Rachel Gillig has another major fantasy bestseller.
The Knave and the Moon, the second book in Gillig’s Stonewater Kingdom duology, reached No. 1 on the latest Publishers Weekly hardcover fiction bestseller list. Publishers Weekly described the gothic romantasy sequel as the “No. 1 book in the country,” while the national list published by the Associated Press placed it ahead of new novels by Kathryn Stockett, Ann Patchett, Liane Moriarty, Marlon James and James Islington.
The ranking gives Gillig another impressive launch after The Knight and the Moth became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller in 2025. More importantly, it confirms that Gillig’s success with One Dark Window was not a one-series phenomenon.
Her dark, atmospheric fantasy novels have turned her into one of the biggest authors in modern romantasy and her audience appears to be growing with every release.
The Knave and the Moon Reaches No. 1
Published by Orbit on September 1, 2026, The Knave and the Moon is the fourth novel of Gillig’s career and the conclusion to the Stonewater Kingdom duology.
The book debuted at the top of Publishers Weekly’s hardcover fiction ranking for the week of September 14. Although “the No. 1 book in America” is an attention-grabbing way of describing the achievement, readers should understand that the ranking refers specifically to the publication’s national hardcover fiction chart.
That context does not make the accomplishment any less significant.
Gillig’s sequel outranked a crowded field of major new releases, including The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett, Whistler by Ann Patchett, Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty, The Disappearers by Marlon James and Scion by James Islington.
Sequels do not always match the commercial momentum of their predecessors. They depend on readers finishing—and enjoying—the first book enough to return. A No. 1 debut suggests that The Knight and the Moth built an enthusiastic audience that was ready for the conclusion.
What Is The Knave and the Moon About?
The Knave and the Moon begins after the dramatic events of The Knight and the Moth.
Aisling Cathedral lies in ruins, while Rodrick Myndacious, Bartholomew and Maude Bauer are believed to be dead. King Benedict Castor III has taken Sybil Delling as his bride and plans to use a series of tournaments across Traum to display their union and strengthen his control over the kingdom.
Sybil may be a captive, but she has not abandoned her determination to defeat Benji. Doing so could require her to dismantle the kingdom’s faith—and potentially destroy herself in the process.
Her situation changes when a mysterious knave begins climbing the tournament rankings. He has neither a name nor a memory, but he may offer Sybil a way to challenge the king’s power.
The official synopsis from Orbit promises higher stakes, darker mysteries and a story about power, faith and the ways history repeats itself. It also confirms that this is the final installment in the Stonewater Kingdom duology.
Readers should therefore begin with The Knight and the Moth. This is a direct sequel rather than a companion novel designed to stand on its own.
The Stonewater Kingdom Books in Order
The Stonewater Kingdom series consists of two books:
- The Knight and the Moth — published May 20, 2025
- The Knave and the Moon — published September 1, 2026
There is currently no announced third Stonewater Kingdom novel. Gillig and Orbit have consistently described the story as a duology, with The Knave and the Moon serving as its conclusion.
Gillig explained in her own release-tour announcement that she views the first book in a duology as the place where questions are asked and the second as the place where those questions are answered.
That structure should sound familiar to readers of her first fantasy series.
Rachel Gillig Has Now Created Two Hit Fantasy Duologies
Before Stonewater Kingdom, Gillig became widely known for the Shepherd King duology:
One Dark Window introduced readers to Elspeth Spindle, a young woman who shares her mind with a mysterious creature known as the Nightmare. Its eerie atmosphere, card-based magic system and blend of fantasy, horror and romance helped the novel find a large audience, particularly among readers looking for something darker than conventional romantasy.
The novel’s rise was not limited to temporary social-media attention. In 2024, Orbit ordered an additional 100,000-copy reprint of One Dark Window, nearly two years after its original publication. That type of renewed demand demonstrated how strongly the series had grown through reader recommendations.
Gillig followed it with Two Twisted Crowns, which completed the story rather than stretching it into a longer series.
She used the same two-book approach for Stonewater Kingdom. The Knight and the Moth launched another gothic fantasy world in 2025, and The Knave and the Moon finishes it in 2026.
Gillig now has four published novels across two completed duologies—and both series have produced No. 1 bestsellers.
Why Rachel Gillig’s Fantasy Audience Keeps Growing
Gillig’s popularity arrives during a period when romantasy remains one of publishing’s most visible categories, but her books do not feel interchangeable with every other novel carrying that label.
Her stories combine romance with gothic settings, unsettling magic, religious imagery, fairy-tale logic and characters who must question the systems governing their lives. The romantic relationships matter, but they exist inside worlds built around power, belief, identity and sacrifice.
That distinction may be one reason her novels have appealed to both dedicated romantasy readers and fantasy fans who do not usually choose romance-heavy books.
Her preference for duologies also helps. Fantasy series frequently demand commitments of three, five or even ten books. Gillig offers immersive worlds with defined endings, making each series more approachable for readers who want a complete story without beginning a massive saga.
The success has become visible outside bestseller lists as well. While announcing her 2026 tour, Gillig wrote that the size of her events had grown to the point that traditional signing lines and personalizations were becoming difficult to manage. She also revealed that the United Kingdom portion of the tour sold out before she could announce it through her own social-media accounts.
Those details do not measure book sales directly, but they do show how quickly the community around her work has expanded.
Is The Knave and the Moon the Final Book?
Yes. The Knave and the Moon is the second and final book in the Stonewater Kingdom duology.
The No. 1 debut does not mean a third installment has been announced. Instead, the achievement makes Gillig’s larger body of work—and whatever she chooses to publish next, even more important to watch.
That is the real meaning behind her fantasy series “getting even bigger.” Stonewater Kingdom may be complete, but Gillig’s readership, visibility and influence within gothic romantasy continue to grow.
She is no longer simply the author of one viral BookTok favorite. She has shown that readers will follow her into an entirely new world, embrace a new cast of characters and return in large enough numbers to send the sequel directly to the top of a national bestseller chart.
Should You Read The Knight and the Moth First?
Yes. Anyone interested in The Knave and the Moon should begin with The Knight and the Moth.
The first novel introduces Sybil Delling, a Diviner who has spent years inside Aisling Cathedral interpreting dreams believed to come from six gods called the Omens. Her life changes after she meets King Benedict and his knights, including the skeptical Rodrick Myndacious.
When the other Diviners disappear, Sybil is forced beyond the world she understands. Her search challenges her faith and reveals unsettling truths about the kingdom.
The sequel continues those conflicts and deals directly with the consequences of the first book’s ending. Reading the books out of order would spoil central mysteries and weaken the emotional impact of the conclusion.
What The Knave and the Moon’s Success Means
A No. 1 debut is good news for Gillig, Orbit and readers who want publishers to continue investing in imaginative adult fantasy.
It also demonstrates that romantasy readers are willing to follow authors beyond a single viral series. Gillig successfully moved from the Providence Card magic of the Shepherd King books to the Diviners, gods, knights and gargoyles of Stonewater Kingdom without losing her audience.
If anything, that audience has expanded.
The Knave and the Moon may close the door on Stonewater Kingdom, but it leaves Gillig in an enviable position. Four books into her career, she has two completed fantasy duologies, multiple No. 1 launches and a readership eager to discover what strange, shadowy world she creates next.
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