On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is. Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can't help but find herself falling for.
Plot
The plot of this book is a rollercoaster ride. I immediately was pulled into the story and read through this book so quickly! It’s fast paced, full of tension and kept me on the edge of my seat. About halfway through, I thought I knew how the book would end and I was completely wrong. I did not see the twists coming until I was almost right up on them. And if a book can surprise me, it’s an instant rave, in my mind.
Characters
Rune was a fun and intriguing main character which Gideon was more rough around the edges and harder to warm up to. But I enjoyed seeing more of him as time went on and falling in love with him as Rune did. This book split point of view between Rune and Gideon, which is not unheard of in a enemies to lovers story. The author did a great job of picking and choosing which perspective to show us to keep readers on their toes.
Setting
The world of this book is rich, lush and engaging. I immediately felt comfortable in this world and found the magic system easy to understand. I do hope to see more of the magic in the sequel. I’d love to see more spells and more of the consequences of some of the taboo spells that the author mentioned in passing in this first book.
My Recommendation
Heartless Hunter is the newest book by Kristen Ciccarelli and it’s the first book in the Crimson Mouth Duology. This book was such a joy to read and kept me hooked from the first chapter. I loved the two main characters and the author did a great job balancing a dual POV story. I’ll be eagerly waiting for the sequel next year.
