I didn't like this one as much as the first one. I did end up enjoying it but I'm glad it's just a duology and there aren't more because I don't think I could continue with it.

I’m OBSESSEDDDD! And so sad that this was a duology because that means it is over. This book had me in a chokehold and I wish I could read it endlessly. The angst! Ugh!
After events in the first book, Gideon and Rune are separated only to reunite when he attempts to assassinate her. Instead they fall into another truce of sorts, as they can both help each other. Again though, both are so capable of betrayal that they neither fully trust each other. There’s also the important point of the fact that they are in love with each other but don’t believe the other feels the same, and instead chalks it up to some act.
So it leads to a lot of angsty conversations that had tears blurring my vision and my heart wrenching. I did feel like we got more of them in this book, and I particularly enjoyed the one bed trope and basically the entire ship sequence (once you read, you’ll get it); so much happens in this book though that honestly that part feels like a lifetime ago.
Long story short— these two keep each other on their toes and are a match made in heaven— or hell given how much ruckus they cause. But they make my heart soar and I loved these two books so very much.

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for the copy of Rebel Witch! Be sure to check out their website for the rest of the tour.

This was the perfect epic conclusion to the Crimson Moth series. I ATE. THIS. DUOLOGY. UP. Like seriously, it will forever be one I recommend, one I reread, and one I think about often. Kristen Ciccarelli is a genius, and I can't wait to read every single one of her future books!!!

The Crimson Moth duology 🖤

I’m not the biggest fantasy reader, so when I come across a books in the genre I like, I always want to share!

This duology is fantasy, but super accessible to those of us that don’t read a ton of fantasy books. Plus, the series has got it all! Read if you like the following ⬇️

🧙 witches
🔪 war/battles
🌹 bad*ss female protagonist
❤️‍🔥 enemies to lovers
🐱 cat and mouse stories
🪄 magic

loved this series!

Rebel Witch didn't suffer from the sophomore slump and is a fantastic conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology! Definitely a fun fantasy series for those who love fantasy, witchy reads and romantacy!

Rebel Witch was a fantastic follow-up to Heartless Hunter.
I flew through this and it was just so fun, the pacing in Kristen's books is unstoppable.
I appreciated the level of stakes and the collaboration between the characters while still maintaining the enemies to lovers.
The ending was satisfying and gosh, duologies are just never enough but yet I can't argue that they aren't often my favourites!

An absolute PHENOMENAL conclusion to this duology. Duologies can be very hit or or miss but this one was such a hit. The pacing is absolutely perfect and kept my attention the entire time. The romance is one of my favorites of all time. The tension and the yearning is to die for!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Am I too old for this type of YA? I don’t know. There are so many YA fantasies that grip me and pull me into the story and endear me to the characters. Unfortunately this was not one of them. I enjoyed Heartless Hunter/Crimson Moth on my first read through last year. I really enjoyed the cat-and-mouse dynamic between Rune and Gideon. It made for a fun read, and kept my attention through the whole book. But Rebel Witch just took a huge dip in enjoyment for me. Firstly, how many times can two people be captured and somehow escape in the course of one book? And how many sea voyages (and I use the word voyage loosely, as there was no real time spent on the actual voyage) can they take? Secondly, there was so much Deus ex Machina going on in this book. Our dynamic duo would seemingly be in peril to coincidentally be saved by something, or someone, at the last minute. So. Many. Times. It made the stakes feel very low. Lastly, the bickering, I-hate-him/her-but-they’re-also-so-hot back and forth was cringe and exhausting. It did not make me root for these two characters to get back together. Ultimately, this was a miss for me.

This was a fun YA fantasy with depth, a captivating magic system, and very well executed romantic storytelling. What more can you ask for in romantasy?

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!