A killer on the loose, dangerous magic, and the threat of losing the blossoming relationship from warring academics who want to erase her beloved's memories, Catrin has her work cut out for her in the sequel to Blood and Moonlight. Catrin and Simon are on the run after their explosive confrontation with a depraved killer. Catrin is a Selenae novice and Simon is a brilliant criminal profiler, yet now they both have to start over in Londunium as Catrin hopes to discover more about her newfound magic. To avoid suspicion they pretend to be a married couple but then the ruthless council of magical leaders at the local Selenae university discover Catrin's forbidden "marriage" to an outside and threaten to erase Simon's memories to protect their secrets. Catrin and Simon must now navigate a complicated chess game between powerful individuals who want nothing more than to take Catrin's magic for themselves while also figuring out who the killer of a string of mutilated bodies is. What was suppose to be a new start is an even more complicated path for the lovers but they'll have to find a way to navigate the shadows if they want their romance to work out. This was a really interesting finale to the the duology, it was much more of a dark academia/murder mystery with a bit of romance. I liked the overall ending to the mystery and overall really enjoyed the series. If you enjoy murder mysteries with a bit of romance and magic definitely give this series a go!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was an interesting sequel, but I didn't get lost in this one as much as I did in Blood and Moonlight.

This book takes us deeper into Catrin and Simon's world. They're arriving in a new town, ready for Catrin to explore her new role as a Selenae (magic worker) at an academy. But when their forbidden relationship is revealed early on, they both have complications to overcome as Simon fights to prove his worth in Cat's world. Meanwhile, Catrin's conflicted, torn between the Selenae and her love for Simon.

There's another gruesome set of murders to solve, and the magic system plays a much bigger role in this book. My favorite part of the book was the relationship between Catrin and Phillipa. It was fun to see her making a close female friend!

A suspenseful fantasy with dark academia vibes.

Marvelous. The story, the plot, the characters. Everything was just enjoyed. I was immersed in this story, I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed this one as much as the first one. Simon & Cat are so well written, their chemistry is instant, there's mystery and I was here for this until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for an eARC of Silence and Shadow!

Review will be incoming soon!

4/5 stars! I loved the first book in this series, so I was ecstatic to get a chance to read the sequel. First off, the cover was BEAUTIFUL. Simon and Cat have insane chemistry for a YA story and the detective angle was as refreshing and exciting in the sequel as the first story. I did find a few moments in the story to feel a bit underdeveloped/immature, but considering it's geared toward teen readers, it's understandable.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Erin Beaty's Silence and Shadow is the second and apparent final installment in the authors Blood and Moonlight duology. Forced to flee for their lives after an explosive confrontation with a depraved killer in the first installment, Selenae novice Catrin who is just learning about her abilities, and brilliant criminal profiler Simon of Mesanus who is now a fugitive, arrive in the sprawling city of Londunium, hoping for a fresh start and an opportunity for Catrin to hone her newfound magic.

To avoid raising suspicion, they pretend to be a married couple, but don’t expect to keep up the ruse for long. After Cat is attacked by a man who stalked them, they end up befriending a man named Martin who is local law enforcement. It seems as though dozens of innocent men and women have been murder, and with Simon's background of understanding the minds of killers, he is the prefect partner for Martin to try and solve what is happening and who is to blame.

With Cat's help, the group gets entangled in a deeply troubling mystery that may point to the people that Cat is trying to learn from. Cat is sometimes looked down upon because she's half Selenae, but with a bit of pushing by her would be instructors like Hespera, Catrin may end up being extremely powerful unless the ruthless council of magical leaders at the local Selenae university takes away her relationship with Simon while erasing Simon’s memories of Cat and their true love.

It is fair to say that even when pushed to her limits by the thoughts of being separated from Simon, Cat seems to have really come into her own being. She's more confident, and more determined to do what's right even if it means she loses her powers in an effort to help find out who is murdering dozens of men and women and leaving them in a variety of states mimicking former Gods and Goddess that were once the centerpiece of this civilization. She fights tooth and nail against her would be teachers and council members who seem to be keeping their own secrets.

And, even though she is far from home, she didn't forget the man who supported her when she needed it to find his former wife and daugher who are living in the city. This story is party mystery, party suspense, and part romance between Cat and Simon which is pretty unbreakable even after all the challenges they face. Some curious twists also occur and you have to really pay attention to who you can trust, and who would gladly steal your powers, and leave you a shadow of your former self.

At this point, I do not think this series needs another novel. The ending wraps up nicely, and all the key storylines are wrapped up.

Silence and Shadow is the sequel to Blood and Moonlight. It is told in first person by Cat. The book has a self-contained mystery in the new setting of Londunium, so you can read it as a stand-alone. Cat is still learning about her abilities with blood and moonlight, so you would only be missing the beginning of her relationship with Simon and with some of the other characters that are not on page for most of this book.

Cat quickly seemed out of her comfort zone from the beginning of this story. She was often quiet outwardly while panicking internally during many of her initial and later confrontations with the council and especially with Haema Hespera. I often found her silence frustrating while I appreciate that at times, diplomacy may have been a better choice for their safety.

I enjoyed the mystery in this book and watching Cat come into her own, using the skills that she learned from Simon from the first story to solve the murders and master her new skills and magical abilities. However, I did feel like she spent too long focused on the wrong character as the obstacle in her path when others should have been equally weighted with suspicion. It made some of the reveals in the end a little too obvious. I also missed Simon being a more prevalent character in this one. They spent more time apart than together, though I think some readers may prefer that. It did give Cat more room for character growth.

I really enjoyed this one though slightly less than Blood and Moonlight. Recommended to fantasy readers interested in blood and moon magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar Straus & Giroux for a copy provided for an honest review.

I received this book as an arc So thank you to McMillan and net galley For giving me this book. I have always loved Erin's books so I was super excited to receive this 1. I definitely liked this book better than the 1st book blood and moonlight. While the mystery was a bit more predictable in this 1 because this book focused more on the magic it was more interesting to me. I will say There were some dumb moments with characters in this book compared to the last book Which got me annoyed every so often. The romance was definitely Ramped up in this book And I loved that we got to learn more about the magic system. I don't know if this is going to be just a duology or a trilogy but honestly I would be happy either way.

Engrossing mystery!
17yo Catrin and Simon flee Collis and travel to the Selanae academy in Londunium to help Catrin learn how to use her moonlight magic. They befriend Martin, a law enforcement officer, when they help capture a violent man trying to harm Catrin. As they get to know each other better, Martin seeks Simon’s and Catrin’s help with a serial killer who has been evading law enforcement for four years. The mystery surrounding the murders is unusual. The group gets deeply entangled and in over their heads.

Likes/dislikes: Simon and Catrin are amazing characters. The murder mystery is unique and interesting. Characters are well developed and the world building is strong.
Mature Content: PG-13 for implied sex.
Language: PG-13 for 30 swears, no f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: falls to white

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing, and Ms. Beaty for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I had questions following book #1, which had a fascinating mystery and characters but skated over the magical aspects and Catrin's background. Book #2 was the moon to book #1's sun: here are the answers about how the Selenae magic works, how its society is structured, and how its members interact with non-Selenae (here in non-Britain (Brinsulli, I think?) they are called Hadrians). Here Catrin's magic is examined closely and the various Selenae magical paraphernalia are explored. And here Catrin has a chance to shine as a detective, solving both the mysteries of the city's serial killer and Magister Thomas' lost family.

All of this world-building and background and character development for Catrin does come at the expense of the murder plot line. Cat has it figured out at about 55%, and from there it's just figuring out how to prove it, which was disappointing. The secondary villain's identity, too, was pretty obvious - I am an oblivious reader, so if *I* can figure it out, anyone can. And most disappointingly, Simon's involvement is drastically reduced, both mentally (the Selenae keep him as separated from Catrin as they can) and physically (no spoilers but Simon pays the price for a risky decision that went bad). Simon's Mentalist routine was one thing I really liked about book #1 and I felt its lack in book #2.

Nonetheless this was an enjoyable, and original, read. I would recommend it to readers looking for a unique historical-inspired fantasy/mystery. Really, this is a genre mashup that offers something to everyone. I look forward to reading more from Erin Beaty.

Silence and Shadow is book 2 in the Blood and Moonlight duology by Erin Beaty.
I loved book one Blood and Moonlight so I was eager to read the second. And she didn’t disappoint.
A beautifully written YA fantasy with some romance and mystery….. what’s not to love!? Because I devoured this book.
A fast paced read that is full of amazing characters, a unique magic system, and a murder mystery that will keep you on your toes for the entire book. This book kept me guessing from the minute I started reading it.
A spellbinding story with some fantastic writing.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Silence and Shadow
By: Erin Beaty

⭐4⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Silence and Shadow is a sequel to Blood and Moonlight. The second book makes this a completed duology.

This book follows Catrin and Simon as they journey to create a new life for themselves after the events in Collis have made them outcasts. When they arrive in Londunium, Catrin and Simon venture to the local Selenae university in order to enroll as physicians. Catrin is also looking to hone and understand her Selenae magic that is still a mystery to her. When it is determined that Catrin magic is considerable, even with her only being half Selenae, the council of elders in charge of the university are eager to keep her as a student as well as study her.

In order to stay together, Catrin and Simon are forced to say they are a married couple. While they have a strong connection and a romance has surely begun, pushing a marriage puts a strain on their relationship. If they weren’t in this situation, would they even be together at all?

To make matters worse, there is a murder lurking in the shadows of Londunium. Thrown into the investigation, Catrin and Simon find themselves chasing after a serial killer who tortures victims in seemingly random and painful ways. When the pair are drawn in too far, they’re both in danger of losing not only one another, but their lives as well. Will they be able to escape this madness with their relationship and sanity intact?

This was a great ending to this duology. I really enjoyed reading this book. I was mildly annoyed by the poor communication between Catrin and Simon as well as their stubbornness about literally everything. I would definitely recommend this book!


Some of my favorite quotes from the book are below!

“Not for the first time, I wonder which of these worlds I belong in- Sun or Moon- and whether choosing one means I have to completely shun the other.”

“If you love someone it should be enough to weather whatever storms come your way”

“My challenges don’t define me. Only I can do that.”

“But it was only when I was with you that the world felt solid.”

“Together, we watch as the life’s work of a monster is slowly reduced to ask.”

“Home is wherever you are.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Children's Publishing Group for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I loved "Blood and Moonlight." I thought it was such a unique story cloaked in Teen & YA tropes but it was so good and addicting. I loved Catrin and Simon and so, when I saw this pop up for request, I had to do it.

"Silence and Shadow" finds Catrin and Simon in a whole new city to attend a Selenae school so that Catrin can hone her abilities. Murder finds them however and they are thrown into a whole new mystery. One of my favorite things is that despite this being Teen & YA-aged, the serial killer plots in both books reminded me of "Criminal Minds" plots which made them all the more exciting and fun to piece together along with Simon. While all this is going on, Catrin is learning more and more about her Selenae side and honestly, the magic system is so damn cool. I think Beaty does a great job of explaining the system well without outrightly holding the reader's hands throughout the novel. Also, anything with moons is A+ in my books.

And my favorite part: Catrin and Simon's relationship. I absolutely love them together and individually but together they are SO cute. I mean "twirling a strand of my hair, kicking my feet, blushing and giggling" cute. Watching them go from being so cautious and awkward to doing things like little cheek/head kisses and holding hands had me so giggly.

I did deduct a star just because some parts kind of dragged for me like the scenes of Catrin and Simon in school. It was super cool to learn more about Selenae powers but sometimes it got a little too long winded for me.

I found this so be such a satisfying conclusion to the duology but I absolutely would not say no to more books in this world.

I liked this so much better than the first one. The coroner was a great new character as was Martin. I loved the new mystery and learning more about the world. We need a third book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this one!! I have been anxiously awaiting this follow up to Blood and Moonlight. This was a satisfying continuation of the story and was well worth the wait!!

I absolutely loved this! I am such a sucker for medieval history and any fiction in the time period. While this is a fantasy and the world is made-up it still gives the feeling of reading historical fiction. And there's a forensics style serial killer murder mystery to boot. I'd strongly recommend reading this if you are a fan of classics like Robin Hood, Catherine Called Birdy or Cadfael mysteries.

Upper YA for fade to black content and free of profanity. Portrayals of victims are vague and inexplicit.

Unfortunately the audio reader was very haulting and I didn't enjoy her much.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy for review

I am on the Elliot Rosewater committee and read the first book for their nomination process. I was elated when I discovered the second one was on here. This story had me absolutely hooked and I was so excited to continue it and she did not fail me. 10/10!!!

Dark and romantic against the setting of a medieval world, Silence and Shadow is a gripping fantasy murder mystery you don't want to miss! This book picks up right where Blood and Moonlight ended. Simon and Cat are on their way to Londunium, where Cat will attend the local Selanae University to hone her healing powers. Only things are never that easy. It seems murder is destined to cross paths with Cat and Simon. Once again, they find themselves involved in another local investigation to find a serial killer. Except this time is different. The stakes seem to get higher and higher as Cat finds herself surrounded by people who all seem to have their own agenda. The one thing they all seem to agree on is tearing Cat and Simon apart.

Blood and Moonlight stole my heart when I read it earlier this year. It was the perfect blend of fantasy and thriller with a romance subplot. Silence and Shadow is no different. Grab your magnifying glass and detective hat because we have got a killer to catch. Never fear! You have the perfect duo assisting you in the investigation. Simon is a fantastic profiler. Watching him figure out the killer's motivations and patterns while Cat helps him piece it all together is riveting. Couple goals? I say yes.

On top of a great mystery, we also have a fantasy component to the story. Cat is learning more about her Selanae powers and how they tie to the moon and blood. Beatty does a great job expanding the world and magic system without overwhelming or confusing you. We learn more about the Selanae’s incredible healing powers while also witnessing the dark side of the Selanae, their prejudice against humans. The same misguided belief, rooted in fear, resulted in Cat's parents' deaths. Only Cat refuses to allow the same to happen to her and Simon.

I can’t think of a better way to describe the romance between Simon and Cat other than sweet. They’re absolutely adorable together. Watching them grow and realize their feelings in this book was *chef’s kiss*.

If you’re looking for a fantasy duology with romance and mystery, this is the perfect duology for you! I could read about Cat and Simon catching killers and bringing them to justice forever! (This is my plea to Erin Beatty to write another book.) This duology is also great for the fall season. I love reading mysteries in the fall.

So happy that Netgalley approved me to read and review book two of the Blood and Moonlight series. I enjoyed book one so much.

We left book one with Cat and Simon leaving the town, Collis, after learning of her moonlight gifts, her family, and a confrontation with a killer. They end up in Londunium where they put on a married couple facade.

Book two picks up with them in this new life.

I'll make this short and sweet because I'm still rolling in the emotions from the book. What an emotional rollercoaster this second book was. I was mad I was happy I was shocked. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this novel. This book was a good sequel to the first one and the murder mystery was well made and enjoyable. The mystery aspect was good and had a good blend of fantasy throughout the story. Overall, a nice read and sequel.