Heartless Hunter

“Heartless Hunter” – A Youthful Critical Review with Some Grammar Errors

OMG I just binged Kristen Ciccarelli’s “Heartless Hunter” and I literally can’t stop thinking about it!!! This book is the first in The Crimson Moth Duology and honestly it’s like giving me major enemies-to-lovers FEELS but with witch hunters and witches which is like the ultimate forbidden romance trope??

So the basic plot follows Rune who’s this witch in hiding after this huge revolution where witches went from being super powerful to being hunted down and killed. During the day she pretends to be this shallow socialite (think like Regina George but with secret magic powers) but at night she becomes the Crimson Moth, this vigilante who rescues other witches from being murdered. It’s giving major superhero vibes but make it fantasy!

Then there’s Gideon who’s this super hot witch hunter who HATES witches because of the revolution. When Rune’s rescue mission goes wrong, she decides to get close to Gideon to throw him off her trail and get info on the witch hunters. But plot twist – Gideon is actually getting close to HER because he thinks she’s helping the Crimson Moth smuggle witches! So they’re both fake dating each other while also real falling for each other and it’s MESSY and I am HERE FOR IT.

First off, the worldbuilding is actually really cool. Ciccarelli creates this setting that’s like if the French Revolution happened but it was against witches instead of aristocrats? The city feels super vivid with these lavish parties and fancy clothes contrasted with the dark alleys where witches are being hunted. There’s some serious political stuff happening in the background about power and prejudice that made me think way more than I expected to.

The romance is FIRE. Like, the tension between Rune and Gideon is so thick you could cut it with a knife! Every scene where they’re together I was like screaming into my pillow because they have this amazing banter and chemistry while also literally being enemies who would probably kill each other if they knew the truth. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking “how are they possibly gonna work this out???” which kept me turning pages like crazy.

BUT I do have some issues with the book too. The pacing is kinda weird in the middle? Like, there’s all this exciting stuff at the beginning with Rune being the Crimson Moth and rescuing witches, but then there’s this long stretch where it’s just fancy parties and balls and Rune and Gideon making eyes at each other. Don’t get me wrong, I love the romance, but I wanted more action!

Also, some of the side characters feel super underdeveloped? Like Rune has these friends who help her with her Crimson Moth stuff but I can barely remember there names or personalities. They just show up when the plot needs them and then disappear again. I wanted to know more about them and there backstories!

The magic system is cool but also confusing? Like, sometimes it seems like witches can do almost anything with there magic, but other times they’re super limited? The rules aren’t very clear which made some of the action scenes feel a bit convenient – like suddenly Rune can do this new thing with her magic because the plot needs her to.

That said, I LOVED how morally gray both Rune and Gideon are. Neither of them are perfect – Rune does some questionable things as the Crimson Moth even though she’s trying to save people, and Gideon has this whole complicated past with witches that makes you understand why he hates them even though you know he’s wrong. They both do some pretty terrible things but you still root for them which is like the mark of good characters IMO.

The ending left me SHOOK. Without giving away spoilers, let’s just say there’s a major twist that I did NOT see coming even though looking back there were totally clues. And the cliffhanger at the end?? I’m literally dying waiting for book two because how are they gonna resolve all this drama??

Overall I’d give “Heartless Hunter” 4 out of 5 stars. It’s not perfect – there’s some pacing issues and worldbuilding inconsistencies – but the romance is SO good and the central concept of a witch and witch hunter falling for each other while hiding there true identities is just chef’s kiss. If you’re into fantasy romance with high stakes, forbidden love, and characters with serious chemistry, definitely check this out!

P.S. Can we talk about how gorgeous this cover is?? The red moth design is stunning and I may have spent way too long just staring at it before I even started reading lol.

P.P.S. If your looking for something to read while waiting for book two, “Divine Rivals” by Rebecca Ross has similar vibes but with warring gods instead of witches!

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