Amazing sequel to book 1! The yearning and forbidden love had me giggling and kicking my feet. Plot was fast paced, and I devoured the book! I loved the first book, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Rebel Witch gave me everything I needed after Heartless Hunter. More enemies to lovers and answers to all the cliff hangers from the first book.

I loved Gideon and Rune and thought their story developed really well. I do wish Gideon expressed his feelings out loud more often, it felt like Rune did all of the confessing. This in no way took away from the story, it was still really well written, I just personally needed more from Gideon. Words is my love language lol

I freaking LOVED this book. I can honestly say that I loved it MORE than the first book. ALL. THE. FEELS!

Kristen Ciccarelli delivers an absolutely perfect conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology with Rebel Witch! This sequel is everything I hoped for and more!

The story picks up right where The Crimson Moth left off—raw emotion with betrayal and fraught with desperation. From the very beginning, I loved how Rune and Gideon's constant interaction kept the narrative charged with tension and emotion.

The plot itself is a whirlwind of danger and intrigue. The pacing is relentless, but not overwhelming, and I loved how the characters were constantly forced to make tough decisions. The moral complexity of figuring out who the true enemy was added an extra layer of depth that kept me hooked.

But the heart of this book, for me, is the romance. It’s nothing short of swoon-worthy. I LOVED Gideon more in this book as Ciccarelli has a talent for writing male leads who are complex, lovable, and utterly compelling. The way Rune and Gideon navigated their emotions and complex relationship had me glued to the pages! ALL. THE. FEELS!

In short, Rebel Witch is an exhilarating, emotional, and deeply satisfying conclusion to a truly exceptional duology. I can’t recommend this book—or the series as a whole—enough! So many elements come together to make this book a standout: the gripping plot, the richly developed characters, the diverse and ever-expanding locations, and the seamless, organic progression of conflicts. Nothing felt forced, and the decision to keep this story within two books instead of stretching it into a trilogy was a masterstroke. The duology format allowed for a tighter, more focused narrative that packed an emotional punch without overstaying its welcome.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heartless Hunter was one of my favorite books of 2024 so as soon as I saw it on Netgalley I snatched it up!! The story picks up right after book 2. Rune is with Cressida and Gideon is doing his witch hunter most to kill Rune. This one is a great enemies to lovers, I mean you can't get any more enemy than a witch and witch hunter! Thank you Wednesday Books for the book to read and review!

Well....

This author just has me at the romance. Do I need to say anything else?
This was a fantastic conclusion to this duology. I really have very minimal thoughts. The enemies to lovers tension was absolute magic. A witch hunter and a witch- what a fiery combination. The constant fighting of feelings is so understandable as they are on the opposite sides of the war. Fighting and saving each other back and forth-they really can't help it!

The scene on the ship....stawp it.
The train scene....I'm melting.
The little gestures are probably my favorite. And the most beautiful part about that, they don't even realize they are doing it. SO romantic. Talk about destined to be together.
The end-all heart eyes and deep sighs from me.

Overall loved. Had a few questions about plot mainly about Ancients and a Cressida piece. But really, read this for the romance. You won't regret it.

4,5 stars

I would label this as NA rather than YA. Thank you to Wednesday books for my #eARC

The Rebel Witch is a book I’ve been eagerly waiting to read since last year. Yesterday, I finally picked it up and finished it in one sitting! It’s that fast-paced. At least for me, because I needed to know the ending.

The story picks up right after the cliffhanger from The Crimson Moth. I’ll avoid spoilers, but Rune Winters is determined to save as many witches as she can while on the run. On the other hand, Gideon is focused on protecting the New Republic and eliminating all witches. In their high-stakes game of cat and mouse, the lines between ally and enemy blur and darker dangers begin to surface.

This sequel did not disappoint! It’s packed with emotion, intrigue, angst, secrets, and love. Rune Winters might just be one of my favorite characters right up there with Jaenelle from Anne Bishop’s The Black Jewels series. She’s brave, courageous, and absolutely unforgettable.

That said, I did find some of the miscommunication repetitive, and I wish the ending had slowed down a bit. But overall, this duology will always stand out as a favorite.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and St. Martin’s Press for the copy!

TW: Blood, violence, self-harm, torture

4.5⭐️
Oh my, this was just such a fun time.
This is the long awaited sequel to Heartless Hunter, and it did not disappoint.
It picks up with Rune on the run to establish Cressida as queen so the witches will be safe from the witch hunters.
Gideon is again searching for Rune, to kill her, and stop Cressida from becoming Queen again. Of coarse that’s not all there is between these two. 🤭
I do think the writing just needs a bit more to it, it seems a little bland in some places. But other than that, I loved it so much!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review! I felt so lucky.

Rebel Witch begins shortly after the events that concluded book 1 with Rune and Gideon once again in a game of cat and mouse, trying to outwit the other.

To start with what. I liked. I really enjoyed how Rune was always 3 steps ahead. I felt the fire that was the Crimson Moth in the first installment of this duology. Though, I felt that this was lost about a third of the way of the story. I also enjoyed expanding on the world of witches and learning more of their lore. I also enjoyed watching Rune and Gideon's relationship evolve, but the constant "I want him/her, I can't have him/her" and the "we can't be together, they don't want me" wore on me.

What I didn't like. The first half of this book felt like a completely different book than the second. There were a lot of plot points and it caused pacing issues in the middle of the story. I don't know how so much could happen but it still feel like nothing was happening. The ending also felt incredibly rushed and anticlimactic for all the build up that this book brings. With the amount of back and forth, I expected an epic battle, but was left going oh okay. I also felt like there were too many new characters introduced who were nothing more than a way to conveniently move the plot along.

Ultimately, I thought the series was fine and it ended in a way that made sense. However, I was left wanting more. Those who like romantasy books will more than likely eat this up, but that I'm coming to realize just isn't me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rebel Witch

A fun, witchy read. Rebel Witch has everything you'd look for in your typical romantasy.

Classic enemies to lovers with plenty of cat and mouse, because of this, there is plenty of miscommunication to go around. All understandable, of course.

We spend time in two different places and travel between but because the focus is the romance the setting doesn't much matter.

The side characters are where its at and I loved the addition of the new ones. They brought some new intrigue to the story and it paid off.

Heartless Hunter was my first read of the year and it was AMAZING.
I was so excited that I had the second book as an arc waiting for me as soon as I finished.
This is a tough one. Was it good? Yes. Was it better than the first one? Definitely not.
Heartless Hunter, to me, was such a unique concept, and the cat vs mouse game was executed so well. However, with the sequel you lose that aspect, so I was really hoping for something new and unique.
Same as the first book, I saw the twist coming. One time: maybe I'm just smart 🤓😂 Twice: Okay maybe its a little too obvious.
This definitely was a continuation and conclusion of Rune and Gideon's story, with lots of adventure and action, but for me it didn't hit the same way as Heartless Hunter.
It was also a much slower start, and wish that more of the book was spent on the conclusion as it felt a bit rushed.

I enjoyed the characters and overall enjoyed the series and story.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an early copy.

I loved crimson moth and was so excited to receive rebel witch. The betrayal at the end of book 1 had me PUMPED to read this. And read it I did. The tension, the romance!? Ugh this was even better than book 1.

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Kristen Ciccarelli’s “The Rebel Witch” is nothing short of a literary masterpiece. This breathtaking tale is a triumph of storytelling, weaving together magic, rebellion, and raw emotion in a way that grips your heart and refuses to let go. From the very first page, I was swept into a world so vividly realized that it felt like stepping through a portal into another reality.

The main female character, Rune Winters, is a force to be reckoned with—fierce, flawed, and unapologetically human. Ciccarelli writes with such depth and nuance that you can’t help but root for her, cheer for her victories, and ache for her losses. Her journey of self-discovery and defiance against impossible odds is nothing short of inspiring, making her one of the most memorable heroines I’ve encountered in recent fiction.

What truly sets “The Rebel Witch” apart is its intricate world-building and its themes of courage, identity, and the power of choice. Ciccarelli’s prose is lyrical and evocative, painting vivid scenes that leap off the page. Every twist and turn feels earned, every revelation hits with emotional weight, and every moment is infused with a sense of wonder and urgency.

The magic system in this book is dazzlingly original, adding layers of intrigue and danger to the narrative. And the supporting cast is just as compelling as the heroine herself, with relationships that feel authentic and brimming with tension, love, and heartbreak.

Then of course there’s the relationship between Rune & Gideon. Enemies to lovers to enemies to…? No spoilers here but the tension that started in book one continues to build in book two & the couples continued to entertain and irritate me with their back and forth throughout the entire book.

Kristen Ciccarelli has truly outdone herself with “The Rebel Witch”. It’s a book that reminds you why you fell in love with reading in the first place. A spellbinding journey of rebellion, resilience, and hope, this story will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

A stunning completion to this duology, “The Rebel Witch” is an absolute must read.. It’s a story that will captivate your soul and leave you yearning for more. Honestly it was so well done that it almost makes me sad this was a duology and therefore the last book in the series!

This sequel was everything omg!!! The first book blew me away and this one did not disappoint. The author writes fantasy in such a captivating way. My only complaint was that I wish it was longer!

The ending of the first book really left me wanting more and the anticipation was over the edge. The second book here was intense, the drama, action everything was crafted well i absolutely loved the story. The ending was chef's kiss 🤌

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for an early copy of this book! I didn't want to wait another MINUTE for this sequel!!! 💖
Ugh! This series is SOOOO good!!! I'm obsessed with this book! I usually am a lil meh with sequels sometimes but this book literally was MEANT to be!!! It picks up a tad bit behind where Heartless Hunter leaves off BUT MAN it's so action packed and the romance (yearninggg but with a heavy dash of misunderstanding). I just couldn't wait to read this book but I was also dying to see where it would go! I love that there were some plot movements that I just didn't see coming! Each chapter was almost like an episode of a show and the end of each chapter was kind of plot twisty/action packed and it made it so you just couldn't put the book down! It was a vicious cycle of "just one more chapter!" 😭 While I think the big plot twists were a tad predictable BUTTT the moment was still so powerful and well written that they still gave me goosebumps!!! 🤩 AND like my favorite YA enemies to lovers books, there is yearning and enemies to lovers AND the main characters not wanting to like each other but of course, they do! It's kind of hard to say how much I loved it without giving away any spoilers (because this book is definitely better without any spoilers) but I'm so happy that this book went the way it did but I'm also sad that this series is over! I will definitely keep an eye out for other Kristen Ciccarelli books from now on!

I liked it. I wasn’t obsessed. I think some people will really love it, especially if they read both books back to back. But I forgot enough from book 1 that I was confused for parts of book 2. And I felt like there was a lot of telling (vs showing) when it came to emotional and character development.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Rebel Witch, one of my most anticipated reads of the year, the conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology.. while I enjoyed this book, I didn’t find myself as obsessed as I was with Heartless Hunter! Let’s dig into it!

I’ll start with the good—this audiobook was fantastic! The narration really brought the characters to life and made the tension between Rune and Gideon even more palpable! Both actors performed their roles beautifully!

Speaking of tension, this book had plenty of it between all the cat-and-mouse games, sharp banter, and lingering emotions uniting the two main characters! I also really appreciated their character growth and was ultimately happy with where Rune and Gideon character arcs wrapped up!

That said, some aspects of this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me personally! The back-and-forth in Rune and Gideon’s relationship, especially their deep distrust, dragged on longer than I would have liked. Some plot points felt a little too convenient a little *too* on the nose if you know what I mean! And while the final conflict had solid buildup, it was over way too quickly, making the resolution and final pages feel all too rushed…

Overall, Rebel Witch was an enjoyable read, just not as gripping as the first book. I missed the high-stakes drama and jaw-dropping twists of Heartless Hunter, but I was ultimately satisfied enough with how everything ended. If you loved book one, it’s definitely worth finishing the duology—just maybe go in with slightly tempered expectations!

I absolutely screamed when I got the arc for this one since I loved the first book. And the sequel is no different. I inhaled this book. This duet is everything and had the perfect ending.
🦋Enemies to lovers
🦋Witch x Witch Hunter
🦋Banter
🦋Close Proximity
🦋Action Packed
🦋Who did this to you
If you loved the first book, you are going to want to pick this one up!!!

Listen, getting over the fact that he handed her over to be Purged was TOUGH.

I eventually just had to let it go, or it would have ruined the rest of the book.

And the rest of the book was GOOD.

I loved that they were together from (almost) the beginning.

I loved the redemption arcs.

I loved the nuanced characters.

I DID NOT LOVE all the times they were making out WHILE ACTIVELY BEING PURSUED.

My dudes. You. Do. Not. Have. Time. For. This. Shit.

I’m also weirdly glad it’s over.

It was a satisfying ending, and now I get to enjoy something else, instead of waiting for the next installment (I’m looking at you, Onyx Storm).

GIDEON AND RUNE NEED MORE BOOKS!

But seriously, I loved the first one and I think I LOVED this one even more? Friends to lovers, witches, fantasy and a plot that moves. WOW, what a read!

Definitely read book one first, but preorder this one right now.

Perfect ending. What a fab read!