Water Moon
A Novel
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4.2 • 17 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical quest when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike fantasy novel.
“Race through a lush world of pure wonder and romance—kites made of wishes that become stars, origami that holds time in its folds, and a night market in the clouds—in this lovely, cozy fantasy reminiscent of Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea.”—Booklist (starred review)
On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy 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.
Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.
But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.
“Highly recommended . . . 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.”—Library Journal (starred review)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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. It's Hana's first day as the pawnshop's new manager after her father, Toshio, retires. Instead of being excited for her new role, however, Hana awakens to find the pawnshop ransacked, the door open to the outside world, her father missing, and a regretted choice a customer pawned the day before stolen. Hana must track down the missing choice or face punishment from the Shiikuin, the mysterious entities who control her world. In the midst of this chaos, a physicist named Keishin walks in off the street looking for some ramen. He offers to help Hana hunt down the missing choice, leading them on a quest through a bizarre magical world. 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.
Customer Reviews
A Japanese “Alice in Wonderland”
Book 10 of #The52BookClub2025 “Water Moon”.
This book book takes you on a fun adventure worthy of Miyazaki and would make a great vacation read. But below the surface, this book is about the nature of choice, how some of us choose to hide rather than live fully, and spending your time trapped in a cage of your own making is still a choice. There is some beautiful writing and a twist ending that I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed it!