Reviews

‘Magic's a wild thing. It only flows when life is left to exist in its own natural way.’

I am at all times wanting to vanish into the gorgeous landscapes and whimsical worlds of K. O’Neill’s imagination. The Moth Keeper proves to be another magnificent journey, transporting the reader beneath starry skies and into a village that has adapted to be nocturnal to honor the Moon-spirit. Explores themes of responsibility, cooperation and sharing the burdens of others, the story follows Anya as she becomes the protector of the Moon-Moths that are essential for the flowers the village needs to thrive. Like their Tea Dragon Society books, The Moth Keeper is teeming with tradition, myth, and magic, making for a lovely story full of endearing characters and told through O’Neill’s gorgeous, signature artwork. The Moth Keeper is sure to warm your heart and send your imagination soaring.

Inspired by the landscape of the Tongariro National Park of New Zealand, and a rare species of moths there, O’Neill creates a vast desert world that is exciting to explore and learn about. There is a fun dynamic examining the way a society would learn to thrive living only in darkness, which contrasts with the day-village that appears later in the story. But even in the cold of night there is a lot of warmth in this village, with everyone working together to uphold one another, ‘a village where each person holds the hand of another. So that no one gets lost in the darkness.’ It is a beautiful sentiment and something O’Neill has carried through many of their books, often showing how that extends to the natural world as well. Much like the message in their [b:Aquicorn Cove|36482829|Aquicorn Cove|Kay O'Neill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527873678l/36482829._SX50_.jpg|58193416], the well-being of the village and nature go hand in hand.

‘I want to become a light for others…I want to hold my lantern up high for everyone.’

Anya becoming the Moth Keeper is a great honor but also a heavy responsibility and burden, and long nights alone in the dark begins to weigh heavily on her as well. Her desires to see the world during the day and the loneliness she endures at night dives her into existential anxieties that threaten to undo her, thinking about how she took the role to have a job that would mean she ‘matters to someone,’ to feel her existence is justified. There are thoughtful moments about how it isn’t just our labor that defines us, even in a community where everyone must shoulder responsibilities, and that sometimes love is already right there in the people right in front of us. As usual in O’Neill stories, the characters have a fantasy part-animal element to them and there are adorable, queer romances blossoming as well as the wisdom of elders to help guide the next generation, pass on the stories and traditions, and allow everyone to grow and be cared for. Their books always leave me in such a good mood and lightness of spirit.

There is just so much to love here. I mean, as a lover of stories and a library worker I ADORE the owl-lady “keeper of stories” that has them quite literally inscribed on the feathers of her wings:

But O’Neill’s art is so wonderful as well. Being set mostly at night, it isn’t as bright or as bold as their usual work but the cool colors, excellent use of lighting, and stunning visuals set quite the emotional tone to the story, which all vaguely recalls Studio Ghibli. The style is a bit looser here than their past works, which is quite effective, and I enjoyed the bits of experimentation such as the orange and grays of the charcoal-like style used for the scenes depicting village folklore:

The Moth Keeper is a charming and inspiring graphic novel that, while aimed at a young teen audience, is just as moving and magical for adults. The inclusive cast of characters are wonderful, the art is spectacular, the story is excellent and the messages are beautiful to take to heart. While Anya’s backstory felt a little underexplored, with the tidbits raising far more questions than explaining much (is this the start of a series perhaps?), I still enjoyed the way this story seems to show how dealing with trauma is a lifelong process. If anything, this story shows how we can all help and heal one another and that working together uplifts all. A marvelous book that I can’t wait to revisit again and again.

4/5