Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did you feel about the way The Knave and the Moon picked up right after the events of The Knight and the Moth? Did it feel like a seamless continuation, and how well did it work as a concluding volume for you?

2. What was your experience reading a story that blends dark fantasy, political intrigue, and romance? Did you find that these different elements balanced each other well, or did one aspect stand out to you more than the others?

3. Which character’s journey resonated with you the most, and why? Was it Sybil’s fight for agency, Rory’s quest for identity, or even Benji’s descent into tyranny that you found most compelling?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Sybil, Rory, Maude, and Bartholomew form a powerful found family at the heart of the story. Think about a time in your life when friendship or a chosen family provided important support. How does the loyalty that these characters show one another compare to your own experiences?

2. Sybil’s journey involves shedding the roles forced upon her, like “Six” and “Diviner,” to reclaim her own name and identity. Have you ever felt defined by a label or expectation that didn’t fit? What did you learn from Sybil’s struggle to be seen as a person rather than a symbol?

3. Maude Bauer makes a conscious choice to break with her family’s violent legacy of sprite killing and forge a new one. What does the novel suggest about our ability to redefine the legacies we inherit?

4. Rory’s resurrection gives him a literal second chance at life, while Bartholomew’s name comes to mean a second chance. When have you felt like you’ve been given a second chance, big or small? How did that experience reshape your perspective?

5. Benji is a master of political theater, creating a public image that hides his true intentions. Have you ever had to present a certain version of yourself in a public or professional setting that felt different from who you are privately? What challenges did that create for you, and how does that relate to Benji’s eventual downfall?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Benji builds his entire regime on the idea of creating a common enemy in the sprites to unify the kingdom. Where do you see similar tactics of scapegoating or manufacturing fear used in our world today? What does the book warn us about leaders who rely on spectacle and division?

2. The novel ends with Sybil, Rory, and Bartholomew becoming custodians of the kingdom’s true history to prevent oppression from repeating. How important do you think it is for a society to confront and remember the uncomfortable or violent parts of its past? What happens when those histories are forgotten or intentionally rewritten?

3. The tor is revealed to be the body of a living, ancient sprite, and the kingdom’s power is built on exploiting this natural source. What commentary does the novel offer on the relationship between civilization and the natural world? Do you see parallels to modern environmental issues?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The story deconstructs the traditional knight archetype by splitting it between the villainous Benji and the heroic “knave,” Rory. How does this division challenge or subvert your expectations of chivalry and heroism in fantasy?

2. The five magical stone objects are central to Benji’s plan, but Sybil is determined to destroy them. What do these objects represent beyond their magical abilities? Does each represent a specific aspect of the old power structure?

3. We see the story primarily through the eyes of Sybil and Rory. How did experiencing Rory’s amnesia and Sybil’s captivity from their perspectives shape your understanding of the events? What might have changed if you had seen more of the story from Benji’s or Maude’s point of view?

4. What is the significance of the ox-eye sedative? How does it evolve from a tool of control used by Benji into a key for unlocking suppressed history and personal agency for Sybil?

5. The novel concludes with a hundred-year time jump, showing the heroes as immortal guardians of the tor. How did you feel about this ending? Did you find it a satisfying conclusion to their story, and what does it suggest about the ongoing nature of “happily ever after”?

6. Benji’s tournament is described as political theater designed to control the populace through spectacle. How does this compare to the use of public spectacle in other stories, like the Hunger Games in Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games series? What do both narratives suggest about the power of performance in maintaining oppressive regimes?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were one of the nobles of Traum, at what point in the story would you have turned against Benji? Would it have been the failure of the tournament, the death of a knight, or something else entirely?

2. Imagine you’re tasked with creating a new book cover for The Knave and the Moon. Which symbol from the story would you choose to feature most prominently—the hammer, a gowan flower, a fractured gargoyle, or one of the stone objects—and why?

3. If Bartholomew were to write a ballad about the events of the novel, what would he title it? What key moments of heroism, betrayal, and love would he be sure to include in his song?