Title: Rebel Witch

Series: The Crimson Moth #2

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

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BOOKS IN THE SERIES

#1 The Crimson Moth

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BLURB

A WITCH…
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER…
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE…
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

A WITCH…
A WITCH HUNTER…
AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE…

We are back with Rune and Gideon and their dance….

~ Dancing around each other,
~ Dancing around their chemistry,
~ Dancing around their feelings,
~ Dancing through their differences,
~ Dancing around the memory of Alex,
~ Dancing around Cressida,
~ And trying to stop the Reign of Witches being reinstated.

This duology is a double stunner! The characters, the enemies to lovers element, the forbiden love trope, the magic and some great reveals!

Here’s some quotes!

‘She was the Crimson Moth. A rebel witch.’

‘If this was weakness, he wanted to be weak. If this was sin, let him be damned to hell.’

‘Because I was stupid enough to fall in love with a witch hunter. Stupid enough to hope he might love me back.’

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Sound like something you’d like?

Title: Blood and Steel

Series: Legends of Thezmarr #1

Author: Helen Scheuerer

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BLURB

With her death foretold, Althea Zoltaire only has three years to become what she’s always dreamed of being: a warrior legend.

Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr – or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?

Omg. I have actually found a new fave and it was DELISH! Hawthorne is my new books boyfriend!

Full disclosure – I totally read these connected series out of order because I read Iron and Embers first but, even though I sort of know what happens, I didn’t expect to fall head over heels for this book!

Orphan sisters, Thea and Wren couldn’t be more different. Wren is an Alchemist at Thezmarr and Thea longs to be a warrior… but as she is a woman, she is forbidden.

At a time in this land where monsters are getting through the Veil, Thea is found to be carrying something she shouldn’t by the Warsword, Hawthorne, and this is where the story begins!

As you can probably tell, I loved this book! I wasn’t going to read book 2 straight away. But I am. I feel a series binge coming on!

‘Then know this… If you seek power in a world of men and monsters, there is nothing more powerful than knowledge and the ability to wield it.’

‘A legend is forged with blood and steel. It takes time.’

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Sound like something you’d like?

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Books on My Spring 2025 to-Read List

So this is a problem for me….I’ve decided that from April onwards I’m going to mood read for the rest of the year but I do have 3 arcs I need to read and some series I need to catch up on.

I’m not saying I’m actually going to read these….but I really should!

The Witch Who Trades With Death by CM Alongi
Tea you at Altar by Rebecca Thorne
Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
The Maids Secret by Nita Prose
Gleam by Raven Kennedy
Glow by Raven Kennedy
Gold by Raven Kennedy
Immortal Prince by Caroline Peckham

Which books are on your list?

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

I hope you had a great week!

Again, this week, time has been my enemy. For the first time ever, I didn’t post on Bookstagram for a few days and didn’t have a chance to go and see people’s posts until yesterday.

It was my Uncle’s funeral on Wednesday so has been a weird week.

I have listened to an audiobook and I’ve read half of a 540 page book so all is not lost!

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🎧Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Look out for my review soon!

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Review – Dagger and Flame by Catherine Doyle
Feature – April Releases
Review – A Language of Dragons by SF Williamson

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Review – Blood and Steel by Helen Scheuerer

Review – Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli

What have you read lately?

Title: The Language of Dragons

Author: SF Williamson

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BLURB

EVERY ACT OF TRANSLATION REQUIRES SACRIFICE

Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons.

London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.

With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.

At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must What war is she really fighting?

I absolutely loved this book!

When her parents are arrested for being rebels, Vivian and her cousin, Marquis, take matters into their own hands, release a imprisoned dragon, create havoc and are caught….and sent to Bletchley Park to help crack a code….oh and Vivian can speak various dragon languages! There she meets someone she has betrayed in the past and Atlas (he’s Bristolian – hooray!!!!)

You’ll find:
~ Dark Academia world
~ Historical setting
~ Dragons!
~ Forbidden romance
~ Morally grey characters
~ Secret languages
~ Corruption
~ A rebel group
~ Twists, turns and shocks
~ Betrayals
~ Heartbreak (it was mine!!!!)

That cannot be the end? I’m really hoping that this is a series. There simply must be more!

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Sound like something you’d like?

Here’s what’s tantalising me that’s releasing in April (that I may have preordered!!)

I’m thankful there are only 3 books because I really have to curb my book spending!

Captain of Fates by Katherine Webber
Echo Fort by Caroline Peckham
Holy Terrors by Margaret Owen 

Will you be getting any of these?

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Books that Include/Feature…..

Fantasy and Romance….

5 Romantasy’s I’ve read

5 Romantasy’s I need to read

What are yours?

Title: The Dagger and the Flame

Series: The City of Fantome #1

Author: Catherine Doyle

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BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Book 2, The Rebel and the Rose will be out in December 2025!

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BLURB

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy the Cloaks and the Daggers – the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, 17-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?

Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farmgirl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before… Among rumours of monsters stalking the streets and the rival guilds grappling for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are drawn together by something more than just magic and must face a deadly choice – forgiveness or vengeance? Kiss or kill? Dagger or Flame?  

‘Ransom more like handsome’ 🤣

Seraphine runs after finding her mother murdered by a gang in Fantome, the Daggers. But she runs to a rival gang, the Cloaks, and then she falls for the person sent to off her!

This enemies to lovers, off-limits romance was delish and done absolutely right!

There was a twist and, I tell you, my jaw dropped because I didn’t see if coming at all. Not in a million miles.

Ransom made me swoon and is one of the best main characters I’ve read for a while!Maybe it’s because the male narrator was Freddy Carter! 

Can’t wait for book 2!

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Sound like something you’d like?

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

I hope you had a great week!

It was Pancake Day aka Shrove Tuesday here this week so, of course, we made lots of pancakes – maple syrup for my son and lemon and sugar for me! 

Work is still absolutely crazy but I did manage to read 1 book, and it was FABULOUS!

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Blood and Steel by Helen Scheuerer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Look out for my review soon!

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Review – The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
Feature – Five Star Friday

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Review – Dagger and Flame by Catherine Doyle
Feature – April Releases
Review – A Language of Dragons by SF Williamson

What have you read lately?