✨ The Vibes ✨
A witchy game of cat and mouse

📖 Read if…
✨ You like TENSION between love interests
✨ Witchy books are your preferred fantasy subgenre
✨ You want romantasy with little to no stream

Heartless Hunter came out of nowhere last year and became one of my 2024 favorites, and honestly a new all-time favorite in the fantasy genre. So the sequel was of course one of my most hotly-anticipated reads of this year.

To start, I’m surprised this duology hasn’t found more traction on bookstagram. I see people post about it, but with nowhere near the frequency they post about other popular series. I think the Crimson Moth series is totally deserving of the same level of hype as ACOTAR and others, given its unique premise and excellent romance.

Keeping things vague to avoid spoilers, my favorite thing about this series is the romantic tension between Rune and Gideon. Ciccarelli does such a good job of setting the stakes (he’s a witch hunter! she’s a witch!) and then having fun with the cat and mouse game between the two. I also like how little steam this series has, as it leaves room for Rune and Gideon to explore and consider the very serious consequences of their relationship, which adds even more tension.

I was nervous about how things would end, and if the fact that this series is a duology would leave things feeling rushed. But I thought the ending was perfect (though I wouldn’t mind spending more time with these characters in the future).

Rebel Witch is out now. Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was truly a perfect duet. This was every thing I hoped for and more and I’m honestly so sad it is over. This was the perfect ya fantasy.

4.5⭐️

Omg what an incredible end to this amazing story!!! Ugh I love these characters I am so sad their story is over!!! Gideon and Rune are just 😍 if you have no read this duology yet, get moving!!!! So so so good!

Kristen Ciccarelli consistently writes compelling stories and series that feel deeply interconnected and Rebel Witch, sequel to Heartless Hunter, is no exception. The will they/won’t they have two lovers at odds is just enough with a satisfying ending to this YA duology.

I will start by saying I am biased because I absolutely loved Heartless Hunter! Rebel Witch did not disappoint! If it’s even possible Rune and Gideon’s chemistry got even better! I did guess the twist but I was still hooked. This was fast paced and fun! If you loved Heartless Hunter you need to pick this up, if you haven’t read Heartless Hunter what are you doing? Go. Pick. It. Up.

I really enjoyed this book overall. I will admit i grew to love this romance and and all the elements and i thought this was a great series overal. I also really liked the whole plot. I think that the reasons it was 5 stars was because i felt liked the book had some rushed pacing issues but i overal loved this book!!

This was such a great duology! It seriously had the perfect enemies to lovers and I thought the fighting and tension between these two was great. This was fast paced and entertaining and had me glued from start to finish. I did feel it was a bit too long, but overall a fabulous ending!

Rebel Witch

[Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.]

The conclusion to the duology, I’ve been waiting with bated breath for this one. And spoiler alert: it did NOT disappoint.

Without giving too much away, we are following Rune, a young witch who is trying to help her fellow witches in a world where being one is a death sentence. She plays socialite during the day with a mask of an absolute carefree aristocrat and by night, dons the moniker ‘The Crimson Moth’ who rescues witches from those that would see them all burn.

Her luck - good or bad - causes her to run into none other than a captain of the witch hunters, in charge of not only arresting them but making sure they are put to death to end the world of the evil casters once and for all.

In this book, we continue to follow Rune as she continues to make difficult choices along her journey and even harder choices of who to trust - including trusting her own heart.

Very well written, very entertaining. I actually put off finishing it for a bit because I didn’t want it to end. Loved this.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded up)

Rebel Witch was a fantastic conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology. There was adventure, passion, secrets, and romance. I just had a fun time reading.

This book picks up immediately after Heartless Hunter, so I would recommend reading that book first.

It’s dual POVs of the main characters and there are some great tropes like: a witch x witch hunter romance, forced proximity, a cat-and-mouse game, and a forbidden romance.

While the storyline was very predictable it was still well written and paced. There were some intense, action-packed, heartfelt, amusing and emotional moments. I loved all the side characters as well.

The magical and adventurous elements were some of my favorite parts in this story. I really enjoyed the cat-and-mouse game between the main characters as well.

The romance between them was written perfectly. The tension, angst, and banter was fantastic.

The last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat. I really liked how everything was wrapped up. However, it was very rushed and I wished there had been a bit more explanation to certain subplots. But the conclusion was really satisfying.

Overall, just a great romantasy read and finale to the duology!

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved this series so much. I love the tension and the forbidden love feel of the series. Rune and Gideon’s relationship kept me invested and excited about turning these pages. The audio was great as well and I highly recommend!

This was an excellent sequel to The Crimson Moth (The Heartless Hunter) -- I enjoyed the enemies to lovers vibes and was impressed with the fast-paced plot that never really gave me a chance to breathe -- a fun and exciting ride full of tension and twists! I was impressed with how the author managed to make the miscommunication between G and R from book 1 last throughout pretty much 50% of book 2 and succeeded in not making it unbelievable or annoying. And even though I guessed pretty much every single twist, it didn't ruin the story for me.

Rebel Witch is the stunning conclusion to the Crimson Moth duology by Kristen Ciccarelli. Rune Winters has finally escaped the Republic but she isn't free of Gideon Sharpe yet. After the return of Cressida, Gideon is in disgrace, the one way to earn his position back? Assassinate Rune Winters. Gideon thinks this should be easy, after her betrayal Gideon is eager to make her pay. But once they come face to face the two find an old spark re-igniting between them. Rune and Gideon realize they must band together to stop Cressida from brining back the Reign of Witches. But will they be able to stop Cressida without betraying each other first?

Rating: 4.5

I was so freaking excited for this book! I loved Heartless Hunter and this one did not disappoint. I was so ready to read about Rune and Gideon. I did feel like some stuff was pretty predictable (missing sister and Seraphine being the Wisdom) but I still loved it. I read it in under 24 hours so I was definitely hooked. It kept me engaged and I honestly couldn't put it down!

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it did not disappoint. I’m sad to see this series end because I love these characters so much but it was the perfect way to end it. I can’t wait to see what this author does next!

There were some interesting moments, but overall this one felt a bit off for me. The book was fast-paced initially but slowed down with unnecessary miscommunication and predictable plot twists. Gideon's character development was disappointing compared to Rune's in the first book. The overly explanatory tone made it hard to stay immersed. It's an enjoyable read if you're looking for something light, but it didn't offer the depth I was hoping for. Didn't live up to the expectation I had from book 1 unfortunately.

Absolutely perfect conclusion to this duology! I honestly could have read more books but I love that this story was done in 2.

This series has everything, witchy vibes, enemies to lovers, plot twists.

Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books and especially Kristen Ciccarelli for the honor to review this story!

What a fun duology this was! I loved every minute of it. The first one was so fun because they were true enemies to lovers. The second one was just as fun because they were once again enemies 🙌🏻 it was the best watching them have their push and pull with each other.
I love how amazing and fun the world building and magic system is while not being overly complicated. The overall storyline was the same way. Nothing was super surprising but it was so entertaining and good that it didn’t need to be.

I’m such a big fan of duologies these days. They’re the perfect length and this one has become one of my top favs now. Highly recommend.

Rebellion, romance, and political intrigue! If you thought book one was intense, this sequel raises the bar. War, betrayal, shifting allegiances—Ciccarelli doesn’t hold back.

The dynamics between characters deepen, with love and loyalty being tested in compelling ways. If you were invested in the romance and friendships of book 1, expect even more emotional complexity here.

Ciccarelli broadens the scope of her world, revealing new magical and political dimensions that add richness without feeling like unnecessary padding.

A strong, emotionally charged sequel that expands on foundations of the first book. If you love morally complex fantasy with rebellion, romance, and magic, this one delivers.

(Actual rating: 3.5 stars)
Unfortunately, my enjoyment of this concluding installment went down a little from the first book because the narrative fixated far more on the romance than on the plot. As the audiobook progressed closer and closer to the end with blow after blow coming against opponents of the witch queen, I could not figure out how Ciccarelli could adequately wrap up this plot in a way that favored the main characters. She did manage to do it in a way that somehow did not seem clunky or through the use of deus ex machina but that did not change my experience with the earlier portions of the book, in which I quickly grew tired of all the times Rune and Gideon found themselves together, were found out and somehow escaped the consequences. Oh well.

Like a moth to a flame, here I fluttered for this book. This book delivers on the enemies to lovers dynamic. The witch hunter hunting the witch who both vow to end the other…except they can’t stay away. The story was fast paced, full of adventures, and the slow burn is so delicious! I absolutely devoured it. I implore everyone to read this duology!