Bad On Paper Podcast
Episode: The Knight & The Moth Book Club
Hosts: Becca Freeman & Olivia Muenter
Date: August 27, 2025

Episode Overview

In this book club episode, Becca and Olivia dive into The Knight & the Moth by Rachel Gillig, a new entry in the “romantasy” genre. The discussion unpacks the book’s plot, world-building, characters, and thematic elements—especially as contrasted with other genre hits like Fourth Wing. They highlight both what worked and what didn’t for them, debate world-building preferences, swoon (or not) over the main characters, and speculate about where the upcoming sequel might go. The conversation is atmospheric and witty—mirroring the feel of the book itself.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Highs and Lows (01:03–06:19)

• Olivia’s High: Finished a writing journal and started a new beautiful, green, linen one. Finds satisfaction in tracking progress and using journaling as a mental health tool.
• Becca’s High: Upcoming girls’ trip to San Diego—anticipating relaxation, delicious food, and seal-watching.
• Becca’s Low: Struggling with writing edits, finding herself in a cycle of self-doubt and progress paralysis, compounded by a busy schedule.
• Olivia’s Low: None this week, possibly due to the busy pace leaving no room for disappointment.

Introduction to the Book (08:38)

• First "romantasy" book club pick since 2023’s Fourth Wing (08:38)
• Quick Plot Primer (08:54–09:49):
  • Protagonist: Sybil Delling (“Six”), a diviner interpreting dreams from the gods.
  • Sister diviners are disappearing; Sybil teams up with the knight Roderick “Rory” Mendacious to hunt for answers.
  • Their quest involves traversing the kingdom, encountering omens, and tackling larger questions about faith, power, and truth.
  • This is book one of a duology—ends on a cliffhanger.

General Impressions (09:49–13:41)

• Olivia: Neutral but leaning positive. Loved the moody, atmospheric scenes but struggled with battle sequences and early world-building confusion.
  • “There’s always some sort of a battle... I just find myself fade away very quickly.” [10:49–11:31]
• Becca: Loved it, especially for feeling different amid a saturated romantasy market. Praised the tight writing and gothic mood.
  • “It felt very transportive… something I don’t want to put down.” [12:12]
  • Appreciates shorter length (400 pages vs. much longer genre peers).

Writing Style, World-Building, and Mood (13:41–17:25)

• Both noted the intentionally confusing opening, which later loops back cleverly.
  • “[The] book starts, it says, ‘you know this story, Bartholomew, though you do not remember it... to tell a story is in some part to tell a lie, isn’t it?’” [14:12–15:04]
• Discussion of Bartholomew as a recurring mystery (“Why is he calling her Bartholomew?”).
• The book’s tone is more autumnal and moody than its canon “end of summer” setting.
• Becca: Draws parallels to gothic and atmospheric fiction, noting a strategic choice for release timing.

Romantasy Genre Placement (17:25–20:45)

• Compared to the fairy and vampire trends in the genre; this book feels refreshing by focusing on diviners, gods, and a polytheistic world.
• Stakes aren’t just personal quests—there’s a cosmic scale: “We’re saving the realm, not just saving our family member.” [18:23–19:16]
• Olivia admits to being fuzzy on certain magical mechanics (the omens, talismans, etc.), Becca clarifies the system.

Blood, Vampiric Elements & World Building (20:22–25:43)

• The motif of blood-drinking is noted—not strictly vampiric but similar.
  • Olivia: “I don’t know why this was a choice... do you think it was a direct call out to the vampire romanticies?” [20:22]
  • Becca: “For me, everything just has to make sense. And in this one, everything made sense... I assume this will be fodder for the next book.” [20:45–21:23]
• Both prefer the relatively light (but effective) world-building over lengthy exposition:
  • “We put it on the shoulders of every book to contain a full world and system... but you can kind of shortcut it and take out a lot of stuff.” [25:43]

The Romance Element (25:53–36:44)

• The romance is less explicit and less central than in other entries like Fourth Wing.
• Olivia: “Hot take, but I think I actually would have enjoyed this book more without the romance.” [26:22]
• Becca: Disagrees, but notes that the power dynamic and the “intellectual enemies” aspect works for her.
• Sybil as protagonist: Noted for her physical strength, pride, and unusual maturity in the genre. Olivia enjoyed her as “not bratty”, “more adult.”
• The lack of a typical “enemies to lovers” dynamic is appreciated.
• Body positivity highlighted: “She seemed to be really content with the strength of her body, which I was like, oh, I really like this.” [27:28]
• The romance is subtle, built on longing and restraint.
  • Becca: “It is just dripping in longing. Like, I think other romantasy books have more explicit on the page physical interactions. And in this one, they prolonged it so long...” [34:07]

Character Deep Dive: Sybil, Rory, and Bartholomew (36:44–43:03)

• Sybil: Strong, mature, and relatable—her journey is more about finding purpose than “coming into her power.”
• Rory (Roderick): Mixed reviews; Olivia finds his “bad knight” shtick annoying, but Becca finds the dynamic effective and likes “the symbolic nature of the eyeliner.” [33:08, 33:31]
• Bartholomew: Breakout favorite, providing warmth and levity. Reveal at the end divides hosts—Olivia finds the info dump weak, Becca finds the narrative device powerful.
  • Becca: “I almost was like, I wonder if the book would have been more powerful if it ended on that line [Bartholomew reveal]...” [41:24]

Unpacking the Plot and the Ending (43:03–54:28)

• The fate of Sybil’s sisters—Olivia wanted some to survive for a “mysterious, chilling” narrative, but recognized the logic.
• The ending felt rushed, with several major events crammed into the last chapters.
  • Becca: “It also felt very rushed. Like there's three huge things: They kill the Abbess, they destroy the cathedral, and then they're double crossed by Benji.” [46:17]
• Both wonder if the ending being a cliffhanger is simply a genre expectation for series books.
• Anticipation for book two includes hopes for:
  • Expanded role and darker side for Benji, the boy king.
  • More exploration of magical sprites.
  • Possible new magical systems involving Sybil’s hammer and chisel.
  • A “buddy road trip” dynamic between Rory and Bartholomew.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On starting a new journal:
  “There’s just something unmatched about the feeling of cracking open a new journal.” — Olivia (02:13)
• On the gothic atmosphere:
  “It felt so moody in a way that was maybe almost like gothic. Like, it felt like. It just felt very transportive.” — Becca (12:12)
• On world-building shortcuts:
  “We put it on the shoulders of every book to contain a full world and system. But I’m like, you can kind of shortcut it and take out a lot of the stuff that is familiar from other books and shows for me.” — Becca (25:43)
• On body positivity:
  “She seemed to be really content with the strength of her body, which I was like, oh, I really like this.” — Becca (27:28)
• On longing in the romance:
  “One thing that worked really well for me about this book is it is just dripping in longing.” — Becca (34:07)
• On male lead’s appeal:
  “There was this line... ‘I’m not one of your precious gods, diviner. I’m the one who’s killing them.’ And I was like, you’re so hot.” — Becca (32:56)
• On preferring the friendship plot:
  “At one point, I was like, oh, is this gonna go a Project Hail Mary direction where the friendship story is actually the most powerful thing? I would have loved that.” — Olivia (38:04)
• On feeling about the twist:
  “I almost wish it ended at Bartholomew... it felt a little too neat.” — Becca (45:27)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [08:38] — Start of book discussion (The Knight & the Moth)
• [09:49] — Olivia’s overall impression
• [12:12] — Becca on the book’s uniqueness and atmospheric mood
• [13:53] — The intentionally confusing prologue
• [18:23] — Discussion of fantasy creatures & book’s originality
• [20:22] — Blood, vampires, and world mechanics
• [25:58] — Comparison of romance in this vs. Fourth Wing
• [27:20] — Sybil’s body image and character depth
• [34:07] — The romance, longing, and restraint
• [37:59] — Bartholomew: comic relief and narrative anchor
• [43:19] — The reveal of the diviners’ fate
• [45:27] — Reactions to the ending and cliffhanger
• [52:07] — Predictions and hopes for book two

Final Thoughts and Listener Invitation

Becca and Olivia encourage feedback from listeners, especially anyone who has read The Knight & the Moth, and invite continued discussion in the podcast’s Geneva and Facebook groups.

Tone and Language

The discussion is conversational, passionate, a bit irreverent (see "Eyeliner Elmo" and "shut your whore mouth"), and full of both affection and critical engagement. Becca brings analytic insight as a genre connoisseur; Olivia brings relatable first-timer confusion and skepticism, but with an open mind.

Next Steps

• Await September’s book club pick (to be announced).
• Keep an eye out for the Knight & the Moth sequel (expected 2026).
• Join in the conversation via the Geneva group, Facebook, or Instagram.

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