Take a photo of a barcode or cover
cakt1991 's review for:
Blood and Moonlight
by Erin Beaty
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Blood and Moonlight simultaneously evokes two of my major fictional genre loves: gritty mystery/thrillers and fantasy worlds with historical aesthetics, so I ate this up. The world evokes medieval French vibes, and I love getting a sense of the Sanctum and its environs as the intense events occur within them.
The mystery is central to the plot, and it evokes vibes of Jack the Ripper and other notorious historical killers. It’s not afraid to describe crime scenes and violence, and while it’s not done distastefully, it’s still not for the faint of heart.
I appreciate that there’s an effort to also make both a textual statement about mental health issues (particularly schizophrenia) and the legacy of misunderstanding it through supporting cast members. And based on her author’s note, Beaty clearly cares about the subject deeply, and to do so in a crime novel also challenges dated stereotypes.
Catrin is a sympathetic, yet flawed lead. I love when protagonists can acknowledge their prejudices and grow from them. And Simon makes for a great counterpart for her, as while he is arrogant, some of his experiences help in Catrin’s growth. And he’s also just the sweetest, most dedicated person at heart, with a single-minded focus on finding the killer.
I really enjoyed this book, and am eager to try more from Erin Beaty in the future (I’ve heard pretty good things about the Traitor’s Circle series!). If you enjoy fantasy with historical aesthetic settings and intense mystery/thriller plots, I recommend this one.
Blood and Moonlight simultaneously evokes two of my major fictional genre loves: gritty mystery/thrillers and fantasy worlds with historical aesthetics, so I ate this up. The world evokes medieval French vibes, and I love getting a sense of the Sanctum and its environs as the intense events occur within them.
The mystery is central to the plot, and it evokes vibes of Jack the Ripper and other notorious historical killers. It’s not afraid to describe crime scenes and violence, and while it’s not done distastefully, it’s still not for the faint of heart.
I appreciate that there’s an effort to also make both a textual statement about mental health issues (particularly schizophrenia) and the legacy of misunderstanding it through supporting cast members. And based on her author’s note, Beaty clearly cares about the subject deeply, and to do so in a crime novel also challenges dated stereotypes.
Catrin is a sympathetic, yet flawed lead. I love when protagonists can acknowledge their prejudices and grow from them. And Simon makes for a great counterpart for her, as while he is arrogant, some of his experiences help in Catrin’s growth. And he’s also just the sweetest, most dedicated person at heart, with a single-minded focus on finding the killer.
I really enjoyed this book, and am eager to try more from Erin Beaty in the future (I’ve heard pretty good things about the Traitor’s Circle series!). If you enjoy fantasy with historical aesthetic settings and intense mystery/thriller plots, I recommend this one.