The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, 1)

Sometimes the right book finds you at the right time—and The Knight and the Moth was exactly the pick me up I didn’t know I needed. I came for the gargoyles (and trust me, Bartholomew delivered with laugh out loud moments that had people side eyeing me in public), but I stayed for much more than I expected I would. Maude quietly and ferociously stole a piece of my heart. Her chapters had some of the book’s most quotable lines (along side our Gargoyle sidekick), and her presence was so grounding in the midst of all the chaos and doubt. Sybil and Rory’s banter? Surprisingly addictive—especially coming from someone who doesn’t usually gravitate toward romance. Their chemistry festered and boiled in a way that felt intriguing, and just a little bit chaotic (in the best way). Yes, a few sections were predictable, and some of the buildup felt a little rushed and a bit anticlimactic by the end of the journey. But overall, it was creative and fun yet still left me curious for more—especially the lore around the sprites. Their story carried a quiet ache that I hope the sequel falls deeper into. What we do know so far made me more sad for them, than anything else. Excited and a bit nervous to see what’s next… Until then, let’s all carry a little Bartholomew in our spirits. The world would be brighter for it—bold, bizarre, and impossibly loyal.

It’s not very often that I give 5⭐️ reviews because I save them for stories that IMO are so flawless and haunting to my soul that I remember them long after I read them. TKATM is one of those stories to me. I had no idea what the book was about going in and I was worried I would not finish it based on… well, the book cover art 😬 So here I am. Here is my testament to never ever judge a book by its cover. TKATM is funny, heartbreaking, shocking and also a love story. It is a masterpiece.

I went into this having already read “one dark window” so I knew her writing style. If you are listening on audible the voices for the characters, especially gargoyle, are really fun!

WOW. BENJI YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!! I had a feeling that man child was going to do something out of pocket but not like this smh he’s literally repeating the work of the Abess! I’m so upset bro. And Bartholomew, my poor sweet child, I love him so much. I can’t wait for book 2. I thought this book was going to end with Rory getting dipped in the spring water and idk which is worse. I’m so upset at Benji. Our girl has gone through so much. I also suspected that the gargoyles were diviners from the very beginning. I’m also sad that her friends are actually dead dead. UGHHHH

I enjoyed the writing, the romance was a little cheesy, but I’m easing my way back into low fantasy and the magic system was good. The world building could’ve been expanded, I actually would’ve enjoyed a longer book with more description. I’m looking forward to the second book, but I’m not dying for it.