FORMAT/INFO: The Knight and the Moth will be published on May 20th, 2025. It is 400 pages and published by Orbit Books. It is available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: "Swords and armor are nothing to stone." That's the mantra of Aisling Cathedral, home to the six Diviners who dream of Omens and predict the future for those who come before them. Sybil Delling is one such Diviner. Like those who came before her, she and her fellow sisters were foundlings who have given ten years of their lives in service to the Cathedral in return for a place to call home. But with just a few months to go before their tenure ends, Sybil's sisters start to disappear without a trace, until only Sybil is left. Fleeing for her safety, the only person she can turn to is the heretical knight Rodrick, notable for his disdain of everything to do with Omens. Together, then two journey forth in search of the missing Diviners, only to uncover a darker truth than they could have imagined.

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig is an absolutely beautiful gothic romance full of feminine fury. If the term "romantasy" (which I think is overly applied to any fantasy book that happens to feature a love story) is a turn off to you, I beg you to give this a second look. This isn't a race to get to spicy scenes; this is a slow burn romance of two people falling in love while exploring the dark mystery that surrounds the kingdom. While there is a spicy scene, it feels completely earned and keeps the descriptions fairly PG-13.

If you've read the author's previous Shepherd King duology, you may find some familiar beats in this plot, which is the one slight drawback to the story. Like the other series, there's an ominous kingdom full of dark forests and unforgiving landscapes, a group trying to collect magical items, and a romantic pairing at the center of it. But while I can spot the broad similarities, there's no denying the author executes the story extremely well.

In fact, in many ways The Knight and the Moth improves on the formula that came before (and I say this as someone who enjoyed the Shepherd King duology). I vastly preferred the romance in The Knight and the Moth to One Dark Window, finding Sybil and Rodrick equally matched foils who slowly move past their disdain for each other and find love. I also think the author does a much better job of keeping the main character of Sybil on the same pages as the reader, with her having epiphanies at the same time as me, instead of several chapters after the fact.

I also loved the growing evolution of Sybil of the course of the book. She begins to take strength from her anger at how her life has been controlled and manipulated. One of my favorite arcs of a character is when they go from relatively submissive to a strong individual capable of saying No to those who have taken advantage of them in the past. It was on full display here and it was glorious.

CONCLUSION: The Knight and the Moth earns every bit of its gothic romance label in the best way possible. It is atmospheric, romantic, and mysterious. It had me flying through the pages, and I am counting down the days until the sequel can be in my hands.