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A review by hoodiehoarding
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The Knight and the Moth was an overall very cool story but at times the main character felt both too passive and too quick to change. I really wish that even in her jadedness/wariness of the system lingering naivety remained because of her isolation. While I think her quick acceptance of Benji’s story is a result of her naivety, it’s not played off that way. There’s also her kinda lack of resistance to Benedict’s specific insistence that she is merely Six. I feel like Sybil is so internally set on being an individual that I wish she had more thoughts of unease about her lack of identity with everyone but Maude and Rory.
Speaking more on her naivety, she is quick to trust but holds little to no doubt about what others negatively say regarding Aisling. I think it would’ve been interesting to have her wrestle with Aisling’s cruelty internally and possibly hold a small inkling of hope that everyone else is wrong and their words have become twisted like the other Omens were stealing the Diviners and not Aisling delivering them. The Oarsman said she arrived a week ago in reference to Four but I think “I got her a week ago” could’ve kept that facade in Sybil’s mind going.
I really enjoyed the build to Benedict’s betrayal to both Maude and Rory though. They’re constantly positioned as an exception in the knighthood of some kind and kept close to his person but then Hamelin and the like are given more responsibility and he regularly meets with them and has clearly been influenced by their more traditional views of the kingdom. Benedict reminds me of young boys and men becoming indoctrinated by people who make him feel “seen.” He wants to shake the system up but in aligning himself to Hamelin and his demographic’s mindset, it becomes a clawing for absolute power.
I also like Maude and Rory where Maude is a good person but not necessarily a good soldier or knight to Benji specifically. Shes not condescending or outright disrespectful, but she has not let her perception of him grow with him. That ultimately hinders their relationship and causes her to lose at the Cathedral in the final act.
It’s similar for Rory as well in that to him Benji needs more guidance or training wheels but again this ultimately works against their relationship. Rory also idolized the first Benedict and I think is subconsciously trying to use the influence he has as Benji’s big brother figure to reshape him into his grandfather. That is where Rory’s loyalty lies until Sybil who sees him as an equal rather than an exception, positively or negatively. Both Maude and Rory fail to recognize that Benji is an individual ultimately leading to that betrayal which is so cool to watch in real time. We see glimpses of his frustrations with Rory and Maude through Sybil’s narration, but as an outsider she can’t quite grasp that escalation until it’s too late and he’s forcing her to marry him to maintain the power the status quo has given him despite dismantling that structure so quietly.
For all my complaints this is genuinely an interesting world and I really enjoyed how the world building was established through conversation and events rather than the main character’s internal thoughts.
I think the MC is more passive than active except for the Romance but it fits well with what we know of her backstory but then also conflicts with my main critique from above.
Speaking more on her naivety, she is quick to trust but holds little to no doubt about what others negatively say regarding Aisling. I think it would’ve been interesting to have her wrestle with Aisling’s cruelty internally and possibly hold a small inkling of hope that everyone else is wrong and their words have become twisted like the other Omens were stealing the Diviners and not Aisling delivering them. The Oarsman said she arrived a week ago in reference to Four but I think “I got her a week ago” could’ve kept that facade in Sybil’s mind going.
I really enjoyed the build to Benedict’s betrayal to both Maude and Rory though. They’re constantly positioned as an exception in the knighthood of some kind and kept close to his person but then Hamelin and the like are given more responsibility and he regularly meets with them and has clearly been influenced by their more traditional views of the kingdom. Benedict reminds me of young boys and men becoming indoctrinated by people who make him feel “seen.” He wants to shake the system up but in aligning himself to Hamelin and his demographic’s mindset, it becomes a clawing for absolute power.
I also like Maude and Rory where Maude is a good person but not necessarily a good soldier or knight to Benji specifically. Shes not condescending or outright disrespectful, but she has not let her perception of him grow with him. That ultimately hinders their relationship and causes her to lose at the Cathedral in the final act.
It’s similar for Rory as well in that to him Benji needs more guidance or training wheels but again this ultimately works against their relationship. Rory also idolized the first Benedict and I think is subconsciously trying to use the influence he has as Benji’s big brother figure to reshape him into his grandfather. That is where Rory’s loyalty lies until Sybil who sees him as an equal rather than an exception, positively or negatively. Both Maude and Rory fail to recognize that Benji is an individual ultimately leading to that betrayal which is so cool to watch in real time. We see glimpses of his frustrations with Rory and Maude through Sybil’s narration, but as an outsider she can’t quite grasp that escalation until it’s too late and he’s forcing her to marry him to maintain the power the status quo has given him despite dismantling that structure so quietly.
For all my complaints this is genuinely an interesting world and I really enjoyed how the world building was established through conversation and events rather than the main character’s internal thoughts.
I think the MC is more passive than active except for the Romance but it fits well with what we know of her backstory but then also conflicts with my main critique from above.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Trafficking, Kidnapping