Tag: kristen ciccarelli

ARC Book Review: Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth #2) by Kristen Ciccarelli

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: February 18th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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.

Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and Wednesday Books for the eARC.

ABSOLUTELY YES.

I have been begging for some of these sequels to hold up and blessed be, REBEL WITCH did just that. I loved the audiobook narration and was smitten from the get-go between Rune and Gideon. This is why I love enemies to lovers. Hot dang these two BROUGHT IT. The sense of impending doom and I must betray you and everything in between.

The plot had some tiny things that made me quirk my head to the side but not enough for me to knock off any star power. I think this book did a great job on expounding where it needed to in order to build the world and magic system better while also bringing the storylines to a successful close. Things wrapped up where they should and I loved the little epilogue too.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 1 briefly vague open door
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: February 20th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history.

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 Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.

MY NEW OBESSION.

This book absolutely blew me away. It was one of those books where from the first few chapters I could feel the five stars coming. I LOVE the world building and magic system and the whole vibe of this book is dark and moody and everything I love about fantasy romance.

And yes, the ROMANCE. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. I have a new micro trope unlocked after one scene. The push and pull and oh no we’re catching feelings-ness is exactly how enemies to lovers is supposed to play out. This is a true enemies situation filled with steam and heat and insane levels of tension.

I love that this was dual POV with both Gideon and Rune’s perspectives. Getting both sides of the story was exactly what this book needed. I love both of them. Flaws, strengths and all. I am obsession with their chemistry and there was one scene at the end that sent me y’all.

An absolute must read. I am so upset I have to wait for book two now.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 1 brief/vague open; light innunedo
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: lots of blood content, physical and sexual abuse (off-page)

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ARC Book Review: Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: March 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

No matter how far she runs, the forest of Edgewood always comes for Emeline Lark. The scent of damp earth curls into her nose when she sings and moss creeps across the stage. It’s as if the woods of her childhood, shrouded in folklore and tall tales, are trying to reclaim her. But Emeline has no patience for silly superstitions.

When her grandfather disappears, leaving only a mysterious orb in his wake, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, try to dissuade her from searching.

Refusing to be deterred, Emeline finds herself drawn to the court of the fabled Wood King himself. She makes a deal—her voice for her grandfather’s freedom. Little does she know, she’s stumbled into the middle of a curse much bigger than herself, one that threatens the existence of this eerie world she’s trapped in, along with the devastating boy who feels so familiar.

With the help of Hawthorne—an enemy turned reluctant ally who she grows closer to each day—Emeline sets out to not only save her grandfather’s life, but to right past wrongs, and in the process, discover her true voice.

Haunting and romantic, Kristen Ciccarelli’s Edgewood is an exciting novel from a bold, unforgettable voice in fantasy.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an eARC.

MELODIC & HAUNTING.

Well if the cover isn’t already drawing you in, let me tell you, this was a GREAT standalone fantasy. They’re often hit or misses. This was a hit. Happy I read it. Couldn’t get enough of it.

I really liked the main character, Emeline. She had limits, yet didn’t let that stop her. She used her strengths and her heart to make the decisions and I never found myself wanting to roll my eyes at her choices. I love a heroine who grows and comes into her own over the course of a book.

The romance with Emeline and Hawthorne enchanted me way more than I was expecting. I like a long haul, yet this quick paced romance got me good. I liked the reveals, the quiet, tender moments and the clear passion emanating from their bond across time.

A well thought out plot that touches on some tough subjects (see trigger/content warnings). Reading the author’s note at the end brought the novel into an even better light. I like the way things were handled and the acknowledgement of how tough getting older and coping with those changes can be. While at the initial moment, I didn’t love the ending, the further I thought about it (and now writing this review), I see the connection. I see the intention of the author in this choice and really think it fits for the book.

This isn’t a full fantasy, it’s got a dash of urban nature to it. I love a good urban fantasy + fae though so no complaints here. I love all of the music components and everything else this book offered. I had a hard time putting it down.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: brief/vague open door (2ish scenes)
  • Violence: physical altercations, weaponry, creature attacks
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: a grandparent with dementia, loss of memory without consent, kidnapping

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Review: The Caged Queen (Iskari #2) by Kristen Ciccarelli

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Rating: ☆☆☆.5
Audience: Young adult fantasy, no language, a little romance, violence
Length: 400 pages
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: September 25th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Once there were two sisters born with a bond so strong that it forged them together forever. When they were angry, mirrors shattered, and when they were happy, flowers bloomed. It was a magic they cherished—until the day a terrible accident took Essie’s life and trapped her soul in this world.

Dax—the heir to Firgaard’s throne—was responsible for the accident. Roa swore to hate him forever. But eight years later he returned, begging for her help. He was determined to dethrone his cruel father, under whose oppressive reign Roa’s people had suffered. Roa made him a deal: she’d give him the army he needed if he made her queen.

Together with Dax and his sister, Asha, Roa and her people waged war and deposed a tyrant. But now Asha is on the run, hiding from the price on her head. And Roa is an outlander queen, far from home and married to her enemy. Worst of all: Dax’s promises go unfulfilled. Roa’s people continue to suffer.

Then a chance to right every wrong arises—an opportunity for Roa to rid herself of this enemy king and rescue her beloved sister. During the Reliquishing, when the spirits of the dead are said to return, Roa can reclaim her sister for good.

All she has to do is kill the king.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY.

I was missing a lot from this book, namely DRAGONS. WHERE WERE THE DRAGONS? A few cameos was not enough! That’s why I loved the first book. Along with the dragons missing were Asha and Torwin. I was all for them and thought that maybe they’d play a bigger role.

[Actually, I wished this book had continued their story…]

Rebekah was actually a good evil character, she totally went through with her plans! *applause* My emotions were definitely tied up in how much I hated her bitter, self-serving soul.

Y’all. Dax is my precious cinnamon roll no one will hurt. He was better than our main character: Roa. Dax was not a fool. I loved how conniving and heartfelt each action was. He continually sought a better kingdom and if someone *cough cough* Roa *cough cough* would give him half a second she would’ve seen that from the start.

Now on to Roa. I really dislike when it is SO OBVIOUS that one simple conversation could change the entire course of the book. If Roa seriously asked Dax, Hey what’s up?, we wouldn’t even have a story. She was so focused on Essie (understandably to a point, but also this was her major downfall) and Theo (don’t even get me started on how much I don’t like him). I also have a huge issue with anyone sleeping with someone to gain an advantage. It put me off from her entirely. 

This book wasn’t as epic as the first. I couldn’t fully immerse myself in this new story and unfortunately was an outsider looking in. I know some people were really interested in her character from The Last Namsara. So don’t let this deter you if you’re on of those! Each book can be read as a stand-a-lone or together. It’s still pretty writing that is full of court politics and a friend-to-lovers trope.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult fantasy
  • No language
  • Violence (swords, physicality)
  • A love scene that is barely there; an intense kiss or two