Water Moon

Full of adventure and marvellous creativity, Water Moon surprises and delights with every turn of the page. I didn't want to leave this fascinating world. Sam Sotto Yambao has written an inventive, refreshing fantasy here * Megan Bannen, bestselling author of THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY *
Water Moon is unlike anything I've ever read, full of wonders and terrors...a haunting, half-remembered dream of a book * Gareth Brown, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE BOOK OF DOORS *
A spellbinding journey into a magical Ghibliesque world where regrets and memories can be bartered, where appearances are not what they seem, and where dreams, free will, and destiny are pitted against fate. Endlessly inventive, this haunting and enchanting tale is not to be missed * A.Y. Chao, author of SHANGHAI IMMORTAL *
An engaging, dreamy fantasy with an atmosphere reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli production * Guardian *
What a bright, fresh voice Samantha Sotto Yambao has brought to the literary world. Water Moon is a novel for all the senses, but its true magic lies in being breathtakingly visual. You will be spirited away * Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of Other Birds  *
Water Moon is a dreamy, ethereal fantasy, set in a fascinating faerie tale world with appropriately dark corners. Fans of Hayao Miyazaki will love this one * Olivia Atwater, author of Half a Soul  *
A Studio Ghibliesque tale of whimsy and water in which the protagonists enter a fantasy world to find missing things and also themselves * Sunday Times Style *
Water Moon is one of those rare, unique reads that stay with you long after you turn the final page. With its lyrical writing and philosophically poignant themes, Water Moon clings to your soul and renders it transformed * Rania Hanna, author of The Jinn Daughter *
Whimsical, poignant, thought-provoking, and wildly adventurous, Samantha Sotto Yambao’s Water Moon will bend your imagination in the very best of ways * Mikki Brammer, author of The Collected Regrets of Clover *
For Studio Ghibli fans, Water Moon is going to become your new favorite book * Bookriot *
A story about the choices we make, the regrets we have and how to live with them, it’s a bewitching journey meant to mesmerise * Woman & Home *
This ethereal novel is mesmerising. Water Moon is pure fantasy, with a fable-like ability to fold the familiar into new shapes like origami. Water Moon gives our world an uncanny and dreamlike underbelly, the creativity of which is an absolute joy to read . . . a wonderful read, with gorgeous prose and a pace that snaps around hairpin twists as the protagonists unravel the mystery behind Hana’s missing father. But the plot – and theme – are eclipsed by the overpoweringly dazzling fantasy of its setting, which evoked more wonder in me than any book has achieved for a long time * BSFA, British Science Fiction Association *
[A] poetic Japanese fantasy novel * Cosmopolitan, 'The best new books out in January' *
The prose is clear and descriptive . . . There's an abundance of ideas herein * SFX *
A whimsical tale that’s reminiscent of the work of Studio Ghibli * My Weekly *
Yambao has created a work of art that is atmospheric and, above all else, wondrous. Although there are stakes, Water Moon is a heartwarming, low-suspense read that reminds us to take hold of our lives and our choices * BookPage *
Readers who have been swept up in the cozy charm of Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee will fall hard for the mix of magical realism, fantasy mystery, and star-crossed romance in this novel by Sotto Yambao. Highly recommended * Library Journal *
[R]eaders will be utterly drawn in to Yambao's excellent, vivid novel, which is powered by its enchanting setting.... This book is charming, fresh, and difficult to put down * Booklist *
Yambao (The Beginning of Always) delights with this gentle portal fantasy about a quaint mystical pawnshop from another realm that poses as a Tokyo ramen restaurant where customers can exchange their regrets for peace of mind . . .Yambao’s inventive setting pushes the limits of common fantasy tropes, and her thought-provoking exploration of regret, choice, and free will resonates. This whimsical tale will have readers riveted * Publishers Weekly *
A story about the choices we make, the regrets we have and how to live with them, it's a bewitching journey meant to mesmerise * Woman's Weekly *