I was given the opportunity by the Author and NetGalley Shelf to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 1/2 Stars for this one.

2022 has been a very slow year for me in the reading department - can't say anything better about the writing one either.

This book was unique in its own way with 3D characters that one instantly wanted to befriend (or throw off a cliff) if they were actual people in real life.
I did see some similarities of The Mortal Instruments in this one, which was promised to me when I received the email (which was a nice surprise as it was random and not a book that I requested. #Honoured)

The writing style was good, the chapters were micro-burst so I could get through them quite easily without the story dragging. Dialog was minimum, descriptions of settings, characters and scenes amazingly developed and appealing in a way that had me sitting in my uncomfortable desk chair until daunting hours of the morning. Only reason why I didn't finish it earlier is because I was busy reviewing several other books privately...

I highly recommend this book and would love to continue (and possess) the series.
And I mean COME ON! LOOK AT THE COVER! That alone is worth 5 Stars!

"Eleven years ago, Tilly Nyx did something she wasn’t supposed to. As a result, her mother was killed. Her village was destroyed. Her sister disappeared. And an ancient horror sent her into hiding.
Now sixteen years old, Tilly is determined to go home, even though she doesn’t know where home is or how to get there. All she has is the map that her mother made her swear to protect with her life."

Have to agree with others who said about the Harry Potter vibes which to me is a great thing! Will be recommending this to fans of ya reads like Harry Potter / percy Jackson but also fans of other YA books as I think this has something for everyone

Thank you to Dilani Kahawala, Cedar Street Press, and Net Galley for my copy of this E-Arc in exchange for my review.

The story building in this book is quite spectacular, with a complex system of characters and powers, which reminded me a bit of Harry Potter. However there were times when this did lead to some confusion on my part, and I had to really pay attention to small details throughout the book, or I would have to go back and look to see what I had missed.

Some of the scenes felt rushed and I wish they would have been fleshed out a bit more. I also did not find the MC Tilly that enjoyable or tolerable.

Overall though I will continue to read this series and look forward to seeing where the story goes. This book I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of YA fantasy.

Tilly Nyx begins this journey a mere orphan, abandoned and miserable. As she explores a wildly imaginative world, she finds new friends, new rules, and new magical powers - but will she uncover the intricacies of the Blood Moon Prophecy?

Overall, I think this was a fun, if young, read. There were some stark similarities to a certain YA wizard story, but the novel did have its own voice and ambience. I liked the mysterious tone, the way that the author unraveled information, but it did move slow in some parts. Overall, there is a wide world to explore with this setting and I would love to see where the author takes it. Just based on this novel alone, there is a great deal of opportunity for storytelling. Looking forward to others by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cedar Street Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4/5
* This review contains spoilers. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!
*
This is an impressive first novel. I found that, like other fantasy novels, if you’re not paying attention you *will* miss details. Now, that’s mostly on me for forgetting or having to go back to understand, but there were some things that I wish were explained more.

Tilly takes a LONG time to get her answers, and her confusion means that the reader is confused, which makes sense. However, a large chunk of this book is spent trying to figure out what on Earth is going on, and no one seems to have a clue until the very end. Suddenly Tilly knows that part of her is Salia but I’m not that sure who Salia is and apparently SHE is the one who created the prophecy the book is named after. It just started to feel like there were so many details that were incredibly important that they were hard to keep track of.

An example of this is the last line in the note from Tillys mother, where she finally understands that she has to open the ancesturn to get all of the memories, except that like is mentioned in the beginning of the book and then not again until a major fight scene. Or another would be Lux, who shows up several times as Tilly learns about the Kaluza and is attending classes, and then not again until they meet face to face on the Mordexa, also at the end of the book.

I also wish that Tilly had trained more, either with Archie or in general. Like I mentioned before, most of this book is her trying to figure out the hints and clues she’s given to decipher the prophecy, but she also never gets ahold of her sprites - until the major fight scene. She blows off Archie often and is always doing things just because she feels like it, but then somehow at the end manages to see through the eyes of the Zaroth and control it, when she could barely handle the power of all of the other sprites she cast.

Either that, or I wish we had gotten answers quicker. I feel like there were almost too many conflicts where we had no idea what was going on AND Tilly wasn’t prepared. Like, maybe she figured out the Ancesturn earlier, or she deciphered her mothers note faster, or things like that. I did thoroughly enjoy the plot twist with Lux and Crom Fahll, but it felt like there were too many plot points/storylines to keep track of.

All that being said, I really did enjoy this novel. And to have such an intricate system of characters and ships and powers and sprites is incredibly impressive. I can almost imagine a wall with string connecting all the dots like they do in crime shows. And you must trust that the effort and work and years that went into writing this is not lost on me! Something like this takes a lot of patience and knowledge, and I enjoyed it immensely!

DNF: The permise was great and I was extremely excited to read the book. Sadly, I could not get into the book. And it wasn't for me.

Blood Moon Prophecy by Dilani Kahawala is overall a good story with good characters. I will be recommending it to YA readers who enjoy fantasy with a twist. But I will give them a warning. The writing of the first few chapters was stilted and awkward. Once I was past them, I began to enjoy the story. I believe that Dilani Kahawala has given us a good first introduction to her world.

I absolutely loved it!
The story felt like it truly developed as it went along, which I really enjoyed, and it was so unpredictable that I couldn't predict what would happen next. The characters were also quite appealing, but Tilly really won me over. The upcoming book has me excited!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this eArc!

This one just really isn’t for me. I usually try and get through more of a book before I cast judgement, but there was nothing really… gripping about what I did get through. I suppose the plot wasn’t completely lacking, but the prose and writing style just were not captivating.

My feelings are that maybe someone who doesn’t read as much or who has more patience could give a better shake at finishing this book, but with so many books to read and so little time, I’ve learned I have to be honest with myself if it just isn’t jiving for me.

In my mind, most books are average, so most of the books I read I expect to give 3 stars - I can’t really feel I can give a book 3 stars in good faith when I couldn’t finish it, when I’ve finished plenty of others I thought earned that mark.

I think there is potential here in the series and the author’s career, but this one was unfortunately a strike out for me. :(

I thought that the book was fairly interesting, with a good, well-thought-out plot and fleshed out characters. I enjoyed how the story progressed and the development. Could have done a bit better with some of the scenes. Overall, four stars!

Blood Moon Prophecy is a fast-paced ya fantasy with a mix of sci-fi. I fell in love with the characters especially Tilly who is forced to return to a world she had long ago left behind following her mother's sad death when she was five years old.

The narrative itself evolves and changes throughout the book, giving you plenty of moments that you had no idea what is going on. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, I was proven wrong. I can not wait for the next book in the series!

(Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.)

This was a book where I felt for the character I really hate Charlie and the stepmother. They made the unlikable character really unlikable I hope they get karma!

This is an interesting story, fast paced, intriguing and easy to read. Looking forward to more from this author.

This book somehow gave me Harry Potter vibes while also being entirely different and having its only storyline. I guess it was the compounds, or potions, and the spirits that reminded me of spells that gave me those vibes. I do highly recommend this book to anyone that is a reader of fantasy, or a fan of Harry Potter, as it was a 4.5-star read for me. Honestly, it is a good book for any genre of the reader to dive into. It had some parts that were slow, and hard to get into, but once it got going boy did it get going. There were twists and turns and things I didn't expect at all during the story that kept me engaged and enticed me to continue to pick the book up throughout the day.

A story of magic, sailing, prophecies and all-around chaos.

//some content warnings I picked up on; death (mentioned throughout), violence, self-harm (via magic and potion use)//

Stats:
Overall: 4.5/5 ☆
Characters: 4.5/5 ☆
Relationships/Friendships: 4/5 ☆
Setting: 4.5/5** ☆
Writing: 4/5** ☆
Plot and Themes: 4/5 ☆

*(thank you NetGalley for the eARC!)*

Blood Moon Prophecy is a fast-paced ya fantasy unlike any other that's been written! It follows our main character Tilly Nyx, who at sixteen is made to return to a world she’d long since left behind after her mother's tragic death when she was five. This initial instalment in the series centres around Tilly as she learns to navigate this world of magic, sailing and adventure while battling to solve the questions she has surrounding her past.

This book was an amazing mix of young adult fantasy and sci-fi that was blended effortlessly into a story unlike any I’ve read before with a magic system and world that both felt refreshing and new.

As for the characters and relationships, well I can comfortably say that Tilly and her friends are one of my new favourite additions to the found family trope! All of the main characters bring something to the story that makes it more enjoyable and had me extremely invested in their safety as the plot began to take darker turns. The entire dynamic between the characters was a joy to read and left me with a big grin on my face and excited to see how this will develop in the upcoming books.

The plot itself is ever-evolving and changing throughout the book leaving you with a lot of great ‘I knew it’ moments, as well as times where you just had to admit to yourself that you have absolutely no idea what is going on. Every time I thought I had figured out the plot I was proven incorrect and left reeling as new information was revealed and Tilly was sent scrambling to figure out another riddle from her past.

In the end, this book was a fantastic introduction to what I’m sure will be a much-loved fantasy series and has left me (not so patiently) sitting and waiting for the next book to be written and released so I can join Tilly and her crew on their next adventure.

Blood moon prophecy - a novel written by dilani kahawala..

This book is just wonderful.. All the world building.. the characters.. The plot.. A full action packed romance novel.... This the the peak of literature