Review Detail

REBEL WITCH is a thrilling conclusion to the fantasy romance that began with HEARTLESS HUNTER. The book begins a bit after the first book left off, particularly in terms of the tension between Rune and Gideon, who have learned that they are on opposite sides of a country at war. Rune is a witch, and after the rebellion, she and other witches have been hunted down and killed by the ruling party, for which Gideon is one of the most famous witch hunters.

Rune is now about to marry a prince of another kingdom to secure his army for Cressida, the witch who was one of the former rulers and who survived the uprising that killed her sisters. Cressida is also the witch who tortured Gideon and still has him in her sights. Rune feels trapped in that she does not want witches to be hunted any longer, but she also feels reticent to give Cressida power again.

Gideon is on his way to assassinate Rune and end the possibility of the military aid for Cressida - but when he sees her again, the complex feelings arise, and they both begin to question the paths they have been walking down.

What I loved: This was a consuming read, and I found it difficult to put down. One of my favorite elements of the first book was the romance, and this one is driven by the romance and their relationship with its many challenges. Both Rune and Gideon have been shaped by adversity, and it is this adversity that makes moving forward together seem like an impossibility. As the story continues and they begin to work together, they must also work through the trauma that has brought them where they are - all in the midst of the brewing war between sides.

Themes of love, sacrifice, cruelty and power, trauma/healing, friendship/love, star-crossed romance, and politics were all really interesting throughout. Sacrifice, forced upon someone and chosen, are particularly played out in different ways in the story. The aspects around why someone may sacrifice themselves, the power in knowing there are choices, and the cruelty of having it forced upon someone are discussed in various places. Additionally, power dynamics and politics play out in the story with two opposing forces who both seem to have things wrong. Facing the choice between seeming polar opposites - that arrive at poor outcomes that do not seem so different- creates some thought-provoking plots that would be interesting to discuss and consider more deeply.

In terms of the characters, I still really enjoyed the chemistry between Rune and Gideon that really heats up in this story - and gives some elements of enemies to lovers, fake dating, only one bed, and star-crossed tropes that were all very fun. The book is told from both of their perspectives, which really helps to build their relationship- and show the ways in which it changes over time. Something else I enjoyed were the insights into potential outcomes that arise during the story. Other characters were also really great, though secondary, such as some of those they join with and learn more about later in the story.

The ending wrapped things up well, and I found this to be a very satisfying conclusion to the story that began in the first book. The pace throughout was really solid, and the action moved quickly with a focus on characters and romance that worked well.

Final verdict: Overall, REBEL WITCH was a fantastic and thrilling conclusion to a consuming YA fantasy romance duology. Highly recommend for readers who love high-stakes romance and complicated relationships with a hefty dose of magic and thought-provoking themes.