User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
this book is everything!
it has three-dimensional characters, a mysterious serial killer on the loose, exciting moon magic, a sweet romance, impressive old-school investigating, and a really unique setting. the writing has great pacing, flows nicely, and is super easy to binge read. its one of those books where you dont want to put it down and, when you do, you cant wait to pick it back up again.
the primary focus of this story is the serial killer and, because of that, there are a few questions left unanswered when it comes to the fantasy/magic elements. i think there are enough that a second book could be warranted to tie up some of those loose ends, so i am interested to see if that happens.
but overall, this is quite the adventure into the depths of criminal minds, murder investigations, family facades, and small town secrets.
a massive thanks to macmillan childrens publishing for the ARC!!↠ 4.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
5 STARS
ARC provided by Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. *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.
Rating: really liked it
pre-read: why did i add this? pretty cover, that’s why.
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read: 3.9 stars. this actually wasn’t bad (which i say with surprise only because pretty covers always seem like bad omens). was it the groundbreaking and revolutionary read that people are saying it was? no. was it enjoyable? yes. and at the end of the day i wasn’t looking for a life-altering read, so all is well.
side note: LOVED the first 50-60ish%. but then all of this buildup went into an info-dumping chapter that completely detached me from the lil mystery of the story and is the reason i can’t give this four stars.
Rating: really liked it
this book was so beautiful i’m currently still sobbing
Rating: really liked it
The second I saw this cover I knew it was a book I had to read. From the very beginning I was drawn into the story and I think a large part of that is how much I really liked the main character Catrin or Cat. She is fun, adventurous, passionate, and hard working. I love that her role is to climb high in the scaffolding to check for safety and she has to be reminded to wear a harness. The mystery was very good and I loved the attempt at profiling and the more primitive forensics mixed with a little bit of magic. Cat hears a woman scream and runs to the site to watch a cloaked man leave and a murdered woman. She is drawn into the investigation because of her initial observations. I don’t totally love the way books like this always have love triangles and it was a little over the top in this one, but I ultimately did love the romance between Cat and Simon. I haven’t read anything by Erin Beaty before this book, but I definitely will be looking into more books by her in the future.
Rating: really liked it
I'M GETTING ENCANTO VIBES
Rating: really liked it
4.5 rounded down. A fresh magic system woven into a fun whodunnit. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.
Catrin has always seen better by moonlight, something she has kept hidden as moon magic is often seen as evil. While using the moonlight to her advantage for her job, she witnesses a murderer fleeing the scene of their crime....where she could swear she heard the victim pleading for help moments before....from 25 stories up. Teaming up with the detective assigned to solve the murder, Simon, Catrin must help wade through the waters of visions and hearing victims, but will she ever get to them in time to save them? Or will she find herself caught in the killer's crosshairs?
Blood and Moonlight was such a fun ride! The magic system was unique as was Catrin's origin once revealed. Simon was a likeable character from an interesting bit of the world, which was also great as it often feels like when the authors world build we only get bits and pieces of the surroundings of the main story, not fully recognized other locations. The characters really seem to be shaped by their past rather than their past being shaped to the story being told, which was a real treat. The only thing holding me back from giving this 5 stars is how the author tried to throw readers off of different pieces of the mystery. I can't say much more without spoilers, just know it's not enough to ruin the read, just a eye roll here and there.
4.5 stars rounded down to 4, since Goodreads doesn't allow half stars. Recommended for readers of stand alone mysteries with a kiss of magic. Age recommended for 14+ as the violence isn't graphic, but could be a bit dark for younger readers.
Rating: really liked it
"Death makes a man wax poetic, apparently."Read 65% and skimmed the rest.
When I first spotted the cover, I didn't need to know anything else about this. It's a hauntingly beautiful cover that captivated me. The blood dripping down the fingers was the real seller for me. The sad thing is that beautiful covers always sucker me in and let me down. That is what happened here.
The moon having mystical benefits was amazing. I loved how certain characters had heightened senses after coming into direct moonlight. It was unique and I wish the story was more about that than murder but we can't always get what we want.
Figuring out the killer was easy. After this certain character was introduced, I knew immediately. Where's the fun in that? No cat and mouse game? No, thanks. The murders were cool and reminded me of Jack the Ripper. We can never have enough of those.
This book sounded like something I would love but I didn’t like the writing style or the main character. Cat was super cringey and her infatuation with another character kind of creeped me out. And don’t get me started on the releasing of a breath she didn’t know she was holding. *sigh* It’s a hard pass.
Blood and Moonlight is going to be a no from me. This just wasn't written for someone like me because I guessed things before they even happened. I was bored through most of it and Simon was the only decent character. That's saying a lot because he even bothered me some. I just didn't like this and that breaks my heart.
Rating: really liked it
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 Macmillan for this ARC!
Rating: really liked it
UPDATE: This cover is beautiful, but also intriguing... I love it! 😁
Ohhhh I hope it's as good as The Traitor's Circle series! 🤞
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Rating: really liked it
never did i think that mixing YA fantasy with Silence of the Lambs style criminal profiling + serial killers would create a book that slays THIS HARD
Rating: really liked it
"We All live in cages, Catrin. Only those of us who are lucky get to choose which one"
This book was full of mystery with a bit of romance. An unexpected turn of events, the whole time you will question if someone is the murderer. I love the romance between Simon and Cat. Cat was such a great character. This book had madness and i was intrigued from the start. Moon magic, a murderer on the loose, so many victims.
Rating: really liked it
This book was so right up my alley, you have no idea! I love me a good, dark crime thriller, and this one had magic! So, it was perfect, but I am not joking when I say it’s
dark and not for the faint of heart…
Blood and Moonlight is a twisting dark mystery in a fantastical world reminiscent of France, and reminded me of Stalking Jack the Ripper, Netflix’s Mindhunter, Criminal Minds, and a dash of magic paired with a Hunchback of Notre Dame setting.
The mystery was extremely, EXTREMELY, well executed! I honestly could not guess who the killer was, and I love how we had several suspects, and it was only when all the pieces fell into place, in the right order, that it made sense and it was so clear. I really appreciate that in a mystery, and Erin Beaty did a fantastic job of sprinkling in clues while always raising more questions. So many questions! About Catrin’s past, about who Simon is, the voices, the Selenae…so many questions, but asked with a trust that the author will reveal all at the right time. There are no loose ends with this story!
It was a very fast-paced story, managing to keep up the intensity while also delivering deep world-building, character development, and a very cool, strict magic system. My curiosity about the world was piqued right from the start, I was immediately pulled into the story, and Catrin was such a incredible protagonist to follow! She has so much spunk and courage, and she didn’t lack relatability and authenticity.
The romance felt very natural—just the way teenagers fall in love. And I guess there was a little bit of love rhombusing in this one, but I truly didn’t mind! In fact, if you can call it a love triangle, it is the best love triangle I’ve ever read, because I didn’t hate it! Or really even think of it that way. It was just two separate situations, without any leading on or playing both sides. Both relationships felt very honest and valuable, and Catrin had very clear intentions with both Remi and Simon.
I also really appreciated the author’s note and Juliane’s character, starting with her strange way of talking, and then learning more about her struggle with schizophrenia. Having had some personal experience with family suffering from this mental illness, I really appreciated the compassion with which Erin Beaty approached the subject, and I think it was very well done. I hope that Juliane helps readers learn not to fear those with extremely difficult mental illness, but to have more compassion for them instead.
Now, the unsavory bits! As I mentioned above, this mystery does not hold back it’s punches, and so it will definitely not be everyone’s cup of tea. I love myself some true crime, so I wasn’t shocked or offended by the content, but those less accustomed to forensic crime (Criminal Minds, SVU, etc.) may have difficulty with some of the content. However, while the content (namely deaths of the victims) are gruesome and disturbing, the descriptions are very simple and not excessive, so you understand what happened without any gratuitous details.
There was something about this book that really grabbed a hold of me and didn’t let go. And it wasn’t just the thrilling mystery. I think it’s that desire for justice we all have, to uncover the truth no matter how ugly it may be. It is only when everything is exposed to the light (or should I say, the moonlight) that we can grieve the truth, process, and find a way forward.
All in all, I have to give this five stars, with a trigger warning. I will definitely be reading this book again when I want a good creepy mystery, or a boost of inspiration! Yeah, I’m a dark soul sometimes…
Trigger Warnings: Rape, Violence, Incest
Rating: really liked it
Catrin works with the city architect, spotting dangers in the construction and supports of the Holy Sanctum. She’s often out at night for this, and one evening, she sees a man fleeing the scene of a murder. She becomes involved with the investigation and becomes more emotionally involved with Simon and those helping him investigate. Underneath this all, Catrin begins to think she might have magic of her own and must decide how honest she should be with Simon.
This was a fine read. There wasn’t really anything that stood about this book to me though, except for the book cover.
I found it difficult to become invested in the characters, which in turn made it difficult to care about their relationships with each other. I didn’t find Catrin to be particularly interesting or engaging, though I enjoyed the profession the author gave her (I could tell that some great research went into the engineering/architectural details the author included, and it was much appreciated!). I felt the same way about the secondary characters for the most part, though I think that both Simon and Julianne were well written and interesting. I also disliked that everyone was in love with the protagonist, and just how astonished she was every time she found out about it. Cat and Simon’s relationship felt forced and detracted from the work overall.
The way that religion worked in the book and how it was influenced by the types of magic was interesting. I enjoyed the information included about moon magic and how it affected certain people; I wish the book had focused more on this and less of the investigation. I also thought this work would be a bit more of a gothic and dark fantasy read, but it was actually relatively tame despite a couple dark moments.
Personally, I didn’t find the murderer to be a compelling villain at all. Part of this may have been that there was no real reason to care about the victims as they weren’t developed or integral to the story past their deaths. I think the other part was that there were so many different leads to follow and tons of misdirection that I just lost interest; it didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I won’t get into details about the murderer and their motive other than to say it was quite disappointing for me.
Overall, this was an okay read. I can see why other people might really enjoy it, but it just wasn’t for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Rating: really liked it
Best part of this book is cover, story and characters were lacking.
