Fantasy tale with philosophical elements - quite good.

In Japan, Hana, who works in an unusual pawnshop, and Kei, a physicist, embark on a quest in a fantasy world full of surprises and revelations. The places that they go through and the characters and creatures that they encounter are elaborate and interesting. There are life-changing issues that arise and it's a voyage of discovery for both of them. It's not totally my kind of book but enjoyable enough. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily..

I was asked to review this book by Netgalley. A book I may not have picked up but that is the beauty of reviewing and super glad I did. This almost was trancelike, dreamy, and sleepy. This story is abour a pawnshop essentially and the new owner.

As you get older you look back on choices good and bad, and regret too. This story contains all of this so it is thought provoking too. There is fantasy and the story has some good twists and turns too. Beautifully written.

Due for publication January 16th 2025 so save your Christmas money and buy this book when it is published recommended.

This book was absolutely gorgeous to read. The world building was truly beautiful, and so unique - I’ve never come across a world like it in my many years of reading fantasy! Water Moon had me gripped from cover to cover, whisking me away to an enchanting, whimsical fantasy world with a dark underbelly, to solve mystery after fascinating mystery. The characterisation was truly fantastic, with meaningful backstories and excellent character growth.

The premise of the book is simple: For generations, Hana’s family have run a pawnshop, one which Hana is about to take over following her father’s retirement. It’s no regular pawnshop, dealing in gold, silver and jewels - this pawnshop deals in choices and regrets, and only those who are lost in life can find it. On Hana’s first morning as the owner of the shop, she finds it ransacked, with a pawned choice from the previous day stolen and her father missing. In stumbles Keishin, a man unlike any other Hana has met because instead of looking for help from Hana, he instead offers it. The book follows Hana and Keishin as they enter Hana’s world and search for her father and the missing choice. Will they find what they’re looking for?

I’d usually try to think of books to make comparisons to, maybe do a ‘fans of x will love this book’, but I cannot honestly think of anything I’ve read that I could compare with this. In a genre filled with a lot of sameness, Water Moon truly stands out and is unashamedly different. All I can do is urge anyone who likes the fantasy genre to give this a try!

4.25* rounded down to 4*

I really enjoyed this novel, is was beautiful, whimsical and very cinematic, it would be an excellent read for any fans of Studio Ghibli. Sotto Yambao creates such an interesting world that sits along side our own that makes you question the limits of reality and look at the beauty of our own world in a totally different light. Her exploration of choices and fate is exquisite, she really makes you think about how our choices and regrets shape us and those around us.

I really enjoyed her depiction of Hana and Kei, they were both interesting characters and their relationship provided a great lense to see Hana's world through. I think their feelings for one another were a bit fast for my liking, it would have been nice to see them build a bit more, but I understand why Sotto Yambao decided to do this. I did find the one section of slightly more explicit romance a little jarring as the rest of the novel seemed to be more closed door, but it's a minor thing in the face of a great book.

Overall I had a great time reading this book, I thought it was very creative and cinematic, I would definitely recommend it to any film fans.

Thank you to Samantha Sotto Yambao, NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC ebook, this book was so much fun to read and review.

An evocative title and cover illustration; this strong imagery delivers in a story that moves from one location to another, in a world that makes emotions tangible and the unfamiliar somewhat relatable. The world building is intense and frantic, which could sometimes feel a bit disorienting save for the cryptic set-ups by the main character - almost like a cliff hanger at the end of each chapter before changing locations. This has the effect of a brief respite before launching into the next scene. The story telling is very visual, so much so that I would say maybe one less set-piece could be sacrificed to flesh out the two lead characters a little more. I loved that we were given a lot of water, in various forms (rain, puddles, oceans) and the different ways that time is described/how different characters experience it. Overall, a nice, quirky read. I'm encouraged to read more from the author and more speculative fiction in general.

What a really beautiful story about life and love in its different forms! It was captivating and such a wonderfully vivid journey!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Kind of a tough one to review this, I really like some parts but not others. I really loved the world building, it really was like a Studio Ghibli film in a book. In general, the character side of things was a lot weaker in my opinion. I didn't like the romance aspects which felt very much like insta-love. Still, would recommend if you like whimsical fantasy!

"Would you rewrite your destiny if it meant losing a part of your past?" I've seen this book compared to the works of Studio Ghibli, which the author even references in the novel, and I'm inclined to agree. However, I do not want to sell the author short in this statement. Whilst there are some lovely echoes of Studio Ghibli works in this novel, it is a very original premise:

"A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel."

The sheer imagination demonstrated in this novel is astounding. Hana and Keishin explore so many different places, meeting a collection of unusual characters, and every new setting is refreshing and unique, ranging from idealistic and beautiful, to haunting and even outright sinister. The author keeps the twists coming, to the point where you're not sure who to trust, but Hana and Keishin still remain very likeable throughout this.

I was very excited to see that this isn't a debut from the author and that she already has several novels published - so please excuse me, while I go check those out!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC!

DNF at 10%. It's definitely "me". I keep pushing myself to read Japanese books but they're just not my vibe at all

Oh my goodness, what a magical book.
I loved the blurb for this and I have to say it did not disappoint. Beautiful and heartbreaking, whimsical and horrifying, and full of secrets that hurt as much as they heal.
The characters were wonderfully drawn, but it was the setting I fell in love with in this book. A world beyond the door of a ramen restaurant that ... is not a ramen restaurant. But only for some. A world of exquisite magic and horrifying monsters, where anything is possible except for choice.
Come for the cosy fantasy vibes, stay for the secrets and horrifying reveals. Just gorgeous.

This is a beautifully written book, the concepts and the fantasy worlds it delivers are delightful but I’m struggling to decide what rating to give it. Maybe it’s my frame of mind at the moment and I may have loved the book at some other time. I enjoyed the story but didn’t totally engage with the characters and at times had to reread bits of the story to remind myself of certain points as my mind had wandered.
There are some lovely quotes in the book and, on reflection, I think it deserves a reread when I am more receptive.
Thank you to the author for the lovely writing, to the publisher and Netglley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, but found the story a little slow in places, and often found myself having to flick back a few pages to clarify some finer points. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

this is genuinely one of the most incredible pieces of fiction ive ever read in my life. the writing style is so beautiful and the storyline is just fascinating. i can’t wait to get my hands on this once it’s published!

The story follows Hana, who takes over her father's unusual pawnshop in Tokyo, where people trade their regrets. When her father goes missing, Hana teams up with Keishin, a physicist, and together they explore a world where time bends, puddles lead to new places, and paper cranes fly.

The author's descriptive writing makes Hana's world come alive, and it's easy to get lost in the dreamy setting. The romance between Hana and Keishin is sweet, but it feels a bit rushed.

This book is a great read and perfect for fans of magical realism.

We are introduced into a beautiful and whimsical world in this book that is stunningly written. The worlds that we are introduced to were stunning and I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the story. The only caveat for me with this story was that the romance felt a bit hasten, even though the relationship between the two character was very lovely.

Thanks to the Random House UK and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity for me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Water moon as a book was such an exquisite experience for me a very mystical fantasy standalone!

I can say that I’ve immersed myself in the world Hana lives and lost myself in all the details that make it so intriguing and interesting to me 🫶🏻

Samantha Sotto Yambao’s writing was perfect and it can really make you live in Hana’s world,especially if you are a fan of magical fantasy and the studio ghibli vibes.This was my first book by this author but I can say that I will look forward to her next books!

Thank you so much to netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As the magical, dream-like Water Moon begins, we meet Hana who is about to take over her father’s pawn shop. But it is not an ordinary pawn shop. Hana’s pawn shop trades in choices.

On the morning of her father’s retirement Hana wakes to find her father missing, the pawn shop ransacked, and the front door unbelievably wide open to the real world. In walks a tall stranger, Keishin, and with his arrival our mysterious tour through Hana’s world begins.

Water Moon traverses realms of time and space. Keishin, a physicist, seeks answers in science, in the physics of why. In Hana’s world he finds that nothing makes scientific sense. Here time can be folded backwards, jumping into a puddle leads to other dimensions, and you can ride to your destination on a rumour or on a flock of paper cranes. Together Hana and Keishin embark on a magical mystery tour.

The author’s writing matches the ethereal settings and we are immersed as if in an exquisite dream. The pacing is slow and detailed. The plot meanders, but in a way that totally mesmerised and enmeshed me in the magical world the author has conjured. If you are a fan of magical fantasy with a love story, or fans of Studio Ghibli, you will enjoy this book. I have rated it at 4.5 and would have been 5 stars however I felt the ending was way too rushed.


Thank you to Del Ray UK, Random House UK, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

What a lovely, strange book! I thoroughly enjoyed this dreamlike tale from Samantha Sotto Yambao- she paints beautiful, strange pictures of the adventures of a young woman searching for her father, the former owner of a magical pawn shop in Tokyo, dipping between worlds to unravel the mystery of his disappearance. The writing is beautiful and so evocative, the plot winding but faster-paced as the book goes on, with plenty of little twists. If I had one criticism it would be that occasionally it felt like series of vignettes loosely tied together by the story, but equally the plot brings them all together in an enjoyable and satisfying way. I will definitely keep an eye on what the author does next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read and review this!

This was a highly anticipated read for me and I felt kinda underwhelmed sadly. I enjoyed the whimsy of the story, the themes that the author was trying to share but, there was just too much that didn’t work/vibe for me which really bummed me out.

The pacing felt off after a while for me and time in here felt off to me as well. Some details felt confusing, like contradicting sometimes. The romance although so cute at times felt too fast and sudden which I personally don’t enjoy. Even if the concept of fate was involved.

I really liked the story that the author was going for and there were good quotes and I did kinda enjoy the very end but It just isn’t for me sadly like I wanted it to be. I do think there are people that I know that would enjoy this more than I did. I’ll for sure still probably talk to them about it.

As soon as I finished this book, I knew that I would have to sleep on it before writing a review as I was left utterly speechless.
I was captivated from the get go by this whimsical tale that easily flips between the worlds of make believe and reality.
Samantha Sotto Yambao has created something just shy of a literary master piece. The world building and imagery was so vivid that I felt as if I was in a lucid dream.

Water Moon is a Ghibli-esque novel based in Tokyo and another world. We follow Hana, our mysterious protagonist, who is starting her first day taking over her families pawn shop. A shop that doesn’t trade in items or money, but choices. However when she finds her father has gone missing, and the pawn shop in disarray, she decides to go on an adventure to find her family.

I loved every moment of this book. From flying on paper cranes, to jumping through puddles and to even climbing up incredibly high ladders to visit the night market.
The chemistry between the main characters was a lovely addition to the tale. And I really liked every character they met on their journey too.

The book picked up its pace quite unexpectedly around the 80% mark and their adventure took a dark turn. With secrets revealed, betrayal and a fight for their lives. But the change of pace and stakes was quite welcomed by this point of the story.

I feel like I will be continuously recommending this book to everyone and anyone!

Thank you so much to Samantha Sotto Yambao, Random House UK and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.