Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heartless Hunter (or Crimson Moth) follows Rune Winters, a seemingly air-headed heiress who moonlights as witch rescuer called the Crimson Moth, and Gideon Sharpe - a witch hunter whose focus is finding the Crimson Moth. In a town that was once ruled by witches that had been overthrown and replaced with a new regime that is staunchly anti-witch, Rune found herself in a tough positions - turn in her grandmother, who was a witch, or face sure death herself. To atone for the choices she made, and finding out she's a witch herself, Rune begins freeing all witches she can who have been sentenced to execution. Gideon believes Rune to be gossip hungry and shallow - but something tells him she may be the one freeing his captives and joins the courting stream to figure out if she really is a witch or something else.

To say I loved this book, would be an understatement. It kept you intrigued from page 1. The love triangle, the magic system, the authoritarian regime... it all worked seamlessly together to weave a unique fantasy story. Although I guessed the big plot twist, it was still shocking to see it come to fruition and I enjoyed the whole ride of this book. Please read it! You won't be disappointed.

I am so happy I received this arc! Heartless Hunter is perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Serpent and Dove, etc. I read so many fantasy books, but this really exceeded my expectations. I flew through this story, even when it was becoming more easy to predict what came at the end — I was still super engaged the whole time.

I also love and appreciate that things were left the way they were, knowing that the next book will really benefit from that. Absolutely nothing is resolved the way you’d expect it to be, and I love that. From love triangles to witchy vibes to low key spy stuff, this book really delivered it all. I’d definitely recommend it!

Oh my what a wild ride this was!

Enemies to kinda lovers back to enemies
Witch & witch hunter


After the death of her Nan and the world purging witches, Rune made it her mission to rescue every witch she could. Becoming the Crimson Moth. Who was Gideons thorn in his side that he couldn’t find. Both end up finding the need to get close to the other for information.

I loved every second of this book, the plot really sucks you in. I DID not expect for it to turn out like it did, I was at the 80% and realized there was going to be a second book. Still crying from the ending.

I can not wait to see how the next book plays out! Especially with how it ended. There’s so many possibilities!

Thank you net galley and the author for the arc!

I flew through this in a few days! It was the epitome of YA romantasy. The book is more heavy on the romance at some parts and doesn’t necessarily have a ton of action packed moments. However, even without a lot of action, it is super fast paced. I would have liked to see Rune actually acting as the Crimson Moth through some sort of rescue scene because we’re told about them a lot, but didn’t witness any. I also hope we get some more backstory on the world to understand why witches are hunted in some areas and not others. Overall, I had a great time with this one and it kept my attention the entire time. After the ending I’m super intrigued to see where the next one goes!

In the aftermath of the revolution, witches are now outcasts ruthlessly hunted. Rune must hide what she is, pretending to be a socialite by day as she becomes the Crimson Moth at night to rescue witches from the purge. After a rescue gone wrong, Rune tries to throw witch hunters off her trail by courting the most notorious one of all, Gideon Sharpe. She falls for him in spite of herself, and he falls for her despite his loathing of superficial people. How will it end?

Witches use blood to cast spells, leaving silvery scars behind when the blood is used. Rune would have been killed as well as her grandmother if she hadn't turned her in when the revolution upended everything in the small island country. But the poor are still poor, witch sympathizers are marked or killed, and the rich continue with balls and superficial pursuits. The Crimson Moth uses magic to save witches from being killed, but Rune isn't as clever as she thinks she is, and Gideon is fueled by trauma as well as duty to the revolution. It's a bad combination, especially when others keep pushing Gideon and neither are able to be completely honest with each other.

This gaslamp fantasy is heavily inspired by the Scarlet Pimpernel, and its a tense chase to see if Rune will escape suspicion or if she can rescue the powerful witch in custody. While I was able to guess some of the twists in the final third of the book, I didn't see the exact ending coming. I hope there's a sequel to pick up where this left off, I really want to know what happens next!

Scarlet Pimpernel meets Serpent & Dove in this tale of witches and post-revolution, with a flair of whodunnit mystery where both sides go from thinking they have all the answers to realizing they weren’t even aware of the right questions.

Rune, a socialite and secret rescuer of her fellow witches, tries to ensnare Gideon, soldier, hater of witches, who somewhat reluctantly decides to seduce her in turn to gain information of his own. Shenanigans ensue, including but not limited to fashion insults, moonlight swims, and flirtatious telegrams.

Overall it’s a fun romp, with a few missed opportunities that keep it from going from good to great. As an upper YA book, it contains a handful of swears, allusions to past abuse, quite a few kisses, and one open door scene.

I loved Rune’s sparkling personality, the almost maybe Pride & Prejudice reference in an early chapter, and the deeper thoughts Rune and Gideon struggled with when not trying to outsmart one another. Gideon shares a complex history with his brother Alex, and wrestles with his role as eldest child and how to best love when doing so may hurt himself. While he and Rune carry different scars of the Revolution, their disagreements ultimately bring them closer to a sort of peace in acknowledging that their world is a broken place and it’s the people committing actions that create good or evil, not simply the institutions and their promises.

I mentioned missed opportunities…the biggest involves the main duo. Rune Winters and Gideon Sharpe are in fact both very intelligent, but from many of their scenes I’d never have guessed it, until a later reveal comes along to demonstrate their actions came from scheming or 4D chess moves rather than blindness or simplicity. And not in a way that left me the sneaking suspicion that they were up to anything until the big reveal. I dunno, there was just a big disconnect for me between how the narrative makes them seem and how smart they really are.

Other misses, although these mostly come down to preference:
- Dual POV: Not my favorite, generally, and it really didn’t work for me in this close-quarters game of deception. Getting the full perspective from both Rune and Gideon dissolved much of the tension in any individual scene, since I didn’t have to guess at either of their motives.
- Short timeframe: The entire book takes place over the span of roughly one week. I struggle to get to know a character and get a sense of their development when there’s limited passage of time.
- Repeated ruminations: Rune and Gideon both do a fair bit of self-reflection, sorting through clues and their feelings. However, they don’t always have new information or opinions, which leads to reiterating the same thoughts, especially in later chapters. This might aid readers who are reading one or two chapters a day, but taken together over the span of a weekend, it’s unnecessarily repetitive.

Still, I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book, and it’s a testament to the strength of the characters and story essentials that it remains strong despite my gripes.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC**

First off, thank you to #netgalley and #wednesdaybooks for an earc of Heartless Hunter in exchange for an honest review.

You GUYS!!! Kristen has done it again! In fact, she's knocked it out of the park with this one! I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. I'm not kidding. I went back to reread a section to snag a quote for my review .... and ended up reading the whole book a second time in one sitting. It's addictive and it keeps you turning the pages. The world is richly imagined and leaps off the page from the very first line. There are twists and turns and surprises that will leave you pining for the second/final book. And the romance is absolutely THE best kind of swoony slow burn dislike to lovers imagineable! All those emotional filled, heart pounding moments that the premise of the book makes promises on, Kristen one hundred percent delivers! This is definitely my top read for 2024 and if it doesn't become the next big talk of the YA book community the likes of Divine Rivals and What the River Knows, I will be completely shocked.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And what's even better, it comes out in only 8 days!!!
Heartless Hunter is the North American title of the book, in the UK it is being published under its original title of The Crimson Moth.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked that it dealt with witches and I really enjoyed the characters but I was so sad when Alex died and that Verity turned out to be Cressida but they were good twists. I’d definitely want to read future books in this series so I hope the next one isn’t too far away!

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books, for my free digital copy for review!

Where to start? The magic system was unique but if I had to hear about Runes blood source one more time I think I would yak. Also using her friends blood too. Barf. I had to push past. Loved the scars etc.

The romance. Rune and Gideon deserved each other they were both in it for the wrong reasons and I didn’t buy their “love”. So much waffling about on Gideon’s part about knowing his brother Alex loved Rune but he was gonna fake court her anyway and it was a ruse but then it wasn’t. Idk. Scumbag and I didn’t like him. Didn’t like Rune either. She was pig headed and had her head so far in the friend zone sandbox when it came to Alex.

Plot: I don’t understand how three tyrannical rulers caused a genocide of literally every witch who committed no crimes.
Alex was the only good character and they did him so dirty.

Thanks to NetGalley for the pre release! I really enjoyed this enchanted witch tale & am excited to see what happened next with Rune!

Soo I think the book is good but just wasn’t my cup of tea. It has good romance in it & character development, and it wasn’t one of those “easy to guess how the story plays out”

Thank you to Kristen Ciccarelli, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of the first book in the Crimson Moth series!

This book has been a stealth favorite of mine so far this year! I loved everything about it - the magic, the espionage, the enemies to lovers. In my mind, I imagined the world as a combination of early 20th century England combined with a Russian Revolution/Salem Witch Trials social environment. The dual POV story telling kept me engaged with each of the MCs and at the edge of my seat as the tension grew higher. I also was completely shocked by the ending and found myself crying unexpectedly during the last 20 or so pages. The whole book was devoured in a single sitting in which I barely moved from my seat. I absolutely cannot wait to recommend this book after it is published, and have already marked the second book as want to read ASAP!

You can expect: magic, rebellion, witches, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, friendship, historical-fantasy vibes, cliffhanger.

I've been having a little bit of trouble forming my thoughts on this one, but I'm going to go for it anyway.

I think the strongest aspect of this story were our character's backstories. They added quite a bit of nuance to our protagonist and love interest that would have been lacking otherwise. This book is so strongly focused on the romance that I felt that their roles (as vigilante witch and witch hunter) weren't quite lived up to in the plot. I don't know that I felt much chemistry between them in any case. I felt that this book read a little young, which is fine, I just think I would have preferred more world building or higher stakes or something. The reveals were also fairly obvious as well as the one character death. I think because of this, I didn't like the ending and don't think I'll be continuing on with the series.

I would still recommend this books to Romantasy readers who are more into romance than plot. Readers of Rachel Griffin in particular, because of the witchy aspect of the book. I know quite a lot of people really enjoyed it and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have read it, thank you.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books, for my free digital copy for review.

Witch against Witch Hunter—a showdown I eagerly anticipated, and it didn't disappoint. The narrative promised by the blurb unfolds beautifully, delivering even more than expected.

The depth of world-building is captivating, unveiling a rich history of witches and humans intertwined with revolution. The author's imaginative creation of witch lore is both unique and enthralling. Rune, our heroine, is a character whose journey is compelling to follow. She's not just fighting for a cause; she's navigating the turbulent waters of personal challenges that test her resolve. And then there's Gideon, her counterpart, whose strength and complexity make him the perfect foil to Rune. Their journey from enemies to lovers is charged with tension, making each moment between them intensely satisfying.

The Crimson Moth series opens with this spellbinding tale, immersing readers in a world where witches and witch hunters weave a story of intrigue, power, and romance. Each chapter keeps you hooked, eager to discover what lies ahead. Truly, a fantastic voyage into a realm where magic and conflict dance in a delicate balance.

In this heart-pounding retelling of the classic Scarlet Pimpernel story, Rune is a witch in a world determined to extinguish all witches. Forced into a double life, Rune plays at a carefree life amid the ruling class while secretly working to save witches from burning at the stake. When she decides to falsely court witch hunter Gideon Sharpe, she's drawn into a cat-and-mouse game where her fate, as well as her heart, is in peril. The author nails the breathless enemies-to-lovers feel. After devouring this romantasy, fans will be clamoring for a sequel.

I absolutely loved the magic system, and world of this book! The complexity yet predictably of the characters! I did figure out the twist pretty early on, but it didn’t make reading the story any less fun! I will absolutely be reading the next book! I cannot wait to see what happens next!!! If you love witches, enemies to lovers, betrayal, or intricate magic systems you should absolutely read this book!

Overall Score: 3.5/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Character Development: 3.5/5
Ease of Reading: 3.5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 3.5/5

The Heartless Hunter was a really good, quick, easy read. The plot was compelling and I enjoyed that the book was written from two POVs. I love a good book about witchcraft and the witchcraft in this book felt soooo unique! The casting scars were such a beautiful and interesting way to explain the magic of the world.
I liked Rune, and she was quite clever. Gideon was really broody and I LOVE a broody MMC.
I wasn’t bored at all throughout the book, but I was a bit confused at times.
There were a few things that didn’t make much sense to me and I don’t know if it was down to the way things were written or a lack of consistent imagery in the book.
The civilization in this story doesn’t appear to use technology of any kind- including electricity. But there is a specific reference to electricity in the book that made me think maybe the author forgot this? And the way in which the characters discuss some things (especially university) feels very modern despite a possibly Victorian setting? There are some terms that just felt very out of place and took me out of the story.
I really annoyed the enemies to lovers in this book, but it felt a bit forced sometimes and felt kind of icky on Gideon’s side at some points.

The writing was simple and not overly complicated which made for an easy read but wasn’t super compelling or entrancing. I think it’s a great YA Read but just fell a little short for me. I will still recommend to friends because I know tons who will love it but this story just wasn’t necessarily for me!

WOW WOW WOW!!! I am totally hooked and cannot wait for the next in the series 🥰 I almost never am blown away in fantasy stories, but this one GOT ME!

Rune + Gideon = enemies to lovers and I loved it!!!

Intensity, romance, thrilling action, TWISTS!! Oh I cannot recommend enough!

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in review for an honest review. 🫶

4.5 Stars!!

A wonderful compelling start to this duology!

As per the blurb, it hasn’t been long since witches were bloodily and brutally deposed from their exalted position. Once held in awe and revered, their abuse of their power inevitably heralded a revolution, and many have been killed and many still hide. This is a world divided, and we find our heroine Rune caught in the middle.

Rune, forced to betray the woman who raised her, is forever on a quest to help her own kind survive the ongoing purge, chasing an endless penance she can never repay. Desperate times push her to seduce Gideon, captain of the Blood Guard, for valuable intel. He’s a man who is both terrifying in his deadly capabilities and alluring in his mysterious dangerous demeanor.

Gideon, too, has his own personal mission, forever on a quest to kill those who represent all that he thinks is evil in the world. He is single minded in his devotion, hell bent on finding the elusive Crimson Moth who has been saving witches right under his nose. When he’s pointed in Rune’s direction that she might be the culprit, he has no choice but to seduce her to find the truth.

What unfolds is a fast paced game of cat and mouse, where both Rune and Gideon try to entrap the other. The fear, the suspicion, the anxiety and worry amplify as these two try to achieve their goals, unable to stop revealing small bits of their past trauma, shedding the facades they’ve both put up to survive.

This is a fantasy world with witches and magic, fraught with danger and dark themes all with a twisty enemies to lovers plot overlaid with a subtle triangle dynamic. Points for Rune being a heroine to root for. Points for the lovely portrayal of both these two trying not to fall for the other but unable to resist the inevitable. Points for equally building a case for each to stand on regarding why they do what they have to do.

Admittedly, I’m very hard to please, and I was continuously and pleasantly surprised that Ciccarelli created two strong characters, each with their own values and understandable convictions in what they think is right, and despite knowing the other is the enemy, they can’t help but fall for the other. Neither was naive, neither went into things blind, nor did they fumble in trying to fit a plot point. I completely appreciated that despite Rune and Gideon being adversaries, the author made me hope for a better outcome for both, regardless of whether they ultimately find that happiness with each other or apart.

Overall, I applaud Ciccarelli for the propulsive and compelling writing. I loved the alternating POV’s showcasing Rune and Gideon’s internal struggles and insecurities as both dig themselves deeper, lying through their teeth (until they aren’t), all for what they believe is absolutely necessary.

Be forewarned. This ends on a cliffhanger, and what I look forward to the most is how the author is going to find peace for Rune and Gideon as the emotions and vulnerabilities and intimacy shared were basically annihilated by the end of this book. There is an unscalable mountain of issues for both to overcome, and I’m hopefully confident that Ciccarelli can pull it off. I’ll be here waiting impatiently for the conclusion!

Thank you to the author and St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for a honest review posted on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6256977349

This story had it all, action, suspense, and a love triangle. As I read this, I was a little thrown off by what should be triggers in this book. I wasn't prepared and it was slightly unnerving. IMs. Ciccarelli did keep the story flowing and it was apparent that any of the characters would be in danger before the end.