Fantasy meets murder mystery in a compelling story centering an orphaned girl with magical abilities.

Unfortunately I ended up not really geling with this one. Catrin as a character is just a bit dull, a bit one note, as this typical chosen one figure that has no depth to her character. Although I liked the mystery elements, Catrin just wasn't strong enough of a character to carry the plot. And although the world building was well done, it did drag the pacing down.

Interesting ideas, but this didn't stand out for me.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The author managed to combine the grittiness and drama of murder with romance throughout the book which is no mean feat.

I did find it a little slow in places but I still think a lot of my students would enjoy it and it definitely has a place in the young adult section of my library.

Beautifully written, I loved the slow burn, the unexpected twists and turns had me reading on into the night. Not what expected, but loved it!

Even if it's marketed as YA fantasy mystery this is a well plotted story that will surely be appreciated by adults too.
I fell in love with the gorgeous cover and the well plotted and fast story that kept me hooked and guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Amazing! So much so I went and pre ordered it immediately. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

4.5/5.0

A murder mystery but with romance and magic - yes please. The world building and magic systems in this was so unique.

Although this started off really strong, I didn't have an emotional connection with it and struggled to reach 40%

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

First of all, thank-you NetGalley and Macmillan's Children Publishing Group for letting me read this phenomenal book as an ARC.

I was a bit apprehensive when I first requested this book as it sounded amazing but I can find some YA fantasy books a bit childish for my personal preference however this book blew all my expectations out the water.

I adored this book immensely and has honestly been one of my most favourite reads of the year. The writing was really well done with the right amount of description to let your imagination run wild and picture the scenes perfectly.

The plot itself was what peaked my interest in this book and it did not disappoint. The magic system was unique using the moon's light to enhance natural senses.
The main plot of the murder mystery was done exceptionally well and really left me guessing who the culprit was and even shocked when it was revealed - which is what you want in these types of books! It really allowed you to become part of the investigation and I was constantly flipping back and forth on who I thought it was.
There was a really cute romance brewing throughout as well which broke up the violence in a really sweet and innocent way.
I also really liked the fact the murders were investigated in the old school way and there is no mention of technology.
The relationships between the characters were really beautiful and you could really witness the love between them all.

I cannot put into words how awesome this book was and I really hope there is more to come as the ending makes it perfect for sequels.

And finally, can we just appreciate how beautiful this cover is!

10/10 would high recommend to everyone

I think it’s a Books generally was really good. The main female lead was fun she was down to earth and she wasn’t done at all. I would 100% recommend. I did enjoy the romance aspect of this, but although it’s relatively more on the slow Burn side of things, and I also did like the fantastical and they element. It was just generally a really good book and I would actually recommend. I am actually really happy that I have the next booking a series.

I may've read two murder mystery books in a row, but I enjoyed this story! I liked all the twists and "whodunnit" vibes. It was fun and adventurous and I found myself really liking the main character, Cat. Also I LOVE the cover!!!

A mystery set in a gothic fantasy world, Blood and Moonlight is clever and well written. The ending dragged a little bit but I liked the romance.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited to get to read this! I loved its setting, a fantasy world, with a murder mystery as its main storyline and the main character was a blast to have with you as you progressed through the story.

The main character is Catrin, or Cat as she likes to be called, and we follow her throughout the story. At the start, she witnesses the murder of someone she knows, even though, with how far away she is from the event, she shouldn’t be able to. She joins up with master detective Simon in order to find the murderer and thus continues the story…

This storyline was so much fun to read. It kept you engaged all throughout, and left you wanting to continue on late into the night to discover who the murderer was. However, I felt like the romantic subplot was a bit too rushed, as I felt no chemistry between Cat and the love interest, and it thus felt a bit unnecessary to be included in the book or should have had more time to develop. On top of that, I felt like the last 10 or 15% of the book was a bit of a mess, as Cat keeps switching between thinking who the murderer is without proper motivation.

The magick system on the other hand was so interesting! I loved seeing how certain characters were able to use special skills when exposed to moonlight, and I felt like this was such a unique way of magic in a fantasy world.

Blood and Moonlight is a fun fantasy murder mystery, but unfortunately lacked in some aspects for me in the storyline. Overall, I still definitely recommend this book!

This was an enjoyable mystery set in a fantasy based world with an interesting cast of characters. The narrative felt a little confused at moments with a bit of info dumping but overall it is a good book

Blood and Moonlight is an inspired mix of fantasy, mystery, and psychology. Cat’s magic ability helping her to solve a murder was a clever spin and the mystery itself was well plotted enough that though I called the murderer correctly several times, I also kept changing my mind.

The mystery is the strongest element of the story; I found myself drifting when focus would shift to the lore building of the Selenae. Past the powers Cat uses to help catch the killer, once moonstones and bloodstones got involved, it started to feel a bit over complicated. The inclusion of a character with mental illness was an unexpected but pleasant surprise, particularly in a fantasy setting, and it would have been nice to see more done with that, as that particular character isn’t ultimately core to the plot.

As a murder mystery with fantasy elements, this is a unique approach I would like to see more of.

I absolutely adored reading this book. This book was a perfect mix of fantasy and mystery. It did not take long for me to get hooked into reading this. Once I started the mystery pulled me in. The light hints of magic started off slow before you get more information and explaining a little later on in the book.
The world building was fantastic and so well written throughout the book.
The book follows Cat an orphan who grew up in a convent before gaining employment with Master Architect Thomas . Her job sees her inspecting the structure of the sanctum for any faults whilst undergoing repairs.
Having witnessed a murder Cat is now drawn into a murder investigation which is how she meets Simon our other main character.
Simon who relies on his extended family for employment is pushed into the role of Venatre to solve the murder.
I loved the slow building of romance between Cat and Simon and enjoyed that it wasn’t the main part of the story.
Mysteries and secrets unfold throughout the book.
I kept thinking I knew who the murderer was but it kept changing and I ended up guessing wrong!

I can’t wait to read the next book and find out what’s next for Cat and Simon.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Blood and Moonlight is a unique murder mystery with magical elements and an unusual setting. The main character, Catrin grew up with the Sisters of the Light and went on to apprentice as an Architect for Magister Thomas. Catrin’s role is to ensure the Sanctum, an incredibly important building, is safe and taken care of to avoid any accidents. She now lives with Magister Thomas as well as Mistress la Fontaine and her son of a similar age to Catrin, Remi. Remi was also training with the Magister but left to work for someone else, only recently returning.
Catrin is out checking on beams and scaffolding when she cuts herself and experiences something strange, witnessing someone flee and she then sees a body on the ground. Determined not only to solve this murder as well as the others that follow, Catrin is desperate to figure out why she’s having these magical experiences.
She isn’t the only one determined to solve these killings when Simon is brought in to investigate as well. The two develop a partnership as well as a romance which was fun to read.
I enjoyed this. It was a fairly quick paced mystery with a unique magic system. I think it was a heavy read to be labelled as YA with some graphic descriptions and topics throughout. It reminded me slightly of Stalking Jack the Ripper only with magic. That system was different and it wasn’t discussed that much. It was as if the reader had to figure it out rather than the writer explaining it.
The murder mystery element was fairly easy to predict but not enough to stop me from finishing the book. The cover is gorgeous and another great read from Erin Beaty! I look forward to reading Silence and Shadow and seeing what happens with Cat and Simon.
Thank you for the eARC!

This book perfectly woven together a mystery and fantasy novel.

I loved the serial killer aspect and the investigation that was set out to find who was the murder, but it also didn’t overshadow the fantastical magic that is throughout the story. I have never read a novel that felt with moon magic before and I can gladly say it did not disappoint.

I was also glad that I wasn’t able to figure out who the killer was and I was left guessing after every page to try to solve the mystery.

I loved the romance between Cat and Simon and I loved the mental health representation throughout the book.

Overall this was a good read and it leaves the reader wanting the second book immediately to continue the wonderful story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC copy of this book

A really interesting mix of mystery, thriller and fantasy here in this enjoyable, genre bending read. I am intrigued enough to want to pick up the sequel when it is out.

I think this was a classic case of 'it's not the book, it's me.' I really struggled to tell what genre this book was supposed to be and while I'm normally all for a little genre bending, it was more like the book didn't quite know either. The writing style was a little simplistic for me and I found the plot overly predictable, but I did like the characters and how they were written. DNF at 30%

Honestly, I didn't expect to love this as much as I did.
If you love a little mystery/ thriller element to your fantasy reads, this has it all. From magical powers drawn from the moonlight to the way Erin Beaty constantly has you suspicious of every character. And the romance? Well who doesn't look a little romantic subplot? The world building is superb, the character development creates a fascinating who done it and my day got brighter when I realised we are getting a book 2!