‘Heartless Hunter’ by Kristen Ciccarelli
Title: Heartless Hunter
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy
Series: First of duology
Synopsis: Rune Winters is a witch hiding in a society that hunts her kind and secretly rescues fellow witches as the vigilante Crimson Moth. When she begins a fake romance with witch hunter Gideon Sharpe to protect her secret, she doesn’t realize he’s also pretending—intent on exposing her true identity.
Content Warnings
General Rating: Teen+ (age 14+, mature content)
Spice Rating: Moderate
One open-door scene with non-graphic descriptions in ch. 47
Violence Rating: Moderate
Blood magic, war and violence, allusions to sexual abuse
Profanity Rating: Moderate
Less than 10 uses of f*ck
Book Review
Overall rating: 5/5 stars
This was a fun book! Heartless Hunter is written in a YA style, but deals with dark subject matter, including abuse, genocide, and witch trials. Gideon is a particularly interesting character—he holds very little self-worth as a result of abuse, and his hatred of witches is entirely understandable as we explore his backstory.
“He had every reason to believe that all witches were the same: horribly cruel and unspeakably evil. So how could she hate him?” (p. 378)
Rune Winters, on the other hand, is an apparently spoiled socialite with a secret... she moonlights as a vigilante rescuer of hunted witches. I love a good dual identity and vigilante story, so this was very fun. The cat-and-mouse between her and Gideon was delightful.
This book challenges preconceived assumptions. In a very Pride and Prejudice-like manner, both Rune and Gideon are forced to address their biases as they get to know one another. The old adage is true: Don't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes.
Ciccarelli's style is smooth, fast-paced, and very accessible to readers. She spins a tale of deep darkness in a way that is somehow still easy to read. Therefore, the reader is left pondering deeper questions of abuse and genocide from within an enemies-to-lovers, witty banter trope.
For the thoughtful reader—check out the in-depth book review on The Holy Plot!
Tropes
Enemies to lovers
Secret identity/vigilante
Oppressive regime and rebellion
Blood magic
Dual identity
Truth and lies
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The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
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What happens when you get to know your enemy and they end up having good reason for their actions? How does this reflect Christ’s command to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”?