Ahhhh! What a great duology! This was an exciting and satisfying conclusion to the Crimson Moth series.

I really enjoyed Rune and Gideon's chemistry and relationship. Enemies-to-lovers with a slow burn is my preferred romance trope, so Rune and Gideon's dynamic played right into what I love. Their story was great in book 1 and I fell for them all over again here!

I really enjoyed the plot and the journey this story took us on. It wrapped in a pleasurable way. The story, the magic system and the world we got to see more of in this book was highly enjoyable! The only complaint I have for the plot, and the book in general, is the ending felt a little anti-climatic. This is probably my own fault. When you have pre-conceived ideas or expectations, one is often a bit let down when they don't come to fruition. As we came to the end, I was expecting more of a battle, something a bit bigger. As it became more and more clear that a big, intense moment wasn't coming with each passing page, I felt a bit disappointed.

Regardless, this was a strong conclusion to this duology. I highly enjoyed this series and would recommend to fans of YA fantasy!

The second book in this duology is so exciting with both characters constantly going back and forth between trusting each other and stabbing the other in the back. Coming from opposite sides in their country's ongoing civil war, each of them has reasons for why they fight on the side they have chosen (hint, hint: otherwise they die!). The stakes are so high and their love is both forbidden and cursed, so the angst is high as well. Sacrificial love (for each other, for their homeland, for their families' memories) is a theme in the second half of the book that really stayed with me. I really enjoyed the magic in these books and the final solution to the ongoing problems surprised me in the best way.

Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli is a gripping and emotionally rich conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology. Picking up right where Heartless Hunter left off, the story plunges readers into a high stakes struggle between magic and tyranny, led by Rune, a powerful witch, and Gideon, a conflicted witch hunter. Their reluctant alliance unfolds through fast-paced action, sharp dialogue, and beautifully tense moments that deepen both the plot and their relationship. The slow-burn romance between them is handled with subtlety, making it a standout element that complements the book’s darker themes.

Ciccarelli’s world-building is immersive, expanding on the lore and magic system introduced in the first book while exploring deeper themes of trust, redemption, and the cost of resistance. Her prose is lyrical and evocative, elevating even the quietest scenes to something powerful and memorable. Rebel Witch is not just a satisfying sequel—it’s a testament to how fantasy can be both thrilling and deeply personal. Fans of character-driven fantasy and emotionally charged storytelling will find much to love in this captivating finale.

This was a great follow up to the first book! While it wasn't as good as the first, it was still very enjoyable.

ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || REBEL WITCH [thank you to PRH Audio + Wednesday Books for my #gifted copies!]

Title: Rebel Witch
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre: YA Romance/Fantasy
Format: audio
Star Rating: ★★★★★
Narrator: Grace Gray
Narration: ★★★★★

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
Dare I say that this is a second novel in a duology that was even better than the first? The first “scene” in the restroom so-to-speak just kept me on the edge of my seat and reading more + more because I had to know what was going to happen!

Which is basically how I felt the entire book.

Picking up essentially right where the first book left off, we got to see the tension and, honestly, love between Rune and Gideon even as they tried to fight it off on opposites sides of a disastrous war between witches and humans. I loved that, even though they were ticked off at each other, they still risked it all to keep the other unharmed. Even at great personal peril.

While I (and I’m sure many other fantasy readers) guessed the “twist” in this book, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment or watching the events play out! In all honesty, with this being a duopoly, I still wasn’t sure what kind of ending we’d end up with. Was Ciccarelli just going to pull at my heartstrings? MAYBE. You’ll just have to read to find out if I was satisfied or left in a world of despair.

If you’re looking to toe into the fantasy waters, I feel that this would be a great place to start. It’s only two books and the world-building wasn’t overly complex and it was easy to follow. Pick it up, what are you waiting for? You don’t even have to wait for book two — IT’S ALREADY HERE.

🎧 I wish I’d listened to more Grace Gray before this book because WHAT A DELIGHT. She did such a great job of capturing the emotions and keeping me in the moment of the story. I even listened while at the gym, and her keeping me hyped through action-packed moments definitely helped me make it a little longer. Highly recommend this format if audio is your thing!

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 4.25
# of Hours:
Pub Date: February 18, 2025

An excellent sequel!! This has truly become one of my favorite fantasy series. The writing, the plot, the characters, everything about it I love. One of my favorite things about these books are the short chapters that get straight to the point. It keeps you always on wanting more. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This series is amazing! I absolutely love her writing! Rune & Gideon are great characters! Loved everything about this!

I love these books SO DANG MUCH!!! this was a wonderful followup to the first, I could not put it down. these are so easy to read/binge. my biggest issue with this is that the main character made so many stupid choices simply for the sake of driving the plot forward but then always ended up getting herself out of every single situation that should have theoretically killed her, which always bugs me. however this was otherwise fantastic and I really hope we see more from this world.

I absolutely loved this book. Such a good follow up to an amazing first book. The tension, the action, the BOAT. 5/5.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC for review and to PRH audio for the #gifted audiobook of Rebel Witch and allowing me to live out my best book binger life. All opinions are my own.
I read Heartless Hunter and Rebel Witch back-to-back – I was not joking when I said I was craving a good witch vs witch hunter fantasy. Rebel Witch has that same delicious tension I expected after finishing Heartless Hunter and I felt like the author did a great job at balancing the connection between Rune and Gideon with the high stakes plot. I predicted some of the twists and there are a couple scenes that felt a bit rushed to me, the ending included but overall, it was clearly enjoyable since I ate this book right up!
I started off alternating between the ebook and audiobook but I enjoyed the narration quite a bit so I read most of it by audio. The narrator did a wonderful job with the entire cast of characters.

Ugh I love this duology so much. This was so good, and I love rune and Gideon so much. The back and forth of deceiving eachother or plans to got a little tiring after while but other than that I loved this book. I even did the audio on Spotify and it was great!

i didn’t like this one quite as much as the first mostly because it was so much of the same

rune would run away, gideon would find her, spare her life, lather rinse repeat

but the twist at the end actually made me gasp and a neat little bow was tied for our lovers so i guess it all worked out in the end

A great sequel to the Crimson Moth. I really enjoyed how things ended and definitely had my suspicions throughout the book. I wish we could have gotten a little more of the future, but it has a good epilogue.

While I thought this was a great wrap up to The Crimson Moth, it did take me awhile to get through it, I just didn't feel as connected or as in love this time around. But don't get me wrong, Gideon is still dreamy and has what it takes to make a girl swoon.

Rating: 4.75⭐️

I think this was the perfect end to an amazing duology! I’ll admit, it started out a little slow for me, but it quickly picked up the pace and had me hooked for the remainder of the book.

This one felt like it had more of the “cat and mouse” game not only between Rune and Gideon, but also their ragtag group, the witches and the Bloodguard. I loved getting to meet new characters and witness our favourite characters change throughout the story. This is what you want in a rebellion book! Character coming together to fight for the greater good! It was so well done in my opinion!

The romance in this one was well done, too. Gideon and Rune both have trauma they have to work through, but with their reluctant alliance, they overcome their pain and learn to love each other no matter what. I love their romance so much!

This was overall a great way to end a duology. Huge praise to the author for not dragging this out into another book!

The perfect conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology! Was it a little predictable? Sure, but I don't care. I was there for the vibes and amazing romance. Chef's kiss, absolutely no notes.

Kristen Ciccarelli you magnificent witch you.
This book was EXACTLY what I wanted & hoped for in a conclusion to this duology.
Gideon & Rune have cemented their place in my heart as one of my top fave book couples.
The action, the heartbreak, the twists and turns all made for an incredible conclusion that left me breathless and sobbing.
The pacing was perfect, the emotions were HIGH, and the build up was so well executed that I felt like I blinked and I was finished reading.
Kristen’s writing is engrossing and captures all the angst and betrayal perfectly and MAKES you feel them on behalf of the characters.
I absolutely adored this book and will recommend this duology to anybody and everybody.

Not much to say on this one other than: super predictable but equally fast paced and entertaining (didn’t even care that I knew where everything was going, I was having a great time).

I love this characters with my whole heart, and while I’m so sad it’s over, what a magnificent journey it was! The stakes were staking, the romance was romancing, and every chapter kept me eagerly anticipating what would happen next. Easily one of my favorite romantasy duologies and absolutely deserving of a full five stars.

I will definitely be rereading these soon and I cannot wait to devour whatever Kristen Ciccarelli writes from here on out!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

I just really enjoyed this story and I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.