The type of romantasy novel you hope to read as it balance the two genre, features a great world building and fascinating characters
Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was lucky enough to get the beautiful arc of this book and it was truly stunning.
The books cover is absolutely beautiful and I just love the art, it’s definitely a feature that draws you to the book.
I absolutely loved this book and it did not disappoint. I loved the previous series from this author and was so excited when I saw this one.
The book was so well written and the words from this author just flowed so nicely.
The world created was dark yet whimsical at the same time and truly pulled you in.
There was plenty of twists and turns in this book which kept you guessing. I loved the magic of this book as it was truly captivating.
My favourite character of this book has to be the Gargoyle Bartholomew! He was just funny, likeable and one of those characters you just want to squeeze.
Our main character Six - Sybil who is a diviner who when drowns enters a dream sent from godly figures of Omens.
As her fellow diviners start to go missing Six seeks the help of the a young knight Rory and soon she starts to discover more of the outside world. I loved the bantering between these two characters and i loved seeing the relationship growing between these two.
I love her innocence of the world as when she became a diviner she lost her name and her freedom of the world. I really enjoyed seeing her learning as she goes throughout the book.

I truly can’t recommend this book enough and Bartholomew definitely agrees
Overall I definitely recommend and thank you to orbit for the gifted arc!!

I’ve been absolutely enchanted by Gillig’s writing style ever since The Shepherd King, so I knew that The Knight and The Moth would be no exception to her genius. She excels in the whimsical and dark, and I found myself enthralled by the first chapter. Sybil’s development throughout the novel was so satisfying to read, and if there’s one thing Gillig is perfect at writing, it’s her male characters. Elm and Ravyn have tough competition with Rory! Though, in truth, it was the batlike gargoyle who utterly stole my heart— and broke it. Poor Bartholomew. I’m still recovering from every plot twist…and that ending! Cannot wait for the second and final instalment.

The biggest thank you to Orbit Books for reaching out and blessing me with an arc of this novel.

This is my first book from Rachel Gillig, and I am kicking myself for not reading her work sooner!
I absolutely adored this. A tor. Six Diviners. An abess. Limestone Gargoyles. Knights. And a boy-king.
We have our protagonist, Sybil, who is a diviner at the Aisling Cathedral in the Stonewater Kingdom. She sees visions after drowning in the tor's spring water.
She doesn’t know of life outside the tor. When the King and his Knights come for a reading, everything changes.
First of all, I adored Sybil. She was no damsel in distress, but she wasn't pushing the fact down our throats. She was resilient, strong, and kind.
Rory, the most unfitting knight there ever was, but omg. How the enemies turned lovers. Oh.My.God. If there was a prize for yearning, Rory would get it. I adored him.
His interactions with Sybil; wow. The banter was magnificent as well.
There is spice in this book, which was a pleasant surprise!
We have many twists and turns and a very unique universe that I want to know more about in the second book.
But the highlight of this book? The highlight of this book is the most lovable and funniest BATLIKE gargoyle ever. Yes, the batlike gargoyle stole the show with his outbursts of wit and with his dramatic sobbing.
I adored him.
I am already in the mood to re-read this, and I can't wait for the next book.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Gillig is a wonderful writer, I loved One Dark Window (although I didn't love Two Twisted Crowns) and she's great at bringing the vibes. Usually. This one unfortunately fell flat in pretty much all areas. I think part of the problem was it was trying to bring the vibes from One Dark Window into The Knight and the Moth. But the plot just didn't suit it, if anything it made it far slower than it should of been.

Not to mention, the side characters are more lovable than the main characters.. and whilst there should be an element of fondness for certain characters.. that shouldn't completely exclude the main ones. The world building was lackluster, the pace wasn't great (why did nothing happen for 50% of the book!?), the romance was meh. I could have looked over one thing being not as good as the rest but because it was all suffering it meant my enjoyment for this book was incredibly low. Which is a shame because Gillig does have writing talent.. but her plots seem to let her down.

I'm unsure if this is a series I will carry on with. Frankly, if I did, it would just be for Bartholomew who stole the show and bought some much needed personality into this book. Shame, I was cautiously optimistic about this one.

I loved this book! The characters are written so well and are so loveable, particularly the gargoyle! I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading this book, it was refreshing to read something where the story was so engaging but also balanced humour and sad moments so well. I loved everything about this book and already can’t wait for the sequel.

Rachel Gillig does it again with this epic MASTERPIECE!!

I absolutely adore Rachel’s world building and her phenomenal writing. This was elegant, lush, magical and just dreamlike!

The romance was gorgeous and I was on the edge of my seat with Sybil and Rory-their verbal sparring was incredible!

I never thought I’d say that a gargoyle is a favourite character but here we are!

Wow I loved this book. Gillig has a way of creating a world and atmosphere and characters that leave an imprint. I really get lost in her writing and just completely forget that I’m reading. Every single character has a depth to them, no one is just morally good or bad there’s a greyness that makes things interesting and also feel realistic. My favourite character is obviously the Gargoyle, but I also really enjoyed Six’s character.

The only thing stopping me from giving this a full five stars was the relationship between Six and Rory. Even though I loved them, both separately and together. It did still feel a little insta lusty/lovey at times.

I also did see the ending coming, I’m not sure if I was supposed to be shocked but I saw the nuances and there were small moments throughout that made me feel
uncomfortable and I just knew what was coming. But that dread I felt made it even better when I finally got to the end. I love the fact that this wasn’t a blindsided twist and that there were small signs and intricacies to be picked up on.

The gargoyle batted his eyes. "Oh, Bartholomew. He's dreamy.”

Overall I’m just completely in love with Rachel Gillig’s writing from both this and One Dark Window, I can safely say she’s becoming a new favourite author of mine. I am gasping for the sequel.

4.5 Stars!

4.75 ⭐️

The worlds that Rachel Gillig creates are just incredible!! First the Shepherd King Duology and now serving us with another epic book. This was the perfect gothic, atmospheric, battle filled story with a slow burn romance and a witty gargoyle sidekick. We were taken on an epic adventure across an entire kingdom with a group of found family characters fighting against evils. I savoured this book for weeks - just reading a few chapters at a time. We learn a lot about the characters’ back stories, but there is still a lot more to unpack. The way this book ends though… I was screaming! I need a second book NOW!! It was so close to being a 5 ⭐️ read but some parts were a little slow and I had to push through. But it was a solid 4.75 and Rachel Gillig is easily becoming one of my favourite authors ❤️ Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit books for my e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rachel Gillig has done it again. Just like The Shepherd King duology, she has written an enticing world with intriguing characters that you can’t help but want to know more about.

This story was great from the start. You get introduced to the main character through her being stuck and being helped by a gargoyle, and then meet all her fellow Diviners. From the start you can see how caring Six is, and she really endears herself to you quickly.

Rachel’s writing style just reads so quickly, I couldn’t put this book down once I got past the first third of the book. She manages to write a world that is strange yet comforting at the same time, and I don’t know how she does it, but oh boy does it work well.

One thing I will say is that the romance felt quick, while at the same time too slow. The romance, in my opinion, felt very suddenly developed, and yet at the same time the love interest and Six just kept dancing around each other.

I also thought there was no need for a sequel up until like 95% of the book, and then I was like, you know what? This makes complete sense, it does need a sequel.

I am so excited for the second book to come out, and Rachel is definitely an author to look out for!

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 & 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬: sisterhood, mysteries, gods, gothic aesthetic, enemies to lovers, speaking gargoyle, unearthing lies, quest to find magical objects, lighter and silly tone, cliffhanger and plot twists, betrayal
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

I opened The Kight and the Moth with the assumption that I was going to be met with a similar darker atmosphere to One Dark Window but was surprised when I was met with a much lighter, sillier and sometimes even corny and cringy one. Which I fear is why I didn’t end up liking the book as much as I thought I would.

Nevertheless, The Knight and the Moth still excelled at providing the reader with a story of finding your true self behind a wall of lies and at accompanying Sibyl’s personal growth after being confronted with the harsh reality and truth of the world she lived in. Along with that I found the overall worldbuilding and especially the divining very fascinating and intriguing. Additionally, I enjoyed the plot twists that were scattered throughout the novel however, I sadly predicted the big plot twist at the end of the book which flatten the crescendo it was meant to have.
However, something that never failed me throughout this novel, was the absolute delight that was the gargoyle, making him one of the most hilarious side characters I’ve encountered in a long time. Speaking of the characters, I loved how each of them carried their own struggles and the dynamic between some of them. Sadly, I still felt like they were all a bit flat and predictable and looking at our two main characters and the enemies to lovers romance between them, I must admit that I never fully understood why they hated each other so much the second they met and what exactly made them fall in love.

Despite this rather negative review, I will still continue with the series (duology? trilogy?) because I think the sequel will discuss and deal with some interesting themes and further character development.

Thank you so much to Orbit UK for sending me a finished copy as well as an e-arc.

Oh my gosh where do I begin… This book is so captivating right from the start it makes you feel like you are transported into the world of this book. I can feel the tension, the chemistry between the characters, and it feels like I was with them, truly. The gargoyle is definitely my favourite character but I LOVE Rory!!! I will be thinking about this book for the rest of the year, hands down one of my favourite reads of this year!!

A shadow-drenched tale of duty, longing, and unexpected alliances, The Knight and the Moth spins an atmospheric web of secrets—but it’s the gargoyle who steals the show.

✨ A knight bound by duty and deception 🖤 A gargoyle with more heart than stone 🦋 A story that lingers between the eerie and the tender

Gillig crafts a world where whispers hold power and the line between protection and captivity blurs. The central romance simmers quietly, unfolding with restraint, but it's the gargoyle who brings the depth—the weight of centuries, the quiet sorrow, the unexpected humor. Every moment with them sparks with something raw and real, making their presence the emotional core of the book.

If you love gothic atmosphere, unspoken desires, and characters who carry entire histories in their silences, this one might just pull you in—especially if you’re here for the gargoyle.

4.5⭐

Ok its official Rachel Gillig can write a damn good fantasy book! After loving the Shepherd King duology I had high hopes for the start of this new serries and it didn't disappoint!

The gothic setting was a perfect background to this magic system of diviners, knights, omens & gods. You cant help but be sucked into this world which isn't complicated but feels eerie but still rich.

Slow burn at its finest with another strong FMC POV, add in the brilliant talking gargoyle who added some brilliant emotion and 1 liners.

I loved finding out the 'truth' along with the FMC and any book where their is a journey/quest i'm going to enjoy.

The ending of book one has left me needing book 2 asap!

Thank you NetGalley & Little Brown Book Group for this ARC.

When you start a book with a richly-atmospheric medieval setting, and by the first few pages, your main character is drowned in Aisling Cathedral’s spring water…you are sort of hooked.

Six, is one of six women who lose their real names when they put on a shroud and perform divinations for the Abbess. When she drowns, she enters a dream, upon which she encounters omens and she divines the future for one who has paid coin.

In a pithy narrative that spans just a couple hundred pages, Six leaves the Cathedral when her fellow Diviners disappear one by one. She travels in the company of King Benedict Castor and a certain knight called Rory, on a bit of quest to seek and conquer the five omens.

The best part is a friendly, malapropistic gargoyle who calls everyone “Bartholomew” and whom Gillig characterized best. He turns out to be more important to this story than we think.

Unfortunately, this book ends with a strong hint of a book 2, which is not my favourite way to end any book! @orbitbooks_uk thanks for the cliffhang 😂

@readingnationsg @orbitbooks_uk @rmgillig #rachelgillig #medieval #fantasy #theknightandthemoth #new #orbitbooks #worldbuilding #romantasy #authorsofinstagram #bookshare #bookfluencer #review #singapore #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Orbit for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: death, violence, blood, murder, abuse, injury, drowning

Sybil Delling has spent nine years as a Diviner within Aisling Cathedral, cut off from the world outside and forced to dream for the good of the kingdom. Adopted as a foundling in exchange for ten years of service, Sybil is now nameless- living only as Six with her eyes covered and followed by a chatty gargoyle- working alongside five other Diviners to determine the future even if it means drowning in an enchanted spring repeatedly. In her dreams, Sybil is faced with terrible visions and messages from the six unearthly and widely worshipped figures known as the Omens. As people travel from across the kingdom of Traum to visit Aisling Cathedral, and see one of the Diviners drown to learn their futures, Sybil remains hopeful for a day when she might be free to live a proper life. In the final year of their service as Diviners, Sybil and her sisters are visited by the newly crowned King Benedict and his knights, seeking predictions for how his reign will go. In this group is Roderick, a brash, handsome and heretical knight who shows little respect for Sybil’s work or visions. Drawn to each other despite themselves, Sybil is disappointed when Roderick’s party prepares to leave and life seems to be headed back to normal. All of this is put to the side when Sybil’s sisters begin to disappear one by one, and she’s forced to seek out Benedict and Roderick’s aid in finding them. Fleeing Aisling Cathedral with only her loyal gargoyle (who calls her Bartholmhew) and the royal party, Sybil is faced with a world far removed from what she’s used to. The outside world is fraught with danger and deadly gods, but Sybil needs answers and it rapidly becomes clear that Roderick might be her only chance to find the other Diviners- if she can keep her heart.

Dark and dreamlike from the first page, I was swept away by ‘The Knight and the Moth’ within minutes. The atmosphere of Aisling Cathedral is so poignant and visible when I’m reading, this tight and isolated place where young women drown in a spring to dream of the future. This isn’t the first book I’ve read by this author and what I said about her others still stands- no one writes as beautifully or lyrically as Rachel Gillig does while merging in humour and sharp banter. I adored Sybil, she’s a great main character and introduces you to the world of Aisling so smoothly while also showing incredible strength and resilience. Her relationship with the gargoyle who insists on calling her Bartholemhew was my favourite part of this book- I would happily read an entire book just of their adventures. Roderick (better known as Rory) is a great foil to Sybil and I really enjoyed seeing through his cynicism and tough exterior to his other, more kind self. The romance between Sybil and Rory sang from their first scene and I was obsessed with how they interacted from their first meeting. This is a gorgeous start to a new series, with a beautiful combination of a dark fairytale, menacing godly figures, romance and magic. I can't wait for the next book!

I really enjoyed this!

I loved One Dark Window but was disappointed by Two Twisted Crowns, so I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about The Knight and the Moth. There were parts that I didn't think quite tracked, some elements of the magic system that raised questions if I dug too deep, and I spent most of the book confused about the kingdom (can a place have a King if it's just one city and a bunch of hamlets? Did Rachel Gillig mean 'hamlets' in the traditional sense of tiny settlements smaller than a village or did she decide to use the word but make the settlements bigger?) but I had fun anyway! I was happy to overlook these issues because I was enjoying the vibes. I loved the slow burn romance and was screaming for them to hurry up and kiss.

The only thing that knocks this reading experience from a 5 to a 4 is the ending. It was telegraphed so heavily early on that it wasn't a surprise and just felt like an irritating inevitability. I hope the second book doesn't keep the characters separated for too long and that I'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the first installment.

Rachel’s writing is absolutely stunning, I swear I’d read her grocery list if she published it, and I’d still rate it five stars.

I adored The Shepherd King duology, but honestly, The Knight and the Moth hit even harder for me. Maybe it’s the eerie, atmospheric vibe, maybe it’s the brilliantly unique magic system (yes, Rachel did it again), or maybe a certain unforgettable gargoyle completely stole my heart and cemented this as a top read of the year.

The romance? Perfect. Nothing felt forced, and as a certified slow-burn enthusiast, I was living for it. As for the characters, the gargoyle absolutely stole the show (no complaints here), and I’m crossing my fingers we get even more of him in the sequel, which I’m already ridiculously excited for!

This is such a difficult book to rate, I'm trying to give it a rating that reflects my true feelings whilst not judging it by how disappointed I was in this book compared to One Silent Window.

The plus points, the ideas, the world - in general, the omens, the blindfolded Diviners torn from childhood and the world to become 'special' and 'holy', were all great. Some of the scenes with the divination were truly eerie and sickening in the violence and their submission to it. The idea of Six as a character, the tiny faithful world that cam to believe in the omens and the six girls who seemed to interpret their messages, all of that was the foundation for a really intriguing new story, add in the mystery of the disappearing girls and the quest to find them, and those plot points and inherent questions in how Six came to be and where she was heading being so close to the end of her tenure as a Diviner made for a really good story.

I also liked Bartholomew the gargoyle and his child-like following of Six through her journey, not quite understanding what she was up to.

I also liked the idea of the King and his knights, upholding oaths of virtue and honour and the conflict when what they are raised to defend may not be all it seems to be, or betrays their trust. I liked the seasoned yet kind female knight and how she held the band together.

I liked the idea of a romantasy between a Diviner, representative of 'The Faith', and the grumpy disbelieveing knight, sworn to the King. There was an old tale fantasy feel about it, like The Last Unicorn - knights in armour and maidens swathed in gossamer .

But...but... none of it seemed to go together. The romantasy elements fell flat, the obsessive latching on of the main characters to each other, 'I hate him but I'm thinking of him and his muscles all the time' felt too forced and like templated cut-outs of their genre (to me), at least in how they behaved to each other. There were missed opportunities, in that right at the beginning Rory (really, Rory?), pointed out that Six knew nothing of the world, but then this was never explored, everything should have been new to her, Rory could have done the manly teaching the woman everything thing, finding that she picked it up quicker than he thought because of what she'd observed of human nature through her divinations, but they just wandered around with Six seemingly fine with everything, except that one time when she had no money.

The fantasy elements, including the world, being ridiculously small, just weren't either explored or thought through enough because, for me, they just raised a load of questions - how were the Omens so rich if the tributes came from such a small pool of poor rustic types (in general), who all had single trades in their little hamlets? how had the fact that <spoiler> the girls did not return after their ten years were up manage to stay such a secret, surely given the attention on them and how famous they were among such a small population not naturally mean that Six would find out that she was the first one to ever be seen again almost as soon as she set foot in the real world? </spoiler>

The hamlet-to-hamlet journey became repetitive as they did the same thing in each one and the struggles and stakes just didn't feel that high.

Also <spoiler> if the Omens became stone after not drinking of the spring anymore, as shown by one who voluntarily stopped doing so, then Six is going to turn to stone now right? None of the characters has mentioned or seemed bothered by this, they just went and destroyed the thing that was giving her life after death too, that could have been a point of conflict/emotion/suspense but we didn't get that. </spoiler> Any suspense seemed to be focussed on a reveal and a 'twist' at the end, one of which was obvious from the beginning and the other more than hinted at earlier in the book, and also revealed quickly in a way that felt like it was 'but wait we need another book!'. Other than this act on behalf of one of the characters, there isn't really another element of the plot or character story to warrant another book, so it's hard to feel excited about it.

Throw in a Disney-sidekick talking Gargoyle (which I did love, but again his story felt Disney basic too, which didn't seem to fit either the romantasy or fantasy sides of the book), and it's a pot of ingredients that never quite turned into a completed dish.

Urgh, I hate to sound so harsh, but One Dark Window really made me feel things, and this one just didn't. I love Rachel Gillig's writing style, atmosphere, and the way she can bring new ideas to a saturated genre, her books do, in concept, feel fresh and pull you in, but this one just didn't hit. I'm torn as to whether to try the next instalment, because I don't want to be put off future books, but it could turn around - Two Twisted Crowns hit me hard and I was so pleasantly surprised by it. Duology verdict on hold then, a 3-ish stars from me.

5 out of 5 stars

I knew Rachel Gillig could write, but this was honestly nothing like what I expected. The book had already been on my to read radar so when I got the arc I dove straight in. The book was an intruiging tale and I can't wait for the sequel.

First of all, the main character, Sybil, she's great in the way you explore everything through her. And she doesn't know anything about the world, truelly knows anything about it, either. Which means we get to learn as she learns, without it feeling like a lore drop. The other main characters, although you don't read from their pov, are compelling and feel like a loveable group. Even the side characters feel lovingly fleshed out and make you either root for them or hate them.

Second of all, the story itself was compelling and captivating. At least one plot point I saw coming, but it still didn't happen in the way I expected it to, other details I had no clue about whatsoever. This book was just perfection to me. Thank Bartholomew more is coming of this story.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for this e-arc copy. They have not in any way influenced my review.