Rebel Witch

Rebel Witch (2025) is the second and concluding book in the Crimson Moth duology, an adult fantasy romance series for young adults by Kristen Ciccarelli. The novel continues the story of a witch, Rune Winters, and a witch-hunter, Gideon Sharpe. In Rebel Witch, Rune, now a fugitive of the Republic, allies with former witch queen Cressida Roseblood to reclaim her throne from the Republic and reinstate the Reign of Witches. Gideon feels betrayed by Rune’s alliance with his adversary and resolves to prevent the witches from regaining power by any means necessary—even assassinating the girl he has come to love. The novel delves into their complex relationship as they confront difficult choices that could determine the fate of their world. Rebel Witch is a New York Times bestseller.

This guide is based on the 2025 Macmillan e-book edition.

Plot Summary

Two months after Rune Winters escapes the New Republic with Cressida Roseblood, Gideon Sharpe is sent to assassinate her to prevent an alliance between Cressida and Prince Soren of Umbria. Rune has agreed to marry Soren to secure Cressida’s army in waging war against the Republic. Gideon confronts Rune in a bathroom, but Cressida captures him before he can complete his mission. Cressida reveals her plan to resurrect her sisters by sacrificing a missing Roseblood heir, alarming Gideon. Meanwhile, Rune worries about what torture Cressida has in store for Gideon. She seduces Soren into finalizing the alliance that night, hoping the distraction will allow her time to save Gideon.

While Cressida finalizes the deal with Soren, Rune helps Gideon escape. Cressida suspects Rune’s involvement but can’t prove it. Afterward, Rune confides in Seraphine, sharing her plan to free the captive sibyl—a witch capable of seeing the past, present, and future—from the Republic. The Republic is forcing the sibyl (Aurelia) to locate surviving witches for the slaughter and locate the missing heir to warn her of Cressida’s plan. Gideon refuses to return home empty-handed after learning of Cressida’s plans. He confronts Rune in private during an outing she makes to the city and proposes a temporary truce: Rune will break the alliance with Soren if Gideon helps her free the sibyl. Gideon pretends to hold Rune hostage, and they escape, boarding the ship Arcadia while disguised as newlyweds.

Aboard the Arcadia, Gideon overhears officers implying that a spy is onboard searching for Rune Winters and devotes himself to discovering the spy’s identity. Rune befriends a crew member, William, who takes her below deck, allowing her to subtly look for cargo holds that the Republic could use to smuggle witches out in the future. Later, at a party, Rune’s magic disguise falters. Gideon kisses her to shield her from the view of officers, but a curse that Cressida put in the brand she left on his chest triggers immense pain, revealing that he and Rune are cursed to remain apart. When Gideon discovers that the spy sent to assassinate Rune is William, he speaks with William about his plan to betray Rune by handing her over to the Republic after she locates the Roseblood heir, whom he plans to kill before Cressida can find them. Rune overhears all of this.

Upon reaching the New Republic, Rune and Gideon stay at his apartment. The Blood Guard soon arrives, forcing Gideon to hide Rune on the roof before he’s taken to Noah. There, Gideon learns that Cressida has gained Soren’s army and plans to attack within days. Gideon proposes using Rune to summon the Roseblood heir, killing the heir, and leveraging Rune against Soren to get him turn on Cressida. Noah agrees, giving Gideon two days to succeed. Gideon meets briefly with the captive sibyl, Aurelia, who agrees to help locate the Roseblood heir only if he first rescues her captive daughter, Meadow. Gideon returns to Rune, and they begin planning a heist. Disguised as Blood Guard soldiers, Rune and Gideon infiltrate the home holding Meadow and rescue her.

Once Rune has Aurelia, she informs Gideon that she’s aware of his intentions to betray her and leaves him behind. She and Aurelia cast the summoning spell for the Roseblood heir before falling unconscious. Gideon secretly follows and watches as an unconscious Rune rises and walks into the summoning circle. When she wakes, she thinks the spell has failed, but Gideon is shocked to learn that she’s the heir. Rune escapes with Aurelia and Meadow using a sailboat that Alex Sharpe left behind instead of the Arcadia. Meanwhile, Gideon grapples with his new discovery and how to proceed.

Harrow warns Gideon that Commander Noah has doubled the harbor guard in anticipation of Rune escaping on the Arcadia and won’t hesitate to execute him if Rune escapes. Harrow shares her past, revealing that she was once sold to a witch family who later mutilated her for loving their daughter, Juniper. Meanwhile, Rune sneaks into Gideon’s apartment for supplies, and he catches her; however, he allows her to escape, giving her a gun and a head start. Rune meets Aurelia and Meadow at the port and avoids detection as Gideon deliberately misdirects the soldiers. While Gideon prepares to head off in search of Cressida’s sisters’ bodies, which he believes might be stored at Cressida’s former family home, Laila and Harrow arrest him, accusing him of betrayal, and Noah sentences Gideon to public execution.

Rune docks in Umbria, planning to gather more supplies before continuing the journey southward. However, Aurelia betrays her, stealing the boat and leaving Rune behind with a message she found aboard from Gideon, wishing her happiness. Realizing that Gideon helped her escape and now might face execution for sympathizing with witches, Rune resolves to return and save him. She infiltrates Cressida’s estate, seeking a spell to break the curse on Gideon’s brand, and learns that it was a True Love’s Curse designed to keep them apart. Cressida captures and whips Rune as punishment for defying her, while Rune secretly alters the curse-breaking spell with her blood—both breaking it and casting a new spell to protect Gideon from Cressida forever. Before Cressida can kill her, Seraphine intervenes, revealing that Rune is Cressida’s sister. Rune wakes aboard Soren’s fleet en route to attack the Republic. Seraphine explains Rune’s hidden royal birth: Seraphine pretended that Rune was stillborn and secretly delivered her to Kestrel Winters for her to raise. Their conversation ends as Soren’s fleet attacks the Republic.

Still awaiting execution, Gideon is freed by Laila as the Republic falls under siege. Cressida seizes power, offering pardons to all but the Blood Guard and Republic officials, who will face execution at dawn. One night, Harrow is captured and dragged before Cressida, prompting one of the witches, Juniper, to flee. Rune finds Juniper, who reveals that her parents told her they sold Harrow and that she has searched for her ever since. Juniper begs Rune for help. After saving Harrow, Rune recovers spell books from Wintersea House, but Gideon discovers her. As soldiers arrive, Noah orders Rune’s execution. Gideon breaks free and stops Noah’s sister, Laila, from killing Rune. Together, they flee under fire, and Gideon is wounded while protecting Rune. Rune heals him just enough for them to escape on horseback.

Seeking refuge, Rune and Gideon break into a remote summer home owned by Bart Wentholt. They meet Bart and his lover, Antonio, who are both sympathetic to their cause. Rune fears fighting both Cressida and the Republic, wishing instead to flee. She sends a message to Seraphine and arranges train tickets for escape. Harrow soon arrives, urging Gideon to rejoin the Blood Guard. Soon after, Seraphine and Juniper join them, followed by Abbie, a fellow soldier who’s Gideon’s friend. Rune asks Gideon to flee with her, but he refuses, unable to abandon those still in danger.

Rune departs for Westport Station, and Gideon ensures that she makes it safely, at his own expense. Seeing Gideon about to die at the hands of a witch near the station, Rune abandons the train to save him and joins the cause, unable to abandon him. They stop at Wintersea House, where they find Laila imprisoned for aiding their escape. Rune frees her, and they rejoin their allies. New defectors from the Blood Guard arrive, while Harrow reports that the Roseblood sisters’ bodies are hidden at the Crossroads.

Antonio shares the true history of Wisdom, an Ancient bound to correct her past mistake of accidentally empowering Winoa Roseblood to take the throne from the former Queen Althea. Rune finds a resurrection spell detailing how Cressida plans to raise her sisters, stating that the blood relation sacrifice must be killed while the spell is active. They split forces, but when Rune, Gideon, and a small group reach the Crossroads, Cressida and her army ambush them. Harrow has betrayed them to save Juniper’s life. Rune forces Gideon to shoot her, preventing the resurrection from happening. Before dying, Rune casts a protective spell on Gideon. Immune to Cressida’s magic, Gideon overpowers her. Seraphine reveals herself as Wisdom, sacrifices Cressida, and resurrects Rune. Cressida and her sisters’ bodies are burned, and Seraphine rejoins the Ancients. Laila reinstates Gideon as Commander. In the Epilogue, Rune serves as a parliamentarian in a new government representing both witches and non-witches. She and Gideon are married, bearing casting scars as their wedding bands.