Scan barcode
larajoye's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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 book will be the top selling fantasy of 2024. Absolutely captivating from the first chapter. Heart pounding, enemies to lovers, forbidden love, forbidden magic, best friend’s brother. All the best Tropes. The end is gut wrenching and shattered me. The next book can’t come out fast enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism and Drug abuse
ceredonia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, Torture, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
jennalerm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
bookboxbabe's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*thank you netgalley and publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for a review*
PARDON???
literally crying and furious at the same time because how dare you kristen! break our hearts and then just end the book on that? i’m not emotionally okay
anyways, this book was amazing and i did not expect to be this head over heels for it. i loved rune and alex’s friendship and i loved the actual enemies to lovers tension between rune and gideon.
this book has actual stakes that made me have goosebumps while reading and tender moments that made me blush and swoon.
well done. now i need the next book soon okay?
PARDON???
literally crying and furious at the same time because how dare you kristen! break our hearts and then just end the book on that? i’m not emotionally okay
anyways, this book was amazing and i did not expect to be this head over heels for it. i loved rune and alex’s friendship and i loved the actual enemies to lovers tension between rune and gideon.
this book has actual stakes that made me have goosebumps while reading and tender moments that made me blush and swoon.
well done. now i need the next book soon okay?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Blood
Moderate: Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
daniellereadslikealot_'s review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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
4.0
I think this is going to be a popular book once it releases! A game of cat and mouse between a witch and a witch hunter, Heartless Hunter was a fun fantasy ride with characters and story I can’t wait to keep reading about. Both Rune and Gideon were written so well. I loved getting insight into their backstories and seeing their dangerous relationship grow. The magic system here was really interesting and I liked getting little descriptions about the different levels of spells throughout the book. The pacing was pretty steady. There was a lot of action and events happening to keep things interesting. The big twist I definitely didn’t see coming and it was such a cool one. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the series!
Thank you to Wednesday Books for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction
brittonmc1221's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
perkdd's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
First and foremost, I want to give the biggest thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
”She was drowning, and he was air. She hadn’t even realized how much she needed him until he was gone.”
The Heartless Hunter is a cat-and-mouse duet that will have you hooked from the start and I truly hope it receives the hype it deserves in 2024 because this book had me internally SCREAMING on all parts and ends on such a flawless cliffhanger. If you enjoyed Bridgerton and like reading bout witches, this book is for you because it is a perfect mix of the two.
Kristen Ciccarelli creates a story that surrounds two MCs with a dual POV, Rune Winters, and Gideon Sharpe. Rune is a ditsy socialite by day and a witch vigilante who protects witches from being captured and purged by night. Gideon is a witch hunter within the Blood Guard set on purging witches and finding the bane of his existence, the Crimson Moth. Finally, Gideon discovers intel of a merchant ship that smuggled two young witches out of the New Republic and it leads him to none other than Rune. The two MCs decide to court each other to use the other to their advantage. Rune, to use Gideon's position for intel to help her protect her identity and save more witches, and Gideon for wanting to catch the Crimson Moth. But what happens when the facade becomes real?
I am normally not one for YA novels, but Ciccarelli manages to write the book in a manner that does not make it feel as though it is shallowly written for high schoolers with cringy spice scenes that most YA novels have. My rating for spice level is 2/5 but I enjoyed the slow burn of The Heartless Hunter and hope to see more in the second book.
"It shocked her out of her stupor. Rune was no longer the mimic spider, luring her victim into a trap. She was inside her own trap . . . about to be devoured by her prey."
I wholeheartedly believe that Gideon Sharpe will be a 2024 favorite when it comes to morally grey boyfriends because he is a character that you will love to hate, but also want a happy ending for when you discover more and more about him. This enemies-to-lovers trope is such an unexpected but welcomed plot that keeps you on your toes and I am here for it. I also appreciated how many layers Ciccarelli gave the characters, rather than making them one-dimensional. The banter was exceptional and I was constantly on the edge of my seat from how fast-paced this book is. The amount of unexpected twists and turns leave you wanting more, especially the ending.
The Negatives: I do agree with other reviews that mention how the worldbuilding could have been better, but I am desperately hoping we will see more within the next book. Ciccarelli focuses a lot on the characters, but I needed more in the plot because I have many questions. Specifically, why is it that witches are being purged only in the New Republic but live in harmony with others in Caelis? Are they truly accepted in other parts of the world? What are the power dynamics like among witches? Why mention Rune's merchant business but not explain what it entails? My only other qualm with this book is that it seems to lack diversity. Again, hopefully, this is something we will see within the second book, but I wish there had been at least some.
All in all, I do strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantasy novels and witches. I truly hope that Ciccarelli receives the hype and success she deserves from this book because it is such a wonderful story that I did NOT want to put it down and read the entire thing in one sitting. This book is dark, emotional, tense, and still manages to give you hope. I am thoroughly excited to see what comes next for Rune and Gideon!
”She was drowning, and he was air. She hadn’t even realized how much she needed him until he was gone.”
The Heartless Hunter is a cat-and-mouse duet that will have you hooked from the start and I truly hope it receives the hype it deserves in 2024 because this book had me internally SCREAMING on all parts and ends on such a flawless cliffhanger. If you enjoyed Bridgerton and like reading bout witches, this book is for you because it is a perfect mix of the two.
Kristen Ciccarelli creates a story that surrounds two MCs with a dual POV, Rune Winters, and Gideon Sharpe. Rune is a ditsy socialite by day and a witch vigilante who protects witches from being captured and purged by night. Gideon is a witch hunter within the Blood Guard set on purging witches and finding the bane of his existence, the Crimson Moth. Finally, Gideon discovers intel of a merchant ship that smuggled two young witches out of the New Republic and it leads him to none other than Rune. The two MCs decide to court each other to use the other to their advantage. Rune, to use Gideon's position for intel to help her protect her identity and save more witches, and Gideon for wanting to catch the Crimson Moth. But what happens when the facade becomes real?
I am normally not one for YA novels, but Ciccarelli manages to write the book in a manner that does not make it feel as though it is shallowly written for high schoolers with cringy spice scenes that most YA novels have. My rating for spice level is 2/5 but I enjoyed the slow burn of The Heartless Hunter and hope to see more in the second book.
"It shocked her out of her stupor. Rune was no longer the mimic spider, luring her victim into a trap. She was inside her own trap . . . about to be devoured by her prey."
I wholeheartedly believe that Gideon Sharpe will be a 2024 favorite when it comes to morally grey boyfriends because he is a character that you will love to hate, but also want a happy ending for when you discover more and more about him. This enemies-to-lovers trope is such an unexpected but welcomed plot that keeps you on your toes and I am here for it. I also appreciated how many layers Ciccarelli gave the characters, rather than making them one-dimensional. The banter was exceptional and I was constantly on the edge of my seat from how fast-paced this book is. The amount of unexpected twists and turns leave you wanting more, especially the ending.
The Negatives: I do agree with other reviews that mention how the worldbuilding could have been better, but I am desperately hoping we will see more within the next book. Ciccarelli focuses a lot on the characters, but I needed more in the plot because I have many questions. Specifically, why is it that witches are being purged only in the New Republic but live in harmony with others in Caelis? Are they truly accepted in other parts of the world? What are the power dynamics like among witches? Why mention Rune's merchant business but not explain what it entails? My only other qualm with this book is that it seems to lack diversity. Again, hopefully, this is something we will see within the second book, but I wish there had been at least some.
All in all, I do strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantasy novels and witches. I truly hope that Ciccarelli receives the hype and success she deserves from this book because it is such a wonderful story that I did NOT want to put it down and read the entire thing in one sitting. This book is dark, emotional, tense, and still manages to give you hope. I am thoroughly excited to see what comes next for Rune and Gideon!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Genocide, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
camiandkitread's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
If you liked “Serpent & Dove” but wished it was a grittier story, than “Heartless Hunter” by Kristen Ciccarelli is the book for you!
The first book in the “Crimson Moth” romantic fantasy duology, “Heartless Hunter” tells how Rune Winters struggles to navigate life after the bloody revolution that cast witches down from the ruling elite to ruthlessly purged. As a witch, Rune must walk a knife’s edge to conceal who she truly is and maintain her place in high society.
While pretending to be a vapid socialite, Rune is able to get information that she uses as the Crimson Moth, the notorious witch vigilante who rescues other witches from being purged. When her latest rescue mission goes wrong, Rune knows she needs to change her tactics. And so she pretends to court the handsome Gideon Sharpe, an unforgiving witch hunter that was instrumental in overthrowing the witch queens during the revolution.
Gideon Sharpe loathes everything Rune represents—the opulence of the aristocracy—but after uncovering a connection between her and the Crimson Moth, he decides to pretend to court her right back. The more time that he spends with her, Gideon realizes that there is far more to the socialite than she lets on. Rune is kind and intelligent, and seems like his perfect match…except that he suspects her to be the very enemy he’s hunting.
“Heartless Hunter” is an enemies-to-lovers with some of the highest stakes I’ve ever come across. Rune and Gideon are both key players in a post revolutionary world and both are doing what they think is best for their people. Those goals place them firmly on opposite sides until the two reach a point where they need information that only the other could provide.
Rune and Gideon begin a dangerous waltz—Rune trying to get information on the witch she was unable to rescue and Gideon trying to determine if she is the Crimson Moth he’s been hunting. Their romance kept me biting my nails, waiting for them to fall in love, waiting for them to be caught in a lie, waiting for it all to go terribly wrong. For an enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, it was a surprisingly grounded tale. The two main characters were well rounded and had a lot of depth that was explored over the course of the book and their chemistry was phenomenal.
The other characters were also interesting, if a bit predictable. Ciccarelli did a great job of ensuring that there were enough characters around to fill out all the high society settings, but never made the reader feel overwhelmed with an excess of named characters. This can be a difficult needle to thread but as a reader I appreciate Ciccarelli’s work.
The most admirable part of “Heartless Hunter,“ from a technical standpoint, is the unique magic system that Ciccarelli developed. The witches use blood magic, which is common enough, but Ciccarelli incorporated a really interesting detail on how the scars on a witch’s skin would turn silvery and they intentionally would cut themselves in beautiful patterns—almost like tattoos. Those silvery scars were also how witches were able to be easily identified, which is something that Rune has to constantly work around through the book. Spells also have a visible signature that stays behind after the spell wears off, a sort of maker’s mark, which was also a fascinating addition to the magic system.
“Heartless Hunter” was a fantastic story that kept me biting my nails as I read through the night. I absolutely can’t wait for the sequel to come out and already know that I’ll be devastated that “The Crimson Moth” is a duology. I highly recommend “Heartless Hunter” to anyone that likes a darker fantasy world with high stakes and a slow burn romance.
I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Police brutality, Medical content, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
thedreamersnook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-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
All I have to say is…
What a freaking ride that I cannot wait to jump on again. This book dug its hook in deep early on and just when I thought I knew what was going to happen the entire plot flipped on me and EVERYTHING changed.
For my SJM fans out there, you will probably LOVE the writing style of this book. I will 100% say it had me screaming more than once when revelations were revealed. Honestly at points I felt stupid for not picking up the subtle hints she left us.
Enemies to lovers? Yeah, this isn’t the novel that you expect to pick up and them be besties by book two. No babes this is true ENEMIES TO LOVERS and they repeatedly made me giggle dance WHILE simultaneously ripping my heart out.
This is one you’re definitely gonna want to preorder and read as soon as it comes out. (Not going to lie here, to think I have to wait till Feb to get the physical book, and EVEN LONGER for the second? I don’t know if I can.)
What a freaking ride that I cannot wait to jump on again. This book dug its hook in deep early on and just when I thought I knew what was going to happen the entire plot flipped on me and EVERYTHING changed.
For my SJM fans out there, you will probably LOVE the writing style of this book. I will 100% say it had me screaming more than once when revelations were revealed. Honestly at points I felt stupid for not picking up the subtle hints she left us.
Enemies to lovers? Yeah, this isn’t the novel that you expect to pick up and them be besties by book two. No babes this is true ENEMIES TO LOVERS and they repeatedly made me giggle dance WHILE simultaneously ripping my heart out.
This is one you’re definitely gonna want to preorder and read as soon as it comes out. (Not going to lie here, to think I have to wait till Feb to get the physical book, and EVEN LONGER for the second? I don’t know if I can.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Self harm
More...