Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 13/01/2023
Published by: Macmillan Audio
ISBN: B09Z75NRP4
Cover:
This cover is simply stunning! The beautiful central image of a woman wrapped in vines and flowers grabbed my attention and refused to let go. The additional details of buildings in the background allude to the story’s setting, while blood dripping down her fingers makes the design a bit ominous.
Writing:
The rich narrative from Catrin’s point of view immediately drew me in as vivid descriptions paint a clear picture of each scene and create a fascinating world. Annoyingly, the unique world and magic system are kept simple for most of the book, and I craved more depth and complexity. While this eventually came towards the end of the book, it was given through several information dumps and had little impact.
…our lives are like the Sun: a gift
Storyline:
Within a few minutes, Catrin’s character is introduced, and the mystery aspect of the story is launched. The pace is then slowed dramatically as the other characters, romance and world are developed. This made the story far more light-hearted than I had expected and caused the mystery to be less gripping. However, as the climax approached, I enjoyed the constant twists and misdirections that made it hard to guess who the killer was – even though the final reveal was disappointing. I also loved how Erin Beaty gradually explores the subject of mental illness and leaves readers with lots to consider.
Main character:
Despite her intelligence and stubbornness, Catrin was not a particularly interesting character. She is yet another Chosen One protagonist who has every young guy in the story in love with her. On top of this, her character experienced no growth during the story, so had little depth and was hard to connect with.
we all live in cages. It’s only the lucky ones among us who get to choose which one.
Secondary characters:
Even with the distinct personalities and quirks given to the secondary characters, they seemed one-dimensional, with simple roles to fulfil. The only memorable character was Julianne, who faced compelling challenges and stole my heart.
Romance:
Initial sparks soon lead to a romance that is too intense, too quickly. While the characters have some sweet moments, it is unclear why they fell for each other, so it was difficult for me to get invested in their relationship.
Narration & Audio:
The narration by Kathleen McInerney is pretty good. I liked the different voices done for the various characters but thought the emotions in the story were not well conveyed.
Despite the promising combination of mystery, fantasy and romance, ‘Blood and Moonlight‘ was painfully average. The story was entertaining, but there was little that gripped me. Certain aspects of the story remind me of Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody, so those who liked this story should check that out.
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[…] in the story, the foundation was laid for a strong sequel. Those who loved this should check out Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty for another mix of mystery, romance and magic, plus a great representation of […]