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A review by reading_historical_romance
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
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
3.5
3.5 stars for this witchy, intense, age 16+ YA
Two years ago, Rune was preparing to embark on her training in witchcraft when a violent revolution swept across the country. The primary goal of the New Republic was the complete genocide of witches, and resulted in the brutal torture and murder of Rune’s witch-born grandmother. Rune has now dedicated her life to saving other witches from the same horrific fate by moonlighting as the mysterious Crimson Moth. No Blood Guard army soldier is more intent on capturing the Crimson Moth than Rune’s arch-enemy, Captain Gideon Sharpe. Gideon and Rune ultimately find themselves ensnared in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, putting not only their lives at risk, but their hearts as well.
The premise of this novel is a great one. In the acknowledgments, the author notes that the plot was loosely inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, and she does incorporate several of my favorite aspects of that story here. Not only is there an aristocrat with a secret identity fighting to save innocent lives, but the heroine falls in love with the one person with the power to ruin all of her plans.
I loved the pacing of the book, and when paired together with the push and pull between the main characters and the plotline, I was eager to keep reading. There are some fun twists along the way, and touches of sweet romance that make the MMC, Gideon, sympathetic. One of the best parts of the book is the scene in the mine, as the intensity and tension between Gideon and Rune crackle as they match wits one-on-one. I liked the element of spell casting marks being visible on the skin, and that each witch’s magic has a unique smell, and leaves an original casting signature behind.
The problem with the novel as a whole is that there isn’t enough world-building to provide the reader with any meaningful context. This challenges the reader's ability to invest in the characters and their journeys. It is unclear whether there are true “holes” in the plot, or if the author purposefully left things out so that she would have more of a story to tell in the sequel.
For example, we weren’t told anything about the Witch Queens’ reign that would justify their genocide at the hands of the people. It is also unclear why the revolutionaries believe that all witches must be eradicated, as opposed to just the Queens themselves who were the supposed source of the conflict.
I didn’t like the "love triangle" aspect of the story for Gideon and Alex, although I liked the way that the author resolved it. To this point, I didn’t understand why Rune developed feelings beyond physical attraction for Gideon, and vice versa. Yes, they both have suffered severe emotional trauma in their pasts, but that just didn’t cut it for me to make their romance believable. Rune and Alex make a lot more sense as written on the page than Rune and Gideon do.
I love the cover, but I don’t like the title. I would have titled it The Crimson Moth, which is unique and makes more sense anyway.
I would caution that this novel is not for younger YA readers due to the degree of violence, and sex on the page. Although the sexual content is not explicitly described, it is sufficiently detailed that the reader will not doubt what acts are being performed as they occur. The sexual aspect is even more problematic when considering that the MMC conspires to seduce the FMC at the urging of another person.
I did enjoy this read. I like the writer’s style and her storytelling. I think that she strikes a good balance between the number of "good guys" and "bad guys" so that the novel isn’t all over the place with too many characters and subplots that take away from the central narrative arc. I will read the sequel because it did end with an interesting cliffhanger.
Tropes: secret identity, cat and mouse, brother’s best friend, class difference,
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.
Two years ago, Rune was preparing to embark on her training in witchcraft when a violent revolution swept across the country. The primary goal of the New Republic was the complete genocide of witches, and resulted in the brutal torture and murder of Rune’s witch-born grandmother. Rune has now dedicated her life to saving other witches from the same horrific fate by moonlighting as the mysterious Crimson Moth. No Blood Guard army soldier is more intent on capturing the Crimson Moth than Rune’s arch-enemy, Captain Gideon Sharpe. Gideon and Rune ultimately find themselves ensnared in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, putting not only their lives at risk, but their hearts as well.
The premise of this novel is a great one. In the acknowledgments, the author notes that the plot was loosely inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, and she does incorporate several of my favorite aspects of that story here. Not only is there an aristocrat with a secret identity fighting to save innocent lives, but the heroine falls in love with the one person with the power to ruin all of her plans.
I loved the pacing of the book, and when paired together with the push and pull between the main characters and the plotline, I was eager to keep reading. There are some fun twists along the way, and touches of sweet romance that make the MMC, Gideon, sympathetic. One of the best parts of the book is the scene in the mine, as the intensity and tension between Gideon and Rune crackle as they match wits one-on-one. I liked the element of spell casting marks being visible on the skin, and that each witch’s magic has a unique smell, and leaves an original casting signature behind.
The problem with the novel as a whole is that there isn’t enough world-building to provide the reader with any meaningful context. This challenges the reader's ability to invest in the characters and their journeys. It is unclear whether there are true “holes” in the plot, or if the author purposefully left things out so that she would have more of a story to tell in the sequel.
For example, we weren’t told anything about the Witch Queens’ reign that would justify their genocide at the hands of the people. It is also unclear why the revolutionaries believe that all witches must be eradicated, as opposed to just the Queens themselves who were the supposed source of the conflict.
I didn’t like the "love triangle" aspect of the story for Gideon and Alex, although I liked the way that the author resolved it. To this point, I didn’t understand why Rune developed feelings beyond physical attraction for Gideon, and vice versa. Yes, they both have suffered severe emotional trauma in their pasts, but that just didn’t cut it for me to make their romance believable. Rune and Alex make a lot more sense as written on the page than Rune and Gideon do.
I love the cover, but I don’t like the title. I would have titled it The Crimson Moth, which is unique and makes more sense anyway.
I would caution that this novel is not for younger YA readers due to the degree of violence, and sex on the page. Although the sexual content is not explicitly described, it is sufficiently detailed that the reader will not doubt what acts are being performed as they occur. The sexual aspect is even more problematic when considering that the MMC conspires to seduce the FMC at the urging of another person.
I did enjoy this read. I like the writer’s style and her storytelling. I think that she strikes a good balance between the number of "good guys" and "bad guys" so that the novel isn’t all over the place with too many characters and subplots that take away from the central narrative arc. I will read the sequel because it did end with an interesting cliffhanger.
Tropes: secret identity, cat and mouse, brother’s best friend, class difference,
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Genocide, Blood, Death, and Sexual content