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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
First of all, to the publisher of this book: what is wrong with you? The Crimson Moth is a perfect title I don’t understand why it was changed to the Heartless Hunter in the US.
Anyway, The Crimson Moth in a single day. Yes, it was that good.
Before I dive into the review, I need to give some context: romantasy has often been my literary nemesis. Too many of them feel underdeveloped, where the romance overshadows the plot and world-building. But this book? It struck the perfect balance.
The world-building, while not as intricate as something like The Tainted Cup, was just right for the story it was telling. It pulled me in without overwhelming me with unnecessary details, which worked perfectly for the tone and pacing of the book. I’ve seen some critiques mention the timeline being unclear, and I actually appreciated that. I’ve read denser books like The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia, where a detailed timeline and lore with dates make sense because they’re self-referential. But in The Crimson Moth, the murkiness of time works to the story’s advantage. It reinforces the feeling that everything is recent history, and it’s a fantasy world where the past doesn’t need to be perfectly mapped out.
The slow-burn enemies-to-lovers dynamic was a highlight. I loved how it unfolded with tension and complexity, building naturally rather than feeling rushed.
That said, I do want to acknowledge that the themes explored in this book, genocide and war, are heavy. I recognize how complicated this relationship would be in real life, but this is a fantasy world, and it asks us to suspend disbelief for the sake of the story. In that context, it all works.
Anyway, The Crimson Moth in a single day. Yes, it was that good.
Before I dive into the review, I need to give some context: romantasy has often been my literary nemesis. Too many of them feel underdeveloped, where the romance overshadows the plot and world-building. But this book? It struck the perfect balance.
The world-building, while not as intricate as something like The Tainted Cup, was just right for the story it was telling. It pulled me in without overwhelming me with unnecessary details, which worked perfectly for the tone and pacing of the book. I’ve seen some critiques mention the timeline being unclear, and I actually appreciated that. I’ve read denser books like The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia, where a detailed timeline and lore with dates make sense because they’re self-referential. But in The Crimson Moth, the murkiness of time works to the story’s advantage. It reinforces the feeling that everything is recent history, and it’s a fantasy world where the past doesn’t need to be perfectly mapped out.
The slow-burn enemies-to-lovers dynamic was a highlight. I loved how it unfolded with tension and complexity, building naturally rather than feeling rushed.
That said, I do want to acknowledge that the themes explored in this book, genocide and war, are heavy. I recognize how complicated this relationship would be in real life, but this is a fantasy world, and it asks us to suspend disbelief for the sake of the story. In that context, it all works.
adventurous
dark
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
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
slow-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
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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