A review by exteenawreads
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.25

My feelings on this kept going up and down throughout reading, and I think it just was just too inconsistent in its delivery for a higher rating for me. I think the concepts and magic were really interesting, but some aspects are poorly explained and others are beaten over your head over and over. I wanted to love the FMC Rune, but I don't think enough was done to build her up into the clever badass we were supposed to believe she was - she spends most of the book showing her lack of skill and poor judgement, despite her reputation being extreme enough to be hunted by the upper echelons of authority. I also don't think there was enough buildup of the romance, and I had a hard time rooting for the enemies-to-lovers when there's an inarguably better choice for her waiting on the sidelines. The ending wasn't too surprising to me, I think the clues left made what had to happen to further the plot a bit too obvious. All that said - the world and base concepts I still find compelling, and I'd be willing to read the next book and hope it answers some questions and gives Rune a chance to actually show her power.