Knave and the Moon: 16-End

THE KNAVE AND THE MOON — Chapters 16–30 | HOW DID IT END?! | Romantasy Roundtable

WE MADE IT TO THE END. And somehow we went from “haha funny gargoyle in a pink robe” to earthquakes, forest fires, royal coups, martyrdom, death, resurrection, and a gargoyle who might literally be becoming a storytelling god.

In this episode of Romantasy Roundtable, Rick, Amanda, and Kimberly finish Rachel Gillig’s The Knave and the Moon, the second book in the Stonewater Kingdom duology, covering Chapters 16 through 30. And yes… there are A LOT of feelings.

We’re talking about Bartholomew being the absolute MVP, Benji spiraling further into madness, Rory and Cybil’s relationship, the truth behind the sacred spring and the Tour, and the increasingly unhinged ways Rachel Gillig manages to make us love these characters before absolutely DESTROYING US.

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT:

• Rory putting Benji in his place… and why that definitely comes back to bite him

• Bartholomew. In. The. Pink. Robe.

• The lore behind sprites, gargoyles, stone, and the Stonewater Kingdom

• Rory and Cybil’s reunion, romance, and some VERY important “soup”

• Cybil’s determination to sacrifice herself and whether the book gives that storyline enough emotional weight

• Benji’s increasingly unhinged descent into villainy

• The tournament of champions and Bartholomew absolutely DOMINATING

• Hamlin Fischer being exactly as awful as we expected

• The forest fire, the deaths, and Bartholomew’s heartbreaking sacrifice

• The truth about the Tour and the ancient sprite beneath it

• Bartholomew’s relationship with the children of the kingdom — prepare yourselves

• Cybil giving Bartholomew a surname and WHY IT IS SO DAMN SWEET

• Rory’s love confession

• The return of the sheepkin rug™

• Ma Bower becoming king… and then THAT happening

• The final duel between Cybil and Benji

• Benji’s final fate and why Rick actually felt bad for the little bastard

• Bartholomew’s death…

• THE ENDING. THE ENDING. THE ENDING.

• The beautiful final chapters and the idea that stories change every time they’re told

• Whether the entire Stonewater Kingdom duology could actually be one of Bartholomew’s retellings

• Our final ratings: 5 Stars and TWO SOUPS

We also talk about why The Knave and the Moon made us appreciate The Knight and the Moth even MORE, how Rachel Gillig manages to blend romance, fantasy, darkness, whimsy, and almost Disney-movie-level storytelling, and why this duology feels like two halves of one complete story.

And, naturally, we have to discuss Bartholomew’s impeccable vocabulary, including his truly elite use of the word “bitch.”

Plus: Rick gives another shoutout to Robert Biehn’s The First Stone, Kimberly continues reading it, Amanda is apparently planning a wedding instead of reading, and we reveal what’s coming next on Romantasy Roundtable!

SPOILERS: This episode contains FULL SPOILERS for The Knave and the Moon AND The Knight and the Moth. If you haven’t finished the duology, GO READ IT FIRST!

THE KNAVE AND THE MOON

Rachel Gillig

Stonewater Kingdom #2

If you enjoyed the episode, PLEASE LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a comment! Tell us what YOU thought of the ending, whether you saw the twists coming, and most importantly…

DID BARTHOLOMEW DESERVE THIS MUCH PAIN?!

Find us everywhere:

Instagram & TikTok: @RomantasyRoundtable

Email: romantasyroundtable@gmail.com