I tried so many times to get into this book. I felt so guilty not getting to it in a timely fashion, but I think it’s time to admit defeat.

I think the ideas of magic in the book are good but the characters are stale.

A string of unsolved murders, clever young woman and her friends off to investigate, and unexplained things happening under the moonlight. This description sounded like it was right up my alley. Unfortunately for me, this book fell a bit short of what I was hoping for.

Cat is a likable enough protagonist, but definitely not the most memorable. While she is likable and kind, she is also sort of a Molly Sue. She’s sort of the chosen one and all of the boys want to date her. She does go a bit deeper than that, but I wish the author had even pushed farther.

The whodunnit part of the story was interesting enough that I kept reading. There were some decent twists/red herrings, but I could’ve probably done without the romance subplot. I suppose that’s a big ask for a YA book though.

I will give kudos for the treatment of mental illness within this story. Cat, Simon, and friends express a relatively modern view of mental illness.

All in all, this book was okay for me. Maybe as a teenager, I would’ve enjoyed this book a bit more.

Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty

444Pages
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Farrar Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Release Date: June 28, 2022

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teens, Young Adult, Coming of Age, Mental Illness

Catrin is an orphan raised in a convent by the Sisters of Light. She works with the chief architect as a foundation inspector at night so work can continue during the day. Catrin realizes she is different from others when she can see things in the shadows. She keeps this knowledge to herself because she does not want anyone to know she is different. One evening she hears screaming and following her senses to find a dead woman, someone she knows.

Simon is a newcomer to the city and is asked to investigate the crime. He brings Lady Juliane, Comte de Montcuir’s daughter. Juliane has impeccable memory and assists Simon while he investigates. Unfortunately, Juliana suffers from mental illness and breaks down if not tended to by Simon.

I was immediately drawn to the cover. The image is beautiful and grabbed my interest. I knoew I had to read this book. The story has a fast pace, the characters are well developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. Catrin and Juliane have a special relationship and it was nice to see the characters grow. Although this is listed as a young adult book, the topics addressed would benefit anyone age group. The mystery was well written and kept me captivated. Learning about Catrin and her origin was a twist to the story as was Juliane’s history. If you like sci fi mysteries with a couple of twists, you will enjoy this book.

I was super surprised when I found out this was a murder mystery. I went into the story completely blind, I just knew I loved the cover and I am a total cover snob. Well, this was a super interesting murder mystery that just so happened to have a big dollop of magic and a smidge of romance. Overall, I could not have been more pleasantly surprised by this book. The main mystery in the story is resolved completely so there are no loose ends to keep you up at night, but this is the first in a series so there are questions about the main character and her friends that are still left open for the next book.

On a side note, this book deals a lot with mental illness, specifically schizophrenia, and all the difficulties involved with living with it as well as caring for someone suffering with it. In my non-experience opinion, the author seemed to approach the topic with care and sensitivity and overall well done, but at times very hard to read.

I saw this book and read the summary and knew immediately I wanted to read it and I wasn't wrong.

Catrin is our main character and she has a special ability to spot flaws in the construction of the holy sanctum before anything bad can happen. When she is out one night looking over the building, she witnesses a murder and is pulled into the investigation to help try to stop the murderer before they strike again.

Assigned to officially investigate the crime is Simon, a distant relative of the town leader. He has insights into the mind of the killer that prove to be strangely accurate and as he and Catrin work together to stop the murderer, they find themselves drawn to each other and as their relationship changes, they disclose secrets that could put them both in danger.

I really enjoyed this book and if you're looking for a new standalone YA with a bit of mystery and magic, definitely pick this one up.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really did enjoy this novel, it kept me engaged throughout the entirety of it and I found myself wanting to know more and I connected to so many of the characters. I would highly recommend this read!

Great story. Interesting world and a twisty mystery. The only part that was confusing was the architecture of the building. It was hard to imagine the scenes with all the architectural jargon.

Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

A fantasy-set Paris/French town, cathedrals, a murder mystery, and special powers? Sounds absolutely intriguing.

Catrin has a special power that has awoken the first night of the murder. She witnesses the murderer standing in moonlight. A handsome inspector, the lord of the manor's two sons are interested in her, and everyone is a murder suspect. Meanwhile, Catrin is determined to find out her true heritage which might solve the mystery before it happens again.

Soo good. Doubt there will be a sequel, but if there is I'll be excited!

It’s rare to find a murder mystery fantasy novel and even rarer to find one that’s written well. This book had all that and more. The romance in this book tied this story nicely together. Definitely feel like the fantasy elements could’ve been explored a little but more but none the less it doesn’t take away from the story. A must read for mystery and fantasy lovers!

Currently taking a break from this book but might try it again later. It just didn’t catch and maintain my interest.

This one wasn't really for me, but I don't think that's a bad thing. It had a very distinct feel the whole way through that I think many readers will enjoy, and look for when reading one of Erin Beaty's books, but it just didn't work for me.

I was so excited for this book for this book and then winning a copy I was over the moon. But once I really started reading this one sadly that is where the enjoyment ending. I found that this book was super slow and very confusing. There was ton of info dumping that felt very out of place and I really just didn't care about the character.

3.5/5 Stars

Catrin, a young orphan girl becomes caught up in a serial killer's murder investigation while trying to hide secrets of her own.

First off, can we take in this GORGEOUS cover. I enjoyed this, but did feel as though it dragged a bit in the middle. I liked Catrin (Cat) as a main character, and learning more about her moon magic and where she came from. I definitely was more intrigued by Simon and Juliane though. I also wouldn't say I was fully on board with the romance between Simon and Catrin in the end. I love a good serial killer, so I had a lot of fun trying to figure out who this one was. There were so many possible suspects, I was glad it wasn't completely obvious right from the beginning. I loved the profiling that Simon, Juliane, and Cat attempted as they chased the killer. I also enjoyed the discussions on mental illnesses, and the care with which they were handled in this book.

This book was beautiful and elegant. It's definitely something outside my normal comfort zone in books, but Blood and Moonlight has made me want to read more fo Erin Beaty's work. The writing was so beautiful and the story was spook & gripping.

One of my most anticipated books of the year. It was so good and 100% worth the wait. I read it all in one day and it was amazing. Definitely reccomend picking it up immediately

Received an eARC from NetGalley/Fierce Reads

In this story we follow Catrin, an orphan girl who lives in the city of Collis. While working on the city's Sanctum, Cat is started by a scream. As she goes to investigate she sees someone running away as she gets closer she finds the lifeless body of someone she knew.

Simon, the city's Venatra, "Investigator", is asked to find the culprit of this crime. While Simon and Catrin work together to find the murderer another body is found. Catrin does all she can to help Simon, while keeping a few secrets to herself.

I was hooked from the beginning. I really loved how the story mostly takes place at night. There is such a magical element to stories that are set at night. The moon plays a big role in Catrin's, Cat's, life. When Cat is touched by the moonlight her senses are enhanced. She can hear noises from far away. Her sense of smell and taste are also heightened, but that's not all. This is not the only magical gift Cat has. If Cat touches blood she can hear the person's last thoughts.

I really liked how Cat's magic also gave her the ability to get a glimpse of what the victims are going through. Although the idea of being in the body of someone who is being killed is terrifying Erin Beaty did a great job in not making it so graphic that I had to put the book down. Another magical ability I liked from the story is that Cat was able to hear the victim's last thoughts when she accidentally touched their blood.

There was one character that was portrayed having a mental illness that to me seemed like touching on schizophrenia. This character also had a photographic memory. Even though the exact illnesses was never really stated, in my opinion it was well written.

I would have liked to learn more about Cat's family and seen her develop her magical abilities more or question why she had them a bit.

Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this story. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love. I was so invested in these characters lives that I never really knew who the killer was until the very end. I did have a few theories, but none played out. It was a surprised until the very end.

I would love it if there was a second book to this story just so that I could find out more about what happens to these characters.

Aside from having an amazing cover this book kept me hooked! The plot was luring, the characters were enticing, I loved the world building. I heard so many great things about previous titles by this author. I cant wait to read more!

Cat is a witness to a murder, but she doesn’t realize it until the body of a woman is found. How could she have heard it when she was so far away from the scene of the crime?

Blood and Moonlight is a YA fantasy thriller that immediately hooked me from the beginning. With a focus on the thriller aspect of the novel, the story follows Cat as she helps with the investigation into finding a serial killer. I thought this was odd because she has no experience that would prove her to be helpful with the investigation, especially since her powers remain a secret. While I understand her participation moved the story forward, I wish a more credible reason had been given.

Cat’s powers are one of the most interesting aspects of the novel. I was disappointed her abilities and her background were secondary to finding the killer. I thought it was unique and wanted to explore this more. The moments when the story traversed into her background were moments I wanted to keep going so I could keep reading about it.

Although there were things I wished were different, I was engaged in the story, continually hypothesizing who the killer could be and second-guessing myself even when I thought I was certain I knew who it was. Blood and Moonlight would be a good read for those who like mystery thrillers that utilize old-fashioned sleuthing and have a bit of magic mixed in. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

My Review:

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review and place on this blog tour – thanks!

This is my first Erin Beaty book; however, she came highly recommended as a lot of my friends really enjoyed The Traitor’s Circle trilogy. But after reading this one, I am on the fence if I will be picking up that series any time soon. I am still very confused by this book, both of the plot and my feelings toward it. Which is why I have decided to break this review into two parts: “The Things I Liked” and “The Things I Did Not Understand / Liked Less”. So let’s get into it!

THINGS I DID NOT UNDERSTAND/LIKED LESS

Let’s start with the less positive part of this review and keep the best for last.

The so-called magick system! As Cat is an outsider to her own magic, any explanation and world building regarding it was really lacking. It left me very confused and its uses always seemed to be things that were most convenient to the plot (including its sudden awakenning- you cannot tell me that she had not been out in the moonlight after her fourteenth birthday it doesn’t fit her character). Also, if you are going to give your MC magic she doesn’t know about, don’t make her an expert in using it without having ANY training.
Cat’s entitlement to her magick and the Selanae community. For someone who seems to understand the necessitated secrecy of their magic, she doesn’t seem to have a problem with disrespecting the community and bringing everyone in without a regard for their safety.
The romance! You cannot tell me plain, regular Catrin somehow has the romantic interest of not one, not two, but THREE men!! I was really mad about one in particular which I had a feeling was going to be a thing but bleh
WHAT I LIKED

The investigative parts of the first half of the book. It reminded me a lot of Criminal Minds (one of my favourite shows) how Simon got into the head of the killer gave me Walmart Hotch vibes and I was there for it. I loved him and Juliane and wish we had gotten more of that
Cat and Margeurite’s friendship! Again something I wish we would have gotten a lot more of but what page time the pair got I always enjoyed.
The architectural descriptions. I always enjoy learning about architecture and it was interesting to hear about the Sanctum and to try and imagine what this large, holy building would look like off of the page.
All in all, I think a lot of people will enjoy this book! It’s very different from any other fantasy/thrillers I have read before and the writing style is easy to fall into.

Blood and Moonlight releases June 28th