Moonshine by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Jun 11, 2010 feux d'artifice rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: poc-author, spec

Basically this is the paranormal romance catering completely to my id. 1920s Jazz!Vampires! Zephyr being the awesome bleeding heart liberal ex-demon hunter that she is! Female-to-female interactions that completely pass the bedchel test and are ALL AWESOME. Daddy issues from multiple characters! Hot but morally ambiguous male lead! AND BEST OF ALL, a ‘open world fantasy’ that does NOT try to use Supernatural Creatures as a replacement metaphor to explore racism without any POC in the cast! (You ...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Rachel Brown rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical

An urban fantasy/paranormal romance set during Prohibition in an America in which supernatural beings called “Others” exist and are known to the public, but lack civil rights. Thankfully, they are not just stand-ins for real-life oppressed groups, as those groups also exist (and are oppressed) in the world of the novel.

New York City teacher and full-time activist Zephyr Hollis, who becomes widely known during the book as “the singing vampire suffragette,” is the daughter of a demon-hunter, but u An urban fantasy/paranormal romance set during Prohibition in an America in which supernatural beings called “Others” exist and are known to the public, but lack civil rights. Thankfully, they are not just stand-ins for real-life oppressed groups, as those groups also exist (and are oppressed) in the world of the novel.

New York City teacher and full-time activist Zephyr Hollis, who becomes widely known during the book as “the singing vampire suffragette,” is the daughter of a demon-hunter, but unlike her bigoted father, she has never met a social justice cause she doesn’t like. Zephyr is a little over the top – she gives her rent money to the poor, she belongs to thirty-one separate political organizations, and at one point she forgets to eat because she was too busy feeding the hungry – but she’s definitely a unique heroine, and the sometimes absurd lengths to which she takes her convictions make her plausibly obsessive rather than obnoxiously self-righteous.

The book is fast-paced and fun. Within the first few chapters, Zephyr rescues a boy in the process of turning into a vampire, gives her rent money to a student with a hard-luck story, teaches a class to immigrants and Others, is hired by the handsome and mysterious djinn Amir to investigate a local crime lord, crushes on Amir, and attends a rally. I enjoyed the convincing grass-roots politics and the amusing takes on the various supernatural beings, from the disgusting way that vampires die to how Amir, the romantic lead, has ears that sometimes billow smoke and eyeballs that sometimes burst into flames. I repeat: the romantic lead has flaming eyeballs!

Amir, despite a rather more interesting dark side than is common in the genre, is not the alpha asshole who so often appears in romances, and Zephyr, while naïve in some ways, is completely capable of rescuing herself. Amir and Zephyr’s relationship, however, didn’t quite work for me – she was attracted to him so quickly that the relationship didn’t seem based on anything other than that she’s the heroine and he’s the romantic lead, especially since she had such strong feelings for him long before we’d seen enough of them interacting to justify them. I would have liked it better if the romance had developed more slowly, as they were both fun characters individually and had genuine conflicts based on opposing worldviews, which is always interesting in a romance.

I would be curious to hear from someone who actually knows something about the period how accurate the historic details are – the language and attitudes about sex often seemed anachronistically modern to me, but I might be projecting my own preconceptions on the time.

Overall, I enjoyed this. (My favorite bit, for those who have already read it, was the egg whites.) If you like paranormal romance but are tired of heroines who do nothing but have sex and the asshole men who dominate them, this is definitely the book for you. ...more

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May 22, 2010 Steph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-웃, series-book1, year-read-2010, stand-alone

I couldn't decide quite how to rate this one. Although I ended up enjoying it, I was able to walk away from it initially and wasn't drawn back to it. If it hadn't been a challenge read, I might have left it a while longer. So ... 3.5★ even though I'd read #2, if it's to be a series.

Moonshine tells the story of Zephyr Hollis living in NYC in the 1920's. She's the daughter of Montana's best demon hunter. She moved to NYC after deciding demon hunting wasn't for her. She considers herself able t ...more

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Jul 11, 2010 Nafiza rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2010

Moonshine is quite different from the usual urban fantasy sprinkling the shelves. First of all, Zephyr does not put on leather pants to go hunting (though her name would suit her wicked well in one, eh?), she barely has clothes (clean ones at least) to put on for normal stuff. Actually, Zephyr is not a hunter. Not a willing one anyway. She’s what they call a “vampire suffragette.” And she’s a do-gooder. Like, the kind of do-gooder that’s involved in a gajillion societies and goes to pickets ever ...more

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Nov 03, 2010 Emma Rose Ribbons rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Meet Zephyr, the vampire suffragette (she's not a vampire, though, quite the opposite). This book hooked me and wouldn't let go. First of all, the setting: New York City, 1920s. Female heroine very involved in social justice who's also a teacher. Does it get any better than that, I wonder?
The plot reminded me of The Godfather, in a good way - different factions of a city fighting for power and blood, with a lot more social commentary than Mario Puzo's novel as well as a dollop of supernatural e Meet Zephyr, the vampire suffragette (she's not a vampire, though, quite the opposite). This book hooked me and wouldn't let go. First of all, the setting: New York City, 1920s. Female heroine very involved in social justice who's also a teacher. Does it get any better than that, I wonder?
The plot reminded me of The Godfather, in a good way - different factions of a city fighting for power and blood, with a lot more social commentary than Mario Puzo's novel as well as a dollop of supernatural elements. It touches on many things - society's systematic oppression of immigrants and anyone who isn't white and human (I thought the parallel between supernatural creatures' status and that of a whole bunch of minorities was very well brought up), feminism, religion and class. Zephyr is an unforgettable heroine - finally a character I can fully root for! Doesn't happen very often but she's passionate, driven, idealistic and down-to-earth and just plain charming. I loved her and it was a joy following her in New York.
While I found the romance at first a little tedious (but then again, I'm not the best audience for romance, which I always find boring to read), I'll have to admit even I was interested by the end. It's got some interesting twists and turns and while I'm not completely sold on Amir, he was a funny character.

This book passes the Bechdel test easily - Zephyr has interactions with Lily and Aileen that are about more than men. Lily is a journalist that I really really enjoyed reading about, she's sharp and smart and I thought her teaming up with Zephyr provided us with some of the best scenes of the book.

Moonshine is a rare gem in that it illuminates a side of the 20s that seems to have failed making it into the history books. That all the luxury of the Roaring Twenties had a price, and for every cocktail paid for, people died of poverty, lacking basic care. That essentially, the Roaring Twenties were Roaring for the benefit of an elite. Zephyr's job (she teaches a range of subjects at her local night school) makes the link between her flapper dresses and immigrants' need to understand the law that works against them.

The reason I'm giving this book four stars is because I wish Alaya Johnson had written more of this world and developed her themes in more pages. Her ideas are wonderful and I think the book would have been even better had she detailed the universe of Moonshine more than she does here. It's fortunate that a sequel is in the works - I'll definitely be amongst the first to purchase it, I can't wait to follow Zephyr again! ...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Nicole rated it liked it

Recommended to Nicole by: Jamina Fritts

Shelves: borrowed-loaned, vampires-after-all, historical-fantasy

Loaned to me by a friend as a bonus (in addition to the book I'd asked for). Now vampire books are following me home!
Overall, I enjoyed this book. While the plot felt a little bit wobbly to me in a few places, the story kept me interested. The end is obviously a set-up for a sequel, and I'm interested in reading it.
The story stands out among the recent flood of stories featuring vampires because of some unique qualities. The author does a good job making a case for vampires (and other non-human ...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Crystal rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Have you ever picked up a book with a lackluster cover, read it, and thought to yourself, “Why isn’t this book a bestseller?” There are hundreds of books (perhaps more) that go unrecognized every year. These books are almost impossible to find at your local bookseller, there is little to no details about them, and they remain in obscurity. While bestsellers take up shelf space, crowd display windows, and leave avid readers thinking, “Why is this book even popular? It’s trite, poorly written, and Have you ever picked up a book with a lackluster cover, read it, and thought to yourself, “Why isn’t this book a bestseller?” There are hundreds of books (perhaps more) that go unrecognized every year. These books are almost impossible to find at your local bookseller, there is little to no details about them, and they remain in obscurity. While bestsellers take up shelf space, crowd display windows, and leave avid readers thinking, “Why is this book even popular? It’s trite, poorly written, and overrated?”

These are the thoughts that went through this reader’s mind after reading Alaya Johnson’s “Moonshine” for the first time. Though “Moonshine” is not categorized as a Young Adult novel, Ms. Johnson is primarily a writer for Young Adults. Her most notable work is featured in the comical “Zombie vs. Unicorns” anthology.

Yes, “Moonshine” features vampires. However, this is not a typical vampire novel by any measure. Set in the 1920’s, “Moonshine” features a young “do-gooder” named Zephyr Hollis. Zephyr is a “vampire suffragette” who is willing to assist anything and anyone in need, especially if they happen to be an “other”; who are often discriminated against for not being human. It is because of her benevolence that she often finds herself with no money to her name, and taking odd jobs to pay her rent.

Taking advantage of Zephyr's predicament, Amir, her student and potential love interest, makes her a tempting offer: find Rinaldo, a vampire mob boss with New York City in his pocket.

Zephyr, to put it simply, is an amazing character. She is resourceful, intelligent, and philanthropic without emitting any signs of pretentiousness. Constant action blends well with bits of romance, and plot twists will leave readers guessing as to what will happen next. The plot is solid, all of the loose ends tie up as neatly as possible. Moreover, Johnson’s writing style is superb, and writes with well-researched detail. She has interwoven a comedy with elements of sadness. All while showing the reader the effects of prejudice, and what it can do to a society without the message being overbearing. Although “Moonshine” does not end in a cliffhanger, the plot leaves the possibility of a sequel, which readers will be begging for.

"Moonshine" epitomizes the underrated novel, and it is a shame that it did not become a bestseller. Humorous, maddening, and heart wrenching, “Moonshine” is a must read for adults and young adults alike.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Mobsters and Moonshine - Atlantic City Young Adult Fiction | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/young-adult-f...
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May 21, 2010 Parajunkee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Sucked in from the onset, I fell instantly in awe of the singing vampire suffragette, Zephyr Hollis and her world of out of the coffin, vamps that have inalienable rights just like any other person. I find my fascination didn't end with the character of Ms. Hollis though, it also extended to her dashing counterpart Amir and her charming friends, Lily, Iris and Aileen. Johnson definitely has a knack for character creation. Paired with the strong 3 dimensional characters was also a very staccato a ...more

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Jul 04, 2020 Crystal rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, alternate-history, paranormal, diversity, feminist, mysteries, romantic-suspense, social-justice-issues, bechdel-test, poverty

Moonshine by Alaya Dawn Johnson is a clever, inventive book as well as a fun read. Zephyr is an unusual but likable heroine. Amir is a smoldering man of mystery. Side characters are interesting and often surprisingly complex, from a diverse range of backgrounds. The historical setting feels accurate and realistic, full of little details (clothing, social activities, historical facts, etc) that add authenticity without bogging down the flow of the plot. The supernatural element has been incorpora Moonshine by Alaya Dawn Johnson is a clever, inventive book as well as a fun read. Zephyr is an unusual but likable heroine. Amir is a smoldering man of mystery. Side characters are interesting and often surprisingly complex, from a diverse range of backgrounds. The historical setting feels accurate and realistic, full of little details (clothing, social activities, historical facts, etc) that add authenticity without bogging down the flow of the plot. The supernatural element has been incorporated in such a way as to feel natural as well, with vampires, seers, fairies, and other supernatural beings living among the human residents of NYC. And best of all, Moonshine is one of the very few books I've been able to pick up and keep on reading during a pandemic, when I have struggled to focus on anything, including reading books at all, much less at my normal pace.

I really did like Zephyr. She's tough and capable, given her family history and experiences, but also compassionate and open-minded. The "vampire suffragette" of New York City, she makes it her life's mission to improve the lives of the down-trodden "Others" who populate this paranormal alternate historical fiction set in Jazz Age historical NYC. She's an underfed vegetarian who has a habit of giving away her rent money to people in need, a liberated young woman navigating a world that isn't quite sure it's ready for her kind yet. She attends protests and teaches classes and volunteers at clinics. She tries to make a difference, while not being preachy or holier-than-thou about it and while still occasionally hitting back an illegal drink or having a night out dancing with friends. She's got hidden depths, like being an excellent singer, and having a supernatural secret of her own. She is friendly with men and women alike, regardless of human/ Other status or ethnic identity, including several Bechdel-test passing friendships with other women, including her roommate Aileen and her journalist contact Lily, as well as her fellow activist Iris and her own mother. Her only real hostility or skepticism against people is reserved for the wealthy and powerful who prey on the vulnerable to maintain their own privilege. Amir's Middle Eastern heritage and African appearance (while presented in a slightly exoticized manner by the author) doesn't faze Zephyr any more than her Jewish friends at the blood bank or her Italian students. She does make some bad and/or impulsive decisions throughout the story, and yet that didn't make me dislike her. She's got heart in a way unlike most other paranormal heroines about which I've read.

As mentioned above, there is some problematic content. While the characters depicted are racially and ethnically diverse, those who are of different ethnic or racial origin are sometimes stereotyped or exoticized. In addition to Jewish folks having a golem and running a (blood) bank [Does the blood aspect make it better or worse, given the awful history of blood libel? I don't know.] and Amir being presented in an exoticized generic "sexy Middle Eastern prince" kind of way by Johnson, Amir is also referred to repeatedly by characters other than Zephyr as [the N word]. There's also the inclusion of skin walkers among categories of Others, with a throw away reference/ explanation involving "some Indian shamans". I realize some of this tone and language may be historically accurate, but it seemed unnecessary to include the slurs (and odd coming from a Black author) and sad to see Indigenous culture once again lumped into a generic "magical Indian" sort of stereotype. I realize this book was published ten years ago, and the publishing world is shifting rapidly to better address issues like this, but it still detracted from the story for me.

Despite my qualms about the slurs and stereotypes, and Zephyr's often reckless behavior or unwise choices, though, I still enjoyed this book very much. Zephyr's reckless choices often actually felt believable coming from someone so wholeheartedly focused on the prioritization of the needs of others over her own. Her openness to new people and experiences, her desire to help others, her simmering relationship with Amir, and her strong relationships with other women, all made her a charming protagonist at the center of an interesting story. I look forward to reading the sequel. If you enjoy historical fiction and/or paranormal fiction, Moonshine is worth giving a try. ...more

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Jun 17, 2010 Melissa rated it it was amazing

This book is set in the 20s. Not exactly the roaring 20s we usually are privileged to have in our movies, but more like the social problems of the 20s we rarely see. This book, of course, goes further and has another group of people who suffer the injustices of prejudice. "The Others" are any groups of people who aren't human.

Zephyr is a "do-gooder" with a heart of gold. She doesn't blindly try to help anyone in need (but she does what she can for those who ask) and sees the hypocrisy of some of ...more

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Jul 12, 2010 K. Lincoln rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Moonshine was an uneven experience for me. I loved, loved, the prohibition-era feeling of it (the heroine rides around on a bicycle in the snow and is called the "vampire suffgatte").

I loved the non-European character of Amir, as well as the emphasis on immigrants rights/vampire rights of all those new vampires living in tenements.

Quite an interesting twist on the whole vampire culture.

Zephyr is an ex-Defender (killer of vampires and Others (there seems to be fairies and djinni too) who has ref ...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, kindle

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/04/...

How did I possibly miss Moonshine! Zephyr Hollis, former vamp hunter and current crusader for social causes, teaches night classes to immigrants and the underprivileged, but by day, takes part in all manner of protests and marches. The only problem is, these endeavors are not going to make her rich, and when she’s approached by one of her students to find and help take down a vicious vampire mob boss, she takes the job. Li ...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Dan marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires, gave-up-on

Every time I go into Barnes & Noble, I always check out the bargain section. Well today I looked at it and I found this book. I'm not sure what it is that made me want to buy it. I think it was because it says on the cover that it is "A cross between Gangs of New York and True Blood. That sounds awesom. Anyway, I got it for $3.99!(gotta love that bargain section...lol) ...more

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Apr 30, 2010 Darcy rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, vampires, e-book, uf, did-not-finish

I made it to page 20 when I realized that this book didn't captivate me, which surprised me as I usually love reading about prohibition era. But with kids being vampires changed against their will turned me off. This one just wasn't for me. ...more

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Oct 13, 2009 CaliGirlRae marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: to-buy, vampires, urban-fantasy, historical, wishlist

A 1920's vampire novel? Be still my paranormal loving heart. :-D ...more

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Apr 17, 2011 branewurms rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011, adult-fiction, poc-characters, poc-authors, sci-fi-fantasy

Aside from some nitpicky things, I loved this to death - but the ending. The ending! :( IS THERE GOING TO BE A SEQUEL? Please tell me there's going to be a sequel! ...more

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Aug 29, 2016 Diversireads rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, historical-fiction, mystery, to-be-reviewed, 2016, spec-fic

Zephyr Hollis has a reputation as a do-gooder. As a singing vampire suffragette, actually. From Brooklyn to Midtown to Battery Park to the LES, she and her bicycle are near-ubiquitous as she runs from protest to meeting to night school, where she teaches. One night, before class, she comes across a young boy, victim of an Other attack, and tries to save him. She’s helped by Amir, a mysterious Other who attends her classes, who in turn offers her a deal: if she will help him track down Rinaldo, t Zephyr Hollis has a reputation as a do-gooder. As a singing vampire suffragette, actually. From Brooklyn to Midtown to Battery Park to the LES, she and her bicycle are near-ubiquitous as she runs from protest to meeting to night school, where she teaches. One night, before class, she comes across a young boy, victim of an Other attack, and tries to save him. She’s helped by Amir, a mysterious Other who attends her classes, who in turn offers her a deal: if she will help him track down Rinaldo, the vampire mob boss whom she suspects is behind the attack of the child, he will pay her a much needed $200. The more Zephyr investigates, though, the more she finds herself compromised by her growing attraction to Amir, and by the feeling that something is very, very wrong.

I want to start by saying that I really, really enjoyed the concept of this novel. I love supernatural fiction & urban fantasy, and I love historical fiction, especially alternate histories, and I love sweet, slightly dangerous romances. But I don’t know; there was just something about Moonshine that I didn’t…exactly…love. Some part of that is Zephyr herself. Not that I don’t like do-gooding heroines with diatribes for everyone who crosses her path––it’d be more than a little hypocritical if I didn’t––but she was lacking something. She felt, quite frankly, like a bit of a white feminist.

Like she wants to be the saviour of everyone around her, and is frankly shocked when that doesn’t work out in her favour. I don’t want to say that I found her sanctimonious (this from the girl who runs a blog dedicated to yelling about social issues in popular media), but the truth is that I did. I guess I just didn’t buy her characterisation. If her guilt was something that had been brought to the forefront, her dedication to the social causes she throws herself into might have more weight, but as it is, it just feels like she’s perpetually disappointed with the world for not being as Good as she is––and she’s not particularly Good.

There were things that were well-done, though. With a lot of mystery novels that cross into other genres, I tend to feel really let down by the resolution of the plot, but here, it felt like the mystery was really at the heart of the plot. It had stakes, it had consequences, and most importantly, it was resolved in a way that was surprising, but didn’t disrespect the reader by pulling a rabbit out of a false-bottom hat and telling us it was a pigeon all along. It resolved the issues that were necessary to resolve for this novel, but it also left a few things to be wrapped up in the sequel.

The novel also raised a lot of very interesting dynamics: Others are very distinctly not human, yet they are people. They are dangerous, and this is a fact, but they are also in danger from frightened humans. They are the butchers and the butchered, the terror and the terrorised, and the novel doesn’t present this like it’s an easy equation to solve. The vampires (who are coded as white, and who largely live around Little Italy––though this raises the question of whether or not there are vampires of colour, particularly in such proximity to Chinatown) are treated one way because they are Others and because many of them also happen to be immigrants. Yet Amir is treated quite another way because he is Other but also because he is very obviously brown.

Speaking of Amir, his dynamic with Zephyr is also really complicated, made even more so by the end of the novel. Perhaps because this is not a YA novel (She’s older than 21, and he’s in his hundreds), but the impossibilities of their relationship extend beyond “but he’s hot and dangerous what do I dooo!” The fact that he is so much older than she is, that his lifespan is much longer than she can conceive, and as such, the extent to which this changes the way he relates to the world, is something that has implications beyond their romance, and it’s something that really affects the tone of their relationship.

Amir is also not some cold, distant virgin who has only loved our precocious heroine ever in the entirety of his long, long, life. (No shade, just saying.) He’s had relationships, relationships that have meant something. Zephyr is one in a line of people who have loved him, and there likely will be people he loves after Zephyr dies, but that’s the reality of their situation, and the reality of loving someone who doesn’t simply stay stagnant for centuries.

Even so, there were things that I found troubling about the way Amir is presented in text. He and West Asia are often exotified, in a way that is meant to be indicative of contemporaneous racism and in a way that is indicative of the author’s modern day attitudes. When he is introduced, it’s as a darker version of Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik. I gather it’s meant to be complementary, as Rudolph Valentino (and certainly no one will dispute this) was exceptionally handsome, but it’s frankly quite odd that a West Asian is being held in comparison to a film that propogates an Orientalist vision of West Asia. Odd, and discomforting. His characterisation also indulges in Orientalist stereotype.

I’ve mentioned before that I strongly dislike it when Asian and North African material culture is described as ‘lush’ or mysterious or strange or exotic, and these are things that are all present when it comes to descriptions of Amir and his home and his language. He’s frequently described as an Arabian prince, and while the lack of specific culture and ethnicity is understandable within the context of his identity, it’s troubling considering how MENA nations are grouped as a monolith at the expense of real people’s identities. There are also a few uses of antiblack slurs that I found kind of unnecessary and almost felt like it was for shock value? But that’s not something that I’m in a position to judge more than the author, who is herself Black.

Overall, this was definitely a novel that has its problems. It tries, I think, to do good, to represent the realities of living in 1920s New York (even if this New York has vampires and other supernatural creatures) while giving readers an interesting story, but I found some of its messaging to be ill-considered or perhaps underdeveloped. That said, though, I did enjoy the plot. I really adored Amir and the way his relationship with Zephyr developed and how it was affected by the complications that many other supernatural romances tend to skate over. I would recommend picking it up, as I had great fun reading it, but an honest rating of its quality compared to the other books I’ve read would render my final judgement a “just okay.” ...more

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Jul 09, 2020 Virginia Vantries rated it liked it

Moonshine is a 1920s Take on 2000s Paranormal Romance Trends

Reviewed on virginiaheartsvintage.com.

As someone who enjoys the odd dip into paranormal romance, Moonshine had been on my radar for a couple of years. I lost track of it because it’s not available on Kindle or through my library system. But when I read the synopsis for Johnson’s upcoming release, Trouble the Saints, I was so enthused I had to track down this book from a decade ago. I discovered, surprise, this book does indeed feel like Moonshine is a 1920s Take on 2000s Paranormal Romance Trends

Reviewed on virginiaheartsvintage.com.

As someone who enjoys the odd dip into paranormal romance, Moonshine had been on my radar for a couple of years. I lost track of it because it’s not available on Kindle or through my library system. But when I read the synopsis for Johnson’s upcoming release, Trouble the Saints, I was so enthused I had to track down this book from a decade ago. I discovered, surprise, this book does indeed feel like it was written a decade ago.

There is more than a passing resemblance between the plot of Moonshine and a certain Southern vampire mystery series. The vampires-coming-out-of-the-coffin premise makes for super fun paranormal fiction, and Moonshine does a great job of exploring concepts of Other prejudice while also highlighting real-life prejudices of race, class, and sex. But a full exploration of these weighty themes aren’t the purpose of this book—it’s a paranormal romance driven by action and adventure.

Everything about Moonshine adds up to a reading experience I could’ve loved but ultimately just sort of liked. I found myself unable to connect with Zephyr because she’s too many types in one—like Sookie, she has a special immunity to vampire control and she used to be Buffy but now she’s more of a Hermione. And this doesn’t function as layers so much as plot convenience. We’re in Zephyr’s head the whole time, and her thoughts oscillate between charming 20s slang to super modern colloquialisms. The romance is the real draw to this genre but, lust aside, I didn’t buy the connection. The visuals around Amir’s Otherness are great, and I can see how the sequel would explore their connection in a deeper way, but I’m not sure if I’ll get there. The vibrancy promised by the premise didn’t quite deliver.

That said, it’s been ten years and this book is basically out of print. I have no doubt at all that Johnson has grown as a writer since publishing Moonshine, and a lot of the writing gives me a ton of faith—I am still just as jazzed for Trouble the Saints. ...more

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May 23, 2018 C.L. McCollum rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Obviously I'm WAY behind the times with this one, but after reading SUMMER PRINCE, I went searching for anything the author had written and was excited to find she'd done an urban fantasy vampire centric novel (two even!). This definitely played with the urban fantasy genre with some delightful twists: setting the story back in time to Prohibition, creating a main character who's not as much of a "warrior" as a true social justice warrior - throwing all of her energy into trying to make things b ...more

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Jul 22, 2020 row rated it liked it

The only other work I’ve read by this author before is a short story in the Zombies vs. Unicorns anthology, but their story was my favorite out of all of them, so I was hoping to really like this book. However I just could not get into it at all. It was well-written and the concept was cool - vampires and supernatural creatures in a late 1920’s era, set in a magical realism world where vampires and “Others” are recognized and accepted as a normal part of society. But there was a lack of world bu ...more

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Jan 31, 2019 Rai rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, vampires

Johnson creates a wonderful world that seamlessly mixes magic with reality. Amazing novel!

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Dec 21, 2020 SSShafiq marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: sff

Dec 2020: I’ve basically realized that when I find a Paranormal romance / urban fantasy book I add it to my TBR. Since this is set in 1920 it looks different enough for me to be intrigued...

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Jul 25, 2021 Christina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Very entertaining premise (real and acknowledged vampires in 1920s New York City winter) and a winning heroine can't completely make up for the fact that this book was just okay. It was just a little bit all over the place. Entertaining but not memorable. ...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Christin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: strong-females, fiction, supernatural, first-reads

I was very lucky to win this through one of the First Reads Giveaways.

I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I was struck by how easily Ms. Johnson set up the world and the character within even the first scene. You knew who Zephyr Hollis was and what this 1920's New York was supposed to be from simply those first few pages.

Zephyr herself is immensely likable. Spunky, intelligent, gutsy, able, and empathetic: she is the "singing Vampire Suffragette" as she is labeled at one point. Ze I was very lucky to win this through one of the First Reads Giveaways.

I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I was struck by how easily Ms. Johnson set up the world and the character within even the first scene. You knew who Zephyr Hollis was and what this 1920's New York was supposed to be from simply those first few pages.

Zephyr herself is immensely likable. Spunky, intelligent, gutsy, able, and empathetic: she is the "singing Vampire Suffragette" as she is labeled at one point. Zephyr stands up for herself (and most certainly others), is able to handle herself in a fight as well as be the proper school teacher and large-hearted philanthropist. She is a layered character, plagued by a family of demon hunting, Zephyr endeavors to save all the Others (as well as helping anyone else) she can find, devoting her entire life to such a cause. Yet she struggles with the fact that not all Others are worth saving, just as not all humans are as well, and the fact that she still has to defend herself even unto "popping" them for good when pushed. In fact Zephyr is deftly skilled at hunting and is even immune to the vampire venom, an exceedingly rare trait which means the Defenders in town both deride her decision to leave them and beg for her return all in the same breath. Zephyr has a reputation for campaigning for the other side by the beginning of the book, fighting for the rights of Others and Immigrants alike through picketing, meetings, teaching, and any other method she can endeavor. Zephyr believes so strongly in the rightness of the path she now follows that she is even unfashionably vegetarian, having been disgusted by her first hand experience with the meat slaughtering process. Zephyr is a character living very in the present, practically dealing with the situations at hand in the hopes of changing things for the better in the foreseeable future. She is an intensely modern woman in her more straightforward approach especially when compared to the proper, wealthy Lily or even her best friend, the epitome 20's NYC vamp, Aileen. Zephyr even advocates for the use of prophylactics and a more modern view of sex, even going so far as to publicly kiss Amir in a cab and in a cafe.

Zephyr's romantic entanglements with Amir are passionate and yet realistic, tugging her back and forth between how she is drawn to him and her rationality. The two of them challenge each other in a way that is complementary and fun. Yet the trouble and happiness shared between the two of them is also purposefully used for the plot as well. Nothing is rushed to be unfolded to the reader before Zephyr herself figures it out, leaving the book with an anticipation of a good mystery. When all is revealed the theme of the interpersonal relations in the book becomes even more definitive for we are left with no one perfectly right or perfectly wrong. Yes, there is a conclusive ending but we also are left questioning the moral rightness of the main love interest.

The book is set in a world of gray-scale where black and white are very rarely the case. In fact this sense of gray is even further used in the description of the backdrop of New York, scenes alternatingly bathed in pure white snow, shadowy alleys, or pitch black tunnels. It's a world where not all Others are perfectly bad or perfectly good much like their human counterparts. Where the characters are described in color with the focus on a single blue mitten or a bright teal dress in a crowd. It's a world where Zephyr Hollis' conflicting background and purpose very much has a place, where she is constantly challenged with the rightness of her philanthropic acts of kindness. Zephyr even has moments where she learns that the situation is so hopelessly muddled and gray that the best thing she can do is, in all honesty, nothing. The best, wisest decision can sometimes be inaction for much like the real world not everything waits on Zephyr to become involved.

An immensely enjoyable and fun read, the book went by almost too quickly and I hope to read more adventures from Zephyr Hollis at some point soon. ...more

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Dec 14, 2015 Charles rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy, stat_2, paranormal, 2016-challenge

Stuff I Read – Moonshine by Alaya Dawn Johnson Review

Forward into some urban fantasy! I have absolutely loved basically everything that I've picked up from Alaya Dawn Johnson, but most of it was technically YA (Love is the Drug and The Summer Prince). So when I saw that she had an urban fantasy series marketed more toward adults I jumped all over that. Please and thank you! What I found was Johnson's signature fun wrapped in a city at turns gritty and hopeful. This actually is a bit lighter a re Stuff I Read – Moonshine by Alaya Dawn Johnson Review

Forward into some urban fantasy! I have absolutely loved basically everything that I've picked up from Alaya Dawn Johnson, but most of it was technically YA (Love is the Drug and The Summer Prince). So when I saw that she had an urban fantasy series marketed more toward adults I jumped all over that. Please and thank you! What I found was Johnson's signature fun wrapped in a city at turns gritty and hopeful. This actually is a bit lighter a read than The Summer Prince, though perhaps more violent as well, an interesting take on the vampire story mixed with 1920s civil rights and women's suffrage. It's fun and imaginative and mysterious, drawing a world filled with creatures not quite human but not exactly Other. And I sort of love that Other is how the non-human people are classed, showing just how they're treated and just where they fit into the historical lens of the setting.

And Zephyr is just a great character, bold and active with a bleeding heart that gets her into a lot of trouble but is sort of what makes her a decent person. That she doesn't really stop trying to help, even when it puts her at risk, even when she ends up exhausted and still looked down on. It's obvious that she's worked from a place of both joy and guilt. Guilt because of who her father is and who she was and what she did and joy because she loves singing and dancing and meeting people and helping. She's not content to just stand aside and let oppression go on and she's not willing to wave her hands at the vampires and other magical beings and decide that Other means not having to care. They are human, are basically human, with different struggles and appetites and powers, but the drives remain and the need for respect and safety. The world building in the book is excellent, creating a New York where all these people live side by side as a supposed melting pot only there are still clear and strong divisions.

The book does not flinch away from difficult issues, either, showing how corruption, fear, and intolerance can create castes of people who are expendable. How people of certain groups are views as so much more dangerous and animalistic. How law enforcement and institutions that are supposed to help everyone can be used as a way to further injustice. And that in a system where certain people are left without protections some from those groups can seek to benefit from the system by exploiting their own. It is a complex world and Zephyr moves around it with agency and awareness, courage and a perpetual lack of clean clothes.

The cast is amazing, too, all complex people with very different situations and problems. Amir is a great love interest except that he's also kinda terrible as well, hiding his involvement in certain things and never really telling the complete truth. I'm very interested to see where his and Zephyr's relationship goes from where it ends up at the end of the book. And oh glob I want to see more of Zephyr's friends. Her roommate and the journalist and all the women in her suffrage groups and it's all just very good. There might be one guy who is unequivocally "bad," but on the whole the characters are all human, acting out of frustration and desire, hurt and longing. The book is fun and action intense. And in the end it's a charming and refreshing take on the historical urban fantasy, twisting the noir so that it doesn't erase so much of history, so many of the people who have always been there, fighting their own battles. An 8.25/10.
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Aug 14, 2010 Mardel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The main character of Moonshine is Zephyr Hollis, described as "an overzealous, underfed social activist" . She really was, almost to the point of irritation. The only thing that saved her from being a total goody two shoes was her rather instant attraction to Amir (dark-skinned Arabic-looking hot djinn - literally hot - hot to the touch, burning hot...Careful Zephyr!), and the rather intense sense of bloodlust that would come upon her when she had to fight for her life....but she was ashamed of The main character of Moonshine is Zephyr Hollis, described as "an overzealous, underfed social activist" . She really was, almost to the point of irritation. The only thing that saved her from being a total goody two shoes was her rather instant attraction to Amir (dark-skinned Arabic-looking hot djinn - literally hot - hot to the touch, burning hot...Careful Zephyr!), and the rather intense sense of bloodlust that would come upon her when she had to fight for her life....but she was ashamed of the way she felt then...a bit, not too much. :) (Don't fight it Zephyr - just be yourself and let your freak-flag fly!)

Turns out our little miss goody two shoes used to hunt - that's right, HUNT vampires and others with her father and crew back in good old.....Montana. (how did you end up in New York, Zephyr?). She 's not happy about her past and apparently is trying to atone by teaching night school to the oppressed "Others" (because they ARE oppressed, treated as second-class citizens with NO rights), and sticking up for them when she can, giving them literally the last dime in her pockets...(better than me - I'll give a few bucks away even if I only have $10 or $5, but never my last buck).

Anyway, Zephyr becomes embroiled with a found vampire boy (turned and abandoned), trying to locate a mob boss for pay, teaching a very dangerous young vampire street tough how to read and write, a new dangerous vampire drink, and finds herself in danger and having to fight off vampires and revenant cats.

I started out the book very interested, then found my self feeling a bit ho-hum about it (here I have to admit, I had just started it when Magic Bleeds came out, and there are few books that would have made me happy to read them after THAT!) and then finally seemed to be back into the story. By the end of the book I cared about what was happening to Zephyr, to the vampire boy, to Amir (the towering inferno genie), even to the street tough gangster vampire Nicholas.

One of the interesting and yet frustrating thing for me was the time setting. It's set during the Prohibition, which I really don't know much about. I'm not usually interested in that time period. Moonshine had it all though, the mobsters with the vampire twist, the illegal speakeasies along with the vampire equivalent, and all the accompanying problems. Poverty, bigotry, excess by the rich (nothing's changed there!) and I enjoyed the way Ms Johnson handled the "Others" addition to this. The Vampire mob King had his own territory, with rival vampire gangs. There was a separate Night Mayor that was corrupt. There's a lot happening in this novel and Ms Johnson really thought out the extended world that would have Vampires and Djinns, and Shapeshifters in it. Interesting and well done.

Moonshine is a good book, with an interesting take on vampires, djinns, shapeshifters and the prohibition. There is a good plot, and the dialogue was good, no lameness at all. There was some interesting instances of bigotry - even from Zephyr, while she was raging against the bigotry that humans had against skin color and other species, she herself exhibited her own brand of bigotry towards the priviledged upper class (which I think I am also guilty of - sorry rich over-priviledged-know-nothing-about-living-in-the-REAL-world-people....oops, have some work to do there. ahem... ) ...more

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Jan 10, 2014 Paige (Illegal in 3 Countries) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series-unfinished

See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten!

In 1920s New York, vampires and other such Others are minorities with few to no rights and Zephyr Hollis is the singing vampire suffragette, famous for how much she gives and her never-ending crusade for Other rights. She teaches classes for Others and immigrants so they can learn how to function in American society and it's normal for her to give all the money she has and have trouble paying her rent. Then along comes Amir, who offers her money to help hi See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten!

In 1920s New York, vampires and other such Others are minorities with few to no rights and Zephyr Hollis is the singing vampire suffragette, famous for how much she gives and her never-ending crusade for Other rights. She teaches classes for Others and immigrants so they can learn how to function in American society and it's normal for her to give all the money she has and have trouble paying her rent. Then along comes Amir, who offers her money to help him find Rinaldo, a vampire mobster. In her quest to find Rinaldo and do a few other things, like find the parents of a young, recently turned vampire boy, Zephyr runs into more than a few problems and gets a visit from her past.

I haven't read any books set in the 1920s before, so I don't exactly know whether the minute details of the setting are true or not, but they ring true to me. It feels like Johnson did her research on life back then and applied everything she learned to this novel. Despite how much fantasy is in this novel with all the vampires running around, this New York seems like the kind of New York that would have existed if vampires were real. It's just the right blend of reality and fantasy, something only a few authors can do. Johnson appears to be one of them.

Zephyr as a character has a good background and she is the only character I have ever seen that pulled off the "too giving" flaw without making it seem like a non-flaw. If you give your money away so much to the point that you nearly get kicked out of your apartment multiple times, that's a flaw. Her pre-New York background and her current actions as an Other activist provide a fun contrast and really shows how people can change in a few years. The supporting characters were fun and the plot moved along smoothly, tying itself up well in the end. If there was any sort of mystery, it is solved during the final confrontation. With an ending such as the one in Moonshine, the novel could be left as a stand-alone or be given a sequel. I haven't found any evidence of a future sequel yet, so I'm not sure there will be one. And...

And...

-sigh- I'm sorry, but I have nothing to say. I lacked any emotional involvement in this novel, so I'm just pulling stuff and trying to put my thoughts in order about them. I didn't care who lived or died, who turned Judah, what was wrong with Amir, where Faust was coming from--absolutely nothing caught my interest. I had a full PDF of this book before I started doing book reviews and got bored halfway through it, then closed the document and decided to get a print copy one day. Back then, I never thought on what was going on in the book and I didn't this time around either. It was neither bad nor good and in certain cases, this is worse than being bad. At least you care enough about a bad book to dislike it.

I wish I could give it a better rating than this. I really do. Sadly, a rule is a rule and if a book cannot earn my emotional investment, then it automatically gets this rating. Unless it's a special case, I make no exceptions. For anyone that's looking for a good book about the 20s and doesn't mind the large helping of fantasy mixed in, I recommend Moonshine. Maybe you'll get invested in it the way I couldn't. ...more

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Aug 25, 2013 Clare rated it really liked it · review of another edition

More cool stuff from my People I Saw At Readercon list! I will be doing this for a long time, y’all.

Anyway, the people in question is Alaya Dawn Johnson, who I saw speak on… uh… four panels, I think, but who I was not able to meet in person, which is a bummer, because she was pretty awesome on all her panels. Her newest book, and first YA book, is The Summer Prince, which I was sort of intending to buy until I saw she wrote vampire books as well, so I bought those instead for now, because I am p More cool stuff from my People I Saw At Readercon list! I will be doing this for a long time, y’all.

Anyway, the people in question is Alaya Dawn Johnson, who I saw speak on… uh… four panels, I think, but who I was not able to meet in person, which is a bummer, because she was pretty awesome on all her panels. Her newest book, and first YA book, is The Summer Prince, which I was sort of intending to buy until I saw she wrote vampire books as well, so I bought those instead for now, because I am predictable. (I fully intend to read The Summer Prince too, hopefully sooner rather than later; I have heard nothing but good things about it.)

Moonshine takes place in Prohibition-era Manhattan, which is always a fun time, in a universe where vampires and various other forms of nonhumans, known as “Others”, are openly known to exist, but generally denied most rights like the vote and a living wage. Our protagonist is Zephyr Hollis, a night school teacher for immigrants and Others and chronic social-justice activist—often to the detriment of her own health—and the daughter of a famous Other-hunter from Montana. The plot happens when Zephyr, short on money, agrees to find notorious mob boss, bootlegger, and suspected vampire Rinaldo, for a very handsome Other of unspecified kind named Amir, who is one of her night school students. Amir turns out to be a djinn, and the main love interest, which is pretty cool; I don’t believe I’ve ever read a djinn romance before.

Secondary characters include a just-turned vampire boy named Judah with no memory of who he was before he was turned, Amir’s ponderously djinn-y older brother, a gang of teenage mobster vampires called the Turn Boys, Zephyr’s Irish roommate Aileen who may or may not be a Seer, and a lady reporter called Lily who is (a) a fabulous lady reporter and (b) also kind of an upper-class twit at the same time. Lily is possibly the most interesting character, to me. Amir is somewhat less so; the djinn thing is cool and it is nice to have a mixed-race lead couple (Amir is clearly Arab when he is not a pillar of smoke, apparently), but he’s kind of got the “feckless bad boy” thing going on and generally I don’t care that much about his personality.

The plot gets plottier when a new street drug made from cloned pig’s blood and ergot hits the streets, resulting in a rash of blood-mad, drugged-up vampires running around doing stupid things like mobbing the blood bank and staying out past daybreak. Rinaldo is trafficking the drug, so figuring out the drug situations becomes important for finding Rinaldo. Also, Zephyr’s bigoted Other-hunting daddy shows up with a contract on the Turn Boys, at this point Zephyr’s most important sources of information, so then there is family conflict and daddy issues and stuff.

This book may not have been a deep work of literature but it was a ton of fun, and it was aware of and sensitive to both the social issues of the 1920s and with the current issues about diversity in fantasy, and seriously GANGSTER VAMPIRES IN PROHIBITION NEW YORK WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT.

X-posted at http://bloodygranuaile.livejournal.co... ...more

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Nov 09, 2015 SmartBitches rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-not-in-a-ballroom, c-grade, urban-fantasy

Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

I love stories set in the 1920’s, and I loved author Alaya Johnson’s most recent book, Love is the Drug. So I had high hopes for Moonshine, which is a paranormal with romantic elements about a social worker in New York in the 1920s. As it turned out the book was…OK. It was entertaining but it was easy to put down. It’s the first book in a series, so the romance element ends in a cliffhanger, and the dialogue felt off somehow. Despite having many trapping Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

I love stories set in the 1920’s, and I loved author Alaya Johnson’s most recent book, Love is the Drug. So I had high hopes for Moonshine, which is a paranormal with romantic elements about a social worker in New York in the 1920s. As it turned out the book was…OK. It was entertaining but it was easy to put down. It’s the first book in a series, so the romance element ends in a cliffhanger, and the dialogue felt off somehow. Despite having many trappings of the time period, I was never convinced that the main character, Zephyr, was actually a Jazz Age woman.

In this book, New York is home to humans and vampires. Some vampires are predatory criminals and others just try to blend in. Zephyr careens from good deed to good deed (donating blood, attending political rallies on behalf of various right’s movements, teaching night school to immigrants and vampires). When she’s not doing good deeds she sings at a jazz club. She doesn’t sleep or eat very muchm not because she’s a vampire but because she’s super busy and also has no money.

There’s plenty to like about the book. I enjoyed the characters and the portrayal of Jazz Age New York City, and I thought the way vampires lived in the city was both plausible and interesting (they are basically treated as another immigrant group). I adored Zephyr’s mother, who shows up at an awkward moment and proceeds to steal the book with her calm common sense and grammar police tendencies. I also liked the journalist, Lily, although I failed to see how she could maintain a sense of social snobbery as a journalist in the city.

I’ve struggled to articulate why this book didn’t compel me more. I liked Zephyr, but I didn’t believe that she was actually form her time period. I certainly believe that a social worker in tenement New York would know the f-word, but based on what I knew of Zephyr I didn’t believe she would use it herself in the situations she employs it in, or any of the other swear words she used. She seemed modern in her speech and behavior, and not in a “cutting- edge Roaring 20s gal” way. Meanwhile, Amir is something of a blank character. He’s a fantasy guy, all brooding and mysterious and magical, and although he and Zephyr have some great moment he never develops into a full-realized person. I was never invested in their romance.

I also thought the book was somewhat disjointed – possibly because it’s the first book in a series. I kept thinking that something was going to be revealed about the cranky landlady. There is clearly a whole other story going on involving Zephyr’s roommate. Zephyr’s family seems to come from a completely different series. The book is basically a combination of a book about Roaring 20’s New York, a paranormal romance, and a Wild West story about Vampire Hunters. I love cross-genre stories, but none of the pieces quite meshed.

- Carrie S. ...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Linda Koerber rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: july

(Originally posted http://book-addicts.com/blog/2010/08/...)

I have a fascination with the richness of the 1920’s: the glitz and glamour, flapper dresses, jazz music, desperation, ignorance, corruption, to name just a few. Moonshine captures all of these things and more. The streets of 1920’s New York gets shined on with a gritty light and reveals what life would have been like if you added other dark denizens haunting the streets, particularly vampires. It’s a tale that’ll make you rethink the p (Originally posted http://book-addicts.com/blog/2010/08/...)

I have a fascination with the richness of the 1920’s: the glitz and glamour, flapper dresses, jazz music, desperation, ignorance, corruption, to name just a few. Moonshine captures all of these things and more. The streets of 1920’s New York gets shined on with a gritty light and reveals what life would have been like if you added other dark denizens haunting the streets, particularly vampires. It’s a tale that’ll make you rethink the promises that you’ve kept and not to throw your trust around lightly.

The story opens with Zephyr dodging traffic on her bike as she races through the streets on a cold New York winter day. The first of her troubles begins when she discovers the latest – and youngest – victim of a vampire gang known as the Turn Boys. This gang has done more harm by preying on the weak and further marring the reputation of the Others – a term used to describe anything non-human – than Zephyr can restore.

Zephyr is an activist committing her time and energy to help all denizens of New York including Others, by participating in rallies and teaching classes to those less fortunate like immigrants or the occasional vampire.

Zephyr has many faults. She’s too innocent and trusting. She gives all of her money, money that should have gone to her boarding house, on an act of good will for a vampire hard on his luck. She doesn’t even think about the fact that if she didn’t pay the landlady the next day that she’d be turned out onto the street.

Though this book has a very rich weave of characters and world building, I felt Zephyr got away with a lot of stupid things. There was a lot of risk-taking, and in some cases, extreme actions being made, but little to no consequences in response. One of the most unbelievable situations was when she decided to take on nine starving vampires.

It’s like playing a video game in God-mode. You go through the motions of taking on the challenges but without there being any real danger. So the book wasn’t the worst I’ve read, but it was definitely not the best. I did love the world building and the setting, but I thought it was too unrealistic; the tasks set out for our heroine a little too easily overcome and her character was someone I really couldn’t sympathize with. Towards the end, without giving anything away, I really didn’t feel any compassion for Amir and didn’t agree with Zephyr’s life-changing decision. ...more

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