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mdal26's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Police brutality, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Torture, Blood, Child death, Gore, Self harm, Addiction, Drug abuse, War, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
kenzzisaurus's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Love love loved this book! Talk about the ultimate enemies to lovers! This book had me kicking and screaming. Can’t wait to see where this goes!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
kalynnar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Classism, and Gun violence
steen19's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A witch and witch hunter are playing a dangerous game of chicken, while also falling in love. And that ending???! Omg I need the second book immediately, tysm.
Oh I loved this! Loooooved loved this! Like, could not put this down. This was a highly anticipated read for me, and I was so excited to get approved for an arc.
In a society that persecutes witches, Rune is a vigilante by night that rescues captured witches. She’s secretly a witch as well. After a failed rescue attempt, Rune sets her sights on one of the lead witch hunters for information. He’s suspicious of her, and the two end up in a battle of wills as they try to outsmart each other.
This is dual POV, and the first in a new duology. It’s a very accessible fantasy-adjacent story, with minimal world building.
The only thing that felt a little icky to me, was Gideon’s comrade’s obsession with getting him to sleep with Rune. He was resistant because of his own story, but this person just kept pushing.
Did I clock what was going on pretty quickly? Yes. Did I still enjoy the ride to see how it played out? Also yes.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror
Minor: Sexual content
lastblossom's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A volatile romance with great cat-and-mouse moments, and plenty of drama.
Thoughts
It's rare that a book promising cat-and-mouse delivers quite as well as this one. Usually you only get a bit of banter before the kissing starts, but there are some real twists and deceptions locked up in this one, and I loved it. (Don't worry, there's also kissing.) Anyone looking for conflicted leads with angst and internal hurts will find plenty here to go around. The chemistry between Rune and Gideon is volatile, with a dash of spice, and a really believable enemies-to-lovers(?)-to-enemies(?) roller coaster relationship. World building is effective, with rules about the use of magic explained with quick, but consistent strokes. Author's notes mention The Scarlet Pimpernel (a personal favorite) as a light inspiration, and I can totally see the spaces where it peeks through. I will say that I have never seen a character marked for death so obviously as [Name Redacted], and when they died I found myself somewhat relieved that it finally happened so I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Recommended reading for fans of morally gray, complex relationships, hunter vs. hunted relationships, and a splash of dark fantasy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
A volatile romance with great cat-and-mouse moments, and plenty of drama.
Thoughts
It's rare that a book promising cat-and-mouse delivers quite as well as this one. Usually you only get a bit of banter before the kissing starts, but there are some real twists and deceptions locked up in this one, and I loved it. (Don't worry, there's also kissing.) Anyone looking for conflicted leads with angst and internal hurts will find plenty here to go around. The chemistry between Rune and Gideon is volatile, with a dash of spice, and a really believable enemies-to-lovers(?)-to-enemies(?) roller coaster relationship. World building is effective, with rules about the use of magic explained with quick, but consistent strokes. Author's notes mention The Scarlet Pimpernel (a personal favorite) as a light inspiration, and I can totally see the spaces where it peeks through. I will say that I have never seen a character marked for death so obviously as [Name Redacted], and when they died I found myself somewhat relieved that it finally happened so I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Recommended reading for fans of morally gray, complex relationships, hunter vs. hunted relationships, and a splash of dark fantasy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Minor: Classism
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