This book was a little difficult for me to get into at first, but once I did, I couldn't put it down! The characters were likable and the murder mystery had me guessing. I would think I got it, but then I would be shocked by a twist. Also, this isn't relevant to the story itself, but look at that cover! It's gorgeous. Anyway, I would really recommend this book and I hope others like it as much as I did.

This book gets an automatic 5/5 stars from me simply for the fact that it’s probably one of the most unique stories I’ve ever read. The vibe of this book is probably one of my favourites that I’ve read and I appreciate the fact that the author managed to write it so well blew me away. I really loved and adored this so 5/5 stars!!

Quick Stats
Age Rating: 14+
Over All: 4.5 stars
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5

Special thanks to Fierce Reads and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.

This book is the perfect blend of magic and mystery, perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco. It has utterly unique and enthralling world building and magic, and it has a compelling mystery that had me desperate to know what was going to go down.
Not to mention—the characters! I absolutely loved Catrin, and her POV was engaging and easy to relate to, but Simon has my whole heart. I was obsessed with his character. Brooding, of course (I’m a sucker for the broody LI trope), but wholly unique and motivated.
I have never read a book that so perfectly straddled the line of a genre mash-up (in this case, fantasy and mystery). If you took out all of the fantasy aspects, you’d still have an amazing and compelling mystery story. If you took out the murder mystery plot, you’d still have an addicting fantasy novel. Often times, in mystery-fantasies, one aspect is focused on more than the other in terms of development, and the other feels slightly lacking, not as compelling. Beaty, however, expertly balances both, Neither storyline usurps the other, neither lacks in development, neither leaves the reading feeling vaguely unfulfilled.
This book has all the best tropes—orphan of mysterious (…perhaps…magical?) origins, broody love interest with secrets of his own, a hint of found family, and more, but it never falls into the cliches.
There is also mental health & disability representation in the book, which I’m honestly not sure how to feel about. There were aspects that could be construed as problematic. Stories of characters who have a certain mental illness (who are dead by the time the book starts) doing atrocious things. However, the book juxtaposes this with a character who has the same mental illness, who is nothing like that, and does address the fact that some people are good and some people are bad, mental illness or otherwise. In the end, I personally wasn’t upset by that portrayal of mental illness, since there were more genuinely good characters with mental illness than bad.
There’s one more aspect of the rep that I feel conflicted about and want to adress, but it contains spoilers, so I’ll put it at the very end, clearly marked.
Lastly, before addressing that final potential issue, I want to mention the author’s note at the end of the book. In the author’s note, Beaty addresses her representation of schizophrenia. She adresses the fact that her portrayal is somewhat colored by the way in which such a condition would be seen and treated in the time and era that the story is inspired by. She also speaks about the personal aspects of schizophrenia with herself. She is very vague, in order to respect her own and others’ privacy, but she talks about someone very close to her, whom she loves, as having schizophrenia. She simply says that the character’s delusions are “very close to what [she] has seen up close and personal” and “that is all [she] will say on that.”

In conclusion, the book itself was incredible, but I’m somewhat unsure of the rep. I personally didn’t find it outright harmful, and though I have a history of delusion, I am not schizophrenic, and you should definitely listen to the voices of #ownvoices reviewers over mine.
Now, you may scroll down for the last bit of information, but please be warned, it contains pretty major spoilers.
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One of the major side characters, Juliane, is portrayed as having some kind of schizoaffective disorder, which is then confirmed as schizophrenia by Beaty in the author’s note. As far as I can tell, there is nothing harmful in the way that her hallucinations and delusions are portrayed.
Then, about 3/4 of the way into the book, she dies. Specifically, she is murdered by the serial killer which she is helping to hunt.
Now, this is a murder mystery about a serial killer. Obviously, lots of people get murdered. However, killing off the only living disabled character in the book definitely falls into the “bury your [minority character]” stereotype, which is pretty harmful. And under any other circumstances, even in a murder mystery, I would have been like, no, that’s shitty.
Except, based on the role Juliane played in the book, she kind of had to die. Like, if you took out all the aspects of her schizophrenia, and only made her Simon’s sidekick and cousin, she almost had to die for the plot to wholly work. It sort of wouldn’t have made sense to leave her alive.
But again, however she is disabled, and that lends a subtext to this even if it isn’t intended by the author. Like playing into the killing off your minorities trope, but also, the fact that her death could easily be interpreted to be necessary to “free” Simon from his “stifling” role as a caregiver, as if he couldn’t have ever had his happily ever after if she were alive. And again, I don’t believe Beaty intended for that implication at all, however, in killing Juliane off, it is there, intentionally or not. And that doesn’t quite sit right with me. Yet, as I said, I don’t know how Juliane could have been left alive under the circumstances, and I truly believe any potential harm was unintentional, and so I am left loving the book but feeling somewhat unsettled on this aspect of the disability representation.

An excellent YA book that fits into so many genres. It really is hard to pinpoint one specific topic/setting. It is medieval, mystery, murder, YA, a splash of romance. Erin Beaty did such a fantastic job spinning this world and connecting all of the dots. I thought I knew who the murderer was several times during the book and I was wrong at the end. That is a truly talented author who can keep you guessing literally until the end!

One of my new favorite genres is the blending of fantasy and murder mystery! As soon as I heard this synopsis, I knew that I had to get my hands on it, and I was not disappointed.

With each gruesome murder, the stakes heighten, and the magical deepens. Cat becomes further stressed, especially dealing with her trauma upon finding the first body. It was a good idea to contrast the tension of murder against the unfurling of Cat's magic. It allowed for these two different plots to interest me, so neither would ever really go stale or boring. Honestly, I expected the Sanctum to go after Cat a bit more than they did. I know the Magister and Mistress know Cat well, but I half expected someone to just weigh in on her being a possibility. It definitely was refreshing to not have cat be the center of attention for the suspect list, but with the chaotic unfurling of suspects, I just assumed she'd be involved more.

Cat's found family journey is probably my favorite part of this book. I loved her growth with her friendships and every partnership via Simon. She's always been defined as someone without a family due to the lack of information (to her knowledge at least) via her parents, and I'm really hoping that if there is a book two (the author hinted at the possibility) that Cat's magical heritage can be delved into deeper.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), and NetGalley for this eARC for review.

5/5 stars!!! I'm gonna need a moment to collect my thoughts completely on this but I am going to SCREAM to people about this book for a long long time!!! This was so fresh, exciting, twisty, and was the first book in a while to keep me completely gripped and not wanting to put my kindle down!

It's been a little over a week, I'm now currently reading 2 new books, and I am STILL thinking about this book! This was such a fresh plot idea, taking themes and spinning them in a new way to make it so fresh and unexpected. The mystery of who the killer was absolutely insane, and every time I thought I had an inkling of who it was and their possible motives, something would change on a dime and flip everything upside down.
The character relationships and their individual personalities were very well developed and each interaction felt very personal. Even if it was a smaller side character, we were made to truly CARE without it feeling that way on the surface. I liked that so many facets of the "city" were explained and made a part of the main plot, without actually bogging down the main story. I do honestly love Catrin and Simon so much, and wish there would be a second book so we could get more of their lives post-runaway and see Catrin exploring her magic more. This will definitely be a reread for me in the future!

What a fascinating little world I stumbled into in Blood and Moonlight! Catrin has led an interesting life so far, and I thoroughly enjoyed her journey of self-discovery and her moon-given abilities. While I thought the story would be fairly predictable, I ultimately was pleasantly surprised by the ending. The world Beaty created is unique and I look forward to seeing more of the cities mentioned in potential future novels.

That was a wild ride. At first, I couldn’t tell what this book was supposed to be. Fantasy? Thriller? Mystery? Eventually it found its footing and settled into a compelling blend of all three. A good buy for most high school collections.

"We all live in cages, Catrin. Only those of us who are lucky get to choose which one."

Here are my top 5 reasons to convince you to read this book which I totally recommend -
1. Firstly, the gorgeous cover. I love it.

2. This is a medieval YA fantasy murder mystery, such a great combination you will be hooked with how the story flows.

3. Cat has a mysterious air to her and that had me captivated to know more about her.

4. The characters had charming personality. Each were unique and developed well.

5. The magic is unique and the world building is beautiful. I liked how the mental health was also incorporated in this one.

I can't wait to read more of authors work, this was absolutely good. The casting, plot and the pace everything about this book was interesting.

Thank you for providing with e-arc in exchange of honest review.

So mysterious, medieval, and magical: a combination I didn’t know I needed! Loved this medieval murder mystery, the magic system was a little weird to me just because it was explained in a rush, but I really liked the characters and the world. Also the cover is stunning!!

What a chilling, intriguing and emotional read. I was first interested in reading because of the promise of a romance, alongside a mystery but as the story developed, I became deeply curious about Catrin's family and the secrets that were kept from her. Her developing magic, alongside her growing independence, was truly fascinating to read. That, alongside her part in solving the serial murders in Collis, made the book compulsively readable. I appreciated the mental health discussion and care that went into that representation (as evidenced by the author's note as well). Though the book struggled with identity once or twice--was this a mystery, fantasy or historical fiction novel--I was impressed by the scope of the story and characters. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author in the future.

It’s a lot of Jack the Ripper, fantasy-style, with some amateur sleuthing and a rather intriguing moon-based magic system (I’m serious! I’ve read magic systems that are similar based on darkness or shadows, but not on the moon itself unless it involved vampirism or lupine transformation, so I was geeking out a little. If you read this book and can think of another book with a magic system that comes very close to this one, can you reach me directly and let me know? I’d be totes interested!).

Okay, okay, I’m going to admit that I’m totally guilty of “Ooh, shiny cover” syndrome with this one. I saw the cover and was immediately fixated on it. I had to read it. The blurb helped some, but I’ll go ahead and give big props to the cover designer. But the book didn’t disappoint me either. It’s not the best standalone fantasy novel I’ve read this year, but it’s pretty darn good, and that’s better than 80% of the standalone fantasy novels I’ve read this year so far. As a matter of fact, the only true complaint I have with the book is that I think it’s too long. I think the content editing could’ve been tighter and the story could’ve been resolved in under 400 pages if that had happened. But that’s just this reviewer’s opinion. And we all know I think a lot of books are too long and need better content editing.

The world building is above average, but not outstanding. The magic system is fantastic, even though I wish there was more time to explore it. The plot is entirely a Jack the Ripper plot (or it begins as such, before the serial killer changes his aims and goals), but the way it’s handled by Beaty is masterful: She uses the central conflict of having our female protagonist, Cat, try her hardest to help flush out the killer to highlight how young men feel they are entitled to women’s bodies and hearts as payment for all they do for them and how poor behavior on the part of men is dismissed as playful or flirtatious when it more often than not only frightens women and causes them to eventually become accustomed to violence being a sign of love and affection. This is most evident in the character Juliane, who is mentally ill and has not only witnessed and been a victim of violence in her family all her life, but she also suffers from extreme neglect due to her own violent urges she cannot help.

This was a satisfying, fun read I recommend for fans of fantasy novels involving sleuthing, suspense, or crime-solving. Catch a serial killer in a fantasy world.

Thanks to NetGalley and FSG for granting me early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Initial Thoughts
I was so excited to be chosen for this tour. I loved Erin Beaty’s first trilogy and was really excited to see this author take on a murder mystery!

Some Things I Liked
World building and magic. I thought the semi-historical but mostly fantasy world was so interesting. I loved the societal structure and the way the people were divided by magic. I also thought the religious element was portrayed in a fascinating way.

The mystery. The murder and mystery elements of this story were really well done. I truly wasn’t sure who the killer was until the very end.

The romance. It was subtle but I was a nice addition to the story. The mental illness rep was also done very well and the way these two themes were woven together gave the story an interesting twist.

Series Value
I’d love to see more books set in this world. Catrin was a great main character and I feel like she could have plenty of other interesting adventures. I also loved the world and would love to see more set here.

Final Thoughts
I really really enjoyed this book. The setting, mystery, and romance were everything I wanted to see and more. It was very YA but in all the best ways. Definitely recommended for fans of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all this cover is beyond gorgeous, I'm fully obsessed with it and I wish I had looked into the book a little more before picking it up based on the cover alone.
This isn't a bad book by any means, but I found myself forgetting about it while I was reading it which is why I've decided to just put it aside for now. It didn't pull me in.

unfortunately, I dnfed this book. I tried on multiple occasions to get into it and it was just not for me. thank you to the author and publisher for sending this to me, but I wasn't feeling it.

Book Report for Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty

Cover Story: Pretty Deadly
BFF Charm: Maybe
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: Disparate Parts
Bonus Factor: Coach Taylor Award
Anti-Bonus Factor: The Patriarchy
Relationship Status: No Second Date

Content Warning: Blood and Moonlight features grisly murders (including some instances of postmortem rape) of women, many of whom are sex workers.

Cover Story: Pretty Deadly
At first glance, there’s nothing but lovely things going on on this cover, even though I’m not sure I’d want to be photographed with vines wrapped around me like that. But when you pause to look closer, you see the blood running out from between the figure’s fingers and everything gets a whole lot more ominous.

The Deal:
Catrin, an orphan raised by sisters in an abbey, has a very important job: inspect the scaffolding of the Sanctum, a giant holy building that seems to be permanently under construction, to ensure that none of the workers fall to their death. She’s very good at her job, especially in moonlight when her senses all seem to become heightened.

During a routine night check, Cat experiences something strange and soon after discovers the body of a dead woman in an alley. She soon finds herself embroiled in the hunt for a serial killer—and the truth about who she is and why moonlight affects her so.

BFF Charm: Meh
I liked Cat well enough—she’s kind, conscientious, and has a great balance of humility and ego. She knows she’s smart and talented, and bristles when both of those traits go unnoticed or overlooked (or even dismissed) by the men in her life. But she also falls prey to the chosen one trope—she thinks she’s no one special, but it turns out that she is. I don’t dislike the trope, but it doesn’t quite fit in this story. And also, everyone is in love with her. Which, OK, but … she’s no one special. (But she is?)

Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Like I said above, everyone’s in love with Cat. (Not really, but you know what I mean.) But she’s only got eyes for Simon, the young man in charge of the investigation. But Cat can’t be fully herself with Simon, and there’s something mysterious that he’s not fully revealing to her, either. Will they be able to overcome these secrets? (Probably. It’s a YA book, after all.)

Talky Talk: Disparate Parts
On the surface, the various elements of Blood and Moonlight seem like they’d go pretty well together, but the fantasy elements of the story don’t mesh well with the serial killer plot. Especially when Cat begins to learn more about who she really is in the latter half of the book; if Cat’s abilities led her to figure out the identity of the serial killer and stop them, that would have made sense. Although she helps the investigation, her abilities aren’t what ultimately solve it. Beaty’s explanation of the book’s setting also left a little to be desired—it was hard to suss out the layout of the city, and the enormity of the Sanctum was hard to fathom—and the villain was pretty obvious even though Cat was suspicious of pretty much everyone else in her life along the way to figuring them out.

Bonus Factor: Coach Taylor Award
I want to read a book about the life of the woman who raised Cat, Mother Agnes, who was married three times and amassed a great wealth before joining the abbey. There are shades of “I killed my husbands (who probably deserved it) and then ran away to be a nun” to her backstory, and I need to know more.

Anti-Bonus Factor: The Patriarchy
Cat’s own efforts to solve the crimes—and do her job—are often thwarted by the men in her life, even the most well-meaning of them.

Relationship Status: No Second Date
We had an OK time together, Book, but I wasn’t feeling much of anything by the end of our date. Your story, which started out intriguing, became halves of two different wholes, and I found myself wishing you would have stuck with one or the other, rather than muddying both.

This is a YA fantasy Criminal Minds episode.

Catrin is a teenage orphan in fantasy Italy, working for the architect in charge of building a massive cathedral. Prostitutes start being murdered. Enter Simon, teenage expert in crime scene analysis and modern forensic psychology.

For some reason, Catrin ends up working on this investigation with Simon and the members of the city's leading noble family. There were contrived reasons for this initially on both sides, but it seemed to end up continuing mostly because of Catrin and Simon's crush.

It does take a while to figure out who the actual murderer is. Mostly because all FOUR of the prominent male characters fit the profile.

This book held my attention. I do love Criminal Minds. Catrin's backstory and special abilities were also an interesting detail.

In general though, this story was nothing special. I can guarantee that its striking cover art is going to live in my imagination far longer than the book itself.

It also read rather young, shying away from touching on sexual assault and toxic family situations in a way that seemed unnecessarily delicate for YA. Catrin and Simon's relationship also seemed only shallowly explored, and the fact that SO many of Catrin's male acquaintance were obsessed with her began to be a little ridiculous by the end.

This book is quite beautiful. It's nothing groundbreaking in the YA fantasy genre, but it's still a fun read due to its mixture of fantasy and mystery.

My only complaint is that the build up in the story is very slow which makes it hard to become invested in the plot and characters.

Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty is a dark YA fantasy thriller with a fascinating mythology and complex characters, but the pacing and the mystery leave a little something to be desired.

The highlight of the novel is the utterly unique mythology and detailed world-building. Catrin’s society is built around the worship of the sun, and she is the ward and employee of the architect currently in charge of the decades-long construction of the Sanctum, a temple that is at the heart of every town. Despite the setting being loosely medieval, Cat is thankfully both capable and respected in her job of inspecting the scaffolding to ensure the workers’ safety.

Yet, within this city of the sun, Cat suddenly finds herself with preternatural abilities apparently granted by the moon — abilities that will label her a heretic if anyone discovers the truth. Readers will be drawn into this intricate world and eager to learn more about Cat’s mysterious gifts, but the descriptions can be a bit dense (especially regarding the layout of the Sanctum). However, the narrative does settle into itself a bit more as the story progresses, and Beaty’s writing features some powerfully evocative turns of phrase.

In fact, Blood and Moonlight was initially a standalone, but is now being developed into a duology — and it would have benefited from being written as one. This would have allowed the mythos to be revealed more slowly and naturally, giving it room to breathe so that Cat doesn’t have to immediately accept anything she learns, no matter how surprising, as well as resolving some of the pacing issues with the mystery element.

The mystery centers around a string of brutal murders, which Cat is drawn into investigating due to her newfound talents. But though it’s billed as a mystery novel, there are no real clues that gradually piece together to reveal the answer. All readers have to go on are the insights of the detective, or “venatre”, Simon, who is presented as an expert in what we now call criminal psychology.

His inferences come without evidence or explanation, so readers (and Cat) just have to take his word for it. Cat also jumps to conclusions, and leaps from suspect to suspect at the drop of a hat, especially toward the end, creating an erratic reading experience.

The detective, Simon, is also the main love interest. Though he can be a bit patronizing, the developing relationship between him and Cat is captivating. The air between them always feels charged, both because of the secrets between them and their undeniable attraction.

Actually, nearly every character in this story has secrets, and a complex (usually tragic) backstory. Beaty did not skimp on character development any more than on world-building. Among other things, several characters experience, or have had experience with, mental illness. Though society at large holds period-typical attitudes towards them, Cat, Simon, and a couple others take a more progressive, empathetic view.

The author’s note further explains that Simon’s fictional hometown of Mesanus, which welcomes people with mental illnesses and cares for those whose families have abandoned them, is based on a real place — Geel, Belgium — whose compassionate practices date back a thousand years.

Overall, Blood and Moonlight is a compelling read that falls victim to its own depth, ultimately feeling a bit cramped and rushed.

3.5⭐️

I loved this one. The characters and atmosphere were so well-developed. The magic system using moon magic and a serial killer on the loose was all I really needed to enjoy this. I'm hoping there is another book because I have a lot of unanswered questions! The setting was so unique and I love the true crime vibe of it as well.