Heartless Hunter was one of my favorite books of 2024. And from the moment I finished it, I immediately started a countdown for its sequel, Rebel Witch. And I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. The romantic tension oozed into every single decision, the banter between the witch and witch hunter was still top-notch, and most importantly: the stakes were higher and more deadly than the first.
When we last left Rune and Gideon, a domino line of betrayals had turned these lovers back into enemies. But the worst betrayal of all? Rune's best friend Verity was actually Cressida Roseblood - Gideon's abusive ex, and royal tyrant. Gideon's now been tasked to kill Rune, newly engaged to a Prince who promised an army to Cressida in exchange for a wife. Rune, however, is not a fan of her husband-to-be and has concerns about Cressida getting her throne back. In a desperate attempt to undermind Cressida, Gideon and Rune team up again - only this time both are prepared to betray the other, while they are determined to ignore any lingering feelings they left behind.
Rune and Gideon's chemistry still sizzles as spectacularly as it did in Heartless Hunter, and despite how they ended, the fact most of their old secrets were out in the world actually led to them having better communication. Not to mention, their plans to betray each other, always have the undercurrent of their residual feelings. Which only grow stronger when they're on a boat together for days in a tiny room with only one bed. The romance tropes were fantastic, and gave fun moments in between the all-out war that was breaking out in the world.
That war is what makes Rebel Witch such an important story because there are multiple mirrors to the world right now. Many characters realize they have been fighting on the wrong sides of history, being fueled by prejudice. Many characters look at their actions and are ashamed of them. And many realized what they thought they supported was too extreme, they realized they needed to go a different way.
While the best time to say "This has gone too far" is in the past, the second best time is now. And I think that's an essential message quite a few people need to hear.
The magic system, which I have loved since the first book, also got some more explanations as to how it worked. Some clues were so expertly nestled in the first book that I had almost missed them which exploded into giant secrets within this book. And I think that is yet another thing the book did correctly - it took the things that made the first book amazing, and then expanded on those elements to make them better!
All-in-all this was a perfect ending to the duology, and just as twisty as the first! And while Rune and Gideon's story is compete, in a way that resolves both of their arcs perfectly, I hope that one day we will get to see this world again. Whether it be a prequel series about what the country was like before the Rosebloods took over, or a sequel story about what happened as a result of the choices in these books. But no matter what, these books will hold a special place in my heart and I can't wait to read what Kristen Ciccarelli writes next.
Rebel Witch is available through MacMillan Publishers