In a world still bleeding from revolution, being a witch is a death sentence, and falling in love with a witch hunter may be even more dangerous. Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth blends dark romantic fantasy with political intrigue, forbidden magic, secret identities, and an enemies-to-lovers relationship in which deception can be as deadly as any spell.
Witches once held power, but the revolution has turned them into hunted outcasts. Rune Winters survives by hiding behind the carefully cultivated image of a shallow young socialite while secretly operating as the Crimson Moth, a vigilante who helps witches escape persecution. Gideon Sharpe stands on the opposite side of that fractured society: a devoted witch hunter shaped by the brutality of the old regime and determined to uncover the Crimson Moth’s identity. Their attempts to manipulate one another gradually become something far more complicated, forcing both to confront uncomfortable truths about loyalty, justice, and the people they have been taught to hate.
The series thrives on that moral tension. Its conflict is not simply witches against witch hunters, and neither side emerges untouched by the violence that created the new order. Against a backdrop of glittering parties, hidden magic, revolutionary scars, betrayal, and shifting political power, Rune and Gideon are repeatedly caught between what they believe, what they owe to others, and what they feel for each other.
Beginning with the bestselling Heartless Hunter and continuing with the #1 New York Times bestseller Rebel Witch, the series found a large audience through its combination of high-stakes romantasy and cat-and-mouse suspense. Originally conceived as a duology, Rune and Gideon’s story has since expanded beyond its planned ending, opening a darker new chapter in their world.
At its heart, The Crimson Moth is a fantasy romance about two people standing on opposite sides of a revolution and discovering that neither love nor hatred remains simple once they begin to see the person behind the enemy.
