This review post is all about Heartless Hunter: The Crimson Moth, Book One by Kristen Ciccarelli.
CATEGORIES: BOOK BLOG POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, ROMANCE, FANTASY
ABOUT THE BOOK
title: heartless hunter
SERIES: THE CRIMSON MOTH, BOOK ONE
AUTHOR: KRISTEN CICCARELLI
GENRES: YOUNG ADULT FANTASY, ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: wednesday books
PUBLISHING DATE: 2/20/2024
FORMAT: kindle
PAGE COUNT: 411 pages
source: self-purchased
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A MAGICAL CAT AND MOUSE GAME
goodreads: HEARTLESS HUNTER BOOK SUMMARY
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?
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT “heartless hunter”
As you have probably noticed, this blog is filled with mostly YA fantasy romance (what can I say… I never grew up), so it should come as no surprise that I added the popular YA fantasy, “Heartless Hunter” by Kristen Ciccarelli to my summer reading list.
The gorgeous book cover featuring a crimson moth drawn to a flame is the perfect metaphor for the plot – a lovely creature drawn to something dangerous, yet irresistible.
So… was I lured by the beautiful “Heartless Hunter” book cover only to be burned by the story within? Let’s discuss.
this review post is all about "HEARTLESS HUNTER"
"HEARTLESS HUNTER" BOOK REVIEW
UNPACKING THE PLOT OF “heartless hunter”
Witch queens once ruled, but after a brutal revolution the tides have changed. Being a witch is now a crime punishable by death. Even aiding a witch is a crime punishable by death. In order to survive, Rune had to betray someone she loved deeply.
To deal with her guilt, she’s determined to aid as many of her kind as possible by acting as the Crimson Moth, a vigilante who frees witches that are being hunted.
Her nemesis, Gideon, the Blood Guard Captain, is hot on her trail. When he suspects Rune of being the Crimson Moth, he pretends to be interested in her romantically.
Aided by Gideon’s brother, Alex, and her friend Verity, she is on a mission to find and free one of the former witch queens, Cressida, but she will need to outsmart Gideon to do it.
The plot of this story is solid, with an unique magic system I have never come across before. Magic works by using the witch’s own blood or someone else’s. The more blood you have, the more powerful the spell. However, if you take someone’s blood by force, your magic will corrupt your soul.
Carving runes into the witch’s own flesh to gather blood results in a silver scar. Rune is scarless, which makes her appear as though she is not a witch.
The plot is driven by Rune’s quest to free Cressida, Gideon’s quest to uncover the true identity of the Crimson Moth, and the burning attraction these two have for each other despite the danger.
The plot is probably the strongest element in this story as it moves quickly with dangers that lurk around every chapter.
Every time Gideon looked at the young heiress, she reminded him of the sea: steal-your-breath beautiful on the surface, with the promise of untold depths beneath
THE CHARACTERS THAT BROUGHT “Heartless hunter” TO LIFE
Alex Sharpe
Gideon’s brother is the purest soul amongst this cast of morally grey characters. He has a torch in his heart for Rune that burns despite her being a witch and despite her flirting with other men. He is loyal to both his brother and to Rune, but things get complicated when he is forced to choose between them.
Gideon Sharpe
Gideon, the Captain of the Blood Guard, has an axe to grind with witches and understandably so. Witches have wronged him and his family, so him hunting down witches is more than duty. It’s personal.
When he suspects Rune’s connection to the Crimson Moth, he pretends to be interested in her romantically in order to gather evidence. His tragic backstory gives his character depth, but not much else makes him interesting or memorable.
His body buzzed at the lack of her. As if Rune in his arms was the only true thing in the world, and until she was there again, everything was wrong.
Rune Winters
Rune pretends to be a vapid socialite by day, but becomes the vigilante known as Crimson Moth by night. With the help of her friends Alex and Verity, she keeps her identity secret.
I found her character to be the most interesting because she had to pretend to be a ditzy airhead, flirting with men in order to get information. Her resourcefulness impressed me, particularly when she began using menstrual blood so she wouldn’t have casting scars.
However, I was slightly let down that we didn’t get to see much of her in action as the Crimson Moth. Despite her reputation as a cunning vigilante, her character frequently appeared as a vulnerable, emotional young girl.
THE WRITING STYLE THAT MAKES “heartless hunter” MEMORABLE
The writer did a good job with the pacing. There seemed to be dangers around every corner. There was a major plot twist at the end with breadcrumbs that led up to it, so it didn’t seem like it came out of nowhere.
There was a major betrayal of both characters that was revealed in the third act and I really liked how it unfurled.
I enjoyed the love scenes where the two main characters express their feelings for each other. However, their love story felt lacking. Other than surface level attraction, I never got a sense of a true bond.
At the beginning, Gideon only expressed loathing for Rune’s shallow persona, but as time went on, she couldn’t keep that act going forever. I could understand why he would finally be intrigued by her, but I never truly accepted that he would be in love with her given his suspicions. Likewise, I couldn’t understand what was it about Gideon that made Rune look past the fact that he was ruthlessly hunting down witches.
The love triangle added another element of tension. The sibling rivalry over a woman definitely made things a bit more interesting. Alex was the safe, simple choice, but moths are always attracted to the dangerous flame.
Do you want to come in?” he breathed against her lips. The question sparked a fire inside her. No, her brain said. But her mouth defied her. “More than anything.”
IS HEARTLESS HUNTER SPICY?
It was somewhat spicy, which was surprising for a book marketed for young adults. However, the sex scenes were mostly fade-to-black, so nothing too gratuitous. I give it two chili peppers 🌶️🌶️.
HEARTLESS HUNTER AGE RATING
There is mention of sex, murder, sexual abuse, and domestic abuse, so this story would probably be appropriate for teens at least 14 years or older.
I really enjoyed Heartless Hunter and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys romantic fantasy with a cat and mouse element. Heartless Hunter had a well-done plot, with a pace that kept me turning pages as well as interesting, easy-to-understand magic system.
The romance element was just okay, but hopefully in book 2, Rebel Witch, we might get a more compelling love story.
The villain that was revealed at the end was a bit of a mystery, so I’m hoping we get a little more of her back story as well in the next book, Rebel Witch.
Overall, I think if you’re a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, life or death stakes, and lots of drama, you’ll enjoy this book. Click the link below to see for yourself.
OTHER BOOKS BY Kristen ciccarelli
If you like romantasy books with a good enemies-to-lovers trope, similar to this one, check out this post “Enemies-to-Lovers Books to Read this Summer.”
BOOKS SIMILAR TO “heartless hunter”
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