review ♥
rebel witch- kristen ciccarelli
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the free copy to review.

Rune Winters is on the run from the New Republic and is tasked by Cressida Roseblood to ensnare Prince Soren of Umbria. Although Rune dislikes Cressida’s mission to place witches in power, she is revolted by the New Republic’s goal of murdering all witches to extinction. Gideon Sharpe is no longer captain of the Blood Guard and must regain the trust of the republic after falling in love with the Crimson Moth. Both Gideon and Rune must work together, whilst coming up with plans to betray the other, to assist their cause. Throughout their journey, they must refrain from falling back in love, or else they may find themselves risking their lives for one another.

Rebel Witch was the perfect conclusion to the Heartless Hunter duology. Kristen Ciccarelli has outdone herself, and I can confidently say this is my number one read of the year and favorite duology. Rune is such a relatable character. Her strength and will to save the world, combined with the insecurities and longing of a teenager make her journey easy to understand. Even when she has to choose between love, fighting, and safety, she follows a character arc that builds and strengthens her overall personality. Gideon never fails to make me kick my feet and giggle. He is the perfect example of the ideal man written by a woman. Their hatred of one another's betrayal coupled with their desire makes this game of cat and mouse so intriguing. Both characters dive deeper into themselves as the plot thickens and increases the stakes. I cannot get over the plot twists, betrayal, unveiling of characters' secrets, and still the death of Alex. I fear I will never get over it, and I had hoped he would come back to life (which he did not). Overall, I haven’t read a book that I couldn’t put down in a long time. Not a chapter goes by where you aren’t searching for answers and longing to know more about how Rune and Gideon’s relationship pans out.

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Where do I start? I could not wait for this book after reading book 1! This book was everything. The plot was fast-paced and engaging. We start with Rune trying to build up the army of witches to reclaim their home and Gideon is back to hating witches (shocker). They are on opposite sides again, but their love for each other keeps pulling them back in to help each other, even when it goes against what they believe in or think they want. Rune and Gideon are the definition of soul mates. They didn't give up on each other, even when they thought they hated each other and this made their relationship stronger than it would have been. The separation allowed them to grow and become the people they needed to be, for both themselves and each other.

This storyline was a good mix of adventure, betrayal, action, and romance. This combined with the amazing characters made for an amazing book (and duology). I look forward to seeing what else Kristen Ciccarelli creates!

Thank you to the author and St. Martin's Press for an ARC. This is my voluntary and honest review.

LOVE LOVE LOVE! This was even better than book one in my opinion. There were tons of tropes (including fake marriage *heart eyes*) and the romance was soooooo good. I love a good cat and mouse dynamic and of course Rune and Gideon are the perfect characters for it. I loved their banter and the magic. I will be recommending this duology to everyone.

Rebel Witch is one of my most anticipated releases and sequels of 2025 and what a wild ride it was! We pick right up where Heartless Hunter left off, with more cat and mouse games from Rune and Gideon. This book is action packed, fast paced, I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of it wondering what these two were going to do with the deception, betrayal, and secrets that sometimes the readers were or weren't privy to.

Someone described them as Mr. and Mrs. Smith and I could not agree more. Between the mutual pining and the hate love enemies, I just wanted to bang Rune's and Gideon's heads together sometimes with all the tangled mess they were wrapped up in. I just needed these two to be together!

After reading this book, it dawned on me that it reminded me of Fable (one of my favorites), with a lot of plot packed in a two book fantasy duology with twists and turns but has the right amount of emotions to give it that depth and romantic feeling these two main characters have towards eachother and you couldn't help but care and root for them both.

I really loved this conclusion so much and The Crimson Moth is one of my top duologies ever!

A very thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

WHAT A FINALE. I am blessed beyond belief to have gotten an ARC copy of this story that was 1 of a few that had me at the edge of my seat with my book bestie needing to know the end.

Picking up where book 1 ended but not without a bang. Rune Winter is playing a part, but is her part too good? Gideon, the knight in shining armor that he wishes to be with a cold heart kept me on my toes. I loved every second of this book and I am so happy that we got the ended it deserved.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I still can't contain my excitement when I think about this book, and I've read it twice already. I was ecstatic (and in a little bit of shock) when I held the physical arc in my hands. I don't know if I've ever been more excited for a book after that crazy cliff hanger Kristen left us on in The Crimson Moth/Heartless Hunter. (still not okay from that, btw). And I'll be honest, I was scared to begin reading it. I've had too many books lately where the conclusion fell flat - rushed, not enough content to really flesh out a full second book, or the conflict and tension from the first book seemed to fizzle out by the second.

But you guys! This book does NOT DISAPPOINT! I absolutely cannot WAIT for it to come out so I can see other's reactions to the conclusion to this story! If you are someone like me, who often feels let down/disappointed by a sequel or the conclusion to a duology ... then you need to pre-order your copy now because this book is everything that The Crimson Moth/Heartless Hunter was, and MORE! I loved it more than the first book and that one was already my favourite read of the year, hands down (and one of my top romantic fantasies). I cannot squeal enough about this book and the rollercoaster of feelings it puts you on through Rune and Gideon's eyes. I don't know how Kristen manages to do it every time but she is a master of knocking romantic fantasy out of the park! I cried for these characters on multiple occasions - for what they've gone through, for the heartache they felt, and for a certain event that I'm still not sure if I forgive Kristen for putting me through (of course I do, because let's face it, we all know that we love to have our hearts put through the ringer when we're reading a masterfully plotted book with characters we can live and breathe through!).

Rebel Witch picks up right where The Crimson Moth/Heartless Hunter left off ... and jumps right into the angst, betrayal, longing, conflict from page one. We're tossed back into Rune and Gideon's conflict of feelings, and Kristen just keeps adding on more! The heartache this book wrung me through ... for both characters. And we get a more in-depth look at more characters. Do yourself a favour and pre-order this one, you won't be sorry!

If I could give this book higher than 5/5 stars, I would!!

This is one of those rare cases when I like the second book much more than the first. Great conclusion to this romantic fantasy duology. It's one readers will be wanting more.

Book 2 in the Crimson Moth Duology - I am so so happy I was given an arc of this book from NetGalley! That’s how I read book 1 last year and I’ve been obsessed ever since!

This book picks up two months after the end of Heartless Hunter. (I’m also so happy I did a reread before this one!) Rune is already getting herself into a mess and Gideon cannot let her out of his sight whether because of love or hate, it’s a very fine line.

This book had some slow moments but I never felt bored. Some chapters were long and intense and some were short and right to the point. I had a *moment* on one page where I literally got goosebumps. I was invested!!

We got to see Rune more in action with spells this time around and I don’t know about anyone else but the Arcadia scenes were giving Titanic and I was here for it lol. We also had a lot of scenes with old characters and some new ones too!

We actually got a lil’ spicy this time around! Nothing too crazy but it was a nice change of pace after the constant run-ins with death lol.

Everything at the end kind of happened quickly but it was still a powerful ending to a fantastic series. I will forever love these books!!

Enemies to lovers once again proves to be one of the best tropes ever!! Add the witchiness to it and it’s an easy 5 stars for me! 😍

After rereading Heartless Hunter for the fourth time, I jumped right into Rebel Witch and devoured it. This is the perfect sequel. The tension between Guideon and Rune was superb and I couldn’t get enough. I am thinking of rereading it right now just because I want more of them. This was perfect, I love the twists, I love the conclusion. I loved everything about it.

I don’t even have words right now this was so fantastic. I’m literally so distraught that this story is over. I am so in love with this world & characters. I read this book SO FAST I literally couldn’t put it down. I dare say this was even better than book one?? But I love both so much AHHH I don’t even know how to go about my day after finishing this. I was giggling kicking my feet, blushing, then all of the sudden I was sobbing in this book. UGH I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF NOW THAT THIS IS OVER. Marry me Gideon Sharpe. This is being added to my list of all time favourite books.

Thank you thank you thank you endlessly to the publisher for the eARC - I am eternally grateful

Absolutely obsessed 🫠 I just had to know how the story continued and this did not disappoint! The tension and enemies to lovers was still there for most of the book and very well written 🤌🏻 Solid ending and would definitely read this series again! I just love Rune & Gideon so much

I'm still reeling from this book but I'll do my best to summarize my thoughts and feelings from it.

First of all, I thought this book was perfection. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and twists and I loved every single one of them! I was nervous that with the series being a duology, everything would feel rushed and we wouldn't get the most satisfying ending. I was so so wrong. Kristen did such an amazing job including all the necessary plot lines while also knowing when to skip additional fluff. I could've probably still used another chapter or two at the end, but I say that about every book I loved because I don't want to say goodbye to the characters yet.

Second of all, if you thought the tension between Rune and Gideon was thick throughout the first book, the chemistry and tension in this book is on a whole other level! Despite being enemies and Gideon hunting Rune down with orders to kill her on sight, there is a pull between the two of them too strong for them to ignore and ignore do they try. Do they end up together? Well, you'll just have to read this amazing sequel to find out!

Read if you like:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Will they, won't they
- "Touch her and die"
- Forced Proximity

There are two types of Romantasy: fantasy with a romance subplot and romance with a fantasy subplot. Rebel Witch definitely establishes this duology as the latter, and while it was fun, I wish a little more energy went into establishing the fantasy plot. The magical battle between good and evil was more of a setting and plot device as opposed to a focus.

That being said, I really enjoyed a lot of this book. A couple of my favorite romance tropes were utilized in the middle with absolute perfection. I was feeling giddy with the tension. But once the good vs. evil fantasy plot had to be wrapped up, I felt like all nuance was lost. A couple dues ex machina events occurred, and the lead characters had to act in unexpected ways to make the story work. Because the fantasy plot was so high stakes, I expected a little more to be necessary to resolve everything.

Overall I enjoyed it. If you’re a vibes reader, the vibes are definitely there.

This sequel was fantastic! It felt like a totally different experience compared to the first book, which I gave 4 stars. But this one? It’s a solid 5. Way more action-packed, and the main couple couldn’t catch a break. The tension between them was off the charts. If you thought they had issues before, just wait—you’ll actually start wondering if one of them might take the other out!

The romance was so good! I couldn’t get enough of the banter and the back-and-forth. The pace of the book kept me glued, and it was impossible to put down. Every chapter had something going on, and I was constantly on edge, trying to devour it while not wanting it to end.

I don’t usually tear up when reading, but this book hit me hard in a couple of spots. It even gave me goosebumps. It’s rare for a sequel to be better than the first book, but this one did it for me. If you’re into fast-paced stories, intense romance, and characters outwitting each other at every turn, you need to pick this up!

I finished it! Y'all, even though I didn't fully love Heartless Hunter, I was still hoping the second book in this duology would be better. I felt the plot was very dragged out and I kept looking at how much I had left to go on my Kindle.

The majority of this book was Rune and Gideon going back and forth. Either with the inner monologue, trying to outsmart the other, or miscommunication. I get that they both used each other, but a conversation needed to be had earlier on instead of dragging this out for so called tension. That's not to say I didn't like the characters anymore, they just annoyed me at times.

The plot of this book is basically Cressida trying to get back her throne and her sisters. .We saw her for about 25% of this book and I was expecting her to have a bigger role than just being the villain of this story. I would have loved some backstory to see how she got this way.

As you can see, I had issues with this duology as a whole but mainly this book. I feel as if people who love this series for the romance would enjoy this more than me.

4.5⭐️

I LOVE this duology, and Rebel Witch definitely kept me hooked.

This book was so intense! I was not sure where the author would take it, so I was kept on my toes throughout. I love Rune and Gideon so much (even when they were stressing me out). I understand why they acted the way they did, so despite all the back and forth, I was always rooting for them <3

Without giving away too many spoilers, that ending had me in a chokehold! I almost wish the pacing had been a little different throughout the book, but overall I can’t complain.

Definitely read this duology if you are a fan of witch x witch hunter! This book had high stakes, found family, and political revolution all wrapped up in a romantasy package💫

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I devoured this book, this story took me out of my comfy bed and into its world and I fell in love with the characters. Rune is such a fierce character and I just loved her from the very beginning. The spoon did sort of get lost in the soup and some of the lines were blurred to a point where I felt like things were repetitive, but regardless of that I truly did enjoy the story. The romance and fantasy elements blended together really nicely!

There was a lot happening in this one. It moved very slowly for me, and in comparison to book one it was not as great. Rune is set to marry Soren and support Cressida, and Gideon is torn with his feelings for Rune, the Crimson Moth.

This one was a lot more about Rune figuring herself out it felt like, and there were so many moving pieces to everything that it made it really difficult for her to center herself. It was good, and it was a fitting end.

Ten out of ten! This book continued my expectations after how perfect the first book was. I felt like this book gave me such a better insight on Gideon. I also just love how powerful Rune is, yet can face her own insecurities as well. It makes her seem extremely relatable

How am I going to move on from this duology?

I am not someone who is usually able to finish a book in a day, but I flew through this book and didn’t want it to end. Similar to Heartless Hunter, Rebel Witch was fast-paced and action-packed. This book gave me everything that I could want from a sequel. I loved the witch/witch hunter dynamic between Rune and Gideon and this was a very satisfying conclusion to their story.

The Crimson Moth duology is romantasy at its best with witches, atmospheric world-building, and enemies to lovers. I can’t recommend it enough!