To be completely honest, I totally judged today's book by its cover, because it is so incredibly beautiful and well done. Also, there is a fun surprise on the inside of the cover of the hardback, but I will not ruin it here. Samantha Sotto Yambao's Water Moon is a fantasy book that takes readers on a journey through a different world, where the night sky has to be prepared, and there is a bridge between midnight and morning.
The Situation: Hana Ishikawa knew that this day would come, but now that it is here, it appears events have taken a dramatic turn she was not expecting. With the retirement of her father the day before, Hana is now the owner and operator of a pawn shop in Tokyo, though to most on the outside, it looks like a popular ramen restaurant. The pawn shop does not trade in the usual goods such as jewelry and antiques, but instead the trades in choices and regrets. When Hana wakes up the morning of her first day as owner, it looks like the shop has ransacked. Even more alarming, Hana cannot find her father, and one of the shop's most precious items is missing.
The Problem: It is Hana's duty to run the pawn shop just as her father had, but she cannot ignore the fact that her father is missing, despite the danger she knows will come with attempting to find him. When a kind stranger, a scientist named Keishin, shows up at the shop and offers his help, Hana accepts it, and the two of them embark on a journey to find Hana's father. But the Shiikuin who uphold the rules of Hana's world, mostly by exacting the most brutal of punishments should the rules be broken, are always close behind the pair as they jump into puddles as a means of quick travel; ride in paper cranes; and wait for trains that sometimes take years to come, but the people wait anyway. As a scientist, Keishin is having a hard time believing what he is seeing, but the biggest surprise may still come from Hana herself, and it could ruin everything.
Genre, Themes, History: This book is a work of fiction that is set in both modern-day Tokyo, and in Hana's world where choices and regrets can be traded in, and a night market exists in the clouds. When she goes on a journey to find her missing father, Keishin goes with her. But as a scientist not of Hana's world, everything he experiences with her is new and strange, but beautiful, while simultaneously being dangerous and more than a little scary. Nearly every step in the journey introduces a new element that Keishin struggles to fit into his own understanding of how things are supposed to work. There is regret, and grief, and the anguish over even the small everyday choices we make that can decided our future.
My Verdict: This is a work of fantasy that may be a refreshing change for fantasy readers looking for something other than dragons, or wizards, or embattled royalty. The magic present in this book is different from the magic that usually springs to mind when the word comes up. I enjoyed the fast pace of this book, which allowed for the book to rarely be boring, though sometimes hard to follow and understand. Explanations come quick, but are not drawn out, and while the general plot was sometimes lost because of everything going on, that narrative was quick to re-orient itself and the reader back to the central point, which is to find Hana's father and elude the Shiikuin. It is an interesting journey, and very different from any other I have encountered in a book before.
Favorite Moment: There are moments when Keishin retreats to a place in his mind where he will confer with his now deceased mentor. These were moments of quiet, usually in the midst of a difficult moment or decision.
Favorite Character: It is understandable that Keishin would struggle to understand the journey he has found himself on, but he stays focused and determined to see it through.
Recommended Reading: I recommend The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez.
No comments:
Post a Comment