I received an ARC of Silence and Shadow from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

When I was approved to read an early copy of Silence and Shadow, I had no idea it was part of a series. I promptly got my hands on the first book, Blood and Moonlight, and devoured it. I enjoyed the characters, the setting, the murder mystery, everything. Though I had a few criticisms, it was a solid book, and the ending tied up nicely enough that if there hadn't been a second book, it would've held up on its own. However, since there is a second book, I was curious to see where the author would take the story.

Silence and Shadow digs its teeth into the magic system that is lightly touched upon in the first book. Now, I love me a good magic system and thought this one was very well done. The science of it was a little confusing, mainly because even the characters didn't understand how some of it worked, which meant that we, as readers, don't understand some of it. That's necessarily bad, especially if the people are discovering their magic, but that wasn't the case here. The magic has been around for hundreds of years, so the fact that they still don't understand how it works is a little hard for me to believe. Granted, magic isn't supposed to make sense, so, for the most part, I could look past the characters not being able to explain everything. And besides, the magic was cool, and I liked it, so I'll leave my nitpicking at that.

I love me a good magic system, but I love me a good mystery more. I grew up with Nancy Drew, reading every book about her I could get my hands on, and mysteries will always hold a special place in my heart. I really enjoyed the mystery in the first book, especially because you could feel the danger emanating from the pages. Cat and Simon had a vested interest in solving the case, and it was spectacularly done. In this book, however, I didn't get that. Yes, this time, Cat wasn't in any real danger, but it almost felt as if no one was, despite how many people were dying. There was no sense of urgency. Also, a lot was happening all the time, and I think it made the mystery and the urgency get lost in the other parts of the story the author was trying to tell. The magic side and the mystery side were fighting for first place, and magic won, which was disappointing because the mystery was what made the first book so gripping. The balance just wasn't there.

One thing I loved was Cat and Simon's relationship. They were adorable together, and I loved their trust in each other. It was refreshing. They played off of each other's strengths and worked together seamlessly.

So, while I feel like the magic overrides the mystery, I still enjoyed Silence and Shadow, and I recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting murder mystery.

I’m mad at myself that I didn’t pick up Blood and Moonlight sooner because I really loved it! And the sequel, Silence and Shadow, was no different! I loved everything about this series. I’m a huge fan of Victorian Era settings, but pair it with a murder mystery, some magic, and romance, and you will have my full attention. This story picks up after the end of the first one and answers some of the questions I had after reading the first novel which is great.

The setting of the story was fantastic and easy to picture thanks to the authors attention to detail. The magic system was super cool and I loved the connect to the moon, and it’s expanded on further in this sequel. The exploration of the magic was a great addition to the storyline. I also really loved the characters. Cat was a strong FMC and her relationship with Simon is expanded on wonderfully. The character development is simple but I didn’t mind as I think the rest of the story made up for it.

This series is perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper, Belladonna, and Jackaby. If you love a Victorian Era, dark academic setting with serial killers on the loose, interesting magic, and an adorable romance put through tests and tribulations, then do yourself and favour and pick up this series!

Silence and Shadow is the second book in the Blood and Moonlight series by Erin Beaty and if you haven't read that one, go now and pick it up. Not only is the cover AMAZING on this book (and book 1 too) but the story itself is very well done and I enjoyed it!

This book picks up where book one left off. Cat and Simon are posing as a married couple in the city of Londunium after fleeing Cat's home. While they don't expect to keep this up for long, they need to do it initially so they can stay together at the Selanae university.

As they integrate into their new roles, they realize there is a bigger issue in Londunium and there is a killer on the loose. To add to that, the university happens to be run by a council of leaders who ultimately threaten to erase Simon's memories to protect their secrets and Cat is desperate to keep him safe. As Simon is recruited to profile the killer, Cat is pulled back into a dangerous world and it is hard to know who to trust.

What I loved in this book was the fact that Cat and Simon's relationship. I'm not going to lie, Beaty had me worried about the memory wipe thing and she had me guessing on the killer front pretty much the whole time.
I honestly wouldn't have trusted anyone at all if I were in here shoes and there were definite front runners as to who I suspected but I was waiting for the twist.

In the end, this book was exactly what I was hoping it would be. I loved it and highly recommend checking out this series if you missed it when book one was released. I can't wait to see what is next with this author as she has quickly become a favorite.

great book and loved the mystery through out the book. I loved the characters and how they grew through all of their adventures. I enjoyed this book and this author and will check them out again add them to my reading pile.

In this thrilling sequel, we continue Cat and Simon's journey, posing as a married couple, into Londunium, seeking refuge from their past. While Cat aspires to master healing magick, a ruthless council threatens to erase Simon's memories, jeopardizing their safety. The story's enticing blend of murder, magick, and mystery kept me hooked. Although the romance subplot felt unnecessary, Erin Beaty's meticulous world-building and intricate character development shone through. The exploration of moon magic and introducing complex characters like Hespera added depth. I was captivated by Cat and Simon's natural chemistry, yearning for more tales featuring these compelling characters. Beaty's storytelling prowess shines, making this an unforgettable journey into a world of secrets and danger.

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!!