If you liked “Serpent & Dove” but wished it was a grittier story, than “Heartless Hunter” by Kristen Ciccarelli is the book for you!

The first book in the “Crimson Moth” romantic fantasy duology, “Heartless Hunter” tells how Rune Winters struggles to navigate life after the bloody revolution that cast witches down from the ruling elite to ruthlessly purged. As a witch, Rune must walk a knife’s edge to conceal who she truly is and maintain her place in high society.

While pretending to be a vapid socialite, Rune is able to get information that she uses as the Crimson Moth, the notorious witch vigilante who rescues other witches from being purged. When her latest rescue mission goes wrong, Rune knows she needs to change her tactics. And so she pretends to court the handsome Gideon Sharpe, an unforgiving witch hunter that was instrumental in overthrowing the witch queens during the revolution.

Gideon Sharpe loathes everything Rune represents—the opulence of the aristocracy—but after uncovering a connection between her and the Crimson Moth, he decides to pretend to court her right back. The more time that he spends with her, Gideon realizes that there is far more to the socialite than she lets on. Rune is kind and intelligent, and seems like his perfect match…except that he suspects her to be the very enemy he’s hunting.

“Heartless Hunter” is an enemies-to-lovers with some of the highest stakes I’ve ever come across. Rune and Gideon are both key players in a post revolutionary world and both are doing what they think is best for their people. Those goals place them firmly on opposite sides until the two reach a point where they need information that only the other could provide.

Rune and Gideon begin a dangerous waltz—Rune trying to get information on the witch she was unable to rescue and Gideon trying to determine if she is the Crimson Moth he’s been hunting. Their romance kept me biting my nails, waiting for them to fall in love, waiting for them to be caught in a lie, waiting for it all to go terribly wrong. For an enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, it was a surprisingly grounded tale. The two main characters were well rounded and had a lot of depth that was explored over the course of the book and their chemistry was phenomenal.

The other characters were also interesting, if a bit predictable. Ciccarelli did a great job of ensuring that there were enough characters around to fill out all the high society settings, but never made the reader feel overwhelmed with an excess of named characters. This can be a difficult needle to thread but as a reader I appreciate Ciccarelli’s work.

The most admirable part of “Heartless Hunter,“ from a technical standpoint, is the unique magic system that Ciccarelli developed. The witches use blood magic, which is common enough, but Ciccarelli incorporated a really interesting detail on how the scars on a witch’s skin would turn silvery and they intentionally would cut themselves in beautiful patterns—almost like tattoos. Those silvery scars were also how witches were able to be easily identified, which is something that Rune has to constantly work around through the book. Spells also have a visible signature that stays behind after the spell wears off, a sort of maker’s mark, which was also a fascinating addition to the magic system.

“Heartless Hunter” was a fantastic story that kept me biting my nails as I read through the night. I absolutely can’t wait for the sequel to come out and already know that I’ll be devastated that “The Crimson Moth” is a duology. I highly recommend “Heartless Hunter” to anyone that likes a darker fantasy world with high stakes and a slow burn romance.

A game of cat and mouse, witch versus witch hunter. Enemies to lovers ✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars!!

Rune is a witch in hiding. Witchcraft is outlawed and punished by death. Even since her grandmother’s death two years ago and the witch purging began, Rune has been living a double life. By day she is an elite socialite, but by night she is the Crimson Moth. She pretends to be a stuffy socialite to gain intel to recuse captured witches.

Who has the best intel than the Head of the Blood Guard, Gideon. Rune starts a courtship with Gideon find out the location of a captured witch. Little does she know, Gideon suspects she is the Crimson Moth and is trying to find incriminating evidence. So the game of cat and mouse begins.

This book is very easy to read. The spicy is extremely mild. There are some big twists at the end of this book that I didn’t expect. Definitely makes you need book 2 ASAP!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

I’m so conflicted on what to rate this one! Overall, I enjoyed myself and did stay up late to keep reading it. Howeverrrr it did take me until the 25% mark to stop thinking I was going to DNF.

The writing itself just felt juvenile and I felt like the author didn’t trust readers enough to pick up on subtleties and the way they would impact the overall story because key points were often repeated in ways that were not helpful or new. I also am not a fan of writing that uses “BAM!” And “CRACK!” which this author used a few times. It makes the writing feel unpolished. Which, coincidentally, felt like an overall theme in this book. I think with more time and willingness to draw bits out a little more, this could have been a 5 star read for me. Instead, the world building felt rushed and the character building felt shallow at the start.

All that being said, this book DOES have some of my favorite things: enemies to lovers to enemies! Unexpected betrayal! Unexpected death! Unique magic!

All of which takes this from a 3.5 to a 4 for me.

I also know that not every FMC needs to be a murderous killer to be a badass, but I would have liked to see Ruhn act a little more mature and cunning. She supposedly runs her own estate and is this incredible agent of subterfuge and excellent at fooling everyone, yet she doesn’t see the most obvious things coming or have the forethought to interrogate oddities more. I felt like I was told more about her prowess than I actually saw. That being said, I do have really high expectations for FMC.

This book also has clearly drawn inspo from ACOTAR (dark haired evil man is actually a softy/son of a dress maker/victim of SA perpetrated by the female villain) but it’s still different enough and offers new plot lines enough that I’m not really mad about it.

Allllll of this being said, I need book two NOW!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars
*spoilers*
I have to say, I absolutely devoured this book in less than 36 hours.
I found the world building and magic to be fantastic and well thought out. The blood magic, the way it scarred, and the different levels was very unique and interesting. That is definitely something I can appreciate after reading so much fantasy.

Rune is a stuffy aristocrat by day and the Crimson Moth by night, saving witches from the purge. In a world where witches are hunted and executed she must find other ways of practicing her magic, ways that don’t leave behind scars. To gather more intel to save a witch name Seraphine, she must get close to someone with the information she needs to rescue her and countless other witches that will follow. Gideon, a respected Blood Guard captain, is exactly the person she needs to get close to to get the job done. Gideon has hunted down and sent countless witches to their deaths, but finding the Crimson Moth is his goal above all else. He suspects Rune, but first he must get close to her to find proof. What ensues is most definitely a cat and mouse game that will keep you on your toes and guessing what will happen next.

While I loved Rune and how strong and resilient she was, I had a hard time with Gideon’s character. While his past trauma helped me understand him and his motives more, I could not get behind or understand the indiscriminate killing of witches. Although he fell for Rune and learned she was a kind and intelligent person, when he found out she was a witch there was never any realization that not all witches are evil. Just like not all humans are evil. In the end we are back to square one where he wants to hunt down Rune again. That might have been the author’s intention, but I found it a bit frustrating and I was hoping for more development in his character.

Overall I think fans of romantasy, witches, and enemies to lovers would really enjoy this book like I did!

✨ARC Review✨
📖: Heartless Hunter
🖋️: Kristen Ciccarelli
🗓️: 2/20/24
⭐️: 5 of 5
💬: “Would you like to see a witch’s bedroom, Citizen Sharpe?”

Tropes, Topics & Themes:
✨Fantasy Romance
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Fake dating
✨Love triangle
✨ Witches/witch hunters
✨Secrets and lies

I hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next book because of the way it left us. I need to know what happens next.

Rune hasn’t been the same since she lost her grandmother to the witch hunters. Following her grandmother’s wish. Rune reports her so Rune is not at risk of being caught.

Living a double life. Rune pretends she’s not as smart as she is while surrounding herself with the elites to hide who she really is.

With her two best friends by her side, Verity and Alex. They help her stay safe but they are part of The Crimson Moth. Where they help save the last of the witches from being eliminated.

“Beautiful heiresses might court common soldiers. But they don’t marry them.”

Gideon is the Blood Guard captain and he’s known for being ruthless, bloodthirsty, and extremely rude. When it’s brought to his attention that Rune may be involved with the Crimson Moth. He decides to court her to gain information.

While Gideon may think he’s smarter than Rune. She has a plan of her own. Get close to him to figure out where a certain witch is being held.

From hilarious banter and the slow burn between two enemies. The tension is high and the stakes are even higher.

“Be my wife, Rune. Come with me to Caelis. Let me give you the life you should have had.”

Can Rune ever live a normal life? Will Gideon forgive Rune if he finds out who she really is? What will become of the city when the uprising of the witches begins?

I can’t wait for the sequel!🔥🔥

Thank you, Kristen Ciccarelli, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for this EARC! As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts. This review will be shared on my Instagram @Alexandriavwilliams_ shortly.

I really enjoyed this! The pacing of the story was great and kept me interested, I love anything to do with enemies-to-lovers. It was a quick and easy read!

A delightful fantasy
Enemies to lovers done right
A fun quick magical read

Witchcraft is outlawed and punishable by death.

Rune a young witch tried to hide who her magic and true self behind the facade of a vapid socialite. However, she is also known by the alias the Crimson Moth, and is doing everything she can to help rescue accused fellow witches and get them to safety.

Gideon is the leader of the witch hunters (and the brother of her best friend). He has lost everything under the rule of the witch queens. and haunted by what he saw he cannot believe a witch can be anything but evil. He is determined to uncover the Crimson Moth, the witch that has been undermining him at every turn.

Both of them are attempting to get critical information from the other while reluctantly falling in love at the same time. Both of them are good people - they just see things from differing perspectives.

I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. So why 4 stars not 5? Those reading my reviews know I TRY to save 5 for those books that I close and go "wow". Books that give me that hangover. But this is a 4.5

Thank you to th author, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.
#NetGalley #HeartlessHunter

Oh. My. GOD.
I absolutely love Kristen Ciccarelli. Last Namsara? Amazing.

Heartless Hunter only added to that love.
The pacing of this story was perfect, I devoured this book and never wanted it to end.
Rune Winters is the FMC we deserve. Passionate, smart, with believable interests and motivation. Conflicted with guilt about turning in her grandmother and feeling the urge to save as many of her fellow witches as possible, no matter the cost to herself. I loved that she was a socialite and not some rando with a grudge. She used her power and connections to get what she needed

This is already my favorite book of 2024

enemies to lovers DONE RIGHT. true excellency. i'm so in awe of this masterpiece. top read of 2023 fr.

will be coming with more coherent thoughts in a bit but for right now, highly recommend <3

Are you looking to fill the Mathias Helver/Nina Zenik shaped hole in your heart after six of crows? Read this. Oh my god this was so good!!!!

It’s a witch / witch hunter enemies to lovers to enemies to for the love of god give me book two!

The story starts two years after three reigning witch queens were murdered and their regime toppled. Witchcraft is now outlawed and punishable by death.

Rune a young witch, known by the alias the Crimson Moth, is doing everything she can to help rescue accused fellow witches and ferry them to safety.

Gideon, leader of the witch hunters, lost everything under the rule of the witch queens. Haunted by his trauma and the horrors he’s witnessed, he cannot believe a witch can be anything but evil. He is determined to uncover the Crimson Moth, the witch that has been undermining him at every turn.

Follow the two of them as they dance around each other. Both attempting to gain critical information from the other while reluctantly falling in love at the same time.

Both these characters are good people shaped by their trauma and manipulated by half truths and misconceptions. This book shows that nothing is cut and dry and sometimes neither side is wholly good or right.

Rune is an amazing lead, brilliantly intelligent, fiercely loyal and relatably vulnerable. She’s a wonderful mix of badass and femininity. Bonus points for her horse Lady who is an icon.

Gideon is the world’s saddest good boy and I can’t say no to that. Give me a broken man devoted to his mission suddenly questioning everything over his love for a woman - I will eat it up every time and leave no crumbs.

The tension? Palpable. The longing? Delicious. The HEARTBREAK? Gut wrenching. I devoured this book in one sitting. What am I supposed to do with myself until book two??

A witch and a witch hunter. She spends every moment trying to save other witches who are being hunted and purged by him. He is hunting the Crimson Moth, a mysterious vigilante that he doesn’t know is the beautiful socialite. As the game of hunting each other bring them closer and closer, it becomes a confusing game mixed with lust and possible love.

A fun enemies to lovers story with magic and a love triangle.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

This was super fun, and I love some good morally-gray characters! This was a perfect one for that, and I adored the characterizations and world-building. I can't wait for more!

Heartless Hunter is a fast paced and all around fun read! This book hooked me from the beginning and kept my interest throughout. I loved Rune and Gideon and couldn’t get enough of them. I look forward to the next book in the series

The Heartless Hunter
By Kristin Ciccarelli

This is a fantasy with a theme which resonates today. It also seems to be the opening round in a new series.

The story takes place in a country once ruled by magic and dominated by the Sister Queens, witches capable of the highest orders of magic – or the darkest, depending on your point of view. The non-magical masses revolted 10 years ago, killing the Queens and subsequently hunting and "purging" any witch still alive. Having magic has become a very perilous proposition.

But the real story here involves an unrecognized witch, Rune, who is trying to save witches from this fate and spirit them away to safety in another land. She is aided in this endeavor by her good friend Verity de Wilde and Alexander Sharpe, a talented musician who has an unrequited love for Rune. Alex is in a difficult position. His brother Gideon is the Captain of the Blood Guards who are seeking to destroy witches.

Alex loves both Rune and Gideon, but his loyalties are strained. He accepts that Rune is a witch needing his protection. At the same time, he loves his brother and understands that his brother has been terribly abused at the hands of Cressida, the youngest of the Sister Queens.

The relationships among the major players here are a mixture of love and hate, and ultimately cannot overcome the distrust that builds insurmountable walls between them.

The ending obviously indicates that there will be a sequel. I will be interested to read it.

Rating this between 4.5 and 4.75 due to a few plot decisions, but this book surprised me greatly and I had such a good time reading it.

It was like watching a game of cat and mouse play out where both protagonists alternate between roles throughout the story. I especially loved how the author displayed these characters’ constant awareness and suspicion towards each other while they struggled with their growing feelings. Truly my favorite aspect of the book.

The romance isn't earth shattering but it’s compelling, considering that the protagonists are charming and have good chemistry. Their backstories bring more depth to the main conflict as well. And the supporting characters were pleasant enough, although I didn’t like the way some of their plotlines unfolded and how these developments may impact both protagonists’ journeys.

As for the political arc, it had some interesting points but I’m hoping it’ll be better explored in the sequel. All things considered, I really enjoyed this book and will be on the edge of my seat probably for a good year before I can even dream of reading the next installment.

Huge thanks to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The best enemies to lovers release of 2024? More likely than you think!

This is my first book by the author, and it will not be my last. Crimson Moth is perfectly paced, with ever-raising stakes, and romance that devastated me by the end.

Rune is a witch in hiding. Gideon is a witch-hunter. I was captured by that alone, but as the story unfolds, I only became more interested. These two are constantly at odds in a “steamy game of cat and mouse.” But they also just melt for one another.

I’m not one for love triangles, but this one was so subtle, and it had me muttering under my breath. Kicking my feet. The best books are the ones that make you feel, and the ones that make you stare into space after the last page. (And this one did both!)

I did predict parts of the plot, but I couldn’t predict how it played out. Knowing that somehow I was approved for an ARC is unbelievable, because I would pay cash right now to have a copy in my hands.

This book is beautiful, and bloody. The world-building is rich, but my favorite thing is the duality of Rune’s character—how she is always playing a part, and at odds with herself. It was special to see her character growth.

Just wow. This is going to take up space in my brain for a while. I can’t wait to have this to properly annotate for my collection.

Full review to come closer to pub date or after I reread this book - yeah it was that fun!

Thanks to NetGalley for the early advanced reader copy.

This was an interesting read for me. Going into it, I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen, that Rune and Gideon would start out by using each other, but then would have to set aside their differences, work together, and fall in love in the process. When that did not happen, I was excited about being surprised and reading something new. As the story progressed I found myself wishing that the plot I'd originally thought would happen was the real story.

Now, I am not a writer and am not saying I could have done better, but for me some of the choices made here didn't resonate. The fact that one of the main plot points was having a sexual assault survivor seduce and sleep with someone for the investigation felt really off-putting. That everyones world view was SO one dimensional makes me confused as to how any of this is going to end.

The ending was shocking - I didn't see one of those twists coming - and I while I am intrigued by learning how any of this could possibly wrap up in one more book I am not sure I will continue with the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

WTF. KRISTEN CICCARELLI, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? Thank you for giving me this. THAT SAID...

Thank you Kristen Ciccarelli, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a fairly formulaic (true) enemies-to-lovers, but I want to just SAY THIS.. I was so enraptured in the story that I missed some (what others are calling) glaring details. BOY WAS I SURPRISED. Others don't agree.

Whatever. I LOVE THAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT BLOOD WITCHES. Okay, let me actually review this mfer. I keep getting excited.

PROS:
- True enemies-to-lovers
- Well-written
- Action-oriented
- Likeable FMC
- Great lead-in for a second installment (please don't rush it - I love this first one I want the second to be just as amazing)
- Characters are decently developed IMO
- SO MANY SECRETS. I LOVE SECRETS.

CONS:
- These characters are ONCE AGAIN super young (yes I know is YA - getting to that)
- It absolutely should not be marketed as YA - it's definitely NA. Just because you make your FMC 18, therefore young adult, doesn't mean the content is YA. Get it together.
- The world building could be more thorough
- I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE TO WAIT SO LONG FOR THE NEXT BOOK.

The story opens with our FMC Rune in a rain-soaked forest looking for a witch at the behest of her deceased nan. We are immediately plunged into how Rune arrived at this current event and the state of the world she lives in is outlined. Being a witch is a death sentence.

I won't ruminate on the next goings-on, because I am not writing a book report, but this story hits the ground running even though the sensation of rushing doesn't come until a bit later. Seriously, read the blurb on goodreads - if you like the blurb, you will love the book. I absolutely can't wait to read the next one.

and THE LAST LINE (with zero context): Gideon would come for her, and when he did, Rune would be ready. LE SIGH. Love it.

I was so excited for this book and so wanted to love it, but it just never fully connected and had a fair amount of plot-holes. I did like the magic system and Rune, but felt the world itself was poorly explained, along with a lot of character motivations weren’t thought out or explained well.


SPOILERS AHEAD.


I found myself increasingly frustrated, because while it was clear to me who Verity was, along with some other key twists from the beginning, it made things make less sense. For example, why did Alex not kill Cressida? Why wasn't Rune immediately suspicious that Verity was reading that particular spell? Why after knowing what she does about Cressida does Rune agree with Alex that if she left it would be okay because Cressida would be able to finish?? At that point I thought the engagement ring was enchanted, especially because she does a complete 180 out of nowhere to want to leave and be with Alex which makes no sense to her character, but when its taken off of her her mindset doesn’t change so it can’t be that. If Alex is on Cressidas side/under her spell, which was my theory, why does he step in front of her bullet? Also why in the world would the Blood Guards lay down their weapons if Nicholas is already dead? That was Cressidas bargaining power so that made absolutely no sense.

It’s a shame because I liked the premise, and the mine scene was so good/exciting as were some other parts but this feels like a first draft if I’m completely honest.