This first edition hardback features interactive endpapers with a scene you can colour in – available while stocks last!

‘Wondrous and wonderful, lovely and tender, The Elsewhere Express is a lyrical feast for the imagination!‘ -Sarah Beth Durst, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

Raya 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 journey is a chance for Raya to reimagine her life – but only if she finds her compartment before time runs out.

Once aboard, Raya meets an intriguing 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.

But a mysterious stowaway has boarded with them, and with it a dark, malignant magic that threatens to destroy the train. 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 is it a destination the Elsewhere Express can take her to?

Praise for The Elsewhere Express

‘A delicately layered dream of a book that glimmers with the promise of hope after grief, The Elsewhere Express will carry you to the stars.‘
-Molly O’Neill, author of Greenteeth

‘This book had me sobbing on the beach. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The Elsewhere Express is a gorgeous story about finding your place somewhere in between two great inevitabilities: love, and loss.’
–Sydney J. Shields, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Honey Witch

‘The Elsewhere Express reads like a Ghibli movie. I loved following these deeply hurt, broken, and lost characters on this Alice-in-Wonderland-esque adventure with a Miyazaki flair. Its musical prose, vast imagination, and exploratory storytelling will spirit you away.’
–Charlie N. Holmberg, bestselling author of the Whimbrel House series

‘With its poetic, descriptive prose, The Elsewhere Express takes the reader on a magical ride exploring loneliness, life’s purpose and ultimately human connection through a playful, surreal tale. Without question, the book will delight fantasy enthusiasts as they nestle into this perfect escape? a story that whisks them from the mundane and into an imaginative wonderland they might not want to leave.’
–J.Penner, Author of A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic

‘‘The Elsewhere Express is nothing short of exquisite. Luminous and soulful, it will enchant you with its dreamy, whimsical charm even while it carries you through an exploration of such profound subjects as loss and the purpose of life. I am dazzled by Samantha Sotto Yambao’s extraordinarily beautiful imagination.’
— India Holton, author of The League of Gentlewomen Witches

‘A unique and beautiful fantasy novel’ ? ? ? ? ?

‘A whimsical and immersive [Studio] Ghibli-esque adventure’ ? ? ? ? ?

‘Every leg of the journey unfolded with its own distinct charm‘ ? ? ? ? ?

‘The world building [is] so exquisite‘ ? ? ? ? ?

‘What stood out most for me is how the book mixes whimsy with heartache‘ ? ? ? ? ?

Would you rewrite your destiny if it meant losing a part of your past?

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it.

Most 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.

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 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 – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, across the bridge between midnight and morning and through 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 she will never be able to take back.

Step into the captivating and romantic fantasy novel that will sweep you away on an unforgettable adventure – perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli, Erin Morgenstern and Before the Coffee Gets Cold!

*

‘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

‘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

‘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

‘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

Readers are already enchanted by Water Moon!

‘A unique and beautiful fantasy novel’
‘A whimsical and immersive [Studio] Ghibli-esque adventure’
‘Every leg of the journey unfolded with its own distinct charm’
‘The world building [is] so exquisite’

**This edition contains an early preview of Samantha’s next novel, The Elsewhere Express – coming soon and available to pre-order now!**

‘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

Would you rewrite your destiny if it meant losing a part of your past?

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it.

Most 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.

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 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 – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, across the bridge between midnight and morning and through 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 she will never be able to take back.

Step into the captivating and romantic fantasy novel that will sweep you away on an unforgettable adventure – perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli, Erin Morgenstern and Before the Coffee Gets Cold!

*

‘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

‘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

‘An engaging, dreamy fantasy with an atmosphere reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli production’ — Guardian

‘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

‘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

Readers are enchanted by Water Moon!

‘A unique and beautiful fantasy novel’
‘A whimsical and immersive [Studio] Ghibli-esque adventure’
‘Every leg of the journey unfolded with its own distinct charm’
‘The world building [is] so exquisite’

Instant Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024