Rebel Witch Book Review
Check out my review of Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli, a suspenseful ending to The Crimson Moth series, a witch + witch hunter romance.
I devoured Heartless Hunter last summer and have been eagerly awaiting the sequel to The Crimson Moth duology.
I didn't realize at the time that it was part of a short series but even though I'm a huge fan of the ACOTAR series, I so appreciate that this was just two books to get to the finish line.
I struggle with series books because I read so much between the releases, I admit I often forget important plot points. It is a true sign of the strength of Kristen Ciccarelli's writing that I was able to jump right in and pick up where we left off without having to search up a summary of the last book first!
Curious if this book is for you? Check out my full review below.
Summary of Rebel Witch
A WITCH...
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches―something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.
A WITCH HUNTER...
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by joining forces with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die―especially Rune Winters.
AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.
What I Liked
Here's what I would tell my best friend about the book:
- Easy to Pick Up: I thought I'd read the first chapter and see if I could catch the plot and remember enough from Book 1 to keep going. I never had to pause to search for a summary, there are enough in-story reminders to help you along if you've forgotten essential things from the first book.
- Captivating Plot: The impossible romance between a witch and a witch hunter and all the world building required to create the backdrop drew me into the story and held my attention all the way through.
- Action, But Not Too Much: This is definitely an action-filled story with some violence, major injuries, and death but these topics are handled in a not-too-gory way that I appreciate.
- Super Satisfying Ending: When you invest your time into a story that spans more than one book, you want to know that the ending will have been worth the energy. Very much so in this case. I loved how plot details from book 1 were wrapped up into the finale.
What I Didn't Like
Every reader needs something different from a book. What I may not have preferred may be your favorite part so take this with a grain of salt.
Rune makes some questionable and uncharacteristic decisions that lead her down a path of forgetting who she is. She's such a strong and feisty character, I didn't enjoy watching her lose herself. But since the book is categorized under YA, this is likely a challenge the target audience would easily relate to.
Tropes and Content Warnings
This is an enemies to lovers romance between a witch and a witch hunter.
Dark magic is referenced, this is not a gentle magic witch situation like The Ex Hex. However, the main character is not presented as evil.
There is hand-to-hand violence resulting in grave injury and death, torture, and attempted abuse.
How Spicy Is It?
🌶️🌶️: Rebel Witch gets 2 chili peppers on my spicy books rating scale.
I wouldn't actually call this a "spicy book" at all. Physical intimacy is referenced and it is clear what is happening, but it is written tastefully with a focus on the emotions.
Overall Score
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I give Rebel Witch 5 stars.
Whenever I read a book as quickly as this one, it is an automatic 5 stars from me.
Rebel Witch grabbed my attention and held it all the way through even though it is the second in a series and I didn't remember much before I started reading.
I would easily read anything else Kristen Ciccarelli writes based on that fact alone. Life is busy, I don't have time to re-read a book just to know what's going on when I start the next one!
If this is your first time reading one of my reviews, you may want to check out how I score my reads with this scale guide here.
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