Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli

35 reviews

aryc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I love it 💜 

The characters and plot were addictive.  It was easy to read, and it's not like the common enemies to lovers. I really enjoy it how the final chapters were developed, and how my heart was broken so slowly 💔😅 I'll be waiting for the second part. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Physical abuse

ruth_a's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Religious bigotry, Drug use, Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Grief

kirsty_irwin'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Genocide, Murder, Religious bigotry, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Violence

Moderate: Violence, Torture, Outing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Gaslighting

Minor: Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Self harm, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Animal death, Rape, and Sexual assault

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

---

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

amarainfaeland's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Death, and Self harm

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😭

---

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

---

Content Warnings

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

sdoner23's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Drug abuse

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?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Sexual violence