I had so many feelings after finishing one of, if not my most, anticipated read of 2025. Getting a chance to read it early was one of the best gifts of this year. And let me tell you friends, if you loved Heartless Hunter, Rebel Witch is EXACTLY what we were all hoping for. This is how the end of duology should be written. No notes. No complaints. I could read this series every year for the foreseeable future and never get sick of it.

I highly recommend a reread of Heartless Hunter right before you jump in, because Rebel Witch picks up right where we left off. My heart. These characters. My sweet, broken Gideon. And Rune. What a wild, wild ride she goes on. She’s such a strong character and I loved getting a side of her where she starts to question this journey she is on and the choices she has made. It made me love her even more because it rounded her out as a character so well. Our grumpy Gideon and button pushing Rune are still here, but man do they go through it in these pages!

I think the most important thing I can say in this review is that I was not disappointed. It hit in the best way!! I will be recommending this series for a long time!

Get ready and buckle up because this book starts with a bang and does not slow down. Make sure you preorder it. Get the reread of Heartless Hunter on your schedule and get ready to travel back to the New Republic to watch our favorite witch and witch hunter change the course of history in this world.

[3.5 Stars😊]

✨||“‘𝐈 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬,’ 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. ‘𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.’”||✨

After a love/hate relationship with my reading experience of Heartless Hunter, I was hesitant to pick up Rebel Witch. However, I was intrigued enough by the ending of Heartless Hunter to want to know how Gideon and Rune’s story ended, and, truth be told, it was a very imbalanced ending to this duology.

While I enjoyed where the story picked up and the opening chapters of Rebel Witch, I thought the book overall was fraught with plot holes, unnecessary complications, miscommunication, repetitiveness, and little to no character growth. The plot and promise of Rebel Witch was intriguing enough to endure, but Gideon’s change of heart was jarring and so sudden that it didn’t feel believable or genuine. Not to mention that the ultimate showdown with Cressida lasted all of 5 pages, which was disappointing after the confrontation had been built up since the ending of Heartless Hunter.

In the end, I wanted so much more out of Rebel Witch than what was delivered, but I did enjoy Kristen Ciccarelli’s writing style and the overall direction of the book. I just think that it needed a little more finesse to bring out the best this book had to offer.

+Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and Kristen Ciccarellli for the ARC of Rebel Witch! All thoughts in this review are my own.
____________________________________
Details:
🦄💘Fantasy romance
👶🏼Young adult
👀Dual, third-person POV
🪄Magic

Characters and tropes:
🌪️Broody MMC
🩶Morally Gray
⚔️Enemies-to-lovers
🥸Fake dating
⛔️Forbidden love
📍Forced proximity
>>>🔑Under one roof
🛏️Only one bed
🤐Secrets

Spice:
🧨Slow burn
💥Non-explicit intimate content (medium)
____________________________________
Emoji Ranking System:
🤩Excellent to Fantastic (4.75-5.00)
😍Very Good to Great (4.25-4.50)
😊Good to Really Good (3.50-4.00)
😒Just OK to Decent (2.75-3.25)
😑It's A No (1.00-2.50)
🚫DNF

Debating between 4 & 4.5 stars

"Live in the darkness too long, and eventually you won't recognize the light...You'll become like the monsters you hate."

"Love can't be controlled. Love can't obey unjust laws. Love will always oppose tyrants."

I absolutely LOVED The Crimson Moth, so I was beyond overjoyed to be approved for an eARC (thank you Netgalley & Harper Collins!)

I had no idea what to expect after the incredibly intense ending of The Crimson Moth but I loved where it picked up. I enjoyed witnessing Rune & Gideon's continued wrestling with their feelings and allegiance to their respective sides.

I did not expect a few of my favorite tropes to appear because, with the truth of who they are out in the open, I could not fathom them working. But, Ciccarelli did a phenomenal job setting the stage perfectly and making me smirk.

I still think the magic system is badass - I would love to see some fan art of the intricate casting scars and where witches have bloody spell markings along their arms. Another book making me wish I could cast spells ✨

The only things keeping this from a 5-star review like book one is a few things got repetitive, both in re-stating information and general situations. There was also something so magical about the initial "will he find out who she is" and "cat-and-mouse" the first book had. There was a fine line walked that started to feel like miscommunication by omission a handful of times. The end resolution also seemed a smidge easier than I would have liked 3 months later.

That being said, I still really enjoyed this and will recommend this duology for any romantasy lover! Honestly, reading this makes me want to read The Crimson Moth again ❤️

I love all the tropes that made an appearance:
✨ Forbidden love
✨ Fake marriage
✨ Forced proximity
✨ One bed
✨ Enemies to lovers

it was amazing built up on the first one and was so much better, I had high expectation going in and they definitely met.

3.75 stars, because of my attachment to this world and its characters.

If you know me, you know Crimson Moth is one of my favourite books. I’ve recommended it to everyone I know, and I held onto this ARC for months because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this universe and its characters.

Unfortunately, The Rebel Witch didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The plot felt repetitive, and Gideon’s character felt out of character, he was???? which made him feel like a lacklustre male protagonist. Rune, who deserved so much better, also felt uncharacteristic from the midpoint of the book until nearly the end.

The pacing was slow and uneventful, and the climax fell flat. I couldn’t help but feel that the plot had so much more potential, and the major moments could have been more impactful. By the end, I found myself thinking, Is this really it?

That said, I wish the author nothing but success and appreciate the world they’ve created. At least I’ll always have the first book to revisit and treasure. For now, I’m off to wallow in my feelings.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the digital arc.

I really wanted to love this one after really enjoying the first one in this series, but it wasn’t for me. I found myself wanting to put the book down several times and it became extremely repetitive. I also feel like not much at all happened for well over half the book which brought the momentum down so much for me. I am seeing others love this and I’m so glad, but it just didn’t keep my attention like the first one.

I need time to digest just how amazing this duology was and how I’ve been chemically altered by this book.

Perfection. I wish every duology gave me the same level of completeness that Crimson Moth provides.

All of my questions are answered. Storylines are wrapped up and we know who did what and why. My only selfish request is for a super long epilogue because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to this world of magic, politics, and this thrilling game of cat and mouse. This is one of those books I want to climb inside.

The writing is both suspenseful and beautiful The story pushes along, but the romantic language still caused me to write "awww" five times. I also had a little cry while reading this book. I truly had no idea how this story would end and even at 90% complete, I was still guessing.

Rebel Witch was amazing and I can't wait for everyone to read this conclusion to such a gripping story. Books like this are so special. I highly recommend adding this book to your list and checking out Crimson Moth if you haven't already!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Since this is a sequel I won't say much, but I read the first book and immediately dove into this arc. I was pulled into the story, the will they won't they get out of their own ways and just the twists and turns of the world. A great duology and an incredible ending.

The tension between Rune and Gideon is on point as they are recovering from Gideon's discovery that Rune is the Crimson Moth, a witch who, in his job as a witch hunter, has been ordered to capture and end her life. The big problem is that Gideon is head over heels for Rune. No matter how much the two try to deny it, You can feel it in every interaction and stolen moment as they fight to achieve the impossible, take down Cressida, and be together. Rebel Witch is the final book in the Duology of the Crimson Moth series. It offers exactly what you want in a young adult romantic: banter, forced to work together, eventually realizing they are meant to be, and the determination to fight for that.

Such an amazing sequel to Heatless Hunter! After the heartbreaking ending of Heartless Hunter, Rune is off to the continent with her fellow witches. The character arc for her, the growth she goes through, the trials, trauma, and experiences she has were captivating! The ending had a twist I didn't see coming, and the way the characters came together was so well done. While it did feel a bit long in the middle, I really loved this book.

Easily the best duology that I read this year. This series has made Kristen Ciccarelli an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rebel Witch, the follow up to Heartless Hunter, was one of my most anticipated 2025 reads. I loved the cat and mouse game of witch and witch hunter in the first book, and looked forward to how Ciccarelli would conclude the story of the Rune Winters, the Crimson Moth, and Blood Guard Captain Gideon Sharpe. Rebel Witch matched the excitement and entertainment of the first book and provided a satisfying ending.

This book picks up right where the previous one leaves off, and we're thrust back into the New Republic and dangerous deceptions, secrets, lies, and the overarching battle between the witches and the witch hunters. The entire pace of the book is fast and covers a lot of time and events quickly. No scene or plot point dawdles. I don't read this type of book wanting to overanalyze or pick apart every single tiny plot point. I'm sure a smarter reader could find flaws, but I was having so much fun on the ride that I had no interest whatsoever in even looking for them.

Rune and Gideon are romantasy goals. Haters could complain that parts feel repetitive, with similar feelings and conversations happening multiple times between the two characters - neither can trust the other, and second guesses every word the other says. But the reader is privy to all of the truth behind the deceptions so it's marvelous and agonizing to watch. Multiple times you think there's no way for them to recover from this, there's no way for our two love interests to get through this or survive whatever has befallen them, but the author just keeps weaving more threads and making it all come together. I loved a few of the lines that Gideon had to express his ardor for Rune:

Gideon, on kissing Rune: "If this was weakness, he wanted to be weak. If this was sin, let him be damned to hell."

I thoroughly enjoyed Rebel Witch, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a romantasy story. The fact that it's a solid duology where both books is a big selling point for many readers; not everyone wants a lengthy drawn-out series.

3.5 ⭐️

After the heart pounding conclusion of Heartless Hunter/The Crimson Moth, we had to wait agonizing months before having the chance to read Rebel Witch - a million thank yous to Wednesday books for the early ARC!!

I loved the first book so dearly so I knew that there was a lot to live up to for book 2 which may have been my own problem because I didn’t find myself loving this one as much. I found the plot to be a bit repetitive and then we had an extremely rushed and anticlimactic ending that left a lot to be desired. This book also felt a bit more trope-focused.

This book felt more romance driven than fantasy driven like the first book. I thought because it was a duology that we would have earlier resolution in some aspects of the romance, but it did seem a bit slow going. I still loved Gideon a lot and found his chapters to be more fulfilling than Rune’s. Rune’s characterization was a bit of miss for me.

I do think it was a satisfying conclusion to the overall story, even if the pacing didn’t really work for me. The romance had a lot of memorable beats and I loved the connections of the side characters as the story barreled to its ending.

Thank you again to Wednesday Books for the eARC, this book drops February 18, 2025!

Thank you to Netgalley, SMP, and Kristen Ciccarelli for this amazing conclusion to the Crimson Moth Duology ARC!

I couldn’t read Heartless Hunter fast enough right from the beginning, so when it ended, I was so grateful to already have the sequel ARC in my hands!

This is the most perfect conclusion to the story of the Crimson Moth and her rise to find the balance of the world but also finding herself and giving herself a chance to love.

Also, I think Rune and Gideon are my new favorite couple!

I can’t wait to read more from Kristen and am again so grateful for this ARC! This is my favorite duology of the year and one of my top favorite reads of 2024! I give this duology infinity stars it’s so good! Everyone needs to read this!

Gideon and Rune are enemies to lovers at its very finest. Their reunion and the journey of their relationship throughout this story was so much fun to read. They are both strong on their own, but so much stronger together. The further you get into the story, the more the two start to realize how far they would go for one another and it’s beautiful to see that development. Rune has got to be one of my favorite characters, she’s so brave, smart, and strong willed. She will go to extreme lengths for those that she loves and doesn’t think twice about it. And Gideon, my sweet Gideon. There’s a side brought out in him that we didn’t see much of in Heartless Hunter, and let me just say it made me fall in love with him even more. This boy deserves everything. He has been through so much, as has Rune, and I couldn’t be happier with the ending they were given.

I went through just about every emotion reading this book. Tears were shed. Lots of jaw dropping, throw my Kindle in shock moments. I cheered, swooned, laughed, I went THROUGH IT. This was just incredible. Everything you could ask for in a sequel. This duet is absolutely an all time favorite.

This duology. SO GOOD. I've had quite a few series and duologies not live up to my expectations with the ending, but I can promise you that Kristen Ciccarelli sticks the landing! Rebel Witch was everything I needed in book 2!
I don't feel like I can say much else without giving anything away, but this is one to put again the top of your list!

*One open door around 86%. Language, including a few f-words (5)

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday for my complimentary e-arc. All opinions here are my own.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC - out February 18, 2025!

Rating: 5/5 stars

The conclusion to the CRIMSON MOTH duology continues the story of Rune and Gideon.

This book is a bit different from HEARTLESS HUNTER, but once it hit its stride it was MAGNIFICENT. I love these characters and this world so much, and loved the way their story played out. I particularly love how well Ciccarelli handles moral greyness—none of these characters are perfect or even wholly good, and that makes them feel so much more real and relatable. Balancing likability with actual human flaws is a tough line to walk, but this book does it perfectly!

The last third or so of this book was my absolute favorite and had some of my all-time favorite book vibes...and the way everything came together at the end was exactly what I wanted. I am so excited for fans of HEARTLESS HUNTER to get to read this one. And, even though this is an excellent ending…I hope we get to revisit this world one day in future books!

CW: Death; violence; war; blood; torture; sexual assault

Oh. Oh wow. This series truly came along one day, grabbed my heart, and has refused to let go. I have been so anxiously awaiting this book and it did not let me down! Ciccarelli really stuck the landing here - I laughed, I cried, and now I sadly say goodbye to these characters I have grown to love so much. Fantastic!

“𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡” 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Without giving away any spoilers for either book, I’ll keep this short and sweet: I loved it. It was the most perfect ending to one of my new all time favorite duologies!! I adored Crimson Moth, and this one was just as good. The action did not quit and something exciting was happening at every turn. Bravo @kristenciccarelli 🤍

Thank you so much to @wednesdaybooks for my early review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 is out February 18, 2025!

not my favorite fantasy duology by any means, but it was incredibly easy to get through (both books). very fast paced which is enjoyable for the most part since nothing really slows down. but, i will say: i wanted more complexity to it and to feel more attached to these characters. everything seemed to work out perfectly and the push and pull of gideon and rune got tiring.