The Knight and the Moth

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig | 385 pages | 2025

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.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

This book pulled me in and did not let me go, and I loved every moment. The magic and the world are fascinating. The gothic elements were creepy but not over the top. The romance was tense and banter-filled and fun. The character development was wonderful. Many of the twists had heavy foreshadowing and weren't necessarily surprising, but that didn't make them any less satisfying. And, of course, the gargoyle is everything.

Wisteria by Adalyn Grace

Wisteria by Adalyn Grace -- 432 pages

Blythe Hawthorne has never let anyone tell her what to do—not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite…and to discover the truth about who she really is.

Foxglove by Adalyn Grace

Foxglove by Adalyn Grace -- 464 pages

A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He's hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago...and now he's determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.

Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate's past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate's unexpected games--all with their destinies hanging in the balance. Dangerous, suspenseful, and seductive, this sequel to the story of Signa and Death is as utterly romantic as it is perfectly deadly.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace -- 409 pages

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each one more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation, and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.
 
However, Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful—and more irresistible—than she ever dared imagine.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson, 352 p.

"Sumptuous and addictive, An Education in Malice is a dark academia tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers from Sunday Times bestselling author S.T. Gibson, author of the cult hit A Dowry of Blood.

Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua's College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold.

On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsession with Carmilla.

But as their rivalry blossoms into something far more delicious, Laura must confront her own strange hungers. Tangled in a sinister game of politics, bloodthirsty professors and dark magic, Laura and Carmilla must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in their ruthless pursuit of knowledge." --Amazon blurb

 

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow -- 308 pages

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares. If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.

A House with Good Bones, Kingfisher | 247 pages

"Nice and normal."

"Mom seems off."

Sam's life hasn't really been normal. After her dad died, she and her mom and brother had to live with her grandmother for a season. As obsessed as Gran Mae was with presenting things as normal, they absolutely weren't, with her frustration and roses and threats about the Underground Children. Sam's now 32 and laid off. She heads back to the house her mom inherited after Gran Mae's death... where things are anything but "nice and normal."

This is my first Southern Gothic - a gothic subgenre set in the American south. It's violent and haunting, with a solid dose of the supernatural. I liked it a lot even though it had me frequently shouting "What on earth?!"

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, 320 p.

"Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared.

Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot. Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares. If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it." --Goodreads

This was the adult cross between the children's series Fablehaven, and the young adult series The Raven Cycle. I expected to like this book, as I've enjoyed Harrow's writing before, but I wasn't expecting to love it. This was a completely unexpected and engrossing tale. It had the feel of an old Poe novel, but with completely modern elements. Great characters with a great setting and twists. This has cemented  Alix E. Harrow as a must-read author for me.

 

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

Gallant by V.E. Schwab, 334 p.

"Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?" --Goodreads blurb

This much-anticipated book from well-known author Schwab was a quick read that was just okay for me. I'll be totally honest and say that I'm writing this review a few weeks after completing the book and I remember very little about the plot of this book. I liked Olivia, the main character, and the family and friends she meets after leaving the orphanage. It takes a lot of time to finally get to the parallel "world" that is spoken about throughout the book and moves a bit slowly. I've read Schwab in the past and will probably continue reading her books, but this was a bit of a let-down.

 

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

 Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier-- 448 pages

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . ."

"The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's travel companion, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave." (Goodreads)

I approached this book entirely out of order. I watched the 2020 version on NetFlix last summer. Then I watched the presumably much better 1940 Hitchcock version on YouTube. Finally, I read the book! It can drag on in parts but it was definitely worth the read. I enjoyed the book very much. Rebecca, who has been dead for a year when the story begins, is still very much a main character in this book. Manderley, the de Winter ancestral mansion, is a character all its own. Things are not always as they appear at Manderley, that much is for certain.  If you are interested in a bit of a dark, brooding Gothic piece, check out Rebecca.

DAUGHTERS OF THE LAKE by Wendy Webb

DAUGHTERS OF THE LAKE by Wendy Webb - 430 pages

The ghosts of the past come calling in a spellbinding heart stopper from the "Queen of the Northern Gothic".

After the end of her marriage, Kate Granger has retreated to her parents' home on Lake Superior to pull herself together - only to discover the body of a murdered woman washed into the shallows. Tucked in the folds of the woman's curiously vintage gown is an infant, as cold and at peace as its mother. No one can identify the woman. Except for Kate. She's seen her before. In her dreams...

If you like Supernatural/Gothic Suspense, you'll like this.  At least I did.

The Séance by John Harwood

The Séance by John Harwood - 328 p.

This deliciously creepy gothic, set in the Victorian English countryside, hits all the right notes: Ancient decaying mansion surrounded by a gloomy forest – check. Apparitions, spiritualists and mysterious mishaps (as well as naysayers and skeptics) – check. Star-crossed lovers and crazy mothers – check! The book is written from several viewpoints at different time periods, and the story threads wind closer and closer until all is revealed, and not exactly how one would have expected. Very fun read! 

Unhallowed Ground by Heather Graham

Unhallowed Ground by Heather Graham - 398 pages

A good story about a woman who buys a home that has skeletons behind the wall.  There were a lot of missing people over the years and an investigator comes in and works with police and the owner of the house to try and find the killer.

Godchild by Kaori Yuki

Godchild, v.1 by Kaori Yuki - 208 pages
Godchild, v.2 by Kaori Yuki - 208 pages

Lord Cain became the head of the Hargreaves family upon his father's death.  But is his father really dead?  Why does death follow Lord Cain around?  And how are the two questions connected?
This series is a sequel to the Cain series which focuses on Cain's father.  I'm thinking that there might be a lot of back story in that series that would help to make this one make more sense.  It seems that this series focuses on various murders that Cain happens upon and that he then solves.  A lot of the murders are based upon nursery rhymes and classic books.  Some of the mysteries are better done than others.