Rebel Witch

[Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.]

The conclusion to the duology, I’ve been waiting with bated breath for this one. And spoiler alert: it did NOT disappoint.

Without giving too much away, we are following Rune, a young witch who is trying to help her fellow witches in a world where being one is a death sentence. She plays socialite during the day with a mask of an absolute carefree aristocrat and by night, dons the moniker ‘The Crimson Moth’ who rescues witches from those that would see them all burn.

Her luck - good or bad - causes her to run into none other than a captain of the witch hunters, in charge of not only arresting them but making sure they are put to death to end the world of the evil casters once and for all.

In this book, we continue to follow Rune as she continues to make difficult choices along her journey and even harder choices of who to trust - including trusting her own heart.

Very well written, very entertaining. I actually put off finishing it for a bit because I didn’t want it to end. Loved this.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded up)

Rebel Witch was a fantastic conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology. There was adventure, passion, secrets, and romance. I just had a fun time reading.

This book picks up immediately after Heartless Hunter, so I would recommend reading that book first.

It’s dual POVs of the main characters and there are some great tropes like: a witch x witch hunter romance, forced proximity, a cat-and-mouse game, and a forbidden romance.

While the storyline was very predictable it was still well written and paced. There were some intense, action-packed, heartfelt, amusing and emotional moments. I loved all the side characters as well.

The magical and adventurous elements were some of my favorite parts in this story. I really enjoyed the cat-and-mouse game between the main characters as well.

The romance between them was written perfectly. The tension, angst, and banter was fantastic.

The last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat. I really liked how everything was wrapped up. However, it was very rushed and I wished there had been a bit more explanation to certain subplots. But the conclusion was really satisfying.

Overall, just a great romantasy read and finale to the duology!

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved this series so much. I love the tension and the forbidden love feel of the series. Rune and Gideon’s relationship kept me invested and excited about turning these pages. The audio was great as well and I highly recommend!

This was an excellent sequel to The Crimson Moth (The Heartless Hunter) -- I enjoyed the enemies to lovers vibes and was impressed with the fast-paced plot that never really gave me a chance to breathe -- a fun and exciting ride full of tension and twists! I was impressed with how the author managed to make the miscommunication between G and R from book 1 last throughout pretty much 50% of book 2 and succeeded in not making it unbelievable or annoying. And even though I guessed pretty much every single twist, it didn't ruin the story for me.

Rebel Witch is the stunning conclusion to the Crimson Moth duology by Kristen Ciccarelli. Rune Winters has finally escaped the Republic but she isn't free of Gideon Sharpe yet. After the return of Cressida, Gideon is in disgrace, the one way to earn his position back? Assassinate Rune Winters. Gideon thinks this should be easy, after her betrayal Gideon is eager to make her pay. But once they come face to face the two find an old spark re-igniting between them. Rune and Gideon realize they must band together to stop Cressida from brining back the Reign of Witches. But will they be able to stop Cressida without betraying each other first?

Rating: 4.5

I was so freaking excited for this book! I loved Heartless Hunter and this one did not disappoint. I was so ready to read about Rune and Gideon. I did feel like some stuff was pretty predictable (missing sister and Seraphine being the Wisdom) but I still loved it. I read it in under 24 hours so I was definitely hooked. It kept me engaged and I honestly couldn't put it down!

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it did not disappoint. I’m sad to see this series end because I love these characters so much but it was the perfect way to end it. I can’t wait to see what this author does next!

There were some interesting moments, but overall this one felt a bit off for me. The book was fast-paced initially but slowed down with unnecessary miscommunication and predictable plot twists. Gideon's character development was disappointing compared to Rune's in the first book. The overly explanatory tone made it hard to stay immersed. It's an enjoyable read if you're looking for something light, but it didn't offer the depth I was hoping for. Didn't live up to the expectation I had from book 1 unfortunately.

Absolutely perfect conclusion to this duology! I honestly could have read more books but I love that this story was done in 2.

This series has everything, witchy vibes, enemies to lovers, plot twists.

Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books and especially Kristen Ciccarelli for the honor to review this story!

What a fun duology this was! I loved every minute of it. The first one was so fun because they were true enemies to lovers. The second one was just as fun because they were once again enemies 🙌🏻 it was the best watching them have their push and pull with each other.
I love how amazing and fun the world building and magic system is while not being overly complicated. The overall storyline was the same way. Nothing was super surprising but it was so entertaining and good that it didn’t need to be.

I’m such a big fan of duologies these days. They’re the perfect length and this one has become one of my top favs now. Highly recommend.

Rebellion, romance, and political intrigue! If you thought book one was intense, this sequel raises the bar. War, betrayal, shifting allegiances—Ciccarelli doesn’t hold back.

The dynamics between characters deepen, with love and loyalty being tested in compelling ways. If you were invested in the romance and friendships of book 1, expect even more emotional complexity here.

Ciccarelli broadens the scope of her world, revealing new magical and political dimensions that add richness without feeling like unnecessary padding.

A strong, emotionally charged sequel that expands on foundations of the first book. If you love morally complex fantasy with rebellion, romance, and magic, this one delivers.

(Actual rating: 3.5 stars)
Unfortunately, my enjoyment of this concluding installment went down a little from the first book because the narrative fixated far more on the romance than on the plot. As the audiobook progressed closer and closer to the end with blow after blow coming against opponents of the witch queen, I could not figure out how Ciccarelli could adequately wrap up this plot in a way that favored the main characters. She did manage to do it in a way that somehow did not seem clunky or through the use of deus ex machina but that did not change my experience with the earlier portions of the book, in which I quickly grew tired of all the times Rune and Gideon found themselves together, were found out and somehow escaped the consequences. Oh well.

Like a moth to a flame, here I fluttered for this book. This book delivers on the enemies to lovers dynamic. The witch hunter hunting the witch who both vow to end the other…except they can’t stay away. The story was fast paced, full of adventures, and the slow burn is so delicious! I absolutely devoured it. I implore everyone to read this duology!

While I liked Rebel Witch, something just felt off. I think it was a me problem, and not a book problem. I did feel like it was too long, but still an enjoyable read, and was glad the story from the first book was wrapped up.

The final installment in the Crimson Moth duology by Kristen Ciccarelli. Just like the first, Rebel Witch is jam packed with fantasy, blood magic, family feuds, and a smidge of romance. Enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers in the best possible way.
I don’t know how the author managed to write this book as well as the first one, but just like book one it’s absolutely addictive and left me thinking about it when I wasn’t reading. There were so many twists that I never saw coming and it was absolutely amazing to see.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an eARC of this book!

What a great ending to this duology! This book lived up to my expectations, was fast paced and picked up right where book 1 left off.

What to expect: enemies to lovers, great banter, found family

Overall thoughts; I really loved this book and how Rue and Gideon worked through past experiences. They have great banter and chemistry. This is a very fast paced, action filled book which I loved.

What a great conclusion to this duology! This really is a true YA enemies to lovers situation and I think it was done really well. I'm also glad that Rune and Gideon weren't kept apart in this book, they were mostly together from the beginning. This was a quick and enjoyable read and I found myself unable to put it down at times. The romance and yearning was top tier. Everything worked out so perfectly at the end, and I was really happy about some of the side character growth we got to see. I enjoyed this one even more than the first, so regardless of how you feel about Heartless Hunter, I'm gonna need you to read this one after asap!

This series is amazing and this was a fantastic conclusion! It was fast paced, action packed and held all the same pining and heartbreak that the first book held. My only complaint is that it was slightly predictable, but it really didn’t take anything away from the story itself! I enjoyed the anticipation of how the characters would get to where they were going and their journeys.

After the ending of Heartless Hunter I'd been waiting to find out what would happen next - and I ended up enjoying it even more than HH! I liked the fact that this duology has two MCs who are enemies - quite literally. They've tried to kill each other multiple times and still do that in this one(QAQ) and are on the opposite sides of everything! It's easy to understand their motivations considering their pasts - I truly felt like neither Rune nor Gideon were on the right/wrong side at first. They were just doing what they could do after everything that had happened to them - especially in a world where witches were brutal to those that didn't possess magic and the witch hunters were just as nefarious in their retaliation

Rebel Witch picks up right after Heartless Hunter with Gideon and Rune back to trying to kill each other again haha(half-heartedly might I add 😂). But, I'm glad that there was more development on the emotional front. There were a few missteps at first but when they finally learn to trust each other they do make a good team - though it takes a while for them to be honest to each other. But, I also enjoyed the cat and mouse dynamic where they constantly tried to outsmart each other.
There was lots of tension and action in this one - I was surprised by how quickly I flew through this book as I was eager to know what would happen next. I guessed some of the twists but I was surprised by the character development here. Gideon seemed more in touch with his emotions in this one, while Rune was strong and had to build up her faltering confidence after everything. They had to work through their issues - while trying their best to stay alive lol. The ending was pretty satisfactory and realistic too and I hope we get to see more books set in the same world!

Really enjoyable book! It is very plot based and so fast paced. It was hard to put down because it was just event after event after event. It's a very bingable book.

The plot alone was great, but the character arcs, in my opinion, lacked a bit. I don't like when in a series the main female character is so strong and badass in the first book and then in the second she just seems to lose all of her self confidence, personality and badassness and instead spends the majority of her time worrying that the guy might not really want her. That happened in this book. Although the romance in this book was very sweet, which I love, both main characters basically had one track minds. It did get a bit old. There was a part where the main female character got hurt, and all she was worried about was that now, with scars, her body was ruined, and she was hideous. Nobody would want her now. The was actually mentioned twice. Biggest eye roll ever. Could have done without that part.

Overall, if you enjoyed the first book, you are going to love this one! Very similar style, very fast paced and a satisfying ending.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.