Rebel Witch Review (Crimson Moth, #2)

Hello, all!

If you're in the mood for a fun, enemies-to-lovers, witch x witch hunter fantasy, then you need to add the Crimson Moth duology by Kristen Ciccarelli to your TBRs.

*Potential spoilers ahead*

Pub Date: 2-18-25
YA - Fantasy

As the Crimson Moth, Rune Winters spent years saving witches from being executed by a cruel government. But all that changed when Rune fell in love with a witch hunter, Gideon Sharp. When Gideon turns Rune over, she has no choice but to flee her home. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the bloodthirsty Cressida Roseblood, a disposed Queen planning to take back the Republic and reinstate the brutal Reign of Witches. Rune has no desire to see Cressida's plan come to fruition, but unbeknownst to her, she's the key to it all.

Gideon Sharp betrayed everything he knew when he fell for Rune Winters. He always believed witches to be heartless, savage beings, but being with Rune broke down all the defenses Gideon spent years building. But he can't forgive Rune for joining forces with the witch who destroyed his life. He's hellbent on taking Rune down and won't let his feelings get in the way. But when Rune presents him with an unexpected offer to work together to bring Cressida down, Gideon can't refuse. As the pair work together, it's clear their feelings haven't gone, and Gideon is forced to choose between sacrificing the witch he loves to stop a monster or watching the world burn.

I liked but wasn't obsessed with Heartless Hunter, so I kept putting this book off. Honestly, I wasn't even sure if I would read it, but I kept thinking about the cliffhanger at the end of book one and decided I needed to know what would happen. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long because this was so good. The main issues I had with the previous book were that I felt the world-building was lacking, and I didn't feel the chemistry between Rune and Gideon. Ciccarelli turned everything around here. We learned more about politics and history and how everything came to be. And Rune and Gideon's relationship? It was leaps and bounds better than the first book. I was having the time of my life. I still felt like the writing was repetitive, and some plotlines felt obvious, but it was a fun, action-packed time, and I thought it was a solid conclusion.

Rating: 4/5