The Elsewhere Express

bySamantha Sotto Yambao, Amanda Centeno (Read by)

Brought to you by Penguin.

Embark on a magical journey in this wistful, Ghibli-esque fantasy from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Water Moon – perfect for fans of Spirited Away, Dallergut Dream Department Store and The Starless Sea.


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?


'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


© Samantha Sotto Yambao 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

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

About Samantha Sotto Yambao

Samantha Sotto Yambao is a professional daydreamer, aspiring time traveller, and speculative fiction writer based in Manila. She is the author of Before Ever After, Love and Gravity, A Dream of Trees, and The Beginning of Always. Water Moon, her latest novel and UK debut, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller.
Details
  • Imprint: Transworld Digital
  • ISBN: 9781529971217
  • Length: 653 minutes
  • Price: £14.00
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