“You are far worse than a thorn in my side,” he said, dark eyes gleaming at her. “You are knife in my heart.” “And you’re a wolf I can’t outrun,” she whispered. “Not even in my sleep.”

I felt like I was having a heart attack the entire time. My heart was pounding either from Giddiness or STRESS. Five stars. No notes. No better book feeling. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An absolutely perfect duology. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoyed Heartless Hunter, I think you’re going to be obsessed with Rebel Witch- because I did and I am.

WOW. There is so much packed into this duology. No boring bits. No downtime. Just twists and turns and near misses and action! And what an amazing conclusion for the story this was.

I loved seeing all the characters again, but a few new ones were introduced that fit in seamlessly. New settings were used that brought a vivid richness to the story. I could easily picture all the locations, so I felt immersed in the story the entire time I was reading.

Enemies to lovers at its best, I adored the push and pull between Rune & Gideon SO MUCH. These two 😭🥵🫠

Was some predictable? Yes. Was I on the edge of my seat, devouring to see it play out in spite of it? Again YES.

I didn’t wait it to end. I was at 97% of the book like noooo don’t be over. The epilogue was so satisfying, but I still wanted more. I know this is one I will come back to again and again.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for a chance to review an advance copy.

In the exhilarating finale of the Crimson Moth duology, *Rebel Witch* masterfully intertwines themes of love, betrayal, and moral ambiguity against a backdrop of high-stakes fantasy. Kristen Ciccarelli takes readers on a thrilling ride as Rune Winters and Gideon Sharpe navigate their complicated feelings and fierce allegiances in a world that teeters on the brink of chaos.

Rune's journey is fraught with danger and desperation. Betrayed by the one she loved, she finds herself in an uneasy alliance with the formidable Cressida Roseblood, a character whose ruthless ambition propels the plot into darker territories. Ciccarelli does a remarkable job of fleshing out Cressida, allowing readers to understand her motivations while still recognizing her as a threatening force. Rune’s internal conflict is palpable as she struggles between loyalty to her new ally and the haunting memories of her past with Gideon.

Gideon, on the other hand, is a compelling embodiment of the witch hunter's plight. Torn between his duty to eradicate witches and the lingering feelings he harbors for Rune, his character arc is both poignant and intense. Ciccarelli effectively captures the emotional turmoil that defines his journey, illustrating the devastating consequences of love and hatred intertwined.

The chemistry between Rune and Gideon crackles throughout the narrative, particularly as they are forced into precarious situations that challenge their preconceived notions about each other. The tension is expertly crafted, making their moments together charged with both passion and peril. As the stakes rise, Gideon faces the impossible choice of sacrificing the girl he loves or letting a dark force reclaim power over the Republic. This moral dilemma is central to the plot, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as the tension escalates toward a heart-stopping climax.

Ciccarelli’s world-building is rich and immersive, vividly bringing to life a realm where witches and hunters exist in a delicate balance of power. The stakes are higher than ever, and the author skillfully weaves action-packed sequences with introspective moments that allow readers to connect deeply with the characters’ struggles.

*Rebel Witch* is an unforgettable conclusion to the Crimson Moth duology, where love is as deadly as the magic that surrounds it. With sharp prose and intricate storytelling, Ciccarelli delivers a tale that will resonate with fans of fantasy and romance alike. As the final pages turn, readers will be left pondering the costs of love and loyalty in a world where nothing is ever truly black and white. Highly recommended for those who relish epic tales of enchantment and emotional depth.more

Without giving anything away, I thought this sequel wrapped everything up perfectly! It was tension-filled and kept my attention the entire time, just like the first book did.
I’m not disappointed at all that it’s over; sometimes it’s nice to keep fantasy series short and sweet without overdoing it. I’m already looking forward to doing a re-read in the future!

I would recommend this series to anyone who loves romantasy! Thank you St Martin’s Press for sending this ARC!

Ahh The Rebel Witch did not disappoint!
This book was so much fun and just as bingeable as the heartless hunter. The tension, the pacing and angst was just amazing! I highly recommend!

When Rune discovers that restoring Cressida to power won’t bring the freedom or safety witches deserve, she’s forced to join forces once more with Gideon Sharpe - whom she plans to ditch just as soon as she puts a stop to Cressida. Gideon, though, also has plans of his own when it comes to Rune. Just as long as their stupid hearts don’t have any say in it!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review. I was over the moon when this ARC was approved for reading!

Rebel Witch was one of my most anticipated reads! The conclusion of Heartless Hunter left on such a cliff hanger so I was ready to dive into this book! I absolutely love Rune and Gideons dynamic. The push and pull that they have feels complicated and real but also completely undeniable. I really enjoyed being back in the world that Kristen has created, as well as all of the little details that call back to book one, people we know and love or just things that were such a cool connection or realization. I felt like Rune became a more complex character through this book and I really appreciated her journey. Seeing Gideon change and become more confident was beautiful as well. My only wish for this book was that the conclusion had a bit more to it. It felt like we were building up to this conflict throughout the last two books and there were beautiful aspects to the ending and heartbreaking things as well, I just feel like it wrapped up a bit sudden.

I would give Rebel Witch a 4.5⭐️
Overall I really enjoyed my time with this book and I am content with the conclusion. I am excited to see what Kristen does next!

I am so so grateful to have received this ARC! Thank you thank you thank you!

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! It was just as good as the first and I’m obsessed with both as a duology. I want more of this world! Every page just sucked me in more to the love story, war, the witchcraft, and the lore.

Okay, so I feel torn about this one. I adored "The Crimson Moth/Heartless Hunter" and impatiently waited for this novel to come out. Overall, i enjoyed the story and following the characters again. The closure at the end was good, and seeing the relationship progression between the two main characters was great. I had some disappointment with the big plot twist though. It felt a little unnatural as if it were the easy solution to tie everything together. Overall I highly recommend. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

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