The Knight and the Moth
"To tell a story is in some part to tell a lie."
Book Review: The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
Series: The Stonewater Kingdom (Book #1)
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: 20th May, 2025
About the Author
Rachel Gillig was born and raised on the California coast. She is a writer, with a BA in literary theory and criticism from UC Davis. If she is not ensconced in blankets dreaming up her next novel, Rachel is in her garden or walking with her husband, son and their poodle, Wally.
Rachel’s other works include The Shepherd King duology: One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns.
The Blurb
Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams, she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum’s windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.
Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical and handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil’s visions. But when Sybil’s fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral’s cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she’s rather avoid Rodrick’s dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.
My Thoughts
I fell in love with this book, the first time, when I saw the title and cover. The Knight and the Moth - a harsh contrast of strength and fragility. Hard metallic armour paired with a soft gossamer dress. Delicate and fearsome.
I fell in love with this book, the second time, whilst reading it. The prose, the plot, the setting and the characters all work beautifully together to create a romantic, atmospheric, gothic fairytale turned hero’s quest.
Sybil is our hero on a journey. Dressed in floating gossamer, along with her diviner sisters, she has to drown to dream. The vivid imagery perfectly captures the revered and violent nature of a divining ceremony, yet the fetid undercurrent leaves a feeling of unease and discomfort that flows throughout the narrative.
One of my favourite things about the story is the overarching folklore and myth that weaves and then unravels throughout. The history of the six omens: coin, inkwell, oar, chime, loom stone, and moth has been distorted over time and as Sybil has her eyes opened to the real kingdom of Traum and its history, so do we.
I love a romantasy where the balance of romance and fantasy is just right. The romance is (I wouldn’t say enemies) more of a, vague disliking to lovers. Originally pushed together due to necessity, Sybil and Rory develop an understanding and mutual respect for each other. The journey through the kingdom of Traum is immersive, atmospheric and compliments the developing romance perfectly.
Although I enjoyed Rachel’s previous duology, The Knight and the Moth far surpassed it. The characters were more relatable and felt a lot more nuanced. I found the main cast of One Dark Window/Two Twisted Crowns to be one dimensional with no more to their personalities than their designated archetype. Similarly the development of the romantic relationship between Sybil and Rory in The Knight and the Moth was a much more gratifying slow burn that grows as they learn more about each other. Whereas it felt like Elspeth and Ravyn’s insta love in One Dark Window had no meaningful development.
The tagline “to tell a story is in some part to tell a lie” is a theme that runs through the book. Stories are told, lies are revealed and things are not always what they appear. My favourite transformation is Sybil. Trapped in the cathedral; a delicate, fragile moth. Her faith is shattered but she is determined and stronger than she realises. Breaking free of the shrouded world she lived in she becomes the fearsome knight
By the end the story was told and all the loose threads had come together. There was just enough foreshadowing to anticipate the twist, and the final reveal was painful and satisfying. Leaving a mound of devastation at the end ensures an opening for the next book and I am eager to pick up the pieces.
Last note: Keep your eye on the stone bat gargoyle; he will make you laugh and break your heart.
*Book was gifted by the publisher.