The Rainshadow Orphans

Rainshadow #1

by Naomi Ishiguro

The first novel in a dazzling epic fantasy trilogy inspired by Japanese folklore and Studio Ghibli, set within a mythical archipelago brimming with dragons and Sun Spirits, high-tech hackers and bubble tea.

Life is hard for the inhabitants of Rainshadow City, a place where poverty and corruption are rife and where they are terrorised by an underground criminal organisation known as the Lucky Crows.
 
Toshiko, Jun and Mei Kawakami are a family, bonded through loyalty if not blood, who live outside the law and who are seeking revenge for the murder of their beloved ‘aunt’ Reiko. Haru is the son of the Emperor, destined to one day rule over the Archipelago and uphold his mother’s ignoble legacy, but he is more interested in making friends with the magical Sun Spirits it seems only he can see. Theo, forced to leave his homeland, is a reluctant foot-soldier for the Lucky Crows. He doesn’t want to be a gangster, but as an illegal immigrant to the city, his choices are severely limited.
 
When Toshiko steals a dragon pearl from the leader of the Crows, it sets them all on a thrilling path which will determine the future of Rainshadow City. Set across two days and peopled with unforgettable characters, The Rainshadow Orphans blends fantasy and science fiction to explore what it means to stand up to corruption and take charge of destiny. 

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, Cozy, Fiction, Mythology, Japan, Cozy Fantasy

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 26, 2026

About the author

Naomi Ishiguro studied writing at the University of East Anglia and is a former bookseller and bibliotherapist at Mr B.’s Emporium in Bath. She lives in London.

Reviews

[Zana]

DNF @ 84%

Not another YA fantasy novel disguised as adult.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to DNF. I was hoping for a huge plot twist that would keep me reading until the end, but there was nothing interesting. This was one of those fantasy novels where everything pretty much played out like how you would expect it, beat by beat.

This is a fantasy world with magic, but there are real world adjacent skyscrapers and computer technology. Yet they missed out on the development of gunpowder and weapons beyond swords and bows and arrows. No vehicles either, apparently. But somehow there are bots and boba machines. Make it make sense.

At the end of the day, this was literally just about a bunch of kids doing questionable and stupid shit. Add in some authoritarianism with an evil monarch, redlining, forcibly displacing vulnerable populations, etc. and what you see is what you get.

While these are topics I enjoy reading about in fantasy novels, the tone felt like it was targeted towards YA readers. Everything is overexplained and infodumped. The villains read like moustache twirling caricatures. The MCs read like your typical spunky kid archetype and all of its flavors. Everyone here is either a teen or younger and they definitely act like it.

Unfortunately, even the cool dragons couldn't save the story.

Thank you to S&S/Saga Press and NetGalley for this arc.

[kylie’s been jinxed ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

˚⊱🫧⊰˚ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘 𝑶𝒓𝒑𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒔 ˚⊱🌧⊰˚

ᯓ 🌧 ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴀɪɴsʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ ᴏʀᴘʜᴀɴs ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴍᴀʏ, 𝟸𝟼 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟼!
⤿ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟺.25 sᴛᴀʀs!! ★★★★☆
⤿ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪs ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ: ғᴀɴᴛᴀsᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ, ʀᴇʙᴇʟʟɪᴏɴs, ʜᴇɪsᴛs, ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀsɪᴀɴ ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴇᴅ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ!

ᯓ 🫧 ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs:

⤷ The Kawakamis. A found family: Toshiko, Jun, Mei and their cat. Toshiko is the athletic one, sent on a mission to steal a dragon pearl. Jun is the social one, charismatic and empathetic towards others. Mei is the smart one, using technology and the cat’s favorite. Together, they are looking for revenge for their Aunt Reiko who was killed.

⤷ Haru. The young heir to the emperor, who is far more interested in playing games with strangers and looking for magical Sun Spirits than gaining power.

⤷ Theo. The immigrant who is forced to work for the Lucky Crows, with his own secrets to protect.

ᯓ 🌧 ᴀʟʟ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs:
⤷ This novel is incredibly well written with compelling characters, beautiful world building and a fascinating plot! The action rarely stops and the atmosphere creates a dazzling start to a trilogy.

The story begins with an enticing heist by Toshiko to steal a dragon pearl from the leader of an organized crime group called the Lucky Crows. The entirety of the novel takes place over an exhilarating two days that will determine the entire fate of Rainshadow City.

Let’s start with the characters. They were incredibly well written and fleshed out. I could feel each individual's personality and their emotions. Each was unique and enjoyable to read about, with their own talents, struggles and motivations. The writing is descriptive and easy for me to understand and read. The book was well paced, despite the constant of the story - it flowed consistently throughout the entire book.

The Rainshadow Orphans completely transported me into a different place. Its world building is dazzling, filled with exquisite imagery and wonderful magic. This magic system feels unique, especially when set against this Asian cyberpunk series. It was interesting to see how the different genres blended together. I was intrigued to learn that this book is both fantasy and science-fiction. It works seamlessly to incorporate the stereotypical aspects of each genre and combine into something that feels novel.

ᯓ 🫧 ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs:

I would definitely recommend this book to others who are looking for an atmospheric and Studio Ghibli inspired read. I just adore whimsical fantasy novels and this one was just to my taste!

ᯓ 🌧 ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ:
⤿ 4.25 stars

ᯓ🫧 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ:
⤿ Water Moon (Yambao)
⤿ The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea (Oh)

Thank you very much to Netgalley and Saga Press for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 🫧 || ᴘʀᴇʀᴇᴀᴅ:
₊⊹⁀➴ this book is so pretty! i’ve been trying to read more japanese literature and this seems right up my street. also, i used to have a dog named “Toshiko” for smart girl, and this just feels right.🥺

[Mai H.]

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

this book is marketed as an unlikely band of heroes banding together to fight against a corrupt leadership, and I think that it ultimately delivers on this premise. the book is easy to get into despite the various moving pieces it has, and I found myself genuinely caring about the characters as the story progressed. we also get a relatively strong beginning where you don't necessarily need to trudge through 100 pages of worldbuilding to be immersed.

however, i do think that the pacing suffers a bit at the halfway point, and the latter half was a bit less engaging than the former. there's also a series of unlikely events that shake out, and it does feel as though the conflict of the book was too easily overcome. there's also a bit too much confidence in the maturity of a 10 year old boy to lead a nation, imo.

that being said, I still found this to be an overall good time, and it was a charming read.

**thank you to Saga Press for the ARC copy**

[Jefferz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing blend of fantasy and science fiction elements, Naomi Ishiguro's the Rainshadow Orphans is a unique crossover novel full of Japanese cultural and folklore inspirations. Mixing a variety of concepts across the SFF genre umbrella, this book is an appealing and accessible read that feels like a throwback to YA fantasy novels of the mid 2000's modernized for current tastes. The start of a planned high fantasy trilogy, though the Rainshadow Orphans is quite lengthy and occasionally drags in places, it's an appealing start to a series full of great potential.

Highlights:
☕︎ Features a unique blend of SFF elements crossing over between fantasy and scifi. Japanese inspirations provided wonderful color and vibrancy to the story.
☕︎ Whimsical and nostalgic presentation gives the book a lovely Studio Ghibli-like feel (albeit occasionally limited in use) complimented by strong visuals.
☕︎ Imaginative and expansive world-building and lore that sets up the series well for future storylines and adventures.

Considerations:
- Multiple POV's, heavy world-building, and excessive details sometimes feel irrelevant or redundant, creating multiple places where the story drags. Pacing feels slow and start/stop.
- Wide variety of fantasy and scifi elements lack a bit cohesion and the story feels like it's spread too thin. Despite strong conceptual ideas, the overall narrative feels a bit juvenile and surface level.

Set in a fictional island archipelago and primarily taking place in the affluent Rainshadow City and the impoverished Keeper’s Crescent, the Rainshadow Orphans tells the story of young adult characters (plus Haru) caught amid the Royal Emperor Asayo’s revisioning of the island and the illegal gang activities of the Lucky Crows. Presented through multiple POV’s, the story is one that is part fantasy magical object and creature-based, and part futuristic technology-based with light hints of dystopian turmoil. The book covers the events of 48 hours that put the futures of many of the island’s neglected groups at risk as power-hungry groups jockey for control. The story follows three orphaned and adopted Kawakami siblings, Toshiko the scrappy adventurer, Jun the healer and info-gatherer, Mei the tech wizard, the ten year old royal prince Haru, and the undocumented immigrant and unlikely Lucky Crow member Theo. Split across different backgrounds, affiliations, and individual narratives, Ishiguro’s story sees their paths and narratives cross in a book about found family, loyalty, and one’s place in the grand Rainshadow City.

Before getting into the book's plot, a big highlight of the Rainshadow Orphans is its whimsical nature that the publisher aptly compares to Studio Ghibli movies. While the plot and characters are more straightforward fantasy and scifi faire vs Ghibli’s more relaxed and nature-based narratives, the fantasy visuals and focal sun spirits add a lovely warmth and dreamy, almost nostalgic feel to the reading experience. While Keeper’s Crescent is a rougher and harsh setting fitting for the book’s meatier narrative points and themes, the outskirts of the island and the quieter moments of the story are where the book is at its best. As the sheltered royal heir and one gifted with the heightened ability to see the island’s mythical sun spirits, Haru’s perspective is particularly pretty and magical, easily my favorite character and perspective in the book that matches Ishiguro’s writing style wonderfully. The dreamy feel also extends to Ishiguro’s visuals of the technologically advanced city, the emperor’s opulent palace gardens, and the endless sea that surrounds the island.

In addition to the whimsical feel of its magical beings and scenery, this book also features a unique blend of elements taken from across the SFF umbrella. While the book’s cover and synopsis involving a dragon pearl, magical powers, and mythical sun spirits are distinctively fantasy-based, the Rainshadow Orphans also features a slate of compelling scifi elements as well. There’s a mysterious failed experiment that released a toxic phenomenon on another island, automated service bots, high-tech communication devices, and Mei’s signature hacking abilities and aspirations to create the perfect boba-making robot. The story strings all these fantasy and scifi elements together through a story set around political corruption, poverty, and the neglect of the residents of Keeper’s Crescent, many of which are undocumented migrants who are unable to obtain a citizen pass to the nearby Rainshadow City. The discussions around classism, dependency on undocumented migrant labor, systemic exploitation of the poor, and limitless greed for power and resources are themes highly relevant in the current societal and political climate wrapped within a youthful and creative package.

While the book has a lot of different character perspectives and storylines meaning there’s something appealing for almost every reader, my main critique with the Rainshadow Orphans is that it sometimes feels like the story has too many narrative elements going on that don’t necessarily complement each other well. While I can see many readers enjoying the blend of fantasy with scifi flair and Ishiguro’s use of techy concepts powered by fantasy-based origins, I often felt like the book was trying to do a lot with different storylines and ideas but spread too thinly. Plot threads revolving around automated bots, machine vs living beings, and the very concept of the sun spirits come and go throughout the story which feels like it lacks cohesion and follow through on its individually interesting moving pieces. While far from being poorly written, the lack of focus results in the overall story feeling rather surface level in its development and lacking strong hooks to keep the reader engaged; there’s no real indication of what the story’s purpose or direction is until almost a third of the way in. Additionally, due to the expansive lore and ideas for the series, I frequently felt like the story’s pacing and plot were getting dragged down by the extensive world-building that sometimes felt like it was straying off-topic or taking too long to get to the point. To Ishiguro’s credit, I found the world-building presented was well-done and elaborate but questioned the relevancy of such extensive backstories that resulted in a kind of start and stop kind of build. In theory, all the book’s ideas and themes are quite compelling, but when put together, I found I appreciated the book conceptually far more than I did subjectively which brought down my overall reading experiences and score for the book. I also found the story to be quite simple and juvenile from a character writing and plot perspective. While not specifically marketed as a YA or adult novel, the characterizations, prose, and storytelling felt quite simplistic to me. Particularly the villains' motivations left a lot to be desired and overall, the story felt very YA despite the visual violence, themes, and world-building suggesting more mature literary aspirations.

Narratively, the events of the book take place over 48 hours which sounds like the setup for an exciting SFF fusion kickstarted by the Kawakami siblings’ infiltration heist and ending with a violent and dramatic clash of forces. This may also be an unpopular opinion, but clocking in at 640 pages, I felt like this book was probably about 200 pages too long. I believe Ishiguro’s intent was to fully develop and flesh out all three of the siblings, Haru, and Theo individually with their different skills and backgrounds. While I found Toshiko and Haru’s perspective consistently interesting and tonally distinctive, I often felt like Jun’s perspective was unnecessary and didn’t add much to the book’s narrative or storyline and Mei’s perspective to be the opposite where it’s so briefly used, the content could’ve been rephrased or incorporated into either Toshiko, Haru, or Theo’s chapters. The excess detailing is most noticeable when the book introduces certain backstories or lore in one POV and then recaps the same information again in another POV. The resident healer and pseudo family figure to the siblings Aunty Maile is an integral part of the story, but Toshiko and Jun’s lengthy introductions, backstories, and memories of Aunty Maile while contextually different felt repetitive and unnecessarily duplicated. The story also has sections of compelling action and developments such as the early heist, Toshiko’s conflict with the Lucky Crows, or her introduction to Theo, but then would go for lengthy sections of slow development with little progression. I personally would’ve preferred the story to be snappier or more focused especially considering it's not a standalone book that has to cover every detail and connection in one go. Additionally, the whimsical and Ghibli-like feel that I loved about the book and consider its best element to be wonderful when they would occur, but often felt completely lost and absent for most of the read. I likely would’ve preferred if the story was just Toshiko and Haru’s perspectives only with brief snapshots into Theo’s eyes rather than the book’s ensemble approach that felt bloated to me.

A unique blend of SFF ideas, an expansive high fantasy world, and a loving nod to Japanese culture and mythology, the Rainshadow Orphans has a lot of great appealing selling points. The conceptual vision of Rainshadow City and the sun spirits captures that special Studio Ghibli feel and it’s clear that Ishiguro has great ideas in store for future entries in the series. In particular, this is a great SFF book for readers looking for a safe and pleasant YA story with some unique twists and flavor. Unfortunately, the sluggish pacing, heavy world-building, and general overwritten feel for me prevented the book from living up to its full potential and was a bit of a disappointment. Additionally the book’s marketing comparing it to Pokemon (aside from being whimsical, there’s nothing in common between them and the sun spirits), cyberpunk Akira (the aesthetic is all wrong and the cyberpunk elements nowhere near as prominent to warrant the reference) , and anime in general feels like a poor comparison and setting up the prospective readers for disappointment; I frankly think that the only thing those titles and this book have in common are having Japanese inspirations and the marketing failing to understand what the anime style or medium is. My personal gripes with the marketing aside, the Rainshadow Orphans is a confidently written start to what looks like to be a promising new trilogy series.

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster via Netgalley.

*For more reviews, book lists and reading updates, check out my blog TheBookGrind!

[Cups and Thoughts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Simon & Schuster for an e-arc of The Rainshadow Orphans!

I saw "Studio Ghibli" and went "say no more"! I went in expecting a whimsical, magical, somewhat cozy Fantasy story with some adventure elements thrown in and kind of got that.

We follow a few POVs switching between one another - a young and playful heir to the throne, a rebellious spy going on missions to find out who killed her beloved aunt, and a labour worker who gets hired to work for the Lucky Crows. All follow very different pathways but somewhat get intertwined with one another.

I thought the world building was interesting. There were lots of familiar,dreamy magical elements like cats, luscious gardens, lively markets, and even a bubbletea-making robot! There's a spin in Cyberpunk Asian Fantasy that has a lot of potential, but.... ends up feeling kind of flat, unfortunately.

For one, the writing is juvenile and choppy. We get introduced to so many amazing things but no further background/context on how they are relevant to the plotline. Not that everything needs to be connected to the plot, but there needs to be a level of immersion for you to feel like you're actually there seeing, tasting, and feeling whatever's surrounding you. As a result, this ended up being a very slow read. I think this could have easily been 300+ pages long rather than 400+.

I did love the found family elements. The sibling relationship between Toshiko, Mei and Jun were also top tier! I loved how they looked out for each other and had different traits that defined them. I wish there were more focus on these three alone. The author is doing a lot with the world building but I personally think the characters should’ve gotten more focus!

Anyways, there was a lot to love about this but a lot of elements just didn't quite gel well together.

[Nia]

DNF at 15%.

Everything is so over described and bloated with unnecessary explanation and backstory. Every time a character is introduced we are treated to their life story, delivered in the most straightforward way possible. And this doesn't stop at introductions. Characters can't take a step without 5 paragraphs of the thoughts that led them there. The book will switch viewpoints in the middle of what might otherwise be an exciting action scene, completely negating any build up.

The prose itself is very plain and lacking in urgency or tension. Two of the viewpoints (so far) are also very young, and this doesn't seem like the kind of story where children would get hurt, so I wasn't worried about the characters' safety at any point.

I checked the blurb just before stopping and saw that the story will apparently only cover two days, which is absurd for a book over 600 pages.

I do like what I saw of the setting, but I'm just too bored to continue.

[louise ʚଓ]

| rating: —
⤷ DNF’d at 53%

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

Full review to come!

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for the e-ARC!

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

Start Date: May 2, 2026
Finish Date: May 11, 2026 (DNF)

[Lia Carstairs]

DNF @ 20%

There's nothing particularly bad about this book and I think it has a fun premise but I'm just not feeling it in my current reading mood. (Like I've DNF-ed 3 books in a row now...)

I do think Toshiko's POV has been interesting so far but I don't really care for Haru or Theo's POVs.

Hoping to come back to this and give it another shot at a different time though!

Thank you S&S/Saga Press for the ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Stacey | read.with.stacey]

DNF at 20%

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for the paperback arc 🫶

I really wanted to love this one because the synopsis sounded so good, but it just didn’t work for me. I did enjoy that the book had multiple POVs, but it just wasn’t capturing my attention and nothing had really happened to make me invested in the characters or the story. This is also marketed as an adult book but it was reading very YA to me. I hope it finds its intended audience!

[Quilted.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything. I went in expecting Studio Ghibli vibes and somehow it delivered that and more. The world feels magical but also very real in the way it talks about poverty, power, and survival.At the heart of the story is Rainshadow City a place ruled by corruption and terrorized by an underground crime group called the Lucky Crows. We follow Toshiko, Jun, and Mei Kawakami a found family bonded by loyalty who are trying to survive outside the law while seeking revenge for the murder of their beloved Aunt Reiko. Alongside them are Haru, the Emperor’s son who would rather befriend Sun Spirits than inherit a cruel legacy, and Theo, an immigrant forced into the Lucky Crows with almost no choices of his own. When a stolen dragon pearl sets everything into motion, the story turns into this fast paced, emotional ride that all unfolds over just two days.What really got me was how beautiful this book felt. The writing is vivid and cinematic in that Ghibli way soft magic, quiet moments, found family, and big emotional stakes mixed with cyberpunk energy that reminded me a bit of Akira. I truly could not put it down. The characters are unforgettable, the world is immersive, and the themes about standing up to corruption and choosing your own destiny were inspirational.I loved this book so, so much. It was heartfelt, thrilling, and visually stunning in my head the entire time. If you love Studio Ghibli, anime inspired fantasy, or stories about found family and resistance, this is absolutely a must read.

[Louisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Rainshadow Orphans by Naomi Ishiguro is a bit of a mixed bag, throwing us into a quasi-steampunk fantasy world with the three Kawakami kids. Each have their own strengths, which are put to the test when they seek revenge on the gang who killed their adoptive mum. Revenge gives way to a bigger plot and changing their island for good.

The first 250 pages were compelling, the world-building was reasonably strong and interesting, and there was a palpable rising tension that kept me turning the pages. The characters, however, felt very YA in their interactions and dialogue (and ages) which is not really my cup of tea. I was strongly reminded of Six of Crows, not least because of the seedy underworld and 'outcast' area of the city, but the ruling gang named the Crows. However where Six of Crows was tightly paced and plotted, this fell down.

The story began to drag after the midway point, becoming somewhat repetitive, and the extended battle sequence near the end completely threw me off. It was very very long, a lot more graphic than the earlier part of the book and honestly pretty boring. For 640 pages, it felt at least 200 pages too long.

I’d be interested in exploring more stories set in this world, but I wouldn't put myself through 600+ pages to find out more. It is interesting, and I do love political intrigue in a fantasy world, but this was a bit too heavy-handed and lengthy for my tastes. A solid 3 stars.

[Chris]

DNF at 10%. Thank you Saga Press and Net Galley for the eARC. I think this book has a lot of good world building and plot but I think it was marketed wrong for its audience. The writing feels very YA for me, almost like it’s meant for teens and I just didn’t feel like it was made for me. This would be something I would’ve read at a younger age. If she came out with an Adult fantasy I would still be interested in that.

[Hannah (the.baristas.books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, I am thankful to the publishers for sending me a copy of this.

However I did DNF at 15%, which for this book is almost 100 pages. I really tried, and I wanted to enjoy it because the premise is so intriguing. Inspired by Ghibli, dragons, and a sci-fi fantasy blend? By all accounts I should have loved it. But I didn't.

There was something about the writing style and the grammar that actually made me research as to whether this was written by AI. There were 3 em dashes across just two pages - surely there's a better way to articulate something (see what I did there?).

Unfortunately the characters felt flat and although the book started with a fantastic scene, I didn't feel carried along.

Hopefully I'm in the minority of those who feel this way, and I hope many more people find the adventure and joy that should be here.

[Ifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for an advanced reader copy of this book!

4.25 stars - I really enjoyed this! It was a fantastic blend of sci fi and fantasy with excellent world building, plenty of action, and multiple POVs. It is amazing that this takes course over just two days! I can’t believe all that happened in 48 hours. Also, I will always love a story with a made-family not through blood.

This was a great start to the trilogy! Ishiguro does a great job at storytelling. I couldn’t put this book down and 600 pages didn’t even feel like a drag. There were parts that sure, could have been condensed, but I liked getting all the details so it worked for me. I enjoyed being in this world and experiencing it through the eyes of multiple main characters.

Though I loved the complexity of the characters and what decisions they make when they’re put in situations just trying to survive, I didn’t feel emotionally connected to any of them. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great characters and I really enjoyed my time reading this, but I wasn’t emotionally invested. However, the book was paced well, had an intriguing plot, and I need to emphasize again how great the world building was!

I’m so curious to know what will happen next!

[Wessy Acrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC from Simon & Schuster/Saga Press of

The Rainshadow Orphans by Naomi Ishiguro

Once I got past the deep world and character building, I couldn’t put it down! This story seems like it is going to come at just the right time: a time when loving your neighbor, regardless of status, color, or background is at an all time necessity for our world to proceed. This book melds sci-fi and fantasy into a story that heavily interconnects magic with nature and technology all at the same time.

The 3 main characters: Toshiko, Jun, and Mei are lovable and complex from the first page, taking readers into a complex society not unlike today’s modern politics. Other characters such as Theo and Haru also deserve the credit of main characters, as their own personal development throughout the book greatly impacts the result of the story.

Without giving too much away, the paths each character takes leads them to one ultimate question: can conflicting communities team together and overpower human-made evil?

Can’t wait to see more from this series!

[Megan]

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for the e-ARC.

I was very excited to pick this one up due to the premise and marketing - an adult fantasy combining Japanese mythology and Studio Ghibli with some scifi sprinkled in - however I ended up DNFing this one.

I enjoyed the world building and beautiful descriptions but I couldn't push through the characters, slow pacing and plot conveniences. The POV characters read very young and while I found them relatively realistic for their ages, they weren't particularly compelling to read about nor gave me reason to be invested. Toshiko had the most promise but I found her inconsistent. I also found elements of the plot that I read to be full of convenience, especially in the first chapter surrounding the jewellery thefts, which made character descriptions not match their actions. The writing style had promise but as I was struggling with other aspects of the book, it wasn't enough to keep me engaged. All of these things combined made me think it wouldn't be fair for me to continue as I wouldn't be reading with the expectation of enjoyment. I also believe this book would benefit from being marketed as YA instead of adult based on what I read.

I do think that there is an audience out there for this novel though. If you enjoy slower paced, immersive YA fantasy with a Asian mythology backdrop and beautiful descriptions I think you should give this a try. Overall, it just wasn't for me.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

The Rainshadow Orphans is for Studio Ghibli fans - specifically, for fans of Studio Ghibli’s commentary on war and oppression told through a fantastical lens. Our protagonists range from illegal immigrants fighting to eke out a living to the Crown Prince himself, all struggling not just to survive, but to make Rainshadow Island a better place. One of the main storylines revolves around returning stolen land and property back to its people, which feels very poignant in today’s climate.

One of the best parts of the story for me was Ishiguro’s ability to humanize characters on all sides of the conflict. As the heroes of the story, Toshiko, Jun, Mei, and Haru obviously are treated well by the narrative voice, but even more complicated characters like Theo are given space to explain their choices, which are often made in the face of impossible odds and slim chances of survival. (And I’m rooting for Theo. Especially after that ending, I’m excited to see where his story goes.) Theo’s perspective draws readers into Haru’s way of thinking - how many of the Crows act the way they do because they see it as the only path to survival? Is bloodshed the only way forward?

The most vivid non-protagonist example of this is the Santos brothers. Hiroto and Daichi’s stories touched me in a way I didn’t expect. Yes, they were cruel in the ways they went about wielding what little power they held, but they were people too - brothers who lost a sister, their parents, who didn’t want to lose the last family they had. Their moment of kindness with Jun, the hesitancy to use their weapons even after all their swaggering around with them - they were just children trying to survive in an unkind world.

I can’t wait to see how Haru’s vision for Rainshadow unfolds, particularly when the Sensei seems to be gathering strength for another blow.

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books)]

I'm so sad that I wound up deciding to DNF this novel, especially as it was one of my most anticipated releases for the year. I personally just didn't find any of the elements in this story - the worldbuilding (a mix of magic & technology in an archipelago setting); the characters (no individual really stood out); the plot (a lot of threads thus far are not unexpected given the set-up; I've seen it done in other novels) - to be subjectively enticing. This might have to do with the fact that the narrative structure includes constant perspective switches and those, in turn, make the pacing feel clunky and on the slower side. TThough there are some potentially interesting themes to be explored (namely in terms of governmental control and corruption, technological advancement and immigration status), I just didn't feel compelled enough by the execution to persist in reading the rest of the novel.

[emmak]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book!

My Ranking: just not for me.

DNF @50%

I went into this book with high hopes. The premise sounded unique and intriguing, and I was looking forward to reading something reminiscent of Studio Ghibli. However, I found myself struggling to connect to the characters. Although the world was interesting and the plot was pretty exciting, it wasn’t fast paced enough to make up for the fact that I didn’t feel for the characters. They felt almost like caricatures or ideas rather than fully formed individuals to me. Because of this, I have not felt drawn to pick this book up and finish it. Ishiguro’s writing is beautiful, so I am open to reading more from this author in the future. The particular book is just not for me, and that’s okay.

[Amy Portsmouth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!! The found family and political themes were done really well. Also loved the blend of Sci Fi and Fantasy - but sadly I found the writing quite boring and the characters were flat and very childish in some ways. It was still an interesting storyline and I think book 2 will be better!

[Risa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down


I enjoyed this book overall, and I think many other readers will too.

I especially thought the world was interesting and the characters were great. But man oh man does this book (eARC) suffer from pacing issues—so many scenes were dragged out for no valid reason, which often took me out of the story.


While I can appreciate immersive world building, there were often way too many details that felt unnecessary, and simply bloated the book. (That is to say, this book absolutely did not need to be this long, and the pacing most definitely should have been tightened up.)


The author also has a tendency to over-explain things, from the themes to the messaging in the book, as if she doesn’t trust the reader to piece together what she is trying to say. So the pacing also suffered from that. (I think this combined with the writing style made the story feel more like a YA novel than an adult novel to me personally.)


It’s a shame because had the pacing been tightened up, I could see myself giving this book a higher rating. I really did think this was an interesting world to explore with the combination of science and fantasy. (And as someone who doesn’t usually gravitate towards dragon books, I really enjoyed the dragon lore in this one.)

The characters were all enjoyable to read about as well. The three Kawakami siblings were my favorites, followed by Theo, and then Haru. I did feel at time like there were too many POVs (and POV jumps) for my personal tastes, but I can also see why so many were used. I will say that some of dialogue felt stilted and unnatural though, as if it only served as a tool to relay information to the reader (as opposed to being how people naturally speak).


All in all, I look forward to reading the sequel in the future. (And hopefully the pacing issues will be addressed before the final version of this first book is published.)




NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING:


- The opening heist chapter was great—especially since we see how Toshiko ended up with the dragon pearl in her possession


- I love the power the Lucky Crows has over Rainshadow City, and how they leave feathers as a punishment warning. (I do lowkey wonder why the author chose the Crows as the name of the gang. Because obviously it makes me immediately think of Six of Crows.)



- I like the multiple POVs thus far. But structure of having numbered sections within the numbers chapters is a bit confusing for me.


- I like the writing style, and I like the mixture of fantasy and technology thus far. But the author does tend to overexplain things a bit (for example we didn’t need two pages of explanation for the trio’s last name Kawakami).


- (12% in. Took a break from this book from January 22 to February 14. Hopefully I haven’t forgotten anything important!)


- Now 20% in, and I have to say that I love the sibling dynamics between Mei, Jun, and Toshiko Kawakami so much! Their personalities really shine through on the page. And I love seeing how they handle the Crows differently—Jun talking his way out of capture, while Tosh purposely got captured so she could face Seito. (And obviously Mei was the one who gave Jun the info about the two Crow’s having lost a sister back home.)

- My only question is why Tosh went looking for the Crows, to burn the feather in front of them? Like obviously she wanted to “fix it” by taking out Seito presumably. But did she think the other Crows wouldn’t retaliate if she succeeded? (Though I do find it interesting that she escaped into the Crescent, her old home.)

- We didn’t have any scene with Theo from 12% and 20% (although it’s coming up—I stopped just before one). And we got a couple scenes with Haru, which were mainly used to tell us about the Sun Spirits and Sola. It was fine, but so far I think Haru’s POV chapters are the least exciting. But maybe that will change.
- (I will say though that I don’t think there needed to be this many POVs… but we’ll see if I change my mind!)


- Interesting that Theo has some sort of magical gift that some have called a curse. I’m curious to know how that will come into play later (and if that’s connected to the sun spirits, or the dragons , or something)



- I bet you the Emperor killed her husband or had him killed. (Also, I like the fact that she is called the Emperor instead of the Empress—which probably links back to her father’s fear that a woman wouldn’t be a good ruler.)


- The Emperor’s announcement, I like how everyone must watch it it’s a crime—very dystopian like. ALISE the bot sounds a lot like a physical AI robot. Interesting.


- So Toshiko and Theo have a meet cute over a stolen library that Theo took. I like it. I appreciate that Tosh is on edge about the Crows, and him being a Crow.


- Ooh so the three siblings are going to infiltrate another fancy party to try and take the Crows down. Sounds fun! It’s also cool how the Pearl made it so Jun could heal Toshiko (and have him a white strand of hair).


- Damn so Sensei (Hannah’s grandmother, love that) is forcing Theo to retrieve the pearl within a week and bomb the siblings to kill them, or else a poison tracker will kill him! (And it will also kill gum if he tells anyone the plan.) That sucks (though I do love the tech in this world).


- It’s a bummer that a lot of the dialogue is telling and info-dumpy.


- 40% in: I like that Theo has magic (like how he tried to change the weather to a light mist to summon a rainbow once he sees his dance partner in Aya (Toshiko) has the dragons pearl), but I don’t think i understand what exactly his magic actually is. Like, are there limitations to it? Or it just does whatever Theo (and the plot) wants it to?


- I will say though, I appreciate how this party at the emperor’s palace is unraveling into a mess (from the too strong rain that Theo created, to Jun being identified by the bot, to Toshiko’s makeup washing off). The suspense is definitely there. (And Mei eating the food as a steward while waiting to scan the bots is so on brand for her haha.)


- 48% in: Okay, so now that Haru has stolen the dragon’s pearl, and starts to see what monsters Mr. Winter and his mother are, I feel more receptive to his POV and what it brings to the story. (I also love how Kay is more of a mother to Haru than his own mother ever was.)


- 55% in: I appreciate that all three groups (Tosihko+Theo, Kay and Haru, Jun and Mei) will have their own reasons for ending up in the crescent, where they hopefully will reunite.


- 60% in: Um wow okay… Toshiko just kissed Theo (and Theo kissed him back). That felt way out of left field, especially since they basically just met each other. (I feel like their relationship thus far has truly been instalove, which is a shame because their relationship has the potential of being portrayed in a way more compelling way.)


- Aww, I was hoping that Theo wouldn’t take the dragon’s pearl and run…but I’m also not that surprised. (It was rather easy how he came into possession of the pearl, with Toshiko offering it to him to enhance his power to help the resistance. But I do like the setup, with Toshiko nicely asking Haru to give it to her, and then Toshiko offering it to Theo.)


- And that’s too bad that the Crows took Mailee (the Crescent healer). I hope she’s okay, but I doubt she will be.


- 64% in: I appreciate seeing General Mori’s POV so that we see what the Emperor is planning/thinking. But really? Do we really need ANOTHER POV so late in the story? I honestly think there are too many.


- All this preparation for the rebels in the Crescent to fight the Crows is taking too long. I appreciate that there needs to be some planning, but I’d making the pacing drag too much.


- I wonder if these bots made by the Sensei are partly made of human parts…


- 70% in: I know Toshiko has morals, but I don’t understand why she feels like she’s “betrayed” Theo by telling Ken Saito that Theo is the one who has the dragon pearl. Theo took it and ran in the first place, so it’s not that big a deal.
- (I also think this goes back to the fact that I don’t feel like Toshiko and Theo’s relationship with each other was very well developed beyond instant attraction. So it doesn’t feel earned that either Theo or Toshiko would be thinking about the other person much at all.)


- Once the fighting began, the story became interesting again. But it’s also going on for a bit too long now to be honest—I think again because there’s so many (too many) POVs to keep track of. (Also the scene of Haru talking to and riding that dragon is kind of boring.)


- 72% in: I find it hard to believe that Saito would let Toshiko leave so easily. Like yeah he knocked her around a bit, and yeah he hurt her feelings by telling her that Blue Jay Theo is part of the Crows. But Saito is too vindictive a person to just lost interest in killing the girl who stole his dragon pearl from him in the first place.


- Aww that poor dragon Hiranaya, being cut like that by Saito.


- That’s nice that the Emperor threw her knife at Saito and took him down! Saving Haru!


- The origami birds that the Sensei has attack Theo are both silly and cool at the same time.


- Kei is such a good mother figure to Haru! I love them!

- Good for Mei (the introvert tech girl) for shooting the Emperor in the throat! I guess she can fight too, who knew! (I kinda like that, but also, I thought she wasn’t a fighter? It’s a bit wild that she had such perfect aim at the Emperor’s throat…)


- 82% in: While I appreciate that this is a big battle scene, broken up over many POVs, I feel like this fight is going on way too long and being dragged out. Honestly the most interesting one is Theo against the Sensei, but we keep getting pulled away from it which is annoying. (Honestly, this whole book is just way too long, and the pacing should be tightened.)


- 84% in: I like that Haru is now the Emperor after his mother was stomped by her own horse for good measure. And I like how everyone bowed to him (minus the Crows), and he bowed back.
- But what I like the most is that the fighting scenes are FINALLY over!


- Up to 90% now: I appreciate that Theo brought the pearl back, and then Jun was able to use to save many lives (despite some still being lost). And I like that Jun’s hair was turning white the more he used it (though hopefully Jun will be okay in the end!).

- And then I liked how Theo used the pearl to bring the other barge ship back from where it was in the ocean. It was a nice bonding seen to see so manny of the characters hold hands as they did so (allowing them to see the sun spirits and see what Theo was doing).
- [I’ll be honest though, when Theo said he thought the ship had sunk, I found that to be really intriguing. NOT because I wanted that ship to sink (and I’m glad they made it back safely), but how interesting in terms of Theo’s character if he failed again. Because would the siblings even believe him anymore?]

- I will say though, that Theo and Toshiko’s relationship still does not feel earned at all. I don’t understand why they care about each other—there wasn’t enough time for them to get close to each other to justify how they think about each other and Toshiko sits at Theo’s side in the sand while he’s recovering. It’s just… it feels like the author is forcing two barbie dolls to kiss (even though these two characters haven’t kissed yet!) if that makes sense, like their romance is forced.


- Yay, I’m glad Mailee is alive and safe! And I like that her Cade has been of help even in her absence.



- I’m glad Jun could heal the dragon as well. And that she will return the pearl to her dragon son. (But again, this is dragging on for way too long.)


- Theo doesn’t want to ask Jun for help with the poison before the pearl was taken away? That’s fair. But Theo didn’t even try to use his own power to heal himself? That’s just ridiculous.



- I like that all the keepers children can now have citizenship under Emperor Haru. But I agree with Mei that it’s not gonna be all rainbows and butterflies from now on, not right away anyway.




- 94% in; I appreciate the siblings having a discussion back at home where they decide what to do next. and it’s interesting that Mei will stay home while Toshiko and Jun are ambassadors. But my goodness is this dragging on. And there’s a lot of telling, as if the author doesn’t trust the reader to figure out what the message of the book is.


- So Sensei has approached Theo and told him that there are Yurei bots (not ghosts) haunting Hanasaki Island. And Sensei used human stems cells to make them (hence not everyone was returned afterwards, when brain cells were taken). And if Theo does the job for her (go to the island to help round up the troops), he’ll get an antidote—a nice twist and nice set up for book2.


- Interesting that the Sensei gave Theo the antidote (and a silver coin moon credit) ahead of the job, because she confident if he tries to run then her granddaughter Hana could find him because of the tracker still in his neck.


- That’s kind of dumb that Theo is leaving it to a coin flip. (Okay good—he didn’t follow what it landed on. It sounds like he’s going to drink the antidote and join the Sensei.)

- Overall it’s a fine place to end the book. It’s sort of a cliffhanger, but also obvious what Theo ends up choosing to do.


Final Thoughts
- Overall I really did enjoy this book, but man oh man is the pacing bad. It drags on and on and on in so many places, for no valid reason whatsoever. We’re given details about the world that are so unnecessary, and add nothing to the reading experience (and in some cases took me out of the story because I become so bored that my mind would drift).

- It also doesn’t help that the author feels the need to spell out EVERYTHING, like she doesn’t trust the reader to pick up on different themes and messages and symbolism throughout the book without her explaining it all to me. So that’s another way in which the pacing suffered.

- Having said that, I loved the world and the characters. While I felt the characters escaped most of Thor hardships a bit too easily, I did enjoy the overall plot.


- I will finish by saying that I look forward to reading the sequel in the future, whenever it comes out (since book1 hasn’t even come out yet). But I really REALLY hope the pacing is better in that one. (And I hope the pacing is better in the final version of this first book, though it may be too late for that.)

[Stress Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌧️🧋🐉The Rainshadow Orphans ARC Review 🐉🧋🌧️

Book 1, Rainshadow Trilogy

🧋The cozy magic of Ghibli mixed with the danger of Akira-style city unrest in a world limned with danger where bubble tea robots exist beside ancient dragons and hope is the most dangerous magic of all.


📘 In the corrupt sprawl of Rainshadow City, three orphaned siblings, an exiled gang recruit, and the lonely son of an emperor become tangled together after the theft of a legendary dragon pearl ignites a city-wide power struggle. Told over two intense, chaotic, action packed days in which spirits awaken, criminal empires close in, and the fate of an entire archipelago begins to shift.


📓 The Rainshadow Orphans feels like stepping into a rain-soaked dream where dragons soar above electric skylines, children carry the weight of revolutions, and even the smallest acts of kindness become defiance against cruelty. Naomi Ishiguto blends myth, cyberpunk grit, and Studio Ghibli-style wonder into a sprawling fantasy (with bits of sci-fi) packed with found family, political unrest, underground gangs, and aching hope. Beneath the bustling markets, glowing tech, and Sun Spirits lies a story about displaced people, survival, and the terrifying courage it takes to imagine a better future. Equal part whimsical and brutal, intimate and cinematic, this is the kind of fantasy that invites you to lose yourself in its atmosphere long before the larger mysteries unfold.

🫵🏼 Read if you:

• love found family stories with emotionally bonded misfits
• enjoy Japanese folklore-inspired fantasy
• enjoy anime-inspired storytelling and cinematic action
• enjoy a mix of fantasy and sci-fi/cyberpunk aesthetics
• love youthful, hopeful characters fighting systemic corruption
• enjoy fast-moving ensemble casts with multiple-POVs
• love magical creatures alongside futuristic tech
• love emotional adventure with moments of whimsy and melancholy
• enjoy cozy but dangerous fantasy worlds where beauty and hardship coexist

📘 I love that the found family structure reinforces the idea that chosen bonds become an act of resistance against institutional cruelty. I appreciate the exploration of whether kindness can exist within corrupt systems. I love that the book's focus is more on emotional resilience, social systems, who gets forgotten by society, exploitation, inequality, authoritarianism, poverty, urban alienation, look into how communities survive oppression, cultural identity, urban alienation, cultural identity, and hope as rebellion rather than rigid epic fantasy mechanics. I also loved the cozy but dangerous aesthetic world, immersive atmosphere, the community of displaced and/or marginalized people, discussion on systematic inequality and being undocumented/immigration, inherited violence, the found family dynamic, and hope amid societal collapse - there were things I didn't love. The pacing was probably my biggest struggle. I also didn't love how long it took to reveal the larger direction. As beautiful as the prose is, it reads as overwritten. I struggled to get and stay immersed and connect with the characters.

🤔 Will I continue the series? Yes, I plan to give book 2 a shot.

📖 The Rainshadow Orphans feels tailormade for readers who love fantasy that blends warmth and wonder with grit, rebellion, and neon-lit danger. I think it's likely to appeal to people who want the emotional heart of Studio Ghibli mixed with cyberpunk energy, found family dynamics, political corruption, dragons, spirits, and street-level survival. I'd say it's older YA crossed with adult fantasy.

🌧️ ➕ I love the blend of fantasy and sci-fi and found the story unique and refreshing. I adored the found family aspect - you could feel their connection to one another. It's heartfelt, tender, and believable. I love that they're teens survival a hostile world is who are surviving together. I also love that they prioritize loyalty over blood, the emotional warmth between them (without becoming overly sentimental). I adore that they protect one another in small, intimate ways and the contrast between softness and violence. They're a community of displaced and/or marginalized people (immigrants, street kids, exploited workers, and outsiders). For me, this gives the story emotional weight as well as grounds it in reality.

✍���� ➕ The prose is beautiful, nearing lyrical at times. Lush, vivid descriptions that create an atmospheric world that's both cozy and dangerous. It's more cinematic and emotionally observational - prose that wants you to feel the world and linger in it. I appreciate that the POVs all have distinct voices and that they feel interconnected. I love the contrast between whimsical imagery, cozy moments, childlike wonder, and harsh political realities. That juxtaposition is very Ghibli-esque: beauty and brutality existing simultaneously.

➖ While the descriptions are often beautifully written, there were numerous times that there was just too much info for me. It seemed unnecessarily detailed at times. I also wish the author had trusted readers more, as I felt things were often overexplained. Maybe the last part is due to it being YA, but I still feel many (most?) teens wouldn't need quite that level of explanation.

✨ I'm not taking points off for this since I read an ARC, but since I feel it did impact my enjoyment and experience, I'm mentioning it. In the ARC, many, many times a word would have a seemingly random dash in it. Sometimes multiple on a page. For example, "wa-terfront." Probably just a formatting issue, but my brain reads everything exactly as written. So when I read, for example, slip-ping, my brain read it as slip ping. Which didn't make any sense, in that context anyway. This made it a struggle for me to get and stay immersed, and ended up irritating me.

🎙️ It took me a second to adjust my brain to the style used to denote dialogue (but this could just be the way it is in the ARC and not in the final version). Apostrophes are used instead of quotation marks. I loved the bits of banter between the siblings. Dialogue read smoothly and naturally.

The younger characters read as younger than they are, to me.

⏳➕ I enjoyed that it was more a character and setting driven story rather than a tightly engineered plot machine. I enjoyed the plot moving forward via character movement through the city, POV convergence, political unrest, mystery reveals, emotional relationships, intersecting character paths, and world exploration occasionally sprinkled with action.

➖ I didn't love the pacing. It's over 600 pages but only covers about 48hrs. Which could've worked for me, but didn't. Scenes often felt stretched out too long via internal dialogue and description. Typically, I love Multi-POV. However, here it resulted in some things being repeated on multiple occasions. It also caused interruptions that killed the momentum during action scenes. I wasn't a huge fan of the abrupt POV transitions, either. It felt fragmented (maybe that was intentional?) and for me that fragmented the emotional investment and weakened tension.

🗺️ ➕ I adored the world and layered lore. It's intricately built and imaginative. It's very atmospheric, and I loved that. It beautifully captures the same blend of wonder, melancholy, softness, danger, and sprawling visual imagination that you've probably seen in Studio Ghibli works, Akira, or even Pokémon. From an aesthetic perspective, this book exudes whimsical beauty with an undercurrent of danger.

➖ Being book 1 in a fantasy series, it's common to get a lot of worldbuilding. However, I feel like it went a lot deeper, a lot further, than it needed to. It's a lot more dense than I feel is warranted. Some things could've been left for book 2 or 3.

🔮 ➕ I enjoyed the softer magic system. We get Sun Spirits, dragons, mystical energies, and Japanese folklore-inspired supernatural phenomenon. I love the feel of the magic, it's symbolism, and its integration into the culture/world.

➖ I would've loved more cohesion and follow through in the magic system.

👥 ➕ I love that we get characters who are morally complex and from distinctly different social classes. They each have distinct personalities, varying backstories, and nuance. I connected more with the group as a whole than I did any individual character. I love that the emotional core is about their groups connection, their friendship, loyalty, and found family bonds first.

➖ I would've loved to feel a connection with at least one of the MCs. I'd have loved a bit more depth and dimension in the cast (they felt a bit one dimensional to me).

🩵 There is a bit of romance, definitely more of a subplot and YA level.

📺 Read if you liked: Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Princess Mononoke, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners,

📚 Read if you liked: Howl's Moving Castle (Diana Wynne Jones), The Bone Shard Daughter (Andrea Stewart), Black Water Sister (Zen Cho), Iron Widow, (Xiran Jay Zhao), Dragon Pearl (Yoon Lee), A Magic Steeped in Poison (Judy I Lin), The Spear Cuts Through Water (Simon Jimenez), Legendborn (Tracy Deonn), Light From Uncommon Stars (Ryka Aoki), Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Sue Lynn Tan), Akata Witch (Nnedi Okorafor), Six of Crows (Leight Bardugo), Nevernight (Jay Kristoff), Jade City (Fonda Lee), or Shadow of the Fox (Julie Kagawa).


Thank you to @ Naomi Ishiguro @sagapressbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this gifted eARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

[Lily Weiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lil cutie pie tale of a found family in a world with where magic and tech intertwine (NOT a good thing at all)

this story dragged in some parts (I think because it tried to maintain a cozy vibe while also dealing with pretty tough/ standard tropes for a sci-fi) but i only minded a little BECAUSE I enjoyed the cozy energy throughout, and I liked watching the characters (shoutout to jun the people’s princess) be sweet and nice

Thanks to NetGalley & Saga Press for the ARC in exchange for this review

[rachel x]

"A dazzling epic fantasy trilogy inspired by Japanese folklore and Studio Ghibli, set within a mythical archipelago brimming with dragons and Sun Spirits, high-tech hackers and bubble tea."

bubble tea & dragons? sign me up

[Alli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that truly makes you feel like you’re watching anime.

I rated The Rainshadow Orphans 4 stars. Despite the size of this book, I flew through it! The fast-paced story had me needing to know what would happen next.

Summary:

The Rainshadow Orphans takes place over the span of two days and follows the lives of a diverse group of characters whose fates become intricately intertwined in a deadly way.

Toshiko, Jun, and Mei Kawakami are adopted siblings who come from a life of poverty outside the city’s border. After their aunt is murdered by the Lucky Crows, a notorious gang, the three siblings seek revenge on the man who destroyed their lives.

Haru is the 10-year-old son of the Emperor, and next in line to rule over the Rainshadow Archipelago. However, as he starts to understand the world around him, he has less desire to rule and instead wants to travel to a faraway island to see the dragons rumoured to live there.

After being forced to flee his country, Theo finds himself working for the Lucky Crows. He’s not happy to be a part of the gang, but he knows that, as an illegal immigrant, this is his only way to make a life for himself.

During a party hosted by the Emperor, Toshiko steals a pearl from the man who killed her aunt, setting off an adventure for all of the characters that will ultimately decide the fate of the city they call home.

Things I liked:

To begin with, I absolutely loved the characters in this book, with the caveat of one character (which will be discussed below). For the most part, the characters felt realistic, and I could relate to them in different ways. I also appreciate how unique each character felt, especially since the novel follows multiple people. I’ve struggled to follow narratives containing multiple main characters before, but with The Rainshadow Orphans, I had no issues keeping their stories straight.

I also can’t talk about this book without bringing up its setting. The book promises a world inspired by Pokémon and Studio Ghibli, and it did not disappoint. The imagery throughout this novel was so clear, and I could truly appreciate the landscapes described between the fight scenes.

Finally, the language in this novel was very clear and easy to follow. At first, I didn’t love this, as I am a fan of lyricism and pretty prose; however, this writing style made the magic system and all of the intricate fighting scenes (and there are many of them) extremely easy to follow and understand. I never had to go back and reread previous pages to fully grasp what was going on.

Things I disliked:

Unfortunately, I felt that the ending of this novel dragged on. There are a lot of characters, so I understand wanting to show the climax from all points of view; however, I found myself getting bored of the action and less anxious about the characters' well-being. Yes, the entire book was action-packed, but the setting and stakes were always changing, ultimately keeping me engaged. This section of the book spanned around 137 pages, which, in my opinion, was just too much. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this section of the novel more had I had the time to read it all in one go, but I spent a few nights in a row reading for 20-30 min and feeling like I had made no progress in the story.

As mentioned above, there was one character I didn’t love as much as the others. It’s not that I didn’t like his personality (if this was based on personality alone, he would be one of my favourites), but I felt that his characterization was a bit unrealistic. Haru is the 10-year-old son of the emperor and plays a huge role in the story, from start to finish. While I love his political views and his desire to do the right thing, these viewpoints just didn’t seem realistic for a 10-year-old to have, especially when he has been raised to be the next emperor. Had Haru been a teenager or young adult, I would have found his character more realistic and believable.

Finally, I would say that this novel reads more YA than adult. I think this is due to the simple language and the fact that many of the main characters are young (from literal children to teens to young adults). While I had absolutely no issues with this, I thought I would bring it up as the novel is marketed as adult, and readers who don’t enjoy YA fantasy may not enjoy this writing style.

Who do I recommend to:

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading action-packed fantasy novels and/or people who enjoy anime! If you want Studio Ghibli aesthetics in your books, you will definitely enjoy The Rainshadow Orphans. Finally, if you love a good found family story, I think the relationship between the Kawakamis, as well as Haru, Ren, and Kai, will melt your heart.

[Chris Monceaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Thank you to Saga Press for providing an advanced copy of the book. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

The Rainshadow Orphans is definitely a book that rewards patience. While I was enamored with the world-building from the start, the pace felt glacially slow at times with this whole book only covering a few days’ worth of time. That being said, I was never bored and things were happening steadily. I was just antsy for things to move forward, and the frequent POV changes sometimes left me frustrated because I just wanted to see what happened next for a different character. At 640 pages, this chonky beast of a book had a lot going on with a wide variety of plot threads and characters, but the author managed it well and brought everything together for a satisfying resolution to this first installment.

The world of The Rainshadow Orphans was really freaking cool. The combination of fantasy and tech elements was unique, and the society felt complex and lived in. There was something whimsical about it all despite the harsh realities faced by the citizens of this Empire. The dragons, sun spirits, and magical powers added a layer of wonder atop the dystopian society populated by a ruthless emperor, ambivalent elites, exploited immigrants, creepy android bots, and a powerful gang up to no good. The author did a great job of providing vivid descriptions that made me feel like I was walking through this world with its characters.

As with most multiple POV stories, I liked some characters in The Rainshadow Orphans more than others. Theo and Haru had the most distinctive voices. Theo was an outcast from another land trying to stay alive and deal with his burgeoning magical powers. He had joined the Crows gang in search of a home and for access to a better life but quickly found out how much of a cage that membership truly was. He struggled so much between choosing what would keep him alive and what he thought was morally right. On the other hand, Haru was a sheltered 10-year-old prince. Over the course of the story, he learned that the world was not nearly as simple as he thought, and he came to realize how difficult choices were a constant companion of being a leader. The Kawakami’s were also interesting characters. I adored Toshiko’s willingness to always jump headfirst into danger to help others. Jun cared deeply for others and did what he could to make their lives easier, mostly via cooking and the healing arts. Mei had a spunkiness that often made me smile, and her cat Mochi was the best sidekick ever. The Kawakamis didn’t feel quite as complex, though, even if they were the change agents that set the whole story off.

The Rainshadow Orphans tackled so many timely themes. Front and center was the exploration of how horrible immigration policies impact people and the systems of the society in which they are centered. For example, refugees to Rainshadow City were not allowed to become citizens and were only allowed to live outside the city on a small sliver of the island. The horrible conditions were rife with poverty, drugs, and a breeding ground for crime, which fed directly into the power of the Crows gang. So many horrors stemmed from the closed-door immigration policy that ultimately had intense ramifications for the city and the Empire as a whole. The story also illustrated both the good and bad of technology and automation. Lost work and the ability to use artificial intelligence as a weapon were key parts of this story, and they have obvious parallels to the modern world.

My favorite thing about The Rainshadow Orphans, though, was how it showed the power that comes from community. So many impossible things were accomplished in this book, and it all stemmed from disparate people coming together to make them happen. The found families in this book were its heart, and I just loved how much they cared for and looked after each other.

All in all, The Rainshadow Orphans was a great start to a new fantasy trilogy. It had stunning world-building, interesting themes, and characters I wanted to learn more about. I think this could have been a 5-star book for me if it had been 100 or so pages shorter. I’m definitely looking forward to whatever comes next in this world! Therefore, I rate this book 4.25 out of 5 stars.

[Siavahda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope.

This reads like mediocre YA, where everything (including the writing) is overly simple, full of info-dumping and a lack of realistic thought from the characters. The aesthetic is nice enough, but it wasn't really leaned into in the first 20% or so (what I read before DNFing), and in and of itself it just wasn't enough to hold my attention. The characters are all incredibly one-note, and the adults all behave like teenagers. The dialogue is - it's clunky and forced, it doesn't sound natural, lots of it is just an excuse to tell the reader things about the situation or the setting.

The writing rhythm is awful - there's an over-use of commas, breaking every sentence into too many jagged pieces, so that the rhythm stops and starts constantly. If writing rhythm is something you can hear/care about, it's like nails on a chalkboard. The phrasing is often awkward; the meaning isn't always clear, especially when there's multiple people who could possibly be being referred to. Quotes below, though these are all taken from my advanced reading copy and so there's no telling if they'll be edited or even removed from the final published edition.

Alongside them was a hint of the night's hard labour they'd just passed.

What this is trying to say is that there's evidence of how hard they've been working all night scattered around them, but that phrasing is terrible to me.

Disguise now sorted as best as possible, she made her way back over to the warehouse.

Again, this is really clunky phrasing.

These people, it sounded like, were walking down the aisle to her left. They didn't seem like footsoldier Crows, somehow.

This is what I mean about too many commas, chopping up the sentences.

While Mei had done a good job of mocking them up false ID cards, which were fine for duping shopkeepers, along with the odd over-curious Imperial Guard, these still only partially connected to the all-important Citizenry Database, which remained, even with Mei's continued efforts, largely unhackable.

Again, it's the commas, the way it breaks up the sentences and creates a really jerky rhythm. I can't stand it.

There's a lot of moments like - Toshiko is trying to investigate this criminal gang, the Crows. So she's hanging out around one of their warehouses. And for no reason whatsoever is convinced that if she can find out what are in the boxes she can see being moved into the warehouse, she can use it against the Crows. Why would you assume that? There's no evidence that this isn't their normal operations, you could open one of the boxes and it'll most likely be the usual stuff they smuggle. Why are you expecting this to randomly be the time they're smuggling something super-extra-illegal?

And there's so much info-dumping - the way we found out about one character's magical power made me cringe, it was one long vomit of telling-telling-telling. We don't learn anything organically, everything from worldbuilding to character backstories are shoved down our throats instead. Everything needs to be over-explained and then emphasised by being repeated; it takes us five pages to cover what could have been a single paragraph. Somehow it feels like there are so many things happening, the book feels cluttered, and yet none of it is interesting or moving the plot forward.

So disappointed, because I was so looking forward to this one! But it's a huge letdown for me.

[Heather Pacella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rainshadow City, an island within the greater Rainshadow Archipelago and seat of the Empire, has been transformed from a simple, self-sufficient island of fishermen and craftsmen into a booming metropolis, rich off the technological advancements that have taken place over the last several generations. Though the wealthiest member of the island chain (often at the expense of others), this prosperity has not benefitted all residents equally. Refugees that flee to the island are forced to live in the fenced-in Keeper's Crescent settlement, unable to obtain citizenship and meaningful employment under the Emperor's restrictive immigration policies. The Keeper's Children, forced into extremely low-paying and dangerous jobs just to barely scrape by, find their already-difficult lives compounded by the criminal Lucky Crows organization, who mercilessly exploit them at every opportunity. Toshiko, Mei, and Jun Kawakami, the titular Rainshadow Orphans, have personally experienced how cruel the Lucky Crows truly are; their Aunt Reiko, who adopted each of them when they were small, was brutally murdered in front of them five years ago for refusing to be extorted by the gang. Though they have since managed to leave the Keeper's Crescent and build a life for themselves in the city proper, they have spent the years working towards a singular goal: get revenge for the murder of their beloved aunt, by any means necessary. When a vengeful Toshiko impulsively steals a mysterious dragon pearl from a high-ranking member of the Lucky Crows, an irreversible series of events is set into motion. Set across two days as the siblings' paths converge with an impressive cast of characters (including the Emperor's son, Haru, and Keeper's Child-turned-Crow Theo), The Rainshadow Orphans culminates in an epic battle for the future of the city itself.

This book has been advertised as inspired by a number of Japanese influences, including Studio Ghibli. I unfortunately am not familiar with any of the sources, so I cannot speak to how accurate this is. However, I can say that The Rainshadow Orphans was an absolutely fantastic book! The world-building was an incredible blend of fantasy and sci-fi, and the plot was incredibly compelling. Though it was a fantastical setting, full of dragons and magic, the realistic plot points revolving around poverty, economic exploitation of immigrants, and abuse of power by those in the highest levels of authority felt all too real and added even more depth to the story. Though a 600+ page book set over only two days and following a revolving cast of characters sounds like a structural nightmare, it was anything but; Naomi Ishiguro masterfully wove together all these various story lines while simultaneously managing to develop a cast of incredible characters that you end up caring about deeply, even though you only spent a few pages with them at a time (the particular standout for me was Haru, the Emperor's young son). I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next in the unique world of The Rainshadow Orphans.


Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for this ARC!

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into The Rainshadow Orphans really intrigued by the pitch - fantasy blended with mythology and sci-fi is already such a fun combination, but the comparisons to Studio Ghibli and Akira made me even more curious. And I can absolutely see where those comparisons come from. This has that whimsical, slightly dreamlike atmosphere layered over something darker underneath: corruption, violence, poverty, and people trying to survive in a city controlled by fear.

Set in Rainshadow City, the story follows the Kawakami family - Toshiko, Jun, and Mei - as they seek revenge against the Lucky Crows after their aunt is murdered. We also get perspectives from Haru, the young son of the Emperor, and Theo, a reluctant soldier tied to the Lucky Crows themselves. When Toshiko steals a dragon pearl from the Crow leader, everything spirals outward into a much bigger story involving resistance, power, corruption, and the strange magic tied to the pearl itself.

Overall, I enjoyed this one, though I definitely had some mixed feelings throughout. The atmosphere and genre blend are easily the strongest parts of the book for me. Naomi Ishiguro creates a world that feels vivid in mood even when the details themselves are still somewhat vague, and there’s a very cinematic quality to several scenes that reminded me of animated fantasy films. The themes around standing up against corruption and exploitation also worked really well.

That said, I did struggle a bit with some of the characters, particularly because this leans much more YA than I initially expected, despite some darker subject matter. Haru’s chapters especially didn’t fully work for me since he’s so young that his perspective felt limited compared to the others. The narrative spends a lot of time with the Kawakami family while some of the other characters and dynamics feel less developed, and I found myself wanting more balance between the viewpoints.

My biggest issue, though, was the pacing. At around 640 pages, this book felt much longer than it needed to be. There are stretches where the story drags and becomes overly wordy without really adding depth, and I think tightening the narrative would have made the emotional and action-heavy moments hit much harder. I also wanted more elaboration on the world itself - the setting, lore, politics, and mythology are all interesting, but it often feels like we’re only scratching the surface. Since this is the first book in a trilogy, though, I’m hoping the later installments expand on those elements more.

Even with these factors, I still found this to be a compelling and unique start to a series. If you enjoy young adult fantasy with anti-corruption themes, mythological elements, strange magic, and a strong Studio Ghibli kind of whimsy layered over darker sci-fi undertones, this is definitely worth checking out.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC!