(3.5+) This book had me sufficiently hooked at 12 percent of the way through that, at 1:09 a.m. and running on less than four hours of sleep, I couldn’t bear to put it down.

Erin Beaty has crafted a quite beautiful tale with lovely whispers of magic and romance throughout. This is an ornate world, and it’s so well-researched and well-depicted that it comes alive and acts as a near-perfect backdrop to this story. A lot is based on the fact that you’re able to picture the imagery and the architecture, but Beaty’s way of describing everything is lively and robust without ever coming across as heavy-handed, so I never felt like I was floundering to imagine all the visual intricacies of her setting. The magic in the book was intriguing and fresh, and watching Catrin grow to understand her abilities never came across as forced; she acts as a perfect conduit to this world because she’s charming and spirited and curious. The other characters are intriguing, too, especially Simon and Juliane in regards to their relationship; through them, Beaty deftly tackles some more serious issues (mental illness).

While this book is many things (maybe too many), it’s mainly a murder mystery, and it’s well played out within these pages. I figured out who the killer was very early on, and I was still waiting with bated breath to see how the plot developed and what happened in the end. (Even if, when all’s said and done, the motive didn’t quite make sense.) The only problem with the whodunnit being telegraphed — at least for me — was that Catrin was blind to what I saw as so obvious, so her confusion felt like a glaring oversight and became frustrating. Like, the answer is right there!!!! But the investigation of the murders (which, beware, are quite gruesome) is nicely paced — even as the book toggles between being a murder mystery and a fantasy and a romance — and the clues will definitely get the reader theorizing.

I wish Beaty had created a little more chemistry between Catrin and Simon; instead of their connection growing naturally, it felt like they picked up in the middle of a relationship with no real lead-in, and things thereafter felt a little forced. I really enjoyed the way they related and opened up to each other, but there wasn’t much in these pages to explain this supposedly intense connection they felt. They’re cute together, but, for whatever, reason, I didn’t really buy a deep attraction. I almost think they would have been better as friends.

So, no, it’s not a perfect book. But it’s a well-woven tale, and it was well worth my __ under-eye bags the next day.

(Also, I’ll say what we’re all thinking: The cover is absolutely stunning and worth a buy for that alone.)

Special thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Erin Beaty for proving me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

With well written and believable characters, Blood and Moonlight is a excellent blend of Murder Mystery and YA Fantasy that will engross it's readers. I thoroughly enjoyed the worldbuilding, character development, and thrilling and unique storyline. Special thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC of this novel!

I am honestly so surprised by how much I enjoyed this. This is definitely a book where you kind of have to trust the process and just roll with it because to be honest I wish this book had a glossary lol maybe the finished book will have one. BUT TRUST THE PROCESS YOU WONT REGRET IT.
I adore Cat. Me and everyone else apparently 🤣
I was getting some serious whip lash with this mystery! As soon as I thought I had it figured out they'd cast so much suspicion on someone else I didn't know which way was up. Trust no one. This was so good. Even if I was thoroughly confused at times, the best mysteries keep you guessing.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thrilling and absorbing. I sat down to start this book this morning....and I don't think I got off the couch until I finished it! I loved that Beaty combined a good ol' fashioned murder mystery with a strong YA fantasy. I enjoyed the hunt for the Jack the Ripper-style serial killer with an interesting system of magic.

The characters were all decently well-written and believable. The city and world were...less well-developed, but were still described enough that I didn't feel lost. Perhaps if I had read Beaty's previous work, it would be different. I don't know if her books are all set in the same world or not, but my lack of previous knowledge didn't impede my enjoyment of the story. I felt like the level of gore/gruesome aspects was appropriate for a YA-age book, though I know others might feel as though it was a bit too much blood/gore.

The mystery wrapped up...okay. It was one of those "this crucial piece of information we [the audience and the main character] didn't know before helps to identify the killer at the right moment." Which is...fine. It's not Agatha Christie-level mystery writing, but it was well paced and absorbing.

Overall, I think this is one I would read again, and I'll keep an eye out for more of Beaty's work.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for my copy of the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

More like a 3.5 out of 5 but I’ll round up because it was an enjoyable read, even if it was cheesy and predictable at times. Props to Erin for doing the bare minimum and hiring a sensitivity reader for the mental illness/schizophrenia depictions in the book, I really did admire her author’s note for that. As for the plot and story, it felt… unfinished? The entire aspect of Cat’s magic and her secret past were brought up but not played upon enough to satisfy me. I wanted more magic and crime, less romance. Simon and Remy and Lambert and Odin all annoyed me in some way, so I really wish there had been less romance and less men overall to deal with. Good premise, fell a little flat, but ultimately a good, fun, read.

Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
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I was so excited to read this book, and it started out really good. It’s a Jack the Ripper inspired murder mystery with a fantasy touch. The story started out strong and had my attention hooked on it. A thrilling cat and mouse game, a cool magic concept, wonderful slow-burn romance and engaging main character.

The books main character Catrin gets accidentally roped into the murder investigation after overhearing the first murder. She teams up with the investigator Simon and his cousin Juliene. First it’s only for her own selfish reasons, but over time she can’t help but to care. I would honestly say that Catrin and Simon are my favourite part of the whole book. Their relationship was just so lovely to read about, and I really wanted Catrin to end up with a guy that deserved her. Usually I’m not the biggest fan of “the chosen one” trope since it usually makes the main character way too overpowered. But here it just worked. Catrine wasn’t untouchable or anything like that, she just was able to contribute to the investigation in a special way no-one had the ability to do.

They were the only consistent thing that kept my attention, and even when the story started going all over the place they were the one reason I kept reading. Because the story lost my interest towards the end. There just was something a bit off with the pacing of the book, and I noticed that my attention started to falter. There is just so much going on, but not in a good way. Way too many red herrings. But I think my biggest disappointment was that the whole thing with the magic powers didn’t get the chance to get properly explored. It felt like just a fotnot, something bigger that was waiting to be unleashed. But when it actually got some space in the story, the whole thing just felt rushed through. Which is a shame, as I would have loved to see more of it.

There were definitely parts of the book I loved, and others I feel could have been done better. If you enjoyed Stalking Jack the Ripper, then you’ll most likely enjoy this one too! Or if you want a fantasy murder mystery, I can also see you enjoy it.

This is definitely book I requested entirely for the cover, because just look at the composition of vines and the rendering of the skin. Hot damn. As for the book itself, I was extremely excited when I saw that the author has a background in engineering and that really really shows. The descriptions of structural components of the Sanctum (similar to a cathedral?) and the scaffolding Catrin climbs around, how seamlessly those details are woven into plot points really show the author knows her way around structures. Unfortunately, I found the characters fairly forgettable. Catrin feels like your generic YA female protagonist, a little spunky and 'not like other girls' and her romance with Simon, the investigator, felt forced. Additionally, I thought plot twists were all fairly obvious. I did like the magical elements in this book and I definitely wish that could have been explored more. Overall, I rate this book a 3.5/5.

In Erin Beaty's fantasy mystery-thriller, Blood and Moonlight, an orphan with a secret, magical sight gets caught between a mysterious genius and the serial killer he’s hunting.

BLOOD AND MOONLIGHT is a great read for both mystery and fantasy lovers alike. I was super glad that I had access to both the ebook and the audiobook because this felt like a chonk of a book, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It takes a minute to get off the ground, but when the book gets going, it gets going. Beaty has crafted one of those mysteries that kept me guessing with every twists and turn until it landed with a conclusion that I didn't really even predict. With Catrin's POV, we really find ourselves in the middle of the mystery and that's a special quality in a book. I thought the world-building was really unique as well as the magic system, and seeing how Cat learns more about herself through it was satisfying. I also thought the romance between Cat and Simon was super sweet. All of the characters were really multi-faceted and unique. I appreciated the care in which the author has attempted to portray mental illness with Julianne and thought that she did a good job with portraying schizophrenia while stressing the fact that those who suffer with mental illnesses are people worth dignity and respect. The only issue I had with this was the pacing at first, but I thought this was a solid book overall and am glad I was able to read it.

3/5

Reading this was.. an experience. I’ve said this in pretty much all of my reviews, especially my more detailed ARC reviews, but writing style plays a big part in my overall enjoyment of a book. From the beginning, I was not a fan of the writing. Many lines reminded me of a 2012 YA novel:

“After dinner I’d traded my calf/length working skirt for a much shorter one over a man’s breeches and bound and pinned my dark curls into submission.”

This was on one of the first pages in the book.
I did have fun finding the lines that made me cringe, but it distracted me from the plot and characters. I cannot recall most of the characters’ names or how the mystery develops past the initial introduction and a few later details. I give this book three stars because I’ll admit this is a weird complaint to have; I would like to give this a neutral rating so as not to dissuade others from reading.
I’ll leave the reader(s) of this review with another lovely quote that sounds like I plucked it right out of an early draft of Twilight:

“When he left for further study in Lutecia, Remi kissed my cheek like a brother bidding a sister goodbye, saying things would be different when he returned. I'd assumed he was referring to the fact that, Sun willing, he'd have tested out of his apprenticeship. Then he'd called me Catrin—which was unusual—and kissed me again. On the mouth. In a very not brother-like way.”

I’m sorry what 😭

In conclusion, if you’re picky with microscopic details in writing, this book probably isn’t for you. If you can ignore things like this, I would highly encourage you to give this book a shot.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Blood and Moonlight simultaneously evokes two of my major fictional genre loves: gritty mystery/thrillers and fantasy worlds with historical aesthetics, so I ate this up. The world evokes medieval French vibes, and I love getting a sense of the Sanctum and its environs as the intense events occur within them.
The mystery is central to the plot, and it evokes vibes of Jack the Ripper and other notorious historical killers. It’s not afraid to describe crime scenes and violence, and while it’s not done distastefully, it’s still not for the faint of heart.
I appreciate that there’s an effort to also make both a textual statement about mental health issues (particularly schizophrenia) and the legacy of misunderstanding it through supporting cast members. And based on her author’s note, Beaty clearly cares about the subject deeply, and to do so in a crime novel also challenges dated stereotypes.
Catrin is a sympathetic, yet flawed lead. I love when protagonists can acknowledge their prejudices and grow from them. And Simon makes for a great counterpart for her, as while he is arrogant, some of his experiences help in Catrin’s growth. And he’s also just the sweetest, most dedicated person at heart, with a single-minded focus on finding the killer.
I really enjoyed this book, and am eager to try more from Erin Beaty in the future (I’ve heard pretty good things about the Traitor’s Circle series!). If you enjoy fantasy with historical aesthetic settings and intense mystery/thriller plots, I recommend this one.

The moon casts its light on buried lies and concealed truths in this thrilling (sometimes even bone-chilling) murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat, anxiously awaiting what will happen next.

Orphaned at a young age, Catrin is taken in by the city’s architect, where she discovers her love for the buildings surrounding her home. One fateful night while out inspecting a recent construction, she happens upon a gruesome murder and becomes involved in an investigation tangled in secrets, deception, and betrayal. When it becomes a game of cat and mouse, Cat must find out who she can trust and who is hiding beneath the city’s shadows.

This book was the perfect combination of magical fantasy and suspenseful thriller. Beaty’s writing was so immersive and imaginative. And with the dark medieval setting, foreboding atmosphere, and beautiful prose, I felt like I was leaping across the cityscapes into the moonlight alongside Cat and Simon.

The unexpected twists, turns, and red herrings had my head spinning endlessly with all the different possibilities and outcomes this book could take. I really admired how clever the two main characters were, working and collaborating as a team to piece together this intricate mystery.

The romance in the book had my heart MELTING!! I loved how they saw and accepted each other as equals and admired their different sets of unique abilities. The addition of magic introduced a sense of enchantment and awe to the story, balancing out the horror and dark subject matter of the plot. I thought it was so intriguing and conceptual but also beautiful. The sense of family and self just added that extra delicate touch the novel needed.

If you’re a fan of fantasy interwoven into a mystery like in stories such as Stalking Jack the Ripper and Crescent City and would love to put your detective hat on, keep this new thriller in mind.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Blood and Moonlight takes place in the city of Collis and follows our main character Cat. This book was enjoyable, and I like when books are multi-genre but it felt like it kept getting off track for this book. One second we have a sad angsty romance and then the next 50 pages are just about this strange moonshine ability that wasn't really developed before. Then there's also the whole criminal minds aspect. The moon abilities were really fascinating and I'm looking forward to learning more about that. I'd recommend if you want a fantasy Jack the Ripper.

I enjoyed this book, but I think it wasn't really my cup of tea. I definitely think it could be someone's favorite book; it has so many cool elements. As far as I could understand, it had a fairly nuanced perspective on mental health and it discussed so many aspects of mental health and disability in a variety of ways. The mystery was very well done, and it kept me guessing right until the very last moment. It's definitely grim (as most books about serial killers tend to be), so keep an eye out for content warnings if you're interested.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Just when I thought I figured out who was behind the murders, the development of the plot and clues had me second guessing myself up until the very end. Some parts were a little predictable, but I think that’s pretty typical for a YA murder mystery. There were some grammatical errors here and there, but they weren’t so bad that they took me out of the story. Where this book truly shines though is with the religions and magic systems that were set up. They were unique and done so well. Overall, it absolutely reads like a YA, but a compelling one. Even though I had my moments where the main character made me roll my eyes (she’s 17) or the plot seemed too predictable, that absolutely did not stop me from staying up until 3 am to figure out who the killer is. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good murder mystery and fantasy rolled into one!

Let’s talk about the cover first. It is gorgeous and I love it so much! It is definitely a favorite for this year. I’m also pretty ecstatic to have finally read another book by this author. It has been so long in between her last trilogy and I knew from the beginning of seeing this book I had to read it.

One thing that hasn’t changed is her writing. It’s still something I enjoy and I like seeing what new characters she has come up with as well as the plot. This plot was much different from her previous books as this time around she tackles a murder mystery. Can’t go wrong with a change and it’s always cool to see what an author can do when they switch things around.

The book is told from one perspective and it comes from Catrin. She works under an architect and helps find flaws in the structure so that no workers will hurt themselves. I can’t say I have ever read a book with that job and it was nice to see something different. I also liked learning about the structure they were building and those who also worked with Catrin. Sometimes they could be quite shady. As the murdering begins other characters were introduced and it was hard to pin point who to trust. I’m not surprised that Cat was so wishy washy with her choices of who it could be. I would have been in the same boat!

There were a few characters that I liked more than others. This could be due to page time as well. Two I really liked were Simon and Julianne (I think that is how you spell her name but I could be wrong 😂). They both were dealing with a lot in the background and some of it is discussed on page. One’s mental state was much worse and I felt for them. It was hard to see them deteriorate over the course of the book. I did like the added author’s note in the back that discussed what she was going for when it came to that character.

The fantasy aspect of this book was pretty interesting to say the least. The reader is discovering this secret world right along with Cat and I wished I had more of it! The magic that dealt with the moon and blood was just too cool to be so short.

Even though there was a lot of things I liked about this one, I still wish I got more of certain things and that the reveal and conclusion wasn’t so anticlimactic for me. Obviously this may not be an issue for others and so it’s not really a big deal.

Overall, this was a nice read in-between all of my heavier fantasy novels I have been reading. It gave me a cool mystery to dive into and maybe one day we will get more from this world. *fingers crossed*

5 STARS
*Let me also start by acknowledging the gorgeous cover and how perfectly it works for this book.*

This murder mystery fantasy novel didn't fail to keep me on my toes. I was making my own theories constantly, flipping back and forth on who I believed to be the killer. This story follows Catrin or 'Cat', an orphaned girl placed into the hands of the Sisters of the Light as a baby, once grown, run away to work with the Architect, Magister Thomas on the building of the beloved Sanctum of the town of Collis. Although we are never told the time period, it is described to be somewhere during the medieval era. Catrin lives with Magister Thomas, along with Mistress la Fontaine and her son Remone 'Remi' la Fontaine. Remi had worked with Magister Thomas as an apprentice for many years and had been gone to train under another to gain even more knowledge and become a Journeyman.

The story starts with Catrin heading out that night to inspect a crossbeam of the scaffolds of the sanctum. Magister Thomas notices her and says he will accompany so she isn't alone, however she prefers to be. Fortunately for her, Perrete Charpentier, a young lady who works on Pleasure Road stops by and demands to speak with the Architect. The Magister allows Catrin to go on her own as long as she wears the safety ropes—which she despises. Now under the moonlight within the Sanctum, Catrin inspects the crossbeam near one of the Gargoyles. It's split and will need to be fixed, it jabs her finger drawing blood just as the wind shrieks through the Gargoyle and something supernatural happens to Cat. Once back to sorts she sees a man fleeing, upon returning to the ground, she discovers a dead body and supposes the man fleeing was connected.

The main plot is the investigation of the killer, we also follow along as Cat searches for answers about her heritage, the magick, and her building romance with Simon who was assigned the Venatre for the investigation. This also touches on many different mental illnesses as well as graphic detail of the murders, so this is not a light read. With all that, this story never ceased to lose my attention or interest and I was ancy to find out all of what was hidden. This novel's ending is bittersweet in a happy way that leaves the future of the characters to the mind of the reader.

Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty is an interesting serial killer mystery with a touch of fantasy to make it even more intriguing.

The world that Beaty created was very detailed and enjoyable. The serial killer had a Jack the Ripper vibe and it was actually pretty dark and disturbing when it came to the murders. As for the mystery, I figured out the killer pretty early on, but it was still a good read to see how Cat, Simon, and the rest went about figuring it out. I did get a bit confused too towards the end when Cat comes face to face with the killer… I thought she knew who it was then (guess I was reading too late in the night and was sleepy), so I couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t telling Simon.

While the fantasy aspect was throughout the entire book, it was pretty light. And we didn’t get more information about the concept until about 75% into the story. Even though I was looking for more of a fantasy book, it was so well written and the characters very developed, that I still enjoyed it a lot.

It feels like every YA book has romance in it, the attraction between Simon and Cat wasn’t too overdone, but I think the story would have been just as good, or even better, without it, but that’s just my opinion and you may really enjoy it.

If you are looking for a serial killer mystery with lots of suspects and red herrings, twists and turns, and a touch of fantasy then you should definitely check out Blood and Moonlight.

What initially drew me to this book was the beautiful cover! I enjoyed this book and thought the author did a great job weaving in fantasy elements with a murder mystery. It was different which I really liked. The romance portion felt a little forced at times, but overall, a well written and executed YA book.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

There were some things I liked about this and some things I didn't. Let's start with the good. First of all, this is one of the most striking covers I've seen in quite some time. It is both beautiful and haunting and it immediately made me intrigued. I also very much enjoyed the Selanae people. It was very interesting that a group of people could draw power from the moonlight. I do wish we had more time spent on this aspect because I feel like we barely touched this but it had so much potential to bring this book to another level. Instead of just being pushed to the side, I think the magic aspect should have been more leaned into.

I also thought the world building was quite good, especially for a standalone book. A lot of YA fantasy are able to spread the worldbuilding throughout 3 or so books and Beaty was able to squeeze a lot of cool aspects into one. It also didn't feel too info-dumpy and instead the explanations were able to be woven in organically. The world felt lived in as well.

Now for the things that didn't quite strike the cord with me. I thought the actual mystery was very interesting, although it was rather easy to figure out who the killer was. I did not like the romance. I swear YA books just throw in romance because they "should" have them, but Simon and Cat felt so incompatible. I don't enjoy forced romance subplots and this definitely would have been better if they were simply good friends. The plot also tended to drag a bit, which slowed down the forward movement sometimes.