As a rule I do not like “retellings” or “reimaginings” of the classics. I don’t need an updated version of classic literature. However, every once in a while I will give a “retelling/reimagining” a chance. The Crimson Moth Duology by Kristen Ciccarelli was one of those “reimaginings” that I took a chance on and I’m glad I did. I enjoyed the story very much.
The Scarlet Pimpernel For A New Generation
There is absolutely no mistaking that Heartless Hunter and Rebel Witch are an updated version of The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy for those of us that have read those stories. With that being said, I did like how Ms. Ciccarelli swapped the genders of the two main characters. Instead of Sir Percy Blakeney, we get Rune Winters. Citizen Chauvelin is replaced by Gideon Sharpe.
Rune is a beautiful young woman with a secret. In public she is a socialite with nothing more on her mind than the latest fashions and gossip. In private, she is “The Crimson Moth”, a witch helping other witches escape being purged. Gideon Sharpe is the most successful witch hunter of the Republic. But one witch continues to evade capture, “The Crimson Moth”. So it is one adventure after another as each tries to get the upper hand in a dangerous game.