Ink & Wonder Book Club Review – Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

She’s the prey he’s hunting—he’s the enemy she’s seducing.

I never promise my book reviews won’t have spoilers. I can’t be trusted not to spill the tea, especially when the tea is piping hot. As such, proceed at your own risk. 😉

Oh. My. Stars. I devoured this book. You know those stories that sink their claws into you from page one and don’t let go? This was that book.

Imagine a world where witches, once powerful rulers, are now hunted down like prey. Rune—our sharp, daring, double-life-leading heroine—spends her days masquerading as a vapid socialite and her nights as the Crimson Moth, smuggling witches to safety. Enter Gideon Sharpe, a ruthless, duty-bound witch hunter who has every reason to loathe everything Rune stands for. And yet… the tangled web of deception, secrets, and undeniable chemistry between them is delicious.

If you love enemies-to-lovers, high-stakes deception, and that achingly slow unraveling of feelings neither character wants to admit to, this is your book. Rune and Gideon are both playing a dangerous game, pretending to court each other while secretly working against one another. It’s tense. It’s angsty. It’s everything.

And can we talk about the magic system? I love when an author takes something familiar and gives it a fresh, unexpected twist. Here, witches hide their power using their own blood—specifically, their period blood—to avoid detection while still being able to cast spells. (Which is brilliant in its practicality, but also… I had a lot of questions. Like, Rune, girl, if you really needed to could you not just get a nosebleed instead? Just saying.)

Also, if you’re a fan of Reign (yes, I’m still obsessed) and remember how much fun it was watching Claude be a scandalous, whip-smart troublemaker and an underestimated political player, Rune gave me those vibes. She’s reckless and calculating at the same time—equal parts infuriating and impossible not to root for.

There’s so much tension, so much political intrigue, so much oh no, they’re catching feelings, and I need book two yesterday. Luckily, Rebel Witch just dropped, and I, for one, cannot wait to devour it.

What to read next:

So, have you read Heartless Hunter yet? Let’s discuss—what did you think about the worldbuilding? The slow-burn enemies-to-lovers? And, seriously, do you think Rune could’ve found a work around to use her magic without having to wait every single month? Tell me everything!

💛 M