Book Review | Moonflower by EDC Johnson a #YA #Fantasy novel

Posted Thursday, 16 October, 2014 by jorielov , , , 3 Comments

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Moonflower by EDC Johnson

Published By: Self-Published Author

Official Authors Websites: Site | @EDCJohnson | Facebook

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

GoFundMe Campaign to re-launch Moonflower

Converse via:#Moonflower & #MoonflowerTrilogy

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Acquired Book By:

EDC Johnson found me on Twitter and asked me if I would be interested in reading her YA Fantasy novel “Moonflower”, even though it is currently undergoing a re-edit & re-launch. I was quite interested in the novel after I read about it on her website and agreed to treat this edition similar to an ARC. Therefore, going in knowing there would be certain errors and not hold that against the book in general. This is why I marked this as an “ARC” read rather than a finished copy. I received a complimentary copy of “Moonflower” direct from the author herself, EDC Johnson in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Interested in Reading:

Aside from the fact that the synopsis of the story perked a whisper of interest in my mind to read the story, the cover-art of seeing a wolf translucently pictured off-center with a piercing blue eye held my breath in absolute awe! It is true I never read a book simply because of what is featured on the cover, as I go to the heart of where the narrative is going to lead me through a synopsis of the plot itself, but there are times, like with Moonflower where the cover-art is a compelling interest for the reader! The artistry alone held my attention, especially considering how beautiful the wolf appears in this half portrait of his face! The compelling part is why is he translucent? And, what is he not telling us from behind that piercing stare that unsettles you as much as it comforts?

I love supporting Indie Authors (either published through an Indie Press, Publisher, or through a Self Publishing platform) as they are walking such a wonderful journey through the publishing industry! Taking their creativity to a heightened level by giving themselves the breadth of freedom to write their stories the way in which they wanted them to greet readers inasmuch as tackling the daunting world of publicity and editing without a net to catch them! I give my hat off to any writer who takes this journey as the Indies have long since captured my heart and my support! It is always a true honour for me to participate in the promotion of an Indie writer and I am twice blessed when an Indie writer finds me on Twitter! I try to get to each of their profile pages and scope out their websites if they are linked to the profile itself — as I am always curious who is following me and who is interested in my own joyfully bookish tweets and bookish blog!

On this level, I wanted to say that I feel genuinely humbled as a book blogger to be in a position to draw a light on the literary work of an Indie writer and to that extent I have a surprise I will announce at the bottom of this post where the Indies will a strong beacon of light shining on them in forthcoming weeks! Until then, I cannot wait to disclose what you will find inside Moonflower the first installment of a trilogy that winks at you to draw your attention inside it’s pages!

Book Review | Moonflower by EDC Johnson a #YA #Fantasy novelMoonflower
by EDC Johnson
Source: Direct from Author

After Josephine Woods’ father dies of cancer, her mother up-roots the two of them and moves to the city. Josie hates her city life, but her teenage issues are of little consequence when they have a car accident and she wakes up in a strange land (reminiscent of Victorian Europe) alone. Lost, with her school backpack as the only connection to her world, Josie struggles to find her way home. She is found by Lucius Conrí, the son of a Marquess, who possesses royal blood and the gift to shift into a wolf’s form at will.

Can the kind-hearted Lucius help her find her way while winning her love, or will she fall for Donovan Conrí his older, more serious brother and heir to the Conrí wealth?

Genres: YA Fantasy, YA Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1469940021

Published by Self Published

on 29th March, 2013

Pages: 268

Author Biography:

EDC Johnson

EDC Johnson grew up in the Midwest, graduating from Michigan State University with her BFA in Art Education and her MA in Art Education from Western Michigan University. She lives with her husband and daughter in Palm Harbor, Florida. Her decade of experience as a public school art teacher has inspired her to write fiction novels that will entice young readers. You may see some of her illustrations in Renee Mallet’s: Fairies, Mermaids, and Other Mystical Creatures.

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Fantasy within the realm of the Modern World:

A new aspect for reading Fantasy for me is seeing how the modern world intercepts the fantastical, as previously in my teenage years I was drawn inside straight-up fantasy worlds which had no counterpart to our own. The element of placing bonefide modern era characters inside a world of fantasy proportions is a new concept for me and one that I am more than willing to continue to explore per writer’s vision for this branch of the genre. Inasmuch as my appreciation for certain story arcs which feature shapeshifter characters such as Lucius Conrí inside Moonflower. My first glimpse into this new attachment of mine for supernatural creatures and beings occurred whilst I was reading the second and third installments of the Leland Dragon series by Jackie Gamber. Followed closely by my discovery of A Beauty So Beastly by RaShelle Workman (read synopsis on Riffle) during the even #EuphorYA. A short while afterwards I was interacting with Ms. Johnson on Twitter and the current story alighted into my hands.

I realise this has been used as a directional tool for story-tellers for generations, but instead of soaking inside the world of C.S. Lewis by the novels themselves, I was wholly enthused for the theatrical releases at the box office instead. Therefore, my knowledge of how the balance of the modern era and the fantasy realms are achieved and carried out per each instance this avenue of fiction is explored is minimal. I am also in need of finishing my reading of Crown of Vengeance by Stephen Zimmer (read the synopsis on Riffle), which I believe fits well in this topic of discussion.

Part of my curiously intuitive mind was under the assertion part of Josie’s adventure might be explained by a near-death experience given how the situation of where she started this story began and where she travelled next. However I did not allow myself to qualm over the details, as I was being guided by a story-teller who held my attention with each page I turnt!

My Review of Moonflower:

As soon as you open page one you are entering into the conscience mind of a character you can already draw a breath of relatability out of as who hasn’t felt upset about a sudden upset of a relocation or the insanity of tucking yourself under a mountain of blankets to wick out the cold? I felt Josie’s angst immediately as what is most incredible is how off-putting it is to hear of weather related trivia being spoken about an area that you not only know as well as the moon in the cosmos but the infuriating way weather is announced as if to hint of something not of the place your living. Clearly the Mid-Western states are as irrelevantly annoying at times in weather forecasting as their Southeastern neighbours! Observing how Josie crammed everything she may or may not need whilst at school into her backpack; the action brought back happy memories, except to say mine carried with the essentials quite a heap of paperback & hardcover novels to idle away the boredom!

The transition of Josie’s world being with her Mum and into the world where wolves can become men was an exquisite segue where you your mind refused to sort out the intricacies and simply followed in pursuit of Josie’s adventure ‘elsewhere’ than from whence she was a moment ago. Lucius’s arrival as a bequest of safety bourne out of instinct on his part drew us further into this new dimension of the world stitched around Josie. It was almost as if she blinked out of her regular rather ordinary existence on earth only to land rather mysteriously a wink of a thought into where Lucius called home himself. His instincts whilst he was in the shape and body of a wolf allowed him a few quizzical clues into Josie’s state of appearance and of her mindset, yet whilst he was back in human form he was perplexed about how to best aide her overall. A typical young male’s reaction to an emotionally distraught girl, yet he had this quality about him where his genuine concern outweighed his faults.

A world and a time out of step with Josie’s modern age, delighted my eyes as I absorbed myself into this Victorian a la Edwardian time shift where the propriety of servants on staff and the lordship regalia of the age came fully into view! Here in a land as enchanting as a few centuries inside our own historical past, lies a realm where lords and ladies live within a caste system of hierarchy. The area of which Lucius’s father oversees is quite vast, and with any person who has a certain level of power, there are certain dangers therein. Lucius is not the only sibling in his family, as his brother Donovan makes an equally strong impression upon Josie whilst she is visiting them.

The beautiful words and eloquence of their world brought to life by a writer who knows how to gain traction of their vision into the heart of a reader, lifted the story of Moonflower into a niche of beloved reads. The insightful way of conveying a layer of depth out of the title of the story and using poetry to garnish a hidden secret of the transcending power of love was a beauty of it’s own to have found. Lucius, Donovan, and Josie exist in a place that is not too far off from our own timescape, dealing with the issues our own world has the tendency to face and are grounded in the belief that everything that you pursue in your life with passion will be rewarded through dedicated hard work. The experiences Josie has in Terravipol strengthen her awareness of how the lessons of living are meant to endeavour her growth as much as bolster her sensibility to adapt.

This is the part of the series where we are introduced to the key players of who will surely be making appearances in the forthcoming installments, as there is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of Moonflower. The same type of cliffhanger I mentioned after having read the short story Extra-Ordinary by B.C. Brown; an opening gesture to alert your senses to drink in this fantastical realm that is lovingly created and whose dimensions of depth are only just becoming known. I cannot wait to hear about the next exploits of Josie’s life evolving as time clicks forward inasmuch as I have a light of dashingly keen interest to know what becomes of Lucius! I found myself attached a bit more to Lucius than Donovan, not that Donovan will not draw a kinship of his own, but there is something about Lucius that was altogether alluring and pulsing with intrigue!

The curious nature of how EDC Johnson’s writing etches into your heart:

I was not sure what I was expecting to find inside Moonflower but whilst I was reading the story, I was overjoyed in finding a full-on historical fiction narrative emerging out of the mist; an unexpected joy! I even tweeted as much as you will find below in the comments I pasted over from Twitter! I was most delighted to find a High Fantasy world stitched and threaded into a YA Fantasy novel! I hadn’t realised this was a possibility as my readings in speculative fiction have been a bit of a hit/miss since I was a teenager! I always had the best of intentions to pick up where I had left off last inside the genres, but alas, time and life moved forward at such a clip to leave me a bit out of the loop with where writers were taking their stories! Most delightful is the knack for period specific details Johnson etches into her back-story as much as the forefront of focus for when Josie first starts to understand a bit of the world Lucius lives in as she arrived at his family’s estate.

You can most readily curl inside this novel if your a historical fiction reader inasmuch if your an appreciator for science fiction and fantasy! The duality of her tone of choice to reveal the story itself and the acute manner in which everything becomes presented makes for an unputdownable read! And, most happily it is a clean read as there is a sparse amount of strong words and I daresay, if you blink you’ve missed them completely! Clean reads to me in YA & Adult Lit refers to any book that might have a smidgen of a strong word here or there but never excessively inclusive. To finally be on a path towards unearthing clean reads for YA novels is the tops in my book!

I think I can honestly say I understand now why YA Paranormal Romance is such a wickedly delightful genre! And, I have EDC Johnson to thank for this realisation!

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Moonflower by EDC Johnson (Book Trailer) via EDC Johnson

Inspired to Share: If this book trailer doesn’t convince you to give ‘Moonflower’ a chance to warm itself into your heart, I am not sure what would! It eludes to the suspense and the mystery of uncovering what is happening within the family where a challenge of power is being caught up in the shadows of a cycle of life expiring. The intriguing music is quite fitting as it is fetching to crackle your senses that ‘Moonflower’ is not your ordinary YA Paranormal Romance!

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This book review is courtesy of the author EDC Johnson:

EDC Johnson

My interview with EDC Johnson will be a part of a special Indie Author focus I am hosting in November, simply called: #IndieWriterMonth. This event is a cumulation of finding myself honoured to have Indie Pub & Self Pub writers finding me on Twitter to host their novels as much as I am discovering a penchant for others via blog tours I am hosting on a regular basis. This special showcase focus will run parallel to my participation in Sci Fi November! Full Event Schedule will post on 1st of November concurrent with my schedule for Sci Fi November! Stay tuned for more details! EDC Johnson’s Interview has a duality of focus between both events as she is a YA Fantasy author, and her interview will run on a day where I am focusing on Fantasy as a genre during Sci Fi November!

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Reader Interactive Question:

What do you find the most captivating about reading shifter stories in Fantasy!? And, what is your favourite type of shifter (shapeshifter) to read about the most?! Can you share a bit about your favourite ‘stories’ you’ve thus far discovered as much as which writers curate a soft spot in your heart!? 

 {SOURCES: Book cover for “Moonflower”, Author Biography and the Book Synopsis were provided by the author EDC Johnson and used with permission. Book Review badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers & My Thoughts badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. The book trailer for “Moonflower” had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

 

Comments on Twitter on behalf of “Moonflower”:

{ favourite & Re-tweet if inspired to share }

About jorielov

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and I cured a ten-year writer’s block by the discovery of Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life by re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. I joined The Classics Club in January 2014 to seek out appreciators of the timeless works of literature whose breadth of scope and voice resonate with us all.

"I write my heart out and own my writing after it has spilt out of the pen." - self quote (Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story)

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Posted Thursday, 16 October, 2014 by jorielov in Alternative Reality, Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, Apothecary, ARC | Galley Copy, Blog Tour Host, Book Cover | Notation on Design, Book Cover | Original Illustration & Design, Book Review (non-blog tour), Book Trailer, Bookish Films, Coming-Of Age, Dreams & Dreamscapes, Excerpt of Novel Read Aloud, Family Drama, Family Life, Fantasy Fiction, Herbalist, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Nature & Wildlife, Near-Death Experience, Self-Published Author, Shapeshifters, Single Mothers, Speculative Fiction, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Supernatural Fiction, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, the Edwardian era, the Victorian era, Time Shift, Transfer Student at School, Transitioning into Private School, Wolves, YA Fantasy, YA Paranormal &/or Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Fiction




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