With its captivating setting, riveting plot, and heart-pounding action, “Moonchild” is a much needed breath of fresh air in the world of YA fantasy. I’d say the same in the context of New Adult fantasy as well since the novel teeters between the two, which works to its benefit. Whichever age bracket you want to put it is, mature YA or NA, “Moonchild” is an original, creative, and exciting read whether you’re familiar with the world of steampunk or not.
Scarlett Moon lives on the streets of a world where computers are a sin and airship rule the skies. Those in control are controlled in turn by corruption. Those who go against them are sent to the coal mines to pay for their crimes. When her best friend, Rory, meets such a fate, Scarlett’s life begins to crumble. Even after she and the rest of her friends are rescued by a band of coal-smuggling pirates, Scarlett finds it hard to fix the invisible walls she has built to protect herself. Among the pirates is the dashing Asher Kimura, who only makes Scarlett’s efforts all the more difficult. When she discovers that there might be a way to save Rory, Scarlett will have to put her friend’s life before her own, even if it means leaving herself vulnerable to Asher’s charm and affection.
There’s so much great stuff in this book that it’s hard to know where to begin.
For starters, the setting is a lot of fun. It blends steampunk and the post-apocalyptic genres together seamlessly and brings something new to both categories, which is refreshing seeing as the post-apocalyptic side has been sufficiently milked. The world that Scarlett inhibits is so vast and vivid that it lends itself to a lot of future stories and creative set ups. The characters that inhibit this world are fantastic as well. While not the most memorable, they all offer something important in every scene they’re in. If they’re not moving the story forward, they’re offering insight about the world around them, providing foils to other characters, or helping to build conflict. They each have a job and they execute it perfectly.
I liked Asher in particular. It takes about two paragraphs to figure out that he’s going to be Scarlett’s love interest, but Mary does a wonderful job making him just as believable and likeable as Scarlett. If anything, he’s more believable and likeable than Scarlett, but I’ll talk about her soon enough. I especially like the way Mary uses Asher to explore some mature themes that you wouldn’t expect from a book like this. That little detail gives “Moonchild” a depth that transcends its genre and intended age group (even if that detail is still a little fuzzy).
The main conflict ensnared me from start and I was thankful for the route it took. In the first few chapters, I was worried that “Moonchild” was going to be another “Hunger Games”/“Divergent” clone, but despite its small scale in comparison to the rest of this new world, it proved to be exciting, captivating, and emotionally gripping, much to my surprise. That is due in no small part to the magnificent writing. Both the narration and the dialogue do a great job introducing the reader to both the world and the characters. Despite the newness of it all, nothing feels like exposition. Everything feels like natural storytelling. The entirebook flows like a bullet train heading for a destination you can’t wait to reach, even if the scenery outside is immensely enjoyable.
Despite all of “Moonchild’s” strengths, its protagonist, Scarlett, was rather disappointing. To be fair, she really shines in the action scenes. She’s a headstrong force to be reckoned with and has no trouble getting her hands dirty. In the quiet moments, however, she begins to fall apart. She suffers from that “strong female character” syndrome where “strong and confident” is confused for “emotionless and cold.” Normally I’d shrug it off, but she’s so incredibly bad at it that she started to get on my nerves. She spouts Queen Elsa-esque rhetoric of “Conceal, don’t feel,” but she never seems to follow it. She’s constantly letting her negative feelings color how she sees people and situations and ends up making bad choices because of them. If she were fifteen or sixteen, I might have just made a footnote about the discrepancy, but she’s nineteen. If she’s going to give into emotionally-driven recklessness, Mary should have just called it than rather than hide it behind the need for a “strong female character.” It would have made Scarlett a bit more mature and likeable.
Thankfully, Scarlett is only one piece of an otherwise expertly crafted novel and I won’t deny that she could mature over the course of future novels (which I would love to read, just so you know, Kate L. Mary).
As a whole, “Moonchild” is brilliant. The world is fascinating and vibrant, the characters are enjoyable, the conflict will have you desperate to see the end, and the brilliantly written first-person narrative is worth taking a look at in and of itself. If you’re a long-time fan of steampunk, post-apocalypses, mature YA and NA, or even if you’re new to all of it, I highly suggest you pick up “Moonchild” and get swept away on an air ship. I’m sure it’ll be an adventure.
-Tay
About the Author:
Award-winning author of WHEN WE WERE HUMAN and the Amazon best-selling BROKEN WORLD series, Kate L. Mary writes everything from post-apocalyptic tales of the undead to new adult contemporary romance. A mother of four and an Air Force wife, her days are divided between keeping her household in order and creating new worlds for readers to get lost in.
What came first when you were writing Moonchild? The characters, the story, or a mix of both?
Honestly, it’s been so long since I wrote the first draft that I can’t really remember. I do know that it all came out very easily. I’m not much of a plotter, and sometimes when I start a story I hit a dead end and have to set it aside for a bit until inspiration hits, but with MOONCHILD it flowed very easily. And I had a great time creating this world.
What has changed the most since you first started writing the book?
I had to work on softening Scarlett up. The first handful of people who read the manuscript were split down the middle: They either LOVED her or HATED her. She’s a character who’s had a hard life, so for me it was natural to think that she’d be a bit hard on the outside, but I had to mold her into someone who allowed her vulnerability to show a little bit more so people didn’t dislike her as much. I will say, that the evolution of her character really takes off in the second book.
What has mostly stayed the same?
The world. I really enjoyed creating this gritty, dark future that didn’t have a lot of hope, and I’m looking forward to people reading the second book so they can get an even bigger picture of what this world looks like.
What was the hardest part of bringing Moonchild together?
Just finding a place for it. I tried for a year to submit it to agents with no takers, then when I got an agent through another manuscript and she read MOONCHILD (and loved it), we tried for another year to get a publisher to bite. It didn’t work out, and after all that time I ended up self-publishing it anyway. I think the mix of genres made it a tough story to place and because of that it really does fit the Indie market better, but it would have been great to be able to get a publishing deal with this novel so I could share it with even more people.
What came to you easiest when writing Moonchild?
Again, it’s been a while, but I don’t remember struggling over anything about this novel. The wait was really the hardest. Knowing that I’d written it and wanting to get it out there so I could share it with the world… I really love this novel and was just very excited to put it out there. Although I have to say that I think the second book is better than the first.
Do you have any particular favorite scenes or characters?
I love all the scenes with Scarlett and Asher. Their chemistry and baggage make them very fun to write, and their interactions are always so up and down and back and forth that a lot of times I didn’t even know what they were going to say or do.
Asher is quite the catch. Who were some of your fictional heart-throbs either growing up?
Rhett Butler and Mr. Darcy. I read mostly classics in high school because young adult novels were very different when I was a teenager than they are now, and the range was very limited. I like characters who are damaged but aren’t afraid to be vulnerable.
What books/authors inspired you growing up that led to you writing fantasy?
I’m actually not much of a fantasy fan. Anything that has to do with magic losing my interest very quickly. I see MOONCHILD as more speculative fiction or science fiction than fantasy, but that’s just me. I think it’s a healthy mix and could reach a lot of audiences.
What inspired you to blend a steampunk and post-apocalyptic setting?
I think the concept of steampunk is very cool, but I’ve never really been able to get into the genre because I prefer to read about the future than the past, and I wanted to see a world with steampunk/sci-fi qualities that had that dystopian twist to it I love.
If you could design your own Moonchild-inspired costume, what would it look like?
It would be steampunk with a victorian flare. Corset and short skirt, thigh highs and high boots. And lots of weapons, of course.
Editor’s Note: Our thanks to Kate L. Mary for giving us not only a great book but an amazing interview. Tay is hoping we’ll have the privilege of reviewing the next book too!
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