Lauren
The Knight and the Moth is a story about religion and beliefs; about what is and is not real, and even potentially the effect of believing in something regardless of how real or not it may be.
~ 3.75 ~
While I did enjoy this story (I’m slowly becoming a sucker for Knight based tales), it was predictable. While I could not have guessed the different trials that would be faced precisely, from pretty early on I felt like I knew everything that was going on. I would say I’m pretty average at predicting twists, typically. I mention this because it’s not as if I was particularly clever. The plot was just obvious. I really think we could have lost the on page explicit scenes and this book would have been perfect for upper YA audiences (I say this as a lover of YA books). I also think the romance was pretty insta-love. Don’t get me wrong, I liked their banter, but the MFC and the MMC feelings for each other were pretty obvious.
All that to be said, I’ll give Gillig credit where credit is due - there was still something almost nostalgic about this book that made me want to keep reading. I can’t really pinpoint what it was, but it kept me going with it. Honestly, my star rating is mostly due to the fun I had reading than anything else. I also liked how the theme of starvation was used (being vague here for the sake of avoiding spoilers). I’m curious to see if she will continue its use in the next book.
I’m also hoping for more on Maude’s character. I know she acknowledged one of her flaws just after the mid-point of the book, and it kind of goes with the overarching themes, but I kind of wanted more than just an acknowledgment.
I have one other thought I feel like I need to include, but it would be a MAJOR spoiler. As such I’m going to be really loose with spoilers below. This is your warning. . . . . . . . . . . I wish Gillig would have made Benji more likable. As I stated before, I found everything very predictable (the girls, what was happening to them, the gargoyles, Bartholomew, all of it). I wouldn’t have even minded if all of this was predictable if the Benji reveal was more…exciting. I got the feeling from nearly the first time we met him that he was going to be an issue. Then every time he spoke it just got worse. I never trusted him. Never felt good about him getting power. Never liked him being king. I would have rathered love him, then have the rug pulled out. Instead of showing who he was the whole time, the one meeting without Rory and then maybe show a hint of jealousy at Rory and Sybil. That would have been enough to foreshadow who he could really be without outright telling us in everything he does and says.
The Knight and the Moth is a story about religion and beliefs; about what is and is not real, and even potentially the effect of believing in something regardless of how real or not it may be.
~ 3.75 ~
While I did enjoy this story (I’m slowly becoming a sucker for Knight based tales), it was predictable. While I could not have guessed the different trials that would be faced precisely, from pretty early on I felt like I knew everything that was going on. I would say I’m pretty average at predicting twists, typically. I mention this because it’s not as if I was particularly clever. The plot was just obvious. I really think we could have lost the on page explicit scenes and this book would have been perfect for upper YA audiences (I say this as a lover of YA books). I also think the romance was pretty insta-love. Don’t get me wrong, I liked their banter, but the MFC and the MMC feelings for each other were pretty obvious.
All that to be said, I’ll give Gillig credit where credit is due - there was still something almost nostalgic about this book that made me want to keep reading. I can’t really pinpoint what it was, but it kept me going with it. Honestly, my star rating is mostly due to the fun I had reading than anything else. I also liked how the theme of starvation was used (being vague here for the sake of avoiding spoilers). I’m curious to see if she will continue its use in the next book.
I’m also hoping for more on Maude’s character. I know she acknowledged one of her flaws just after the mid-point of the book, and it kind of goes with the overarching themes, but I kind of wanted more than just an acknowledgment.
I have one other thought I feel like I need to include, but it would be a MAJOR spoiler. As such I’m going to be really loose with spoilers below. This is your warning. . . . . . . . . . . I wish Gillig would have made Benji more likable. As I stated before, I found everything very predictable (the girls, what was happening to them, the gargoyles, Bartholomew, all of it). I wouldn’t have even minded if all of this was predictable if the Benji reveal was more…exciting. I got the feeling from nearly the first time we met him that he was going to be an issue. Then every time he spoke it just got worse. I never trusted him. Never felt good about him getting power. Never liked him being king. I would have rathered love him, then have the rug pulled out. Instead of showing who he was the whole time, the one meeting without Rory and then maybe show a hint of jealousy at Rory and Sybil. That would have been enough to foreshadow who he could really be without outright telling us in everything he does and says.