Fairyloot Adult #39: May 2025
I was incredibly curious about May’s FairyLoot box. Ever since the theme announcement back in early April, any lingering doubts about what the featured book might be completely disappeared. It became crystal clear which title it would be—and I couldn’t be more excited. It was the latest release by an author whose writing style and storytelling I absolutely fell in love with back in 2023. Her next publication was already high on my TBR, and now I’d (hopefully) be getting a stunning FairyLoot edition of it!
May’s theme was Prophecies. An additional hint mentioned that the featured book would be perfect for readers who enjoy gothic atmospheres, foretellings, and dark omens. Honestly, even if I hadn’t already been quite sure about which book it would be, these hints alone would have intrigued me enough to want to pick it up!
The book, of course, turned out to be The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig.
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.
I first discovered Rachel Gillig thanks to FairyLoot as well—back when I still had the YA subscription. I really enjoyed reading her debut One Dark Window and its sequel Two Twisted Crowns, so I’m absolutely thrilled to dive into this story, which is aimed at an adult audience.
The artwork on the original cover of The Knight and the Moth is stunning, so I was very curious to see what FairyLoot would do—would they stick with the original, or opt for something new? As you can see, they went with the latter: a completely new illustration by @carissa_s_art, designed by @aeadraws.
This illustration gives the book an entirely different vibe, in my opinion. Normally, I’m not a fan of covers that feature characters, but since the woman is shown in profile and her eyes are hidden, it actually works really well. I also find the art style beautiful, and it gives off a mysterious and intriguing energy.
A fun bonus: when I first saw the cover, it instantly reminded me of Joan of Arc—which felt extra fitting, since I was heading to Rouen (Joan of Arc’s historical execution site) the week after receiving the box! I have no idea if the art was inspired by her, but I thought it was a neat coincidence.
The cover design is also very cleverly done. Most of the illustration is matte, but the stained glass window is printed in a glossy finish. It’s such a satisfying use of different materials and textures! (Although definitely tricky to capture accurately in photos 😅)
For those who prefer the original artwork, FairyLoot has included it on the reverse side of the redesigned dust jacket—so you can easily flip it over. The FairyLoot version just uses slightly different font colours.
The naked hardcover features a design on each side by @blanca.design, printed on a lightly textured surface. The stained glass inspiration is fully embraced here, with a gorgeous lilac purple colour, with motives of the titular moths, and intricate silver foiling. Absolutely stunning!
The stained glass theme is carried over into the sprayed edges, once again illustrated by @carissa_s_art. They’re beautifully detailed! Though I did find the aqua blue a bit surprising after only seeing the cover and hardcover design—but once I saw the endpaper illustrations, it all came together nicely.
The character illustrations on the endpapers were also done by @carissa_s_art, which keeps the female character’s depiction consistent throughout. The artwork is incredibly detailed and clearly the work of a very talented artist. I especially love the backgrounds, with stained glass elements that seem to depict scenes from the story—so clever!
My only tiny criticism? The male figure gave me a bit of a giggle. The smeared makeup is both sinister and a little ridiculous. And I can’t shake the feeling that the artist spent a lot of time looking at photos of Timothée Chalamet, haha.
Once again, I’m absolutely thrilled with this FairyLoot book! I would’ve picked up this title anyway, no question, but I’m so glad I get to own such a gorgeous special edition of it. I fully expect to love this story—so here’s hoping it lives up to my high expectations. As for the exterior? That gets a solid 10 out of 10 from me!
Cheers,
Charlotte
