I usually avoid books with a lot of hype till it starts to die down - I've been disappointed too many times by my own expectations. But I jumped straight into this one.

Sybil and her fellow diviners live at Aisling cathedral where they dream of Omens, godlike figures. When her sister diviners go missing, she is forced on an impossible quest to defeat the gods with the one knight whose future is beyond her sight.

I'm one of the few who thought One Dark Window was an average fantasy romp but I had a really good time with this one. I enjoyed the mystery and journey Sybil goes on as she deconstructs her faith and learns what it means to be Sybil, rather than Six. Buddy reading this made it that much more enjoyable as we had lots of theories about what was going on!

The writing had a rather modern tone which I wasn't expecting. I wouldn't say it felt particularly gothic and the use of modern language and swear words took me out a couple of times. But this wasn't a problem once I got used to it - it actually had a rather humorous tone, especially with the batlike gargoyle.

I also enjoyed the romance more than ODW, especially the build up between the two as they go from distaste to respect. While I'm not 100% sure why Rory would lay down his life for Sybil, I still rooted for them.

I'm curious to see where we'll go from here because the ending was a bit of a shock.

I love Rachel's writing! This story was very unique with it's atmospheric world building and interesting characters. I love love love the gargoyle. He is my new favorite character ever and had me laughing throughout the whole tale. I also enjoyed Six/Sybil and Rory's chemistry! It was a nice slow burn with tiny bit of spice towards the end. The end of the book definitely took me by surprise and had me on the edge of my seat! I can't wait for the sequel to see what happens after that shocking betrayal!

I fell in love with Rachel Gillig's original Shepard King duology, so I was so excited for this new release to come out. I am very glad to say it did not disappoint. Everything from the enticing characters to the gothic yet elegant world-building pulled me in straight away. Every character felt fleshed out, and I loved the growing relationship between Sybil and Rory.

My only complaint is having to wait for the next book because I cannot wait to dive right in!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of this book.

Grab a mug of steamy coffee and cozy up to the gothic extravaganza of the year. Rachel Gilling has done it again. Probably my favourite author at the moment, she keeps delivering high-quality content and refreshing magic systems. With incredible pacing, The Knight and the Moth hits all the right notes, and I'll be counting every single day until we get book two of this insanely good duology. At this point, I will read absolutely anything that Mrs. Gillig writes.

Jeeeeez Rachel Gillig is good. I loved her first duology so I was looking forward to picking this up, and it did not disappoint.

Her writing and stories are just so original! Gargoyles, mystery, diviners, creepy cathedral, romance sub plot. Let’s face it Bartholomew (Gargoyle) stole the show!

Cannot wait for the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately (for me), this was a DNF at 33%. I just couldn’t get into the story at all. I even tried all the formats and it just … isn’t for me I guess :(

This book has completely and permanently altered my brain chemistry. I loved every single second of it. I think my favorite part of Gillig’s writing is she takes something weird and always always makes it even more unique, even more “weird.” I cannot wait for book two. I need it now, Bartholomew.

Having enjoyed the Shepard King duology by Rachel Gillig, her adult debut The Knight and the Moth was a highly anticipated read for me - and it was one that certainly lived up to the high expectations I had.
The various elements of the story felt like aspects of Minority Report, a dash of Ophelia and the gargoyles from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame were combined - and this unusual combination was served up as a highly original story. The gothic vibes in The Knight and the Moth were strong, and I loved the mystery element in the plot as Six/Sybil set out to find the missing diviners. The gargoyle sidekick was an absolute favourite - I loved his quirky language and his slightly wrong use of idioms.
There were some good plot twists - including one that caught me entirely off guard, and I will definitely need to get my hands on the sequel stat because I have to find how the story conclude.

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

Dark, dreamy, and drenched in atmosphere, The Knight and the Moth is a gothic romantasy that blends haunting cathedral magic, slow-burn romance, and lyrical prose. Sybil “Six” is a blood-bound Diviner whose quiet life is disrupted by the arrival of a skeptical knight—and the mystery of vanishing sisters. Gillig weaves a tale full of secrets, sentient gargoyles, and creeping dread, with a slow build that rewards patient readers. Perfect for fans of eerie magic, forbidden love, and poetic storytelling.

Vibes: misty moors, stained glass, dark rituals, enemies-to-something-more

I say this with my whole chest and shaking hands: The Knight and the Moth didn’t just meet my expectations; it suppressed them completely
This was my first read by Rachel Gillig, and this has convinced me to buy everything she has ever written.
This book is drenched in mood. Gothic, elegant, eerie, lush, jagged. Every page feels like wandering through an enchanted cathedral filled with rot and relics. You don’t read this book, you descend into it. The Tor. The cathedral. The gargoyles. The anointed spring. Every element hums with myth and menace. Gillig doesn’t just describe settings—she conjures them. I could smell the rotting flowers in Aisling Cathedral. I was there. I was literally there

And let’s talk originality: while romantasy often slips into same, same kingdoms with renamed swords and vaguely special girls, this? This is divine folklore, mystic gothic, dream-stone romanticism. The shrouded diviners, the number-names, the bleeding dreams, the omens, the loom stone (hello??), the chime; it’s all fresh, strange, and spellbinding. I felt baptized in it. There’s something sacred humming underneath every line.
⟡ Characters? I’m on my knees.
– Sybil is fierce, fractured, and so lonely it hurts. Her anger is sacred. Her doubt, her rage, her defiance... they're holy. Watching her wrestle with faith and fate and identity in a world that wants to mythologize her was both devastating and affirming.
– Rodrick “Rory” (aka my charcoal eyeliner king) is sharp, blasphemous, and quietly unraveling beneath all that defiance. He doesn’t believe—but oh, how he wants to. And the way he sees Sybil? The slow-burn tension between them is devastating. Their dynamic is knives and longing, banter and bruised vulnerability. If they stop arguing, the book stops breathing.
– Bartholomew. A stone gargoyle with bat ears, grumpy-grandpa vibes, and the emotional weight of a fallen god. Hilarious, tragic, loyal. I love that Gillig gives her heroines a mythic, magical companion with soul. I’d read a whole POV novel called All My Friends Are Bartholomew. I am not joking.
The romance? Exquisite. It’s slow, sharp, painful in all the best ways. It’s not about fate—it’s about choice. About two broken people recognizing the fury and tenderness beneath each other’s armor. Every interaction crackles. Every touch feels earned. Honestly, it’s one of the most satisfying romantic arcs I’ve read in ages.

This book sings with sacredness. With gods and rebellion, myth and girlhood. With the idea that saying someone’s name can be a holy act. With devotion, not just romantic but existential. The pacing is dreamlike but never dull, the lore deep without drowning you, and the whole narrative pulses with old world mystery.
Rachel Gillig is doing something beyond in this genre. Something ancient and strange and new. I finished this book and sat in silence, spine cracked open like the cathedral walls.
I’ll say it again:

🌑 The mood? Unmatched.
🌸 The prose? Haunting.
🦇 The gargoyle? Iconic.
⚔️ The romance? I am in ruins.

Thank you to Orbit for the ARC. I would’ve sold my shadow for this book.

I quite liked Gillig's YA duology, so I was really interested in seeing what she'd do with her adult debut. And I'm glad I got the chance to read this, because the same things I really liked in her <i>Shepherd King</i>-duology are the things I like in <i>The Knight and the Moth</i>. I also have mostly the same issues.

Gillig is a very creative writer when it comes to world building and magic. I was immediately invested in the idea of Diviners, foundling girls taken at a young age to serve ten years at what is basically a temple to the gods of this world, the Omens. They drown in a magical spring every day to dream of omens and the good or bad fortune coming with them for the stout believers. I loved the friendship between the six current diviners, all close to the end of their ten year contract, making plans for a life after the cathedral. I love love LOVE the gargoyles that protect the cathedral and the diviners, and the bat gargoyle is arguably the best character in the whole book. Love him with my whole heart.
The gothic-y vibes are just immaculate, and I also immediately liked our protagonist, Sibyl - though she goes by Six in the beginning having given up her name when she became a diviner. I love how she is not the frail little smol cute protagonist that is rampant in romantasy, but a physically strong woman with her own convictions that can absolutely stand up for herself. Also, hammer and chisel as weapon are just really cool so...
I also actually quite enjoyed the love interest, grumpy knight Roderick Myndacious, though I would have loved for him to not lose most of his edge around Sibyl so quickly. Their romance starts as a slow burn but there's love declarations just around the corner, and I absolutely would have preferred the romance to be stretched out over the whole duology and instead focus on Sibyl's journey to freedom and the struggle of having to unlearn all the things she was taught. That is what I liked most about the story, and it's an important theme that I don't think Gillig has given all the possible depth that I would have wished for.
The side characters are enjoyable and Maude is best of the best. The rest of the knights are kind of bland to be honest and I couldn't care less, and the boy king is a very predictable character that I didn't feel much about. He didn't feel kingly at all to be honest, more like One Of The Guys - which was the point to a degree but also didn't make me believe in him as a monarch who could get anything done, nor did I find the loyalty of his knights believable. He's also why I didn't enjoy the set-up for the second duology, because I can't really take him seriously.

The story is exciting, though there are some minor pacing struggles here and there and there's one twist that is utterly predictable to a point that I actively hoped it wouldn't happen (not that I'm against well-done predictable plot twists, I prefer them over out-of-nowhere-twists for the sake of having a twist). Mind you, there's also another twist that really broke my heart in a good way, so there's that.

Enjoyable even for someone who generally doesn't like romantasy, atmospheric and with a great protagonist - absolutely recommend this one and will be reading the sequel for sure.

I think Rachel Gillig is one of the authors that has now found herself on my list of autobuy authors. I adored the Shepherd King duology, so this book was perfect to just give me more of that rich world. No notes, only perfection honestly.

Unfortunately not for me as a reader. I could not connect with the story and writing style. Others who enjoy romantasy may enjoy this one. It just was not for me.

4 stars
1 spice

A Whimsical and Thoughtful Journey
The Knight and the Moth is beautifully written. The prose is lyrical without being overdone. The dynamic is especially charming—gentle, funny, and often quite moving.
Few parts of the pacing felt a little slow, especially in the middle chapters. But overall, it’s a delightful read that left me thinking about long after I finished.
Highly recommended for fans of thoughtful fantasy and modern fairy tales!

Rachel Gillig really knows what her demographic want and she absolutely delivered in the follow up to the Shepherd King duology. Sybil Delling is one of the Diviners, a group of orphan girls, who give a decade of service being regularly drowned in holy water and sent visions from the six Omens that predict the future. So when the new boy king arrives with his retinue of knights Sybil is pressed in to service and gets mixed up with tall, dark and brooding knight Roderick who has no time for the Omens. That radical beast! Anyway this absolutely delivers on all romantasy fronts, near immediate nudity, fighting to mask flirting, so many feelings no one knows how to deal with, treachery on all fronts, it’s so angsty I loved it. I ate all of this up with a big shiny ladle.

The Knight and the Moth

I have enjoyed this book, but it is one of the easier fantasy reads I have read, I have got to say. I like Sbybill's character, how she has to adjust to this new world, and how she is naive and has to learn everything from scratch. The gargoyles, oh my god, these are amazing and have made me laugh throughout the book. I also love the visions and how some of these have made me smile. I adore how this book has given an adventure quest vibe like a video game and how this is expanded gradually. I enjoyed the few twists and turns, and although some of these were quite obvious, they did not ruin the story. This is one for you slow-burn lovers and plot lovers, as this is a very plot-driven book.

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<i>’To tell a story is in part to tell a lie, isn’t it?’</i>

Rachel Gillig has gone and done it again. Another 5⭐️ read!
This was a sweeping tale about the power of stories and how interwoven with faith they are, about self discovery and questioning the world and yourself, about the joy and pain of loving and of losing and the beautiful, aching burden of living.
<i> ’Histories are forged by those who benefit from them, and seldom those who live them.’ </i>
Rachel Gillig has such a beautiful and descriptive writing style that I just couldn’t put this down once I got in to it. I adored the found family in this book, the brilliant cast of characters and how the FMC, Six, grew and adapted as the story went on. She was such an incredibly strong and caring character and I adored the chemistry between her and Rory.
<i> “You want to throw me down. And I, prideful, disdainful, godless, want to drag you into the first with me.” </i> they complemented each other so perfectly and their interactions only ever added to the story and Six’s journey.
And let’s not forget our beautiful precious Gargoyle who was always there when he was needed, even if no one knew it at the time.
I can’t WAIT to see where the second book takes us!

This one was so good! It was not what I expected, but I had so much fun!

Love love love Bartholomew, and the backstory was heartbreaking.

As usual Rachel Gilligs magic system and worldbuilding was so original and I'm so excited to read the sequel!

DNF at 26%

Back in 2023, I picked up reading again after a huge slump—I had barely read anything for months. One of the first books that pulled me back into fantasy was One Dark Window. I was obsessed with the darkness, the plot, the world. It wasn’t like anything I had read before, and I was in awe.

So when I was offered the chance to read this ARC, I was beyond excited. But it took me two months to get through a quarter of the book. Maybe it’s just not the right time for me. For now, it’s time to let it go.

Maybe I’ll pick it up again when the moment feels right.

One of my most anticipated reads of this whole year and it did not disappoint! I’m blown away, it is utter perfection, so hauntingly beautiful and unputdownable!!

This book is everything!! Moody, magical, with an eerie atmosphere, whimsical vibes throughout, the most amazing layered characters, both main and side who I instantly loved!! This book is absolutely spectacular and I am going to be thinking about it forever; haunting, with major gothic fairytale vibes. The world building was perfection, the lore and atmosphere was immersive!!