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Disclaimer: The thoughts and opinions expressed in book reviews are purely subjective and reflect personal perspectives. Characters, places, and situations in the Heart Box Amulet online serial are entirely fictional and a product of my imagination. Any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental.

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Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

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?


Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli had all the right ingredients for an epic fantasy adventure, but it missed the mark in some areas. The book had moments that pulled me in, yet the lackluster world-building made it hard to fully sink into the story. With a bit more detail and richness, the setting could have added so much more to the experience.


On the plus side, Rune was a powerhouse of grit and determination, pushing forward even when things got tough. And Gideon's tug-of-war between his duty and his feelings added a nice bit of tension. Their relationship kept me hooked, but the fallout between them felt like it could have used more time to really settle. The tension built up nicely, but the resolution left me hanging a bit.


One thing that definitely stood out was Rune’s creative (if sometimes stomach-turning) use of magic. It kept her character unpredictable, and I have to give major props for the unexpected plot twist—it was one of the book’s strongest moments!


Overall, Heartless Hunter had its bright spots—especially with the twist and the character dilemmas—but the lack of immersive world-building made it a bit forgettable. I’d give it three stars. It’s a fun read with potential to be much more.

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