I think this was a pretty solid sequel. I think that it definitely had a more solid grasp on the murder-mystery aspect from the first story, so I did enjoy it slightly more. I enjoy learning more about the world and diving more into the backstory of the different characters--it really made the world come to life more. Overall, very solid. Good characters, interesting plot, expansion on the first book in a meaningful way. I had fun with this one!

Picking up from where Blood and Moonlight left off. Silence and Shadow offers more murder and more mystery. I was completed surprised with Blood and Moonlight and the unexpected twists and turns continued in this next installation. We learn a little more about the world, and more about the cast of characters. Sequels are difficult, as in they don't always tie up the loose ends or give us the resolution needed, but this sequel has it all. It's got magic, dark fantasy, romance and more. This series is wonderful and needs more hype than it's getting!

A sequel that exceeded expectations!

Cat is hoping to hone her healing magic when a string of mutilated bodies turns up in the woods. Simon, her fake husband, gets recruited to profile the killer and Cat is pulled back into a world of murder, magic, and mayhem.

Cat and Simon immediately pulled me into their world. I was 100% vested in how the details of their story played out. It has psychological thriller vibes as well as romance and all the fun expectations of a murder mystery. It’s a genre mash-up with a unique magic system. The romance included fake marriage, kisses, and closed-door intimacy that was thrilling. This not a cozy mystery. The details are dark but presented like a medical professional because the main character is a healer. I loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I absolutely adore this book. In this sequel of Blood and Moonlight, Catrin and Simon, try to find their way in a new city while trying to figure out Catrin magic and solve murders. This book is the perfect blend of fantasy, mystery, and romance. If you enjoy fast paced, reads with great characters and mystery, and you must read this book.

I was so disappointed with this one. I absolutely loved book 1 but book 2 fell flat for me. There were so many plot holes and didnt have any foreshadowing

This was the most amazing follow up book! I think it was even better than the first one. Loved it. A 5 star read for me.
I just reviewed Silence and Shadow by Erin Beaty. #NetGalley
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Key points: Main mystery did not have any foreshadowing (though the "background" behind this was WAY more interesting than the first book), secondary mystery was very obvious, fake marriage subplot with no chemistry, lots of info-dumping and guessing on the fantasy world-building (could have been done better, but the idea was great)

There were aspects about this sequel that I liked more than the first book, and there were some that I liked less. However, the only constant thought in my head throughout both reads was: this duology really would have been so much better without the romance . It always felt like an unnecessary subplot that took away from the fantasy and the mystery that should have been the main focus of both this and the first book.

I struggled at the beginning of the book, but mostly because I didn't realize this was a sequel. 😅 But once I knew what was going on, I liked it! There were a few times when the questions were pretty leading, but I loved the FMC and MMC. The romantic subplot was really really sweet. I love a good slow burn romance, and this one was well done. I especially appreciated the closed door spice!

This book has:

Closed door spice
Murder mystery
Slow burn romance
One bed
Fake marriage
First love
Moon and blood strengthened magic
Memory magic
Magic enhancing stones
Serial killer
Magical University (but not really any interactions with anyone but the professors)

Content: violence, s*xually suggestive low spice, murder, blood magic

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy of this book!

"The sequel to Erin Beaty's buzzworthy YA medieval fantasy-thriller Blood and Moonlight, Silence and Shadow is full of swoony romance, dangerous magick, and murder - perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Mary E. Pearson.

After confronting a killer and fleeing her home to be with each other, Cat and Simon - renown for his uncanny insights into the minds of criminals - arrive in the sprawling city of Londunium. They are pretending to be a newly married couple, but don't expect to keep up the ruse for long. Cat looks forward to honing her healing magick at the local Selanae university, but instead finds a council of ruthless leaders threatening to erase her non-Selanae "husband's" memories to protect their secrets.

Terrified to lose him, Cat takes desperate steps to keep him safe. But when a string of mutilated bodies turns up in the woods outside the city, and Simon is recruited to profile the killer, Cat is pulled back into a world of murder, mayhem, and magick - one that threatens to consume her, and everything she loves."

Londunium? Hell yes!

This was a solid sequel! I really think this series deserves more hype! It’s an interesting blend of fantasy and mystery. It’s dark and nuanced and complex. There’s a slow-burn romance that came to a satisfying conclusion in this one. It’s well-paced and all the elements are fully fleshed out. I really enjoy this author’s writing style, and appreciate the depth that this story has. I think even adult fantasy readers would enjoy this one because of that. The first book is so fun and engaging and everything continues so well in the second one. I do recommend re-reading the first one if it has been a while for you. If you haven’t yet and you’ve been considering reading this series, I definitely recommend it!

Beaty keeps cranking out winners, and Silence and Shadow is no exception. It's a delightful tale of romance, magick, and ... serial killers? Yup, that's right -- we follow Simon and Catrin to the next chapter of their lives through an increasingly complex web of intrigue and mystery with a thrilling finish. Odds are excellent you'll get through the last quarter of the book in a single sitting. It's just that kind of a read.

My personal favorite bit is how well she writes people -- Catrin and Simon's love story, mixed with all the complexity of cultural divides, the lies they've brought with them in their travels, and the deep desire to do good, makes for an excellent backbone to a well-woven murder mystery.

If you haven't read her previous work, it's extra-fun to read the first book in the series (Moonlight and Shadow) right before this one.

A gripping story of rich, twisted magic, Erin Beaty’s SILENCE AND SHADOW is a glorious sequel to a high-stakes series. Where it stumbles is also its strength, with Cat and Simon’s love affair both holding up — and at times even holding back — an otherwise riveting plot. Although SILENCE AND SHADOW fails to deliver the same tension flawlessly captured in BLOOD AND MOONLIGHT, the romance is just sizzling enough to keep readers entranced by the ritualistic, ruptured world of Londunium.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Silence and Shadow is the sequel to Blood and Moonlight and the conclusion to the duology. This book continues where the first one ended and our main characters find themselves trying to figure out another murder mystery.

I really love this series. While I think the first book was stronger overall, this book really expanded on the magic system in an interesting way. It is super unique and I wish there were going to be more books in the series just to learn more about it! It has a lot to do with the moon and its phases and blood magic.

I adored the romance in this book but I can see it being something that doesn’t work for everyone. It’s a really sweet, slowburn that felt very organic.

My only issue with this book is some of it didn’t seem perfectly cohesive. It was a lot of moving parts that would have been better if there was another book to split it between. Basically, I wish this would have been a trilogy instead of a duology.

But if you like Belladonna or Stalking Jack the Ripper, this is a great series to read! It has all the darker fantasy vibes I love in a young adult book. This is a perfect book series for the fall!

Silence and Shadow is the sequel to Blood and Moonlight that I was highly anticipating. This fantasy murder-mystery picks up right where Blood and Moonlight left off, in which Catrin discovers her magic while assisting in a serial murder investigation.

This was a solid sequel with great tension and atmosphere. I never knew who to trust, which made for an even better read. The murder mystery was intriguing, especially with how it all tied into the magic system. Since explaining would give way to spoilers, I can only say that some of the logical side of the story is what let this sequel down a bit. The romance development was something I adored. I don't know how Erin Beaty did a slow burn with a romance that was already developed in book one, but I loved it so much!

This was a great sequel and conclusion to the Blood and Moonlight series. We got to learn more of the magic system while solving a series of murders.

I enjoyed Silence and Shadow by Erin Beaty. The two main character Cat and Simon are quickly embroiled in a murder investigation in a medieval fantasy world. I felt like I was set down in a story that was already in progress. I could follow the story, but this is the second book. I borrowed the first from my library for the backstory. Mystery love stories and interesting interpersonal relationships abound. The story begins city of Londunium. They are pretending to be a newly married but are really in love but both unsure of the other. Cat looks forward to honing her healing magick at the local Selanae university, but instead finds a council of ruthless leaders threatening to erase her non-Selanae "husband’s" memories to protect their secrets. Because he does not have magical abilities he is considered an inferior outsider who threatens their existence. 

Cat is one of the most powerful and promising prospects they have had for quite some time and are willing to bide their time to get rid of Simon to retain her. Cat, fears for Simon and is willing to leave the University to protect him, but will they let her? When a string of mutilated bodies turns up in the woods outside the city, and Simon is recruited to profile the killer they stay to assist the investigation with their special set of skills, but put themselves in danger to do it.

I'm so incredibly pleased with this. The story retains all of the elements I loved about the first book, but also provides the answers and extra world-building I was hoping it would.

I enjoyed how this sequel continues the pattern of what made ‘Blood and Moonlight’ so entertaining. There's another mysterious serial killer on the loose, the exciting moon magic is further explored, the sweet romance continues to blossom, the impressive old-school investigating is still a driving force, and the medieval setting will always be a win in my book.

I will say the character development isn't as strong in this installment, but it's totally made up for by every other aspect of the writing and storytelling.

So all in all, it was such a treat to go on another adventure exploring the depths of criminal minds and societal secrets with Cat and Simon.

This book is pure perfection. The setting is detailed and the storyline keeps you wanting to know what is going to be uncovered next. The first half is a lot of world building and the character discovering more about her powers, but the last half is intense and I could not put the book down. I devoured it! There is a romance between the two main character that is definitely a slow burn but it is so sweet when they finally start admitting their love. It's also a bit of the fake marriage trope too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

This book builds a lot more deeply into the world created in the first book, but it was not always smooth sailing. A lot of the world building felt a bit clunky in the explanations of different magicks and details about the Selenae. I felt myself losing interest at a few points over the course of the book, as there were stretches of explanations.

The dialogue was a bit cringy at times, especially between Simon and Catrin, but a teenage me probably wouldn’t have minded. Simon felt a lot more annoying in this book than the first, but it does make sense in his development as he tries to find his place.

While I didn’t love every moment, I do think the depth of the world overall is detailed and intricate, and I did like some of the “full circle” moments at the end. I would say this is a 3.5⭐️ read for me.

This one was fabulous. I loved the romance and just where everything went. I do wish that this would have been more than just two books. As I was sad to see these characters leave me. I can not wait to see what else Beaty has in store for us with books in the future. This one was a breath of fresh air as the story unfolded and ended in an unexpected way.