Heartless Hunter is a fast paced and all around fun read! This book hooked me from the beginning and kept my interest throughout. I loved Rune and Gideon and couldn’t get enough of them. I look forward to the next book in the series

The Heartless Hunter
By Kristin Ciccarelli

This is a fantasy with a theme which resonates today. It also seems to be the opening round in a new series.

The story takes place in a country once ruled by magic and dominated by the Sister Queens, witches capable of the highest orders of magic – or the darkest, depending on your point of view. The non-magical masses revolted 10 years ago, killing the Queens and subsequently hunting and "purging" any witch still alive. Having magic has become a very perilous proposition.

But the real story here involves an unrecognized witch, Rune, who is trying to save witches from this fate and spirit them away to safety in another land. She is aided in this endeavor by her good friend Verity de Wilde and Alexander Sharpe, a talented musician who has an unrequited love for Rune. Alex is in a difficult position. His brother Gideon is the Captain of the Blood Guards who are seeking to destroy witches.

Alex loves both Rune and Gideon, but his loyalties are strained. He accepts that Rune is a witch needing his protection. At the same time, he loves his brother and understands that his brother has been terribly abused at the hands of Cressida, the youngest of the Sister Queens.

The relationships among the major players here are a mixture of love and hate, and ultimately cannot overcome the distrust that builds insurmountable walls between them.

The ending obviously indicates that there will be a sequel. I will be interested to read it.

”She was drowning, and he was air. She hadn’t even realized how much she needed him until he was gone.”

oh wow. this was absolutely stunning. while this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024, i still didn’t expect it to be as good as it was. definitely one of my favorite reads of the year.

this was like a game of cat and mouse. the witch and her witch hunter. the predator and his prey. enemies to lovers, or was it lovers to enemies? the twists were so unexpected and at times i thought i knew what was coming, only to be totally wrong.

more detailed review to come after i collect my thoughts because my brain is exploding right now

thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review

Rating this between 4.5 and 4.75 due to a few plot decisions, but this book surprised me greatly and I had such a good time reading it.

It was like watching a game of cat and mouse play out where both protagonists alternate between roles throughout the story. I especially loved how the author displayed these characters’ constant awareness and suspicion towards each other while they struggled with their growing feelings. Truly my favorite aspect of the book.

The romance isn't earth shattering but it’s compelling, considering that the protagonists are charming and have good chemistry. Their backstories bring more depth to the main conflict as well. And the supporting characters were pleasant enough, although I didn’t like the way some of their plotlines unfolded and how these developments may impact both protagonists’ journeys.

As for the political arc, it had some interesting points but I’m hoping it’ll be better explored in the sequel. All things considered, I really enjoyed this book and will be on the edge of my seat probably for a good year before I can even dream of reading the next installment.

Huge thanks to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The best enemies to lovers release of 2024? More likely than you think!

This is my first book by the author, and it will not be my last. Crimson Moth is perfectly paced, with ever-raising stakes, and romance that devastated me by the end.

Rune is a witch in hiding. Gideon is a witch-hunter. I was captured by that alone, but as the story unfolds, I only became more interested. These two are constantly at odds in a “steamy game of cat and mouse.” But they also just melt for one another.

I’m not one for love triangles, but this one was so subtle, and it had me muttering under my breath. Kicking my feet. The best books are the ones that make you feel, and the ones that make you stare into space after the last page. (And this one did both!)

I did predict parts of the plot, but I couldn’t predict how it played out. Knowing that somehow I was approved for an ARC is unbelievable, because I would pay cash right now to have a copy in my hands.

This book is beautiful, and bloody. The world-building is rich, but my favorite thing is the duality of Rune’s character—how she is always playing a part, and at odds with herself. It was special to see her character growth.

Just wow. This is going to take up space in my brain for a while. I can’t wait to have this to properly annotate for my collection.

Full review to come closer to pub date or after I reread this book - yeah it was that fun!

Thanks to NetGalley for the early advanced reader copy.

This was an interesting read for me. Going into it, I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen, that Rune and Gideon would start out by using each other, but then would have to set aside their differences, work together, and fall in love in the process. When that did not happen, I was excited about being surprised and reading something new. As the story progressed I found myself wishing that the plot I'd originally thought would happen was the real story.

Now, I am not a writer and am not saying I could have done better, but for me some of the choices made here didn't resonate. The fact that one of the main plot points was having a sexual assault survivor seduce and sleep with someone for the investigation felt really off-putting. That everyones world view was SO one dimensional makes me confused as to how any of this is going to end.

The ending was shocking - I didn't see one of those twists coming - and I while I am intrigued by learning how any of this could possibly wrap up in one more book I am not sure I will continue with the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

WTF. KRISTEN CICCARELLI, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? Thank you for giving me this. THAT SAID...

Thank you Kristen Ciccarelli, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a fairly formulaic (true) enemies-to-lovers, but I want to just SAY THIS.. I was so enraptured in the story that I missed some (what others are calling) glaring details. BOY WAS I SURPRISED. Others don't agree.

Whatever. I LOVE THAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT BLOOD WITCHES. Okay, let me actually review this mfer. I keep getting excited.

PROS:
- True enemies-to-lovers
- Well-written
- Action-oriented
- Likeable FMC
- Great lead-in for a second installment (please don't rush it - I love this first one I want the second to be just as amazing)
- Characters are decently developed IMO
- SO MANY SECRETS. I LOVE SECRETS.

CONS:
- These characters are ONCE AGAIN super young (yes I know is YA - getting to that)
- It absolutely should not be marketed as YA - it's definitely NA. Just because you make your FMC 18, therefore young adult, doesn't mean the content is YA. Get it together.
- The world building could be more thorough
- I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE TO WAIT SO LONG FOR THE NEXT BOOK.

The story opens with our FMC Rune in a rain-soaked forest looking for a witch at the behest of her deceased nan. We are immediately plunged into how Rune arrived at this current event and the state of the world she lives in is outlined. Being a witch is a death sentence.

I won't ruminate on the next goings-on, because I am not writing a book report, but this story hits the ground running even though the sensation of rushing doesn't come until a bit later. Seriously, read the blurb on goodreads - if you like the blurb, you will love the book. I absolutely can't wait to read the next one.

and THE LAST LINE (with zero context): Gideon would come for her, and when he did, Rune would be ready. LE SIGH. Love it.

I was so excited for this book and so wanted to love it, but it just never fully connected and had a fair amount of plot-holes. I did like the magic system and Rune, but felt the world itself was poorly explained, along with a lot of character motivations weren’t thought out or explained well.


SPOILERS AHEAD.


I found myself increasingly frustrated, because while it was clear to me who Verity was, along with some other key twists from the beginning, it made things make less sense. For example, why did Alex not kill Cressida? Why wasn't Rune immediately suspicious that Verity was reading that particular spell? Why after knowing what she does about Cressida does Rune agree with Alex that if she left it would be okay because Cressida would be able to finish?? At that point I thought the engagement ring was enchanted, especially because she does a complete 180 out of nowhere to want to leave and be with Alex which makes no sense to her character, but when its taken off of her her mindset doesn’t change so it can’t be that. If Alex is on Cressidas side/under her spell, which was my theory, why does he step in front of her bullet? Also why in the world would the Blood Guards lay down their weapons if Nicholas is already dead? That was Cressidas bargaining power so that made absolutely no sense.

It’s a shame because I liked the premise, and the mine scene was so good/exciting as were some other parts but this feels like a first draft if I’m completely honest.

💚 Heartless Hunter ARC Review 💚

Thank you so much to Kristen Ciccarelli and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Heartless Hunter is a fantasy romance and book one in The Crimson Moth series. In a land where magic and witches are forbidden, Rune’s entire existence is in jeopardy. She comes from a long line of witches and her entire family has been destroyed. So when she decides to court a notorious witch hunter for information, did she sign up for more than she bargained for?

This was an interesting read! I enjoyed Rune and her strength throughout this book. She was definitely a bad ass! Gideon was an intriguing character and I loved him so much. The world building was unique and I enjoyed the historical twists on their society.

Overall this was a 4 star read for me. I enjoyed the characters and the story. Lots of world building and politics that’s set up for more in the series. This book did have a romantic subplot but it was super slow burn and faded to black, so overall one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of fantasy romance with unique magic, intriguing world building, and characters with all the enemies to lovers vibes, then absolutely pick this one up!!

Please Note: Review will be posted on Amazon upon publication

Do you like enemies to lovers? Of course you do. How about lovers to enemies? You’ll find both in this book.

This is New Adult with one erotic scene that stays firmly vague, in the YA arena.

The book is about a deceptively clever witch and a ruthless witch-hunter. The heroine of this story, Rune Winters, is one of the few surviving witches after the revolution that toppled the Witch Queens from power. In this revolution, Rune had to report on the one person she loved most in this world and watch her meet her bloody end by the hands of an angry mob.

Of course you side with the witches. Even now, years after the revolution, witches are a persecuted minority that are systematically and publicly murdered by the New Republic when found by the Blood Guard.

Enter Gideon. Gideon is a Captain of the Blood Guard and was responsible for two of the deaths of the Witch Queens during the revolution. He seems cold blooded and ruthless, and he is, but you learn why and you begin to understand. He and his family were tortured most cruelly under the Witch Queen’s rule. He lost almost everything and everyone he carried about due to the oppression of the ruling witch queens. You even begrudgingly understand his single minded hate, and why he has been pursuing The Crimson Moth, a rogue witch, with such fervor.

Of course, neither is 100% right. They’ve both suffered cruelly at the hand of the other. The true-north compass of this world is Alex, the brother of Gideon and the best friend of Rune. His love and devotion break your heart come the end.

This is a duology and ends on a cliffhanger. I cannot wait to find out how the two worlds reconcile into one, or if it’s even possible for some people to reconcile at all.

Thank you to Kristin Ciccarelli for writing a compelling story that I can’t wait to find out the ending to. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC which in no way affected my opinion of the book. I hope someone ends up doing a special edition of this book… it is one that I want to admire on my shelf for a long time.

A witch and witch hunter? Count me in!

As excited as I was to read this, it didn't quite live up to the hype for me. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the story, it just wasn't one I found as memorable as I thought I might. I also thought this fell a little more into the NA category more than YA, but that was just my personal opinion based on some factors that I felt were a little more "adult." The chemistry between Rune and Gideon was perfection. I love a good enemies to lovers trope.

Will I read book 2? Sure, I'll definitely give it a chance!

Loving the story of The Scarlet Pimpernel from a very young age, I immediately loved the moments of deception that littered The Heartless Hunter. Rune's wild escapes were filled with tension to keep me reading. The plot flowed so fast I couldn't put the book down. A great testament to the outcomes of revolutions, especially the French Revolution, suffering some of the same problems the monarchy who they rebelled against. This book mixed in these larger questions with an exciting plot and tension filled romance.

Can't wait for the next book!!!

kristen Ciccarelli has shook me to my core! I loved this book so much. I was obsessed with the witch/witch hunter vibe! Give me more!

A fantastic series opener! Dark fantasy, romance, and betrayal; everything a reader could want in a book. Absolutely recommend!!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

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.

(3.5) Give me all the forbidden romances please! A witch and a witch hunter? Freakin sold. I was so excited to receive an e-arc of this and dove straight in. I was hooked almost immediately. Rune is a witch, but no one can know. And Gideon is a witch hunter that she hates for multiple reasons, and well, he’s not really her biggest fan either. I enjoyed the writing, the dual POV, the magic system, and the overall danger. It’s a bit of a slow burn, which I enjoyed. I do have a few issues with it mainly being the repetitiveness and ongoing back and forth both our mcs do that just seemed to drag out the story unnecessarily. I’ll mention another down below as it is kind of spoilery but I want to mention this, this book does not read as YA to me. There are some down right bloody descriptions and gruesome events that really took it out of the YA category for me. Which is fine, I just want readers to know beforehand. The overall mystery and plot had me very curious and has me on edge for book 2 so I already can’t wait for that to come out whenever that may be.

Tropes:
-forbidden romance
-enemies-to-lovers
-secret identity
-different worlds
-dual POV



*potential spoiler*

My biggest issue with this book is the side character basically insisting that Gideon sleeps with Rune to make sure she isn’t a witch? And him agreeing? Just feels icky to me.



Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the really access!

4.8 rounded up to 5/5

"Heartless Hunter" by Kristen Ciccarelli is a spellbinding journey into a world where magic and political intrigue collide, and the lines between love and betrayal become perilously blurred.

Set against the backdrop of a post-revolutionary society, the novel introduces Rune, a witch forced to conceal her true identity in a world where her kind is hunted and persecuted. The narrative skillfully weaves together elements of fantasy, romance, and political drama, creating a rich tapestry that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

The slow-burn romance and enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Rune and Gideon are executed with finesse, adding depth and complexity to their characters. The checks and balances in the magic system contribute to the story's authenticity, preventing the narrative from relying on convenient and plot-thickening magical interventions.

The world-building, while compelling, could benefit from further exploration, especially regarding the purpose and significance of witches in the society depicted. Nevertheless, the fast-paced adventure and the continual sense of mystery and suspense make for a gripping read.

Ciccarelli's writing keeps the reader guessing, and the satisfying yet tantalizing ending leaves them eager for more. The novel strikes a delicate balance between resolution and the promise of future developments, making it an excellent starting point for those new to the fantasy romance genre.

In conclusion, "Heartless Hunter" is a captivating and well-crafted tale that seamlessly blends magic, romance, and political intrigue. Kristen Ciccarelli's storytelling prowess shines through, making this novel a compelling addition to the fantasy romance genre.

Loved this book! The storyline was amazing and I didn’t want to put it down. I loved the chase between Rune and Gideon. I loved the world and the characters and the suspense of the backstory as I watched the story revealed. The only thing I didn’t like is that it’s over and all I want is to read more.

Fantastic book. Fantastic start to a series. I cannot wait to read more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Full review to come closer to pub date (on Feb. 20) or after I reread this book - yeah it was that fun!

Thanks to NetGalley for the early advanced reader copy.

I had a ball reading this enemies to lovers, witchxwitch hunter slow burn. Can’t wait for the sequel!