Alexis: If you haven’t heard of The Knight and the Moth, are you living under a rock?
(Just kidding). But really, Rachel Gillig, the author of One Night Window, has been having a moment across social media with her new book.
The Knight and the Moth follows Sybil, who is just known as Six. She’s a Diviner, one of the prophetesses who live in the great cathedral. Her task is to dream, where she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens.
But one day, the new boy king and his group of knights pay a visit so the king can have his future predicted. Among them is a mysterious knight, Rodrick, called Rory, who has no respect for Six’s dreams or even the Omens. When Six’s Diviner sisters start to disappear, she finds herself following Rory on a journey.
I don’t want to reveal too much more than that. The Knight and the Moth has the classic Gillig gothic atmosphere that I love. The dark way the Diviners dream was fascinating to me, and I really enjoyed learning about Six and her sisters.
I also really enjoyed the cast of characters. Sybil was a great main character, and I loved how strong yet emotionally vulnerable she is. I also equally loved Rory, and their chemistry and banter worked really well; the romance subplot in this was fantastic.
And, of course, there’s the gargoyle. The cathedral has stone gargoyles that are alive, and the main gargoyle, which becomes Six’s companion, is a true gem of a character who often brings welcome comic relief throughout the story.
Overall, my main critique is that I didn’t care for the actual quest plot. I didn’t find the actual Omens all that interesting (which could just be a me problem), and this played a huge role in the story. I did guess the two huge plot twists fairly early on. The pacing also felt a little off to me at times, especially in the first half.
That being said, I definitely still think this is worth a read, and I’m interested to see where the story goes in the next book, especially since the stakes will be even higher!
VERDICT: ⚒️⚒️⚒️.5/5
takes two to book review 