Set in an alternate version of 1920s Chicago, this exciting, fantastical
tale of a modern girl involves politicians, speakeasies, and faeries. In
Ashland, a continent just recovering from volcanic devastation, MOONSHINE is forbidden. This is the
term for mana, a blue liquid imbibed by addicts and magicians.
Miss Daisy Dell has graduated and wants to make use of her
qualifications by working in Soot City. All that volcanic ash blowing
around makes it hard to keep her dress and shoes clean, but how hard
can a receptionist job be? She intends to get out and party and some of
her fellow workers at Stripes Management are set to show her the city
nightlife. One or two dress as the opposite gender, and nobody
remarks. Somehow or other this leads minor magician Daisy to a life of
crime and pursuit by a bounty hunter. She'd give up the job, but a girl's
got to eat.
I found the setting highly unusual. This is a world of grey, where the
outdoors is almost antithetical to life. To counter the ash constantly
falling, almost everyone tries to dress brightly and arrange colourful
décor. Survival is so challenging that most folks are only second
generation Ashlanders, and they come in all colours and types.
Remnants of an earlier population include the ogres who do much of
the heavy lifting and truck driving. They also make good bouncers for
speakeasies. Aside from them, it is possible for those in the know to
reach to a world of faerie, maybe even draw one of the inhabitants out
to enchant a trinket. The faerie don't speak the common language, so
it's a matter of bargaining.
I love the detailed cover drawn by John Coulthart which picks up on
many aspects of Daisy's tale. Author Jasmine Gower is from Portland,
Oregon, and studied English literature, which she used along with
various office jobs as inspiration for MOONSHINE. I don't know if any more books about
Daisy or Ashland are planned, but I'd certainly be interested in reading
them. This is an adult read with some violence and strong language.
Jasmine Gower's third book is a lively creation with unique features and
a hopeful heroine.
Daisy’s starting a new job and stylish city life, but
mage-hunters out for her dark magic threaten to destroy
her vogue image.
In the flourishing metropolis of Soot City (a warped
version of 1920s Chicago), progressive ideals reign and
the old ways of magic and liquid mana are forbidden. Daisy
Dell is a Modern Girl – stylish, educated and independent
– keen to establish herself in the city but reluctant to
give up the taboo magic inherited from her grandmother.
Her new job takes her to unexpected places, and she gets
more attention than she had hoped for. When bounty hunters
start combing the city for magicians, Daisy must decide
whether to stay with her new employer – even if it means
revealing the grim source of her occult powers.
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