Book Review: The Knight and the Moth (Stonewater Kingdom)
Book Review: The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
Genre: Gothic Romantic Fantasy
Length: 396 pages
Book 1 of 2 – Incomplete duology. Booke 2 (currently untitled) will be released in the spring of 2026
Currently not available on Kindle Unlimited.
What is it?
The Knight and the Moth is the newest book by New York Times bestselling author Rachel Gillig. It is part one of two of The Stonewater Kingdom duology. Part 2 is currently unavailable, but is due to release in the spring of 2026.
Official 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 devilishly 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’d rather avoid Rodrick’s dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.
What I did/did not like?
I have absolutely no complaints about this book. First, I’ll say, I went into this book completely blind- which I highly recommend. I had no idea what this book was about. I did not even read the blurb. All I knew about it going in was that Rachel Gillig wrote it and there is a gargoyle that everyone loves.
Rachel Gillig’s writing style is absolutely phenomenal. She is a very poetic writer without being over the top with the poetry. The writing is beautiful and transportive without being difficult to understand. I wanted to read this book simply because I read the Shepherd King Duology (One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns) by her last year and wanted to read more from her. It did not disappoint. Rachel Gillig has a very distinct style and voice- it’s immediately obvious that she wrote it. But it’s not like her previous work. It’s just so uniquely her.
Let’s talk about the gargoyle. I was worried that he would be disappointing because everyone kept building him up. Wrong. He is absolutely worth all of the hype. He is the star of the show. He adds so much comedic relief and intrigue to the story without carrying the entire story himself. Plus, as a bonus, he is very important to the story. So often side-characters are just there for comedic relief, but don’t add a lot to the overall plot- not our beloved gargoyle!
The magic system in this story is very interesting. I don’t want to give to give away too much, as a lot of mysteries and truths unravel throughout the story. However, I will say that very few have magic in this world and it is an object-based magic system.
The book itself intrigued me from the very beginning. I constantly wanted to know more. I never felt bored. It felt like something was always happening and that I was always learning something about the world and characters. I loved watching the characters grow and become stronger, more intelligent people, along the way.
There is romance in this story. However, it is not the main point of the book. The romance is definitely a subplot of this story and not what the story is really about. If you like romance to take center-stage in the books you read, this may not be for you. However, it still does have tons of tension and I loved the relationship between these two characters. You should definitely take the time to meet Sybil and Rory.
What to expect?
Gothic setting
Priestess and a knight
Fight against injustice
Dark world
Is it spicy?
Yes. There are a few chapters in the book with very tense moments and one chapter with a spicy scene. If you already read Rachel Gillig’s other work the scene is written in the same style. It is not explicit, but is definitely not closed door. You know what is happening just without a lot of detail. I will have the chapter listed below.
The Knight and the Moth Spicy Chapters: Chapter 25
Loved this book?
Be sure to check out other books by the author!
One Dark Window
Two Twisted Crowns
