Series: The Crimson Moth # 2
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages
Release Date: February 18, 2025
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Library
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Historical
The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.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 allying herself 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.
In Kristen Ciccarelli's Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.
Rebel Witch is the second and final installment in author Kristen Ciccarelli's The Crimson Moth duology. The story revolves around two key characters: Rune Winters and Gideon Sharpe. Rebel Witch picks up shortly after the dramatic events of Heartless Hunter, with Rune Winters, a young witch called the Crimson Moth, who saves witches from death, on the run after her true identity was exposed by Gideon Sharpe, the witch hunter she loves and who betrayed her.
Facing a world that wants her dead, Rune is forced into an uneasy alliance with the ruthless Cressida Roseblood, a powerful witch plotting to reclaim the Republic and restore a Reign of Witches. Meanwhile, Gideon, driven by his loyalty to the Blood Guard and haunted by his traumatic past with witches, is determined to prevent the Republic from falling back into the tyranny he associates with magic. When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two are thrust into a tense partnership to achieve dangerous goals, forcing them to confront their lingering feelings and impossible choices.
As the stakes escalate, Gideon must decide whether to sacrifice Rune to protect the world he fought for or risk everything to save her. At the heart of Rebel Witch is the electrifying dynamic between Rune and Gideon. Rune, a fierce and resourceful witch, evolves from a character grappling with fear and secrecy in Heartless Hunter to one embracing her power and identity, albeit with moments of vulnerability that make her relatable. Gideon, meanwhile, is a tormented witch hunter whose trauma at the hands of Cressida fuels his hatred for witches, yet his lingering love for Rune creates a wrenching internal conflict.
His complexity—loyal yet broken, principled yet prejudiced—makes him a standout character, and his growth feels hard-earned. The dual POV allows readers to dive into both characters’ minds, amplifying the tension of their mistrust and yearning. Their banter is sharp, their chemistry is palpable, and their emotional moments—particularly a heart-wrenching scene at a train station—pack a punch as well as a truly emotional scene at the end of the book when Rune and Gideon find themselves in a position that forces them to make a life or death choice to stop Cressida and her allies.
One of the more surprising and shocking moments also comes at the end of the book, which makes this book pretty atypical in that it's not the expected ending you were looking for. This is why I love duologies and wish more authors would focus on a two-book deal, so that readers don't have to suffer for upwards of three years to find out what happens next. One of the main reasons for my rating is that particular character seems to intentionally walk into trouble, and then wonders why they are always in trouble. A character needs to learn to grow from their mistakes. One could say that both Rune and Winter take way too long to understand that.
No comments:
Post a Comment