A perfect ending but...I don't want it to end *sobs* I don't want to give any spoilers as I know everyone is eagerly awaiting the release but MY HEART, the chemistry and tension is palpable, the emotional depth and development of Rune and Gideons relationship is something to be commended, the plot is fast paced and I found myself finishing this in one day, cleverly structured I'm in awe of how all the lose ends tied up HOW DOES HER BRAIN WORK LET ME INSIDE IT (sorry that sounded weirder than I'd meant it too) I hope the author decides to write a prequel and/or spin off series because I fear I am forever changed 😂

This sequel was EVERYTHING! 😍 After that heart-stopping cliffhanger in book one, Rebel Witch totally delivers with all the action, romance, and major tension. Rune and Gideon’s chemistry is off the charts, and watching their relationship journey and enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers kept me hooked whilst also screaming for them to COMMUNICATE!! haha . The plot moves fast, keeping you hooked with the perfect mix of swoon-worthy moments and oh my gosh drama / trauma . The ending had me on the edge of my seat, it was PERFECT!

This duology is one I’ll recommend to everyone. I was thrilled to get an advanced reading copy of the second book and couldn’t wait to dive in. The enemies-to-lovers trope is my favorite, and these characters will stay with me for a long time.

The fast-paced plot made this a gripping read, especially in the first half, and I loved how the romance developed without unnecessary separation. The tension and drama, (especially the jealousy) and there were plenty of tender scenes between Rune and Gideon.

However, I expected a bit more from the romance. Gideon’s emotions could have been explored more deeply, and I wanted to see him express his feelings more openly. Despite this, the story delivered a satisfying conclusion, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

5⭐️

Oh my god!!! So good! Crimson Moth walked so this book could run. Loved the storyline of the book and the dynamic between the characters. Everything I look for in a fantasy - great plot, interesting magic system and the romance was so good!!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book!

4.5
I read book one, “The Crimson Moth”, in March of this year and surprisingly hadn’t had any (bigger) issues connecting with the story or the characters with a ~9 month gap between both books.
I’m also happy to report back that I enjoyed “The Rebel Witch” more than “The Crimson Moth”!

Loved the character, their development and especially the direction of the plot and how it all played out in the end.
The book is well written and had great pacing. I also thought it reads better/easier than book one, which is not to say that I had any issues with the writing on the previous book.

There was some back and forth between Rune and Gideon in the beginning, trying to figure out how to move on from their mutual betrayal, which I can see some people would feel a certain type of way about. I didn’t mind.

I want to particularly point out that I noticed how Harrow’s character was better utilized in this book than it has been in “The Crimson Moth”. I felt her only reason to exist in book one was to point Gideon in Rune’s direction, which could have been easily done by literally any other character, so seeing her here having her own backstory and getting a better glimpse at her personality was really nice.
Would have loved if we could have gotten more of her and if it then had been better balanced between both books.

Having Cressida being now an actual part of the story, I would have loved to have some chapters from her pov, but I can see why the author stuck to Rune & Gideon.

The ending was beautiful and wrapped up the story very nicely.

Final thoughts on this duology/series: “The Crimson Moth” & “The Rebel Witch” are one of the better YA fantasy books out there and that I read in a while. Great writing, great characters & chemistry, plot and pacing.
If I were to critique anything, it would have been that both books have a certain level of predictability, which I guess is to be expected considering it’s YA, but I personally didn’t care at all nor wasn’t bothered by it, because everything else worked out so well!
I can highly recommend this series.

I had high expectations for this sequel and even though I enjoyed it, I wasn't wowed or blown away by this one.

I liked the dynamics and back and forth romance between Rune and Gideon, but the overall plot was lacking somehow? It's still a very smooth and action-packed read but I don't feel like anything groundbreaking happened. I do feel like a lot happened and was explained but at the same time I never really felt intruiged? The end had me amazed for a minute but then it didn't because of course the obvious thing happened (you'll see when you read it).

Overall an enjoyable read but I hoped for a little more.

2.75 but rounded up to 3.

Firstly thank you for the ARC, as always, I'm very grateful.
I was really looking forward to this one after giving The Crimson Moth a solic 4 stars earlier in year year. Unfortunately, the sequel didn't live up to this for me.
All opinions are my own.

Some of the difficulties I had with the book:
1-In the first 30/40% there was so much emphasis on Rune being small and petite and how Gideon towered over her. I think this must have been repeated about 8 times and it felt like overkill for me.

2-the constant references to Rune being "a girl". She is a woman, she is doing woman things and the book is a romance. I don't want to be romanticising a girl. This is a small thing but it really bugged me.

3- the miscommunication trope. It felt like groundhog day between Gideon and Rune. Can they trust each other? Are they going to betray each other? Do they understand the others intention? It was this on a rinse and repeat cycle and it got quite tedious. I understand that this is a romantasy book, but the romance was too heavily featured and it took away from moving the plot forward.

4- speaking of plot, the main part happened in the last 5%? It felt rushed and an afterthought. We've spent so much time toing and froing on the romance side that I felt the plot was really hindered. The ending and subsequent conclusion felt like an afterthought.

Its not to say that I didn't enjoy the book at all because I did. I think the magic system is really interesting, the way the world's are set up and the politics of the book. I also enjoyed the writing style. But ultimately, I didn't feel as interested or captured by this one as I did the first.

I enjoyed this one so much more than the first, which isn’t to say the first wasn’t good, it’s more that this one just really grabbed my attention and held it. Though I did spend the first half wishing Gideon and Rune would just get over their damn selves. Gideon is a self-righteous zealot for a little while there, but he gets it together, I’m glad to say. These two could skip a whole lot of pain if they just learned to use their words and communicate! Still, where’s the fun in that?

The Rebel Witch is a fast paced read, filled to the brim with action and it’ll keep you engaged throughout each chapter. It’s a perfect end to the duology and to Gideon and Rune’s story.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins U.K. and Kristen Ciccarelli for gifting me this eARC.

3,5 ⭐

While I loved the first book for the banter and action, I found this one to be longer than necessary. I love the main characters, but I wish there was more development on the MMC side!

One of my favourite reads of the year - The Crimson Moth (aka The Heartless Hunter) - Fairyloot February YA book edition shown.

The ending of The Crimson Moth left me realling and I was desperate to get my hands on the sequel - to only find it's released next year. Lucky for me Harper Collins approved my request to read The Rebel Witch as an eARC.

Let me tell you now, Kristen Ciccarelli did not disappoint and this duology has quickly become one of my favourites.

Kristen has continued Ruins story in a beautiful manner. Picking right up where book 1 finished (all be it a few months later) getting you thrown straight back into the story.
You've got alternating PoV for Ruin and Gideon and reading as the witch tries to evade the hunter, and they both battle with the emotions they've come to have over the events of the last few months. It gives a more full view of both sides, making me understand each characters decisions, trials and tribulations as they fight for what they believe is right.

It was a fast paced read that left me wanting more and chambering to pick it up after work. Fighting myself on the need to finish vs the need to savour and extend my time with Ruin and Gideon.

Degintely add this duology to your TBR. With the The Rebel Witch coming out March 5th (in Australia)

Rebel Witch was an entertaining read with yet again beautifully executed dual POV. The plot overall was pretty simple and quite predictable but enjoyable none the less and I had a lot of fun with this book. Similar to Crimson Moth, there's plenty of banter, mystery, unexpected revelations and an ending that will surely satisfy everyone.

My biggest beef however was the romance. As adorable as it all was - the banter, the back and forth, the enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers, I wished they just talked to each other and be honest for one minute!!!!!! So much miscommunication, so many assumptions made, so much mistrust which is understandable but surely possible to overcome if they JUST TALKED to each other!!!! All this miscommunication led both characters to all the wrong choices over and over and over again.... I was screaming at my Kindle so much! 😄 However, Rune and Gideon are such likable characters that all was forgiven and I was so invested in their story that nothing would make me stop!!

Overall, a very enjoyable conclusion to a great duology!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was just perfect. Better even than the first one !
It has everything I could have ever wanted for this story and it is beautifully executed.

- And it got me out of a 3 months reading slump -

What to expect:
Enemies to Lovers
Forbidden Love
Forbidden Magic
Witch + Witch Hunter

I was so excited to delve back into this world, and it did not disappoint. I immensely enjoyed this book and found it to be the perfect ending to this duology.

This book picks up shortly after the first and we are thrown back into this world and it's action packed from the get go. I don't think I once found myself bored with the storyline as there was constantly so much going on and getting the dual POV of both Rune and Gideon really made the story flow quickly.

We see both Rune and Gideon struggling with their decisions and feelings, and thankfully they are not kept apart for large portions of the story. The tension and chemistry is so electric between the two and present throughout the whole story and it's completely delicious! There is so much growth in their relationship and we get to see how they handle their obvious distrust for one another and their hurt over what happened in the past. As well as their inability to stay away from each other while also wanting to kill each other just makes the story so addictive. Now, picture all of that, mixed with a fake relationship, forced proximity, major jealousy and betrayal? Their relationship and back and forth completely stole the show.

Overall, this was such a perfect ending to this beautiful and addictive story and it's example of an enemies to lovers relationship has to be one of my favourites, allowing us to experience their incredibly angsty journey in defying the odds their up against. I really recommend picking up this book upon it's release in February 2025!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this early review copy.

I didn't think the Crimson Moth could be beaten but MY GOD, this topped it.

I am absolutely obsessed with Gideon and Rune. This book was full of pure hate, love and passion. This is how enemies to lovers should be done.

I love how character driven this series is, the moments between Gideon and Rune were just everything. And the side characters really stood out in this book, there is betrayal, sacrifice, and bonds formed. This book also has so much more plot development than the Crimson Moth! There is so much tension and excitement, I physically could not put it down.

And the ending had me crying and swearing and completely on the edge of my seat.

PHENOMENAL.

The Rebel Witch delivers an action-packed finale to The Crimson Moth duology, but for me, it didn’t quite capture the gripping intensity of the first book. The story picks up with Rune on the run after Gideon’s betrayal, forced into an uneasy alliance with Cressida Roseblood. Rune’s struggle to balance survival with the growing weight of her choices creates an intriguing moral complexity, though at times her decisions felt repetitive.

The tension between Rune and Gideon remains a highlight. Their dynamic is layered with unresolved feelings and mistrust, as Gideon wrestles with his hatred for witches and the part of him that still cares for Rune. While their interactions are compelling, the emotional stakes didn’t hit as hard this time around, feeling more like a slow burn without the payoff of The Crimson Moth.

The larger conflict—Cressida’s plans to reinstate the Reign of Witches versus Gideon’s determination to protect the Republic—raises the stakes, but the pacing occasionally falters. The middle section felt bogged down by prolonged political manoeuvring, which dulled some of the urgency. However, the action scenes were as thrilling as ever, and the climax delivered a satisfying resolution to the central conflict.

While The Rebel Witch didn’t keep me as hooked as its predecessor, it’s still a solid read for fans of the series. If you enjoyed the first book, you’ll want to see how it all ends, even if the journey isn’t quite as spellbinding this time around.

Big thank you to Net Galley & Harper Collins for the advanced copy.
I have been dying to read this as Crimson Moth was one of the best things I have read this year!

This book is all action, and it’s got everything I love in it, there’s betrayal, who did this, misunderstandings, revolution!
And so many wholesome moments! 💜

The pacing is really good, it kept me hooked and i really couldn’t put it down!
I do wish there had been more magic, There’s quite a lot of the same spell and I found the whole magic system so interesting so would have been good to see more.

I’m not usually a highlighter but particularly loved this quote from Gideon

“Instead he’d found this Rune, His Rune. A mess”

Adorable. He just gets her.

A perfect end to this duology, all of the banter and tension I loved from the first book continued on into the second and wrapped up the plot perfectly!

This was everything I wanted and more from the second book in this duology.
We pick up shortly after the end of book one and we are thrown straight back into the story.
I adore Gideon and Rune, I haven’t been this emotionally attached to characters for a long while. And it’s not just them all the side characters are fully fleshed out and I loved them too seraphine, Harrow, Laila just all of them. And hated the ones I was meant to hate too, Cressida is an incredible villain, so much so that even though she doesn’t get much page time in person just the mention of her is enough.
This is a duology that I know I will read again and again. The writing is beautiful, the characters and world building are great, I could picture it playing out like a movie in my head.
I can’t wait to see what this author puts out next!
I think I loved this one even more than the first.

I'm so disappointed in this series. I really thought I was gonna love it, but sadly it was just average.

I feel like across both books there are some really solid plot points and the characters are good enough that it could've been a really excellent series, but the execution was a bit poor. For example, in this book there were some big reveals (no spoilers, don't worry), which I feel like should have happened in the first book because it meant that this book was trying to do too much, and then the reveals felt so obvious because there wasn't really enough build up to them in my opinion.

I also found that the pacing was off. There were parts of this book which felt quite dull and repetitive and then the big finale happened in the LAST 25 PAGES!

It was fine, but I just expected so much more because of all the hype surrounding this series.

Love has never been so deadly. You’ll find the stakes are even higher in this epic conclusion to this romantic fantasy series where a witch and a witch hunter are met with an impossible choice. Everyone wants her dead. Gideon Sharpe revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands who want her dead. Rune Winters deceived him. Now she’s betrayed him again by allying herself with the witches who made his life hell.

When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse the two pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. They’re forced into each other’s company and realise the feelings they had for each other aren’t as dead and buried as they thought. Now they face a terrible choice: sacrifice one to stop a monster taking back power or watch the world they fought so hard for burn.

A perfect ending to the duopoly. A fast paced plot that will leave you on the edge of your seat, a searing romance that will leave you breathless and stakes so high you’ll do anything just to watch this world fight not to burn. There wasn’t a single moment that wasn’t beautifully written and well thought out by the author. You may guess the ending but that won’t make it any less brutally realised. Will forever recommend this duology.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐔𝐊 | 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐩𝐢𝐞) 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢