What an absolutely phenomenal ending to this duology! I really enjoyed The Crimson Mothand while I expected to like Rebel Witch, I underestimated by how much. It was phenomonal

Gideon and Rune are everything I could have hoped for and more—I’m completely obsessed with their dynamic. Their push-and-pull relationship is the epitome of what makes enemies-to-lovers such a great trope. The chemistry, the tension, the banter, the yearning—it was all executed perfectly. Their relationship constantly shifts and deepens as they wrestle with their feelings and face the forces trying to tear them apart.

The fast-paced plot is packed with action, unexpected twists, and a great balance between new and familiar characters. Cressida, in particular, was a standout antagonist—so easy to hate, and she really pushed Rune and Gideon to their limits. I couldn’t wait to see her get what she deserved.
Easily one of the best duologies I've read.

One of the most anticipated books of 2025, I’m happy to get my hands on this one before release date. Thank you Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Admittedly, The Crimson Moth (Heartless Hunter) was not my favorite book of 2024. The plot was exciting and unique, but I felt like it lost some of its impact with seemingly shallow character development. I think book 2, Rebel Witch, beautifully rectified that issue for me. The connection of the characters and my perception of their personalities and arcs feel wholly different this time around. I also loved the creativity and direction book 2’s story took us. I wasn’t sure how they were gonna come back from the ending of 1, but it felt flawlessly executed. This came out of the gate, action packed, full of anticipation and romance, and with 0 filler or lulls… just the way I like it. I imagine this will be a smash hit with any one who loves a well thought out, fast paced romantasy.

A few minor warnings: if you’re not into soul searching inner monologues, be forewarned, this book ventures into that realm quite a bit. Also, if you’re not a fan of miscommunication tropes, book 2 is probably not gonna be your jam. It’s basically the whole premise of the book. Lastly, the macho bravado aka “I’m not vulnerable, you’re vulnerable” power plays between Rune and Gideon are STRONG. It’s exciting and keeps you on your toes, but can also feel excessive and frustrating. Maybe that’s the point though? You feel like they’re never gonna get past their differences so when they do, it feels all the more satisfying? Probably.
All in all, I liked this book sooo much better than the first and think it’s a great ending to a really fun unique duology. An easy 4 stars.

This review is for The Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli which will be released in the UK on the 27th February! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK/Magpie for giving me an eArc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been a big fan of this authors work from her past Iskari series from when I was a teenager! As soon as I saw a new series from the author I knew I had to request. Crimson Moth was one of those books that was super hyped over Booktok, but it actually was great and lived up to all of my expectations, and the cliffhanger made me realise I need to read the next one in the series as soon as possible 😂

This is the second and final book in the series and I loved it!! It was such a good ending to the story, even if it was a little predictable. It was really fast paced, and so much action happened in such a small book. There was always something happening to keep Gideon and Rune apart, but the pining was *chefs kiss*. Their chemistry was so good, and loved that they eventually began to trust each other. It did start to feel like too much was happening to keep them apart, but thankfully the ending more than made up for it!

As mentioned before, the only things I didn’t like were how predictable the storyline the major plot points were were, that some of the relationships felt a little under developed, and *SPOILERS*
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
how Alex’s death kinda just kinda felt pushed under the rug. I mean I know how much happened in the book, but it felt barely mentioned even though he was a major character in the first book, and super close to both main characters.

Still I absolutely loved this book, love this author and would highly recommend this to any fantasy readers out there!

The second and final book. And what a ride! I loved this book, just everything about it, the perfect goodbye.

What an incredible sequel!

I adored this book, I loved that it started back up in full force straight away and didn’t lull the entire way through.

I couldn’t put it down although I had to last night, I pick it straight back up this morning.

Big thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this eARC ❤️

I absolutely devoured The Crimson Moth and couldn’t wait to pick up The Rebel Witch! Happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed and loved this second instalment as much as the first 🫶📖

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

What an absolutely fantastic ending to this duology omg 😱.
I was literally DROWNING in feels reading The Rebel Witch😭💔❤️‍🩹.
It took Gideon a minute to stop being a mule and realise that his side was also in the wrong but man, did he make up for it!
Rune and Gideon were constantly in a verbal sparring match and scheming to outsmart the other, both worthy opponents, it was amazing!
The Rebel Witch picks up a couple months after the events of The Crimson Moth. Rune has found herself engaged to a prince who will supply Cressida with an army to attack the New Republic and take back her throne. And Gideon has been assigned her assassination…
I absolutely loved that Rune and Gideon were journeying together through this book from the beginning. They both said and done things that hurt the other which made my chest hurt. All mentions of Alex were also hard to swallow… like I said… drowning in feels.
The book never got boring, always shifting, sparring, fighting, loving! Just… fantastic 👌🏻.

This was one of my most anticipated sequels of 2025. The first book in this series was amazing and everything I wanted a book to be. I was sucked in and the cliffhanger was brutal and the wait for this sequel felt so long! Luckily I managed to get an arc through Netgalley, thank you Magpie, and could start reading already while still waiting for my physical copy to arrive, hopefully not too long after release day.

Let me start with what kept me from giving this book five stars. Although the ending of the book is quite satisfying, it also feels a little rushed and a little easy. The author created a very complicated political situation and there was a moment I was really doubting how the author was gonna solve the situation. I understand that this book mainly focuses on romance, but it feels there are a few loose ends concerning the political situation in the end.

However, that was the only issue I had with this book. Everything else was exactly what I had wanted it to be and what I hoped it would be. The author did an amazing job keeping the dynamic between Rune and Gideon interesting and like in the first book. I mean, after that cliffhanger it was gonna take some time before they would admit again that they love each other. The author really showed us that journey and did a great job letting them grow closer in a very natural way.

I also love how this book shows that sometimes there is no good side and bad side. In some cases both cases are wrong and both outcomes are equally horrible. Although the true horrors of this war are mostly described and now really shown, we do get a few glimpses into the horrific things people are capable of when they're convinced they're right. I love how this book steps away from the traditional black and white and introduces a wonderful grey.

This was the first series I read by this author and I'll certainly check her other books out now!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Rebel Witch is one of those cases where the sequel is better than its predecessor Heartless Hunter aka The Crimson Moth.

We follow a witch and witch hunter who have a mutual attraction even though they are enemies and they have to team up to fight for a world that needs saving from a diabolical witch.

Action-packed, thrilling and utterly romantic, The Rebel Witch is also a perfect conclusion to a brilliant duology.

4.75 stars - This was a highly anticipated read for me this year after how much I loved The Crimson Moth and also after that very dramatic ending! The Rebel Witch is quite a different book to the first but it definitely lived up to my expectations. I enjoyed the action right from the get go, and seeing the new dynamic between Rune and Gabriel in the story when their paths cross. We feel the strength of their emotions for each other paired with the conflict as well as their own doubts about each other. The tension is certainly running high! I love how clever Rune is and how much Gabriel likes this, even when they’re at odds his admiration is clear and these two love to be challenged - and challenges is one of the things this book isn’t short on! With plenty of scheming, subterfuge, and risk, the story is high stakes and kept me on edge throughout. The only downsides for me were that Rune’s out-of-character fear was a little frustrating, but I do understand how the author is showing another side of this fierce witch. The other is that the grief from losing someone close in the first book didn’t really register. It was only touched on on a surface level and I would have liked to see more emotion to really feel it.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Unfortunately the formatting of this on kindle made it impossible to read, I know I’m going to absolutely demolish it once it’s released and I can get my hands on it 🥹

The writing was beautiful from the first few chapters but was very clunky sentences being cut off sadly.

So I can’t wait till pub day!!!
Will amend once I have 🫶🏼

I loved The Crimson Moth and am a big fan of Rune as an FMC. She’s clever, kind, feminine and empathetic. The magic system in these books is really unique and interesting and I love the premise of the series. Unfortunately, I found The Rebel Witch extremely predictable. This meant it wasn’t a showstopper for me, but I did enjoy reading it nonetheless. The cover is also absolutely beautiful.

4.5 stars

THE REBEL WITCH is a great follow up enemies-to-lovers romantasy, full of equal mistrust and tension.

The book forces them into working with one another while they utterly mistrust one another and both plan on betraying the other. All while they have raging feelings for one another that they are trying not to give into. It's such a lovely set of tropes and full of tension, all pulled together so effectively.

I really liked how both had good, understandable reasons to mistrust and hate the other - they're not the same as the first book, but stem from some of their first book fears being realised. And then they keep proving why they can't trust the other, thanks to acting from fear.

It means they're on an equal setting and both have to overcome the same issue to find a path together. Like how they were both trying to use the other and so faking feelings in THE CRIMSON MOTH, it doesn't set up any power imbalances or disturbing implications. I've really appreciated how even handed this series has been between the pair of them. No favourites, no one able to claim the moral high ground.

In short, this duology has been what I want from romantasy - both parties sharing the blame and needing to do as much work as the other to overcome the obstacles. Plus the chemistry was great!

I was so excited to read The Rebel Witch - I really enjoyed The Crimson Moth, I think I gave it 4/4.5 stars but l absolutely loved The Rebel Witch - it was a 5 star read for me!

The story between Gideon and Rune in this is so beautiful - because she’s a witch and he’s a witch hunter, the odds are so stacked against them and you genuinely don’t know how it’s going to pan out. The story was full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and it felt much faster paced in my opinion vs the crimson moth. The relationship between Gideon and Rune is EVERYTHING! There’s tension, yearning, character development, and I also cried so that tells you that it was a good book.

This was such a great conclusion to the duology!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This scintillating follow up to The Crimson Moth is romantic and action-packed, as Rune and Gideon find themselves on opposite sides of a war yet forced to work together. I predicted a lot of the big twists, but the road to get there was so entertaining I didn't mind. The romance? Gorgeous. So much yearning, so much "I want them but I can't have them", longing glances and tortured touches. Curses and blood magic abound - can these enemies become lovers again, and save their island home in the process?

I’m speechless… this was even better than the book one, Heartless Hunter. The chemistry between Rune and Gideon was palpable and the stakes were sky high in a totally brand new way. Witch vs witch hunter - the reward is greater than ever and so is the fall. It's clear to Rune and Gideon that despite their love, there will only be a winner and loser in this war.

I have to add, this is the best betrayal trope book I've read, maybe ever (no this isn't a spoiler). The barbs, the fights, the unadulterated chemistry. The one bed trope! I literally descended into a fit of giggles when this micro trope presented itself in this book. There's also something Gideon learns just after part 2 of this book, and his reaction to it made my heart absolutely swoon.

Also - Rune Winters! She really comes into her character in this book. She is so incredibly smart and cunning, I'm so happy we got the Crimson Witch in all her glory even without her previous anonymity.

5 stars, I love this duology and Kristen Ciccarelli a LOT. So excited for what's to come for this author!

The Rebel Witch
Kristen Ciccarelli

She was the Crimson Moth.
A rebel witch.

“Just remember: I don’t need you willing, Gideon. I only need you obedient. And I will have your obedience…”

The stakes are even higher in the much anticipated epic conclusion to the bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

The battle grounds have been set. Rune Winters, a witch, is on the run. Ever since the man she loved, Gideon Sharpe revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands to be purged.

“Is that what it was between us?” She lowered her gaze to her wine. “Something for you to survive?”

For Rune to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood who has dark plans to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches.

Gideon refuses to allow the Republic to fall to the Witches and be plunged back into their nightmarish reign. The way to protect this new world he fought for; to kill every witch - especially Rune Winters!

“I was worried about you. Afraid you were falling prey to some cad, when I should have known better.” His gaze flickered over her face. “The Crimson Moth only ever pretends to be prey. In truth, she’s the predator.”

This was everything I hoped for and more. Action packed, with the stakes much higher, the enemies more deadly and the consequences absolutely dire. This book has tension, drama, romance and intrigue whilst being dual POVs and twists to keep you guessing.

I have missed yearning so very much! Thank god I got it in spades.

“I know a lie lived over and over will destroy a person.”

This felt like such a wonderful conclusion to this duology.

“Don’t play dumb. Cressida told me all about it: she intends to raise Analise and Elowyn from the dead. It will be everything you witches want: psychotic murderers back in charge.”

(Review posted on 20th February 2025.
Can add to Amazon after release.)

I’m so sad this duology is over!

The way Kristen writes is just magical! She pulls me into the world she’s created right away and I can’t help but love the characters.

I loved Heartless Hunter so much and Rebel Witch was one of my most anticipated reads for the year and it did not disappoint!! I loved the Rune and Gideon were brought back together right away and how even in their “hatred” they still worked together but they just work so well together!!! Gah! I love them so much!!

I really enjoyed all the side characters and their additions to the story as well! Hate Cressida but she was a perfect villain so it was a love to hate you vibe.

I can’t wait to see what Kristen does next!

Thankyou to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, Magpie Books & Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

What an amazing and fitting conclusion to this YA romantasy duology.

The Rebel Witch picks up a short time after we left Rune and Gideon in the Crimson Moth, and they are back to full blown enemies again. Trusts have been betrayed and intentions are out in the open. But no matter the perfect opportunity, Gideon still finds himself unable to put an end to the thorn that is Rune Winters.

The enemies dynamic is absolute perfection, and in no time at all we have them pushed together in another fake courting/ forced proximity situation and it is the recipe for some optimal tension and perfect banter.

This was a great YA duology, and potentially will make its way to one of my favourites ever. I also think it would have been amazing as an adult series, so I hope the author explores this genre in the future.

“You are far worse than a thorn in my side”, he said, his dark eyes gleaming at her “you are a knife in my heart”

The plot was fast paced for the most part, and the character development met expectations (there was one direction I wasn’t a fan of, but it didn’t affect my reading experience). Some of the plot points were predictable, but they were well executed and balanced.

Tropes:
- Fake courtship
- One bed / one horse
- Heist
- Enemies to lovers
- Secret bloodlines
- Forced proximity

Narration: Dual POV, third person POV

Similar titles:
- Serpent & Dove
- these violent delights
- Divine Rivals

Thank you so much to for sending me this e-ARC of The Rebel Witch in exchange for a review! To avoid spoilers I'm reviewing the duology as a whole
This is *the* blueprint for romantasy- the world-building is strong and the fantasy and political elements hold their own, but the romance is so so so well done I could talk about it forever. No cringey dialogue here, no weak plotlines that would fall apart if they didn't fancy each other, no weak little FMC who needs saving. The premise is witch x witch hunter but don't worry- Gideon has incredibly valid reasons to dislike witches, it isn't a case of 'this one witch is pretty so I'll let her off', and our wonderful heroine Rune gives him a hard time

Two of the most stand out things about this duology for me: it is full of lots of 'typical' romantasy tropes without coming across tropey (does that make sense?) or like we've read it all before, and every character mentioned has a purpose. The romance in this is delightful, delicate and steamy even though the book itself isn't smutty, and the whole enemies thing doesn't end as soon as they realise they fancy the pants off each other. Often with fantasy there are names thrown around everywhere and it can be hard to keep track of, but not a single character that Kristen Ciccarelli created was wasted or there for the sake of it.

This is the perfect duology in that both books hold their own- book 1 ends in a way that sets up perfectly for book 2 while still feeling like a complete story, and book 2 collects every little thread left behind and wraps it up perfectly without being dragged out too long (as romantasy often is).