The Crimson Moth (Heartless Hunter) book review

The Crimson Moth (The Crimson Moth, #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli
on February 20, 2024
Goodreads

Enemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli's latest romantic fantasy.
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.
Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?
Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.

I have had The Crimson Moth sat on my shelf for a while now, in fact, I pre-ordered and received the second one before I even thought of picking it up. But TikTok was really pushing me towards reading it, and after putting it on my 25 before the end of 2025 there was no avoiding it. I adored this book, there was such a great magic system and although I think there was improvements to be made it kept me hooked all the way through. SO immersive.

We follow Rune, Alex and Verity as they work together to save the witches of the New Republic. Rune has become The Crimson Moth and hides her abilities while saving children and women from the terrible fate of purging. Along comes the burly and unapproachable Blood Captain Gideon, Alex’s older brother, Rune finds herself pretending to court the one person who could be her undoing. Is this a well known trope? Should I be bored of the entire setup? Probably, but I could not get enough. I really enjoyed how much of a juxtaposition there was, we’re talking about slitting people’s throats one minute and then dancing around a ballroom the next. It was jarring but it actually felt completely normal, I really enjoyed watching Rune in particular switch between the two.

One thing that was a little disappointing, and the reason why it didn’t end up being a 5 star, is the ending. I had guessed the twist halfway through and thought the climax itself was a little lacklustre. I think it was a real turning point for Rune and I wish it had gone another way. That’s not to say I didn’t cry a little when it came down to the crunch. Hopefully the second book follows the trajectory I really want it to.

The magic system was super interesting, the use of casting scars and the idea of them turning from a thing of beauty to a death sentence overnight was heartbreaking. I think this is a really good example of a morally grey system. Nothing obviously excuses the oppression, but for once, you can understand why the world got to the place it was. It was also an interesting idea that witches, supposedly the most powerful group, become the hunted. The use of informants and fear all the way through this story made for an interesting dynamic, and added more danger to Rune’s character.

I would 100% recommend this book, especially for anyone who likes Quicksilver, Phantasma or One Dark Window. I cannot wait to see if the second book lives up to the first and if the ending goes the way I think it might do.