Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang Narrator: Rosa Escoda
Published by Ace on January 21, 2025
Genres: Science Fiction Fantasy
Pages: 224
Length: 6 hours, 1 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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If you could swap your life for a better one, which would you choose?
On the outskirts of Rainbow Town, there is an old, abandoned house. They say that if you send a letter detailing your misfortunes there, you could receive a ticket. If you bring this ticket to the house on the first day of the rainy season, you'll be granted entrance into the mysterious Rainfall Market—where you can choose to completely change your life.
No one is more surprised than Serin when she receives a ticket. Lonely and with no real prospects for a future, Serin ventures to the market, determined to create a better life for herself.
There, she meets a magical cat companion named Issha and they search through bookstores, perfumeries, and fantastical realms while Serin tries to determine what her perfect life will look like.
The catch? Serin only has one week to find her happiness or be doomed to vanish into the market forever.
I’ve been more attracted to reading cozy fantasy this winter. I really enjoyed The Teller of Small Fortunes and now, The Rainfall Market. The story was written in another language originally and is translated. The main character is a teenage girl, Serin, who has many problems disadvantages in her life. She hears of a ticket to the Market which is kind of like how Willy Wonka got a ticket to the Chocolate Factory. The method of getting a ticket though is to write a letter with the misfortunes in your life.
Serin does get a gold ticket and goes to the Market. There are many different businesses and the ticket holders go to them to find orbs which provide them with a new life instead of their old one. The Market is run by the Dokkaebi and there are shops like bookshop, perfumeries, hair salon, restaurant, casino and more. Each one has an orb with a different life. Serin ends up with a cat, Issha, who has been mistreated by humans but also can help find orbs that provide certain things and give a view into the orb so you can see the life it will bring.
Serin goes through the different shops with Issha, pursuing different things like freedom, a good job, lots of money, etc. Each time she realizes the life is not really what she wants. The pacing starts kind of slow and Serin is not very focused. Eventually she learns a lot and meets many of the Dokkaebi, and in her way, helps them. In turn, she learns about herself so she can choose the right orb.
The cultural aspects are different which adds to the charm for me, but also made the story slow at first. I enjoyed the character growth and adventures of Serin.
Narration:
I don’t believe I have listened to this narrator previously but I enjoy the performance. The voices were distinct enough for me to know the characters. I certainly appreciated the audio version where all the pronunciation was all handled for me. I listened comfortably at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 25-Audio
- 25-COYER
This does sound cozy, and I guess I never read the blurb before because I hadn’t realized what the story was about. Glad you enjoyed it!
It is cozy and overall uplifting. Another friend pointed out it is more middle grade and it probably could be. It feels a little simplistic but some might be the translation.
This sounds intriguing. Great review, Anne💜
Thanks. It’s a bit different than my normal but that’s part of its charm.
Hmmm… interesting take. You have already read my thoughts. Perhaps had I known going in the level and writing style, I may have enjoyed it more.
yes. I like that it is unique. It isn’t my normal read but I like something different sometimes.
I imagine this would work well for audio and I am glad to hear the narration worked with all the voices.
yes the narration only added to the Asian feel and kept me from having to figure out how to pronounce things.
What a unique premise and I love that there’s a cat! I hope Serin treats the kitty better than those other horrible humans!
She does. The middle grade view is a not my favorite though. It’s inspiring.
I will have to see if my library has this one in audio as I really think I would like it. I need more cozy fantasy in my life.
I do like cozy fantasy but realize this feels very middle grade. I don’t normally read middle grade but this was nice for a change.
Seeing mixed reviews!
yes it feels like middle grade and I don’t normally read that level.
Just read another review of this, and they weren’t as pleased with it as you, but it sounds interesting! I will have to look into it. And I do love the cover!
I feel like it was mislabeled a bit. It feels more like middle grade. Then it might be more favored with the right audience?