On the day Hana is to take over her family's pawn shop, she awakes to find the store ransacked, her newly retired father missing, and their latest acquisition stolen. When a young doctor (the 'useless' kind) walks into the store looking for a bowl of noodles, the two must embark on a journey across a magical hidden realm to find clues pointing towards her father's disappearance.

I enjoyed this book a lot! It was a cozy, charming fantasy novel reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, Frieren, and Lord of the Rings. I recommend reading if you're looking for a fast-paced read and a Japanese folklore-inspired world.

Things I liked:
- Pacing: Initially, when I set out to read this book, I found the pacing incredibly slow and struggled to continue reading. This all changed at the 10% margin when we were introduced to a new character (who very much may be my favourite character), the pacing cranks up the speed similar to an F1 car. It went 0 to 100 real quick. The pacing increased so much that I struggled to put the book down. Most of the chapters ended in cliffhangers, so even when my sleepy eyes struggled to stay open, my brain would not let me stop reading as I *had* to find out what happened next.

- Setting: I loved the idea of a mystical, Japanese folklore-inspired, dream-esque world. We visited many places in Water Moon, each with such unique sceneries. The stars were kites that had found their place in the night sky, regrets were caged birds that sang sorrowful songs, and puddles facilitated inter-worldly travel. I especially love that the pawn shop was hidden behind a well-known ramen restaurant and that when you went to enter the store for a comforting bowl of noodles you'd end up in a completely different location where you could finally be at peace with regrets that swirled inside of you. I love love loved that the store would find its customers, rather than the customers searching for the store. The setting was such a delight to read! However, we visited so many places in such little time, that I felt we couldn't appreciate every new gorgeous scenic destination without being rushed to the next magnificent place. I wish we had a little more time spent in each place so I could imagine the world more vividly.

- Writing: I adored Sotto Yambao's writing. It was beautiful and felt incredibly easy to follow. She crafted so many incredible places that it was such a joy to read.

- Antagonists: I loooooved the bad guys. The Shiikuin kept the world accountable for their actions. If you disobeyed the directions of the Shiikuin, they would relentlessly hunt you down until they could discipline you for your crimes. They had long talons, spoke with a hundred voices at once, and had the most sinister of smiles. They were so cool (pls hunt me down). They felt so scary and felt reminiscent of the Nazgul in FotR whenever Hana would attempt to evade the Shiikuin.

- Plot twists: I genuinely did not see some of these plot twists coming. Especially near the conclusion of the book, we had so many plot twists straight after one another that I felt like I was being buried by an avalanche.

Things I disliked:
- Characters: I felt like we didn't get to experience much character growth between our two main characters. A majority of the book was spent running away from the antagonists, trying to find Hana's father, and introducing new places to Keishin, I felt there wasn't much time to focus on the characters. I wanted to see the characters grow and learn, and was disappointed when I didn't find the growth I desired. This could also be due to the incredibly fast plot, so there was a greater need to focus on the plot more so than the characters. As a result, I found the characters quite shallow and found it difficult to emphasise with any of them.

- Romance scenes: I'll preface this by mentioning that I dislike 'spice' or forced romance scenes in general, so this may just be me lol. There was one scene in this book that completely took me by surprise by how quickly it happened. It felt very forced and I still feel like it wasn't needed. It wasn't beneficial to the character's growth and it didn't move the plot forward. This scene took away some enjoyment from the romance of the book, which was a bit disappointing. Apart from that I felt like the romance felt very instantaneous and could've been more drawn out. Again, just my preference as I love to suffer reading slow-burn.

Overall I enjoyed this book, and I wish I could spend more time in this whimsical Japanese-inspired world with its incredible worldbuilding!

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and review. :)

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
Release Date: January 16th
5 Stars.
Water Moon is one of those novels that I think will stay with me in my soul. It is a masterpiece. Some of my favourite fantasies are the ones which take you for a journey, but leave you questioning what you thought you knew about the world and life, and this is what Water Moon did for me.
The story line is whimsical and dreamlike, and the mystery that brings our two main characters together is unlike anything I had read in a book before. The writing is vivid and well executed, and builds a world for the reader that almost feels tangible.
Overall, I am in awe of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was such a whimsical and fantastical book! The world Samantha weaved was truly magical, it was the type of magic you find in dreams. I loved all the fantastical magical elements. They were all so otherworldly yet all made perfect sense.
This book was one big adventure. It was fast paced with things constantly happening and I enjoyed the journey immensely. The twists were fantastic, and I really enjoyed the ending. I found that it was a book that made no sense while simultaneously making perfect sense, which I loved. It was unlike anything I've ever really read.
This was a story about choices & regret interwoven with finding oneself and a very wholesome love story.

Thank you netgalley & penguin for the ebook arc.

Felt like a lot of inspiration was taken from Studio Ghibli but without a strong sense of character development or heart that drives the animated films. Had a fantastic sense of whimsy and Japanese folklore world building but the characters felt flat. An enjoyable read

ARC REVIEW

Water Moon is an absolute delight! The world-building is whimsical and completely unique, making you feel like you’re stepping into a dream. The mix of adventure, mystery, and raw emotion kept me hooked from start to finish.

I loved how the story blends tender, heartfelt moments with high-stakes action, all while exploring themes like family and self-discovery.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.

Romance, Whimsical setting, adventure, mystery, betrayal, dark elements, this story captured all of this beautifully.

Water moon is such a perfect title for this story, referencing the thing we are after but cannot hold. The poetic writing keeps emotions invested and honestly I feel smarter for having read this.

The author has nailed the studio Ghibli feel and I would put the story up there with the greats like Spirited Away and Howls Moving Castle.

It took me a little to get in to the story but once Kei entered the picture I was hooked. I did not see the betrayal coming and I think that things were resolved well. Recommend this story to all fantasy readers!!

WATER MOON - SAMANTHA SOTTO YAMBAO

If you adore Studio Ghibli and books with strong vibes, like The Night Circus, I'm pleased to tell you about your favourite book of 2025. Here's the synopsis:

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cosy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones - those who are lost - will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets. Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop's new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Water Moon takes place in a world that's connected to ours, but is very different and abides by its own set of rules. But this world is full of magic, memorable characters and its own mythology. And unlike many other fantasy books that only let you take a peek at their worlds, we get to explore it widely with Hana and Keishin as our guides. 

For me, this story is balanced beautifully. It's fast paced, there are some disappearances to solve and the stakes are high, but it's also filled with whimsy and an ethereal quality that had me completely hooked. Hana and Keishin race through and encounter the most inventive and cinematic settings I've read in any fantasy book, with each setting more memorable and impactful than the last.

Yes, the comparison to Studio Ghibli is completely justified in this case thanks to the above, but I also loved the sweet, convincing romance that develops. But keep in mind that this is a story that'll keep you guessing right until the last page - and in the case of Water Moon, this completely works in its favour as you savour each and every twist and turn. 

I have never read a book quite like it and I doubt I ever will again. Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Release date: 16 January 2025

Review score: 5/5

TWs: grief, ab*rtion

Actual review 3.75 stars

I am really struggling coming up with actual words for this review so I am going with dot points today.

What I liked:

- the world building: the whimsical, the strange and the down right beautiful
- all things Japanese
- the plot twists
- the bittersweet ending

What I didn't like as much:

- the insta-love between Kei and Hana: I am never a fan of this and their relationship felt rushed. plus there was this really awkward part when they were in an onsen together
- ...that's pretty much it.

Overall this was a stunningly beautiful book and one I would recommend reading.

I received an eARC from Netgalley/Penguin Random House Australia and because I am moving house in two days and my house is filled with nothing else but boxes, I have given an honest review

In this mystical fantasy tale, Hana inherits a pawnshop where you can pawn your life choices and deepest regrets. But not everyone can find it, most will just see a cosy ramen shop. On her first day as the pawnshop’s new owner, she wakes up to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. Keishin, a charming young physicist, happens to wander into the shop and together they embark on a magical journey to discover the truth 🌊✨

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2025 and it did not disappoint 😍 The world building was just phenomenal. The descriptions were pure magic and despite all the trekking throughout the realm, I could imagine the world perfectly. How wonderful would it be to travel by jumping into puddles or by hitching a ride on a paper crane?!

Going in, I thought this would be more of a cosy fantasy, and in some ways it was, with the dreamlike world created. However, I felt it was definitely more of a high stakes adventure! The pacing was fabulous, as I could feel the sense of urgency experienced by Hana and Keishin. There were so many unexpected twists and turns, I truly didn’t see the story unfolding the way it did!

I didn’t anticipate the romance, but it was adorable 🥰 my only very minor issue is that I felt that there was too much focus on it at times, which detracted from the mystic fantasy elements and didn’t allow for Hana to become the heroine I wanted her to be. In saying that, I enjoyed it and was highly invested 🤍

This is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and Makoto Shinkai! Even though it’s marketed for adults, I do think this would also suit new adult and older young adult audiences.

I am so excited for this 4.5⭐️ read to be published in January 2025! I definitely need to get myself a physical copy 💙

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for my digital ARC 💌