Heartless Hunter out now from Wednesday Books; 416 pages
Content Warning: Death, violence, self-harm, substance abuse, mentions of past sexual violence
About the Author: “Kristen Ciccarelli is the New York Times, Sunday Times, and Indie bestselling author of Heartless Hunter (Book 1 in The Crimson Moth duology), Edgewood, and the Iskari series. Before writing books for a living, she dropped out of college and worked as a baker, a potter, and a bookseller. She currently resides in the Niagara region of Ontario with her husband and daughter” (Bio from author’s website).
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Heartless Hunter is a tale of love and loss, sacrifice and revolution. Two years prior, a rebellion against the Sister Queens ended the Reign of Witches. Rune’s grandmother is a known witch and after their failed escape, Rune turns her over to the rebellion in a desperate bid to survive Now, Rune, recently discovering her own magic, dedicates herself to saving as many witches from execution as possible under the identity of the Crimson Moth. Gideon Sharpe, a key player in the rebellion, leads the Blood Guard that captures witches. When he finds a connection between Rune and the Crimson Moth, he attempts to court her to take down the dangerous witch and protect his brother, Alex, who has loved Rune for years. Rune lets him, with her own intention to trick him into giving her information about the captured witches. But as they grow closer, both learn things about the other that changes their opinions, and maybe grows into something more.
Heartless Hunter was everything I could have wanted in the first book of a romantic fantasy duology. The novel had rich worldbuilding, with witches accessing magic and casting spells with their own blood, which is not something I had seen before. I also liked the setting of the story, an island that is cut off from the mainland with technology that aligns with that of the late 1800s; the Blood Guard used pistols and telegrams were a popular method of communication. The magic of the witches fit well within this time period. The novel was very character-driven, which is what made me really enjoy this story. The chapters go back and forth between Rune and Gideon’s perspectives, which shows different aspects of society’s hatred towards witches but also highlights their budding interest for each other. Rune is overwhelmed by her guilt, and I loved the differences between who she is and her ditzy socialite persona. Gideon seems every bit the cruel witch hunter he portrays, but seeing his perspective helped me understand the pain and suffering that led him to support the revolution. The character of Alex surprised me, and the care that Gideon and Rune have for him was a great motivator. The tension between Rune and Gideon was exactly what was needed for this story to blossom, and I can’t wait for the second book to come out.
Hannah Goerndt, Pine Reads Review Writer