This was a great finale, but the middle was admittedly a bit of a slog to get through. The beginning and ending were full of the banter, tension, intrigue, and fire that we all loved from the first book, but then towards the middle there was too much miscommunication and too many internal monologues, which put a damper on my fun. I got verrrrry sick of Rune and Gideon’s self-deprecating thoughts.

I mean… Gideon would basically get a boner from smelling Rune’s armpits, and then Rune would be like, “Omg, he is so disgusted by me because I’m a witch!” Meanwhile, Gideon would be like, “Man, if only she wasn’t in love with my brother and didn’t see me as poor trash.” It just kept going on and on for a while, and every time either of them said otherwise, they thought the other was lying. 🙄 It was frustrating and not fun (to me). I know these internal thoughts made sense based on the ending of the first book, but good grief—they were both salivating over each other every time they were anywhere near each other and just didn’t pay attention for way too long.

Then, from the middle toward the end, it got sooo much better. It was very predictable, but oh-so enjoyable. This became fun again, and I easily overlooked how I guessed every “twist.” At the end of the day, this duology is a hell of a lot of fun, and if you love enemies-to-lovers, witches, and exciting fantasy worlds with high stakes and lovable characters, then this will work for you!

Thank you, NetGalley & Wednesday Books, for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. 🫶🏻 Also, thank you, Penguin Random House Audio! The audiobook was AMAZING for both this one and the first book. I highly recommend audio for this series (though maybe the internal monologues were even more insufferable to listen to on audio than they would have been in print—who knows).

I thoroughly enjoyed the lush world of this novel. Great characters and a compelling plot. A wonderful follow-up to the first book.

I received a temporary digital copy of Rebel Witch from NetGalley, Wednesday Books and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After leaving with Cressida, Rune finds herself engaged to the Continent's prince in exchange for an army to take back the Republic. Gideon will not be deceived again; with orders to kill on Rune on sight, Gideon is more than willing to kill her and ensure the witches do not take the Republic. However, in a moment of hesitation, Rune offers a partnership Gideon can't refuse. When confronted with the terror Cressida brings, one must question - is there a better option? Can a third path be forged for the Republic and its people?

Rebel Witch is a great ending to Rune and Gideon's story. The Crimson Moth series is fantastic and I highly recommend the series!

I AM SUCH AN EMOTIONAL BABY FROM LIKE ENTIRE LAST FOURTH OF THIS BOOK!
firstly, I will be forever grateful for receiving an ARC for Rebel Witch, thank you, thank you, thank you, truly. Quite literally made my entire year and will never get over it.

NOW, I loved this book & duology so so much. I was thoroughly hooked from the beginning to the end of this book and couldn’t put it down. I was holding off on reading Heartless Hunter until Rebel Witch came out, which Im so glad I did because, cliffhanger of course, but once I saw I had the ARC, I dove right in & read both of the books in less than 48 hours. UGH I LOVE LOVE LOVED THEM BOTH SO MUCH.
I loved Gideon & Rune and their dynamic. Loved their story and the enemies to lovers to enemies and BACK to lovers plot, ofc I was hoping for a happy ending but HONESTLY you never know, Im convinced one of these days Im going to be absolutely crushed by a storyline ending with only pain. And although I had a feeling Rune would be brought back to life by using Cressida to do it I WAS STILL GRIPPING MY PILLOW ALRIGHT. I was telling myself it’ll be a happy ending but I fully kept trying to convince myself that she will remain dead and we get no happy ending for Gideon & her. WHICH WOULDVE SUCKED OBVIOUSLY because of the emotional damage, but like what a heroic little ending it wouldve been. However I loved the whole scene with Seraphine & how she was the ancient Wisdom, then after saving Rune & how she was able to move on after. I figured she was there for a purpose involving Rune after she spoke to Rune about how something awoke in her early on, but idky I thought the ancient Wisdom was Antonio originally and not her😭😭😭 so I lovedddd with her coming in and saying “Little queen, I am incorruptible. I’m Wisdom, and Ive waited a long time for this.”
I wish we got to learn more about Rune’s abilities with her seeing the future, but I like books sometimes leaving certain aspects of the story left up to the readers own interpretations too. And I LOVED her seeing her future with Gideon & their three children, warmed my little fluttering heart. <3
Also chapter 33 was my favorite, it was just too good.

“Rebel Witch” wrapped up the Heartless Hunter duology well. It picked right up where book 1 ended, and finished the storyline with a nice bow on top. I did feel that it was more suited to be a “new adult” rating than a young adult fantasy. The language was overall mild, but the steamy scenes were a bit much in how they were described. The angst between Gideon and Rune was definitely young adult.
I felt like some of the reveals towards the end were almost the result of “Oh no! We need to add LGBTQ representation, and Seraphine’s true identity “. It didn’t feel like it was genuinely supposed to be there?
Overall, worth the read, and youth will be happy.

This book was everything I needed and more. Rune is seriously the badass bitch I strive to be everyday. And Gideon is just always so adorable and for some reason gives me the “can I keep you?” Vibes from Casper and I’m not mad about it either. On a serious note, I’m obsessed. Kristen always does such a phenomenal job bringing the stories to life and making you fall in love. And coming back in from that banger of a cliff hanger from book 1? It was perfection. It was an angle I was not expecting but wouldn’t have it any other way. This book was the perfect wrap up to such an amazing duology. I’m so thankful I was able to get this book early from netgalley. If you guys haven’t checked out this duology yet, go and read heartless hunter first and thank me later!😉

I might’ve liked this even more than the first book! Sure, some parts were predictable, others totally unexpected—but THIS is how you wrap up a duology. It’s YA, and yeah, a few moments felt repetitive, but I couldn’t put it down. Action-packed, edge-of-your-seat suspense, characters you’re fully invested in, and a perfect ending. What more could I ask for? Hunters, witches, magic, danger, banter, suspense, and side characters I actually connected with! SOLD!

Thank you NetGalley, St Martins Press and Wednesday Books for providing an advanced reader’s copy 🤎

Thank you to @kristenciccarelli @stmartinspress @netgalley for the #gifted e-book and @prhaudio for the #gifted audiobook.

The stunning conclusion to the Crimson Moth duology.

This book seamlessly picks up right where Heartless Hunter left off, thrusting us into the thrilling pursuit of Rune by Gideon. In a shocking twist, Gideon discovers Rune engaged to a prince who’s critically aligned with Cressida, the formidable Witch Queen, as she schemes to reclaim her city. With stakes higher than ever, Rune and Gideon unite to thwart Cressida’s plans for total domination.

The palpable tension between Rune and Gideon is electric. Each time one of them finds themselves in a perilous situation, I was on the edge of my seat, eager to see how they would maneuver their way out. The story bursts forth with intensity and maintains its grip on the reader throughout. Packed with danger and intrigue, the pacing is expertly crafted to keep your attention rapt. I particularly appreciated how the characters were faced with morally challenging decisions, making their journey all the more compelling. The dual POVs of Rune and Gideon added profound depth to the narrative, immersing us deeply in their thoughts and emotions.

Having the opportunity to read and listen to this book was nothing short of incredible. The narrator truly brought the characters to life, infusing the story with her emotion and voice, enhancing the overall experience.

If you're a fan of fast-paced, exhilarating tales, this duology is a must-read.

Rebel Witch picks up a few months after the end of the first book, and we are immediately thrown back into captivating action and tension with Gideon and Rune. I love the dynamic between these two so much. They are peak enemies to lovers in that they actually want to, and try to, kill each other. The second book does have quiet a few more trope-y parts to their relationship, but I felt like these were incorporated well with the stories and weren’t just thrown in there to be in there. I was on the edge of my seat nearly the entire time I was reading this, and was shook at the ending. Both books in this series were five stars for me!

Having loved Heartless Hunter, I was thrilled to receive an eARC for Rebel Witch. This book picked right up where Heartless Hunter left off and it was the perfect conclusion.

I was immediately drawn right back into the world of Rune Winters, and I enjoyed seeing more of it as her and Gideon traveled throughout.

I liked the multi-faceted rebellion against Cressida and the coming together of groups of people who had been so sworn against one another.

My love for Rune and Gideon did not falter. The enemies to (again) lovers gripped me and I was so happy to see them end up together.

The ending felt whole and well written, with no unanswered questions or leaving me wanting.

This is a world I will miss but will surely revisit!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Such a fun romantasy duology! Both books are fast-paced and easy to follow along. Definitely recommend this series if you want to dip your toes into romantasy.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

As much as I enjoyed book 1, I think book 2 is even better! The tension and banter is so delicious 🤤 this was a wild af ride and I devoured this! The ending was complete perfection!

My first publisher wish granted??? I have to start by saying that I was absolutely gutted that I couldn’t request this ARC as Heartless Hunter was absolutely one of my favourite reads last year and I legit recommended it to everyone! So I want to take the extra time to thank the publisher for granting my wish and allowing me to read this ARC.

I absolutely fell in love with Rune and the world building/magic system in the previous book and this absolutely did not disappoint in any way. I LOVED reading about Rune in Gideon in this sequel that was filled with suspension, tension and high stakes. Sequels have really been disappointing for me the last year so I’m so happy this was just as magical (pun fully intended) as the first book. The way in which the author creates romantic tension between these two mortal enemies is just so divine and watching Gideon slowly come around was so well done. This book had just the right amount of spice in it and I really appreciate an author that can write so much chemistry between two characters that it almost jumps off the page. I really liked how this book covered all the plot points established, wrapped them up nicely and left no loose ends. My sole criticism is that I WISH THERE WAS MORE TO READ 😭. I’m legit just so in love with this magic world and find it so unique. I would love to see another novel take place in this world or even a prequel book because I just want so much more time.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “Rebel Witch” will be published February 18, 2025.

I really enjoyed this book, but was also frustrated at times. I definitely liked the first book better.

This book was frustrating because of the lack of communication throughout and the fact that their thoughts were repeated multiple times within paragraphs of each other - it felt like trying to meet the word quota in your essay.

Overall, the story had me interested though. I love Rune and Gideon as characters and the story was fast paced. :)

I absolutely devoured this in less than a day! Rune is one of my favorite heroines ever! I can’t wait to see what Kristen Ciccarelli writes next!

Where do I even begin? I was so excited to read the sequel to Heartless Hunter and it did not disappoint. It kept the same vibes of enemies to lovers that the first book had, with the characters constantly fighting and loving eachother and never knowing if they could trust eachother or not, if their love was real or not. The betrayal trope is huge here. I loved the magical elements, and the surprise twists that popped up along the way. The romance was sooooooo good and the ending gahhhhh. I read this in a day, I couldn't put it down. I'll now go buy every edition I can get my hands on.

Thank you, for the ARC! I’ve been waiting for this one ever since getting an ARC for The Crimson Moth over a year ago!! All I gotta say is… FINALLY. I couldn’t stop turning the pages… The pace had picked up SO much from Book #1, which was the only issue I had with it. So The Rebel Witch was perfect in my eyes. Yes, it’s a bit cliché at times but YA is gonna YA and I don’t see that as a flaw. Keep in mind, this is YA/NA and you’ll be golden. This was more romantic than any open door romance I’ve read recently. The yearning?! Holy moly. My heart was skipping beats. This was the perfect ending to an amazing duet!!

What an action packed ending to one of the most addictive duologies I have ever read! I had been waiting and wishing for an early copy of this book and THANK YOUUUU PUBLISHER because I was BLESSED. The INTENSITY and the PASSION, ugh and the PINING and YEARNING too. Rebel Witch was everything I wanted and more.

This book has me torn in a lot of ways on how to rate it. I went with a neutral amount of stars, this book had some really amazing and epic moments, but there were also completely irritating and eye roll worthy moments as well. I liked the characters, I finished this book in a good amount of time, so there are positives there. The storyline was kind of what was to be expected, but it still was good at times. There were times the book flew, and then the last chunk of the book really annoyed me! The characters were there, but the storyline took turns that were not well explained or thought out. Without trying to have any spoilers, we have seen the process, learned the magic, found bits and pieces of the history all throughout these past two books, yet we land on something random in the end to help it all resolve the way the author wanted. It felt like no one knew how to end the book, and they agreed enough on this ending. I'm frustrated with the book because it could have been something magical and epic, but I'm left with poor planning and storytelling that did not meet the goals at hand.
Overall the story completed itself, I did finish the book, but not sure if I would recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for granting my wish on NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

** NOTE: I started reading the ARC through CH 16, and then was able to locate the fully published book in stores the next day, so I completed my reading with the physical final copy. **

4.25 stars. I enjoyed this book a lot. The character development was excellent, since, when we start the book, they still very much hate each other after the events of Crimson Moth, and where we find them at the end is very different from where we start out... not just the main characters either but the supporting cast as well, which I loved. There was also a lot more world-building in this 2nd book, as well as backstory to help the reader better understand the storyline and whats going on, and the plot continues to keep the reader on their toes and guessing whats going to happen. A lot of the time I can figure out how a book will end, but I didn't put all the pieces together until I actually reached the end in this book, which was thrilling.

However, I felt the pacing was maybe a little off? Or maybe it was just a LOT to squeeze into 2 books. The middle part of the story wasn't boring at all, and things were certainly happening to move the plot forward, but the ending felt a bit rushed. Everything kind of comes to a head in the last 20 pages out of ~450, and I wish the final standoff was drawn out a bit more, so there was more suspense going into it. I also felt like there were important parts that we learn during the course of the story (such as the backstory of the Roseblood family, and about the Ancients and their acolytes), that we only graze at a surface level, and I wish there was time to go deeper. Like, I really want to better understand Rune's backstory, which we get a bit more of here, and its certainly integral to the plot, but it's kind of mentioned briefly once and I didn't fully understand why a certain decision was made.

Overall, this is still an excellent book that I definitely recommend!