Description: With a bone-chilling beast chasing her, can Tilly awaken her powers, decipher her cryptic, ancestral map, and find the treasure before it's too late? Tilly Nyx has only vague memories of her childhood, but the one thing she knows for sure is that eleven years ago, she ruined everything. Her mother is dead, her sister is gone, and her home is destroyed.
Now, she endures a thankless life in New York City serving the snobby family that deigned to take her in. There are only two things that give her a mysterious map her mother left for her and an even more mysterious promise from a man called the Time Keeper. But when the Time Keeper is found dead in his hotel room with Tilly's name branded into his arm, Tilly's life is upended and hidden dangers loom in the shadows. With a terrifying, red-eyed creature on her trail and a new understanding of her importance, Tilly sets off to unravel the mystery that has followed her for over a decade. She plunges into the world where her story began—a world of high seas, magical powers, and maritime adventure. Can she and her friends follow the murky trail of thousand-year-old clues left behind by her ancestors and uncover the truth behind the map? Or will the shadows close in on them before they reach their destination?

My Review: I did enjoy the magical world created in this novel quite a bit. it was unique, which is quite the feat! The magic is created by casting sprites allied to one of the four elements: water, air, earth, fire. The resulting sprites are then these visible animals/creatures that can protect you or fight the sprites of others in battle. If you manage to defeat your opponent and they don't retract their sprite, you can snatch a small amount of their power and capture it for your own. Kinda giving pokémon vibes in its own way. There is also mystery elements, and I hope Tilly is able to find answers with her mother and her history. However, even with these strengths, i really struggled following the story. i’m hopeful that a lot of this is just due to it being an ARC, but it could use some line editing to clean it up. I also did not love the beginning of the book, where Tilly finds out that she is magical and then it goes straight to her being attacked with magic without giving enough backstory as to why these people, who had kept her safe for so long (albeit they were not kind and did treat her as sort of a Cinderella situation) would suddenly hate her so much that they felt it necessary to cause her physical harm or death. A little more backstory felt necessary to make this believable. I would have loved more insight into those dynamics.

paranormal fiction is just not for me. I do not know why I requested this ARC, I should not get tempted by pretty covers.

In this captivating fantasy romance, the author weaves a beautifully intricate world filled with magic, adventure, and an undeniable chemistry between the protagonists. From the very first page, readers are drawn into a richly imagined landscape where the stakes are high, and love transcends boundaries.

The characters are delightfully complex, each facing their own trials and transformations. Their journey is not just about romance; it’s about self-discovery and the courage to embrace one’s true self. The chemistry between them crackles with tension, making every shared moment feel electric and deeply meaningful.

The plot is expertly crafted, balancing moments of heart-pounding action with tender, intimate scenes that linger long after the book is closed. The author’s lyrical prose brings the settings to life, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the beauty and danger of this enchanting world.

Overall, this book is a delightful escape that deftly combines elements of fantasy and romance. It’s a testament to the power of love and the strength found in vulnerability. Perfect for fans of the genre, it’s a story that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a magical journey of the heart!

Firstly, I don't know who made this cover but it is gorgeous! This book was good for what it is. It is a very typical YA chosen one trope but the author did it well! My rating is more based on that this wasn't my perfect cup of tea and not the authors work. I have no doubt that if I was a mid to upper teen that I would have devoured this book, it is exactly the kind of book I loved at that age. I will be passing this on to my teenagers.

The novel follows Tilly Nyx, who relocates to New York City after a catastrophic mistake costs her everything she held dear. Eleven years later, a mysterious figure warns her that he will return, and she finds herself thrust into a mystical world tied to an ancient prophecy known as the Blood Moon Prophecy. This world, rich with magic, sailing culture, and deep-seated grudges, challenges Tilly to master new skills and solve the prophecy's riddles before time runs out.

One of the novel's standout features is its distinctive world-building. The setting, reminiscent of maritime adventures like Sinbad of the Seven Seas, immerses readers in a sea-centric plot that's both unique and visually engaging. The magic system involving sprites is vividly described, adding a visual allure to the narrative. Additionally, the diverse cast of characters, each with their own distinct traits and quirks, contributes to a dynamic and engaging story. The development of Tilly's friendships is particularly noteworthy; the interactions among her team feel authentic and grounded, enhancing the story's depth.

However, the novel's detailed world-building can sometimes be overwhelming. The extensive information about characters, societal customs, and magical systems occasionally makes it challenging to keep track of the plot. This complexity, though, mirrors Tilly's own struggle to navigate a world she has been absent from for years, creating a shared experience between reader and protagonist.

Despite this, Blood Moon Prophecy stands out as an extraordinary read filled with adventure, friendship, and magic. Fans of series like Percy Jackson and Harry Potter will find much to enjoy in this book's thrilling and imaginative narrative.

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Blood Moon Prophecy is a young adult, high fantasy novel that follows Tilly Nyx, an orphan living in New York City. As a child, Tilly's mother died. Tilly knows she has a sister, but she has not idea what happened to her. All Tilly knows about her early childhood is that a man called the Time Keeper brought her to NYC and told her he would eventually come back for her. Tilly lives as a servant to a rich family who treats her badly. All she has of her past is an important map given to her by her mother. When Tilly finds out that the Time Keeper has been murdered her past and all it's secrets start to unfold. Tilly finds herself on a ship full of magical people and she learns she has an important part to play in the fight against the evil Crom Fahll, her mother's killer.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it is so thought out and original in it's magical and fantastical elements. Also, the food descriptions were amazing!! They made me so hungry. The length of the book was what brought my enjoyment down a bit. Don't get me wrong in depth fantasies and longer stories are great, but in this case it seemed like the same plot formula was being used over and over again. Tilly is looking for something, or she find something, something bad happens, people get hurt, and then it repeats 5 or 6 more times. It wasn't necessarily that the same thing was happening over and over, but the formula was exactly the same and it made me question why it was all necessary. I was like "were in the infirmary again??" Besides the fact that the book could have wrapped up a little sooner, I would definitely recommend it to fantasy readers. Along with the great fantastical elements and food descriptions, there is also heaps of excellent characters and a good storyline. I will be looking out for the next book in the series.

This spellbinding tale weaves a spine-tingling dark mystery into the fabric of an already riveting narrative. Set against a backdrop of supernatural intrigue, the story unfolds with a magnetic allure, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. As friendships are tested and family ties are explored, 'Blood Moon Prophecy' masterfully blends the mystical and the mundane. A thrilling celebration of enduring bonds, this novel is a must-read for those craving an unforgettable adventure that lingers long after the final page.

World building was lacking and just did not keep my attention. Maybe I have been reading too much of the Maas universe but I just could not get into the story line.

I did not enjoy this book very much, and personally I don't really think its target audience of YA readers would, either. A unique blend of Harry Potter and Pokemon, Blood Moon Prophecy is the story of an orphan child named Tilly who, upon the death of her mother, was sent to live with indifferent-at-best relatives. After years of suffering their disdain, Tilly's past comes back to haunt her, and she's forced to escape into a world of magic and mayhem, prophecies and ancient feuds. A significant portion of the book is set on the sea, and while usually that's one of my favorite settings, so many other aspects of the story fell short of my expectations that I was unable to appreciate this as fully as I otherwise might have.

One of the major issues was the fact that Tilly and her classmates, despite being around sixteen years old, all acted and sounded like eleven-year-olds. If this book were marketed towards middle-grade readers, it would make far more sense: Tilly's personality and the lessons she learns based on her actions are all very childlike, suited more to younger readers than the older YA community. These lessons only show up during the latter half of the novel, though. For the first several chapters, Tilly is nothing more than a vessel through which the reader is introduced to the world and its characters. Very rarely do we get to hear her thoughts; for the most part, she's just a reference point from which we get to view everyone else and the conversations they have. There is little substance to her during the first half of the novel beyond this function.

There are also far too many characters. I understand the purpose of Tilly's friend group and quite a few of the adults surrounding her—each had their own place in her life—but a lot of others were superfluous. We don't need seven different characters playing the role of bully, for example. People kept getting introduced and only playing very minor roles in the narrative, and I believe keeping track of character names would be much easier if there were less of them to keep track of in the first place.

Though on the whole the plot was interesting, there were moments within it that I found to be inconsistent with earlier scenes. James is one example. He acts like he's dying to return to his old team aboard a different ship, only for the reader to be told much later that he actually hates everyone on that team and used to be constantly bullied by them. He holds a "my father will hear about this" attitude for so long that discovering his father essentially disowned him is less of a plot twist and more a point of immediate confusion. Tilly is told not to cast fire sprites since they're all living on a ship, but the ship has fireplaces. The whole book is written from the perspective of Tilly, but we sometimes get sentences like "Tilly sounded hurt." Sounded... to whom? There's a distinct lack of cohesion to the plot which adds to the overall effect that the novel is packed with much more—information, characters, backstories, plot twists (without any form of foreshadowing whatsoever)—than it actually needed.

With some editing and a change in direction from young adults to middle-grade readers, I believe this could be a good book. As it stands right now, I'm not willing to recommend it to others, whether within the age range of its current target audience or outside of it.

" People with Great Power have a great deal of responsibility.

𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿
It has quite an intriguing cover but doesn't give much away to the story.

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀
set at sea
found family
feuds
maps
adventure

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
I'm not sure. it felt like a watered down version of harry potter. It kind of tried too hard if you know what I mean. Half the time I was turning pages wondering when it was going to end. but the other half i was turning pages quickly to find out what was gonna happen next.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
I wasn't a fan of Tilly, she felt like she had no depth to her. I also just can't get over the fact that one of the character's names was Drake. There wasn't really anyone I loved or hated.

𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
I don't think the writing was bad it just didn't have enough depth to it. We were constantly told things instead of being shown or discovering ourselves.

𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱?
I've said it so many times in this review but it was lacking DEPTH.

Ce livre m'a laissé un avis assez mitigé, il est magnifique rien à redire dessus. Le travail éditorial est juste sublime. Les chapitres courts font que la lecture est agréable et fluide.
L'histoire de Tilly est touchante, comme tout enfant elle n'écoute pas sa maman et cela aura des conséquences sur sa vie. Elle devient orpheline après avoir brisé l'une des règles fixée par sa mère. Entre magie, suspens, recherche de vérité cet ouvrage à de quoi plaire. Mais hélas, les chapitres trop court font qu'on n'a pas le temps de s'attacher aux personnages, nous passons d'une personne à une autre trop rapidement ce qui dessert l'ouvrage.
Malgré cela, ce fut une bonne lecture.

This book just wasn't for me. I found Tilly hard to like and I couldn't get Harry Potter out of my head while I was reading. The magical world Kahawala created was really interesting, but my annoyance with Tilly overshadowed it. The world has a lot of potential, just need a less immature main character.

This book desperately needed a developmental editor. The world building and the story were interesting, but the thread of the story was often lost in how cool the world was. There were characters that appeared and reappeared and plot points that meandered off.

I would like to see more from this author, but for now, this is a miss for me.

I really liked the worldbuilding of this! The chapters weren't extremely long which was really nice!

Sixteen year old Tilly Nyx is unexpectedly thrust into a world of magic and put on a team with other teens who she becomes friends with. Mystery, intrigue, magical creatures, and action and adventure abound as Tilly tries to learn magic aboard a ship trying to follow her mother's mysterious map. This is the first book in what should be a fascinating YA fantasy series.

Good world building that wasn’t confusing. Engaged throughout my time reading. Exciting!! Loved that the chapters were short.

This book has a lush and intruiging world and creative magic system with interesting characters and mystery. An engaging, YA fantasy read!

Blood Moon Prophecy is the story of Tilly Nix, a girl who was abandoned with a neglectful family after her mother was killed. After an attempt on her life, Tilly is thrown into a world of myth and magic and is forced to face the reality of her life which was nothing like she expected. This was a good coming-of-age story suitable for middle-school readers who like more modern fantasy and a found-family style story. Overall, I really did like this book, even if the style was a bit younger than I'd normally read. There were definitely some darker moments, so something to consider if you are buying for a younger reader, but still a great adventure story.

This was a NetGalley review.

I enjoyed this book, but I feel that it still needed a bit of editing. Some of the timelines were unclear and at times it was hard to tell which character was speaking. Overall it was a really original premise that made it hard to put down.

The characters for this one just didn't work out as well as I was hoping. I loved the way that magic in this world was created as it was something new. But that wasnt enough to keep me loving the story overall.