#therebelwitch by @Kristen Ciccarelli

Firstly - I want to thank @NetGalley - @HarperCollinsUK & Kristen for the opportunity to have this amazing book as an #arc.

I am actually really struggling to write a review that will do this book justice.
At the end of #thecrimsonmoth I just knew we were only getting to the heart of #runeandgideons story.
I wasn’t sure what direction this would go, but what I did know was that it was going to be beautiful and it certainly was.
The #charactergrowth was done extremely well and the story was everything I didn’t know I needed. This #duet was everything.

‘Darling, I know you’re scared. I know this is hard. But I need you. Who else can show them the way if not a witch and a witch hunter, fighting side by side’ 😭😭😭
Urgh Gideon you have my whole heart.
The absolute perfect ending.
#enimiestolovers #whodidthistoyou #guards #witches #magic #witchxwitchhunter #YA #fantasy #fyp #bookrecommendations #booktok #arcreviewer #fyppp

5 / 5 🪰🗝️✨

Huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy!!

I actually adore this duet, I love Gideon and Rune with my entire heart. They are so freaking tension-filled, swoony and just genuinely fun to read. There's something about a witch and witch hunter that I eat up every-time and this duet is my new number one.

It's perfect, the mysterious setting, the intriguing plot, Rune and Gideon's dynamic. Every scene and chapter in this book has me wanting more and the ending was so good and a very satisfying one. The twists and reveals in this book were top tier.

Kristen is definitely a new auto-buy author for me! If you haven't read this duology already please pick up Heartless Hunter/The Crimson Moth (depending where your from) and then pick the Rebel Witch up on release day

This was the perfect conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology! I’m going to miss this world so much.

There were so many elements that made this sequel great – the plot, the characters, the diversity of locations, and the fact that the various conflicts within the story felt entirely natural, never forced. The decision to conclude the series in two books, rather than the typical three, was definitely the right one.

The book picks up right where the previous one left off, with the betrayals still fresh and the stakes high. From the very beginning, I appreciated how Rune and Gideon were almost always together. Their constant proximity gave their unique dynamic space to shine and evolve.

As for the plot, it was incredibly engaging and fast-paced, with either Gideon or Rune (or sometimes both) constantly facing mortal danger. The stakes were even higher in this book than in the first, and I loved how the characters had to make difficult decisions and figure out who the true enemy really was.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was also a highlight. It was full of angst, with plenty of tension between the characters. Rune, however, still didn’t stand out to me. I believe she has potential, but her actions often made her come across as naive and even cowardly. For someone who’s supposed to be strong and badass, there were many moments when she seemed ready to run away from everything, even if it meant abandoning those she cared about. This was especially confusing given that she spent the first book helping the witches escape. Gideon remained largely the same, but I appreciated that he was the one who took the first step in devising a plan to take down the villains and make their home a safe place for everyone.

My favorite part of this book was definitely the romance—it was absolutely swoon-worthy. I have to admit, I was uncertain about Gideon’s character after the events of the first book, but my worries were unfounded. Kristen Ciccarelli excels at writing lovable male leads, and the way Rune and Gideon navigated their feelings and shifting allegiances kept me glued to the pages.

Overall, I highly recommend this book and the duology as a whole!

Hands down, one of my favourite series now! What a perfect sequel to end this series ❤️😭

This was full of thrilling plots and twists, high stakes, enemies to lovers (again lol), true love, witch x witch hunter

I didn’t know I could love Rune and Gideon more but here I am.
Kristen and her words. None of those unrealistic outcomes, annoying characters. She creates the best character growth, unexpected but reasonable storylines and overall amazing stories.

“If this was weakness, he wanted to be weak. If this was sin, let him be damned to hell.”

“Live in the darkness too long, and eventually you won’t recognize the light,” he told her. “You’ll become like the monsters you hate.”

“The problem with love is the more you try to destroy it, the stronger it becomes.”

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc. I cannot wait for others to experience the sequel of this series!

The Crimson Moth was one of my favourite reads of 2024 and I absolutely SCREAMED when I was approved on NetGalley for an e-ARC of Rebel Witch!! Thank you so, so much HarperCollins UK ♡ I did a reread of The Crimson Moth via audiobook in eager anticipation for this, it was SO good being able to dive straight back into this world. This review will contain spoilers for The Crimson Moth, so please proceed with caution!

Rebel Witch takes place around 2 months after the ending of The Crimson Moth, things have already happened in the background so we spend a little time catching up on that before launching right into the action. After the ending events and betrayals of The Crimson Moth, Rune and Gideon have been forced apart on opposing sides in this war - Rune with the tyrannical Witch Queen Cressida and Gideon with the Anti-Witch New Republic. The story picks up almost immediately in Rebel Witch, things are absolutely crazy! The stakes are SO high and emotions are running WILD everywhere.

Rune and Gideon are soon forced into a VERY tentative alliance after realising they need each other to further their own individual plans and schemes, but it's extremely difficult to work together when they can't fully trust each other anymore. I absolutely adore Rune and Gideon, the chemistry and tension was absolutely insane and I ate it UPPP!! They're both so incredibly smart and I loved being able to peek into both of their heads to see what they were thinking. There were so many times I was sitting there giggling and kicking my feet at their antics and schemes, and I loveeeed every minute we got to see of the two together.

Rebel Witch was the perfect conclusion to Rune and Gideon's story, Kristen wrote such an incredible, well-paced duology and I miss them already. I'm a huge fan of the duology format, I think it really ensures that the plot and pacing is done well and everything has to have a purpose, which is exactly how I felt about both The Crimson Moth and Rebel Witch. I absolutely adore this duology, and I am SO excited to reread these later on! ✨

“Sometimes our paths must diverge from those we love. But if love is the highest power, our paths will converge again—if not in this world, then the next.”

This is the second book to the Crimson Moth (Heartless Hunter) and it pretty much starts up now too far where the first book ended. Rune is such a badass in this and I preferred Gideon in this book, when compared to the first!

Now, around 50% I was WORRIED, I thought I had guessed the whole plot and was starting to get bored but then it really picked up. And yes what I guessed was some of the plot, but not even a fraction. The twists towards the end had me shocked and crying. My heart was in pieces. Wow.

Could not give it 5 stars as this duo-logy isn’t as action packed as I would like but it was really good all the same!

I loved the sequel to the crimson moth/ heartless hunter.
I needed some time to get back into the story, especially since Rune and Gideon were enemies again, even though everyone knew that they had feelings for each other.
I really liked how they slowly returned to trusting each other again and that they had the same goal at the end of the book.
This book is a real page-turner. It happened so much and in the end I couldn't believe that there was gonna be a happy ending at the end of the book.
It was suspenseful how they defeated Cressida at the end. I think it would have been interesting if we would have learned more about Seraphine/ wisdom and her fate.
All in all I really enjoyed reading this book and it was perfect how it ended.

The Rebel Witch immediately dives right back into the aftermath of Alex's tragic death. The ache of betrayal and undeniable chemistry between Rune and Gideon continues as they begrudgingly work together to end the bloody tyranny of the New Republic as well as prevent Cressida's bloody rise to power as she attempts to reinstate the Reign of Witches.

This was a glorious conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology. I couldn't put it down. My heart absolutely ached for Rune. She suffered and sacrificed so much and I did start to resent Gideon at certain points. He was so callously unforgiving throughout. Rune was forced to deceive the Witch Hunter in order to survive the regime he enforced and he constantly allowed his past trauma to cloud his judgement despite his pull to our cunning heroine.

The ending was cleverly crafted, emotional and bloody. I wish I'd had more time with these beautifully written, flawed characters. I would have especially appreciated more time with Harrow to explore her story even further. An extended epilogue would have also satisfied my longing for more time with our forbidden lovers as they both suffered for so long. Their reunion felt a little rushed.

I can't stop thinking about this duology and I'm truly devasted that it's over. I'm so glad the sequel is just as captivating as its predecessor and I look forward to more from Kristen Ciccarelli in the future.

After ADORING The Crimson Moth I had such high expectations for its sequel... and it somehow surpassed every single one of them!

This had all the usual tension, chemistry, banter and stakes as the first but was somehow EVEN BETTER. The political intrigue in this had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, I couldn't guess at all how it was going to end (I also ended up sobbing at it). The pacing was astounding and there was not a single point where I was bored or didn't want to inhale the book in its entirety, it was perfect for me.

Kristen Ciccarelli's writing was also as eloquent and beautiful as it was painful and heartbreaking. So many quotes FLOORED me and only accentuated the connection I felt with these characters over the course of this duology. I'm at once devastated that this duology is over and simultaneously so pleased and satisfied with its ending. I'll be talking about this book FOREVER and I am so excited to scream about it from all of my social media!!!

my first 5 ⭐️ of the year!

So often a sequel doesn't meet the ridiculously high expectations that I set for it, but not in this case! This was simply sublime. The characters, the angst, the twists and turns, the yearning, the drama, the feelings... What a perfect end to this duology. I know I will go back and reread these books time and time again.

My instant reaction from finishing this book was simply:

"I have a lot of feels right now, I need a minute to gather my thoughts.
But also, how is it over now??? I absolutely need more of this, I'm gutted its only a Duology"

The Crimson Moth was one of my top reads of 2024 and this book may very well be one of my top 2025 - it's definitely started me off strong! I loved it, honestly.

The chemistry between our two main characters was just electric, I have swooned, giggled, cried my way through the book and enjoyed every moment of their relationship together. The deeper dive into the supporting characters and the world building really allowed for me to visualise this whole story as I was reading it, which I loved.

The only real downfall for me was the slight rush in the ending, I really enjoyed the twists but it just seemed a little easy/anti-climatic compared to the tension and build-up throughout.

With that said, I would absolutely recommend this for any fans of romantasy - especially those who love a cat and mouse, real enemies to lovers situation!!

A perfect conclusion to this duology. Ciccarelli captured the turmoil and complexity within both Rune and Gideon in this story so well, and I read with such hope that everything would end well for these two. I loved these characters. And Seraphine's involvement, The relationship between Harrow and Juniper, Cressida's continued cruelty, The inclusion of Soren, it all added to the melting point of irresistible drama.
I did find that there was a repetition of Rune or Gideon getting captured, the other one going to save them, only to get captured themselves so they both could escape together. That happened several times, enough that it was quite noticeable to me at the end, but it did not take away from the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This is just as - if not more - enjoyable than book 1. No second book syndrome here! From start to finish, The Rebel Witch is addictive, fast-paced, and impossible to put down. I inhaled it in a day!

The romance between Gideon and Rune? Absolutely chef’s kiss. The tension, the push and pull, the butterflies, it was everything I wanted and more. While almost all the twists are predictable and several moments lean into convenient plot armour, none of that took away from my enjoyment at all! This book knows exactly what it is; it is a romance first and foremost and it absolutely delivers.

The plot is also super engaging, packed with action, and perfectly paced - I never once felt bored! The writing is solid, and the ending wraps up the duology beautifully. Satisfying, well-written, and exactly the conclusion I was hoping for.

I can’t recommend this enough, especially if you’re in a reading slump. If you’re looking to get effortlessly submerged into a simple and fast-paced romantasy duology, this is for you.

One line review - I knew this book would be spectacular after The Crimson Moth, but I was not expecting what I got!

I knew The Rebel Witch would be spectacular after reading The Crimson Moth, but it was even more than I imagined it would be! Honestly, I am absolutely speechless after finishing this book. I devoured it in just two sittings—having a job was the only thing that stopped me from reading it in one go. From the moment I started, this book was nonstop action, and I couldn’t tear myself away. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and my emotions were all over the place. The range of feelings I experienced—from stress and frustration to giddiness, tears, and everything in between—was overwhelming in the best way possible. The Rebel Witch packs one hell of a punch, and I don’t think anything I could say could truly prepare you for just how impactful it is.

There were so many moments where I didn’t want to turn the page, not because I wasn’t enjoying the story (I absolutely was), but because I was terrified of what would happen next. Kristen, the author, is a genius at keeping readers on edge, and I found myself dreading the twists she might throw in. I kept wondering if anyone was going to make it out alive because Kristen is one of those authors who doesn’t hold back. She’s not afraid to take her characters to their breaking point, and that’s part of what makes this book so enthralling.

The twists and turns in the plot were absolutely on point. Just when I thought I knew where things were headed, the story would take a sharp turn in a completely unexpected direction. The slow-burn romance, combined with the miscommunication and tension, had me hooked. It was like whiplash at times—one minute I was rooting for the characters to get together, and the next I was holding my breath, wondering how things would implode. The way the romance unfolded kept me on tenterhooks, and I was so invested in how it would all play out.

But it’s not just the plot and romance that make The Rebel Witch so incredible. It’s the author’s writing itself. Kristen’s ability to craft such a gripping, emotional, and unpredictable narrative is unparalleled. I’m now craving more, not just from The Rebel Witch but from Kristen as an author. I will read anything she writes from here on out because this series has completely blown me away. It’s on par with some of my favourite series, like Throne of Glass and Fourth Wing, which says a lot about the depth, complexity, and emotional intensity that Kristen brings to her work.

In conclusion, The Rebel Witch is an exhilarating, heart-pounding, and utterly unforgettable ride. It’s a book that demands your full attention and leaves you wanting more, both from the story and from the author. If you loved The Crimson Moth, this is an absolute must-read, but even if you haven’t read that book yet, The Rebel Witch stands on its own as a truly spectacular piece of fantasy. It’s a series that will stick with me for a long time, and I cannot wait to see what Kristen does next.

I was incredibly lucky to get this book as an Arc from Netgalley!! thank you thank you for allowing me to read this book!

I devoured this book, literally couldn't put it down!
The character growth in this story had me hooked!!

This is how you do a duology! perfect!
Five stars!

Another great read!

Definitely read the first installment in this duology - Heartless Hunter (or The Crimson Moth) - just so you understand what is going on.

I devoured the first book in this series, and the second one did not disappoint. I read it within 24 hours.

This is great if you love a slow slow burn with minimal spice, action packed and wanting to keep turning the pages.

The magic system within this duology is different and interesting as well as easy to follow.

This book will have you feeling all the feels and leave you satisfied with the ending.

This was a great end to the duology. Kristens' writing is so easy and bingeable i always struggled to put the book down.

Rebel Witch is packed full of tension and angst, enemies to lovers. forbidden love, will they won't they, and I was on the edge of my seat rooting for them the entire time. This is the type of romance I adore, and I could not get enough. The plot was fast-moving and full of twists and turns.

My only gripe would be how predictable I found this. I predicted basically all of the twists well before they happened, so I can't say any of them gave me the shock factor I would have liked. There were quite a few plot conveniences, and I would have liked the characters to go through a bit more of a challenge.

Having said that, though, it did not take away from my enjoyment from the story, and Rune and Gideon are amazing characters and so much fun to read about. I also enjoyed a lot of the side characters and overall had a great time reading. An excellent end to what has been a great duology!

OMG, if this isn't my favourite book of the year then there's something wrong. i would love 4 more books about these characters,

I really wanted to love this book, but sadly it just fell abit flat for me. Book 1 was amazing, yet I couldn't finish this one.

I felt the characters felt very shallow and there was too much pining over eachother with very little story line.

Heartless hunter was my favourite book of 2024 and this did not disappoint. Please pick it up!! Everyone needs to experience this duology