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Quick answer: If you loved Heartless Hunter, try The Last Namsara, Serpent & Dove, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Powerless, The Cruel Prince and Fourth Wing. Each one offers a dangerous romance, hidden identities, magic and an enemies-to-lovers spark.
Kristen Ciccarelli's 2024 romantic fantasy is set in a world where a revolution has overthrown the witches who once ruled. Rune Winters plays a shallow socialite by day while secretly rescuing witches as the masked Crimson Moth. Gideon Sharpe, a famous witch hunter, begins courting her to unmask the Moth, while she pretends to be interested to get information from him. Readers love its spies, its tension and its slow burn. These books share its secrets and its romance.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Heat level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Last Namsara | Kristen Ciccarelli | Low | readers who want more Ciccarelli |
| Serpent & Dove | Shelby Mahurin | Medium | readers who like witches and witch hunters |
| The Scarlet Pimpernel | Baroness Orczy | Low | readers who want the classic secret rescuer |
| Powerless | Lauren Roberts | Medium | readers who like hidden identities |
| The Cruel Prince | Holly Black | Medium | readers who like scheming heroines |
| Fourth Wing | Rebecca Yarros | High | readers who want dragons and heat |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses | Sarah J. Maas | High | readers who want faerie romance |
| Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo | Low | readers who want a classic YA fantasy |
| Caraval | Stephanie Garber | Low | readers who like games and deception |
| An Enchantment of Ravens | Margaret Rogerson | Low | readers who want a standalone |
| The Wrath and the Dawn | Renée Ahdieh | Medium | readers who like dangerous husbands |
| These Violent Delights | Chloe Gong | Medium | readers who like rival families |
| The Witch Hunter | Virginia Boecker | Low | readers who want another witch hunt |
| A Deadly Education | Naomi Novik | Low | readers who like snark |
| Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross | Medium | readers who like rival letters |
1. The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli
A dragon-slaying princess uncovers the truth behind old stories.
Best for: readers who want more Ciccarelli.
2. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
A witch is forced to marry a witch hunter.
Best for: readers who like witches and witch hunters.
3. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
An English nobleman secretly rescues aristocrats from the guillotine.
Best for: readers who want the classic secret rescuer.
4. Powerless by Lauren Roberts
An Ordinary hides among Elites and falls for a prince.
Best for: readers who like hidden identities.
5. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
A mortal girl schemes for power at a faerie court.
Best for: readers who like scheming heroines.
6. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
A young woman is forced into a deadly war college for dragon riders.
Best for: readers who want dragons and heat.
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A huntress is taken to a faerie land.
Best for: readers who want faerie romance.
8. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
A soldier discovers a rare power.
Best for: readers who want a classic YA fantasy.
9. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
A girl enters a magical game to save her sister.
Best for: readers who like games and deception.
10. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
A portrait painter offends a faerie prince.
Best for: readers who want a standalone.
11. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
A girl volunteers to marry a murderous caliph.
Best for: readers who like dangerous husbands.
12. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
A Romeo and Juliet retelling in 1920s Shanghai.
Best for: readers who like rival families.
13. The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker
A witch hunter is accused of witchcraft.
Best for: readers who want another witch hunt.
14. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
A dark sorceress tries to survive a deadly school.
Best for: readers who like snark.
15. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Two rival reporters fall for each other through secret letters.
Best for: readers who like rival letters.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Heartless Hunter: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Heartless Hunter. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
If you loved the witch-versus-hunter tension, Serpent & Dove is the closest match. For a disguised hero rescuing people, read the classic The Scarlet Pimpernel, which clearly inspired the Crimson Moth. Readers who want more heat should try Fourth Wing or A Court of Thorns and Roses, while Powerless and Divine Rivals keep a slower romance. The Cruel Prince is a good pick if you liked Rune's scheming.
Related: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: Summary and Key Takeaways · Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Heartless Hunter about?
A secret witch-rescuer and a witch hunter pretend to court each other, each hoping to expose the other.
Is Heartless Hunter part of a series?
Yes. It is the first book in the Crimson Moth duology.
Is Heartless Hunter spicy?
It has some romantic heat, but it is mostly a slow-burn romance.
Is Heartless Hunter like The Scarlet Pimpernel?
Yes. Its masked rescuer of persecuted people is a clear nod to that classic.
Who is the Crimson Moth?
The secret identity Rune uses to rescue witches.