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.
4.5/5 stars – a well-written, fast-paced fantasy with compelling characters and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance.
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From the beginning I was hooked on this story – pacing is great and perfect amount of tension between the main characters, Rune and Gideon. The setting and world is fairly simple – think medieval witch-hunt vibes – and the magic is also straighforward: spells are driven by blood & witches are marked on their body when they use their own blood. Rune is a witch hiding her identity from almost everyone, masquerading as a rich debutante by day while secretly rescuing captured witches by night. Gideon is a witch hunter and the brother of Rune’s best friend, Alex. Both Rune’s and Gideon’s backstories are well developed and help you understand their motivations up to this point. The two main side characters, Verity and Alex, are also fairly well developed, and the inclusion of Rune’s Nan throughout the story consistently pulled at my heartstrings. With Alex and Gideon being brothers, theres that trope, as well – which brother will Rune choose?
I don’t really have anything negative to say about the book – it is well written and keeps you invested to the very end. Only a little predictable at times and characters sometimes make maddening choices. I would have loved a bit more focus on Rune’s role as the Crimson Moth, and seeing Rune, Alex, and Verity working together (maybe through a flashback) could have better showcased how competent they are at saving witches. The ending also was somewhat expected but came together in a way that made sense and was satisfying, setting up the sequel nicely. I am immediately starting [book:Rebel Witch|60217777]!