The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)
About the book
Author: Rachel Gillig
Publisher:
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My review
All fantasy readers are chasing that feeling. You know — the one you get from a book where the plot, the characters, the magic, the twists, and the romance all come together and just HIT, and you know you’ve found a real winner that can take its place beside the other greats on your shelf. This IS that book, my friends. I knew I was going to love it based on what I’d heard from readers I trust, and wowza how right they were.
The main character is a diviner named Sybil (a little on the nose, but I’ll let it pass). Diviners, when drowned in the sacred spring, receive and interpret omens from the gods in a dream. They serve the church for fixed terms, living without names and with their eyes shrouded in gossamer, and Sybil’s term is about to end. But then the new young king and his closest knights come for a dream (including, of course, a very handsome knight in particular), and then her sister diviners start to go missing one by one, and she is determined to figure out what happened to them at any cost.
At its heart, this book is invested in how our past — personal and collective — shapes who we are today. There are downstream effects of everything, from how an empire is founded to what a king’s grandfather did to whether or not a girl can remember who she was before. And like the best fantasy novels, it’s also about the fallibility of institutions, the corruption of power, the love of a found family, and finding your true self.
I’m also pleased to report that despite the publishing industry’s unhinged need to label everything romantasy, the romance here is a nice comfortable B plot, thank you very much! (But that doesn’t mean it isn’t excellent, because trust me it is.)
It was also just to my taste when it comes to world-building — the first few chapters are heavier on lore and information, but it never feels like info dumping. You also aren’t told nothing and left to scramble for crumbs of context. In Rachel we trust! I was intrigued by the magic system from the start and ended the book even more curious.
Finally, you need to know that the gargoyle in this book is the best comedic side character I have read in a long time, maybe ever. Truly, prepare your heart (and don’t read this book with sore abs!).
Cap it all off with a strong, exciting ending that sets up the sequel to be a completely wild ride, and it’s a winner all around. I’m so glad I waited to read this so I only have to wait until the fall for the sequel!
Content and trigger warnings
Violence and death
Sexual content (moderate)
Child death
Child abuse
