REBEL WITCH is one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it did not disappoint. Full of action, enemies to lovers romance, and a continued interesting magic system, I think this book was worth the wait and is a great conclusion to this duology.

I really enjoyed everything about this novel. Taking place a few months after the end of Heartless Hunter, it plops you right in the middle of the action. And with it, readers see the consequences and ramifications of the ending of the previous novel.

The author does an amazing job of keeping up the angst between the characters of Rune and Gideon and having them navigate their roles as witch and witch hunter. Like the last book, they try to outwit, outmaneuver, and manipulate while also simultaneously grappling with their feelings for one another. And while this character development is happening, their world is in utter chaos as they fight for what they believe is right, even as it pits them against each other time and time again. That is a difficult balance to maintain, and the author does it flawlessly. The writing, the pacing, the romance is all done to perfection.

Overall, this book is well written, engaging, and delightful. It is an amazing follow up to the previous novel and I truly loved it. I think it is worth the read and is definitely one that is worth your time

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

Heartless Hunter was a standout for me last year. I saved my arc of Rebel Witch to start 2025 off right. And it was a great choice.
I love the world and the magic. I’m so glad Rune and Gideon didn’t spend too much time apart. The push and pull between these two was so good. Enemies to lovers perfection.
I can’t wait for my preorder to come in so I can reread.

Wow!! Phenomenal!! This sequel…it was everything! So, so good!! It was heartbreaking yet heartwarming and everything in between!

The story picked up where it left off and took off from there! I was instantly swept away in this fast-paced high-stakes cat and mouse game that had these two enemies dancing around each other.

It was thrilling, it was devastating, it was dark, it was beautiful, and it was just everything!

Rune and Gideon had a lot of soul searching to do in this one and the way they grew and journeyed was unforgettable.

The emotional rollercoaster along with the high-stakes made this book near impossible to put down once I started. This is an epic sequel you’re definitely not going to want to miss!!

Tropes in here and the series are; true enemies to lovers, morally grey characters, angst, pinning, witches, hunters, magic, danger around every corner, who did this to you, one bed, forced proximity, touch him/her and xx vibes, sacrifice, betrayals, lies, secrets, loyal friends, found family, action-packed, fake marriage, banter, and so much more!!

This book was just as good as Heartless Hunter if not better. It was nonstop action, angst and witching from the very first chapter. The pacing kept me fully engaged and I ended up binging this in like 6 hours. I absolutely loved this duo.

Romantasy • Magic • Enemies to Lovers
Expected Publication • 18 Feb 2025

Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @prhaudio for the complimentary e-book and ALC!

The witch and the witch hunter are back in this finale book in the crimson moth duology. And like a moth to a flame, these two are still very much enemies who can’t stay away from one another. Hello slow burn. ❤️‍🔥

They both fully intend to back stab one another… eventually. That’s what they’re telling themselves anyway. For now, they may have to team up.

There will be a fake marriage, a stowaway on a voyage at sea, magical disguises, a couple of competing love interests, a heist that takes the form of a hostage rescue situation, and a final showdown.

I won’t say more for those who haven’t read the first book, but I do think if you loved Heartless Hunter (Crimson Moth in the UK), you will love the conclusion to this series! Extremely bingeworthy.

🎧 For my audiobook fans, this one is easy listening and a nice palette cleanser, Grace Gray’s British English accent is delightful 💕

I’m not sure if you remember me gushing over Heartless Hunter last year but I loved it so much I re-listened to it before I dove into this one and it solidified why I love this duology so much! Rune is back…trying frantically to save her own life. Gideon, the boy she used to deeply love, turned her into the enemies and now everyone would love to watch her demise. Gideon himself has a personal vendetta against witches and he is back with a vengeance trying to destroy all witches…including Rune. Except that would all be too easy if it went down like that. Rune makes an offer to Gideon he cannot refuse and what plays out is a battle between the two daily but their last loyalties and love shines through.

I feel like this was the perfect ending to wrap up these two books! If you are a fantasy lover, beginner or expert level I could easily recommend this to you all day long. In this book, there is a lot of jealousy, betrayal, back and forth feelings, loyalty, protection and all in the name of the game forced proximity. I loved how action packed it was, the world was absolutely perfect, the love was worth fighting for and I will say Kristen truly wrote two male characters (in book one) that I ADORED the exact same. It’s not often that happens so it’s worth mentioning. I truly cannot recommend these books enough! I just ordered my book of the month copy yesterday so she can sit pretty next to Heartless Hunter on my shelf. Sign me up for the next Kristen Ciccarelli book. I am ready.

The Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
Rating: 4.5 stars
Pub date: 2/18

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy!

Wow, The Rebel Witch was everything I wanted and more! Kristen Ciccarelli absolutely nailed the finale of the Crimson Moth duology, and I could not put this book down. Picking up right where Heartless Hunter left off, Rune and Gideon are stuck in a whirlwind of betrayal, heartbreak, and tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. They're sworn enemies now, vowing to take each other down, but fate has other plans, and the chemistry between them is unreal.

The forced proximity, the fake relationship, the jealousy, the betrayal—this book is packed with everything that makes romantasy so addictive. Rune is trying to survive in a world that hates her, while Gideon is battling his feelings for her while also hating himself. Every time Gideon said something self-deprecating, I wanted to give him a hug. The emotional tension is off the charts, and I was completely hooked on their push-pull dynamic. On top of that, the action scenes are so vivid, and the pacing is perfect.

If you love tension-filled romance, unforgettable characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing, you need to read this. It’s officially one of my all-time favorite series!

I loved this follow up Heartless Hunter! Honestly, it's debatable but I might say I liked this book even more than it's predecessor. Ciccarelli hits the ground running in the first chapter and does not let up, which is exactly what I want from a high-stakes duology like this. I also admire Ciccarelli for what she was able to do in two books, with a well thought plot, fleshed out characters, and a story that kept me reading late into the night. Definitely an author to watch. Excellent.

This was an amazing sequel to The Crimson Moth. It's so very rare for a sequel to be as good if not better than the original and Kristen did it! I had the best time being back in this world with Rune and Gideon. The sexual tension between them was palpable and so well written! This is a fantastic example of a YA duology that is written so well it suits both teens and adults.

3.75 stars. I really, really liked Heartless Hunter. And I was beyond excited to read the conclusion to this duology. The first half of this book was solid. Dropped you right into the story, no time to breathe, I was along for the ride. But past the half way point, this book became very rushed. Very, very rushed. New characters introduced that we are supposed to care for but get to spend no time with. Massive political changes that aren't properly laid out to contribute to the story. One of the reasons I loved Heartless Hunter is because Rune and Gideon were so damn clever. Like, truly, smart and quick and could adapt on a dime. This one it just felt like they got lucky over and over again. I missed the characters they were in the first book.

Overall I did not hate the book. And I think some people may love how quick this book moves. For me, I needed it to be a trilogy. Which is something I RARELY say.

Thank you Wednesday Books and PRHAudio for the advance copies.
I loved the thrilling chase and love/hate tension between Gideon and Rune in Heartless Hunter. Rebel Witch did not disappoint. The tension starts at the beginning of the book and the resulting anticipation continues through all of their adventures. This book is action packed and the writing is paced perfectly to keep the reader hooked without feeling rushed. Although the focus is Rune and Gideon, the side characters in this story were all really great. I did a mix of ebook and audio. I thought the narrator did a wonderful job. I recommend trying out this new adult romantasy duology. Rebel Witch will be available February 18.

Rebel witch by @kristenciccarelli
Pub date: February 18, 2025
Genre: Romantasy
Rating: 5 ⭐️

“𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒎𝒆 .”

Although I enjoyed Heartless Hunter (the first book), I believe the second book was stronger both in terms of plot and relationships. It’s such a fun and binge-worthy duology, and I’m glad I read the second book right away. I loved this series and highly recommend it, if you want to have a fun time!! 😝💃 I know I will see a lot of 5 stars reviews, once this book will be released!

Thank you so much @macmillanusa for e-Arc ⭐️. #rebelwitch #heartlesshunter

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the gifted ARC!

REBEL WITCH is the absolute perfect conclusion to the Crimson Moth duology, making this an all-around five star series for me. What I loved most about this book was the push and pull between Gideon and Rune in their enemies-to-lovers romance. While there was adventure with high stakes and lots of great magic, the romance really took the cake here. Highly recommend!

Loved this book! A wonderful follow up to the first in the series! The author wrapped up the story so well, and still left a margin for curiosity…like if Serphine was wisdom, why couldn’t she have interfered sooner? I definitely loved the sexual tension in this book, it kept me hooked to the story! I read the entire book in 7 hrs, and I thoroughly enjoyed Rune’s devotion throughout this book, and Gideon’s fierce leadership! One of my favorite scenes was when he first saw her in the bathroom, and couldn’t kill her. I enjoyed hearing each inner monologue, which made the pov chapters very rich! Truly, the ending made all my dreams come true. Sometimes the writing seemed a little stiff, but it will still very good!

eARC Review: Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
Pub Date: February 18, 2025

Wow, WHAT a finish to this duology!! I was invested from page one all the way until the end and didn't want to put it down. I actually read this over two early morning bouts of insomnia. While I recommend getting more sleep than I did, I regret nothing because I absolutely had to know what was going to happen next. The stakes are so high and the tension so delicious.

I just absolutely ate up the dynamic between Rune and Gideon - just full on obsessed with them and how much they wanted to hate each other but never really could. The moment where we get to see Rune's vulnerability and lack of confidence for the first time was really well done and helped to add to the complexity of her character. We also got to see really complex emotions from Gideon too - my heart literally hurt for him when Cressida had him in her grasp and when he realized what her curse does.

There were moments here and there that were somewhat predictable but that really didn't bother me. There were also a few moments that totally shocked me! The plot was super fast paced really the entire time. I often prefer duologies for fantasy books over trilogies because it feels like there's much less filler and it keeps me much more engaged with the story.

There's so much more I could say about this book but in the hopes of being brief-ish let me just say - I really really 100% recommend this duology and encourage you to pick it up ASAP!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Amazing sequel to book 1! The yearning and forbidden love had me giggling and kicking my feet. Plot was fast paced, and I devoured the book! I loved the first book, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Rebel Witch gave me everything I needed after Heartless Hunter. More enemies to lovers and answers to all the cliff hangers from the first book.

I loved Gideon and Rune and thought their story developed really well. I do wish Gideon expressed his feelings out loud more often, it felt like Rune did all of the confessing. This in no way took away from the story, it was still really well written, I just personally needed more from Gideon. Words is my love language lol

I freaking LOVED this book. I can honestly say that I loved it MORE than the first book. ALL. THE. FEELS!

Kristen Ciccarelli delivers an absolutely perfect conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology with Rebel Witch! This sequel is everything I hoped for and more!

The story picks up right where The Crimson Moth left off—raw emotion with betrayal and fraught with desperation. From the very beginning, I loved how Rune and Gideon's constant interaction kept the narrative charged with tension and emotion.

The plot itself is a whirlwind of danger and intrigue. The pacing is relentless, but not overwhelming, and I loved how the characters were constantly forced to make tough decisions. The moral complexity of figuring out who the true enemy was added an extra layer of depth that kept me hooked.

But the heart of this book, for me, is the romance. It’s nothing short of swoon-worthy. I LOVED Gideon more in this book as Ciccarelli has a talent for writing male leads who are complex, lovable, and utterly compelling. The way Rune and Gideon navigated their emotions and complex relationship had me glued to the pages! ALL. THE. FEELS!

In short, Rebel Witch is an exhilarating, emotional, and deeply satisfying conclusion to a truly exceptional duology. I can’t recommend this book—or the series as a whole—enough! So many elements come together to make this book a standout: the gripping plot, the richly developed characters, the diverse and ever-expanding locations, and the seamless, organic progression of conflicts. Nothing felt forced, and the decision to keep this story within two books instead of stretching it into a trilogy was a masterstroke. The duology format allowed for a tighter, more focused narrative that packed an emotional punch without overstaying its welcome.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heartless Hunter was one of my favorite books of 2024 so as soon as I saw it on Netgalley I snatched it up!! The story picks up right after book 2. Rune is with Cressida and Gideon is doing his witch hunter most to kill Rune. This one is a great enemies to lovers, I mean you can't get any more enemy than a witch and witch hunter! Thank you Wednesday Books for the book to read and review!

Well....

This author just has me at the romance. Do I need to say anything else?
This was a fantastic conclusion to this duology. I really have very minimal thoughts. The enemies to lovers tension was absolute magic. A witch hunter and a witch- what a fiery combination. The constant fighting of feelings is so understandable as they are on the opposite sides of the war. Fighting and saving each other back and forth-they really can't help it!

The scene on the ship....stawp it.
The train scene....I'm melting.
The little gestures are probably my favorite. And the most beautiful part about that, they don't even realize they are doing it. SO romantic. Talk about destined to be together.
The end-all heart eyes and deep sighs from me.

Overall loved. Had a few questions about plot mainly about Ancients and a Cressida piece. But really, read this for the romance. You won't regret it.

4,5 stars

I would label this as NA rather than YA. Thank you to Wednesday books for my #eARC