What an amazing conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology.

Our favourite witch and witch hunter, Rune and Gideon are back and their story picks up two months after the end of book 1.

Gideon has been searching for Rune and when he catches up with her she is engaged to a prince. This is so he will give Cressida his army to take over the New Republic.

Cressida has a plan that will bring in a new reign of witches where they will once again rule over humans.

Rune and Gideon are forced to work together against her to stop this happening.

A lot of people said book 1 was fast paced, which I didn't agree with. The Rebel Witch is definitely fast paced. It is tension filled and action packed from the start.

We get Rune and Gideon fighting their feelings for one another, a fake marriage and one bed...

We also get a lot of secrets and twists and more betrayals.

I loved this series. They were the first books by this author that I have read, and I look forward to reading more.

I've just finished this book, and what an amazing ending to the story, I absolutely loved this book, keeps you guessing and page turning! I could not put this down! The end to Rune and Gideon story is so fitting🩷 so happy they both got a happy ending each, huge character development and I really enjoyed going back to this world, thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC, hugely recommend this series to anyone who loves, witches, spells, love, treachery, twist and turns, page turning and everything else you could wish in a story🩷

One word. PERFECTION.

Rarely does Book 2 ever live up to the first. But Kristen Ciccarelli absolutely smashed it out of the park. I devoured this in equal amount to The Crimson Moth. I was already obsessed with Rune and Gideon’s relationship going into The Rebel Witch but this book fulfilled everything I wanted. The growth between them. The angst. The slow burn. Forbidden love/ Enemies to Lovers has never been executed so well. All the characters in this duology are so well formed and none of the events feel rushed or unnecessary. The plot was super action packed and so well balanced with the romantic moments. This duology is a real masterclass in Romantasy slow burn. I would recommend this series to anyone and everyone who will listen.

Omg absolutely amazing. I loved the Crimson Moth and this is the perfect second book. So many twists and turns with some leaving you shocked waiting to find out what happens. Very gripping.

Thank you Kristen Ciccarelli, Harpercollins and Netgalley for the ARC

I was absolutely thrilled to get this ARC and am glad I chose it for my first read of 2025, as it was a lot of fun.

That's not to say that The Rebel Witch is without it's issues, but I enjoyed every page despite them.

To start with, there are a couple of moments where a character learns something or notices something and then shortly afterwards, it's like they're learning/noticing it for the first time. These were minor continuity errors, but they did take me out of the story briefly.

I also found it to be quite predictable. I knew exactly what was going to happen within just a few chapters, however, they journey to get to those big plot points was still entertaining and I was hooked every step of the way.

While The Rebel Witch didn't sleep as hard as Crimson Moth, I still massively enjoyed the characters, the relationship dynamics, world building and magic system. Considering there's a lot going on, I didn't find it a heavy read and I was eager to see how the story unfolded.

This duology is absolutely on my re-read list as it's loads of fun and a fairly easy read. I wouldn't be mad if there were more stories to be told from this world either.

I was absolutely obsessed with this book from the very beginning. The story hooked me right away, and I just had to know how it continued. Every time I thought about putting it down, I found myself wanting to read just one more chapter. The way the author built the tension between the characters was incredible. I could feel the excitement and uncertainty as the story unfolded. It was like a rollercoaster ride of emotions that kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters felt real and relatable, which made me even more invested in their journey. I could hardly wait to see how their story would turn out, and each page turn felt like a step closer to the thrilling conclusion.

The enemies-to-lovers theme is one of my favorites, and this book delivered it perfectly. The interactions between the main characters were charged with tension and clever banter. I loved how they started off disliking each other but slowly began to understand and care for one another. Each encounter was filled with sparks, and I found myself cheering for them to realize their feelings. The author did a fantastic job of developing their relationship. It was clear that their journey was not just about romance; it was about growth and discovery. I enjoyed watching how they challenged each other and learned to let their guards down. This dynamic added depth to the story and made the eventual romance feel earned and meaningful.

As I read, the plot twists kept me guessing, and I never knew what would happen next. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, something new would surprise me. The suspense was brilliantly woven throughout the book, making it hard to put down. The author introduced obstacles that made the characters face not only their feelings but also their pasts. This added layers to the narrative, and I found myself fully immersed in their world. It was easy to lose track of time as I followed their journey. I appreciated how the author balanced the excitement of their relationship with moments of doubt and vulnerability. This balance made the characters’ experiences feel authentic and relatable.

The writing itself was simple yet powerful. I loved how the author used vivid descriptions to paint pictures in my mind. It was easy to imagine the settings and emotions of the characters. The dialogues felt natural, and the humor added a lightness to the serious moments. I often found myself laughing out loud at the witty exchanges between the characters. The pacing was just right, keeping me engaged from start to finish. It never felt rushed, allowing the story and character development to unfold beautifully. This made every moment impactful, and I found myself fully invested in the outcome. All these elements combined created a captivating reading experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.

By the time I reached the end, I was satisfied and happy with how everything wrapped up. The ending felt solid and left me with a warm feeling. I appreciated that the author provided closure while still leaving the door open for possibilities. This balance made it feel like a complete journey. I can’t wait to read this story again, as it is one of those books that offers something new each time. I believe that revisiting the characters and their journey will bring back the same feelings of excitement and joy. This book is a true gem, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling enemies-to-lovers romance filled with tension and well-crafted storytelling.

I really wanted to love this, and it honestly started out at 5 stars, but then little things kept frustrating me and it slowly got a lower and lower rating 😭

The true enemies to lovers nature between Gideon and Rune at the beginning of the books was amazing!! There was so much tension and banter. I was giggling and kicking my feet.

However after a while, I found there was sooo much back and forth, and repetition in the storyline. Lots and lots of characters were introduced that I found it a bit hard to follow along. There also was way too much of people showing up right at the perfect time.

There was a situation involving a child that made me so angry and it felt so unnecessary this book immediately lost half a star.

I didn’t see the ending coming, but when the final twist happened I was kicking myself for not guessing it!

3.75 stars --
The Rebel Witch is the second and final in the Crimson Moth duology; we find ourselves back with Rune who had made her escape across the sea.
Rune is now engaged to the prince and working actively with Cressida to gain his army to take down the New republic.
Gideon, on her heels — prepared to do his duty as a witch hunter and take out his one time love…


A fast paced start filled with action and tension, keeping the reader on their toes. The story takes off with an immense amount of promise for a fun and gripping follow up to book one.
However, unfortunately as the story progressed it was propelled by possibly my least favorite trope; miscommunication. While the relationship between Gideon and Rune takes the main focus this time around,— we loose the intensity of the magic we had in the first book. The pure primal power, the wonderful history and the overwhelming intensity to the castings and their unique beauty of their scars. Spells and lore took a back seat alongside the world building. For example I wanted to know more about the world Rune found herself in when she escaped. The architecture was mention and the fact that they accepted witches. But were witches part of their society? Perhaps if there were witches already part of their cutler were their witches different? Or are they all more of an oddity as eluded to? What did the kingdom feel about their prince marrying a witch rebel and going to war?
The New Republic seemed unprepared for a massive army to come to their shores. But why? They had to know the possibility of killing Rune would fail or worse enrage the prince.
The major plot twists were easily foreshadowed, with that being said I had such high hopes for an epic conclusion between sisters. However the ending felt rushed and fell flat for me.

The world of the crimson moth is wonderfully crafted with an amazingly primal and unique blood magic system. Rune and Gideon are a solid romantasy couple and many of the side characters contribute to the face paced action of the series.

Thank you to the publishers, author, and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

I enjoyed The Crimson Moth and was excited to read The Rebel Witch and see how Rune's story developed. The Rebel Witch picks up shortly after the end of The Crimson Moth and we are straight away thrown into the drama of Gideon hunting Rune again. I absolutely adored this second book in the duology. The relationship and plot development between Gideon and Rune was done perfectly and I was fully immersed in the story and could not put it down. One of the my favourite books of the year!

This was such a fun fast paced sequel and a solid conclusion to the duo logy. It’s a page turner that’s packed with action, intrigue, and romantic tension making for a fun adventure. I think I enjoyed book two more than book one because all my favourite tropes are included: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake marriage, who did this to you and one bed.

I loved being back in this world and the unique world building that comes with it. The writing style is so engaging that makes you want to keep reading. The story picks up two months after the events of the first book and the pacing is relentless from the get go in the best way. Despite the predictable plot I was keen to see how the author would take us there.

The tension between Rune and Gideon was a highlight which was well written and left me smiling. I was happy we didn’t have to wait long to see them interacting with each other again. We do get the dreaded miscommunication trope but thought it was handled relatively well for their characters. Rune went through so much in this book so I’m glad she finally got her happy ending.

The main reason it gets four stars and not five is I felt the ending was a bit rushed. Whilst the end was intriguing and full of tension I felt Cressida was defeated too easily and was a little anticlimactic. If it had been fleshed out more and we got a few more answers I wouldn’t hesitate to give this five stars as everything else was amazing.

Despite my issues with the rushed ending and the fact I still have some unanswered questions, I really enjoyed this series and can see why there’s so much hype surrounding it. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the series if you’re a fan of romantasy involving witches as it’s a fun read that includes a lot of the popular tropes.

The highly anticipated sequel and conclusion to The Crimson Moth is here and fans of Kristen Ciccarelli will not be disappointed! Kristen's writing is as whimsical and beautiful as ever, the world she's created believable and well crafted, Rune and Gideon both very likable (I definitely have a soft spot for Gideon!) and the reader who is back for more will INHALE the story, just like I did.
I don't want to give away any parts of the story but I do want to say that I devoured all 400+ pages in less than three days and I felt that the pace was
good, with lots of twists and turns for our main characters and even though there was a moment of frustration with the whole will they/won't they, I gave myself a few days before writing this review to really reflect on how the duology made me feel as a a whole. And in amongst hundreds of writers and stories of the romantasy genre, I do feel that Kristen's writing and storytelling stands out for the elegance and quality it delivers. Please, don't do yourself the disservice of not reading the first book, it would be such a shame to miss out on a very rewarding reading experience.

If you have already read The Crimson Moth, you will LOVE this. If you love romantasy and have not yet acquainted yourself with Kristen Ciccarelli, I highly recommend this series.

Many thanks to Kristen, the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

When I say I live for drama and tragedy, this is what I mean!

Rune and Gideon are both heroes in their own right, they’re forced to be reckoned with but alas on opposite sides. Their distrust in each other and self-deprecation makes the balance of whole dynamic tip from one side to another throughout the story. I’m glad that Miss C. found a good point in the story to clear it all up so the characters could start working towards each other. I love how they both find a third side to fight for in each other.

The ending was sliiiightly disappointing because I wholly wanted the two main characters to outwit Cressida. It felt a little bit like a deus ex machina, with Seraphine suddenly turning out to be an actual deus/dea. But still! Love the story, and I’m excited what Miss C will come up with next!!

these duology and those charatcters stole my heart.
was it super original? nope
did i loved it no matter what? yep

Totally obssesed with the story, the romance, the character.
Gieon is my guy and ha fell hard and never stop.

4.75⭐️

finishing this year on a high note 🤭

i loved this so much, i’ve been sitting with my thoughts for an hour trying to put them together and i feel like i’ll still fall short

everything in this book was perfection, but rune’s arc is what really did it for me, seeing her go from one low to another and still persevere was just absolutely brilliant, it made me love her character even more than i already did in the first one

and gideon, ugh my baby gideon, i loved him so so much in this, his growth from book 1 to the end of this was just everything i could’ve wished for and more

gideon and rune’s relationship evolved so much as well, their banter and bickering was still absolutely out of this world, but there was this softer more gentle side that really solidified them as a favorite couple for me, i just adore them to bits

i do wish the ending was a tiny bit more action packed and i think that’s what brought it down to 4.75 for me, but i still ate up every page, a reread is definitely in the cards soon

thank you to HarperCollins, Kristen Ciccarelli and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Obsessed!

As soon as I finished book one, I was desperate to find out what happened, and I'm so grateful to have been approved for an ARC for The Rebel Witch. Rune and Gideon are end game.

There's tension, there's angst, there's enemies to lovers, there's a whole lot of action. It's such a well written book with a brilliant ending.

The yearning for each other and the fact it's a forbidden love had me kicking my feet and doing a little happy dance. I especially love the jealousy that came out with both of them. How they were prepared to still go against each other despite having such strong feelings.

Is it too soon for a reread?!

I would recommend this to everyone!

Brilliant! I loved this one just as much as the first! Couldn’t put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I absolutely adored The Crimson Moth, but I never expected to love the sequel even more—and yet, here we are. Rebel Witch had me completely hooked; I devoured it in one sitting, overwhelmed by all the emotions it evoked.

The story dives straight into the action, with a fast-paced plot that keeps you on edge, mirroring the relentless danger faced by the characters. Cressida is a standout as a villain—pure evil with intricate secret plots that create a palpable sense of terror. She’s brilliantly written and elevates the stakes throughout the story.

Rune and Gideon’s dynamic is the heart of the book. Themes of trust, self-doubt, and love are woven seamlessly into their journey. While miscommunication plays a significant role, it never feels overdone or frustrating. Their character development is stunning, and watching their relationship grow was truly rewarding.

My only minor gripe? I wanted more groveling from Gideon to fully address the fractured trust between them.

Overall, Rebel Witch is a phenomenal sequel that wraps up the story beautifully. It’s thrilling, emotional, and utterly satisfying—an unforgettable conclusion to a fantastic series.

With the last book being better than what I thought it'd be, my expectations going into this one may have been a tad too high. I definitely got way too caught up in the worldbuilding and forgot this was a romantasy.

The major focus of the story was solely on getting Rune and Gideon back together, which sort of disappointed me. I mean, they still had good banter, and the complex witch and witch hunter dynamic was going strong here, too, if not more since the betrayals from the last book makes their beef personal now. But the fake marriage ploy, the petty jealousy / possessiveness, the countless misreading of each other's intentions leading to so much miscommunication, I was not jelling well with any of it. I really forgot how - for lack of a better word - painfully hetero romantasy is until side queer characters were brought into the story and made me think what this story/world would be if queerness was at the fore front, instead.

The romance taking center stage really watered down the elements I adored from the first book. The exploration sexism and politics are still there but not as important as Rune and Gideon's relationship angst. So many plot threads introduced were solved way too quick, and the themes of persecution of women felt more like dressing for the romance drama rather than core messages for the readers to think on or relate to. I think my enjoyment from the first book came from its potential, but with the duology ending here, anything I thought I saw was probably just me wanting something that probably wasn't there.

All in all, I'm sad and disappointed. I don't think I'll be reading Ciccarelli's other works in the future, but I'll still say Heartless Hunter / The Crimson Moth was a fun read while it lasted.

As far as second books in series go, I am pretty happy with this one! The Rebel Witch continues the turmoil filled love story between Rune and Gideon in a way which is true to the first book and ends this duology in a satisfying way.

While there are some things in this book that weren’t my fave (pacing, predictability), I still really did enjoy this and think the author did a great job of continuing this story and ending it in a way which I think a lot of readers will appreciate.

With this second book I confirm my opinion on the duology of “The Crimson Moth”: these books are excellently written and the execution is very good, but this surplus of “prepackaged” tropes and the way the story unfolds makes the book improbable and surreal, dampening the reader’s enthusiasm to find his favorite characters again.

I will certainly read more by Ciccarelli but I hope that they will be less “packaged” products for a certain type of audience and more genuine (not that one should exclude the other).