I feel like this year I keep repeating something along the lines of ‘I’m not a huge romantasy fan, but…’ because so many books marketed as ‘romantasy’ keep being stellar books in their own right, transcending that (often sniffed at) label. I’m beyond glad that publishers are raising the bar for storytelling to let the authors share their worlds with us regardless of genre.

The Knight and the Moth is a perfect example. It has brilliant universe-building, geographically, historically and spiritually. The characters are interesting from the first and only grow as the adventure develops. The quest itself is gripping, and the fairly steady stream of reveals ensured that I finished this book in a weekend, with the overall atmosphere/vibe having stayed with me since (yes, I’m already eager for the sequel, are you surprised?).

Sybil isn’t just a ‘heroine who steps outside to discover the world isn’t what she expected’ – I’ve seen a lot of that done badly, but here it’s flawless. She’s not in the slightest bit stupid, nor bizarrely sassy. She’s real, as an over-protected girl-nun finding her way into becoming an independent woman. Her blindfold is a gorgeously literal depiction of how she sees the world, and it becomes so powerful that when it is removed, I found myself almost gasping with the impact. Nor does the romance take over the story; it flows naturally, with ups and downs for both parties as they brave the multiple battles that must be overcome through their journey.

I loved that the story isn’t afraid to dive into deeper waters too. The politics is on-point, taking the trope of ‘rich King vs poor peasant’ and blurring the lines through showing exactly how everyone in these lands live. The impact – and abusive nature – of power and religion is an ongoing theme, and it sparks awareness in the reader of parallels with our own world, as any good fantasy should.

I’m so glad to see that this book has found such a wide audience of entranced readers, because it’s precisely what we need right now: a clever, engaging morality tale that provokes thought, empathy and connection. Especially with one particularly memorable gargoyle that I’ve already seen crocheted versions of!

A definite recommend, Bartholomew (pick up the book to find out!).

The Knight and the Moth is available now – you can order your copy on Bookshop.org