{"title":"Books by Samantha Sotto Yambao","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781804993323","title":"Water Moon","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBefore the Coffee Gets Cold \u003c\/i\u003emeets Studio Ghibli in this captivating \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling romantic fantasy novel that will sweep you away on an unforgettable, magical adventure.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e*A \u003ci\u003eGood Housekeeping\u003c\/i\u003e Good Books Winter Collection reader favourite!*\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOn a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost will see only a cosy ramen restaurant. And just the chosen ones – those who are lost – will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHana 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 other customers. For he offers help, instead of seeking it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTogether, they journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, across the bridge between midnight and morning and through a night market in the clouds.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own – and risk making a choice she will never be able to take back.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWould you rewrite your destiny if it meant losing a part of your past?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eWater Moon\u003c\/i\u003e!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Full of adventure and marvellous creativity, \u003ci\u003eWater Moon\u003c\/i\u003e surprises and delights with every turn of the page' \u003c\/b\u003e-- Megan Bannen, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Undertaking of Hart and Mercy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘A spell-binding journey into a magical Ghibli-esque world. Endlessly inventive, this haunting and enchanting tale is not to be missed.’ \u003c\/b\u003e--A.Y. Chao, author of \u003ci\u003eShanghai Immortal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'\u003c\/b\u003eA unique and beautiful fantasy novel' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'\u003ci\u003eWater Moon\u003c\/i\u003e is unlike anything I've ever read, full of wonders and terrors...a haunting, half-remembered dream of a book.' \u003c\/b\u003e--Gareth Brown, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Doors\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A whimsical and immersive [Studio] Ghibli-esque adventure' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'\u003ci\u003eWater Moon\u003c\/i\u003e is a dreamy, ethereal fantasy, set in a fascinating faerie tale world with appropriately dark corners. Fans of Hayao Miyazaki will love this one.' \u003c\/b\u003e--Olivia Atwater, author of \u003ci\u003eHalf a Soul\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Every leg of the journey unfolded with its own distinct charm' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Whimsical, poignant, thought-provoking, and wildly adventurous, \u003ci\u003eWater Moon \u003c\/i\u003ewill bend your imagination in the very best of ways.'\u003c\/b\u003e --Mikki Brammer, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Collected Regrets of Clover\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'The world building [is] so exquisite' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e**This edition contains an early preview of Samantha's next novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Elsewhere Express \u003c\/i\u003e- coming soon and available to pre-order now!**\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWATERSTONES Science Fiction \u0026amp; Fantasy Book of the Month - NOVEMBER 2025\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55896542773621,"sku":"9781804993323","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804993323_9759360d-d0a6-42b5-af0e-f94182b70211.jpg?v=1786028394"},{"product_id":"9780857505316","title":"The Elsewhere Express","description":"\u003cp\u003eEmbark on a magical journey in this cosy and inspiring fantasy from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Water Moon – perfect for fans of Spirited Away, Dallergut Dream Department Store and The Starless Sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRaya is a lost soul, going through the motions of life without a dream of her own. One night, on her subway ride home, Raya’s thoughts wander too far. She wakes on the Elsewhere Express, a magical train that offers its passengers a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging. The train’s endless journey is a chance for Raya to reimagine her life – but only if she finds her compartment before time runs out.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn board, Raya meets a charming, handsome artist named Q and together they race to find their place on the train, through a boarding car carpeted in meadow grass and along a dining carriage where passengers picnic on lilypads.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut a mysterious stowaway has boarded with them, and with it a dark, malignant magic that threatens to destroy the train and everything in it. The closer Raya comes to uncovering the stowaway's identity, the nearer she draws to the ultimate question: what is her life's true purpose – and might Q be connected to it?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePraise for Samantha Sotto Yambao\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Full of adventure and marvellous creativity, Water Moon surprises and delights with every turn of the page' -- Megan Bannen, bestselling author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘A spell-binding journey into a magical Ghibli-esque world. Endlessly inventive, this haunting and enchanting tale is not to be missed.’ --A.Y. Chao, author of Shanghai Immortal\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Water Moon is unlike anything I've ever read, full of wonders and terrors...a haunting, half-remembered dream of a book.' --Gareth Brown, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book of Doors\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'An engaging, dreamy fantasy with an atmosphere reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli production’ -- Guardian\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Water Moon is a dreamy, ethereal fantasy, set in a fascinating faerie tale world with appropriately dark corners. Fans of Hayao Miyazaki will love this one.' --Olivia Atwater, author of Half a Soul\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Whimsical, poignant, thought-provoking, and wildly adventurous, Water Moon will bend your imagination in the very best of ways.' --Mikki Brammer, author of The Collected Regrets of Clover\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A unique and beautiful fantasy novel' ? ? ? ? ?'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA whimsical and immersive [Studio] Ghibli-esque adventure' ? ? ? ? ?'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery leg of the journey unfolded with its own distinct charm' ? ? ? ? ?'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe world building [is] so exquisite' ? ? ? ? ?\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57682572345717,"sku":"9781804993316","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56368231154037,"sku":"9780857505316","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780857505316_ad699fdd-cdd0-4778-8198-8b40e80596ce.jpg?v=1792511510"},{"product_id":"9781804999868","title":"Love and Gravity","description":"Discover the enchanting speculative romance novel from Sunday Times bestselling author, Samantha Sotto Yambao, about love, magic, and time, published for the first time in the UK!Andrea Louviere is seven years old the first time she sees him: a shiver of light, a crack in her bedroom wall, and a boy from another time looking back at her. Then, as quickly as it opened, the crack closes and he vanishes.   Years later, she receives an impossible love letter. It is centuries old. It is written by a young Isaac Newton. And it is addressed to her.   As their connection deepens across time, Andrea becomes entangled in a love that defies logic, distance and even history itself. But in a world bound by the laws of gravity, Andrea faces a heartbreaking decision:Will she choose what was . . . or what might be?“Thoughtful, magical, and alive with romantic alchemy, Love and Gravity is a rare gem of a book, both intellectual and beautiful.” —New York Times bestselling author Sarah Addison Allen","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56369227661685,"sku":"9781804999868","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804999868_132053b0-3edd-477f-8414-b77385416f20.jpg?v=1786034035"},{"product_id":"9781804999875","title":"Before Ever After","description":"Discover the stunning, sweeping time travel story from Sunday Times bestselling author of Water Moon, perfect for fans of The Time Traveller's Wife.   Three years after her husband Max’s death, Shelley is still adjusting to the silence he left behind. Then the doorbell rings.   On her doorstep stands a young man so like Max, it’s impossible to look away: same eyes, same smile, same age – and offering an impossible story. Paolo claims to be Max’s grandson, and that Max is not only alive and well, but unchanged by time.   Drawn in equal parts by hope and heartbreak, Shelley jets off across the globe with Paolo in search of the truth. Along the way, as Shelley recounts Max's stories of bloody Parisian barricades, medieval Austrian kitchens, and buried Roman boathouses, she begins to piece together the story of who her husband was and what these new revelations mean for her happily ever after.   Because not all stories end where they are supposed to...   \"A smartly written romance, mystery and historical adventure all wrapped up in a page-turner that will have you guessing until the very end.\" - Adena Halpern, author of The Ten Best Days of My Life","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56369227759989,"sku":"9781804999875","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804999875_48549491-0c19-4082-8cb7-48c550f81e69.jpg?v=1786034036"},{"product_id":"a-dream-of-trees","title":"A Dream of Trees","description":"Discover the moving and hopeful novel from Sunday Times bestselling author of Water Moon, Samantha Sotto Yambao.   The door never changes, but the rooms behind it do.   Bonsai artist Shiori Ametsuchi never knows where the door will lead her next. All she knows is that whoever she finds in these rooms will be dead before she leaves.   With no memory of her past, Shiori has been thrust into a life of walking through a mysterious door and visiting people in their last moments – guiding them through fragments of past, present and possibility, before they slip away.   But now, Shiori is running out of time herself.   Accompanied by Aiden, a man who will be dead by morning, Shiori races through shifting, dreamlike worlds to uncover the truth of her own past. Because to die without knowing who you are is to be lost forever.   And some doors, once opened, can never be closed.   Readers LOVE Samantha Sotto Yambao's Stories:'Beautifully written and so intrinsically woven that I just couldn't put it down.' ? ? ? ? ?'Samantha’s writing [...] has a way of leaving you feeling both happy and sad that you’ve finished reading. She makes you want to linger in the world that she has created a little bit longer' ? ? ? ? ?'This book was gorgeous' ? ? ? ? ?","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57507911074165,"sku":"9781804999806","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804999806.jpg?v=1787043059"},{"product_id":"the-beginning-of-always","title":"The Beginning of Always","description":"Escape to Paris in the enchanting and evocative novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Samantha Sotto Yambao!Elise Grier found everything she was looking for when she moved to Paris. But after she nearly drowns in the Seine on New Year’s Eve, something changes.   She begins to remember a past that isn’t hers.   Haunted by visions of a 19th century woman who shares her face, Elise is drawn into a mystery that stretches across centuries – and into the path of a man she feels she has known forever.   As Elise traces the threads that bind her to the past, she discovers that her second chance at life comes at a cruel cost, a price that someone else must pay.   And this time, choosing life might mean losing love all over again.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57507911827829,"sku":"9781804999820","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804999820.jpg?v=1787043060"},{"product_id":"the-night-movers-disappearing-service","title":"The Night Movers Disappearing Service","description":"Journey into a magical otherworld of gods and ghosts in this inspiring story of hope and heartbreak from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Water MoonIn a quiet corner of Tokyo, an unassuming stationery shop hides an extraordinary secret: it's home to The Night Movers Disappearing Service, a clandestine business offering a way out for those who need to leave their lives behind. Their clients aren’t just the desperate or the lost, but forgotten gods, lingering ghosts, and stories that no longer belong in this world – each seeking passage to a hidden realm where they can begin again.   When Umi, a journalist, starts investigating her sister’s disappearance, her search leads her to the shop – and to its enigmatic manager, Haruto, a broken man striving to heal in his own second life.   As Umi uncovers the Night Movers’ fragile sanctuary, she is drawn deeper into a shimmering otherworld. But not every escape is as simple as it seems, and sometimes the cracks between worlds can quickly close behind you . . .   Blending magic and mystery, The Night Movers Disappearing Service is a transportive, enchanting novel about reinvention, belonging and the courage it takes to step into the unknown.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57536504824181,"sku":"9780857509918","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780857509918.jpg?v=1788791406"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-samantha-sotto-yambao.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}