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emilygibbs's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: 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
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Self harm
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
megbert581's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Self harm
Moderate: Violence
hedgew1tch's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I really enjoyed this book, witches, enemies to lovers, betrayal, found family. I loved Rune and Gideon, and cannot wait to see where the story goes next.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood and Violence
perplexedlamb's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, and Violence
alibubba's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture, and Violence
mindsplinters's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
So... when is the second book coming out? February 2025? Um... I guess I can wait. Maybe! When it comes to cliff hangers, Heartless Hunter is like an enthusiastic leap off a short pier at the top of a mountain and you are only mostly sure you tied the bungee cord right. In other words, it is just the right amount of fear and anticipation for the next book to keep it bubbling until you get there. Magic, intrigue, romance, a not-quite love triangle that is thankfully not a real focus, and some lovely olfactory descriptions.
I just hope we don't go splat. Because this is a pretty strong book and it needs a very strong follow-up! While there were a few hiccups in world-building, the author still made things feel real enough and balanced between familiar and fantasy that my mind could overlook some of the minor gaps in the world logic to submerge into a world that is a mix of post-Revolution France, Regency England, alchemical fairy tales, and derring-do. I love derring-do. I enjoy it even more when the one doing the derring is not completely perfect at it but tries hard and doesn't make the stupid mistakes...
Other than the fact that, well, Rune and her accomplices are teenagers so there willl still be some inherent stupidity. Which is alright because they rarely tip into the kind that makes me eye-roll. Rune herself is an unsteady mess of guilt and bravery and brains and foolishness which works, given her background and all. You can't help but appreciate how she wants to do the best she can while also realizing that, wow, girl, you're unhealthy and probably need a qualified therapist to work through this baggage.
Ditto for Gideon. He gets more depth to him than you would expect in a YA Romantasy, helped by the alternative POV chapters. You can still think he's a bit of an ass but you understand where he is coming from. The fact that he opens up to Rune? Shockingly mature, despite his alleged reasons for it.
While I saw some of the reveals coming, I am pleased to say that there were still some surprises. One of which had me hollering "you dumbass!" at a character. He totally deserved it. I mean, I get it. Morals and all. But, dude, you had one job. (Don't worry. I still love you.)
Now for the real question... What would my magical signature be and what does one do if you're such a dominant rightie that carving casting marks with your left hand leaves you with scars that look like they were done by a drunken kindergartener?
I just hope we don't go splat. Because this is a pretty strong book and it needs a very strong follow-up! While there were a few hiccups in world-building, the author still made things feel real enough and balanced between familiar and fantasy that my mind could overlook some of the minor gaps in the world logic to submerge into a world that is a mix of post-Revolution France, Regency England, alchemical fairy tales, and derring-do. I love derring-do. I enjoy it even more when the one doing the derring is not completely perfect at it but tries hard and doesn't make the stupid mistakes...
Other than the fact that, well, Rune and her accomplices are teenagers so there willl still be some inherent stupidity. Which is alright because they rarely tip into the kind that makes me eye-roll. Rune herself is an unsteady mess of guilt and bravery and brains and foolishness which works, given her background and all. You can't help but appreciate how she wants to do the best she can while also realizing that, wow, girl, you're unhealthy and probably need a qualified therapist to work through this baggage.
Ditto for Gideon. He gets more depth to him than you would expect in a YA Romantasy, helped by the alternative POV chapters. You can still think he's a bit of an ass but you understand where he is coming from. The fact that he opens up to Rune? Shockingly mature, despite his alleged reasons for it.
While I saw some of the reveals coming, I am pleased to say that there were still some surprises. One of which had me hollering "you dumbass!" at a character. He totally deserved it. I mean, I get it. Morals and all. But, dude, you had one job. (Don't worry. I still love you.)
Now for the real question... What would my magical signature be and what does one do if you're such a dominant rightie that carving casting marks with your left hand leaves you with scars that look like they were done by a drunken kindergartener?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Sexual violence
pagesandtales's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Drug abuse and Addiction
maidmarianlib's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Rich characters and context, forbidden romance with witch and the hunter, interested to see what comes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content