TL;DR: The Crimson Moth was exactly what I wanted it to be and what I needed at the time of reading. If you’re searching for a new adult romance fantasy that will absorb you with its storytelling, keep you immersed with its cast, and grab you by your feelings with the enemies-to-lovers mutual pining and angst, then this is an excellent book to check out! With the slow-building tension and turns of events that lead to an action-packed and heart-twisting ending, I’m fully seated and ready to see where Ciccarelli takes us next. I just need it now! 🤣

I’ve been excited about reading this book ever since I first heard about it because the premise sounded fantastic and I’m glad that the hype proved to be real for me. While I would normally be much more nitpicky, especially with the world-building, I was quickly immersed in this story from the go. The world-building wasn’t strong and I had plenty of questions buzzing through my head while reading when events unfolded a certain way. I think this level of world-building is perfect for those who don’t like too much of it in their romance fantasy but would still like to have that fantastical/magical world experience. That said, my overall enjoyment of the story overrode any qualms I had and I was absorbed, invested and eager to learn more about what would happen next.

The story is told in alternating POVs. We have Rune, a baddie witch hiding in plain sight who rescues witches captured by the Blood Guard, and then we have Gideon, the broody and brutish captain of the Blood Guard, Rune’s best friend’s brother and her enemy. I’m so glad Ciccarelli gave us both perspectives as it served to enrich their stories and also made me grow to care deeply about both of them. Rune and Gideon have experienced unimaginable trauma that has left them with plenty of mental, emotional, and physical scars that very obviously shape them into who they are now. As much as I hurt for what Rune had to survive, my heart shattered when we learned about what Gideon experienced. His story takes on a much darker tone that I wasn’t expecting, especially as this is marketed as YA, and all I wanted to do was comfort him in the end. I think it’s safe to say that Gideon stole my heart! There are many supporting characters but only a few contribute to shaping the story. Alex and Verity are Rune’s literal ride-or-die besties and we see them with her through thick and thin. Harrow is a constant presence by Gideon’s side and I couldn’t fully grasp what their motive was most of the time but I felt like I couldn’t trust them for a second! 😂

Despite all the ways Rune and Gideon oppose each other, they’re also similarly cunning, intelligent, headstrong, and fiercely determined to succeed in their missions. Their enmity and drive to outwit the other created some incredible tension, especially as they got closer and their feelings became more real. I loved it! *insert me squealing in enemies-to-lovers delight* The author did a great job of showing the growth of their relationship, even if I do think we could’ve done with more scenes showing them getting to know each other better. It wasn’t so minimal that it completely took the believability away from their romance though! This also gets steamier than I anticipated and there is one semi-open-door sex scene that was done very tastefully and was not overly explicit.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed their romance a lot—even with the existence of a baby love triangle! I wasn’t a fan of that (and I don’t think I ever will be of that trope) but Ciccarelli wasn’t heavy-handed with the triangle and it was written with just the right amount of angst and pining for it to not be irritating but still have that delicious tension exist. Regardless of how things turned out, I knew we would be in for a heartwrenching ride and I wasn’t wrong. That ending had me screaming crying throwing up! 🤣 I admit that I fully missed the foreshadowing for the biggest twist at the end; I mean, I knew something fishy was up but I just missed the larger picture.

A couple of things that would’ve made this a solid five-star and new favourite for me include better world-building and character/romantic development. Like I said, I wasn’t being too nitpicky because the overall vibe of this was serving and I was here for it. This gave me the same thrilling feelings I got while reading Serpent & Dove, The Winner’s Curse, and The Bridge Kingdom just to name a few. I just would’ve loved it if we got to explore more of the history and we got to see the characters and their relationships explored in a bit more detail.

If it isn’t obvious already, I loved this and would recommend it to anyone who’s looking for any of the elements I mentioned above. I need the next book in my hands already, please! 🤭

Have you read The Crimson Moth or is it on your TBR?

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