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A review by novellearts
Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
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
5.0
I loved this book! Not surprising though since I loved the first one as well. I had some issues with this book but the vibes were immaculate, so I'm overlooking them and still giving this 5 stars.
The plot, the characters (except Gideon is meh), the writing, the magic! I also binge-read this book. I had to stop reading around 2am on a weekday. Ended up finishing this the first chance I got at work the following morning!
When I first started reading Heartless Hunter, I really wasn't expecting to love the book as much as I did and then I had to very impatiently wait for this book to drop. I'm so glad that this left me feeling the same way.
The characters were lovable, with exception to Gideon (lol). I honestly was thoroughly annoyed with Gideon in both books. His character rubbed me the wrong way. He constantly had the chance to be reassuring to Rune but his internal struggles with being a brainwashed soldier, held him back. I understand that this was enemies-to-lovers but sheesh, he irritated me! Book 1, we had him struggling with Rune and then book 2 we ended up with the same thing. I found their romance to be underwhelming and it felt a bit forced to me (on Gideon's end).
Rune I think was much more likable. Though she had her own flaws and struggles, she would still openly choose Gideon even though she had an inherent dislike for his "kind" as well. Rune really pulled this series for me. The writing and pacing was fantastic. There really weren't any moments where I found myself losing steam for this book.
I will say, I wish there was more magic and conflict though. I was a bit underwhelmed in this regard. Although there was a war, I feel like we really didn't see much of it on the page. Most of the conflict was implied and happened off of the page. Cressida also wasn't as up front in this story as I expected her to be. We saw her strongly in the beginning and then also in the end, but within the middle of the story, she wasn't present. Also, around 7% I was able to figure out what the "twist" of this book's ending was. I'm really not sure if it was meant to be obvious, but to me, it was both obvious and predictable. It still didn't detract from my enjoyment.
I thought the ending was a bit predictable but it was still satisfying to me. I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed and less developed than the rest of the story. Even so, I still loved this book. If a bit more time and effort was put into the ending, I think it could've been stronger though and left me feeling more solid in the story ending.
Definitely not a perfect story by any means, but it was addictive to me and the characters kept me wanting more. I felt great while reading this and I think that's partly what is driving my high rating.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7332722963
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/44e2d0f6-55f3-4e86-ba20-360f14475972/share"
The plot, the characters (except Gideon is meh), the writing, the magic! I also binge-read this book. I had to stop reading around 2am on a weekday. Ended up finishing this the first chance I got at work the following morning!
When I first started reading Heartless Hunter, I really wasn't expecting to love the book as much as I did and then I had to very impatiently wait for this book to drop. I'm so glad that this left me feeling the same way.
The characters were lovable, with exception to Gideon (lol). I honestly was thoroughly annoyed with Gideon in both books. His character rubbed me the wrong way. He constantly had the chance to be reassuring to Rune but his internal struggles with being a brainwashed soldier, held him back. I understand that this was enemies-to-lovers but sheesh, he irritated me! Book 1, we had him struggling with Rune and then book 2 we ended up with the same thing. I found their romance to be underwhelming and it felt a bit forced to me (on Gideon's end).
Rune I think was much more likable. Though she had her own flaws and struggles, she would still openly choose Gideon even though she had an inherent dislike for his "kind" as well. Rune really pulled this series for me. The writing and pacing was fantastic. There really weren't any moments where I found myself losing steam for this book.
I will say, I wish there was more magic and conflict though. I was a bit underwhelmed in this regard. Although there was a war, I feel like we really didn't see much of it on the page. Most of the conflict was implied and happened off of the page. Cressida also wasn't as up front in this story as I expected her to be. We saw her strongly in the beginning and then also in the end, but within the middle of the story, she wasn't present. Also, around 7% I was able to figure out what the "twist" of this book's ending was. I'm really not sure if it was meant to be obvious, but to me, it was both obvious and predictable. It still didn't detract from my enjoyment.
I thought the ending was a bit predictable but it was still satisfying to me. I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed and less developed than the rest of the story. Even so, I still loved this book. If a bit more time and effort was put into the ending, I think it could've been stronger though and left me feeling more solid in the story ending.
Definitely not a perfect story by any means, but it was addictive to me and the characters kept me wanting more. I felt great while reading this and I think that's partly what is driving my high rating.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7332722963
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/44e2d0f6-55f3-4e86-ba20-360f14475972/share"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail