What do you think?
Rate this book
Jekua #4
Whispers from the Poisoned Isle
Yuluhu Island was once a thriving ecosystem, but now it's a toxic wasteland.
After barely surviving the attack on the Makanuele Rumble, Balt and Alani set out with their friends on a dangerous journey across the island to find a laboratory that might hold the key to learning what truly happened to Balt's grandparents eight years ago.
The Summoners will have to battle mutant Jekuas warped and strengthened by their toxic environment, search for a way to repair the mana leak that threatens to plunge Alani into perpetual soulsickness, and avoid the attention of their enemies.
But surviving the island won't be enough, because the supposedly abandoned lab is still in use – and a threat deadlier than any they've faced before is waiting.
After barely surviving the attack on the Makanuele Rumble, Balt and Alani set out with their friends on a dangerous journey across the island to find a laboratory that might hold the key to learning what truly happened to Balt's grandparents eight years ago.
The Summoners will have to battle mutant Jekuas warped and strengthened by their toxic environment, search for a way to repair the mana leak that threatens to plunge Alani into perpetual soulsickness, and avoid the attention of their enemies.
But surviving the island won't be enough, because the supposedly abandoned lab is still in use – and a threat deadlier than any they've faced before is waiting.
- GenresFantasy
584 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 19, 2023
10 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Travis M. Riddle
17 books397 followersTRAVIS M. RIDDLE lives with his girlfriend in Austin, TX, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in English Writing & Rhetoric at St. Edward’s University. His work has been published in award-winning literary journal the Sorin Oak Review. His novels "Flesh Eater," "On Lavender Tides," and "Spit & Song" were all semi-finalists in Mark Lawrence's SPFBO.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 22, 2023
Not going to do a full review as this is an early DNF. I just don't like the direction the story is going.
September 19, 2023
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
Where do I begin this review? The fourth book of Travis M. Riddle's Jekua series, Whispers from the Poisoned Isle, is finally here and I couldn't have been more excited to read it and share my thoughts now! Just a quick head's up before getting into this review: this review will likely have inadvertent spoilers for books #1-3, so if you haven't read any of those books you might want to skip this review and check out my reviews for one of those books (which can all be found here).
First, before I jump into the review itself, can we take a moment to appreciate the cover art for Whispers from the Poisoned Isle? This entire series has had some consistently outstanding artwork for each book and I think the illustrations and colors bring the world to life with such vibrancy.
With that out of the way, let's dive into Whispers from the Poisoned Isle!
As with previous books in the series, we pick up pretty soon after the events of Makanuele Rumble following Balt, Alani, Niona, Aeiko, and Brine as they begin their journey to the plague-ridden island of Yuluhu. Yuluhu is not a typical vacation destination because of the aforementioned disease known as strihova that is prevalent on the island. Any and all visitors must quarantine for a week before leaving the island and are required to wear permanent masks while on the island. This permanent mask situation also leads to some... interesting eating arrangements where visitors have to adopt a liquid-only diet (with drinks ranging from the fruity to the savory...) through their mask, and I have to say all this plus the risk of getting infected would probably prevent me from visiting, but I know our crew have important things to take care of.
The group has arrived on Yuluhu in order to continue Alani's pilgrimage to all the church's Veptilos, but they have a secondary goal as well: to find out if the Facet is indeed working out of an abandoned Lakhalo lab on the island, and to see if they can figure out why they are stealing Veptilos. On Yuluhu, they discover that the relatively mysterious disease known as strihova has affected not only its human inhabitants on Yuluhu, but also turned many of the Jekuas into rabid mutant Jekuas that wreak a vast amount of havoc on the island and its residents.
I always love hanging out with this group of characters. Balt and Alani are the OGs and continue to embody strong personalities that are consistent in many ways, yet also ever-evolving and dynamic. Each book seems to showcase some sort of arc for each character and pushes forward their development in a consistent, evenly paced manner. In the previous book, we started to see Alani really begin to question her passion for the church and whether it's really the future she wants, and this book continues to explore that thread with Alani really diving deep into what drives her and what she sees wanting to do in her future. I've really enjoyed this deeper exploration with Alani's character, and I have to say it's not one I initially would've expected from the beginning of the story, and I'm really enjoyed where it's going.
Balt has also experienced some drastic worldview shifts as he experiences more and more while accompanying Alani on her pilgrimage. Stepping back to look at how far Balt has come from the very first book before he'd imprinted even one Jekua to now when he's been creating hybrids and participating in some pretty intense Jekua battles (including his stint int he Makanuele Rumble!) has shown his growth not only in hard skills at using Jekuas and increasing his mana reserves, but also in his own maturity in knowing more about his own limits.
Niona once again joins us on the journey for this book, and we also get Aeiko and Brine our favorite coral golem joining us on this leg as well. I love the growing cast and enjoying getting to dig in a little into Niona's struggles as well as she tries to come to terms with the fact that she might never see her first and favorite imprinted Jekua after her kayet was badly damaged in the Facet battle in the last book. Niona remains extremely outspoken and not one to shy away from saying exactly what's on her mind, and it brought a new dimension to her character to see her go through some new struggles. Aeiko is a pretty steady character in this book, though I feel like Brine has been slowly changing ever so slightly since we first met him in the first book.
Sadly, due to the eating situation of this book, we did not get nearly as many delectable food descriptions in this book (though we did still get one or two), and instead were treated to some pretty gnarly sounding drinks–liquified versions of meat and potatoes, anybody?–but fortunately there was enough else going on with the plot that I didn't have to feel too sad about this.
There are plenty of Jekua battles littered throughout Whispers from the Poisoned Isle, ranging from relatively friendly practice games to some of the more intense ones we've seen with much higher stakes than we've seen previously (barring a few times). For me, there was also the added stress of worrying about one of our characters' masks getting dislodged at any point in these battles, so that kept me even more on the edge of my seat than I already was. Some of these Jekua battles felt much different from those we saw in Makanuele Rumble, given that the previous ones were largely setup during a tournament with rules and parameters, and a good deal of these were about needing to win or achieve some level of safety.
All the subtle foreshadowing and little hints at things being not quite they seemed that I mentioned in previous novels has really begun to fruition with some pretty massive discoveries uncovered in this book, and I think this book really serves as a climactic moment in what I assume is the overarching arc fo the series. I really can't seem to get enough of this world and learning all about the new islands and Jekuas that pop up as the story progresses. In fact, the entire progression of this series has felt so methodically laid out that I've been consistently impressed with how well we, as readers, are given something new to explore in the world with each book, while also leaving plenty of hints and ideas of new things and adventure to come. I've been particularly excited to explore each new island that we visit
Something about this series has just been so effortlessly engaging for me that it's hard to compare my reading experience to anything else. I feel like there are books you love that require some level of effort to sit down and read, and then there are books you love that you just sit down and with only one or two sentences you're fully immersed in the world and reading along with relative ease, and this series has easily been the latter. That's not to imply it's low bar or anything–far from it, in fact–but seems to reflect more on the author's ability to tell a story with a tone that feels both natural and doesn't rely too much on tricks and cheap devices to keep you hooked. There's a strong sense of realism with how the characters interact and dialogue with one another, as well as how the world has been constructed and we've slowly learned more and more about it along with our characters.
Overall, I've given Whispers from the Poisoned Isle five stars! There's a part of me that keeps wondering when I'll have to stop doling out the five stars for this series, but I've yet to see that happen and I'm happy a truly fantastic time with this series. I cannot wait for the next book! If you've not yet started this series (which, if you haven't and you've read this entire review then you didn't heed my previous advice, clearly), do yourselves a favor and go check out On Lavender Tides, I promise you won't be disappointed. If you have been reading this series, then you're in for a treat because this series only seems to be getting stronger with each book.
*I received a copy of Whispers from the Poisoned Isle courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment of the novel.*
Where do I begin this review? The fourth book of Travis M. Riddle's Jekua series, Whispers from the Poisoned Isle, is finally here and I couldn't have been more excited to read it and share my thoughts now! Just a quick head's up before getting into this review: this review will likely have inadvertent spoilers for books #1-3, so if you haven't read any of those books you might want to skip this review and check out my reviews for one of those books (which can all be found here).
First, before I jump into the review itself, can we take a moment to appreciate the cover art for Whispers from the Poisoned Isle? This entire series has had some consistently outstanding artwork for each book and I think the illustrations and colors bring the world to life with such vibrancy.
With that out of the way, let's dive into Whispers from the Poisoned Isle!
As with previous books in the series, we pick up pretty soon after the events of Makanuele Rumble following Balt, Alani, Niona, Aeiko, and Brine as they begin their journey to the plague-ridden island of Yuluhu. Yuluhu is not a typical vacation destination because of the aforementioned disease known as strihova that is prevalent on the island. Any and all visitors must quarantine for a week before leaving the island and are required to wear permanent masks while on the island. This permanent mask situation also leads to some... interesting eating arrangements where visitors have to adopt a liquid-only diet (with drinks ranging from the fruity to the savory...) through their mask, and I have to say all this plus the risk of getting infected would probably prevent me from visiting, but I know our crew have important things to take care of.
The group has arrived on Yuluhu in order to continue Alani's pilgrimage to all the church's Veptilos, but they have a secondary goal as well: to find out if the Facet is indeed working out of an abandoned Lakhalo lab on the island, and to see if they can figure out why they are stealing Veptilos. On Yuluhu, they discover that the relatively mysterious disease known as strihova has affected not only its human inhabitants on Yuluhu, but also turned many of the Jekuas into rabid mutant Jekuas that wreak a vast amount of havoc on the island and its residents.
I always love hanging out with this group of characters. Balt and Alani are the OGs and continue to embody strong personalities that are consistent in many ways, yet also ever-evolving and dynamic. Each book seems to showcase some sort of arc for each character and pushes forward their development in a consistent, evenly paced manner. In the previous book, we started to see Alani really begin to question her passion for the church and whether it's really the future she wants, and this book continues to explore that thread with Alani really diving deep into what drives her and what she sees wanting to do in her future. I've really enjoyed this deeper exploration with Alani's character, and I have to say it's not one I initially would've expected from the beginning of the story, and I'm really enjoyed where it's going.
Balt has also experienced some drastic worldview shifts as he experiences more and more while accompanying Alani on her pilgrimage. Stepping back to look at how far Balt has come from the very first book before he'd imprinted even one Jekua to now when he's been creating hybrids and participating in some pretty intense Jekua battles (including his stint int he Makanuele Rumble!) has shown his growth not only in hard skills at using Jekuas and increasing his mana reserves, but also in his own maturity in knowing more about his own limits.
Niona once again joins us on the journey for this book, and we also get Aeiko and Brine our favorite coral golem joining us on this leg as well. I love the growing cast and enjoying getting to dig in a little into Niona's struggles as well as she tries to come to terms with the fact that she might never see her first and favorite imprinted Jekua after her kayet was badly damaged in the Facet battle in the last book. Niona remains extremely outspoken and not one to shy away from saying exactly what's on her mind, and it brought a new dimension to her character to see her go through some new struggles. Aeiko is a pretty steady character in this book, though I feel like Brine has been slowly changing ever so slightly since we first met him in the first book.
Sadly, due to the eating situation of this book, we did not get nearly as many delectable food descriptions in this book (though we did still get one or two), and instead were treated to some pretty gnarly sounding drinks–liquified versions of meat and potatoes, anybody?–but fortunately there was enough else going on with the plot that I didn't have to feel too sad about this.
There are plenty of Jekua battles littered throughout Whispers from the Poisoned Isle, ranging from relatively friendly practice games to some of the more intense ones we've seen with much higher stakes than we've seen previously (barring a few times). For me, there was also the added stress of worrying about one of our characters' masks getting dislodged at any point in these battles, so that kept me even more on the edge of my seat than I already was. Some of these Jekua battles felt much different from those we saw in Makanuele Rumble, given that the previous ones were largely setup during a tournament with rules and parameters, and a good deal of these were about needing to win or achieve some level of safety.
All the subtle foreshadowing and little hints at things being not quite they seemed that I mentioned in previous novels has really begun to fruition with some pretty massive discoveries uncovered in this book, and I think this book really serves as a climactic moment in what I assume is the overarching arc fo the series. I really can't seem to get enough of this world and learning all about the new islands and Jekuas that pop up as the story progresses. In fact, the entire progression of this series has felt so methodically laid out that I've been consistently impressed with how well we, as readers, are given something new to explore in the world with each book, while also leaving plenty of hints and ideas of new things and adventure to come. I've been particularly excited to explore each new island that we visit
Something about this series has just been so effortlessly engaging for me that it's hard to compare my reading experience to anything else. I feel like there are books you love that require some level of effort to sit down and read, and then there are books you love that you just sit down and with only one or two sentences you're fully immersed in the world and reading along with relative ease, and this series has easily been the latter. That's not to imply it's low bar or anything–far from it, in fact–but seems to reflect more on the author's ability to tell a story with a tone that feels both natural and doesn't rely too much on tricks and cheap devices to keep you hooked. There's a strong sense of realism with how the characters interact and dialogue with one another, as well as how the world has been constructed and we've slowly learned more and more about it along with our characters.
Overall, I've given Whispers from the Poisoned Isle five stars! There's a part of me that keeps wondering when I'll have to stop doling out the five stars for this series, but I've yet to see that happen and I'm happy a truly fantastic time with this series. I cannot wait for the next book! If you've not yet started this series (which, if you haven't and you've read this entire review then you didn't heed my previous advice, clearly), do yourselves a favor and go check out On Lavender Tides, I promise you won't be disappointed. If you have been reading this series, then you're in for a treat because this series only seems to be getting stronger with each book.
*I received a copy of Whispers from the Poisoned Isle courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment of the novel.*
November 11, 2023
I've been enjoying each new installment more than the last! This book definitely had a darker vibe, but it was a fresh change and fit well with the environment Balt and the crew were in. Loved the addition of double battles, the super cool Lightbloom Raptor and continuing character growth! My only complaint was gonna be Pistachio missing the whole book, but that was quelled when Travis mentioned giving him more focus on the next island. As always, I'm excited for the next one!
September 23, 2023
Another great entry in this series and it was awesome to see how high the stakes were this time! Super excited for book #5!
March 4, 2025
I'm quite the grimdark fan—whatever that means—and well, Yuluhu is one hell of a disturbing place. I loved it so much! I don’t want to get into too much detail, but the abandoned ruins oozing post-apocalyptic vibes, mutant-enraged Jekuas?! Chef’s kiss, mate. Well done. Some extra hostility from the islanders would have been the perfect cherry on top (though one could argue we already had that—just packaged differently).
And this leads me to my conclusion: the best part of the book, for me, was the tension. It came from so many different sources, all keeping me constantly guessing what was coming next. Losing my mask and catching a virus that melts my bones and skin? Even just the premise from the first second was mind-boggling... Every fight carried the risk of irreversible damage? Ugh!
Bringing in 2v2 battles alongside Balt and Niona’s teamwork was also a great touch. The pacing of the action and the scenes were brilliant.
Setting? Check.
Tone? Check.
Action? Check.
Now, let’s talk characters. Niona has been my favorite since Makanuele. Her flamboyant, careless (but secretly still caring) nature is both entertaining and deeply appealing to me.
Balt is Balt—solid and consistently written.
Alani/Aeiko is still a bit of a mystery to me. If I had to point out one thing that felt somewhat lacking, it would be their progression across multiple dimensions—or maybe I just don’t fully get them. That’s fine too.
Also, Muntoos—I absolutely need one. Oh and food pouches, loved that boogers couldn't be described on long pages hahah.
Why didn’t everyone have some form of summoning? Even at the most basic level, using a Jekua as a mount would be a no-brainer, even for those not interested in battles. Or a creature to carry the heavy stuff instead of me? Or summon something to bring me a drink—with some kind of Jedi mind spell? Or, you know, escape a collapsing situation on the back of an "eagle"? Oh, wait.
Anyway, I rate this book my favorite Stalker/Chernobyl/Mad Max-inspired magical fake-animal-cruelty extravaganza out of 10 excrement-flinging shadow monkeys.
And this leads me to my conclusion: the best part of the book, for me, was the tension. It came from so many different sources, all keeping me constantly guessing what was coming next. Losing my mask and catching a virus that melts my bones and skin? Even just the premise from the first second was mind-boggling... Every fight carried the risk of irreversible damage? Ugh!
Bringing in 2v2 battles alongside Balt and Niona’s teamwork was also a great touch. The pacing of the action and the scenes were brilliant.
Setting? Check.
Tone? Check.
Action? Check.
Now, let’s talk characters. Niona has been my favorite since Makanuele. Her flamboyant, careless (but secretly still caring) nature is both entertaining and deeply appealing to me.
Balt is Balt—solid and consistently written.
Alani/Aeiko is still a bit of a mystery to me. If I had to point out one thing that felt somewhat lacking, it would be their progression across multiple dimensions—or maybe I just don’t fully get them. That’s fine too.
Also, Muntoos—I absolutely need one. Oh and food pouches, loved that boogers couldn't be described on long pages hahah.
Why didn’t everyone have some form of summoning? Even at the most basic level, using a Jekua as a mount would be a no-brainer, even for those not interested in battles. Or a creature to carry the heavy stuff instead of me? Or summon something to bring me a drink—with some kind of Jedi mind spell? Or, you know, escape a collapsing situation on the back of an "eagle"? Oh, wait.
Anyway, I rate this book my favorite Stalker/Chernobyl/Mad Max-inspired magical fake-animal-cruelty extravaganza out of 10 excrement-flinging shadow monkeys.
February 5, 2026
My love for this series continues to grow. In Whispers from the Poisoned Isle, the plot thickens as the gang visit the next island, locked down under perilous, pandemic-like restrictions. The deadly Strihova virus causes mutations in everyone and everything that breathes it in, making for a thrilling and unpredictable setting.
This installment was a fun ride, full of Jekuas and people with strange and fascinating mutations. The world continues to feel inventive and alive, and the stakes feel higher than ever.
My hunch about where the storyline was headed has been confirmed, but that didn’t make the journey any less exciting. A fantastic continuation of a series that just keeps getting better.
This installment was a fun ride, full of Jekuas and people with strange and fascinating mutations. The world continues to feel inventive and alive, and the stakes feel higher than ever.
My hunch about where the storyline was headed has been confirmed, but that didn’t make the journey any less exciting. A fantastic continuation of a series that just keeps getting better.
August 11, 2024
Darker, more gory and brutal, and great character growth. I'm also happy to see that there's much higher stakes that the characters are working towards now. The series gets better with each book so I'm looking forward to the next!
September 1, 2023
At four books in, the Jekua series keeps building on its earlier successes. You know what you’re getting yourself into by this point: increasingly unusual and highly original creatures, extra intrigue and more perilous wanderings through magical lands – with some of the most dramatic Jekua battles yet.
The emotional stakes keep rising as things continue to bite closer for home for everyone in Balt’s crew, in a variety of ways – but where this book takes us an extra step from the previous entries is with a more sustained real-world threat. The dangers come faster and more ferociously on the disease-ridden Yululu Island, with the team facing feral creatures and human enemies, and it’s all the more exciting now they’ve moved well beyond Jekua contests. The conspiracy/mystery also builds in a more complex way, leaving you hunting for answers to how the pieces fit together.
As always, Travis Riddle writes with a particular flare for presenting realistic characters with complex emotions, which paired with the colourful and exciting landscape of creatures and threats makes for another engaging adventure that moves at a steady clip. A joy to read, and I’m already looking forward to the next chapter in this tale.
The emotional stakes keep rising as things continue to bite closer for home for everyone in Balt’s crew, in a variety of ways – but where this book takes us an extra step from the previous entries is with a more sustained real-world threat. The dangers come faster and more ferociously on the disease-ridden Yululu Island, with the team facing feral creatures and human enemies, and it’s all the more exciting now they’ve moved well beyond Jekua contests. The conspiracy/mystery also builds in a more complex way, leaving you hunting for answers to how the pieces fit together.
As always, Travis Riddle writes with a particular flare for presenting realistic characters with complex emotions, which paired with the colourful and exciting landscape of creatures and threats makes for another engaging adventure that moves at a steady clip. A joy to read, and I’m already looking forward to the next chapter in this tale.
March 11, 2024
I came for the crystals and stayed for the interesting food delivery mechanisms. And the friendship. And the creatures. And literally everything else. I read this book months ago and think about it every day. It is my Roman Empire or whatever. Some of the most original and fun and at times chilling worldbuilding I've ever seen.
My favorite of the series so far. Also lots of good progression and reveals in this installment, plus even more questions and things I can't wait to see play out next. I will slurp it all up.
My favorite of the series so far. Also lots of good progression and reveals in this installment, plus even more questions and things I can't wait to see play out next. I will slurp it all up.
September 24, 2023
The starting few chapters were a bit tough to read due to the horrors of the plagued island. I resorted to skimming the nastier descriptions.
Other than that, this was another good addition to the Jekua series. It was good to see the banter and slice-of-life scenes continuing alongside training and action. I especially liked the team work in handling the fights. We got answers to some of the mysteries built up from the first book and the ending promised more exciting stuff to come.
Other than that, this was another good addition to the Jekua series. It was good to see the banter and slice-of-life scenes continuing alongside training and action. I especially liked the team work in handling the fights. We got answers to some of the mysteries built up from the first book and the ending promised more exciting stuff to come.
October 28, 2024
An overall decent installment in this series, just feels quite formulaic and repetitive... Jekua battle over here, Jekua battle over there, little character growth, no more closer to solving the mystery tying all the books together... Will I continue? Likely so as I'm already invested so much at this point... Kudos to the narrators of the audiobooks though!
May 27, 2024
This says a lot about society
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews