The Fortress of Lost Memories

By: William Yamaguchi Dobson

Narrated by: Lee Maeda, Timothy Spall, Tomoya Errington, Kae Alexander, Colm Gleeson, Togo Igawa, Gloria Ishikawa, Eiji Mihara, Yuriri Naka, Ellen Thomas

When his grandfather begins to lose his memories to dementia, twelve-year-old Jonty is offered the chance to explore a magical realm where forgotten memories come to life.

Armed with nothing but his wits, Jonty must journey through the Gate of Memory to recover his grandfather's lost recollections and help him complete his memoirs. But the memory world is haunted by pirates who are determined to steal the forgotten memories for themselves. Soon Jonty’s quest becomes a perilous fight to prevent Gramps’ memories from being lost forever.

Accompanied by a host of yōkai, creatures from Japanese folklore – including a mischievous kappa, Lafcadio, and a half-beast warrior, Benkei – Jonty must race against time to gather a team who can confront the mysterious pirate Jinbu and recover the stolen memories.

Can Jonty overcome the trials of Kamizen and make it back home before his grandfather forgets him forever?

Blending whimsical yōkai lore with poignant human drama, this enchanting journey through magical realms explores the power of memory, the strength of familial love, and the courage it takes to face the shadows of forgetting.

Lee Maeda as Narrator

Timothy Spall as Gramps and Jinbu

Togo Igawa as The Black Dragon King and the Old Man Diviner

Tomoya Errington as Jonty Rikio Whistler

Also featuring,

Kae Alexander as Saya

Tatsumi Akinobu as the Abbot

Amerjit Deu as Samir the Postman

Hanako Footman as Mushroom Operator

Colm Gleeson as Lafcadio

Gloria Ishikawa as Yumi

Ami Okumura Jones as Doki

Meg Kobota as Madame Ozu

Eiji Mihara as Benkei

Yui Minari as Angelica

Naoko Mori as Akemi-Rose

Yuriri Naka as Koku

Derek Siow as Zanko and the Blue Guardian

Sam Stafford as Young Gramps and Jonty’s Father

And Ellen Thomas as Mammy Teeth

©2025 W. Y. Dobson (P)2025 Audible Ltd.

Well written and creative

A fresh fun adventure and a touching story on family illness and grief. I loved it

A perfect mix of Japanese andWestern cultures

I liked the goofy yet profound tone of the story. It also reminded me of the years spent in fascinating Japan, a country definitely at the forefront of progress, but that has been able to preserve and respect its past and culture. The whole story is heartwarming, fun, and can be appreciated by both adults and children. Very well done!

Dementia, family, duty, adventure, kids

In this adventurous kids story about a 10-year-old who travels through the mind of someone in his family. He loves with dementia to try and recover memories so that a memoir can be finished. This had a great cast with great performances. A beautiful mix of the Japanese folklore And symbolism in regards to the world’s in which Jean T explores. I feel good story it’s worth the time.

Great story and performance

Great story delivered in a great performance. I couldn’t stop listening to the end. I am not normally into the kind of fiction, but this one was the exception.

Definitely very enjoyable.

Not too often I get philosophical gems in fiction, very enjoyable listen. Lovely narration. One of the few I’d listen to again. Very very few.