rd person / dual POV
✨ TW: sexual abuse/cohesion (past), sexual trauma, physical abuse, murder, death of loved one, grief
This book is marketed for a younger YA audience (ages 13-18). However, I think age 16+ is better since there are non-explicit sex scenes, violence/gore, and heavier topics.
My Thoughts:
I’m torn with giving this 4 stars or 3 stars because I enjoyed the overall story and had a good time reading. I would definitely recommend it to the right audience. However, while there are things I liked about this story, I was disappointed by other things, so let's get into it.
What I liked:
I was impressed with the world building and truly loved the magic system! I haven't read a story with witches quite like these, so I found this aspect to be unique and captivating. Everything from the witches backstory before the revolution to how they use magic was so interesting and was explained so well. I never felt overwhelmed with information.
The author paints a very vivid picture and the writing was straight forward so it was easy to follow along and imagine the story in my mind. I honestly couldn't put it down (I finished it in 5 hours).
The angst had me in a chokehold. I'm a sucker for angst in romance because it usually means the stakes are high and there's loads of drama, and that's definitely the case between Rune and Gideon (and Alex). There were a lot of moments where it felt like my heart was getting strangled from the angst, and I'll be honest, I loved it. lol
What I was disappointed in:
The story and plot twists/reveals were so predictable that I thought about DNFing since I knew what would happen. I'm not going to lie, this part was a bummer for me because I truly LOVE this world and the story, but when an author writes in a way that makes it SO obvious what's going to happen, I lose the will to keep reading. I mean, hello, I also want to be surprised along with the characters. At 27% I wrote down my guess for the big reveal, and I was right. There was ONE thing that shook me to my core, but it was an action instead of a reveal.
The characters weren’t bad and I liked a lot about them. However, they definitely could have been stronger. Rune and Gideon had some good development. I understood their backgrounds, their actions, and the things that drive them. Even though both are on opposing sides, they are similar in the sense they struggle with grief and guilt.
But there were a lot of things they did or said about the other that seemed to contradict our initial understanding of them.
For example, Rune is supposed to be a strong, cunning woman who makes in-depth plans to help free witch prisoners. She's supposed to be level-headed, but she sometimes acted like a bumbling idiot and gets caught up in the moment when she's around Gideon. There's also the time Gideon (who Rune knows is fake dating her to prove she's a witch) makes a comment to his comrades that she means nothing to him, and Rune has a breakdown over it. I get this is supposed to be a vulnerable moment and show how much she's let herself care, but still, it didn't sit right. I also wish we actually got some badass moments with her doing something besides trying to flirt with and seduce Gideon. And another thing, how did Rune not know Alex was in love with her? Is she that daft??? Again, I thought she was supposed to be smart.
And as for Gideon, in the beginning his inner thoughts are about how Rune is just a shallow girl and just like all the other socialites, but then later he admits to basically wanting her from the moment he met her but resisted since his brother was in love with her first. Like, what? Which is it? Did you always like or dislike her from the beginning?
Also, Gideon is supposed to be the equivalent of a detective, and yet somehow he doesn't connect the most obvious dots - like the silver ring belonging to his brother or the fact Alex wants him to bet his prison access coin during a game of cards. It's like he was written to be obtuse but only at certain moments when it was right for the story.
While I find the dynamic between Rune and Gideon intriguing and deliciously tense, I don’t know if I quite believe their ‘love’. I get they were vulnerable with each other but they beliefs are just so fundamentally different and they’re both aware the other is dating them for the wrong reasons, so when they start getting feelings, I wasn’t really convinced. They just seemed horny and dumb for continuing the charade, especially when Rune legit got nothing out of it. She needed info on how to break out a witch from prison and she got absolutely no info about it from dating Gideon. So what was the point? It seemed like she was just deluding herself into thinking it was a good idea since, I don't know, he got her hot and bothered?
Harrow and the whole “you have to sleep with her to find out if she has cutting scars” was weird. I get Gideon needed to see Rune naked to make sure she didn’t have any scars anywhere, but Harrow was sooooo pushy that it came off as weird and suspicious. She’s also just Gideon’s informant, not really a best friend so her insistence on this matter seemed inappropriate. There’s also the fact Harrow appeared out of nowhere during the raid on that print shop which made me even more suspicious of her but nothing came of it. But I feel like there’s more to her character that we’ll learn about in the next book.
***MASSIVE SPOILER AHEAD***
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
WTF Alex. I cannot and do not believe that Alex, who knows exactly what Gideon and his entire family went through, would not only let Cressida go, but lie about it! I don't care how nice you are, you don't let your brother's r*pist and sister/parent's murderer go. And if you do, then honestly fuck you. Alex's not killing her was selfish and ultimately damns the people he loves the most.
Overall, it was a fast read and I was entertained. The ending was intense and that cliffhanger left me very eager to know what happens next, BUT I'm not sure I'll pick up the next book. I really just don't know if I can read book 2 if it's as predictable as this one. Maybe I'll read a summary.
Thank you Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
***This review contains spoilers***
"It's not the times you don't need saving that I'm worried about. It's the one time you'll need it, and there will be no one to do it."
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ forbidden romance
✨ witch x witch hunter
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ insta-lust
✨ best friend’s brother
✨ fake courting / dating
✨ he courts her because he suspects she's a witch
✨ she dates him for information to help free a witch prisoner
✨ brothers love triangle
✨ loss of virginity
✨ size difference
✨ .5/5🌶️ (brief, not explicit)
✨ high stakes
✨ cliffhanger
✨ 3rd person / dual POV
✨ TW: sexual abuse/cohesion (past), sexual trauma, physical abuse, murder, death of loved one, grief
This book is marketed for a younger YA audience (ages 13-18). However, I think age 16+ is better since there are non-explicit sex scenes, violence/gore, and heavier topics.
My Thoughts:
I’m torn with giving this 4 stars or 3 stars because I enjoyed the overall story and had a good time reading. I would definitely recommend it to the right audience. However, while there are things I liked about this story, I was disappointed by other things, so let's get into it.
What I liked:
I was impressed with the world building and truly loved the magic system! I haven't read a story with witches quite like these, so I found this aspect to be unique and captivating. Everything from the witches backstory before the revolution to how they use magic was so interesting and was explained so well. I never felt overwhelmed with information.
The author paints a very vivid picture and the writing was straight forward so it was easy to follow along and imagine the story in my mind. I honestly couldn't put it down (I finished it in 5 hours).
The angst had me in a chokehold. I'm a sucker for angst in romance because it usually means the stakes are high and there's loads of drama, and that's definitely the case between Rune and Gideon (and Alex). There were a lot of moments where it felt like my heart was getting strangled from the angst, and I'll be honest, I loved it. lol
What I was disappointed in:
The story and plot twists/reveals were so predictable that I thought about DNFing since I knew what would happen. I'm not going to lie, this part was a bummer for me because I truly LOVE this world and the story, but when an author writes in a way that makes it SO obvious what's going to happen, I lose the will to keep reading. I mean, hello, I also want to be surprised along with the characters. At 27% I wrote down my guess for the big reveal, and I was right. There was ONE thing that shook me to my core, but it was an action instead of a reveal.
The characters weren’t bad and I liked a lot about them. However, they definitely could have been stronger. Rune and Gideon had some good development. I understood their backgrounds, their actions, and the things that drive them. Even though both are on opposing sides, they are similar in the sense they struggle with grief and guilt.
But there were a lot of things they did or said about the other that seemed to contradict our initial understanding of them.
For example, Rune is supposed to be a strong, cunning woman who makes in-depth plans to help free witch prisoners. She's supposed to be level-headed, but she sometimes acted like a bumbling idiot and gets caught up in the moment when she's around Gideon. There's also the time Gideon (who Rune knows is fake dating her to prove she's a witch) makes a comment to his comrades that she means nothing to him, and Rune has a breakdown over it. I get this is supposed to be a vulnerable moment and show how much she's let herself care, but still, it didn't sit right. I also wish we actually got some badass moments with her doing something besides trying to flirt with and seduce Gideon. And another thing, how did Rune not know Alex was in love with her? Is she that daft??? Again, I thought she was supposed to be smart.
And as for Gideon, in the beginning his inner thoughts are about how Rune is just a shallow girl and just like all the other socialites, but then later he admits to basically wanting her from the moment he met her but resisted since his brother was in love with her first. Like, what? Which is it? Did you always like or dislike her from the beginning?
Also, Gideon is supposed to be the equivalent of a detective, and yet somehow he doesn't connect the most obvious dots - like the silver ring belonging to his brother or the fact Alex wants him to bet his prison access coin during a game of cards. It's like he was written to be obtuse but only at certain moments when it was right for the story.
While I find the dynamic between Rune and Gideon intriguing and deliciously tense, I don’t know if I quite believe their ‘love’. I get they were vulnerable with each other but they beliefs are just so fundamentally different and they’re both aware the other is dating them for the wrong reasons, so when they start getting feelings, I wasn’t really convinced. They just seemed horny and dumb for continuing the charade, especially when Rune legit got nothing out of it. She needed info on how to break out a witch from prison and she got absolutely no info about it from dating Gideon. So what was the point? It seemed like she was just deluding herself into thinking it was a good idea since, I don't know, he got her hot and bothered?
Harrow and the whole “you have to sleep with her to find out if she has cutting scars” was weird. I get Gideon needed to see Rune naked to make sure she didn’t have any scars anywhere, but Harrow was sooooo pushy that it came off as weird and suspicious. She’s also just Gideon’s informant, not really a best friend so her insistence on this matter seemed inappropriate. There’s also the fact Harrow appeared out of nowhere during the raid on that print shop which made me even more suspicious of her but nothing came of it. But I feel like there’s more to her character that we’ll learn about in the next book.
***MASSIVE SPOILER AHEAD***
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
WTF Alex. I cannot and do not believe that Alex, who knows exactly what Gideon and his entire family went through, would not only let Cressida go, but lie about it! I don't care how nice you are, you don't let your brother's r*pist and sister/parent's murderer go. And if you do, then honestly fuck you. Alex's not killing her was selfish and ultimately damns the people he loves the most.
Overall, it was a fast read and I was entertained. The ending was intense and that cliffhanger left me very eager to know what happens next, BUT I'm not sure I'll pick up the next book. I really just don't know if I can read book 2 if it's as predictable as this one. Maybe I'll read a summary.
Thank you Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
January 31, 2024
Wow, I just saw this is a Feb botm pick! Definitely ordered it.
This could be your favorite fantasy romance of 2024.
If you like slow burn, enemies to lovers, witches and witch hunters, this story is for you. This book features many of our favorite tropes and executes it incredibly well. The characterization is phenomenal. Each character had their own personality and voice, and gray morality. That's right, there's no perfect characters in this book.
One thing I found interesting about this book is there is a hard magic system. There are checks and balances. There is no one with unlimited power that manifests itself at convenient and plot-thickening times. Also, there are negative consequences to casting powerful spells. I like this concept a lot, as hard magic systems are rarely seen in YA/NA fantasy books. It was a fun system to learn about and super creative.
I would highly recommend this book to fantasy romance lovers. If you're new to fantasy romance, this would be a great place to start.
Thank you to Alexis from Wednesday books for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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I just got sent the ARC of this from Wednesday Books. Thank you SO much! This sounds exactly like something I will love. Cannot wait to read it!
This could be your favorite fantasy romance of 2024.
If you like slow burn, enemies to lovers, witches and witch hunters, this story is for you. This book features many of our favorite tropes and executes it incredibly well. The characterization is phenomenal. Each character had their own personality and voice, and gray morality. That's right, there's no perfect characters in this book.
One thing I found interesting about this book is there is a hard magic system. There are checks and balances. There is no one with unlimited power that manifests itself at convenient and plot-thickening times. Also, there are negative consequences to casting powerful spells. I like this concept a lot, as hard magic systems are rarely seen in YA/NA fantasy books. It was a fun system to learn about and super creative.
I would highly recommend this book to fantasy romance lovers. If you're new to fantasy romance, this would be a great place to start.
Thank you to Alexis from Wednesday books for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
---------------
I just got sent the ARC of this from Wednesday Books. Thank you SO much! This sounds exactly like something I will love. Cannot wait to read it!
August 21, 2024
patreon book club pick for august!!
3.75 stars⭐️
3.75 stars⭐️
March 23, 2024
DNF 43% my little toe have more chemistry w the foot of the bed than whatever these two had
June 15, 2024
･:*:･ﾟ⁀➷ 4/5 ★
OMG I ATE THIS UP 🤭🤭 I can already tell this is going to be the next big romantasy bc it was just so good!! 💐✨️
➷ “The hunted had fallen for the hunter.”
Tropes:
🌿 Romantasy
🌿 Enemies to lovers
🌿 Witch x witchhunter
🌿 Dual pov
🌿 Regency
I feel like i’ve been seeing this one everywhere lately, so i was so excited to give it a try. It looked like something i would really love- and i was right!! I had such an amazing time reading this book 🫶
⤹ Tw: graphic violence, death of family members, sexual assault, genocide
Let’s get into my thoughts! 💚
ೃ⁀➷ Writing & plot:
This was my first book by Kristen Ciccarelli and it will definitely not be my last! Her writing was honestly perfect for a romantasy- it was descriptive enough that I could picture the world & setting, but simple enough that it was super easy to read. The worldbuilding was also done really well imo. It was very unique & interesting, but the way it was explained made it super easy to understand. So I think if you want to start reading fantasy, this is a great option! 🌷✨️
As for the plot of this book, i also really enjoyed it! It was super fast-paced and a good balance between action and romance. This book was soo easy to binge and i barely moved at some points when i was reading it. It’s the kind of book that makes you forget about checking your phone, which is the best feeling 🥹🥹 The Regency setting was also stunning, bc the vibes of all the balls and old mansions were just immaculate 💘
That ending tho!! 😭😭 I’m so mad that i have to wait for the sequel ugh ☹️
➷ “Rune was a deer, and he was a hunter. Taking her measure, noting every detail and flaw, trying to decide if she would be worth the hunt.”
ೃ⁀➷ Characters:
The characters were pretty good! 🥰 Not my fav ever, but i definitely see potential and I enjoyed reading about them.
➵ Rune: i honestly really liked her as the fmc! 🥹🥹 It was so cool that she hide behind this mask of a petty, shallow socialite but was then such a badass. I do think she needed a bit more character development tho, so i’m excited to see that in the sequel 🫶
➵ Gideon: he was honestly the perfect romantasy mmc!! 🤭🤭 I felt like he was super attractive at times and there were so many times where times that he said or did had me swooning 🫠🦋 But he was also a very well-developed character who had a lot of depth!! His backstory was so tragic & horrible, and seeing the effects that those experiences had on him were done really well.
➷ “You are not the things that happened to you, Gideon.”
ೃ⁀➷ Romance:
➵ Gideon and Rune: while there is a lot to like about this book, i think the thing in particular that makes it such a must read is that the enemies to lovers is SO. GOOD. 👀🤭 The hatred between the two characters at the beginning was honestly palpable and that feeling didn’t dissipate throughout the story either! I loved seeing how the two of them continued to despise each other, while feeling these flashes of attraction and genuine connection. And the tension- SCREAMING 🦋🦋 Enemies to lovers is definitely a bit overused as a trope, but this book definitely did it justice. I can’t wait to see how the romance develops in the second book 😚
➷ “Every time Gideon looked at the young heiress, she reminded him of the sea: steal-your-breath beautiful on the surface, with the promise of untold depths beneath.”
ೃ⁀➷ In conclusion:
I had such an amazing time reading this book! 💚💚 I would highly recommend if you’re looking for:
✔️ Bingeable writing
✔️ Interesting plot & world
✔️ Stunning enemies to lovers
✔️ Your next romantasy obsession
And now i have to wait for the second one…. 😭😭
Books with the same vibe:
⤹ Serpent & Dove- Shelby Mahurin (such a similar plot, but this one is better imo!)
⤹ Powerless- Lauren Roberts
《 2024 Challenge: Book 68 of 115 》
･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ
ೃ⁀➷ pre-review:
➷ if you need a new romantasy to obsess over, THIS IS IT. I had such a good time reading this omg 🤭🩷 That ending was absolutely criminal tho 😭😭
rtc 🌿
･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ
ೃ⁀➷ preread:
➷ back on my romantasy kick 😚 i've literally seen nothing but amazing things, so i'm sooo excited!! 🥹💐💓
OMG I ATE THIS UP 🤭🤭 I can already tell this is going to be the next big romantasy bc it was just so good!! 💐✨️
➷ “The hunted had fallen for the hunter.”
Tropes:
🌿 Romantasy
🌿 Enemies to lovers
🌿 Witch x witchhunter
🌿 Dual pov
🌿 Regency
I feel like i’ve been seeing this one everywhere lately, so i was so excited to give it a try. It looked like something i would really love- and i was right!! I had such an amazing time reading this book 🫶
⤹ Tw: graphic violence, death of family members, sexual assault, genocide
Let’s get into my thoughts! 💚
ೃ⁀➷ Writing & plot:
This was my first book by Kristen Ciccarelli and it will definitely not be my last! Her writing was honestly perfect for a romantasy- it was descriptive enough that I could picture the world & setting, but simple enough that it was super easy to read. The worldbuilding was also done really well imo. It was very unique & interesting, but the way it was explained made it super easy to understand. So I think if you want to start reading fantasy, this is a great option! 🌷✨️
As for the plot of this book, i also really enjoyed it! It was super fast-paced and a good balance between action and romance. This book was soo easy to binge and i barely moved at some points when i was reading it. It’s the kind of book that makes you forget about checking your phone, which is the best feeling 🥹🥹 The Regency setting was also stunning, bc the vibes of all the balls and old mansions were just immaculate 💘
That ending tho!! 😭😭 I’m so mad that i have to wait for the sequel ugh ☹️
➷ “Rune was a deer, and he was a hunter. Taking her measure, noting every detail and flaw, trying to decide if she would be worth the hunt.”
ೃ⁀➷ Characters:
The characters were pretty good! 🥰 Not my fav ever, but i definitely see potential and I enjoyed reading about them.
➵ Rune: i honestly really liked her as the fmc! 🥹🥹 It was so cool that she hide behind this mask of a petty, shallow socialite but was then such a badass. I do think she needed a bit more character development tho, so i’m excited to see that in the sequel 🫶
➵ Gideon: he was honestly the perfect romantasy mmc!! 🤭🤭 I felt like he was super attractive at times and there were so many times where times that he said or did had me swooning 🫠🦋 But he was also a very well-developed character who had a lot of depth!! His backstory was so tragic & horrible, and seeing the effects that those experiences had on him were done really well.
➷ “You are not the things that happened to you, Gideon.”
ೃ⁀➷ Romance:
➵ Gideon and Rune: while there is a lot to like about this book, i think the thing in particular that makes it such a must read is that the enemies to lovers is SO. GOOD. 👀🤭 The hatred between the two characters at the beginning was honestly palpable and that feeling didn’t dissipate throughout the story either! I loved seeing how the two of them continued to despise each other, while feeling these flashes of attraction and genuine connection. And the tension- SCREAMING 🦋🦋 Enemies to lovers is definitely a bit overused as a trope, but this book definitely did it justice. I can’t wait to see how the romance develops in the second book 😚
➷ “Every time Gideon looked at the young heiress, she reminded him of the sea: steal-your-breath beautiful on the surface, with the promise of untold depths beneath.”
ೃ⁀➷ In conclusion:
I had such an amazing time reading this book! 💚💚 I would highly recommend if you’re looking for:
✔️ Bingeable writing
✔️ Interesting plot & world
✔️ Stunning enemies to lovers
✔️ Your next romantasy obsession
And now i have to wait for the second one…. 😭😭
Books with the same vibe:
⤹ Serpent & Dove- Shelby Mahurin (such a similar plot, but this one is better imo!)
⤹ Powerless- Lauren Roberts
《 2024 Challenge: Book 68 of 115 》
･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ
ೃ⁀➷ pre-review:
➷ if you need a new romantasy to obsess over, THIS IS IT. I had such a good time reading this omg 🤭🩷 That ending was absolutely criminal tho 😭😭
rtc 🌿
･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ
ೃ⁀➷ preread:
➷ back on my romantasy kick 😚 i've literally seen nothing but amazing things, so i'm sooo excited!! 🥹💐💓
August 24, 2024
DNF @50%
I can't force myself to continue this book sorry .
I just couldn't care less about any character.
I don't know why but in my head I was comparing them to The characters of the serpent and dove maybe that's why I didn't like them.
Maybe I'll give it another try someday but not today.
I can't force myself to continue this book sorry .
I just couldn't care less about any character.
I don't know why but in my head I was comparing them to The characters of the serpent and dove maybe that's why I didn't like them.
Maybe I'll give it another try someday but not today.
September 3, 2024
THAT ENDING 😭💔
This was pretty enjoyable, it actually really surprised me...
I finished this in under 24hrs - I was insanely invested!
If you're looking for a fast paced, enemies to lovers romantasy - this is it! 😍
The story moved quickly & the plot was fun enough to distract me from the minimal world building, which surprisingly I didn't mind!
The magic system was really cool, I genuinely enjoyed that a lot.
The angst had me in a chokehold - I was eating it up!
I loved both Alex & Gideon so much (but rooting for Gideon of course).
The things I wanted more out of, would have been the plot twists, as they were really predictable.
I thought Rune was going to be a major badass (she was kinda hyped to be that way).. She wasn't, but thats okay - hoping this changes in book 2.
This was good, it wrapped things up quickly. The fast pace of the book helped me look past the minimal world building (which is something that generally irks me so much if not done right).
So this surprised me & actually somehow managed to help me look past that😂😂
This was pretty enjoyable, it actually really surprised me...
I finished this in under 24hrs - I was insanely invested!
If you're looking for a fast paced, enemies to lovers romantasy - this is it! 😍
The story moved quickly & the plot was fun enough to distract me from the minimal world building, which surprisingly I didn't mind!
The magic system was really cool, I genuinely enjoyed that a lot.
The angst had me in a chokehold - I was eating it up!
I loved both Alex & Gideon so much (but rooting for Gideon of course).
The things I wanted more out of, would have been the plot twists, as they were really predictable.
I thought Rune was going to be a major badass (she was kinda hyped to be that way).. She wasn't, but thats okay - hoping this changes in book 2.
This was good, it wrapped things up quickly. The fast pace of the book helped me look past the minimal world building (which is something that generally irks me so much if not done right).
So this surprised me & actually somehow managed to help me look past that😂😂
August 12, 2024
i kept seeing everyone picking this up and really enjoying it, so i really went into this not knowing anything! but i instantly fell in love with the world and our main character, rune, who is a witch in hiding. basically in the past, in rune’s country, there used to be witch queens who ruled over all, but after a revolution being a witch is a death sentence. also in this world, witches need blood as a component to cast spells, sometimes their own, sometimes others, but when you draw blood to use magic, the wound will heal silver, leaving a tattoo-like mark on your body. and in the present day, there are witch hunters who are constantly looking for these marks and other signs of witchcraft.
rune gets around this by saving and using the blood from her menstrual cycles - which i really loved. the blood isn’t as powerful, because it’s not as fresh because she is bottling it, but i just thought this was such a cool concept. i have read so many books, it is very rare that one surprises me with something i’ve never read before, and this one truly did. but rune is close with the witch hunters because she turned her grandmother in to the authorities years before, because of her grandmother’s wishes. this, and her not having the silver marks, makes it very easy for her to hide in plain sight and be able to get information to save other witches and get them out of the country before they are apprehended by the guard.
the guard is constantly looking for a vigilante that they named “the crimson moth” but no one suspects that it could possibly be rune.. except for gideon, the worst witch hunter of them all. gideon wants to get close to rune to see if she is a witch or knows the crimson moth that everyone is after, and rune wants to get close to gideon because one of her grandmother’s best friends was captured and is currently being held in captivity for being a witch. but maybe, just maybe, they kinda like each other.
i actually really enjoyed it, and never once did i want to stop reading. The setting and atmosphere is really good and instantly hooked me completely. i felt a lot of empathy for rune and gideon throughout and was really rooting for them by the end, but oh my gosh the angst - i cannot believe. the ending is very much a cliffhanger, with lots of twists and turns that i actually didn’t see coming. I actually really want to praise kristen ciccarelli, because she threw out some red herrings that had some mystery writers shaking in their boots truly. but yeah, i had a really good time with this one and i will for sure pick up book two!
trigger + content warnings: blood, self harm to get blood for magic, a lot of talking about menstrual cycles, murder, death, loss of parents in past, loss of grandparent in past, loss of siblings, mention of suicides in past, grief, depression, drugging, violence, torture in past, brief mention of child abuse, one sentence mention of loss of a child during childbirth, talk of sexual assault in past (nothing detailed on page, but it is a main theme of this story), i would also say sa for stripping people of their clothes to search for those silver marks, abusive relationship in past, drinking, talk of addiction, guns and gun violence, spiders, fire
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
rune gets around this by saving and using the blood from her menstrual cycles - which i really loved. the blood isn’t as powerful, because it’s not as fresh because she is bottling it, but i just thought this was such a cool concept. i have read so many books, it is very rare that one surprises me with something i’ve never read before, and this one truly did. but rune is close with the witch hunters because she turned her grandmother in to the authorities years before, because of her grandmother’s wishes. this, and her not having the silver marks, makes it very easy for her to hide in plain sight and be able to get information to save other witches and get them out of the country before they are apprehended by the guard.
the guard is constantly looking for a vigilante that they named “the crimson moth” but no one suspects that it could possibly be rune.. except for gideon, the worst witch hunter of them all. gideon wants to get close to rune to see if she is a witch or knows the crimson moth that everyone is after, and rune wants to get close to gideon because one of her grandmother’s best friends was captured and is currently being held in captivity for being a witch. but maybe, just maybe, they kinda like each other.
i actually really enjoyed it, and never once did i want to stop reading. The setting and atmosphere is really good and instantly hooked me completely. i felt a lot of empathy for rune and gideon throughout and was really rooting for them by the end, but oh my gosh the angst - i cannot believe. the ending is very much a cliffhanger, with lots of twists and turns that i actually didn’t see coming. I actually really want to praise kristen ciccarelli, because she threw out some red herrings that had some mystery writers shaking in their boots truly. but yeah, i had a really good time with this one and i will for sure pick up book two!
trigger + content warnings: blood, self harm to get blood for magic, a lot of talking about menstrual cycles, murder, death, loss of parents in past, loss of grandparent in past, loss of siblings, mention of suicides in past, grief, depression, drugging, violence, torture in past, brief mention of child abuse, one sentence mention of loss of a child during childbirth, talk of sexual assault in past (nothing detailed on page, but it is a main theme of this story), i would also say sa for stripping people of their clothes to search for those silver marks, abusive relationship in past, drinking, talk of addiction, guns and gun violence, spiders, fire
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
April 21, 2024
5/5⭐️
1/5🌶️
I am OBSESSED with this book! Hands down the best fantasy book I’ve read all year and it will probably be in my top reads of 2024. One of those books you FEEL while reading it, forget you’re reading, and can see it playing out like a movie in your head.
What to expect:
✨ Romantasy
✨ Witch x Witch hunter
✨ Cat & mouse
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Regal and whimsical
✨ Love triangle
✨ YA (but pushing toward NA in my opinion)
✨ Morally grey
✨ Dual POV
✨ Cliffhanger ending
If you like Powerless, you will LOVE this! Similar elements in some regards but I loved this writing style even more personally. It is so fast-paced, yet descriptive, captivating, and transports you to the world of this book.
Huge fan of Rune, I can’t wait to watch the rest of her character development in this series.
I did a combo of audiobook and Kindle reading, both were equally amazing experiences.
Dying for book 2, will probably be rereading before Rebel Witch comes out in Feb 2025!
1/5🌶️
I am OBSESSED with this book! Hands down the best fantasy book I’ve read all year and it will probably be in my top reads of 2024. One of those books you FEEL while reading it, forget you’re reading, and can see it playing out like a movie in your head.
What to expect:
✨ Romantasy
✨ Witch x Witch hunter
✨ Cat & mouse
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Regal and whimsical
✨ Love triangle
✨ YA (but pushing toward NA in my opinion)
✨ Morally grey
✨ Dual POV
✨ Cliffhanger ending
If you like Powerless, you will LOVE this! Similar elements in some regards but I loved this writing style even more personally. It is so fast-paced, yet descriptive, captivating, and transports you to the world of this book.
Huge fan of Rune, I can’t wait to watch the rest of her character development in this series.
I did a combo of audiobook and Kindle reading, both were equally amazing experiences.
Dying for book 2, will probably be rereading before Rebel Witch comes out in Feb 2025!
February 20, 2024
“she felt magnetized. Unable to resist the pull of him.”
Rune is a witch who lives in fear of revealing her identity at the risk of being hunted and killed. so instead she keeps her secrets close, while also doubling as the “Crimson Moth” a vigilante witch who helps free and save witches who are being sent to their deaths. Gideon is a witch hunter whose job as the captain of the bloodguard is to do just that— hunt witches. Gideon and Rune cross paths by way of Alex: Rune’s best friend and Gideon’s younger brother. Gideon is hellbent on finding out the Crimson Moth’s identity without realizing she’s closer than he thinks.. he just doesn’t want to believe that Rune is this vigilante despite his suspicions and because of this he and Rune fall into a intense game of cat and mouse while they continue to circle and corner eachother at every turn.
“Rune was a deer, and he was a hunter. Taking her measure, noting every detail and flaw, trying to decide if she’d be worth the hunt.”
this book has a lot going for it— interesting plot, likable characters, intense/heartbreaking backstories, romantic tension and exciting plot twists. i enjoyed reading this and the ending was explosive, ending on a cliffhanger that has me more than willing to read the sequel.
“Everytime Gideon looked at the young heiress, she reminded him of the sea: steal-your-breath beautiful on the surface, with the promise of untold depths beneath.”
➙ i think it’s important to say that this book is marketed as YA, but some of the topics explored in this book is bordering NA. so i feel the need to give a trigger warning for sexual assault (past tense but mentioned frequently).
shout out to my baby Meagan for motivating me to finish this on time lol and thanks for this buddy read💘
thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the arc, all opinions are my own.
Rune is a witch who lives in fear of revealing her identity at the risk of being hunted and killed. so instead she keeps her secrets close, while also doubling as the “Crimson Moth” a vigilante witch who helps free and save witches who are being sent to their deaths. Gideon is a witch hunter whose job as the captain of the bloodguard is to do just that— hunt witches. Gideon and Rune cross paths by way of Alex: Rune’s best friend and Gideon’s younger brother. Gideon is hellbent on finding out the Crimson Moth’s identity without realizing she’s closer than he thinks.. he just doesn’t want to believe that Rune is this vigilante despite his suspicions and because of this he and Rune fall into a intense game of cat and mouse while they continue to circle and corner eachother at every turn.
“Rune was a deer, and he was a hunter. Taking her measure, noting every detail and flaw, trying to decide if she’d be worth the hunt.”
this book has a lot going for it— interesting plot, likable characters, intense/heartbreaking backstories, romantic tension and exciting plot twists. i enjoyed reading this and the ending was explosive, ending on a cliffhanger that has me more than willing to read the sequel.
“Everytime Gideon looked at the young heiress, she reminded him of the sea: steal-your-breath beautiful on the surface, with the promise of untold depths beneath.”
➙ i think it’s important to say that this book is marketed as YA, but some of the topics explored in this book is bordering NA. so i feel the need to give a trigger warning for sexual assault (past tense but mentioned frequently).
shout out to my baby Meagan for motivating me to finish this on time lol and thanks for this buddy read💘
thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the arc, all opinions are my own.
March 9, 2024
Rated 4.5/5 stars!
How can the inevitable still be so painful
How can the inevitable still be so painful
August 2, 2024
“In her absence, he saw something flutter in the air. Small and red, its wings shimmering in the gloom. A crimson moth.”
I could give this book five stars simply because it made me feel too much pain (and I’m a masochist to the core) but instead I decided to act civilized and give it 4.5⭐️
From the start, the enemies was just so good and then when they “pretended” (not gonna specify cuz spoilers) I was so in love with their chemistry and that ending 😭
I found some similarities to ACOTAR and the story wasn’t more than what we already read in other YA books but…there were some scenes that were just smart and exciting and I think the plot was executed perfectly so I will definitely tell you to give this book a try.
I always suspected of THAT one person (iykyk) and I had two specific ideas on how it was going to end but when it came it still hurt.
I cannot wait for the next book—which btw is the conclusion to this duology 💔 it’s gonna kill cuz I’m already too attached to Gideon 😭
❗️Spoilers❗️
Omg I can’t believe Gideon actually hates her at the end, and what he said about coming for her 😭😭😭😭
And his past was kinda giving Rhysand 💔
Ngl I was rutting for Alex at some point.
I knew since the first 100 pages Verity was suspicious and Alex was going to die so…😭
I could give this book five stars simply because it made me feel too much pain (and I’m a masochist to the core) but instead I decided to act civilized and give it 4.5⭐️
From the start, the enemies was just so good and then when they “pretended” (not gonna specify cuz spoilers) I was so in love with their chemistry and that ending 😭
I found some similarities to ACOTAR and the story wasn’t more than what we already read in other YA books but…there were some scenes that were just smart and exciting and I think the plot was executed perfectly so I will definitely tell you to give this book a try.
I always suspected of THAT one person (iykyk) and I had two specific ideas on how it was going to end but when it came it still hurt.
I cannot wait for the next book—which btw is the conclusion to this duology 💔 it’s gonna kill cuz I’m already too attached to Gideon 😭
❗️Spoilers❗️
Omg I can’t believe Gideon actually hates her at the end, and what he said about coming for her 😭😭😭😭
And his past was kinda giving Rhysand 💔
Ngl I was rutting for Alex at some point.
I knew since the first 100 pages Verity was suspicious and Alex was going to die so…😭
June 29, 2024
IS THERE AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT GROUP FOR THIS BOOK BECAUSE THAT ENDING WAS CRIMINAL 😭😭
April 7, 2024
This is YA fantasy romance done so well!
I loved the vibes! The page count was EARNED, and this book wasn’t trying too hard or taking itself too seriously. I enjoyed the true enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and Alex’s character arc. The magic system was interesting, the action and pacing kept me hooked, and the cliffhanger was great setup for a sequel. I would absolutely recommend to readers who enjoyed the Shepherd King duology and Belladonna!
Because it’s YA: there is some repetition and hand-holding for the plot, the twists are somewhat predictable, and the setting isn’t historically accurate. These elements do pull me out of the story, BUT they don’t feel like failings of this book so much as qualities of the genre and target audience.
I loved the vibes! The page count was EARNED, and this book wasn’t trying too hard or taking itself too seriously. I enjoyed the true enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and Alex’s character arc. The magic system was interesting, the action and pacing kept me hooked, and the cliffhanger was great setup for a sequel. I would absolutely recommend to readers who enjoyed the Shepherd King duology and Belladonna!
Because it’s YA: there is some repetition and hand-holding for the plot, the twists are somewhat predictable, and the setting isn’t historically accurate. These elements do pull me out of the story, BUT they don’t feel like failings of this book so much as qualities of the genre and target audience.
August 6, 2024
I need the second book RIGHT NOW!😫
4.5 stars 🌟
_____________
pre-read
EVERYONE is reading this, FOMO got me again, so here we go!
----------------
Only 4 days!!! I feel like this one is going to solve all my problems i just KNOW!!
have you seen the cover?!it's gorgeous 😭🤌 the color palate, the font, placemats, perfection!!! WHO DESIGNED THIS
4.5 stars 🌟
_____________
pre-read
EVERYONE is reading this, FOMO got me again, so here we go!
----------------
Only 4 days!!! I feel like this one is going to solve all my problems i just KNOW!!
have you seen the cover?!it's gorgeous 😭🤌 the color palate, the font, placemats, perfection!!! WHO DESIGNED THIS
August 2, 2024
✩ 5 stars ✩
“Your laugh is like a fuse,” he said. “It lights you up.”
What to Expect:
➼ Witch & Witch Hunter
➼ Blood Magic
➼ Forbidden Romance
➼ Secret Identity
➼ Forbidden Magic
➼ Lies/Betrayal
➼ Concealed Identity
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Cat & Mouse
➼ Mild Love Triangle
➼ Cliffhanger
➼ Dual POV
“But which character was she—the heroine, the villain, or the fool? The fool.”
It’s rare that I enjoy books centered around witches, so when I do, I have to give credit where it’s due. Happy to report that this was a GREAT book! 🙌🏻 I think what really made it stand out was that it was written in Dual POV. Hearing both MC’s inner monologues AND seeing each main character through the other’s eyes was the hook this story needed. I genuinely think this would have been a three star book if we only got Rune’s side of the story. And that twist was certainly twisty… In hindsight, the clues were definitely there, but I did NOT see that coming and the ending was brutal! 😢 Say it ain’t so… 😭 I really hope the author has book two well plotted because the pressure is on now for a strong sequel. I am literally begging her not to let us down! 🙏🏻
I do have one gripe… I like to consider myself a girls girl, but her using her fingers to do blood magic with her hooha blood was disgusting. I think at one point it was even implied that someone else was sharing their hooha blood with her for her spells. At least get a paint brush or some gloves or something. 🤢 So gross. 😅
“I’m afraid you’ll be the end of me, Gideon.” And then, much more quietly: “Maybe you already are.”
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I have never been more unsure of a books title… is this called “The Crimson Moth” or “Heartless Hunter?” 🤔
“Your laugh is like a fuse,” he said. “It lights you up.”
What to Expect:
➼ Witch & Witch Hunter
➼ Blood Magic
➼ Forbidden Romance
➼ Secret Identity
➼ Forbidden Magic
➼ Lies/Betrayal
➼ Concealed Identity
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Cat & Mouse
➼ Mild Love Triangle
➼ Cliffhanger
➼ Dual POV
“But which character was she—the heroine, the villain, or the fool? The fool.”
It’s rare that I enjoy books centered around witches, so when I do, I have to give credit where it’s due. Happy to report that this was a GREAT book! 🙌🏻 I think what really made it stand out was that it was written in Dual POV. Hearing both MC’s inner monologues AND seeing each main character through the other’s eyes was the hook this story needed. I genuinely think this would have been a three star book if we only got Rune’s side of the story. And that twist was certainly twisty… In hindsight, the clues were definitely there, but I did NOT see that coming and the ending was brutal! 😢 Say it ain’t so… 😭 I really hope the author has book two well plotted because the pressure is on now for a strong sequel. I am literally begging her not to let us down! 🙏🏻
I do have one gripe… I like to consider myself a girls girl, but her using her fingers to do blood magic with her hooha blood was disgusting. I think at one point it was even implied that someone else was sharing their hooha blood with her for her spells. At least get a paint brush or some gloves or something. 🤢 So gross. 😅
“I’m afraid you’ll be the end of me, Gideon.” And then, much more quietly: “Maybe you already are.”
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I have never been more unsure of a books title… is this called “The Crimson Moth” or “Heartless Hunter?” 🤔
October 28, 2023
"Isn't that the point of art - to tame the monster in us?"
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
TW: addiction, blood, child death, death, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, genocide, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, physical abuse, rape, self harm, sexual assault, sexual content, sexual violence, torture, violence.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I am devastated to be rating it this low.
Reviewing ARCs, especially negatively reviewing ARCs, is always a bit of a challenge because I'm unsure how much to say without accidentally giving too much away. Which means I am reduced to being vague and my thoughts may not come out clearly, but I'll try my best.
First, I want to say that this should not have been a YA novel. It felt like NA, it felt like it had been written for a NA audience, and the timeline simply doesn't make sense if all of the characters are in the YA age range. I will be shelving it as NA, despite the fact I know that's not what it's being listed as.
Beyond that, still trying to stay as vague as possible, I was bothered by the entire plot. So much of the premise revolves around an SA victim being pressured into sleeping with someone to properly inspect their body; while this is met with discomfort, it's still a sizable portion of the book and never truly condemned.
I felt the relationship between the two MCs was forced and toxic in a way that was completely unnecessary. As well as the way things were... propelled forward by the end of the book, felt cheap and predictable. I was able to guess the plot from the very beginning off of a very minor detail and was really let-down to find out that I had been correct.
There are many other things I could say, but as this is an ARC, I don't want to go any further. I will say, this is not a terrible book. It is tropey and very flawed, but I believe people will enjoy it so long as it finds the right audience. I just... I still can't help but wishing the entire plot had been different.
All in all, this is like a witchy Bridgerton (the comparison makes sense in my head) and if you've read this review and it still sounds like something that would interest you, please go for it.
I'm extremely grateful for the ARC and wholeheartedly wish I could have loved this even half as much as I wanted to.
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
TW: addiction, blood, child death, death, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, genocide, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, physical abuse, rape, self harm, sexual assault, sexual content, sexual violence, torture, violence.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I am devastated to be rating it this low.
Reviewing ARCs, especially negatively reviewing ARCs, is always a bit of a challenge because I'm unsure how much to say without accidentally giving too much away. Which means I am reduced to being vague and my thoughts may not come out clearly, but I'll try my best.
First, I want to say that this should not have been a YA novel. It felt like NA, it felt like it had been written for a NA audience, and the timeline simply doesn't make sense if all of the characters are in the YA age range. I will be shelving it as NA, despite the fact I know that's not what it's being listed as.
Beyond that, still trying to stay as vague as possible, I was bothered by the entire plot. So much of the premise revolves around an SA victim being pressured into sleeping with someone to properly inspect their body; while this is met with discomfort, it's still a sizable portion of the book and never truly condemned.
I felt the relationship between the two MCs was forced and toxic in a way that was completely unnecessary. As well as the way things were... propelled forward by the end of the book, felt cheap and predictable. I was able to guess the plot from the very beginning off of a very minor detail and was really let-down to find out that I had been correct.
There are many other things I could say, but as this is an ARC, I don't want to go any further. I will say, this is not a terrible book. It is tropey and very flawed, but I believe people will enjoy it so long as it finds the right audience. I just... I still can't help but wishing the entire plot had been different.
All in all, this is like a witchy Bridgerton (the comparison makes sense in my head) and if you've read this review and it still sounds like something that would interest you, please go for it.
I'm extremely grateful for the ARC and wholeheartedly wish I could have loved this even half as much as I wanted to.
Currently reading
July 20, 2024GUESS WHAT I HAVE ACQUIRED
August 4, 2024
🦋 4.25 stars 🦋
this was the perfect enemies to lovers and it has me on my knees 🧎♀️
witch + witch hunter
need i say more?
fast-paced. great characters. perfect length. strong plot. slight bit of spice, but definitely not too much.
i absolutely ate this up and i need book #2 to come out immediately. (huge bonus: this is going to be a duology. no long waits for multiple books)
this was so surprisingly amazing. i’m so glad i decided to read this after seeing it everywhere.
one of my favorite reads of the year!! ❤️
✨ available on kindle unlimited!! ✨
this was the perfect enemies to lovers and it has me on my knees 🧎♀️
witch + witch hunter
need i say more?
fast-paced. great characters. perfect length. strong plot. slight bit of spice, but definitely not too much.
i absolutely ate this up and i need book #2 to come out immediately. (huge bonus: this is going to be a duology. no long waits for multiple books)
this was so surprisingly amazing. i’m so glad i decided to read this after seeing it everywhere.
one of my favorite reads of the year!! ❤️
✨ available on kindle unlimited!! ✨
June 29, 2024
★★★★☆ - 4.25 stars
this was such an intoxicating and well-written romantasy. i understand the hype now!
the plot was so easy to get into. despite this being a fantasy, there weren’t quite any fantasy elements besides a couple magic spells and the procedures regarding the castings. (i thought the fact that Rune used her…monthly cycle blood was nasty though LOL.) i absolutely FLEW through this. it was incredibly easy to binge. there was a great amount of action and a good bit of romance, creating an addictive story from start to finish. however, i am super mad about the ending. now i have to wait for the second book to get some closure! i am getting deja vu from when I finished Powerless—especially with that last line from Gideon. the constant back and forth between him and Rune was crazy. i was not expecting another enemies to lovers to enemies situation.
the reason this isn’t a 5 star is because i didn’t feel a strong enough connection to the characters. i think, because it’s the first book in a series, they didn’t get a ton of time to form one yet. the longing for them to get together has me begging for a second book. so overall, i liked both Rune and Gideon. i loved how vulnerable they were both able to be while still very clever. Rune’s ability to completely switch her personality was an example. her work as the Crimson Moth is honestly admirable. and despite the brutish appearance of Gideon, he’s a scarred man with a tragic past. i thought he was so hot and all the things he said were really meaningful.
Gideon’s past had shaped him. Haunted him. Ruined him.
i loved the romance. it was, as i said earlier, just a taste of what’s to come. i ate up every last moment between Rune and Gideon. the tension was so perfectly crafted, especially with the dangerous game they were playing with each other. it was so enticing to read. and neither of the characters knowing the other’s motive made things even more thrilling.
Is this still the game? she wondered. Or is this real?
the writing was good. it flowed well and i had no issues with it. my only complaint is that in the first part of the book, there was a minor typo, and a bigger issue is that Rune’s hair color kept changing! at one moment, it would be red, the next brown and then blonde. pick one! that annoyed me a lot. i ended up just choosing red hair when i pictured Rune.
bottom line: this was a really quick, addictive romantic fantasy with a great plot and a cliffhanger that’ll have you desperate for the second book! highly recommend.
QUOTES
“Beautiful heiresses might court common soldiers,” he said. “But they don’t marry them.”
Her mouth quirked a little. “Did you just call me beautiful, Gideon?”
“I’m stating the obvious. Don’t change the subject.”
“I remember the sound of your laugh,” he said. “It pulled me like a magnet toward the beach, where I found the most beautiful girl in the world standing on the shore.”
“I loathe him,” she told the shadows in the garden, trying to remember all the reasons this was true. But her voice trembled as she said it.
If he wasn’t careful, he might fall in love with her.
Gideon closed the space between them in a single stride and threw the jacket over her, tucking her into it. Her whole body trembled with shock.
“You came,” she whispered.
He pulled Rune against her, as if trying to shield her from the heat.
Standing this near to her was dangerous. Like the moon and the tide, the closer he got to her, the closer he wanted her.
Rune was a bright light burning in a long, dark night.
buddy read with hailey!
this was such an intoxicating and well-written romantasy. i understand the hype now!
the plot was so easy to get into. despite this being a fantasy, there weren’t quite any fantasy elements besides a couple magic spells and the procedures regarding the castings. (i thought the fact that Rune used her…monthly cycle blood was nasty though LOL.) i absolutely FLEW through this. it was incredibly easy to binge. there was a great amount of action and a good bit of romance, creating an addictive story from start to finish. however, i am super mad about the ending. now i have to wait for the second book to get some closure! i am getting deja vu from when I finished Powerless—especially with that last line from Gideon. the constant back and forth between him and Rune was crazy. i was not expecting another enemies to lovers to enemies situation.
the reason this isn’t a 5 star is because i didn’t feel a strong enough connection to the characters. i think, because it’s the first book in a series, they didn’t get a ton of time to form one yet. the longing for them to get together has me begging for a second book. so overall, i liked both Rune and Gideon. i loved how vulnerable they were both able to be while still very clever. Rune’s ability to completely switch her personality was an example. her work as the Crimson Moth is honestly admirable. and despite the brutish appearance of Gideon, he’s a scarred man with a tragic past. i thought he was so hot and all the things he said were really meaningful.
Gideon’s past had shaped him. Haunted him. Ruined him.
i loved the romance. it was, as i said earlier, just a taste of what’s to come. i ate up every last moment between Rune and Gideon. the tension was so perfectly crafted, especially with the dangerous game they were playing with each other. it was so enticing to read. and neither of the characters knowing the other’s motive made things even more thrilling.
Is this still the game? she wondered. Or is this real?
the writing was good. it flowed well and i had no issues with it. my only complaint is that in the first part of the book, there was a minor typo, and a bigger issue is that Rune’s hair color kept changing! at one moment, it would be red, the next brown and then blonde. pick one! that annoyed me a lot. i ended up just choosing red hair when i pictured Rune.
bottom line: this was a really quick, addictive romantic fantasy with a great plot and a cliffhanger that’ll have you desperate for the second book! highly recommend.
QUOTES
“Beautiful heiresses might court common soldiers,” he said. “But they don’t marry them.”
Her mouth quirked a little. “Did you just call me beautiful, Gideon?”
“I’m stating the obvious. Don’t change the subject.”
“I remember the sound of your laugh,” he said. “It pulled me like a magnet toward the beach, where I found the most beautiful girl in the world standing on the shore.”
“I loathe him,” she told the shadows in the garden, trying to remember all the reasons this was true. But her voice trembled as she said it.
If he wasn’t careful, he might fall in love with her.
Gideon closed the space between them in a single stride and threw the jacket over her, tucking her into it. Her whole body trembled with shock.
“You came,” she whispered.
He pulled Rune against her, as if trying to shield her from the heat.
Standing this near to her was dangerous. Like the moon and the tide, the closer he got to her, the closer he wanted her.
Rune was a bright light burning in a long, dark night.
buddy read with hailey!
May 19, 2024
Has anyone read this book? Did you enjoy it? It’s my next read! 💗
August 30, 2024
⌗ ⊹ 5 stars !!
⤿ no spoilers ahead.
”i hate you, gideon. i hate you so much, it hurts. and if you don’t open this door, i”ll go on hating you forever.”
spectacular, give me fourteen of them right now. authors, this is how you write an enemies to lovers!!! take notes!!!
first of all, i just learnt that this is a duology, and not a series, meaning that after the second installment drops in february, it’s over?? no more rune and gideon?? NO. kristen, write me a novella and my life is YOURSSSS. in fact, i need you to publish several. gideon’s backstory told from his perspective, the three queen witches’ era, rune’s grandmother and seraphine’s friendship, how things were before the revolution. send it my way, ALL OF IT. please.
also, the ending? my therapy bills will be sent to whoever was responsible. i will be compensated for this damage.
‼️ world building.
romantasy is the genre i wish i could read more of. i’ve tried starting multiple popular novels this year (ex: divine rivals) but couldn’t get into any of them; the first fifty pages, where most of the world building takes place, would put me off instantly. hence, when heartless hunter started accumulating popularity, i was hesitant to give it a go. i just got out of a slump, i wasn’t about to push myself back into it. when i downloaded the EPUB on my kindle, i was adamant on just trying the first chapter. HOWEVER, i’m here to tell you, if you’re looking for a fantasy with a world and magic system that won’t hurt your brain, look no further. it was high stakes without being complicated. the politics were interesting to follow, the characters’ backstories and motivations made sense and gave the storyline depth without being overly confusing. honestly, i was fascinated. but i’d recommend looking up tw(s) before proceeding because some aspects in here were intense!
‼️ romance.
rune and gideon reminded me of jude and cardan in the wicked king. i was screaming, crying, and doing cartwheels in my room, like?? and when she said ”i was so excited to meet you. but you wouldn’t even shake my hand.” TEARS. say sike right fucking now. i was devastated. moreover, the dual POV was everythinggg. because while rune was going on and on about how she’s falling for the enemy, gideon was on the other side doing the exact same.
gideon was her perfect rival; a deadly enemy to outwit. without him, rune could only be half of her full potential. it was why, deep down, she wanted him to come for her.
your honor, i love him. he deserved so much fucking better.
‼️ characters.
our female protagonist, rune winters, was a badass. she was a surviving witch in a city where witches were hunted down. however, i wish we could’ve gotten more of her being the crimson moth instead of just being informed of her accomplishments. we didn’t really get to see her in her element as much as i’d hoped. i’m praying the upcoming sequel fixes that. our male protagonist, gideon sharpe, was the captain of the blood guard; the head of those responsible for hunting down rune’s kind. he must be tired after carrying the story on his back!! i think it’s worth mentioning that you can have interesting characters fall flat because of poor writing, but this wasn’t the case here. kristen ciccarelli has immaculate talent and rent was due.
now, what do i have to do to receive an ARC of the second book? because i’m not patient enough to last until february. you’ve got me doing anything at this point. anything.
⤿ no spoilers ahead.
”i hate you, gideon. i hate you so much, it hurts. and if you don’t open this door, i”ll go on hating you forever.”
spectacular, give me fourteen of them right now. authors, this is how you write an enemies to lovers!!! take notes!!!
first of all, i just learnt that this is a duology, and not a series, meaning that after the second installment drops in february, it’s over?? no more rune and gideon?? NO. kristen, write me a novella and my life is YOURSSSS. in fact, i need you to publish several. gideon’s backstory told from his perspective, the three queen witches’ era, rune’s grandmother and seraphine’s friendship, how things were before the revolution. send it my way, ALL OF IT. please.
also, the ending? my therapy bills will be sent to whoever was responsible. i will be compensated for this damage.
‼️ world building.
romantasy is the genre i wish i could read more of. i’ve tried starting multiple popular novels this year (ex: divine rivals) but couldn’t get into any of them; the first fifty pages, where most of the world building takes place, would put me off instantly. hence, when heartless hunter started accumulating popularity, i was hesitant to give it a go. i just got out of a slump, i wasn’t about to push myself back into it. when i downloaded the EPUB on my kindle, i was adamant on just trying the first chapter. HOWEVER, i’m here to tell you, if you’re looking for a fantasy with a world and magic system that won’t hurt your brain, look no further. it was high stakes without being complicated. the politics were interesting to follow, the characters’ backstories and motivations made sense and gave the storyline depth without being overly confusing. honestly, i was fascinated. but i’d recommend looking up tw(s) before proceeding because some aspects in here were intense!
‼️ romance.
rune and gideon reminded me of jude and cardan in the wicked king. i was screaming, crying, and doing cartwheels in my room, like?? and when she said ”i was so excited to meet you. but you wouldn’t even shake my hand.” TEARS. say sike right fucking now. i was devastated. moreover, the dual POV was everythinggg. because while rune was going on and on about how she’s falling for the enemy, gideon was on the other side doing the exact same.
gideon was her perfect rival; a deadly enemy to outwit. without him, rune could only be half of her full potential. it was why, deep down, she wanted him to come for her.
your honor, i love him. he deserved so much fucking better.
‼️ characters.
our female protagonist, rune winters, was a badass. she was a surviving witch in a city where witches were hunted down. however, i wish we could’ve gotten more of her being the crimson moth instead of just being informed of her accomplishments. we didn’t really get to see her in her element as much as i’d hoped. i’m praying the upcoming sequel fixes that. our male protagonist, gideon sharpe, was the captain of the blood guard; the head of those responsible for hunting down rune’s kind. he must be tired after carrying the story on his back!! i think it’s worth mentioning that you can have interesting characters fall flat because of poor writing, but this wasn’t the case here. kristen ciccarelli has immaculate talent and rent was due.
now, what do i have to do to receive an ARC of the second book? because i’m not patient enough to last until february. you’ve got me doing anything at this point. anything.
Currently reading
August 29, 2024⊹ pre - read ⊹
buddy read with the loveliest, sweetest saisha!!! love you ‹𝟹
i'm so excited to start this book because i've heard so many good things about it! and i'm so so so happy to be doing it with her ♡ ⭒ ⁎ ﹒
buddy read with the loveliest, sweetest saisha!!! love you ‹𝟹
i'm so excited to start this book because i've heard so many good things about it! and i'm so so so happy to be doing it with her ♡ ⭒ ⁎ ﹒
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