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A review by endless_tbr_list
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
medium-paced
3.75
Hana has grown up knowing that her life is tied to her family's pawnshop, tasked with dealing not in wares, but in regrets and in choices, and with her father's retirement, Hana will wake up tomorrow as it's new owner. Yet when morning comes, not all is as it should be. The pawnshop has been ransacked and both her father and one of the choices they are tasked with gathering and protecting are missing. The sudden and inopportune appearance of a handsome stranger offering assistance has left Hana in a tricky position - Kei is not from her world, but unwilling to take no for an answer, and Hana desperately needs to find her father before it's too late...
At first I struggled a bit to really fall into this one, it just felt a bit slow, but as it progressed I realized it was slow in the way that a stroll through a park can be - leisurely with the intent of enjoying the beauty around you. This novel flowed gorgeously through an array of worlds, each touched with their own types of magic, that I can't think of a better comparison than a Ghibli movie. As much as this is an fantastical mystery, I think what I adored most was the strong undercurrent of love that wove throughout the pages. The relationship between not only the main characters, but even the moments of kindness and care that came from side characters gave this story such a warm glow. If you're looking for a not-quite-low-stakes but arguably cozy and dream-like fantasy, I recommend giving this one a try!
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Del Ray, and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
At first I struggled a bit to really fall into this one, it just felt a bit slow, but as it progressed I realized it was slow in the way that a stroll through a park can be - leisurely with the intent of enjoying the beauty around you. This novel flowed gorgeously through an array of worlds, each touched with their own types of magic, that I can't think of a better comparison than a Ghibli movie. As much as this is an fantastical mystery, I think what I adored most was the strong undercurrent of love that wove throughout the pages. The relationship between not only the main characters, but even the moments of kindness and care that came from side characters gave this story such a warm glow. If you're looking for a not-quite-low-stakes but arguably cozy and dream-like fantasy, I recommend giving this one a try!
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Del Ray, and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.