Review of The Knight and the Moth (Stonewater Kingdom #1) by Rachel Gillig

The shadowy, eerie tone of the first title in Gillig's Stonewater Kingdom series gives way to heartwarming, sometimes funny moments as an unlikely pack of allies sets out on a journey of discovery, complete with battles, evolving loyalties, and an increasingly high-stakes quest. The romantic aspect is less essential than the fantasy elements, which I appreciated.

The first book in Rachel Gillig's Stonewater Kingdom series, The Knight and the Moth, considers Sybil Delling ("Six") and a group of five other foundling girls who have given up ten years of their lives to serve as Diviners, dedicating themselves wholly to being submerged in magical waters and conveying their visions and dreams of Omens at her abbess's whim.

But the shrouded girls, who have bonded over the years like family, begin to disappear, and Sybil doubts for the first time whether their collective purpose is holy and noble after all. She starts to question the motivations of those with influence, including the abbess who has tasked them with the violent drowning dreams and the Omens themselves.

Sybil is no shrinking violet at the beginning of the story, but she develops a satisfyingly solid sense of self and clarity of purpose as she determines who to align herself with, picks and chooses appropriate ways to express loyalty, and remains open to discovering new sides of herself and of those she has allowed into her inner world.

Gillig builds a layered fantasy world on elements of stone and water, and the moth symbolism changes in significance. Sybil's understanding of her own power and abilities shifts while she assesses the power of the elements she's always trusted. There's an evolving quest involving unlikely heroes, allies who continually reveal layers that make them even more interesting. I was hooked on each of our main protagonists (particularly Maude) and their rich, strategically revealed back stories.

I don't love an overly swoony, melodramatic "romantasy" story in which characters' energy is spent on pining and obsessing, where dramatic declarations overshadow a novel's fantasy elements. The Knight and the Moth is built on a spare yet satisfying fantasy world with a limited number of characters and an essential engaging romance aspect that is far more than a swoony distraction. I really, really liked this balance.

Bartholomew! This character development hurt my heart in the best way and warmed it too.

The class-warfare and discrimination against hungry sprites by the comfortable, wealthy, longstanding nobles feels like an editorial on haves and have-nots that is relevant for the current real world.

The eerie, shadowy tone set up at the beginning felt like a far more gentle version of Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb series. As The Knight and the Moth's story evolves, the humorous moments make the haunted, gray setting and oppressive corruption and greed surrounding our main characters feel satisfyingly heartwarming. I can't wait for the next books in this series.

More from Rachel Gillig

Rachel Gillig is also the author of the Shepherd King duology.

For more fantasy/science fiction stories I've loved, please check out these titles.