Our brutally honest review of The Knight and The Moth is in... 🗡️🦋 This highly anticipated novel by Rachel Gillig was a gothic, eerie fantasy with new magic and beloved tropes. In our review, we dissect the world building, Rachel's whimsical prose, the magic system, the plot, & the characters. (P.S. This episode contains spoilers!)

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📖 Books Mentioned:

The Knight and the Moth - Rachel Gillig

One Dark Window - Rachel Gillig

Two Twisted Crowns - Rachel Gillig

Blood Over Bright Haven - M.L. Wang

Prison Healer - Lynette Noni

✍️ The Knight and the Moth Synopsis:

Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams. Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.

⏱️ Timestamps:

It's that time of year for a reading wrap up! 📚 We’ve been busy reading & have a variety of fantasy & romance books to share with y'all. We also thought to spice up our TBRs by choosing 3 books for each other to read this August. So grab your TBR & tune in! (P.S. This episode is spoiler-free!)

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🔗 Madeline's Fable Stats: https://fable.co/madeline-bookout-544989383339

🔗 Hannah's Fable Stats: http://fable.co/hannah-bookout-363616138207

📖 Books Mentioned:

Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo

Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo

Blood Over Bright Haven - M. L. Wang

Red Rising - Pierce Brown

The Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson

Rewind it Back - Liz Tomforde

This Summer Will Be Different - Carley Fortune

The Knight and the Moth - Rachel Gillig

House of Beating Wings - Olivia Wildenstein

House of Striking Oaths - Olivia Wildenstein

Accordance - Shelly Crane

One Dark Window - Rachel Gillig

Morning Star - Pierce Brown (**minor spoiler @ 13:07**)

Elantris - Brandon Sanderson

The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

Out on a Limb - Hannah Bonam-Young

Out of the Woods - Hannah Bonam-Young

People Watching - Hannah Bonam-Young

The Selection - Kiera Cass

The Friend Zone - Abby Jimenez

Everything I Know About Love - Dolly Alderton

Never Keep - Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

Soul in Darkness - Wendy Higgins

Sweet Evil - Wendy Higgins

Rise of the Melody - Wendy Higgins

The Shadows Between Us - Tricia Levenseller

Lights Out - Navessa Allen

Magic Forged - K. M. Shea

⏱️ Timestamps:

Introducing Blood Over Bright Haven🩸, one of our all-time favorite 5 star reads. This book left both of us sobbing & reeling, & we have to debrief it with y'all. We unpack the book’s world building & plot, dissect the morally complex characters, & explore how Wang tackles ethics with gut-punching emotional stakes. (P.S. This episode contains spoilers!)

🤍 CTB Links!: https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout

📖 Books Mentioned:

Blood Over Bright Haven - M.L. Wang

Sword of Kaigen - M.L. Wang

✍️ Blood Over Bright Haven Synopsis:

For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry. When Sciona finally passes the qualifying exam and becomes a highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome—and, instead of a qualified lab assistant, they give her a janitor. What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was not always a janitor. Ten years ago, he was a nomadic hunter who lost his family on their perilous journey from the wild plains to the city. But now he sees the opportunity to understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the privileged in power. At first, mage and outsider have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first.

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00:00 intro

00:01:45 our ratings

00:02:45 what BOBH is about

00:05:25 our hiatus & an anniversary

00:09:00 world building & magic system

00:18:45 sciona’s character deep dive

00:25:39 plot deep dive

00:28:00 thomil & sciona meet

00:38:15 sciona’s crashing out

00:40:27 the library scene

00:41:49 sciona flights back

00:46:00 madeline starts crying

00:48:20 the morality theme

00:52:05 brigham character deep dive

00:56:35 thought provoking themes

00:59:10 thomil character deep dive

01:12:30 a barnes & noble story

01:15:50 pics of us crying lol

01:17:25 1000% recommend

01:21:10 outro