When you’re extremely excited about a read, the disappointment you experience when it proves to be nothing that you hoped it would be surpasses normal book disappointment.

Blood and Moonlight sounded incredible - A fantasy story with a serial killer? Sign me up! And that magnificent cover further sealed the deal.

Unfortunately, I was not the right reader for this. To say that it seemed decidedly young does seem unfair since it is a young adult book, but it felt even younger than the intended audience. But I read and often enjoy middle grade, as well, so I’m not sure that’s the heart of the issue. It just seemed overly dramatic and the superfluous flowery writing further decreased my enjoyment. I love lyrical prose, but it can be overdone.

I’m sure there are plenty of readers who will adore this. I misjudged it for myself and for that, I am sorry.

I am immensely grateful to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my audio review copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved the world and the premise of Blood and Moonlight. The religious tension created an interesting subplot amidst the murder mystery. I’m finding that I really enjoy serial killers in fantasy stories, and this one had all the good tropes of a thriller with fantasy elements expertly woven in. The story lagged a bit in some areas, and I’m not sure if the ending was satisfying enough for me (depending on if this is a standalone or if there will be more books forthcoming), but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The narrator, Kathleen McInerney, gave an excellent performance with a variety of voices, and captured the voice of the main character well.

Blood and Moonlight felt like it had too many moving parts to be enjoyable. Honestly, the author could have split the thriller piece and the magic piece into two completely separate books. It didn't feel as though there was a commitment to the main storyline because of this. With all the moving pieces it didn't allow for emotional connection to the characters and long winded explanations that weren't required - and with a book this long ... I need that connection to keep my interest. There was also too many red herrings - and then when we find out who the killer really was it felt like they were just thrown out there to give the "wow" but didn't truly make sense.

The cover is stunning! It's what made me want to check out this book in the first place, so kudos on that.

I had a difficult time following the narration of this one - and that's not on the narrator or the author. I'm going to check out the ebook instead because the story definitely has potential and I'd like to continue!

An entertaining read.
While I feel like the book could have been a least 100 pages shorter (there was a lot of meandering scenes that contributed nothing to the overall plot), I still had quite a good time reading it. The characters were well-written, the serial killer plot was intriguing (kinda like Criminal Minds but with magic elements and set in the 1800s), and the romance wasn't over-bearing in the way you see in lots of YA books.
I do wish the magic system was developed a little more thoroughly, but oh well.

This book was quite fun! I went into it blind and really had a good time with it.
Our main character Catrin is working one night trying to spot flaws in buildings when she sees a murderer fleeing the scene of his murder. As the murderer strikes again and again and Catrin gets closer and closer to Simon who is investigating, she has to come to terms with all she is learning about the murderer. She also learns that she has a rare and somewhat shunned kind of magic connected to moonlight.
I love when fantasy books include a murder mystery and I thought this one was really well done. The murders really played a big part in the book, but there was also a lot of other side plots that were all interwoven into one book so well. I was kept guessing on who the murderer was throughout the whole book, and there were so many twists and turns that I wasn't expecting.
I enjoyed all the characters. It was great to watch Cat learn about her magic and be determined to help Simon figure out who the murderer is. Simon was so sweet, but he also had a temper and was very passionate about his investigating. There were a lot of side characters and sometimes (especially at the beginning) it was a little hard to remember who was who, but I think I ultimately had them all straight by the end.
The magic system was really interesting and unique, but I feel like it was overshadowed by the murder mystery aspect and didn't get the full backstory and description that it needed.
The ending of the murder mystery really had me guessing, but after that was cleared up, there was something else that happened that I also wasn't expecting. It potentially set up a second book, which I would love to read and learn more about the magic system!

3-3.5 stars
TW: SA (Implied), Child SA (implied), murder, blood, body gore, serial killer & mental illness.

I loved this book initially; we have a fantasy book with a serial killer hunt plotline with moon magic.
PLUS ARCHITECTURE! The magic was super cool, and the cover is charming.
However, Catrin became annoying to me, keeping vital information from the investigation and FORCING everyone to take her suspects seriously (which resulted in almost two deaths). ALSO, I guessed the villain pretty early, and the red herrings made things confusing; it was a bit too much at times.

After the 60%, I skimmed a lot because it became boring, and there was so much info-dumping. I wish it could have been a duology for the magic system's sake, but it wouldn't have worked for the serial killer plot. Also, I think it was too long since it was only a standalone.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Erin Beaty for offering me this ARC in exchange for my honest review! This book! ❤️ What first drew me to this book was it’s gorgeous cover but what kept my interest was the story that unfolded inside this book! It was dark but also romantic. I loved how well the story flowed and how well the characters were described. I could easily picture all of the imagery that Erin Beaty describes in her writing. I highly recommend this book!

Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty was so good as an audio book. I enjoyed the narrator, and felt connected to the characters. This is a magic, murder mystery with of course some love interests too. There are some heavier subjects discussed, including mental illness and gruesome, descriptive murder scenes.

Cat is the female MC in this story and she lives at the Sanctum with the architect, Magister Thomas and Mistress la Fontaine. They have raised her since she was a little girl, with no knowledge of her parents. She works by inspecting the Sanctum. Its a dangerous, high climbing job where she finds flaws and damage and reports back on what needs to be fixed. That is where the murder mystery starts, with Cat scaling the building, inspecting a broken crossbeam near the gargoyles. Under the moonlight she sees the split crossbeam and it pricks her finger, drawing blood. When this happens, something magical in nature happens to Cat. When she is able to collect herself she spots a man fleeing from the area. After she descends to the ground, she stumbles on a horrible scene where a young woman has been murdered.

The investigation begins and Simon the Venatre is brought in to lead it. Since Cat saw the guy and found the murdered girl, she is brought on by Simon to help. They grow together as they try to beat the clock, as more murders start to happen. Cat is also trying to figure out what this magic is that was awoken in her, and in order to do that she has to discover where she came from and if there is anyone left to help her.

We are thrown in every direction when it comes to who the murderer is, it almost seemed a little too much back and forth at times. But I still really enjoyed the process because it allowed Cat to realize that her family is who she chooses it to be, and her magic is so much more then that first finger prick lead her to believe.

This was a standalone book originally but I believe the author, Erin Beaty posted on Goodreads, that there might be a second book to come. I am all for book #2 and exploring Cat's magic, her heritage and her love life.

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin Beaty and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the free audio book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

I picked up this book because of the cover and it did not disappoint! If you are looking for an enjoyable young adult fantasy/murder mystery read, this is perfect. The world is beautiful and complex but not overbearing. The storyline is intriguing but does not drag. While the murder mystery might have been a bit predictable after a point, I still thoroughly enjoyed uncovering the clues alongside the protagonists. To top it all off, this book can be read as a standalone! I would recommend this book to fans of Margaret Rogerson (Sorcery of Thorns) and Rebecca Ross (Dreams Lie Beneath).

Detail oriented readers will almost immediately guess the culprit in Blood and Moonlight leaving the next 400 + pages feeling lengthy and meandering.

Lets start with the positive! The characters we are introduced to in Blood and Moonlight are really delightful. I found them to be fully fleshed out and nuanced. Catrin, our MC, is level headed and likable and I enjoyed seeing the journey of her moral compass being put to the test. The world, a mix of magic and industry, is intriguing too. Identifying the killer early did create on page tension that otherwise wouldn't be felt. This is one of those books that I found myself literally yelling at. If I could figure out who the baddie is why can't the talented detective!? I suppose that last bit could fall under the negative section but if anything it does show I was engaged with the story!

Now on to the negative bits.There are many moving parts in Blood and Moonlight and personally I think the story is worse for it. Just as I found myself getting engaged in the central mystery the story shifts gears, diving deeper into the magic system and lore of the world. This divide and conquer approach to the two plot lines made the story lack cohesion and the attempt to intermingle the two, while working technically, felt clunky and heavy handed. With the killer being identifiable early, every red herring felt somewhat cringe-worthy and obvious.

Sadly I dont think there's enough mystery or fantasy here to make Blood and Moonlight a hit for either audience. That being said, the character development and unique world building was solid enough that I will take note of the authors future projects.

Thank You to NetGalley Macmillian for the review copy.

This book has such a fascinating premise - a young woman, Catrin, who works as an assistant to an architect who is building a religious sanctum. Catrin is out completing a series of inspections and then she stumbles upon a murder victim and that is where the story really begins. This book is definitely a slow burn and there are some elements of teenage romance as well. This book also raises some good questions around, " should our parentage matter?" and I think that would resonate with teens.


I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Blood and Moonlight follows Catrin, a young woman who works on a construction site, inspecting scaffolding for the safety of the crew expanding the architectural masterpiece, the holy Sanctum. One evening, under inexplicable circumstances, Cat becomes the sole “witness” to a gruesome murder and is drawn into the investigation led by a brilliant young foreigner, Simon. As the body count rises, Cat’s own mysterious past bubbles to the surface and may be the key to discovering the killer’s identity.

The incorporation of architecture and construction into a YA fantasy mystery is incredibly unique and was refreshing to read! I love a capable heroine and we certainly see that in Cat who has made a career for herself working alongside the Master Architect. She is an incredibly bright and skilled young woman and her field of work brings something new to the genre that I’ve not seen done before which will inspire and empower young women who read this book.

Another win for the story is the discussion of mental health. This topic is a major theme throughout the book and I really enjoyed getting to follow along with our main character as she learned about stigma and acceptance and the importance of access to proper support for those suffering from mental illness. Some of the most lovable side characters in the story were mentally afflicted and I really appreciates seeing that represented so well by the author. Great care was taken to be sensitive to the topic while also calling out harmful behaviors and prejudices. I really appreciated the author’s note at the end as well which discusses the choice to incorporate mental illness and credits a sensitivity reader.

As far as the plot of this story, I found the murder mystery to be extremely captivating, however the magical elements fell a bit flat for me. We take a detour in the middle of the book to flesh out the magic system and it took me out of the rest of the book a bit. The concepts were great, I just didn’t feel like they added all that much to the overall reading experience.

If you enjoy a murder mystery with a bit of magic and a strong female lead, this might be an excellent listen for you! The audiobook was pretty easy to follow along with and kept me very engaged. I will definitely be checking out whatever Erin Beaty writes next as well as purchasing a physical copy of this book.

Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty 🎧

Described as a medieval YA fantasy thriller, this story is complex and so entertaining! After Catrin witnesses a murder, she gets wrapped up in the investigation along with the mysterious Simon. With all that the investigation uncovers she is thrown into a world of magic, violence and secrets.

I really enjoyed this one, it’s definitely YA so I did find some parts overly explained, but overall I was invested in Cat’s story. I would have loved more of the magic (Cat gets her power from moonlight!) and would love to read a sequel. The audiobook was great as it is a long book but the audiobook never felt too drawn out.

And take a look at this gorgeous cover! 😍 I haven’t seen much about this book but I think it will be a popular one! Thank you to @macmillan.audio for my copy. This one is out today.

#bloodandmoonlight #erinbeaty #bookish #audiobooks #listentobooks #audio #macmillanaudio #gifted #pubday #ya #readya #yafantasy #audiobookstagram #audiobookreview #audiobookrecommendation

When Cat sees a murderer fleeing the crime scene, she gets swept up in an investigation. More murders occur and Cat starts to fall for Simon, the mysterious investigator who seems to know just how the killer works. This only complicates things. What's more is that Cat is hiding a secret as she posses a power granted by the moon. While this has always made her feel like an outsider, it may just be the one thing that can save her.

What a gorgeous cover right? I wanted to like this book. I really did. The problem was, I was so incredibly bored. This book is long for YA, over 400 pages, and if a book loses my interest in the first 100 pages, then I'm out. I felt so detached from the first murder, so I definitely didn't care about the first victim. I didn't really like Cat either. She came across as whiny and so juvenile (even for YA). The romance between Cat and Simon didn't hold my interest at all because Cat kept acting like a kid with a crush.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Kathleen McInerney was a fine narrator. However, this book just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillain Audio for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Oh my goodness I wasn't ready to love this book the way that I do! It takes so many of my favorite things and wraps them all up so perfectly that I didn't want to ever stop listening. Medieval YA fantasy thriller?? Need I say more??

My favorite thing about this book was that I thought I knew who the killer was pretty early on, and the book kept leading me that way. And then BAM I was wrong! I absolutely loved that! It was so fun to see everything come together like I had thought it would and then all of that get absolutely crushed and turned upside down.

The other most amazing thing about this book was the mental illness representation. I have never read a book with a schizophrenic character, but I have to say that this was done so beautifully. It focused on her humanity and the ways in which her suffering didn't stop her from being the amazing person that she was. Of course, with it having a medieval setting, there was a lot of stigma and not a lot of help, and I think that was beautifully written as well.

Catrin is such a strong woman and the way that she really finds herself in this story is amazing. She knows who she wants to be and she doesn't let society tell her differently, no matter if it's the prejudice against women or the ways in which the religions label her.

Don't waste any time in getting to the bookstore to pick this up! You will definitely not want to miss out on it!

I enjoyed this audiobook a lot. While it was long, it was interesting, well written and enjoyable to listen to. The narrator did a really great job and had a very pleasant voice.
I wasn’t sure if it would be my cup of tea because of the fantasy and young adult aspects but it was very good.
Definitely a solid 4 to 4.5 stars from me on this one.

More like a 3.5 out of 5 but I’ll round up because it was an enjoyable read, even if it was cheesy and predictable at times. Props to Erin for doing the bare minimum and hiring a sensitivity reader for the mental illness/schizophrenia depictions in the book, I really did admire her author’s note for that. As for the plot and story, it felt… unfinished? The entire aspect of Cat’s magic and her secret past were brought up but not played upon enough to satisfy me. I wanted more magic and crime, less romance. Simon and Remy and Lambert and Odin all annoyed me in some way, so I really wish there had been less romance and less men overall to deal with. Good premise, fell a little flat, but ultimately a good, fun, read.

BLOOD AND MOONLIGHT is a great read for both mystery and fantasy lovers alike. I was super glad that I had access to both the ebook and the audiobook because this felt like a chonk of a book, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It takes a minute to get off the ground, but when the book gets going, it gets going. Beaty has crafted one of those mysteries that kept me guessing with every twists and turn until it landed with a conclusion that I didn't really even predict. With Catrin's POV, we really find ourselves in the middle of the mystery and that's a special quality in a book. I thought the world-building was really unique as well as the magic system, and seeing how Cat learns more about herself through it was satisfying. I also thought the romance between Cat and Simon was super sweet. All of the characters were really multi-faceted and unique. I appreciated the care in which the author has attempted to portray mental illness with Julianne and thought that she did a good job with portraying schizophrenia while stressing the fact that those who suffer with mental illnesses are people worth dignity and respect. The only issue I had with this was the pacing at first, but I thought this was a solid book overall and am glad I was able to read it.