4.5*

What a way to end a duology!!

I read this in one day because nothing could have torn me away from Gideon and Rune! This story was much more action packed than book one, the pace never lagged and the plot was constantly propelled forward by new obstacles.

The yearning, the pinning and the angst between Gideon and Rune was everything!! I loved how conflicted they were, how their witch hunter x witch dynamic made their relationship so tense and difficult to navigate. How much they secretly wanted each other, but it just wasn't that easy. The betrayals from book one weighed so heavily on both of them.. making every interaction overflow with tension and feeling. ATE IT UP!

I loved every second of this book!! A very satisfying conclusion.

I absolutely enjoyed this conclusion to the Crimson Moth Duet. I found myself unable to put it down and wanted to keep reading late into the night. There was something utterly refreshing about the writing and just ticked all my boxes for a great time. There was SO much great tension throughout the book and if anything I think I enjoyed this more than book 1. Loved seeing the characters grow and eventually get to that HEA we crave.

Holy smokes! I flew through this book! I got immediately drawn in. I was looking forward to this book and it blew my mind!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

This is one of those rare cases where I believe this book should have been longer OR another book should have been written. The biggest issue I had was that I felt like more time was needed. It didn't exactly feel rushed, but a lot of scenes or information could have been expanded and flushed out a bit more. For example, in the very first chapter, Rune is engaged to a prince. We don't get to see the build up to how or why this happened, only that it happened. Rune's relationship with Seraphine is also told to us readers instead of us seeing how it developed. I would have appreciated more build up, especially with Verity/Cressida being the villain now.

There were a few minor pet peeves that I had, such as the ending (side eye to the author), the number of times Gideon and Rune argue about not trusting each other, etc. But I will say that this was an entertaining read and I'm so glad I got an early copy. I read through it super fast. The pacing overall was pretty good, though it could have slowed down in a few sections. I'm sad that this duology is coming to an end, but it was fun while it lasted!

Thank you so much to TBR Beyond Tours and Wednesday books for the early copy in exchange for a review.

I don’t even know where to start with this one. This might be one of my favorite couples of all time. I’m a huge enemies to lovers fan, and this duology delivers. What could be better than a witch/witch hunter couple??? These two have so much chemistry that even when they’re trying to kill each other they’re thinking about how much they want to kiss each other. I’m a sucker for that, and apparently just love getting my heart ripped out.

Dual POVs was the best possible choice for this duology. Getting to move back and forth between Rune and Gideon really draws you into this battle of wits, each one trying to outsmart the other. It is so funny to start in one perspective and see all their plans being laid out only to move to the other’s perspective and see that they’re already three steps ahead of that.

But this book becomes so much more than a cat and mouse story with an incredible romance. The themes of standing up against a corrupt government and choosing to be the one to fight for a better world were beautifully incorporated into this story. Rune has always been so much more than the facade she puts forth to the people around her, and in this book we get to see more of HER. And Gideon has to decide between his friends and the organization that gave him a home or his heart, and what it means to not let your experiences define you. That your past is not your future.

This duology has definitely made its home at the top of my list. It’s so hard for a sequel to stand up to its predecessor, and this one exceeds it in my opinion. I devoured this book in a little over a day, and can see myself going back over and over again in the future. Rune and Gideon are what I mean when I say I love enemies to lovers. I WILL be reading everything Kristen writes from now on. She can break my heart anytime.

Gideon and Rune have my heart forever. This duology is a masterclass on how a YA novel can still impact an adult reader. The characters were rich. The story was powerful. The love between the MMC and FMC was so beautiful and fought for. I just ate this up like I did book 1. It gave a very fitting end to their story. I’ll think about Gideon and Rune forever. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Loved it soooo much but the first one will absolutely still be my favorite. The author made this sequel fit very well with the original. Everything about this forbidden romance was captivating and beautifully written.

The sequel to the hit Heartless Hunter, Rebel Witch is “the enemy of my enemy is my friend: a book.”
And what a wild ride it is. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for the eARC of #RebelWitch

At the conclusion of Heartless Hunter, I didn’t know what to expect from these characters; everything was both back on the table and at an impasse, simultaneously. But never you fear: this book is anything but a standstill.

With even more excitement and action than the first book, Rune Winters stands alongside Cressida Roseblood to give freedom back to their fellow witches. Unfortunately, Gideon Sharpe can’t let them do that. He has a Republic to preserve, after all, and he can’t let Rune get in the way. To put it simply: adventure ensues.

My only critique is that I guessed every main plot point 5-10 chapters in advance. This is not normal for me as I like to be surprised, and the predictability reduced my enjoyment of those scenes and the whole book (but only a bit).

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Crimson Moth duology, specifically Rebel Witch, and would read them both again someday!

I loved this book; it drew you into a world of magic, danger, and suspense. I couldn’t read it fast enough. Kristen created such an enchanting world with action and romance. I loved Gideon and Rune and their relationship. The romance in this book was swoon-worthy; this is how enemies to lovers is done!

I love how Kristen wrapped up the story in the end; it was the perfect conclusion to this incredible duology. I loved Heartless Hunter and worried this sequel wouldn’t live up to my expectations, but let me tell you the book did not disappoint. I would recommend it over and over again. The writing was amazing and the pace was perfect, I didn’t get bored for a second.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press / Wednesday Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

"The problem with love is the more you try to destroy it, the stronger it becomes."

4.5 stars

An extremely satisfying end to this duology.

I had a little bit of a hard time with the first book, but my conclusion had been that regardless of the issues I had, it was going to set up a banging sequel, AND IT DID. I'm so happy I decided to give the second one a chance. This sequel essentially "fixed" the issues that I had with the first, mainly my issues with Gideon.

In the first book, Gideon just didn't feel like an actually decent person since he had no issue enacting mass genocide with seemingly little struggle. But this book showed way more of that struggle and him coming to terms with witches not being fundamentally bad and understanding that the way the New Republic was doing things was the same as the witches but with a different name. So Gideon was leagues better in the book than the first.

There was also way more action than the first, which I super enjoyed. There was always some high stakes going on, both on a physical level and on an emotional level. Basically everything in this book leveled up and I really enjoyed it.

And the ending! I knew that something specific had to happen, but I didn't guess at how it was going to come about, so when that little twist came along I audibly cheered and may have said, "fuck yeah!"

So would absolutely recommend this series for romantasy readers and would specifically recommend to those who had a harder time with the first one like I did ❤️‍🔥

“If this was weakness, he wanted to be weak. If this was sin, let him be damned to hell.”


This was the PERFECT ending to Rune and Gideon’s story, and I enjoyed it even more than the first one.

The author did a really magical thing in this book where we got to do enemies to lovers all over again, but this time with even more baggage and angst. Their fear of betrayal and old habit of trying to stay one step ahead of the other sets their relationship back a bit in a believable way, and it’s great to see them get to an even stronger place than they were in the first.

Once they start scheming together the plot really takes off, and I thought this book made the political struggle even more of a factor than the first, something I thought was missing.

I loved how so many side characters came together to work towards their own kind of future, it was lovely to read.

I absolutely recommend this book. I loved every second and already miss this world and these characters.

Thank you to the publisher for the copy.

I devoured this book in one day! So thankful to get an early copy!

The banter between Gideon and Rune was on point in this book. I was cackling at their barbs!

This whole book had my palms sweating till the very end!

Wow!! This finale 100% delivered everything I wanted and more!

Picking up shortly where the last book left off, Rune is trying to get Cressida an army and Gideon is hunting Rune to stop it.

The dynamic between Rune and Gideon, they have this I could kill you at any moment, but I just can't make myself and I would really like to kiss you instead, but I won't because we hate each other... or do we? Thing going on, and I just ate it up. We have plenty of scheming and plotting leading up to this big finale ending that was full of twists and surprises that I didn't see coming.

The characters are wonderful and so complex I was fully immersed from beginning to end, and while I'm sad this series is over I definitely see a reread in my immediate future!

Heartless Hunter was one of my favorite reads in 2024, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Rebel Witch. I had very high expectations going into this, and I’m excited to say Rebel Witch surpassed my hopes. This was the perfect conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology. Ciccarelli brought back the tension and chemistry between Rune and Gideon while amping up the stakes following the fallout events in Rebel Witch. The plot for this book was very well balanced while moving at a pretty rapid pace. There was plenty of action, intrigue, and schemes to keep readers on their toes. There was also a major plot twist that I did not see coming, and I love when a book can surprise me. I particularly appreciated Rune’s growth and development in this book. She had to come to terms with the choices she made, the consequences of those choices, and deciding how to move forward with her life. I also loved the found family and friends that had Rune and Gideon’s back even when their choices went against what their friends were raised to believe in. Overall, this book is simply amazing, and this duoloyg is a must read.

To preface this, I loved Heartless Hunter. It was one of my favorite reads of last year.

So where did this one go wrong? Why did reading this make me question if I ever even liked the first book?

Let me try to tell you in the least spoilery way possible.

This book was a trope-filled mess of the same arguments being told to the reader over and over. The main characters had so much plot armor that it felt like there were no stakes. And their bickering felt like two children who aren’t getting what they want. Except they desperately just want to have sex with each other every five seconds. There was no plot or character development for most of the book. All of the plot elements were SO predictable and the ending was just a perfectly tied bow.

If you’re a fan of the same old romantasy tropes being used over and over and a plot that’s never ending and predictable, then you may like this book.

But I am Incredibly disappointed in it.

A beautiful end to a wonderful duology! From the beginning, the yearning and tension between Rune and Gideon was perfect! The back and forth/ will they wont they between Rune and Gideon had me on the edge of my seat. I could not put this book down!! The different curses that witches cast were clever and really added to the story. Despite guessing some of the plot points, I still throughly enjoyed the book and it left me wanting so much more! I would gladly read a book about Rune and Gideon starting their family and living in the new world! Wish this was more the just a duology!!!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC of Rebel Witch.

I am always nervous with sequels to books I am absolutely obsessed with. Will the second be as good? Will the story conclude in a way that I like? Will I be as obsessed with book 2 as book 1? WELL!!! Kristen Ciccarelli did it and I am thoroughly as obsessed with Rune and Gideon as I was in Heartless Hunter/Crimson Moth. This conclusion sat so well with me, and I could continue to stay in this world and read about my favorite witch and witch hunter until the ends of times.

This was a solid read for me and I was so glad to continue the duology after reading an ARC of Heartless Hunter last year! I enjoyed the fast pace of the narrative and how it never really slowed down for me to have a chance to get bored. The pining and tension of true enemies to lovers was top notch, as was the forced proximity. Unfortunately, I felt a lot of the plot was repetitive and predictable. The FMC and MMC went back and forth getting into one scrape or another, only to have the other person save them in the nick of time. Still ate it up within a matter of days, though!

Literally everything I wanted and more. It was so romantic, and had non-stop action. it's a book I'd read again and I'm so grateful for being invited to view it!

Am I exhausted after binge reading this in less than 24 hours? YES. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. Worth it!

This book had me yelling at the characters, pacing, crying and everything else in between.

Bravo. Bravo. No notes.