Review: The Crimson Moth (The Crimson Moth #1)

The Crimson Moth, Book 1 in The Crimson Moth Duology by Kristin Ciccarelli

Published By: Magpie
Publication Date: February 29, 2024
Date Read: February 9, 2025
Genre: YA – Romantasy / High Fantasy
Source: Bought
Format: Hardback
Pages: 404

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Enemies-to-lovers doesn’t get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli’s latest romantic fantasy.

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?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.

“It was almost as if he were a weapon specifically designed to compromise her.”

The Crimson Moth is a book that has been on my TBR since before it even released. I originally got this one as an ARC but never got around to reading it before publication. I have read and loved some of Kristin’s other books in the past so I honestly cannot explain why it took me so long to pick it up. But after one of my book clubs has turned to a book prompt each month instead of a chosen book, I decided to finally pick this one up for February’s ‘Read a book with pink or red on the cover’. I am now kicking myself for not picking this one up sooner, because I absolutely adored everything about this book.

The Crimson Moth is a gender reversed retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel. This is a story that I personally didn’t know anything about, but that didn’t matter. You can absolutely understand everything about this book not knowing what the original source material is about. It follows Rune, a witch who lives in a world where witch’s use blood magic. And in the past, when witch’s were in charge they cut tattoo like designs on their body to show their power. However, since the revolution witch’s are hunted and killed. Rune hides in plain sight, pretending to be an air-headed socialite when in reality she works as a vigilante saving witch’s from the witch hunter’s clutches. These hunters are desperate to find the ‘Crimson Moth’ and she keeps evading them. Gideon, a key witch hunter starts using Rune to try and find out information about The Crimson Moth, while Rune intends to use him to get information about what witch he is going after next. But when they start to fall for each other, their romance may just have a devastating fall out.

I loved everything about this book. It’s absolutely fantastic and I just couldn’t put it down. From the moment I started reading, I was desperate to find out how everything was going to play out. I really loved that this was told in dual POV. I personally don’t think I’d have loved this as much as I did if it had only been told from Rune’s perspective. I really appreciate how this way, we got to see Gideon’s past and the reasons that he hates witches as much as he does. I think without that the romance wouldn’t have been quite so enticing, as he would be seen as just a horrible cold-hearted villain. The Gideon POV chapters makes him so much more loveable.

I absolutely devoured The Crimson Moth and have been left dying to get my hands on the second book, The Rebel Witch. I cannot wait for it to release at the end of the month so I can see what is going to happen with my babies. I have so many theories swirling round in my head and I cannot wait to see if I am right. I will definitely be diving into The Rebel Witch as soon as I have my hands on it. If you are a fan of witchy books, enemies to lovers, or just a fantastic Romantasy, this book is definitely for you. This is an absolutely must-read so if you haven’t picked this one up yet, let this be your sign to grab it. You won’t be disappointed.

“Rune, I would like to come in, but I promised to go slow with you. And if I step through that door tonight, I’m afraid I won’t keep my word.”