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Cover of Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)

Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)

by Kristen Ciccarelli

🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate·The Crimson Moth #1
4.8 on MoodReads (4 ratings)4.2 on Goodreads (403,074)

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Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?

A witch-meets-witch-hunter fake-courtship duology opener with cat-and-mouse chemistry and an ending that will wreck you.

Synopsis

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.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

Heartless Hunter is a tightly-plotted witch-and-witch-hunter romantasy where Rune and Gideon are both courting each other under false pretenses, and neither of them can help falling for real. Spice stays moderate with one open-door scene, but the tension is relentless and the emotional stakes land hard. Content caution: a major backstory involves repeated off-page sexual abuse and blood magic that involves self-cutting. The cliffhanger ending is brutal - make sure book 2 is in reach before you start.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

4.17 ★ (403.1k)

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

406 pages

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

2024

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

Romantasy

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

M/F

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Dual POV

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

Slow Burn

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

reveal ending

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

Yes

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

Single Narrator (unspecified)

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Grace Gray

Narrator Count

Single

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
forbidden lovehidden identityfake datingsecret relationshipsecret powerright person wrong timeundercover/spy romance
RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

intenseseductivedarkangstydangerousatmosphericyearningbrooding

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

atmosphericcinematicdramaticimmersivesuspenseful

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

fast

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

heavy

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

medium

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

witch hiding in plain sight, cat-and-mouse courtship, revolution-era paranoia, ballgowns and bloodshed, cliffhanger devastation

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

witch/magemorally gray FMCdeceptively deadlyrebel leader / revolutionary

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

dark/tortured soulmorally gray MMCwar general / commanderredeemed villain

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

enemies to loversforbidden lovemorally gray x morally graymutual piningpush and pullslow burnhe falls first

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
🌶️
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Spice Level 3

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

slow burn with late spicetension / anticipationemotional / vulnerable intimacylonging glanceseye contact intensity

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

tensionanticipationlonging glanceseye contact intensityjealous/possessive during intimacy

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

None
Browse more books by spice level →
This stuff might hit different. No shame in needing to know what's coming. (9)▼
spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
sexual assault (referenced)self-harmsexual traumaviolencedeathtraumabloodimprisonmentexecution
Browse books by content warning →

World & Setting

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

low fantasy / secret magicgothic

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

big city / metropolismanor house / estateroyal court / palace

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

witches/wizards/warlockshumans only

RepresentationIdentity representation in the book. LGBTQ+, race/ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, body type, age and more.

N/A

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

tension finally satisfiedbook hangover incomingthe angst deliveredaddictive read

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

anytime

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

cozy eveningrainy weekendwinter night by the firevacationcan't sleep

The Crimson Moth

Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)

#1 Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)

Rebel Witch

#2 Rebel Witch

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Quick Facts

Spice LevelThe heat scale. 0=wholesome, 1=kisses, 2=fade-to-black, 3=tasteful spice, 4=explicit, 5=you need a cold shower. Know thyself.🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate
PagesHow long the commitment is.406
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.2024
GoodreadsThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.4.17 ★ (403.1k)
EndingEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.reveal ending

SeriesThe series this book belongs to and where it falls in the reading order.

The Crimson Moth #1
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