Today’s book review is for Heartless Hunter (Crimson Moth, Book 1) by Kristen Ciccarelli, a young adult enemies to lovers fantasy novel about a witch and a witch hunter.
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Book Synopsis
On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can’t help but find herself falling for.
Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?
Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love. From Goodreads.
“The hunted had fallen for the hunter.”
The Basics
Category: Young Adult Fantasy
Tags: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Witches, Magic
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Publisher: Wednesday Books, February 2024
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
**Spoilers Ahead**
Rune appears to be a vapid socialite by day, but by night she becomes the Crimson Moth, rescuing witches from certain death. Gideon, captain of the Blood Guard, has undertaken the exact opposite mission – to hunt down as many witches as possible. Both decide to charm the other to advance their differing goals, but their game takes an unexpected turn when they unintentionally develop feelings for each other.
“She might have been the shallowest girl in the opera house, but he couldn’t deny that she was also the prettiest.”
So Let’s Get Into it…
Rune is a wealthy young socialite who is adored by the New Republic for her efforts in ending the reign of witches, wielders of powerful blood-magic. She even renounces her own family, “bravely” turning in her grandmother for being a witch. However, her supporters do not know in that she was only acting on her grandmother’s wish – for Rune to save herself. Contrary to her public facing identity, Rune is a witch hiding in plain sight who has made it her mission to save as many witches as possible from persecution. Each rescued witch helps ease the guilt of surrendering her grandmother – though never enough to forget. Under the cover of night and joined by her two closest friends, Alex and Verity, Rune dons her disguise as the Crimson Moth. Together the trio use everything at their disposal to smuggle witches out of the country on Rune’s cargo ships – including magic.
Gideon rose to fame when he and his brother killed the Sister Queens, corrupt witches who tyrannically ruled over the country. Following their demise, the New Republic created the Blood Guard with a sole task – purge the land of all witches in the name of peace.
Gideon’s hatred of witches started as a child. One of the Sister Queens, Cressida, treated him and his family as second class citizens, inferior beings who were meant to serve witches. Corrupt with unchecked power, Cressida forced Gideon to be here lover. As he witnesses Cressida’s twisted and evil nature, he begins to rebuke her advances. Refusing to be denied, Cressida starts hurting his family – first driving Gideon’s mother crazy, then murdering his little sister. Distraught and tormented to the point of madness, Gideon’s parents take their own lives. Cressida sets her sights on Alex, Gideon’s younger brother, but Gideon promises to do anything she desires as long as she spared his brother.
“Cress was like that: pretty from a distance, tempting you closer… It was only after she’d reeled you in that she revealed her true nature. But by then, it was too late. She was already eating you alive.”
However, Alex refuses to stand by while Gideon suffers for his safety. Taking matters into his own hands, he successfully sneaks into Cressida’s bedchamber with a pistol. He fires three shots, ending Cressida’s life and the oppression of his family. Or at least that’s what he tells Gideon. In reality, Alex was unable to pull the trigger as he had never killed before. Unbeknownst to his brother and all of New Republic, Alex let Cressida escape with her life.
Then the bodies start showing up. Drained of blood, they coincide with events that can only be attributed to powerful blood magic. Gideon’s fears are confirmed when he is investigating one of the corpses he assumed was the work of the Crimson Moth – only to recognize a rose-shaped spellcasting rune as Cressida’s. Assuming the two are working together, Gideon makes it his mission to find and destroy them both.
After a source informs Gideon that Rune’s cargo ships are being used to smuggle witches out of the country, he comes up with a plan to court Rune to uncover the identity of the Crimson Moth. He plants false information, asks her questions, and looks for any sign of casting scars on Rune’s body. Witches in this world can only cast spells using blood, and many witches use their own blood which leaves behind silver scars.
“It was why Rune never cut herself. She couldn’t afford to let them find the scars.”
At the same time, Rune has the same idea of courting Gideon. She realizes that as captain of the Blood Guard, Gideon has valuable information on where they are holding captured witches and when they plan to eradicate them. Embroiled in deceiving each other, they fail to realize what’s truly happening – faux feelings turn into fondness, fondness becomes infatuation, and infatuation develops into love.
“But it wasn’t only her physical attributes that had him spinning. It was her kindness. Her thoughtfulness. Her wildness. It was her willingness to argue with him. If he wasn’t careful, he might fall in love with her.”
The story has a lot of action in it. The main characters, Rune and Gideon, are both likeable. Their motives are clear and make sense. Even though Rune and Gideon are on seemingly opposite sides with Rune being a witch and Gideon being a witch hunter, they are both good people who want what they think is best. Rune grew up with her grandmother who was a witch, so she sees the best in witches, whereas Gideon saw the destruction witches caused when they became corrupt and power hungry.
“Rune was no longer the mimic spider, luring her victim into a trap. She was inside her own trap… about to be devoured by her prey.”
The book ends on somewhat or a cliffhanger. Gideon proved that Rune was the Crimson Moth, but she wasn’t the ruthless murdering witch, leaving bodies around the city – that was Cressida. Cressida leaves the New Republic with Rune escaping and other witches following her. Gideon vows to hunt down Cressida and Rune. Rune knows that Cressida is evil, so how will this play out in the next book? Will Rune finally embrace her power, and what will happen when Rune and Gideon inevitably meet again?
“Rune kissed him back, that small spark flickering inside her. A spark that would never get the chance to grow into a steady flame.”
So Bookmark or Bin it?
Conclusions: Bookmark it
I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the reading next book in this duology when it comes out in February 2025! It reads like a YA fantasy novel and is a quick easy read. There isn’t a lot of romance in this book, but the romantic interactions between Rune and Gideon are cute and sweet. Ciccarelli leaves clues throughout the book, so I wasn’t completely surprised by the twist during the last few chapters of the book. It is a predictable, but well written fantasy novel that is an enjoyable and entertaining read.
Fun Extra Tidbit
Kristen Ciccarelli grew up on a grape farm and worked multiple jobs before becoming an author. She lives in the Niagara Peninsula in Canada which is an area known for it’s wine. 90% of Canada’s ice wine (wine made from sweet grapes that have been frozen on the vine) is made in this region.
Thanks so much for reading my book review for Heartless Hunter (Crimson Moth, Book #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli! Now it’s your turn! Have you read this novel or any others by Kristen and if so, what are your thoughts? Please feel free to share in the comments below!
Happy reading 😊
