The ending of the first book really left me wanting more and the anticipation was over the edge. The second book here was intense, the drama, action everything was crafted well i absolutely loved the story. The ending was chef's kiss 🤌

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for an early copy of this book! I didn't want to wait another MINUTE for this sequel!!! 💖
Ugh! This series is SOOOO good!!! I'm obsessed with this book! I usually am a lil meh with sequels sometimes but this book literally was MEANT to be!!! It picks up a tad bit behind where Heartless Hunter leaves off BUT MAN it's so action packed and the romance (yearninggg but with a heavy dash of misunderstanding). I just couldn't wait to read this book but I was also dying to see where it would go! I love that there were some plot movements that I just didn't see coming! Each chapter was almost like an episode of a show and the end of each chapter was kind of plot twisty/action packed and it made it so you just couldn't put the book down! It was a vicious cycle of "just one more chapter!" 😭 While I think the big plot twists were a tad predictable BUTTT the moment was still so powerful and well written that they still gave me goosebumps!!! 🤩 AND like my favorite YA enemies to lovers books, there is yearning and enemies to lovers AND the main characters not wanting to like each other but of course, they do! It's kind of hard to say how much I loved it without giving away any spoilers (because this book is definitely better without any spoilers) but I'm so happy that this book went the way it did but I'm also sad that this series is over! I will definitely keep an eye out for other Kristen Ciccarelli books from now on!

I liked it. I wasn’t obsessed. I think some people will really love it, especially if they read both books back to back. But I forgot enough from book 1 that I was confused for parts of book 2. And I felt like there was a lot of telling (vs showing) when it came to emotional and character development.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Rebel Witch, one of my most anticipated reads of the year, the conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology.. while I enjoyed this book, I didn’t find myself as obsessed as I was with Heartless Hunter! Let’s dig into it!

I’ll start with the good—this audiobook was fantastic! The narration really brought the characters to life and made the tension between Rune and Gideon even more palpable! Both actors performed their roles beautifully!

Speaking of tension, this book had plenty of it between all the cat-and-mouse games, sharp banter, and lingering emotions uniting the two main characters! I also really appreciated their character growth and was ultimately happy with where Rune and Gideon character arcs wrapped up!

That said, some aspects of this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me personally! The back-and-forth in Rune and Gideon’s relationship, especially their deep distrust, dragged on longer than I would have liked. Some plot points felt a little too convenient a little *too* on the nose if you know what I mean! And while the final conflict had solid buildup, it was over way too quickly, making the resolution and final pages feel all too rushed…

Overall, Rebel Witch was an enjoyable read, just not as gripping as the first book. I missed the high-stakes drama and jaw-dropping twists of Heartless Hunter, but I was ultimately satisfied enough with how everything ended. If you loved book one, it’s definitely worth finishing the duology—just maybe go in with slightly tempered expectations!

I absolutely screamed when I got the arc for this one since I loved the first book. And the sequel is no different. I inhaled this book. This duet is everything and had the perfect ending.
🦋Enemies to lovers
🦋Witch x Witch Hunter
🦋Banter
🦋Close Proximity
🦋Action Packed
🦋Who did this to you
If you loved the first book, you are going to want to pick this one up!!!

Listen, getting over the fact that he handed her over to be Purged was TOUGH.

I eventually just had to let it go, or it would have ruined the rest of the book.

And the rest of the book was GOOD.

I loved that they were together from (almost) the beginning.

I loved the redemption arcs.

I loved the nuanced characters.

I DID NOT LOVE all the times they were making out WHILE ACTIVELY BEING PURSUED.

My dudes. You. Do. Not. Have. Time. For. This. Shit.

I’m also weirdly glad it’s over.

It was a satisfying ending, and now I get to enjoy something else, instead of waiting for the next installment (I’m looking at you, Onyx Storm).

GIDEON AND RUNE NEED MORE BOOKS!

But seriously, I loved the first one and I think I LOVED this one even more? Friends to lovers, witches, fantasy and a plot that moves. WOW, what a read!

Definitely read book one first, but preorder this one right now.

Perfect ending. What a fab read!

4.5 stars

leaving off from book 1, gideon and rune can’t trust each other more now than ever. the tension. the angst. the forbidden witch x witch hunter. i’m supposed to hate you but i can’t. TOPPP TOP TOPPPP TIER!!! god i love them. the action was impeccable, i was on the edge of my seat the whole time. i now want to read any book this author writes bc i haven’t been so enthralled in a book in so long 😭🫶

I will be posting on socials closer to release day!

Star-crossed lovers, close quarters games of cat and mouse, celebrating in defiance of the end of the world. Rebel Witch closes the duology with all the witchy magic and repressed feelings we came to love, plus an extra helping of political maneuvering, that culminates in a rebellious last stand straight out of a war arc.

When the story begins, some time has passed since the first book, and I enjoyed how the mini time-skip set a whole new stage for Rune and Gideon to go toe-to-toe with different agendas under Cresseida’s rule. The distance has also allowed the once-maybe-lovers’ to separate their emotions from their need to survive, and so also re-opening the door for that juicy tension from when they first met. I mean, they aren’t really enemies, and if either one of them had just fessed up to themselves and stopped the “I guess I like you but we and this love are doomed uwu” act a lot of their problems could’ve been solved, saving lives and more time for the war arc (which was my favorite - it’s something about unlikely allies facing unbeatable odds, y’know).

This book takes on a lot of new things, maybe in part because the story has grown beyond the initial Scarlet Pimpernel parallels. I don’t know if there’s enough room for all the pining and these additional political dimensions, for example, and some pretty pivotal plot points came and went very quickly. I would’ve loved to sit more in those moments, particularly whenever Rune discovers new strengths within herself or is at odds with Cresseida. Pacing aside, I enjoyed the new narrative directions and the last quarter of the story deserves a whole book in itself.

I will never get enough of these two. I would follow them for all my days if I could. If only I could be their best friend. I am LITERALLY OBSESSED.

In "Heartless Hunter," readers thought the stakes couldn't be higher than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love but oh MAN did Kristen Ciccarelli prove us wrong or what in "Rebel Witch?!" The action-packed sequel to Ciccarelli's five-star romantic fantasy succeeded in cranking the heat up on the main characters--literally and figuratively.

Ciccarelli's duology is such a wonderful read because it's the rare romantasy that can pull off a romance AND world-building. Sure, it's got all the tropes that make a romantic squeal but it also has a unique magic system and an actual plot. I'm reticent to add much more to my review in case I accidently spoil even the smallest thing about this book.

If you haven't read "The Crimson Moth" duology, stop whatever you're reading and pick up "Heartless Hunter" now and make sure you check out "Rebel Witch" when it comes releases on February 18, 2025!

I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rebel Witch begins shortly after the events that concluded book 1 with Rune and Gideon once again in a game of cat and mouse, trying to outwit the other.

To start with what. I liked. I really enjoyed how Rune was always 3 steps ahead. I felt the fire that was the Crimson Moth in the first installment of this duology. Though, I felt that this was lost about a third of the way of the story. I also enjoyed expanding on the world of witches and learning more of their lore. I also enjoyed watching Rune and Gideon's relationship evolve, but the constant "I want him/her, I can't have him/her" and the "we can't be together, they don't want me" wore on me.

What I didn't like. The first half of this book felt like a completely different book than the second. There were a lot of plot points and it caused pacing issues in the middle of the story. I don't know how so much could happen but it still feel like nothing was happening. The ending also felt incredibly rushed and anticlimactic for all the build up that this book brings. With the amount of back and forth, I expected an epic battle, but was left going oh okay. I also felt like there were too many new characters introduced who were nothing more than a way to conveniently move the plot along.

Ultimately, I thought the series was fine and it ended in a way that made sense. However, I was left wanting more. Those who like romantasy books will more than likely eat this up, but that I'm coming to realize just isn't me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I felt pretty mid about The Crimson Moth, but felt intrigued enough to continue the series, and the way this one started had me sure I was going to enjoy it even more than The Crimson Moth. But ultimately, this one was a complete miss for me.

Let’s start with the plot. Not only is the plot incredible predictable, but the author makes it so by repeating events that happened in the last book, and even events happening in this book. There are times when our characters are in a setting, leave that setting, only to circle back and do the original plan in that setting. Why did we need a direction shift only to come back? This happened a few times, and got incredible frustrating as this wasn’t furthering the plot, only prolonging.

The characters. A downfall of having an enemies to lovers book is that a lot of time the author wants the couple to still be enemies at the start of the second book, but a lot of time that results in a rushed transition to lovers, which was the exact cause for this book. Our mmc went from wanting to kill the fmc to being in love with her out of nowhere. I didn’t feel any gradual change, and it felt like the mc’s thoughts, mic’s actions, and mc’s words weren’t the same character at all, they were so different.

Though this is not for me, I can see how someone just getting into Romantasy would enjoy it, and I would recommend it to that audience.

What a wonderful time!
I plowed through this book on my kindle.

The romance came out in full force but didn’t feel lusty or overdone. I’ve read some unsatisfying romantacy lately, but this hit my sweet spot and I need more books in this genre to take notes. It was equal parts plot and romance. Both worked together and enhanced each other. Yes, I would have liked a bit more fantasy elements, but that’s just because I’m a fantasy nut.

The main characters grew, changed and had a good level of depth. The side characters also had some decent depth to them, but this is mostly focused on Rune and Gideon.

A book is weakened if the conflict and villain isn’t done well, but this was just how I like it to be. We see more of Cressida and her despicable nature which raises the stakes and created desperation and a great pay off in the end.

The pace was perfect. I don’t say that lightly. It felt like watching a movie that kept you on the edge of your seat, but also gave softer moments to let you breathe.

My thoughts below are here to help set your expectations but didn’t influence my rating. (obviously its 5 stars)

THOUGHTS:
The ending can feel rushed. I can’t decide if it really did move too fast or if I just wanted more because I was having such a good time. In the end, I would have loved for the last climactic scene to be longer or maybe give an epilogue farther into the future. But that’s just my personal preference.

Normally cliché phrases and situations would drive me nuts, but somehow, It all worked here.

90% of the twists were obvious, but I didn’t mind it. The first book had an ending that shocked most people, so this could feel a bit deflating for some, if they are expecting another crazy twist.

This is focused more on the romance and defeating Cressida than world expansion. If you’re someone who wants more of the fantasy and less romance, you may need to set your expectations. Personally, I was living for the romantic tension.

OVERALL:
This is exactly what it’s supposed to be. A New adult romantic fantasy. Its exciting, fast paced, FILLED with romantic tension and anticipation. It is a wonderful finale to this duology.

After loving Crimson Moth I was so excited to pick up this sequel to see where Rhune and Gideon would end up after the crazy ending to book 1. This book was full of adventure, longing, and action. But unfortunately there were some things from the first book that I loved, that were missing from this one. I really enjoyed all the balls, and high society aspects of book 1, as well as Gideon making Rhune the dress and flower and suprising her with them, I missed that softer side of Gideon in this one. As well as this book just dragged on a bit too much for my liking. Overall I had a fun time reading it, but the first book is the standout of the series for me!

ABSOLUTELY YES.

I have been begging for some of these sequels to hold up and blessed be, REBEL WITCH did just that. I loved the audiobook narration and was smitten from the get-go between Rune and Gideon. This is why I love enemies to lovers. Hot dang these two BROUGHT IT. The sense of impending doom and I must betray you and everything in between.

The plot had some tiny things that made me quirk my head to the side but not enough for me to knock off any star power. I think this book did a great job on expounding where it needed to in order to build the world and magic system better while also bringing the storylines to a successful close. Things wrapped up where they should and I loved the little epilogue too.

Overall audience notes:

NA Fantasy Romance
Language: mild
Romance: 1 briefly vague open door
Violence: moderate

I couldnt imagine a better book than Heartless Hunter and then here comes Rebel Witch! I loved continuing with the story and hearing what happened next! Thank you for the ARC!

A long awaited sequel, okay not actually that long but one I have been looking forward to for quite a while. For the most part, I feel let down by this book. So much of what I enjoyed from the first book was lacking in this one. I enjoyed the step up in action, for the most part, but the continuous back and forth between Gideon and Rune made me start to lose interest. I love when a fantasy series makes the main characters journey to love complex, and I really enjoy when enemies to lovers have multiple hiccups, but this one was too drawn out. Their constant need to deceive the other again and again just made the story bog down and it kept me from feeling any sort of yearning for one another until closer to the end. I ended up listening to this on audio (which was very well done) and even found myself having to push through that, so I think I would have had an even harder time had I read this with my eyeballs. There were parts to this I really enjoyed but overall a let down for me.

I LOVED this sequel. Like 4.75 stars.
We pick up 2 months after Heartless Hunter ends. Rune has (kind of) made a life for herself on the continent. She is engaged to Prince Soren, but only because Cressida needs his army to attack the New Republic island. Gideon has continued his life in the Blood Guard and volunteers to travel to the continent to capture Rune after their engagement is announced. After Cressida ends up capturing Gideon, she tells him she plans to resurrect her sisters who's bodies she has kept and hidden. To do this, she needs to find the secret and missing Roseblood heir as a sacrifice in order for the spell to work. Rune and Gideon end up making a truce - if Gideon helps Rune get back to the island so she can find and hide the secret heir, she will break off her engagement to Soren so Cressida will no longer have the help of his army. As in the first book, Rune and Gideon don't know if they can trust each other and if what they are saying to each other is true or just a way to get farther in their own plans. Will they continue to betray each other, or will they find a way to work together?
I loved Rune. I loved her independence and determination. I loved her cunning and wits. I also loved that she wasn't perfect. There were times when she did lose faith in herself. Gideon irked me a little bit, but he came around. I also really love all the side characters in this one. People who maybe didn't play a huge part in the first one, came back strong in this one, and people who I maybe disliked in the first one redeemed themselves. Every side character played a part and didn't seem to just be there to be forgotten.
The first probably more than half the book, I was just mad at Gideon for not being able to see that the New Republic's way of doing things was not right. Rune was able to see that neither side of this war was good. The New Republic hunting and killing witches was just horrible, but having Cressida back on the throne would also be horrible, but the tiniest bit less horrible because witches wouldn't be hunted and killed. But Gideon just seemed to not care at all and thought witches should die even though they couldn't control the fact that they were witches even though it was obvious he had feelings for Rune and knew she wasn't a bad person. I understand that his life with Cressida was traumatic, but no matter how much Rune tried to explain it, he refused to get it through his head that the way things were now was just as traumatic to other innocent people and no one deserved that trauma. I also understand that this way of thinking was leading up to *things* but it just irritated me.
The plot was so packed full of action. So many things happened. I just was always excited to see where we were being taken next. Someone was always being captured, or broken out, or we are finding out secrets and every chapter seemed to drag me in deeper. Several things were quite predictable, I guessed one twist the first time it was mentioned at 7% in and another the first time it was mentioned close to the end as well. It didn't really take away from the story though, I was still really excited to see how the things would unfold.
The ending was really great. I cried even though I knew the way things were happening wouldn't be how they ended up. The way it was written was so powerful and it really felt like all the pieces were sliding into place perfectly.
Though this is a duology, I would love to read more about these characters and this world in the future!

i said it about heartless hunter, and i’ll say it again. THESE BOOKS WERE MADE for me!!! i am completely obsessed with pretty much every single aspect of this story. it gave me ALLLL the best enemies to lovers vibes and it was even better because we had their past in heartless hunter to draw from and expand upon. the tension was SO GOOD.
i love that they keep having to save each other multiple times throughout the book, even when they’re claiming to hate each other.. it was so cutieeeee and fun.
i cant do a review on this with light mentioning the fact that has WHO DID THIS TO YOU in it!?!!! also.. fake marriage?? and only one bed??? you could also say this is a second chance romance which means that this book quite literally has ALL my favorite tropes in it.
gideon. the man that you are. his character development throughout these two books is EVERYTHING to me. he’s strong-willed and tough, but is so down bad for rune it’s not even funny.
the visions of the kids 🥹🥹🥹 I CRIED (you’ll get it when you read)
the end was a little bit rushed, but i can’t complain because sometimes i actually hate when the conflict takes forever haha that’s just a me thing though.
such a fun read and so many OH MY GOSH NO WAY moments in here!!
i can’t wait for this to come out so y’all can experience it.
also, i thought these were supposed to be YA, but there’s one spice scene in both heartless hunter and this one ? so i’m not sure why it’s marketed as YA.
the spice scenes aren’t super detailed or long, but still.
🔥SPICE🔥 one open door scene that’s like 3 pages long in chapter 71 (i’ll get exact page numbers when the book comes out). a couple references throughout.
🤐LANGUAGE🤐 about 5 uses of the f word