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joyolivia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Grief, and Drug abuse
kaigar96's review against another edition
This book made my heart whole and then ripped it into a million pieces. Heartless Hunter follows a witch (Rune) who spends her night as The Crimson Moth saving other witches from death and a witch hunter (Gideon) whose sole mission is to find The Crimson Moth. The two attempt to court each other to gain information, but begin to fall for each other.
The first 50 pages were slow to get into, but then I couldn't get through the rest fast enough. Usually stories like this have a sudden switch where one of the characters instantly falls, feeling like a different personality. This book doesn't do that. Heartless Hunter has perfected the enemies to lovers trope. Both Rune and Gideon are true enemies who really get to spend time learning about the other. As a reader, you get to learn more about each character and better understand the reasons for their missions as well as their struggles underneath. You can't help but root for these characters as they work through their histories and begin to care deeply for each other. HOWEVER, this is not a story where they fall in love and have a perfect ending. By the end of this book, the characters are still deeply troubled by their pasts and are still very much rooted into their past mindsets. Overall, this book is perfect for readers who are looking for enemies-to-lovers done well, heartpounding cat and mouse, or heartbreaking twists. Please see listed content ratings.
Regarding the ending - I've never been more stressed or heartbroken reading a book.While I understand the pain Gideon felt, what he did feels irredeemable to me. Obviously he loves his brother and was falling for Rune, but to send both of them to be killed was just.... I'm assuming he'll grow and regret in the second book, but at the end of the day, he's still committing gruesome acts of violence against witches. This is done well by the author so it is completely my reading prefernce, but I just don't enjoy a story where a victim ends up with a person who mass genocided her people and attempted to murder her too
The first 50 pages were slow to get into, but then I couldn't get through the rest fast enough. Usually stories like this have a sudden switch where one of the characters instantly falls, feeling like a different personality. This book doesn't do that. Heartless Hunter has perfected the enemies to lovers trope. Both Rune and Gideon are true enemies who really get to spend time learning about the other. As a reader, you get to learn more about each character and better understand the reasons for their missions as well as their struggles underneath. You can't help but root for these characters as they work through their histories and begin to care deeply for each other. HOWEVER, this is not a story where they fall in love and have a perfect ending. By the end of this book, the characters are still deeply troubled by their pasts and are still very much rooted into their past mindsets. Overall, this book is perfect for readers who are looking for enemies-to-lovers done well, heartpounding cat and mouse, or heartbreaking twists. Please see listed content ratings.
Regarding the ending - I've never been more stressed or heartbroken reading a book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Genocide, Sexual violence, Torture, Murder, Violence, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Domestic abuse and Death of parent
spatterson7's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Genocide, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Sexual content, Cursing, Gore, and Grief
Minor: Drug use, Gaslighting, Addiction, Self harm, Abandonment, Torture, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Child death, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
morethanmylupus's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I picked this one up for on one of my book clubs. I wanted to love it, but it just wasn't for me. I started out excited because I haven't read much witch/witch hunter fantasy and I liked the feminist themes. However, I found the characters mostly frustrating. Gideon, our MMC, was a caricature level of stubborn and Rune was absurdly naive given what she's involved in. The romance was lukewarm at best and unconvincing. We get all the usual YA fantasy tropes here so it was predictable, but I was expecting that. I struggled with the way a character reflected on their sexual abuse too. And then, at the end, my favorite character (largely because it's the only one that really had any depth at all) was killed off! Ugh. I don't think I'll be picking up the rest of this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder
doahdancer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is going to be my dark horse of 2024. I was expecting only 25% of the amazing story that was delivered. This has epic enemies to lovers, amazing plot twists, yearning, spice, a well designed magic system... when a reviewer I trust DNF'd this book I seriously questioned if I should bother, but as usual, letting myself make up my own mind was the best choice.
Hard disagree with this being labeled YA. This is solidly NA as the themes are intense. Mind the TWs, but barring those, run, don't walk, to read this book.
Sequel coming Feb 2025.
Hard disagree with this being labeled YA. This is solidly NA as the themes are intense. Mind the TWs, but barring those, run, don't walk, to read this book.
Sequel coming Feb 2025.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Toxic relationship, Death, Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Child death
samlauren07's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- .5đśď¸
- There was amazing tension the entire book and all of the dialogue was well placed.
- Great pace with cat and mouse/ enemies to lovers tropes.
- The main characters make you hate/ love them.
- Easy universe to fall into and understand.
- The last quarter of the book was an adrenaline rollercoaster.
- One of the best âRomantasyâ books of 2024.
- My only negative was that some of the plot points were mildly predictable but made up for with how good the story was when being unfolded.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Sexual content, Blood, and Sexual assault
nestasbff's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 âď¸ |
this was amazing! i was hooked from the very beginning and couldnât put it down!
i loved both the main characters, their chemistry was unmatched and based on the ending their love will <u>actually</u> be forbidden (not like all those <i>other</i> books with this trope)
the plot twist at the end?? i wasnât expecting it <u>at all</u> and if Cressida has 0 haters then i am dead.
this was <u>so close</u> to a 5 star, but this one plot line made me really angry, as i am the <u>biggest</u> hater of love triangles. other than that, it was a 5 star!
this was amazing! i was hooked from the very beginning and couldnât put it down!
i loved both the main characters, their chemistry was unmatched and based on the ending their love will <u>actually</u> be forbidden (not like all those <i>other</i> books with this trope)
the plot twist at the end?? i wasnât expecting it <u>at all</u> and if Cressida has 0 haters then i am dead.
this was <u>so close</u> to a 5 star, but this one plot line made me really angry, as i am the <u>biggest</u> hater of love triangles. other than that, it was a 5 star!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
pkm48's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Bullying, Murder, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Blood, Child death, and Gun violence
Minor: Cursing, Suicide, and Torture
theartsybookwitch's review against another edition
4.5
"Isn't that the point of artâto tame the monsters in us?"
In Heartless Hunter, you get the story of Rune Winters and Gideon Sharpe. Rune Winters, a witch and the Crimson Moth, lives a double life, one being in the public eye, and one in the shadows, protecting other witches. When a rescue attempt goes wrong, she's forced to change tactics and tries to court Gideon Sharpe, a famous and unforgiving witch hunter. One caveat? He's the brother of her best friend.
I absolutely loved Gideon and Rune's dynamic in Heartless Hunter. The push and pull, the danger, the seductive dance of light and dark; it's a fantastic love story. And the added detail of witches? All the more better.
I wanted a more deep dive into the fantasy, the lore, the history. Not just the witches, but more details of what happened. I felt it more focused on Gideon and Rune, the romance, the build-up, and none of the fantasy details.
Enemies to lovers to enemies is superior and I will forever die on this hill.
And that twist? So good.
Okay, and that ending is NOT FAIR.
tw // blood, death, death of parent
In Heartless Hunter, you get the story of Rune Winters and Gideon Sharpe. Rune Winters, a witch and the Crimson Moth, lives a double life, one being in the public eye, and one in the shadows, protecting other witches. When a rescue attempt goes wrong, she's forced to change tactics and tries to court Gideon Sharpe, a famous and unforgiving witch hunter. One caveat? He's the brother of her best friend.
I absolutely loved Gideon and Rune's dynamic in Heartless Hunter. The push and pull, the danger, the seductive dance of light and dark; it's a fantastic love story. And the added detail of witches? All the more better.
I wanted a more deep dive into the fantasy, the lore, the history. Not just the witches, but more details of what happened. I felt it more focused on Gideon and Rune, the romance, the build-up, and none of the fantasy details.
Enemies to lovers to enemies is superior and I will forever die on this hill.
And that twist? So good.
Okay, and that ending is NOT FAIR.
tw // blood, death, death of parent
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual assault
Minor: Addiction and Child death
ewatt33's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death of parent