⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In a word -
Gaslamp Fantasy
Betrayal
Dark
Found Family
Predictable

Jumped right back into the action that we left in the first book! Definitely still dark and intriguing and angsty. There's more betrayal too. Really love the magic system. Some parts felt a little bit predictable, but if you enjoy the characters and the story (I do) then that isn't a problem. Rune felt juvenile (not stupid, but not putting pieces together? Idk) at some points which I didn't understand because she's supposed to be a step ahead of everyone all the time (Crimson Moth, duh). And also, if I have to hear how dainty she is one more time I'm going to revolt. We get it, Gideon is a big strong man 🙄 Anyway, I enjoyed it!

You know when you absolutely fall in love with a book? And then you find out it’s a series. Which is great because then you get to spend more time with the world and characters you fell in love with. And then you find out it’s a Duology, which you (personally) believe is the best length for most series, especially because they can’t have middle book syndrome. Or never-ending series syndrome.

Then you get access to the eARC, which nearly had you audibly screaming with joy. But you realize that reading this book early means that no one is talking about it yet, so you don’t know if it’s going to crush your heart (in a bad way) after loving the first one so much. So, you take a deep breath, and dive in…

Well folks, Kristen Ciccarelli did it. Another absolute banger, and the perfect finish to the Crimson Moth Duology. If that pesky thing called “life” didn’t get in the way, I would have devoured this book in one sitting. The insane tension and banter had me SWEATING. That fine line between hate and love gets me every time, and it was executed perfectly.

In Rebel Witch, book 2 of the Crimson Moth Duology, you see Rune Winters in a new setting, Umbria’s capital, Caelis. And hot on her heels is our favorite Witch Hunter, Gideon Sharpe. With both Rune and Gideon on opposing missions, what happens when we find our lovers-to-enemies with similar goals?

The emotions are high and it feels very tense throughout, but I loved it. Rune and Gideon are both incredibly stubborn characters, which many people may find frustrating, but I found it believable given their situations. Did I want to clobber Gideon over the head multiple times? Yeah, of course. But did I also understand that the events in the first book fundamentally broke him and made him even less trusting than before? Yes, absolutely.

I do think this book was even more New Adult than the first one, so keep that in mind, but it definitely kept the YA vibes overall, and was not too Adult in sexual themes. I gave it 1 chili pepper out of 5.

This duology has easily become one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. I cannot wait to re-read these books in the years to come. While they are not the most intricate and complex stories, they are engaging and fun and do have real depth to them. Ciccarelli writes beautiful, addicting stories with some fantastic quotes throughout.

If you haven’t picked up Heartless Hunter (/Crimson Moth) yet, then I HIGHLY recommend it. If you have and you’re eagerly awaiting Rebel Witch, then buckle up, you’re in for a ride. February 18th, 2025 can’t come soon enough!

I had so much anxiety reading this book. I literally had to stop reading a few times and do the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method I do with my kids. 🤷🏼‍♀️ BUT it’s because I felt like I was there. The words was so vivid and beautiful and I loved this book so dang much.

I don’t know what it is about the witch/witch hunter trope that makes me go absolutely feral, but just inject that stuff straight into my veins please.

Rune and Gideon. 🫶 Are the absolute best enemies-to-lovers couple and that’s a hill I’ll die on. It was perfect.

What You’ll Find:
🪄 Witch/Witch Hunter
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🐈‍⬛Cat and mouse games
💍Fake marriage
🔥“My wife”
🍊Nicknames

Rebel witch was a delectable sequel to Heartless Hunter, full of enemies to lovers, high stakes and alliances along the way. Did this feel slightly predictable - sure. Was the last 20% rushed? Perhaps. But did I binge this incredibly quickly and enjoy it immensely? Absolutely. Most importantly, Kristen’s prose is equally lyrical and intentional, never feeling cringey nor jarring like many others out there in the genre. A favourite romantasy duology that I certainly will not be forgetting.

I absolutely fell in love with Heartless Hunter and was so so excited to revisit the world of the Crimson Moth!
Sequels can be incredibly challenging, There are so many expectations and it can be difficult to create a story that all fans are going to enjoy and appreciate.
With Rebel Witch, I enjoyed the overarching plot and the bare bones arcs of our main characters. When it comes to the details, I feel the story struggled.
This story attempts to address the challenge of having two main characters and love interests that are being torn apart by the world around them. For three quarters of this book, it seemed as if foolish and unnecessary obstacles were being thrown in the way of our two main characters with regards to their romantic relationship in order for them to come together at just the right time, which in turn cheapened their connection and the bond they had built throughout the first book. The execution of their relationship could have been handled differently, keeping the tension, but not squandering what made their relationship so special throughout Heartless Hunter.
All of the time and energy that was devoted to dropping obstacle upon obstacle in the way of the romantic relationship at the core of this story led to disjointed and uneven pacing for the plot. It felt as if our two main characters were being put together and then pulled apart repeatedly, but at the expense of providing more depth and detail to the world around them.
I did every much enjoy the end result with regards to plot and romance, but the ending of this story felt so so rushed, pushing the reader forward before they're able to enjoy and appreciate the strides being made by our favorite characters.
I do recommend reading Rebel Witch to close out the Crimson Moth story, but I think expectations should be tampered.

Rating: 3.5/5

WOW!
First of all thank you so SO much to ST. Martins Press for approving me for an e-ARC.

The ending to book one was absolutely explosive and so heart breaking. Kristen did not hold back so to say I was nervous to start the sequel is an understatement. However, just like with book one, I was hooked immediately from the beginning. The tension between Rune and Gideon is EVERYTHING. It is so so good I love it.

So naturally, I binged this book within two days. :)

I do have some complaints with this sequel that I didn't in the first book. Firstly: this book's focus was almost entirely on the romance and there wasn't as many subplots or rich interactions with side characters/friends. If anything they fell a little flat compared to book one. Secondly: the back and forth between Rune and Gideon (like one running off and the other going after them or some kind of act that proves their love) did start to feel repetitive. It definitely didn't take away my interest at all but I feel some of those parts could have been swapped with meaningful friendship moments. Thirdly: We didn't really get any resolution for Juniper suddenly changing to Cressida. Like we didn't get a talk or anything revealing if Cressida actually cared at all for Rune or not.

My final complaint is one that I also had with book one which is: If this is a YA book, why is there so much focus on segg (and why so descriptive?)

Overall, this sequel was so epic and exciting! I cannot wait to read more from Kristen. Thank you again to St Martin's Press!

I wish this had a bit more of a recap at the beginning but overall it was Just as good as the first and I’m sad the adventure is over.

WOW. I stayed up way too late binging this.

I read this book in two sittings. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. This one starts off with a bang and does not let up the whole time. It is full of action and angst. The enemies to lovers in this book does NOT let up until the very end. I was shocked by multiple revelations in this story. My heart hurt for Gideon and Rune for the majority of this book. They were star-crossed lovers that couldn't find a way to be together. 😭😭
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧. “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙠𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩.”
The ending climax was SO good. Kristen really knows how to tug on your heartstrings and weave an incredible story. I'm so sad that Gideon and Rune's story is over. I need a novella of their HEA!

Thank you so much to the author and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A 5 star series!! My heart rate was through the roof the whole time and I loved every second. The tension, angst, magic, and high stakes of it all had me engaged the entire book, which is so rare for me. Enemies to lovers DONE SO RIGHT. I LOVE RUE AND GIDEON!!

I had the biggest book hangover after reading Heartless Hunters (my favorite book of 2024) and could not wait for this second installment. I dropped everything to read this when I received the e-arc, and I absolutely ate this book up!

After Gideon reveals Rune's true identity, Rune goes on the run. To stop herself from being killed, she's forced into allying herself with Cressida who plans to take back the Republic and reinstate a reign of witches. Gideon refuses to let the Republic fall to witches, and wants to kill every last witch, including Rune. When Rune makes an offer Gideon can't refuse, they wind up working together and forced into each other's company.

This book had high tension and excellent banter. The progression between Rune and Gideon from enemies to reluctant allies was fun to follow along. I absolutely swooned over the ending of this book and thought it was the perfect conclusion! My only knock to this one, the plot is slightly predictable. Regardless, I enjoyed the book and can't wait for everyone to read it!

Thank you so much Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the free e-arc of Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli in exchange for an honest review!

Pub Date: February 18th, 2025

Wow! First of all, I was extremely excited to be approved for this ARC! What a great sequel to the first novel. Usually sequels fall flat for me but this was even better than the first. I would 100% recommend for those who are fans of this series or genre!

3.5 stars

This was one of my most anticipated 2025 releases and I am so bummed that it was not a 5 star read like Heartless Hunter was.

This picks right up where Heartless Hunter left off, but it didn’t feel as fully fleshed out. I love the characters (the ones I could remember at least) but there were so many inconsistencies and everything just felt “convenient.”

HH kept me guessing and I was on the edge of my seat while reading. Rebel Witch was predictable to the point that I was pretty bored.

The story and adventure was fun and I was rooting for Gideon and Rune, but it just fell flat for me in the execution.

Thank you to SMP for the eARC

Okay, are you kidding me?! I was obsessed with the first book, and I honestly didn’t think the sequel could top it—but wow, was I wrong! This one is even better!

Rune Winters is in deeper trouble than ever. Everyone wants her dead, and the only way to survive is to team up with Cressida and of course Gideon Sharpe is out to get her.

The tension between Rune and Gideon is off the charts. He’s supposed to hate her, right? But as they’re forced to work together, those old feelings start showing up.

The ending is absolutely fantastic. I couldn’t put the book down, and now I’m missing the world and characters so much.

This series has quickly become one of my top five favorites, and if you loved the first book, do yourself a favor and preorder this one right now. Trust me—you won’t regret it!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kristen Ciccarelli delivers another absolutely stunning story in Rebel Witch, where we pick right back up with our witch babe, Rune and our favorite witch hunter, Gideon. This book has the best vibes of any book I have read this year but Kristen doesn’t just give us vibes, she delivers romance, angst, action, and plot!

Rune is back to playing her old games of charming people to get what she needs but this time around Rune is STRUGGLING to keep up the act. She knows that she must free the witches but it becomes clear that Cressida is not the woman for the job. She deeply misses her home and her friends. Gideon is still deeply struggling after the death of his brother and the betrayal of Rune. Gideon and Rune are forced to create a tentative alliance that serves both of their interests. The journey and development of Gideon and Rune throughout this book was perfect. They are true enemies to lovers and the moment they both individually realize that they are stronger together was so well placed with the plot (no spoilers but how Rune realized Gideon was her endgame was PERFECT!). I have such a soft spot of Gideon in this book especially towards the end. I loved the plot and continued world building. The magic and witches are so interesting to me and I really enjoyed the additions of the Ancients!

My kindle notes and highlights are unhinged for this book and I truly was kicking my feet and giggling for so much of this story. It is rare that a sequel is better than the original, but Rebel Witch delivers the conclusion to this story everyone deserves. 4.5/5 stars!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for this ARC!

I was so excited to get my hands on the much anticipated conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology and it did not disappoint! I read it in a 24 hour timespan, ignored all non-essential responsibilities while I did so, and I regret nothing. There’s the enemies to lovers tension, action, and magic, oh my! I enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed Heartless Hunter.

I love how the characters really grow to learn and understand that love is the opposite of tyranny, the ultimate power, and worth fighting for. There are so many great messages within the context of the story that we can all relate to. I love how the virtues of wisdom and courage are explored here as well.

The plot was predictable, nothing too complex in this YA Fantasy, but I enjoyed it immensely regardless as something I could just sit back and relax with, not have to think too much about.

The spicy scene is on par with the one in Heartless Hunter, if maybe a little more graphic, but still pretty tame by most standards. I give it 2/5 flames for spice.

If you enjoyed Heartless Hunter, I think you’ll enjoy this satisfying conclusion.

⚔️ BOOK REVIEW ⚔️

Rebel Witch by Kristin Ciccarelli
Pub Date: 02/18/25

♥️ Enemies to Lovers
⚔️ Forbidden Romance
♥️ Deadly Corruption
⚔️ Sacrifice
♥️ Swoon Worthy

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

“You are far worse than a thorn in my side,” he said, his dark eyes gleaming at her. “You are a knife in my heart.”

THIS BOOK!!!! PERFECTION!!!! A riveting tale of love and sacrifice that will steal your heart with thrilling excitement and danger!

Rune and Gideon’s story concluded in the best way imaginable. This was more than just a romance.. it was a battle against corruption and injustice and the author absolutely killed it. I loved every twist and foreshadowing and UGHHHHHH the sacrifices are two MCs made throughout were SHATTERING!

“If this was weakness, he wanted to be weak. If this was sin, let him be damned to hell.”

THANK YOU St. Martins Press and Wednesday books for allowing me to read this early!

This was enjoyable. If you liked the first one, you'll really love this conclusion! It was pretty predictable and, like in Heartless Hunter, I found myself wanting MORE. The end was very exciting, and there were many great moments between Gideon and Rune! I love the blood magic in this duology, and I'd totally recommend if you're a fan of YA fantasy!

Fantastic finish to the duology. I absolutely loved the way the story ended.

It’s been a few months since I read Heartless Hunter and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to follow along without rereading the first book as a refresher. You can definitely go in without doing so and easily pick up where it left off.

The plot was incredibly fast paced and the enemies to lovers romance will always have my heart! Rune and Gideon easily have one of my favorite romances of the year.

If you loved the first, you’ll enjoy the second.

Thanks so much NetGalley and SMP for the eARC.

A very solid conclusion to this duology! 💯 High stakes from this enemies to lovers and the hunt was right off the bat. The action, politics, and personally, my emotions. From start to finish. Fast paced and picked up right where it left off. I felt a more emotional high from the first book but this was the perfect conclusion for Rune and Gideon in this world.

Ok sue me but I didn’t realize this book comes out next year ☠️ my b. Would’ve read closer to pub day for our peeps.

This book was packed full of action and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! I love how so seamlessly it flowed from the first novel.

I had so many emotions while reading this. I was hooked from page one.

The chemistry between Rune and Gideon was amazing. They really balance each other out perfectly. Their stubbornness was frustrating, but was necessary for the story. The magical elements were creative and all the characters were so dynamic.

I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy/supernatural adventures with light spice.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Ciccarelli and St. Martin's Press for an opportunity to read this eBook ARC in exchange for my honest review.