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“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)
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
January 14, 2025 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593946350
- File size: 279159 KB
- Duration: 09:41:32
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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September 30, 2024
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. -
Cindy Kay sweeps listeners away with this memorable otherworldly story. On the day Hana is due to inherit her family's pawnshop, where people from our world can trade away their greatest choices and regrets, she wakes to find it ransacked. Also, her father is missing, and one of their precious choices is gone. Kay's narration balances a story that alternates between being dreamy and being thrilling. Hana's world is full of beautiful magic and mystery, but there's grave danger, too. She's desperate to find that missing choice before it's too late. Hana is joined by Kei, a scientist from our world, who is voiced with straightforward charm. Kei willingly joins Hana's quest despite the risk, and the two tumble into a star-crossed romance. E.E.C. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine
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