I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Guys, I'll be honest, I skimmed the last portion of this book, pausing to read more in-depth when I came across the key moments. Partially this is because I didn't want to DNF and not know who the murderer was, and partially because I was hoping to have my mind so blown I'd want to go back and read with more of a fine-toothed comb. Unfortunately, that latter thing did not happen.

To say that "Blood and Moonlight" has no strengths would be inaccurate. The world Beaty has built is actually pretty cool and I loved the idea of a setting based around the construction of a medieval cathedral or "Sanctum" as it's called here. It's also clear that Beaty did her research and included a ton of details that did make me feel engaged with the setting. Too bad the setting is basically the only thing I was engaged with.

I feel like this book didn't know what it wanted to be. Is it a fantasy? A thriller? A romance? It tries to be all three, with a YA coating on top, and I think it would've been far better to sacrifice one of these plot lines to shore up the others. There was just too much going on and I ended up not caring pretty early in the text. Also, the romance felt pretty forced, with Simon and Cat having very little chemistry.

I will say that the depiction of mental illness seemed pretty fair, spotlighting the humanity of people who suffer from issues like schizophrenia. I really respected that Beaty highlighted how common it is for those who suffer from this disease to be highly intelligent, as this aspect of the disease is often overlooked. Conversely, she also didn't romanticize the illness, which I have also seen in more recent novels.

Overall I think "Blood and Moonlight" had some strong ideas, but suffered from a lack of focus.

This was very good. I really enjoyed Catrin as a character and the architecture details. There was just enough mystery and magic to keep me interested in the end, even if the main mystery of whodunnit was a little obvious. The romance was sweet enough, if a little quick, but they had very good chemistry. I really loved the magic system and the lore surrounding it. I’ve not read anything else from this author but I plan to now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Holy shit this was amazing! The magic, the fantasy, the murder mystery- it all pulls you in right from the start. I loved the tension between Catrin and Simon and was here for all the supernatural entities in this. Definitely a not miss if you love this genre!

This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year, solely because of the cover. I had no idea what it was about, just that it was beautiful, and that I wanted it. Sadly, it was nowhere near as good as I anticipated.

And sure, some of that may be on me. Based off the cover, I was expecting more of a gruesome, gothic, dark fantasy. I won't deny that this had its dark moments, but as a whole, I'd almost consider it wholesome. It wasn't as atmospheric or immersive as I was expecting, so I spent the entire book regretting that.

As for the actual murders/mystery of this, they frustrated me. Cat suspect jumped sooooo many times. By the end, I wanted her to be correct just so we'd be done. Seriously, it was a new suspect every few pages. While fun and suspenseful when it started, I was exhausted by the end.

I will admit that this one had its charm. I enjoyed it more than Stalking Jack the Ripper, which had similar vibes. I wasn't a huge fan of it, but I can see it making a splash in the YA book world.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Catrin, an orphan, works on the construction of the holy Sanctum, tasked with finding flaws in scaffolding before they become fatal. When, on one moonlit night, she sees a killer escaping the scene of a crime, she's drawn into an investigation of a serial murderer. As she assists Simon, an investigator whose insights into the criminal's mind are frightening, Catrin explores more secrets about her life... including who her birth parents were, and why she suddenly seems to have some sort of magic that allowed her to see the killer in the first place.

This is quite a large fantasy/mystery--I read an ebook arc, but the hardcover is expected to have around 450 pages. Truthfully, the book was interesting, but I think it was a little too long. The plot felt somehow overstuffed and drawn out, so while I enjoyed some aspects of the book, it was also a little hard to get through. I've settled on a respectable 2.5 stars.

The world-building is very light, focused mainly on the city of Collis, where Catrin lives with and works for a master architect tasked with continuing a large, holy sanctum. The tone of the novel feels reminiscent of medieval France. Most of the focus in world-building lies with a religion split carefully down the middle between those that worship the Sun and those with magic who worship the Moon.

All in all, the novel is fully loaded, perhaps too much so. On top of Catrin's mission to uncover the truth of her birth and her newfound magic, a main plot point is the mystery of serial murders. Tasked with solving them is Simon, a young man who feels like a homage to Sherlock Holmes--he is rather awkward, very astute, and his understanding of the criminal mind is enough to make some restless. Futhermore, there is a focus on mental health and mental illness--specifically in the case of Simon's cousin, Julianne. The mental health representation was handled with care, and it brought forth the discussion of help and support versus stigma and resentment.

I'm in this weird, awkward place with this book. I really wanted to like it, and was pretty excited about it going in. I think that the bare bones and overall structure have a lot of potential, but I also think that it had a little too much going on, which made the story feel long and drawn out. The mystery was well-done and just twisty enough to be entertaining, but I wasn't a huge fan of the romantic relationships presented in the novel. I really ended up with a mixed bag of emotions on this one.

Posted on Goodreads on May 22, 2022.

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

This young adult read uses a medieval France-inspired setting and overlays that with a grim case of a Jack-the-Ripper-esque criminal and a heady dose of moon magic. It follows Cat, a teenage orphan who is an assistant on a project to essentially build a massive cathedral devoted to the Sun. When one night she can mysteriously hear a woman being murdered, she rushes to help and ends up being part of the investigation--and with a keen romantic interest in the investigator, Simon, a young man who seems almost too capable of thinking like a serial killer.

Some of the positives: the author approaches mental illness with a deft touch. This book could really open readers' minds to what those thought processes are like and the importance of patience, friendship, and compassion. The setting is interesting, too, though I was left craving deeper worldbuilding; if there are more books, I hope to understand more about this world and its magic. Cat's job is fascinating and that premise hooked me from the very start. That said... Cat's actions also frustrated me at times. She seems to be in a strange place of privilege, to be able to get buddy-buddy with powerful people so quickly. She's also the type of lead heroine that all the boys fall in love with, and that's a tiresome trope for me personally.

This book should also come with some trigger warnings in published form, as it is quite dark. Sexual assault happens and there are graphic descriptions of grizzly murders. That said, the book makes an effort not to dwell on these scenes or glorify what happens.

Loved this story and all the mystery within it! The dialogue was on point as was the world building!

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦."
⭐⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️
A huge thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for an eARC in return for an honest review.
Blood and Moonlight is a fantasy thriller set in medieval times. After finding a serial killer's victim, Catrin is pulled into the investigation with Simon. Catrin's secret magical sight and Simon's uncanny ability to understand the mind of a murderer make for an exciting duo as everyone comes in to question.
There is so much I absolutely loved about this book, so this is about to be a pretty lengthy list. For starters, I mainly read fantasy as it's what I love. I adored the fantastical elements in this story, but I have to admit that the mystery plot of the book stole the spotlight for me (which I'm SO happy about since every other fantasy/mystery has been the opposite, I'm glad for something new ans exciting)! Erin Beaty did SUCH an amazing job at making everyone a suspect, I doubted almost every character at different points of the book. The resolution of the mystery seemed fitting, and the climax was so tense and well done (I binged the last 35% of the book). Seeing the characters unraveling the mind of a killer was engaging and thrilling, and it made so much sense in the end (although I didn't guess the killer accurately until right as it was unfolding haha)!
The way the fantastical elements were revealed had me dying to continue reading. The magic system felt unique, and I liked learning about who Catrin was and why she wasn't raised by her parents. The romance didn't take over the plot, which was definitely a plus. I enjoyed how the romance developed and effected everything. I also loved that we got mental illness representation (and the author's note in the back discussing the representation was also well written- I'm glad Beaty included it).
Pretty much, what I'm saying, is I loved everything about this book. I personally cannot find a fault. It was a super entertaining read, and I desperately need to seek out Erin Beaty's other books now!

Truly enjoyed this entire story. It felt very Jack-The-Ripper-esque to me and that made me love it even more. I cannot wait for the audiobook so I can reread it. Also, I swear I thought it was going to end up being Simon in the end, I always ended up saying nah then going right back to suspecting him. Obviously the author wrote it this way BUT I still LOVED Simon sooo WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!

I will update this with my Instagram post once it goes up.

"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.

Rising above the city of Collis is the holy Sanctum. And watching over its spires is Catrin, an orphan girl with unique skills - for she alone can spot the building’s flaws in construction before they turn deadly.

But when Catrin witnesses a murderer escaping the scene of his crime, she’s pulled into a dangerous chain of events where the only certainty is that the killer will strike again. Assigned to investigate is the mysterious and brilliant Simon, whose insights into the mind of a predator are frighteningly accurate.

As the grisly crimes continue, Catrin finds herself caught between killer and detective while hiding her own secret - a supernatural sight granted by the moon, destined to make her an outcast, and the only thing that might save her and those she loves from becoming the next victims..."

Magic just adds the extra dash of special to everything, even the hunt for a serial killer!

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.

Rising above the city of Collis is the holy Sanctum. And watching over its spires is Catrin, an orphan girl with unique skills—for she alone can spot the building’s flaws in construction before they turn deadly.

But when Catrin witnesses a murderer escaping the scene of his crime, she’s pulled into a dangerous chain of events where the only certainty is that the killer will strike again. Assigned to investigate is the mysterious and brilliant Simon, whose insights into the mind of a predator are frighteningly accurate.

As the grisly crimes continue, Catrin finds herself caught between killer and detective while hiding her own secret—a supernatural sight granted by the moon, destined to make her an outcast, and the only thing that might save her and those she loves from becoming the next victims...

I DNF'd this one about halfway through. The writing style just didn't do anything for me. I tried picking this up numerous times and couldn't get more than a chapter or two in before having to walk away. During the chapters I did read I found myself struggling to maintain focus.

I'm not really sure what's going to happen and I really couldn't care less about these characters. They were flat and dull and the story was incredibly boring. I honestly don't have a lot to say except reading this was a struggle for me.

Of course I think other people will enjoy this book a lot more than I did. I would classify this story as a modern Sheerlock mystery with a stroke of magic. If that sounds like something you'd like then this could be something you'd enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for my drc in exchange for my honest review.

Erin Beaty's "Blood and Moonlight" young Catrin must help a detective as he tries to catch a serial killer. I enjoyed reading this a lot! Cat, like most YA protagonists, is gifted and special in that she has a skillset that enables her to do something nobody else can. I loved that Cat's job involved architecture; everytime she described the Sanctum and how she felt about it, it just sounded so cool and beautiful. Cat is also just a likable lead; she never came across as a victim and a lot of what she did/thought made sense for her age.

Now, I don't want to spoil the plot because man there are a lot of red herrings, but I will say that I felt like this really dragged in the middle of the book. I enjoyed reading and really liked the book, but somewhere around the middle, the tension felt nonexistent. I still enjoyed it but a lot of the middle just felt like it could have gotten edited out. That said, Beaty's writing is beautiful. I love how she described the Sanctum and how the moonlight felt to Cat. Amidst the surprisingly gory descriptions of the murder victims, the descriptions of characters, clothing, etc. were wonderfully written.

Speaking of the gore, some of it was surprisingly gross. I didn't expect the details when I was reading this but it definitely helped. The killer was giving "Jack the RIpper"- vibes. And before I forget, SIMON. I love that boy. Simon is so sweet and so misunderstood. The way Beaty wrote him reminded me a lot of a mix of Brian Fuller's depiction of Will Graham and also Ned the Piemaker from Fuller's "Pushing Daisies". I ADORED Simon. I love that he had Jacqueline and Cat helping him with the investigation and how often he praised both of the women's involvement. He was a lovely character and I love how Beaty ended his part of the book. Very nice.

All in all, this was a fun and surprising read!

Did you read Stalking Jack the Ripper and think it needed magic? Then this is the book for you.

While the stories aren’t exactly the same, Blood and Moonlight follows out characters Cat and Simon as they try to figure out who is murdering girls in their city. There is a soft magic system that is heavily based on moonlight and blood (kind of like the title suggests) that I found super interesting. The magical abilities the characters have are slowly unraveled through the book. Things that seem like talents are revealed to be magic, which I really loved because I feel like it gives this book a reason to be reread. You could definitely find clues to the magic early in the book if you knew what to look for.

I found this books depiction of mental illness to be heartbreaking. I don’t personally suffer or know anyone who suffers from the mental illnesses in this book but it seemed like good representation to me and there is an author’s note at the end talking about the research that went into it which I appreciated.

The last 20 percent of this book will give you whiplash because it takes so many turns. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, I was tossed in another completely different direction.

I was not expecting to really love this book. Honestly I was just drawn in by the absolutely gorgeous cover and I just hoped it would be something I at least liked. But I really loved this book and look forward to reading more from the author.

While the premise sounded promising, I do not believe this is a book suited for me. It unfortunately did not feel as if much happened. 3 stars.

I loved this novel! I think that it is a little mature for my readers, but will definitely be recommending to colleagues who teach older grades!

I give this 4 🌟⭐️⭐️⭐️ but it’s more like 3.7/5
Mostly, I enjoyed this book for its fabulous knowledge of building cathedrals and terminology. Cat’s ability to climb all over the scaffolding was amazing and the way Beaty brought those science to life was nothing short of genius. A world of murder mystery and people who were magically blessed by the moon was concept that immediately tickled my fancy.
Getting into the mind of a criminal is one of delicate moves and countermoves and Simon was a flawless detective. I wasn’t a fan of his whining, but otherwise his character was a favorite. For all her talents, Cat was my least favorite. How obtuse can ya get?! She had so much of the information in front of her and yet … ugh!!! I also don’t understand why they continued to hold the architect when it was very clear he hadn’t committed the murders. Seems like they used their one bartering asset to get him out of jail when he was innocent of all charges. I don’t understand that one.
Other than that, I reserved the last star because I like a good love story and this wasn’t that. Simon and Cat are boring. They have their moments of making out, but mostly they were both fat too wrapped up in their own self pity parties to remember they liked each other. Just wasn’t a believable relationship.
If another book is released in this series I don’t know if I’ll read because it was the whole murder mystery and beautiful description of the cathedral that saved this book.

Unfortunately, I DNFed this book.

The voice of the writing is strangely formal and doesn't hold my attention, and even after reading 40% of the story, I have no sense of WHO the main character is--I know facts about them--Catrin likes climbing, Catrin is an orphan, etc, but I have no sense of their voice or personality, or what she really wants in life.

Things just seem to happen kind of quickly and randomly, and then get forgotten. A character gets drugged and goes home within a few paragraphs and it's never brought up again. Characters that are supposed to be a bit starcrossed are mean to each other, and though we are repeatedly told the father figure is gentle and kind, on-page he is angry/agressive.

The dialogue in the story is also strangely blunt and contrived-- characters insisting they call each other by their first names, answering the questions the other hasn't voiced, etc.

Finally, I have basically guessed the end of this book, and what I assume is supposed to be the world-altering truth to be revealed. No, I don't know if I'm right, but I'm bored by the drawing out of the answer. Things are happening so slowly while all the answers stare the character in the face. Either these not-so-subtle hints are red herrings, in which case, let's stop dragging this out, Or I'm right, in which case, again, let's stop dragging this out.

“Blood and Moonlight”

Wow. Wow wow wow.

Madness and murder. In a time and place where women are often ladies of the night, nuns, or wives, there is Cat who stands alone.

Orphaned at birth, Catrin, Cat to you, has always been an outsider even amongst the outsiders. Raised in an orphanage Cat bucks the system to work for an architect as a sort of structural engineer, nimbly climbing the scaffolds in the moonlight to search for any cracks or weakening that might be dangerous to the workers. But strange things are happening in the moonlight. Cat can hear things, see things she should not be able to hear or see, like the murder of a friend.

Someone is murdering the women of Collis. How are the victims connected? Why can Cat hear and see their deaths from so far away? Who is the stranger in the moonlight and why do the architect and Mother Agnes refuse to tell Cat who her parents were? Who is she?

There are some books that are meaty, and some that are quick and fast reads. This book is meaty. It is very well-written but it leaves me torn. I’m torn because the book has a definitive ending… but I want to read more. At the same time, sometimes the best books stand alone. I want to read more about Cat and her adventures in sleuthing. I also want this book to stand alone and not have a sequel because everything was written so well that I’m afraid it can’t be topped. Quite the conundrum. But I digress. I highly recommend this book. If you like murder mysteries, magic, a well written and developed plot, as well as a well-rounded protagonist… trust me. Read this book. I did figure out the murderer before the characters did, but I actually didn’t mind that. Five stars

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got an eGalley of this book from NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: This was a decent read that introduces us to a lush fantasy world and some intriguing characters. At the heart this is a “whodunit” type of mystery. The characters are trying to track down a serial killer before he/she kills again. I enjoyed this but found the pacing to be fairly slow, especially in the first half of the book.

Catrin is an intriguing character and I enjoyed reading about the work she does on the Sanctum; it involves a lot of dangerous climbing and precarious architecture. I also loved how her moon magic slowly comes to light and how she learns to deal with it. The side characters are also very well done; they have a lot of depth and are very unique. There is a lot of discussion about madness; both the killer’s madness and the strange insanity of some of the side characters and the abilities they have.

This is very much a “who dun it” type of murder mystery where Catrin and crew are trying to figure out who the serial killer is before he/she kills again. There is a lot of speculation and back and forth and misleading information. You are led to think it is person A and then suddenly maybe it is person B. As a backdrop to the main serial killer plot, Catrin is developing special powers and is trying to figure out why that is happening.

This is the second “hunting down the serial killer” type of story I have read in the last couple weeks. I am not a huge fan of these types of plots. Just like the other book I read (Kelley Armstrong’s “A Rip Through Time”), there are a lot of the characters standing around speculating for a lot of the book. This was very slow for the first 50% to 70% of the book. I almost put it down and stopped reading it altogether. However, I do try to finish books I get for review. I did end up enjoying how everything wrapped up and the pace did pick up quite a bit towards the end of the book.

My Summary (4/5): Overall while I didn’t love this, it was well written. I enjoyed the world-building and the intricate characters. I thought the pacing was too slow and I don’t enjoy these types of “hunting down a serial killer” types of plots. I had been wanting to read something by Beaty since she released her first fantasy series which is why I picked up this book for review. I wasn’t super impressed and don’t plan on reading more by her. However, if you enjoy her more deliberate writing style this might be a great book for you.