Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

123 reviews

author2223's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, Classism, Genocide, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Blood, Addiction, Self harm, Child death, and Police brutality

kerrilynn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Classism, Blood, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

sophierosemaria's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Really enjoyable and thrilling book. Was expecting a chill YA based on tiktok reviews, but this was a lot better. An interesting take on magic and witchcraft, and very lovable characters. Excited for the next one,

although I have no clue how the enemies will get back to lovers again after that 😳

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Death

novel_nibbles's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Absolute perfection. My favourite read so far this year 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Drug use, Death of parent, Drug abuse, War, Self harm, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Hate crime

raindrops333's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and War

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Drug use, Blood, Violence, Classism, Gore, and Religious bigotry

rainbowsandbookshelves's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Sexual content

frantically's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

nina and matthias walked so rune and gideon could run
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I was enthralled from page one and god, Rune and Gideon have my heart 🥹 these two, you guys!! This is fake dating/betrothal and enemies to lovers at its absolute finest

While the worldbuilding feels a bit weak at times, I loved the morally grey aspect of all it. Both sides are kinda...shit and while the eradication of witches is obviously wrong, we learn so much about the Witch Queens that it's kinda hard to root for them, too!

The ending was a bit too rushed for me (and I think Alex was boring lol) but I'm still so so ready for the next book hihi

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Violence, Sexual content, Death, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence and Suicide

chasinggrace's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Overall, I really liked this book. I was invested in the fake courting between two characters, rooting for the underdog, and anxious during the attacks. I was worried this was going to be a typical “two brothers and a girl” love triangle story, but it really was more than that. You truly come to understand each character’s motivations, why they are who they are today. By the last 20 pages, I was crying. 

Now, there are a few things I would change. In the first 100 pages, the author repeats herself a LOT, with very similar sentence structures and identical descriptions (of a witch’s first bleed, of how Rune played into her Nan’s death, etc.) I found it annoying and it took me out of the story. Secondly, boxing? The way the characters speak and dress and transport themselves, this story takes place in the “past.” But boxing? With gloves, in a ring? This could’ve easily been a fighting ring or sparring, but boxing took me out of the story as well. It didn’t seem to fit. 

Seeing as Rune and the witches have escaped to Cailis on the Continent, I’m excited to see what happens in book 2 as the world expands. My heart is BROKEN that this is now an Enemies to Lovers back to Enemies story, but I’m rooting for them. They just need to talk it out😭

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Classism, Addiction, Body horror, Rape, and Sexual content

jordanog4's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Sexual assault, Violence, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gun violence

wanderingwitchreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Heartless hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli caught my attention with its  stunning cover, drew me in with its enticing premise, and proceeded to capture me for hours with its brilliant plot.

What I loved
-Dual POV masterfully utilized
-Hunter X Hunted Trope (one of my favorites)
-Morally Grey characters abound
- The ending left me craving book 2 so intensely that I had to tell people about this 

What didn't work for me quite as well
-I"m always nervous about worlds where magic is presenting as only being possible through working with blood due to concerns that it may tread to close to some stereotypes that have been wielded against real life oppressed groups.
-The miscommunication trope is applied in a really clumsy way

Who Would I recommend this book for
This Title is ideal for readers who liked the premise of Serpent and Dove but left reading it craving a more darkly realized witch and witch hunter story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Self harm

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Grief