Journey to Bluemoon

The Kingdom of Bluemoon #1

by Jessie-Marie Heath

Journey to Bluemoon tells the story of a young lady named Willow who lives in a magical realm. Willow was born into royalty under a blue moon, a moon that only happens once in a lifetime and only one night apart from the red moon. Both of these moons hold their own secrets, as Willow discovers on the adventure you’re about to read. Along the way, she learns more about herself and what it means to trust and love.

Genres: Fantasy

Paperback

Published May 1, 2024

About the author

Jessie-Marie Heath grew up and lives in Central Pennsylvania. Writing and getting published has been a dream of hers since a young age. She has always loved telling and creating stories of her own. She prefers a story to be told through a book rather than a movie. She loves being pulled into worldbuilding and the unpredictability of a good book. Her favorite storytelling is fantasy, and she is obsessed with unicorns.

When Jessie-Marie is not writing or reading, she is usually outdoors running, biking, or swimming. If she is not enjoying nature, she is most likely watching a Korean drama or hanging out with friends and family.

To contact or learn more about the author:

Instagram: Instagram.com/jessiemarieheathauthor/
Newsletter Sign Up: https://www.jessiemarieheathauthor.co...

Reviews

[Molly Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

10/10 storyline!
I couldn't always follow the writing style and there were a couple inconsistencies which is why it's not a 5 ⭐ review.

[Heaven Adore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this was...interesting. You can definitely tell it was the author's debut, but it has potential! The storyline still held my attention.

What I liked -

✨ Christian references. I'm not sure if this was done on purpose, but Willow's backstory reminded me of Moses. She was left behind in like a basket somewhere as a baby and a woman found her and raised her. I loved that!

What I didn't like -

✨ The male characters. I'm sorry, but I couldn't with Edwin and Tumma. Like, their arguing and jealousy felt kind of off. And honestly, I hated both of them for Willow haha. Also, how many times were either of them going to wink at her? Like, just no. 😅 Maybe how I feel is because they felt underdeveloped as characters, so it's like, what is there to even like about either of them?

✨ The birthmarks. I don't know, I just think everything with the magic and prophecies was pretty cool! I do wish we had more with it, including more history, because I just liked it a lot.

What I didn't like -

✨ The dialogue. This book was very dialogue-heavy. Sometimes I like this, but it has to be done right. However, for a fantasy, I think more narration and descriptions fit best

✨ Story direction. At times, it felt a bit all over the place. There were big jumps between when different things happened, and I kept thinking, "How did we get there?" And I think because there wasn't much narration, it made things a little more confusing at times.

✨ Romance. Considering the romance aspect, it felt weird because the story read like a middle-grade. Honestly, it made me cringe most of the time and I think the book would've been fine without it.

Would recommend if you...

✨ Like cool magic systems that aren't witchcraft
✨ Looking for a new, clean series to follow
✨ Want a quick read

CWs - Fights, including with swords (non-graphic), mentions of blood, people dying (non-graphic)

*I received a free copy from the author, but all these thoughts are my own and I wasn't obligated to say anything positive.

[Tales and Toils · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am pleasantly surprised!!!! When I finished, I wished my younger self could have read it and I am sure I would have appreciated it more without my adult brain tripping over details. The story had a great concept of a royal family having a light vs. dark enemy magicians within the kingdom casting spells.
The mark left on the children born under the curse were mysteries to the realm as rumors were not specific to reveal which mark was dark or light. Having lost the King that never returned in his quest to seek out the truth, the queen orders the princess to be killed in an effort to protect the realm. Having her life spared by the servant, she was found and raised in a mansion by Lady Ruby. Upon her death, Willow sets out to the kingdom of Bluemoon to seek her birth mother and investigate the meaning of the curse she was born under. She meets a stable boy that insists on accompanying her and together they discover a knight that joins the journey, but neither of them have her trust. With her guard up she senses the friction between the two and the battle to earn her confidence is hard earned when neither is who they appear.
Looking forward to book 2, as well as watching my daughters read this tale!

[Reading in the Heartland (Michaela) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a middle grade fantasy novella. This is my first by this author - a debut book. The tone of this book is written in an easy to read manner that is great for younger readers on up. There were some moments that felt like inconsistencies or were a bit confusing but most things found their resolution as the story played out. There are hints of Christianity and a light versus dark theme. Some of the book writing felt a little rough. I am going to continue this series. This is a just kisses romance, level 1 intimacy. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A land possessed by magic. Two magicians: the first is cunning, and evil, while the other is pure and good. A spell cast upon two children, which earns them unique birthmarks. A monumental journey with a huge side of deception. If I haven’t hooked you yet, then there is a problem with you lol. This novel is filled to the brim with magic, lovable characters, and original twists that I did not see coming. Journey To Bluemoon was an absolute joy to read and I’m definitely a new fan of Ms. Jessie-Marie Heaths work. I can’t wait to see what book number two has in store for me!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Journey to Bluemoon by Jessie-Marie Heath

🟦 A royal heroine

🟦 A red moon and a blue moon

🟦 A curse and a blessing

🟦 Learning about trust 

🟦 Clean romance (no spice)

Genre: YA fantasy

Both of these moons hold their own secrets, as Willow discovers on her adventures...

This is the author's debut novel and as such I felt it could have used a bit more polishing. In regards to the two main male characters, Edwin and Tumma, it felt like the reader received more information than Willow did, so then we had to watch her make annoying decisions rarher than making mistakes with her. I did like Nehemiah (the horse) and how he fit into things in the end. 
Book 1 in Kingdom of Bluemoon series
Opening line: "I turned around to chase Kuu and Nehemiah down and barely made it two feet before I had a blanket thrown over top of me."
⭐⭐⭐

[Iza's Book Tower · Rating 3 out of 5]

🍓 Clean story
💬 Mild
❗Violence, loss, death, abuse
.
My thoughts:
I'm not sure what to think. This story was fine and had a really legend like, fairy tale feel to it, concentrating on an external conflict rather than an internal one. Characters weren't super developed, same with the worldbuilding. I'm a little sad because I really wanted to know more about Willow and Edwin and their relationship. I feel like Willow was all over the place sometimes, doing one thing one moment and then the opposite thing the next moment. This book is also short so it's perfect for when you want a quick and easy read. I'm excited to ARC read the next volume, I hope I'll get to know the main characters better!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Journey To Bluemoon by Jessie-Marie Heath is an adventure full of twists and turns. The main character Willow was born under a blue moon that only occurs once in a lifetime. The night after the blue moon occurs there is a red moon. The red moon and the blue moon both hold secrets that Willow has to figure out along her journey. This book was absolutely amazing! I loved how it had betrayal, plot twists and had an adventure I just couldn’t get enough of! This book had me on the edge of my seat wanting to read more and more.

You have to read this book if you like…

🌑Good vs. Evil
🌑Found Allies
🌑Prophecy and Fate
🌑Royal Kingdom

[Stacie Bush · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Heart Warming Tale of Trust and Magic

Journey to the Bluemoon is a fun, feel-good story of a young woman learning the importance of trust and friendship.

This short read is perfect for those who enjoy clean fantasy with a hint of romance. This fairytale story shares a world of curses and magic that is great for readers looking to get into the genre.

An accessible read for elementary and middle school aged readers!

[Joshua Bush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journey to The Bluemoon is a fun, feel-good story of a young woman learning the importance of trust and friendship.

This short read is perfect for those who enjoy clean fantasy with a hint of sweet, age appropriate romance. This fairytale story shares a world of curses and magic that is great for young readers looking to get into the genre.

An accessible read for elementary and middle school aged readers!

[Emmy]

I did not get very far with it before I opted to put it down. The writing didn't feel fully finished, perhaps because its a debut, but I felt it could have used a bit more work before offering it to readers.

[Ki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading a middle grade fantasy and I'm so happy I did. I enjoyed the plot, and characters. Edwin is a favourite of mine. I can't wait to read the next book in the series and delve deeper into the Kingdom of Bluemoon.

[Tiffani Spiker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Story

This story keeps you wondering what is the truth between the characters and what is going to happen. I can’t wait to read more!

[Nicole Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the story interesting and the journey enjoyable. It was a quick read which is a nice mix up from some of the longer books I read.
This is author Jessie-Marie Heath’s first published book, and that does show. There are parts in the book more could have been added or explained with more detail. There were also spots that jumped a bit much. So overall the book was a bit rough, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying getting to know our main gal Willow and trying to help her navigate who to trust on her journey for the truth.
During her journey Willow encounters first Edwin and then Tumma, through their travels she has to learn who is lying to her and who is telling her the truth before the prophesy comes to pass. Who will protect her, and who will betray her?