Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Title: Heartless Hunter
Series: The Crimson Moth #1
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, YA
Format: ebook
Pages: 411
Published: February 20, 2024
Where I got It: Borrowed from library
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?
Review:
This is the next pick for book club!
Here we follow Rune and Gideon. Everyone's lives changed dramatically after the revolution. The witches have been removed from power and have been turned into hunted outcasts. Rune must hide who she is and what she does so she can stay alive and save as many witches as she can from being executed. She spends her days as a spoiled and vapid socialite. She needs intel and the best way to do that is by courting Gideon who is the country's best witch hunter and her best friend's brother. After learning that Rune's own ship had witches it on it, Gideon suspects her of being a witch so he starts courting her back to investigate.
I LOVED the concept of this one. So very French Revolution-like. Very fresh and cool. I also loved the concept of the witches in this world.
As much as I enjoyed the concept of the story, I struggled a bit with this one. Mainly for the fact I hated Gideon and Rune. I ended up adoring Alex though and thought she'd be better off with him, but who am I?
Gideon is an ass. Sure he has his whole reason for wanting witches dead. I get it, but damn that one scene! Grrrr.
Rune...she was an idiot. How did she survive this long? And she was a meanie.
Alex was a sweet bean! He didn't deserve a mean friend like Rune and a mean brother like Gideon.
There was a glimmer of hope when Gideon and Rune seemed to get along and had that one scene together. BUT it was quickly and utterly destroyed. The romance wasn't strong at all. All hate. I feel like we needed more scenes with them being in love.
And that ending? Sure I am a touch curious to see what happens next but I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO mad right now so we'll have to see. GAH! *goes to chuck book but then realizes it is an ebook and is on my cell phone and my poor cell phone doesn't deserve being chucked*
Honestly, I think if this was just a fantasy and not labeled as a romance I would've liked it better. I was expecting more romancing in this booked labeled as a romance. Yes, yes, this is a enemies-to-lovers but there was no real "TO". The moment they are both in love with each other was just a blink. And how do we come back from an ending like the ending that just happened?
I am super curious to see how the others of book club liked this book.
On one hand, I loved the story and the concept and the world. Super cool and fresh. On the other hand, though, the romance was a hard fail for me. The characters are assholes (not sweet Alex) and how on Earth do they find love after the conclusion of the this story? I might read book 2 someday.
Rating? Oh lordie I have been dreading this moment..................................................I'll be nice and give it a 3. ONLY for the fact that if I pretend this isn't a romance it was a fun story. I loved the world and the witches. Plus Alex was a gem and deserved better.
Favorite Character(s): Alex
Least Favorite Character(s): everyone else
Challenge(s):
- Library Love #27
