My “Fairy Tale Friday” Series Kicks Off with a Review of Moss and Clay by Rebekah Jonesy

If you’ve been following my antics, you already know that I am a big fan of the supernatural and Steampunk. (If you’re new to the site, welcome!)

But my love of myths and fairy stories doesn’t start and end there. I may be actively working on the sequel to No Rest for the Wicked, but in the background I’ve got a dark fantasy set in the here and now a-brewing, and it draws from the German fairy tale tradition. With all of the research I’ve been doing and the amazing fractured fairy tales out there already, I decided it was time to channel my interest into blog posts.

To start us off, I’ll be reviewing a new and unique take on the world of the Fae called Moss & Clay by Rebekah Jonesy. But come on by on Fridays to come for book, movie, and television reviews that explore fairy tale adaptations from around the world and some deep dives into the source material. (And yes, some of them will definitely have a Steampunk twist!) So, on to the review.

What is Moss and Clay About?

Gillian was nothing more than clay until the blood of Queen Mab and a human living Under the Hill mingled to bring her life. She was created for a singular purpose: track down the mad and the dangerous Fae living in the United States and bring them under control, by any means necessary. Gillian has superhuman physical abilities, the memories of her parents to aid her, and a Kelpie by her side, but the hardest part of her quest is learning how to blend in on the Jersey Shore as she tries to solve a string of murders.

What I Thought of Moss and Clay

Rebekah Jonesy does a great job of luring you into thinking this book will be one thing and deftly replacing it with another. Everything starts out all blood and magic and the weight of duty, but there are delightful scenes both Under the Hill and across the ocean where the arcane and the modern collide. It took me a little while to warm up to Gillian, probably because her experience and mine have very little in common. (I, for one, am more than 42 days old…) But she’d won me over by the time she was on her “date” with a police officer and on the trail of the rogue Siren.

Though the idea of old ways and beliefs coming across the pond and getting diluted in the US isn’t wholly new, this story and setting felt fresh and enjoyable. One thing I have noticed about both urban fantasy as a whole and a lot of fairy re-interpretations in general is a highly sexualized approach, but Moss and Clay keeps it PG. (And it only gets the “P” for the fact there is murder involved, but it is never explicit.)

This book doesn’t take a lot of heavy-lifting for the old gray matter, which isn’t usually what I am looking for personally. I like my plots a bit twistier and complex in general. On the other hand, Moss and Clay is a pleasant beach read or a perfect excuse to stretch out in a hammock for the afternoon. The story is interesting and unfolds in a fairly straightforward manner, plus it isn’t very long. I finished the whole book in one three-hour sitting. So grab a frosty beverage and head down to the shore to enjoy this engaging read.

Just be sure to be careful of what may be lurking under the water…

This review is part of a blog tour for Moss and Clay, so check out the other stops to find out more about the book and the author, Rebekah Jonesy.

5/15 Author interview with Jon Carmody on The Mountain Caller

5/15 Beautiful Book Geeks

5/16 Guest Post on Golems on J.D. Estrada’s site

5/17  Guest post on Research for The Writer’s Edge

5/18 Meet Ardan Gilchrist on Growing Up Stephanie

5/20 Meet Gillian Gilchrist on A.L. Mabry

5/21 Author Interview on Desu Beast Blog

5/22 Meet the Kelpies in Moss and Clay on This is not a Hitchhiker’s Guide

5/23 Guest post on American Legends and Urban Fantasy on Are You Afraid of the Dark?

5/24 Book review on carrieksbookreviews.blogspot.com

5/25 Book review on The BookWorm Chronicles

5/26 Author’s Release day announcement

5/26 Youtube panel on American Legends, Creepy pasta, and a fun trivia game. Starts at 2 pm EST.

5/28 Author interview with Hijinks Writer

5/29 Guest post David Wiley

5/31 How Romance Leads to Genre Fluidity a guest post on Our Write Side.

6/1 Meet Gary Lynch at Growing Up Stephanie