Reviewer: @lifewithtishaj (Instagram)
“The hunted had fallen for the hunter.”
I was excited to receive an ARC of this from @jonathanballpublishers as it was one of my anticipated reads for the year. Rune is a witch but has to hide this as witches who previously ruled, are now hunted and executed. She plays the role of a shallow socialite during the day while she risks it all regularly to save witches from a terrible fate. She decides to court Gideon, a witch hunter to throw him off her scent when she falls for a trap that he sets. Gideon, has his own reasons for courting Rune, to prove that she is indeed a witch and the Crimson Moth who has been spiriting away witches. However, neither of them expect to fall in love with the other.
This is well-written and the world-building clear and thorough enough to easily understand the world in which Rune lives. You feel how tortured Rune is for what she had to do, the promise she made to her grandmother, whom she loved dearly and was forced to betray. You feel for Gideon for what he endured at the hands of the witches who once ruled. As in life, you see that there is no black and white, and I love that Kristen shows this.
There is very little that surprises me in stories these days, and the fact that there were twists in this that were unexpected until the very last minute, is another reason that I enjoyed this so much. The ending was spectacular and left me reeling and needing the next book desperately.
Thank you to @jonathanballpublishers for this gorgeous ARC.
Reviewer: @onmybookshelf._ (Instagram)
Rating: 5/5
Rune Winters spends her days being a pompous socialite of the New Republic, but by night she makes it her mission to rescue all the witches captured by the blood guard.
After the blood gaurd captures Seraphine, Rune knows she has to rescue her grandmother’s best friend before they purge her. Her only solution is by courting Gideon Sharpe, her best friend brother and her sworn enemy. A deadly game of cat and mouse but who is the cat and who is the mouse?
Kristen Ciccarelli wrote a romantasy novel to marvel about, a page turner that keeps you hooked. Twisting tales of witches and magic and love. I loved both MC as their strong personalities complimented each other, the plot twist is not what you would expect!!! This book had all the fantasy aspects I was looking for and I loved it!
Reviewer: @read.with.athena (Instagram)
Rating: 4/5
I’m absolutely bewitched by The Crimson Moth
” She was drowning, and he was air. She hadn’t even realized how much she needed him until he was gone”
First off this cover is so Gorgeous and truly eye catching , secondly This book was way better than I expected. I didn’t know witchy books could be this gripping. Its a beautiful enemies to lover /slow burn / The cat-and-mouse game between the witch and the witch hunter turned out to be my favorite part.
The best part? Gideon and Rune trying to outwit each other kept me under their spell. The story keeps you guessing, and the magic bits are just right. Those blurbs about spells and magic? Magical! ( I love how the author included blurbs at the top of some chapters describing the different kinds of spells, their magical properties and how they are used. It’s nice when the magic in the story is hard magic and has limits).
The ending, though satisfying, leaves you hungry for more trials the characters will face. Sady it ended in a cliffhanger in which I’m dying to read , I can’t wait to see where the author takes them next .
The Crimson Moth Tropes:
- Witch + Witch Hunter
- Fake dating
- Forbidden Magic
- Enemies to lovers
- Morally Grey Hero
- Bridgerton vibes
- Secret identity
Note: Trigger warnings are a must-read before diving into , making this book a bit intense for the YA .
The Crimson Moth is available at:
