Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli: A Spoiler Free Review
Working Title: The Scarlet Pimpernel reimagined for a romantasy audience
This article was updated on 8/24/2024 to fix a few awkward sentences. I broke my own book coaching rule…always have a second set of eyes read your copy before publishing!
I’ve been reading a lot of adult fantasy this summer in an effort to stay on top of the trends, but not all have been to my liking. Despite some excellent writing, there’s not enough romance to keep me invested. I was excited to finally get a copy of Heartless Hunter, a YA romantasy with an impressive 4.22 star rating on Goodreads!
Despite the fact I’ve never read the classic that inspired it, The Scarlet Pimpernel, knowledge of the source material is not necessary. I was absolutely hooked on the story and the writing by the midpoint. The pacing was quick, the cat-and-mouse vibe between the leads was well-done, and the ending had me screaming for the next book.
Heartless Hunter: The Crimson Moth Book One is a dual POV story featuring FMC Rune Winters, a vapid socialite by day and a vigilante known as the Crimson Moth who frees witches awaiting execution by night. Rune’s greatest enemy is MMC Gideon Sharpe, second-in-command of the Blood Guard, a the witch hunter who wants nothing more than to find the identity of the Crimson Moth so he can put her to death.
The story opens with Rune attempting to aid not just a witch, but her dead Grandmother’s dear friend Seraphine, a target of the Blood Guard since the onset of the Revolution that outlawed witchcraft. Unfortunately, Rune is too late, and Serphanie is taken into custody. Guilt-ridden, she vows to go to any lengths to obtain the intel needed to break her out of prison before she can be purged of her witch’s blood by a slice across the jugular. Her friend Verity suggests Rune become engaged to one of the higher ups in New Republic circles in order to spy with more ease.
Despite the danger, Rune agrees and catches the eye of her BFF Alex Sharpe’s brother Gideon. Little does she know Gideon has the same exact plan as she. In an effort to uncover the Crimson Moth’s identity, he decides to enter society to act on new intel that points to the fact the Crimson Moth is someone among the upper echelons of the aristocracy.
Since both know the other is more likely after information rather than catching feelings, its the start of an angsty ride. The feels get complicated real fast, especially since Gideon’s younger brother Alex is kind, talented, and clearly wants more than friendship from Rune—something Gideon knows all to well.
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Romance: 🌶️🌶️ 2 out of 5 hot peppers.
🔍 Fake dating in order to spy
🔺Love triangle (sorta)
⚔ Enemies-to-lovers
🔥 Insta-lust
💦 Her first time
Worldbuilding/Fantasy Elements:
🧙♀️ Witches
🕵️♂️Witch Hunter
🏰 Late 19th/Early 20th century French inspired secondary fantasy world
🩸Blood magic
Trigger Warnings: One major character’s backstory includes repeated sexual assault that is not on page but mentioned frequently. The blood magic is often performed via careful cuts that leave images behind in the form of scars on the bodies of witches. Menstrual blood is also used, which has an ick factor for some readers.
The Romance: Lots of Angst
Its no secret that enemies-to-lovers is my favorite romance trope, and I adore a good love triangle that has readers choosing sides. Heartless Hunter features both!
Let’s start with the love triangle. Rune, like most 17-year-olds, is always in the company of her closest friends. She’s known Alex since an early age, and he is aware of her identity as the Crimson Moth. He hides this knowledge from the regime, nevermind the penalty for such an action is death.
Despite the fact he would do anything for her, Rune is a bit on the morally-grey side. If she needs to pretend to be interested in Alex’s big brother in order to gain the intel she wants, Rune will. This was sometimes hard for me to read, as Alex Sharpe comes across as a really nice guy…
…and Gideon Sharpe does not. He executes witches with the same type of reasoning used during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror that resulted in the deaths of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI by guillotine.
Because of this backstory element, I had some difficulties getting into the story. I wanted the enemies to remain just that—enemies. However, please keep reading. Once you begin to see the character growth, gain an understanding of the backstories, and the worldbuilding reasons behind their questionable actions and beliefs, you will want to give everyone in this story a chance.
The characters in the book also give each other a chance—and that leads to feelings. Rune and Gideon’s constant questioning of what is real and what is being done in the name of intel is REALLY good. The angst, the self-deception, the longing…
The Fantasy: Blood Magic
While some aspects of the actual setting felt like it could be anywhere in northern Europe, the fantasy elements were well done. The magic system in particular was interesting. Witches are biologically different from humans, as they have black rather than red blood. This difference allows them access to the magic in all blood, which is used to create marks very similar to the runic marks of the Norse world.
Runes…get it? Cute.
The marks themselves were once cataloged in spellbooks that existed during the reign of the Three Witch Queens. However, upon the foundation of the New Republic, the books were destroyed, leaving those without any magical training like Rune at a disadvantage.
Because of this, Rune does not do as much “vigilante shit” (to quote Taylor Swift) on page as the blurb suggests. However, the action scenes included are quite good and I personally thought there was a nice mix of Rune the Socialite, the Crimson Moth, and Rune the young woman figuring out what she actually wants from her life.
My Favorite Steamy Quote
“He started sketching. The black charcoal burst across the white page as he thought of Rune on the love seat: her rose-gold hair flaming in the light of the lamps; her skin flushing as his fingers traced her; her pulse stumbling as he leaned in to kiss her.”
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a YA story with a fast-paced plot featuring intrigue and spice, Heartless Hunter will not disappoint. I feel a lot of romantasy readers accept morally gray characters, and if the trigger warnings don’t turn you away you will be rooting for these characters to find not only love, but a world in which those in power respect everyone in society.
Book Two, Rebel Witch, is due to be published Feb 18, 2025.