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!

I absolutely loved this second book and conclusion to the Crimson Moth duopoly by Kristen Ciccarelli.

I live for fast action packed plots and this book delivered. We pick up right where we left off with Rune and Gideon and once the action starts it doesn't stop. There is so much to love about this book!

The tension and "will they won't they" suspense is high between Rune and Gideon in the perfect way. They continue to battle whether or not to trust each other and let their guards down. I also loved the layer building behind the plot. These two had several tasks to accomplish while also on a timeline.

While some of the plot lines felt familiar I liked how fresh and new this world felt. I loved the world building, the magic, and the fight for equality in power. This book has just the right amount of action, magic, and romance. I loved it and look forward to reading future books from this author!

Spectacular! I loved this so much. So much I want to say but do not want to spoil a single detail. I will say this is a must read, I didn't want it to end and i would have read it in one sitting if my kids would have allowed. This is the conclusion to the Heartless Hunter. It's epic and I ate it up. My favorite duology!

This one hurts to write but I didn’t love this. Heartless Hunter was an absolute favorite of mine but this book had far too much going on

I had such a great time with this series!!

I loved the characters, the world, the magic system- and we got to know them so much better this book!

This had me at the edge of my seat. It felt very high stakes and i never knew what direction it was headed. It was so action packed and the pace was constantly rolling- I couldn’t put it down.

I also really enjoy the romance in this! There’s so much tension and it’s true enemies to lovers. They constantly fight their love for each other and try to kill each other and are on opposite sides- it is just chefs kiss.

The ending was a very satisfying conclusion to a very fun duology.

"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."

Summary: This picks up right where Heartless Hunter ended. Rune is on the run and to survive she must become an ally of Cressida Roseblood. Gideon, fooled by not one but two witches, is determined not to let his world be ruled by witches yet again. As their worlds collide once again, Rune offers Gideon a plan that he just cannot pass up. But when feelings they both thought were long gone come back to the surface, they each must make a choice...

I quickly fell in love with Heartless Hunter and after the end, I was desperate to get my hands on Rebel Witch. Kristen brought it!! I cannot put into words how absolutely incredible this book was. From the beginning, it had its hooks in me, and I struggled to put it down when real life came calling. From the Rune-Gideon banter to the action lurking around every corner, this book was the perfect conclusion to this duology. Do not miss out on this spectacular story! I cannot wait to have a physical copy of this book gracing my bookshelf for all to see because these books will be ones I'll return to time and time again.

Read if you like:
🗡️Witches/Witch Hunters
😻Cat/Mouse Games
🤩Enemies to Lovers

“Next time… you are going to tell me the entire plan up front”
“If I’d told you the entire plan up front, you wouldn’t have agreed to it”
“Exactly”
“That’s why I didn’t tell you”

Rebel Witch is an amazing conclusion to this incredible duology! It was everything I hoped for and more! I enjoyed both of these books so much and didn’t want either of them to end.

The story picks up right where Heartless Hunter leaves off. Rune has been outed as the Crimson Moth and aligned herself with Cressida Roseblood in order to take back the Republic. I don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t share more but I will say that this is a fast paced tale full of many twists and turns. If you are a fan of Heartless Hunter then I think you will absolutely love this one too!

Rebel Witch is a quintessential enemies to lovers story full of angst and considerable banter. Romantasy is the perfect label because Rune and Gideon are the heart of this book and their love story had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. If I have one complaint it would be that the push and pull of their love affair created a constant back and forth which felt stressful and even frustrating at times. I understand why things unfolded the way that it did though and if anything it just made me want to devour the story even faster.!

This conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology was full of tension, angst, emotional strife, and plot twists I should've seen coming... but did not see coming at all. It says a lot when an author can make you root for characters even when they are making some of the worst decisions, and Ciccarelli does just that. She tackles a few new tropes in this book, and they were executed extremely well and added more to the plot rather than just being there for entertainment.

I would have loved to see more of the characters wrestling with their thoughts and feelings together rather than falling into a few moments of miscommunication, but it made sense for that to be a conflict due to the nature of the plot. This duology has climbed the ranks to one of my new YA fantasy favorites and I am so excited to see what Kristen Ciccarelli does next. She's definitely made a new fan out of me!

In this thrilling second installment, Rune and Gideon are back and more devious than ever. Despite their love of each other, they can’t trust each other, and every move they make can be their last.

The Witch and the witch hunter is my new favorite spin on enemies to lovers. Reading book 1 is a must before jumping into this story, as it picks up right where the first left off. My anxiety was ebbing and flowing with each chapter, and I have no idea how the author was able to write such a stressful novel where I devoured every sentence. This book, like the first, is action packed and full of magic. I loved the fantasy/magical world Rune and Gideon were apart of, and I love their relationship most of all. I can’t say enough positive things about this story, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy for my library when it comes out in February!

I simply don’t have the words! This was one of my most anticipated reads/sequels and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I absolutely LOVED Heartless Hunter and was so nervous this wouldn’t live up. But it was amazing. The pacing was outstanding, I loved the balance of introducing new characters while learning more about some old faves, and I’m not sure there is a better enemies to lovers and back again story out there. Absolutely obsessed!

✨️ Rebel Witch ✨️

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Finished: 8/8/24

After book 1, I could not wait until I could read Rebel Witch! Sadly, it didn't live up to the hype as I was expecting.

The trust, or should I say lack thereof, between Gideon and Rune was a big red flag in this book. It should have been resolved way sooner than basically the end of the story. The way they go back and forth thinking they can trust each other and then not being able to was irritating, and how it gets so bad that even side characters don't know if they can trust the main characters... it just went too far, and just jumbles the plot and not in a good way.

I also didn't love how Gideon's tailor abilities weren't brought up in this second book. I feel like how it was his family's demise in the first book with his parent's, it should have been at least mentioned a little bit and maybe shown that he still designs items for Rune as a hobby at the end. It just seems like a missing component in book 2.

Sequels usually don't live up to the hype for me a lot of the time, so it doesn't surprise me that this on didn't. I think the author should have taken the time to plot out the storyline better. So, I probably will not be buying the physical copy of this one.

Thanks to @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for a #gifted copy of this book.

Summary: This picks up right where Heartless Hunter ended. Rune is on the run and to survive she must become an ally of Cressida Roseblood. Gideon, fooled by not one but two witches, is determined not to let his world be ruled by witches yet again. As their worlds collide once again, Rune offers Gideon a plan that he just cannot pass up. But when feelings they both thought were long gone come back to the surface, they each must make a choice...

Thoughts: WOW!!! I didn't think anything could top Heartless Hunter and Kristen very successfully proved me wrong. This book was absolutely amazing from start to finish. This duet has slowly become an absolute favorite of mine, and I will be thinking of these books for a long while.... It's really hard to express ALL of my feelings without giving away key parts of the book. So just know that the tension and banter is still just as strong, there are so many twists and turns in this cat-and-mouse game you WILL lose sleep, and Gideon....If you haven't read this duet yet, do yourself a favor and start it today!!

Read if you like:
🗡️Witches/Witch Hunters
😻Cat/Mouse Games
🤩Enemies to Lovers

Lovers of Heartless Hunter, this one did not disappoint! I AM OBSESSED. It's always nerve-wracking going into a sequel having loved the first book in a series/duology so much, but boy did this one live up to my expectations! I was hooked from the very beginning and I couldn't have been happier to be back in this world. I loved everything about it, especially Gideon's continued grumpiness and Rune's humor and strength. There were some new side characters in this one as well that I enjoyed getting to know. I tell everyone I know to read Heartless Hunter and I'm so happy knowing that they'll have the perfect follow up book to end with.

This book wrapped up perfectly and all I can say is that I'm so sad it's over, but I will definitely be re-visiting this one when the audiobook comes out!

Light 4 (maybe 3.5)

This book was SO much fun! It was action-packed, fast-paced, and kept me on my toes with plenty of unexpected twists. I loved how the story kept me guessing, and the chemistry between Rune and Gideon was undeniably electric. It definitely gave me everything I was hoping for, and I had a seriously good time reading it.

That said, there were moments when the constant emotional flip-flopping between the two characters felt a bit much. The "will they, won't they" trope is fun, but it started to wear thin when it became predictable. I think the story would have benefited from slowing down in some of the more emotional moments, allowing the characters to fully process their feelings instead of switching gears so quickly.

Overall, though, this was a fantastic conclusion to one of the year's most popular books.