<strong>wow </strong>

What a wild ride!!!
I loved the love triangle but Gideon is going to turn into a heartless hunter!
This is one full of adventure, secrets, lies, and action!
Witches are hunted and killed. Someone betrayed Rune's grandmother and to save Rune's life her grandmother has Rune go tell the people her grandmother is a witch. By doing this Rune feels an intense grief and decides to try and save as many witches as she can. Gideon hunts and kills witches and is well known however, his complete opposite brother Alex aids Rune in any way he can. Rune is also a witch in hiding. Gideon is obsessed with finding the Crimson Moth (Rune in hiding), and he begins to suspect Rune. Rune determined to save all the witches she can tried to court Gideon in the attempt to try to gain information to help save her grandmother's friend. Gideon suspects Rune and in an attempt to gain proof it is her he decides to try and court her to find the proof. This is a dangerous game they are playing and both are trying to not have feelings toward one another and is a cat-and-mouse game that is AWESOME! The only bad thing about this book is that it is the first of a series and the next one doesn't come out until next year! Such a long wait! I loved how this story just pulled me in and I loved it soo much! Thank you, St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this one!

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher; the review is my own.*

Emotional wrecking ball. Those are the three words I would use to describe this book. But I loved it. It would absolutely have been 5 stars if it hadn’t been for a few things (see Notes).

Something I liked about this story was the complexity of the world and the characters. The old regime (the Reign of Queens) allotted too much power to witches, leaving those without it at their mercy. However, despite its many promises, the new regime (the New Republic) was just as corrupt, being led by vengeance and fear. The two systems are based on absolutes: in one, possession of magic provides the right to rule; in the other, merely being associated with magic brings condemnation and death. This world is ripe for yet another revolution, hopefully one that’s balanced.

Likewise, we are provided with characters that don’t neatly fit into the villain or hero categories. Rune (18) is a witch, and her actions are all motivated by her goal of rescuing and freeing witches captured by the Blood Guard. She’s a Scarlet Pimpernel-type character, but she does lie and cross ethical borders when trying to obtain information that will help her cause. Gideon (20) is a Blood Guard captain with a very painful history that influences his opinion of witches and his willingness to send them to their deaths. Despite that, he is not cruel for the sake of cruelty, and he does everything in order to protect what’s left of his family. I begrudgingly liked him, possibly because I hoped for his redemption. Other characters also demonstrated their own complexities, like Verity and Alex.

I’m always interested in the magic systems authors create. In this case, all magic is tied to blood, which is necessary for spellcasting. Different types and strengths of spells have different requirements for the blood used. Old blood can be used for some weaker spells, but stronger spells require fresh blood. Some other variations are using one’s own blood versus someone else’s blood and using blood freely given versus blood taken against the person’s will. Each of these things has consequences, too. Cuts from magic leave behind distinct scars that give magic use away, whether the cuts are on a witch or someone providing them with blood. Using blood that was forcibly taken corrupts the witch.

I cannot imagine how the next book will possibly make what happens in this one okay. How can this result in a happy ending? I have to maintain hope that it will.

How it ends: (view spoiler)

Note: Some language but probably 10-15 f words (all Gideon). Violence. One scene of open-door sex (all of chapter 48, easy to skip).

Books being tagged "romantasy" have been hit or miss for me but this one was an absolute HIT for me. I read it so fast and it was such a great mix of character building and plot and magic. Around every corner the characters, whether Gideon or Rune or Alex, were doing something unexpected and the author did an excellent job of telling us why and showing us the repercussions. And of course--the END! I cannot wait to read book two!

I had heard great things about this book and was worried it was going to be overhyped. But this book did not disappoint, it was fantastic! It was a 5-star read for me. I had a hard time putting this one down, because I kept wanting to know what happened next. The plot was paced well, the characters were well written. I’m usually iffy with love triangles that involve brothers, but it was well done! Which had me shocked! The twists at the end had me shocked as well! The author explored some heavy topics, but they were handled well enough. I’m 100% going to read the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

3.5 Stars

I decided to round this up because I was throughly engrossed in this book, but there were some issues that kept me from fully loving it. First and foremost the plotting of the story felt off. I’ve been having a hard time trying to explain why, but it felt like it was moving too quickly and sometimes focused on side stuff more than it should have. Second, the ending felt a bit messy and a bit overly melodramatic (some certain “bloodshed” used as a plot device), which I’m personally just not a fan of. I did really like Rune and Gideon and their dynamic/relationship, though. The plot twist also had me excited; I pieced it together right before it was revealed and was on the edge of my seat. My overall thoughts are that this was entertaining and a solid idea but could have used one more round of polishing and fine tuning. But all that said, I’m going to read book 2 as I am very intrigued to see what happens next. If you liked Serpent & Dove, liked the witch v. witch hunter aspect, I think you would really like this one.

This didn't really feel like the author put a lot of thought into the plot. I also don't think this should be considered YA, there's enough content to consider this an adult/new adult romantasy, in my opinion.

I was a little skeptical going into this one, I think because the premise sounded like something that has been done so many times before and, surely, there can’t be much more to add to it at this point… but I’m glad I gave it a shot because I enjoyed it. It wasn’t the most epic, memorable romantasy, but I still liked it. Since it’s just a duology, I definitely want to pick up the next one when it comes out, although I’ll need a refresher because I already forgot most of the plot. If you’re a lover of the genre, don’t expect anything new or fresh. If you’re looking to get into the genre, I think this is a great one to start with.

Wow... I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. Even though things don't get REALLY good until about 70% in. I still felt the drive to flip pages and find out what would happen next. I guessed the twist at the end but one of the events shocked me to my core. It was an emotional rollercoaster. I can't wait to see what's in store in book 2!

Thank you to the author and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heartless hunter- 3.75⭐️3🌶️

New Adult Fantasy
Dual pov
Morally grey MC’s
True Enemies to lovers
Best friend’s Brother
Forbidden Magic
Witches
Secrets
Revolution

The premise was good. I enjoyed reading the book. The twist was nicely done, although when it was even remotely foreshadowed it was extremely easy to guess before it happened.

The pacing was ok. It flowed easily from one POV to the next. The world building was easy. I enjoyed the characters, but found myself wondering how the author was going to resolve the little love triangle. I didn’t expect what happened, but hey. That’s one way to do it. I’m wondering how the ending is going to lead to a healthy emotional resolution. I’m basically seeing red flags all over the place. But I look forward to seeing what the author brings to the table.

Period blood for spells was not the best. Glorifying self harm for spells, also not ideal to have to read about.

When it came to the characters, for the FMC, I expected a little more badassery and action on her part to back up having a moniker and being public enemy number one. Maybe if we had met her just a few days earlier when she pulled off a successful breakout it would have lent to her character a little more in that regard.

The MMC had depth and a tragic backstory. All of his decisions, no matter how conflicted, made sense. There were some great peeks to the different facets of his character.

The romance was nice and I was constantly pulled between the cinnamon roll and the tall dark and grumpy. Both love interests showed their genuine feelings and it made me not even mind that it was a love triangle.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own

Heartless Hunter was an amazing read. I was left speechless especially after that ending. It was an enchanting fantasy that involved romance, friendship and love. It is the perfect enemies to lovers that I didn't know I needed. Book 2 cannot release quick enough

I'm kinda sick of seeing everything pitched as "enemies to lovers" or relationships compared to the "Helnik" ship. At least if its not sapphics. I've gotten way more picky and I'm kinda thankful considering SMP strikes.

What can I say other than I loved this! So much so that I had to hit a physical copy! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-arc! Sorry it took me so long to read and review!

If you like magic, banned magic, enemies-to-lovers, action, heartbreak, and descriptive detail and prose, then this is for you. The journey Rune takes, the obstacles she faces, and the desire she has to find and save those like her, kept me wanting. I could not get enough of this!

2/5

I did not enjoy this book. Although the premise sounds interesting, I thought there were a lot of trigger warnings that warrants an adult label to this book rather than having the target audience to be teens/young adult.

Story wise, I honestly the plot had a lot of lazy plotting. For example, half of the book is about the witches scheming into the prison to rescue a witch, but they don’t even get to step foot in it. There were other cases where it just showed the author didn’t put thought into the plot. Like the access coin, they needed it to get into a very safe guarded prison. To think that the witch hunter Gideon would gamble it away, was crazy to me. That in itself deserved a more complex plot. Other cases like Gideon finding out the truth was so anticlimactic, he just walks into all the witches and Alex talking about breaking into prison? Romance wise, I didn’t find anything spectacular either. I hated Harrow a lot for baiting and pressuring Gideon to have an intimate relationship with Rune, just to see her scars was disgusting. I don’t know, it’s a mixture of characters I don’t like or particularly care about, and weird plotting that threw the book all off for me.

I also wanted to add the oddity of electricity in this story. I had to read that part twice cause the beginning gave me laturn/ancient age vibes, then all of the sudden people had guns and electricity? The world building was a little underdeveloped. But I will say it was different than most romantasies currently.

What a great book and one that there was so much hype around but it was well deserved. I loved it! Definitely one to add to your list.

That ending left me with my jaw hanging open..
it was a little slow in the beginning but by the end I was completely invested in these characters.. wow.
I loved the magic and the enemies to lovers aspect. The slow burn romance/ fake dating was delicious.
Would definitely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. Due to the ongoing boycott I will not be leaving my full thoughts until the issue has been resolved.

This book was so good! This was an enchanting and exciting fantasy romance about love, friendship, betrayal, power and courage.

'Heartless Hunter' is such a great jumping off into a new series. The ending certainly leaves you impatiently waiting for the next installment!

This novel is fast paced enemies-to-lovers story with a minor love triangle. It is marketed as Teens YA but is definitely more New Adult due to the sex and age of the characters.

The world building is colorful and dynamic. The rules of magic are firmly established. The characters are endearing with deep backstory which makes you feel as though you really know them. There are several side characters who are even given their due.

What I am hoping to see more of in book two is the more cunning side of the Crimson Moth. She is supposed to be this superhero-esque character helping and freeing witches that are being hunted but spends a lot of this book planning a witch-heist that never really happens and trying to get information from the witch hunter by seducing him into a relationship. All the while, he suspects her, so readily enters into the relationship.

There are also some side characters that behaved oddly but nothing really came of it so I am wondering if they have more to reveal in the next book...I'm talking to you Harrow.

Overall, I loved this story and can't wait for the next book in the series.

This was an amazing retelling of the Scarlett Pimpernel. I truly enjoyed exploring this world and I look forward to more books by this author.

Very engaging and easy to read, although it wasn't a particular standout for me. Regardless, I can see many other readers enjoying this.