At one point in the book, it is mentioned that the world we are entering is an isekai and it's fully correct. This whole story is an isekai story and it's absolutely amazing. Our main female character, Hana, is a pawnshop owner in a strange world where they deal in choices, not things. People from our world can stumble into this pawnshop and unburden themselves of the regret of a choice not made. But on the day Hana is set to take over the shop from her father, she wakes up to find him missing, the pawnshop in disarray and a choice missing. The last is the most dangerous thing, as the world's controllers, the Shikuiin, will make Hana pay a hefty price if she cannot return it. At this moment, Keishin stumbles into the shop from our world and embarks on a journey to help Hana find her father and the lost choice. Their journey takes them through a fantasy world where nothing is as it seems and the rules of the universe Kei thought he knew are upended.

I enjoyed this book so much and loved the exploration of Hana's world. The twists and turns it took as the two characters try to find Hana's father was a wild rollercoaster ride. I would love to read more by this author.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this one.

Um…wow! This book left me speechless. I am ecstatic to add this to my five star reads and cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy. When I say that I want a novel that is ✨magical✨, I will now be using Water Moon as a factor for comparison.

The world building was top-tier. The locations and characters were so strategically done and placed. I was not overwhelmed with the material or information. Once I began the novel and understood the general plot, I found myself riding along with the twists and turns similar to how an individual happily rides along on a rollercoaster. I loved Hana and found so much depth to her character’s desire to adhere to fate and her family. Whereas, Keishin’s desire to know more was something that I found myself saying “me too” in response to throughout the book.

I loved the writing and pacing. I highly recommend Water Moon and wish it all of the success!

Wow. This was such a mind-blowingly imaginative book! I loved every moment of it. For a moment there, I did think it was going to have a Before Ever After style ending, but it circled back for the happily ever after I love. Samantha Sotto Yambao has never disappointed, and this book is full of the beautiful lyrical writing and thought provoking ideas I've come to expect from her. I loved everything about this book! Grab it ASAP!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this amazing book!

An utterly charming novel with a beautiful cover that whisks you away to another world, on an adventure about regrets and the choices we make. The creative world-building enchants and delights, but the characters and their chemistry leave something to be desired in the middle act, amid pacing problems. Would definitely recommend for a light, breezy fantasy novel with some fresh ideas!

I'm not really that much a fan of fantasy, but I enjoyed this more than I expected! I was intrigued by the synopsis, the idea of a cozy little ramen shop in the back streets of Tokyo. This was such a whimsical story that reminded me at times of the movie "Inception". A balance of romance/ friendship as well as adventure. The only drawback for me is that at times I did feel a little lost in the plot (as I often do with fantasy books) and at times some of the characters seemed a little one dimensional, but regardless I did enjoy this for the most part and I do appreciate all the world building and the beautiful imagery.

This was good, but not great. There was definitely a lot of positives: The biggest one would be the world building was well done and the imagery was beautiful, I really enjoyed that transportive element of it. However the most prevalent negative was the characters. I just felt like I couldn’t connect with them and they lacked depth. I also had a hard time believing in the relationships with some of the characters. I wish that aspect would have been better, it would have really elevated the reading experience for me.

ARC provided by NetGalley

I really enjoyed this! It was the perfect whimsical fantasy. I wouldn't exactly call it low-stakes, but it was the type of book I wanted to curl up in. The perfect balance of romance and friendship. Of adventure and introspection. The subtle twists in Water Moon absolutely blew my mind, and even though some took a few minutes to register, I was blown away when they hit me. I'd definitely recommend this! And I'll definitely be checking out the rest of Yambao's books!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

this was so sweet and whimsical.
admittedly, I got lost in the plot around the 70-80% mark but I think that’s because I was reading this book before bedtime a lot when I am sleepy and half awake.
the setting was wonderful and the characters were so charming. definitely recommend!

water moon | samantha sotto yambao
where abstract meets physical and choices come alive • rating [5] 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

A scientist finds himself at a magical pawnshop hidden in the guise of a ramen shop and into an adventure that challenges all he knows about the physics and workings of the world. His guide, the daughter of the pawnshop owner who is now in search for her father and the answers of her past, present, and future. The dream world that Samantha Sotto Yambao brings us is beautiful, intriguing, and frightening. It is reminiscent of the movie Inception combined with animated Japanese fantasy classics Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. Once you get your footing into the story, the details really pull you in. It brings into question whether peace and tranquility of a set path in life is worth sacrificing freedom. It’s a little fantasy, romance, suspense, and philosophy combined into one novel.

What a delightful book! I haven't had this much fun with a fantasy novel in a while. The world was so lush and creative and the magic itself was fascinating and well thought out. It all just felt so *pretty* and I could have spent another 40 or so pages just enjoying my time in the world that Yambao created.

in high school, i had a teacher who told us two things in life were certain: death and (no, NOT taxes!) choices. from the moment we are born to the moment we die, we make a series of choices that, ultimately, come to define us and write our lives into permanence. incredibly charming, inventive, and insightful, water moon is a novel about exactly that: the choices we make, the regrets we have, and how we learn to live with both. you and i, we take decisions for granted, even (or especially) the ones that seem the most inconsequential. but a life of choices is a life of luxury — because how mundane, how hopeless, is a life predetermined? and if choices are a luxury, then certainly, the same can be said about regrets.

in the way that it is executed, water moon is unlike anything i have read before. it overflows with sotto yambao’s creativity as she constantly introduces some novel facet of her parallel world that somehow manages to be even more magical than the last. and in doing so, she offers new perspectives of our own world, encouraging us to reevaluate what we thought we already knew. and aren’t those the best kinds of books? the ones that challenge you? the ones that change you.

this one’s for the escapists, the adventurers, the dreamers — my favorite kind of people. indulge yourself, if only for a moment.

<i>Water Moon</i> has to be the most magical book I have ever read. It was the most wonderful treat for a reader’s imagination.

The story follows Hana, daughter of the pawnshop owner who is officially taking over now that her father retired, and Keishin, a doctor (“the useless kind”) who happens to stumble into Hana’s pawnshop on the morning she needs him the post. We follow their journey through Hana’s mystical world as they go in search of Hana’s father who has gone missing.

The premise immediately pulled me in: a cozy ramen restaurant that’s a front for a magical pawnshop. After my best friend showed me this, I immediately knew I had to read it. And as soon as I got my hands on the ARC, I dove in.

And I mean literally dove in. Headfirst, no hesitation, just plain desire to discover. And I got dragged to the most magical world that shared the most unique things with me that my wildest imagination could never conjure up. Yamsbao’s creativity truly baffled me again and again and left me in awe. I’m hiding the next part behind a spoiler but it shows examples of what kind of magical things to expect. I do recognize that this is an ARC and therefore may be subject to change so if changes do occur after I’ve compared it with the finished copy I will adapt this part. <spoiler>They travel to new places by jumping into pools and puddles; by crossing the bridge of dreams and by riding songs and rumors. They draw doors in the sand and open them with a key given to them by a sand kitsune, and they seek answers at the night market in the clouds.</spoiler>

Yamsbao’s writing pulled me in instantly. It was magical, lyrical, and perfectly descriptive to bring this vivid world to life. The words flowed naturally and made for an easy read despite all the unfamiliar, never-seen-before content for the reader.

I loved all the characters but especially the main characters, Hana and Keishin. They were adults who carried their flaws and imperfections beautifully. They felt like actual human beings rather than the great perfect undefeated hero. It was a refreshing change. I loved the dynamic and chemistry they had together. It flowed and developed naturally after the initial attraction and the communication between them was really great. They handled the situations very maturely which I really appreciated.

The plot had a beautiful balance of heart-racing action scenes and soft scenes in which you can really immerse yourself in the ethereal beauty of this mystical world. There was never a dull moment, never a redundant scene. The plot flowed and developed as naturally as everything else. Even the plot twists are crazy and unexpected.

The magic in this book is indescribable and incomparable. But in terms of overall vibes, if there’s one book that comes to mind in terms of such imaginary magic it’s <i>Caraval</i>. That is not to say that they are similar; far from it. But I think both have that wildly unique form of magic that requires a vivid imagination and feels so whimsical. So if you liked the magic in <i>Caraval</i> I think you’ll love the magic in <i>Water Moon</i>.

Water Moon releases January 14, 2025. Plenty of time to get excited for this release because it is one you don’t want to miss. Fans of Glibli movies, especially <i>Spirited Away</i>, will find this book a treat.

If you could "pawn" a regret and forget all the memories tied to it, would you?

The Water Moon begins with Hana, who is taking over her father's unique pawnshop, on the eve of his retirement. This magical pawnshop is only found by people who desperately need it and specializes in pawning regrets. When Hana wakes on her official first day as the pawnshop owner, her father is missing, the place has been ransacked, and something valuable has been taken. From there, we are brought on a magical journey that feels like a fever dream in search of answers. The world Hana takes us through is magical and complex, while the characters seem simple. The theme "lack of choice" continuously appears throughout the book and I wonder if the characters fell flat to emphasize blindly accepting fate? "It was easier to chew on misery if you did not know what happiness tasted like."

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and the author for giving me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for an ARC of Water Moon.

My absolute favorite part of this book was the magical creativity. The locations felt like a whimsical dream and I could picture them so clearly in my mind. It was definitely more of a romance story than I expected, which isn't a deal breaker for me, but I think it should be labeled as such. I also had a difficult time keeping the Japanese names straight in my mind, which of course is no fault of the authors, but it interrupted the flow of the book for me and is something I think other English-only-speaking readers may struggle with as well.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

I got to thirty percent in this book but couldn't finish.
I really tried to get through this book and I got
through part one but I just think this book isn't for me. The world building is nice and interesting. The characters and plot however I felt were very lacking. They both could use more depth and I just couldn't connect to the characters. This is for a person who really loves pretty magical worlds and doesn't mind how the characters and plot don't have much to them. I guess someone who just gets lost in aesthetics. I won't be posting the review online since I didn't finish it as I feel that would be disrespectful. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was very interested in the premise, and I thought the first couple of chapters were very well written, but the second the love interest was introduced, clever writing took a backseat and everything started happening at lightning speed.

What worked for me: The vivid descriptions of the world. The ideas for the world. The concept for the plot.

What didn’t work for me: The insta-love. The lack of character development. The superficial depth given to this imaginative world. The plot execution and constant jumping back and forth.

I’m sad to say that by the 3/4 mark, reading this book became a tedious chore. I’m sure some people will like it, but this was not for me.

I received this book as an ARC on NetGalley and IMMEDIATELY fell in love with the prose and the premise. It is beautifully written and perfectly weaves in Japanese and other Eastern concepts and worldviews to create an exciting new world and adventure that keeps you wanting to learn even more. I now want to read everything by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Beautifully written, "Water Moon" is engaging and evocative, a delight to read slowly. The sensory elements, for instance, the gift of the green tea, help bring life to the story. I envy someone who is about to read this for the first time. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
#WaterMoon
#NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this book!

This story was so fun and magical! Hana's world and its many realms were just so imaginative and innovative; I was so impressed with the author's world building and her ability to wove such profound thoughtfulness and insight into how the magic worked in each realm. The book was like if Chihiro from Spirited Away was to venture beyond the inn and explore the spirit world we didn't get to see in the movie, this was the world and adventures we would've experienced with her. The whimsicalness of the story was also reminiscent to me of Mary Poppins, and I loved that as well.

As blown away as I was with the world building, the character-work left little to be desired for my liking. Sadly, I didn't connect with really any characters in this story or cared what happened to them (other than maybe Haruto). As a character driven reader, this definitely was a disappointment for me. I felt like Keishin and Hana were bland like rice, palatable but not much flavor. They didn't really have a distinct voice or personality, and overall fell flat for me. I wasn't invested in their romance, and felt their dialogues together were also very rigid, which pulled me out of the story at times.

Overall I had a fun time with this book and the journey it took me on, and am so happy I got the opportunity to read it.

This was so creative and unique. I loved both ordinary and magical sides. I find fantasy can sometimes feel repetitive, and that did not happen with Water Moon. At times you were flying origami flamingos, or jumping into water any would take you to another place entirely. And even with the magic being unusual, I was able to understand everything. This story follows Hanna and Keishin, on a long journey to find their own truths. If you are looking for a lot of romance, this isn’t the book for you. But if you’re looking for a magical ride .. you’re good to read on.