Hi everyone!
I know I've been doing a lot of book tours lately (this is what, the third? or fourth? in a continuous line of posts.) but my summer vacations were going on and I thought that it'd be the perfect time to take up these amazing books.
Usually, I hesitate to do these during busy months because I'm committing to something I'm not sure I'll be able to deliver my best on. But since I was free, I thought, why not?
So putting that tangent aside, let's move toward the book I'm going to be talking about today: Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty.
To be fair, I didn't have any strong reactions while reading this book, emotionally. Like I cared about the characters, but it wasn't an upheaval of feelings.
And I think this is one of those books that's not meant for it even. This is quite like those quintessential mysteries and thrillers, but with a fantasy setting. And it's a little tricky to talk about because there is so much to love about this book, objectively.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Table of contents:
Book Info:
Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery Thriller
Publishing Date: June 28, 2022
Book Links- Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository |
Synopsis:
In this medieval YA fantasy thriller, an orphan with a secret, magical sight gets caught between a mysterious genius and the serial killer he’s hunting.
Rising above the city of Collis is the holy Sanctum. And watching over its spires is Catrin, an orphan girl with unique skills for she alone can spot the building’s flaws in construction before they turn deadly.
But when Catrin witnesses a murderer escaping the scene of his crime, she’s pulled into the web of a dangerous man who will definitely strike again. Assigned to capture the culprit is the mysterious, brilliant, and enigmatic Simon, whose insights into the mind of a killer are frighteningly accurate.
As the grisly crimes continue, Catrin finds herself caught between murderer and detective while hiding her own secret- a supernatural sight granted by the moon, destined to make her an outcast, and the only thing that might save her and those she loves from becoming the next victims...
Content Warning: graphic death, violence, death, incest, talk of mental illness, gore
RATING- ⭐⭐⭐. 75
My review
The murder mystery is so well-written. Albeit slightly dragged, the twists and turns, the reveals, and the ominous clues have perfect timing and the desired gripping effect on the reader.
the magic system
The magic system is also fascinating. I didn't expect it to have a lot of magic, to be honest. And I was mostly right.
Because technically the magic doesn't play a huge role in propelling the plot forward. And the looming threat of a serial killer roaming in their midst doesn't allow for the author to focus on how the magic fits in the world-building too much. It's more like a sub-plot, more relevant to the character's journey rather than the plot.
Though because our character does have the magic, it gives us a bit of an upper hand and more aware of the strange things happening around them.
It's the way it worked that attracted me the most. So it works in the way that there are two kind of magic-users: some who get their magic from the Sun, and others from the Moon.
Generally, the people who get their magic from the Moon are looked down upon and excluded from society. Stereotypes and false stories have been propagated about them in the city, and they've stayed away from them as a rule.
One of the reasons is that these people tend to stay up at night so that their blood can absorb as much moonlight as it can (for magic), and they sleep during the day. That alone is enough to make them an anomaly.
atmospheric and well-researched writing
Another thing that I appreciated in the writing is the character's voice. Our MC is an architect, or like an assistant to an architect. So when she describes a scene or a building, her passion shows through her words. And in the book itself, there are a lot of instances where the author takes a minute to inform us about the details of the buildings and structures, and you can tell she knows her stuff.
The writing is very eerie and atmospheric. The way it's written, it amplifies the terror the character feels. It's not fast, but still edge-of-your-seat.
the plot
The way the author keeps us on our toes, constantly making guesses about who's the killer and how are they doing is AMAZING! I already have a strange fascination with stories about serial killers and sociopaths. This was a great example of a book that uses that plot device well.
TBH, the pacing was the only thing I had an issue with. I still can't pinpoint exactly what it was. Maybe it was that we could've easily gone without a few scenes, or cut them short at least.
Just wanna throw it in there- Perhaps I'm just dumb, but I couldn't say for sure who the killer was. I had an inkling, of course. It wasn't completely out of the blue. But others seem to have guessed it easily, but I couldn't. So do with that what you will.
Overall Thoughts
An incredible fun, adequately creepy, and edge-of-your-seat story that will keep engrossed and wondering long after you've finished.
About the Author:
Erin Beaty was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, which means she can’t drive a tractor but won’t eat veggies that come from a can.
She graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2000 with a BS in Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics) and German, then served in the fleet as a weapons officer on a combat destroyer and later as an instructor the Center for Naval Leadership.
After a few years as a stay at home mother and navy wife with a casual family blog, Erin upped her
game and started writing her first novel in the spring of 2014. She is now the author of the Traitor’s Circle
Trilogy published by Imprint, Macmillan and in sever al foreign languages.
She and her husband have five children, two cats, and a vegetable garden and live wherever the navy tells them to go.
Time to Chat!
I really hope you liked this review! Thank you so much for reading and don't forget to connect with me on any of my social media!. You can find me on Instagram @aamnaiswriting and on Goodreads @Aamna- The Ink Slinger.
I'd love to know your thoughts.
Anf if you liked this review, make sure to click that little heart button and share this post with everyone!
Comments