The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gilling Review

 Title: The Knight and The Moth

Author: Rachel Gillig

Age Group: Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Stillwater Kingdom, book one

‘Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

This wasn’t an owned book, but when it came up on my digital library loans, I took it. I haven’t read any of Rachel Gillig’s books to completion, but I liked what I read. I was supposed to read this with my book club, but things fell through. I finished this book in two weeks, and I recently returned it. I am still thinking about it! This might be one of my favorite books of 2025, I loved it so much! Was it weird? Extremely. The worldbuilding took a little while to get into, but once I got toward the middle of the book, things started making sense. I was worried I would return it without finishing because the opening was so slow, but I’m so glad I held on! A standout romantasy that absolutely knocked my socks off!

Six has spent her entire life as a Diviner, one who reads portents and omens. When Divining, she is forced to drown in a magical spring. Her only friends are her fellow Diviners, One through Five, and a stone gargoyle. Her life is forever changed when the new king and his knights arrive, one of whom takes an instant dislike to her. When her fellow Diviners disappear, Six is determined to escape the tor and find her friends. This leads her far away from the tor, and she teams up with the king, Maude, and Rodrick Myndacious to find her friends. But secrets are hiding within the tor and outside of it, and Six discovers something that rocks her very foundations. Will she survive them? Or will it sweep her away?

I really enjoyed this book! I’ll be honest: The beginning was really slow, and it took a little bit for the worldbuilding to be understood, but I’m so glad I hung on! I loved Six’s voice, and I was captivated by it. I loved basically every character in this book, but my absolute favorite was the gargoyle! I loved the humor and love he brought to every situation; it really brought a lightness to an otherwise very dark book. But the really exciting part about this book was Six, and her growth. Watching her transform into a strong and capable heroine in her own right made me so happy. And that ending! I was so angry! How am I supposed to wait for next fall for the next book? Come on Rachel! In all seriousness, this was a beautiful, dark and lovely book, and I really enjoyed it! I’m so looking forward to the sequel!