Balam, Spring

Ustlian Tales #1

by Travis M. Riddle

Balam is a sleepy town on the eastern coast of Atlua, surrounded by forest and sea. It’s a village where nothing happens and everybody knows each other. But now, people are dying.

School is out for the spring, and schoolteacher Theodore Saen is ready to spend the next few months relaxing with his family. But when the town’s resident white mage falls ill and several townspeople begin to show similar symptoms, they must call on a new mage. Aava has freshly graduated from the nearby mage academy when she is swiftly hired to deduce the cause of the unknown illness and craft a cure before the entire town is afflicted. Aiding her is an ex-mercenary named Ryckert who keeps to himself but has grown bored with retirement and is itching for a new investigation when a suspicious young man appears in the local pub the same night the sickness begins to spread.

On top of it all, whatever is causing the sickness seems to be attracting strange insectoid creatures from the surrounding woods, desecrating the bodies of the victims and tearing through anyone unlucky enough to cross their path. Theo, Aava, and Ryckert must come together to discover the cause of the illness and put a stop to it before there is nobody left alive in Balam.

Genres: Fantasy, Slice Of Life, Fiction, Mystery, High Fantasy, Audiobook, LGBT

422 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 2018

About the author

TRAVIS 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.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

A serene slice-of-life fantasy with whodunit element.

When I was first offered Balam, Spring to review by the author, I wasn’t sure when I was going to read it. However, hearing that Final Fantasy IX (Final Fantasy is one of my top favorite gaming franchise of all time) was the main inspiration for this book, I immediately pushed this to become one of my priority read. Balam, Spring belongs heavily in the slice-of-life fantasy genre. For those of you who don’t know about this genre, you can search the meaning online but I usually relate slice of life to the depiction or exploration of characters normal life; most of them dealing with daily or uneventful activities. Although I’m quite a fan of this genre in anime format, I’m pretty sure this is the first time I attempted reading a slice of life novel. Because of this, I feel like the only way I can explain my feelings about this book properly is by dividing my review clearly into what worked and didn’t; by correlating my experience of reading/watching a slice-of-life story.

Let’s start with what worked first. Balam is a calm village where nothing happens and everyone is acquainted with each other. Suddenly, the white mage of the village—Freya—died mysteriously to an illness. The main characters—Theo, Aava, and Ryckert—must discover the real cause of death before the entire town of Balam succumbed to it. This mystery part worked well and I really wish there was more of it; I feel like if this book was more of a mystery genre, I would’ve loved it more. Riddle’s prose was good and it shined the most in the world-building part. It’s crazy how vivid the description and tone of the book was; Balam really came to life through Riddle’s prose and I feel like I was truly there in the city. I also loved the implementation of Final Fantasy elements into the book. Excluding the fact that the title of the novel itself, Balam, Spring, came from Balamb Garden in Final Fantasy VIII, there were more elements in the book that reminded me of Final Fantasy IX. In Final Fantasy, the role of White Mage is defensive; dealing mostly with healing (Cure) and supporting magic. Black Mage is the other way around; they dish out offensive magic like Fire, Thunder, and many more. These two roles were in the book and they were utilized aptly. The city of Balam reminded me of Dali, the Yunesca tree was probably inspired by lifa Tree; both from Final Fantasy IX. I enjoyed reading every part that made my nostalgia of Final Fantasy sparked, and I think Riddle did a wonderful job on the world-building aspect.

There were however several parts that didn’t work for me. One of the most evident was its pacing. Although I generally loved slow paced books, there were some moments where it did get too slow to my liking; a slice of life story, in general, can get too slow. Even when I’m watching my favorite anime in the genre, there tend to be a few sections that still felt too slow. However, the differences between anime and novel are that in anime, these faults can be redeemed through the usage of music, animation, and spectacular voice acting; these are some elements that are hard to find in novel format. Slice of life involved little action scenes, and that holds true for this book. The few moments with tensions were well-placed and gripping, but the distance between one danger to the next did felt too long. I also felt that the characterizations weren't as in-depth as I would've liked.

"He was a man who enjoyed getting comfortable in bed and reading a while before going to sleep. He had to unwind somehow; he wasn't the type of person to just get home, get in bed, and fall asleep."

Overall, I found Balam, Spring to be quite a nice change of pace from my usual intense read. I didn't loved it as much as I hoped, but I still liked spending my time with it; it was a highly atmospheric read and one I would definitely recommend to anyone in need of a break from their grim read.

You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[Pavle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slajs of lajf fantastika prija. To je u principu dovoljno da preporuči ovaj roman. Ali ima ovde još ponešto.

Čitanje obično podrazumeva izvestan stepen voajerizma. Pogled u nečiji život, uglavnom u nekim specijalnim okolnostima. Ovde specijalnih okolnosti nema. Dobro, ima, ali ne toliko. Smeštena u jedno potpuno obično seoce, gde ne živi nikakav Luk Skajvoker i njemu slična bagra, priča prati tri potpuno obične figure. Sve je poootpuno obično.

Ali ovo je fantastika! I zato mi je ovo pretpostavljam toliko i prijalo. Jer na svakoj stranici postoji taj nenadmašivi osećaj otkrivanja, kao da je u pitanju čitav jedan novi kontinent, a ne neko jelo ili neka nikada napisana knjiga ili drvo sa nemogućim bojama listova. Postoji ovde zaplet, da, i čak je vrlo emotivno potentan, ali nije to ovde ono što mi je toliko prijalo. Verovatno ću već sutra zaboraviti razrešetak. Ali mislim da ću hodati Balamom, u proleće, još bar neko vreme, koliko god to kitnjasto zvučalo. Jer živeti život vredi samo ako se žive mnogi životi. Zato se valjda i čita. A ovde ih ima dosta. Potpuno običnih, zamenljivih života. Ali i u njima može dosta toga da se vidi.
Eto, mislim da sam konačno naleteo na neko indi ostvarenje u kojem sam stvarno legitimno uživao. I to je ono što je, barem meni, važno.

5-

[Para (wanderer) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this book. The cover is beautiful and I love slice of life. It seemed like it couldn’t have been more up my alley if it tried. Peaceful life in a small village? Small-scale plot? Yes please! Initially, it reminded me a bit of Stardew Valley in book form. Small setting, each villager has a complex and detailed backstory, but…well. The same thing that worked in a game doesn’t necessarily translate to a book. And it’s a massive shame.

The problem with slice of life is that when you remove plot, every other aspect – the writing, the characters, the worldbuilding, the atmosphere – has to be perfect or near-perfect for it to work, since they have to make up for the absence. And here, none of them was quite up to scratch.

The story itself was fine – a healer dying of a mysterious illness and the villagers (and a new healer) trying to find what is happening and why. I wanted to find out what happens. Given some time, the characters might have grown on me, too. The videogame-like magic was another thing that took me out of the story, but this alone might not have been so bad either.

The biggest issue by far and the one that that brought it down from “meh” to DNF is the writing. To be clear, by writing, I don’t mean the basics like the grammar and spelling – those are all polished. It reads quick, too. It simply lacks any sort of atmosphere. The prose is bland, at points clunky, and a lot of it gives the story a very modern impression (diners? Pixie cuts? Jeans?) that clashes with the seemingly standard fantasy setting. Including the names. It doesn’t feel fantasy, it’s awkward and jarring, and for me, an absolute dealbreaker. Enough to make me stall and want to either skim through it or go read something else. Something, anything that doesn’t have those issues. I finished a whole book while deciding whether I should continue or not.

If you can get past the atmosphere issues I mentioned, it might still be worth a try. Unfortunately, I’ll have to call this a DNF at 30%.

[Calvin Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travis M. Riddle has crafted a unique, engaging tale in Balam, Spring. It’s secondary world fantasy, but it resembles an anime or perhaps the Final Fantasy video game series more than it does most other secondary world fantasy. It probably doesn’t help that I pronounce Balam identically to Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy VIII. As I read, I often found myself imaging the characters not as “live action”—for lack of a better term—but as anime characters. It’s definitely a unique read and deserves attention for that reason alone.

However, the book also stands on its own, apart from its unique setting. The story follows three main characters: Theo, a human school teacher; Ryckert, a retired Rocyan mercenary (think wolf-people…but not werewolves!); and Aava, a newly graduated white mage. Each of these characters is well fleshed out, with backstories and memories that make them feel real. If anything, I might have liked to have seen a little more of Aava’s backstory developed, but this is hardly a criticism. The main plot revolves around a murder/disease mystery that ensnares the three main characters—and the entire town of Balam—in various ways. This is very much a slice-of-life story, which is not my normal fare. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these characters and exploring the setting. Riddle keeps you turning the pages because the setting is unique and the characters worth caring about. I hope Riddle plans additional stories set in this world—I’d love to go back!

What weaknesses does the novel have? The characters and setting are great strengths, and because of this I found the plot to be a little underwhelming in comparison. It felt like it wanted to be a mystery, but I never felt like I had the right pieces to make deductions about the reveal. I also felt like there was a side story about Michio, a secretive black mage, that didn’t entirely fit. Its possible Riddle was introducing a character that may play an important role in future books. There is a hint that such may be the case. But whether this mage appears in future books or not, I felt like it was a distraction from the main plot of this book.

Although it isn’t a perfect novel, Balam, Spring is a unique slice-of-life fantasy that is well worth your time and money. If you enjoy fantasy and are looking for something with a unique spin on the genre, look no further. 4.2/5 stars.

[Daryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

Balam is a small coastal town that's beautiful and peaceful. That is until the towns resident mage dies of a mysterious illness and the other residents start to show symptoms of this cruel disease. Can a cure be found before anyone else perishes?

This isn't usually my go to type of book but The slice of life theme was a nice change from the action based fantasy books I tend to go for.
For me, the imagination that went into the world building was the high point of this book. The way Riddle describes the town of Balam is so unique. From the graceful waterfalls to the dazzling beauty of the yunesca tree, the world is brought to life and paints a stunning picture for the reader.
Another highlight was the characters. We follow Ryckert, a rocyan whose plan to retire comes to a crash as he starts to investigate the suspicious death of the former white mage. Aava, who is a fresh graduate from a nearby university is Sent to temporarily take over the duties of the towns white mage whilst a permanent replacement is found. And lastly, the highschool teacher, Theo. Now if I'm being honest I wasn't too fussed on Theo. Despite being an important character, I found him to be quite flat and mundane which is a shame as he's an important part. A character that I really liked and was probably my favourite was michio. A black mage that was kicked out of the university for an unknown reason. He's a mute that communicates via pen and paper which I thought was pretty cool in a weird way.

Now that I've mentioned Aava and Michio, you're probably wondering about the magic system. Well even if you're not I'm going to tell you anyway. There are white mages and black mages but both are quite similar to each other. Both study at universities in whatever subject they've chosen to study. Spells are cast using hand symbols and movement. There is a different type of magic which is deadly so it was banned centuries ago. I won't go too much into that for fear of spoiling it but I will say this, the magic system is one of most intruiging I've come across.

My only criticism would be how long it took for the plot to actually kick in. The first half of the book concentrates on introducing characters and their lives. There were parts when I didn't really know where the story was going. But I decided to stick with it and was treatet to a heartwarming ending that was also heart wrenching at the same time. Trust me, stick with it and you'll see what I mean.

I want to thank Travis M. Riddle for reaching out and providing me with a copy of Balam, Spring. I look forward to reading more of your work.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review is here, on my blog!~

This was an interesting setting for a start. Balam is a small town in the land of Atlua. It is unique (to me) in that it doesn’t necessarily feel like a fantasy land – the town has a diner, high school, and clinic – but it also definitely, absolutely does – it also has a blacksmith, a white mage, and a POV character that I could only really visualize as a sort of beastman. A wolfman, he seemed to me.

In the calm, sleepy town of Balam, it is springtime. This spring is rather more eventful than others, because the town’s white mage suddenly dies, seemingly by suffocation, right in front of Theo Saen, a teacher at the high school. A new white mage named Aava is brought in, as every town needs one, and she determines that there was poison involved. Meanwhile, the retired mercenary Ryckert has taken it upon himself to investigate what’s happening, because some shady people have shown up in town recently. Shenanigans are going down, and the three of them will have to come together to find out what exactly is happening!

I quite enjoyed my time with this audiobook. It’s well written and it tells a very unique and interesting story, for a start. The mystery was well plotted, and I didn’t solve the mystery before the mystery was becoming clear to the characters, which is always good. It has a fairly slow pace, but as I was listening while performing other tasks, I found that I didn’t mind so much. It never seemed so slow that it was boring. It probably helped quite a bit that I really liked the setting, as I mentioned before. I thought the whole… real-world-adjacent-ish town of Balam was a really interesting place to try and visualize myself in. In my brainspace, it ended up being a slightly more fantasy-esque Storybrook from Once Upon A Time. Or, perhaps a much, much smaller Fabletown from Fables. With Ryckert as Bigby and a whole bunch of Final Fantasy mages romping over the place.

Look, I never said I was good at imagining anything. >.>

It does call up a lot of Final Fantasy imagery, with White Mages and Black Mages, and Blue Mages, and yes, Red Mages. I appreciated that my people were represented (albeit in a slightly different way than is usual). *tips my giant, ridiculously feathered red hat*

The narrator, Mary Hildebrandt, did a fantastic job here, in my opinion. She has a pleasant sounding voice for one, but narrates in a way that you can hear the smile in her voice at times when it’s appropriate, and she made each character unique. There are also parts of this book that are legitimately feels-inducing, and she definitely induced those feels in me. There is a character who is manic AF and talks a mile a minute, and she narrated him just wonderfully. All told, she made it very easy to just turn the book on and listen to it for hours at a time.

So, all told, I quite liked this one. It was a lovely way to give myself some focus to finish the work week. I managed to gobble it all up in less than a day. That should say a lot for it! 4.5/5 stars!

This review is based on a review copy. Thanks to the author for the review copy.

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through TBRindr. This book has been entered into this year’s SPFBO and has moved onto The Hopeful Pool from the Weatherwax Report group. Thank you Travis M. Riddle for sending the book.

The two words that most often come to mind with this book are quaint and charming. Balam is a quiet coastal town that is small and simple, and they are comfortable that way. It’s spring time and school has just wrapped up for the season leaving Theodore Saen with some much needed free time to spend with his young wife. Unfortunately his calm is ruined when he witnesses the sudden death of the town’s white mage (think doctor), and the deteriorating health of his wife with similar symptoms.

The town reaches out to the mage academy to see if there is anyone else they can send to see to the body and take care of the ongoing medical needs of the town. They send Aava, a recent graduate who was at the top of the class, who only thinks this will be a short interim assignment. Instead, the cause of the former mage’s death is a mystery as is the additional cases of similar illnesses that are hitting this small town, and her stay might take longer than she planned.

Helping Aava to discover what is happening is Ryckert who has found his retirement from mercenary work gets old and boring very quickly. Ryckert is a bit of a hermit, tending to keep to himself, and he must decide between his isolation and the thrill of the hunt.

Mixed into this world are a number of other non-human creatures that add an element to the story that somehow fits into this “slice of life” story. It’s just understood that Theodore’s pet, which somewhat resembles a pig, is how things are. Even Ryckert is a race called the Rocyans – with some wolf-like characteristics.

There is plenty to like about this book. Like the town, the tone of the story is quaint, charming and optimistic. It felt somewhat like taking a walk through a quiet neighborhood. The world-building is beautiful and the scenes are depicted with great care. The people that live there are often quirky and somewhat loveable, each with its place in the greater story.

Possibly the strongest part of the story is how pain and grief are handled. As the mystery illness is affecting more and more in the town, and as more deaths occur, we see the result on those that are left behind. In one particular case, the torment of what the character is feeling is quite realistic and heart wrenching.

My issues with the book were minor. For starters, the “slice of life” component of the book was carried consistently throughout, but it eventually got to the point when it switched a little for me from cute to mundane. I’m not really sure why, and it was very subtle, but it felt like there needed to be a little more of something.

The plot, while good, didn’t quite measure up to the world building and character development. Yes, this is part mystery, and yes, in mysteries we need to stumble around until we find the truth, but some of it made me scratch my head. One of the most troublesome was the arc for Michio, a former acquaintance of Aava and practicer of black magic.

Even with some of these minor points, it is a very likeable book. It can definitely appeal to all readers from middle school up, with some elements that are intense and emotionally charged, and some minor violence. Once again, a big thank you to Travis for sending this to me. Recommended! 4.1 / 5 stars.

(P.S. I am reading Travis’ book Wondrous now. Review coming soon.)

[Jennifer (bunnyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover says a lot about what you’re going to find in this story. It has a quaint, cozy mystery feel but it’s also somewhat of a love story and a tragedy. It’s charming in a weird, people are dying and big bugs are showing up to eat the corpses, sort of way.

The cast-

Theo a teacher who lives in Balam with his wife Lyrra (The two of them are so sweet and comfortable together. I adored them so much). Theo is the one who is there when the White Mage dies. He also knows a lot of people around Balam because of work.

Aava New to Balam she is sent as a replacement after the White Mage died. She’s resourceful and smart yet still has moments of being a little scared she’s not doing all she can. I fell in love with her character almost immediately when she was in the position of having to deal with a potentially overly handsy guy and she nipped that in the bud, real quick. Her quick thinking told me right off she was smart enough to be sent on this job.

Rychert the ex-mercenary that lives outside of town, mostly keeps to himself but the mystery has piqued his interest. I liked him. I liked his friendship with Aava. He was gruff but friendly and just the guy we needed to counter her youthfulness.

In a lot of ways, this felt more like a slice of life story with a mystery to give it some purpose. The mystery itself is fairly straight-forward and other than it going a bit different at the end than you’d think, you pretty much know what your in for. Which is fine, because I felt this was more a story about the impact of the events, rather than the events themselves, and the joy in this story for me, was more to do with the interactions of these three characters and the people around them.

”The stage had been handcrafted by Mr. Reede’s father before he passed away, specifically for his son”
When you meet Mr. Reede- a flamboyant man, this just explains a lot about him.

”Theo carried his wife’s lavender mug into the bedroom, where she sat propped up against the headboard reading a book. It was a novel written decades ago by a Jeornish man named Killian Vearnas, and it chronicled the lifelong journey of a young woman as she travelled from Alta to Herrilock in order to track down a fortune her ancestors…”
Tidbit’s like this sprinkled through were my favorite and made the world feel tangible.

I enjoyed the way this story led us around town and let’s us learn about the people and the area by off-hand thoughts and little anecdotes of in-world characters. But at the same time, there is still a bit of a distance that can be felt between us and the characters. Some we only get impressions of, and because of that distance we feel towards them, it takes away some of that power and punch that should have been there when things do hit close to home, which is probably my only complaint in the whole story.

But that said, I really enjoyed this story. I loved the charm of it, the people, the style- and I expect when the author gel’s that distance with that charm/people/story/style combo, we will be seeing some amazing stuff in the future. I know I will be looking for more from him.

Other notes-

-The lgbt relationships in this are just part of the norm and no big deal- I liked that. Should mention they are only alluded to in this as shared stories between friends.

-The inhabitants of Balam were varied in color and race- I pictured Rychert as basically a dog man, Lyrra had yellow eyes, etc.

- I felt like I was walking around a town in Final Fantasy meeting everyone and chatting.

-Despite a few sad moments in the story it also felt very uplifting.


-Thank you to the author Travis M. Riddle, for generously providing a copy through Esme’s tbrinder matchmaking reviewer/author service, which you can find here at The Weatherwax Report-

https://weatherwaxreport.blog/2018/04...

[Jon Auerbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balam, Spring wears its Final Fantasy-inspiration on its sleeve and that's not a bad thing. Despite its ubiquity, I think this is one of the first fantasy novels I've read that pays homage to the game series, particularly Final Fantasy IX, hence the picture above. Riddle does a great job subtlety weaving in those elements without hitting you over the head with them. You have magic spells and mage classes that you may be familiar with, but Riddle has built an entire world from the ground up that feels lived in and one that you will want to see more of in future books.

Here, the story centers around a mystery in the coastal town of Balam, which is gorgeously depicted on the cover. Our three main characters must discover what is killing the townspeople (and the town's previous white mage) before everyone succumbs to a deadly illness. I appreciated that each viewpoint character brought a different perspective on both the town and why they want to help save it. The book has been called a "slice-of-life" fantasy and the pacing moves along at a slower clip than other fantasy books, but it all works together to immerse you in the town and the lives of these characters as they unravel what is transpiring.

Overall, Balam, Spring is an enjoyable read with great worldbuilding and characters that you can connect to. I'm looking forward to reading Riddle's second book in this world, Spit and Song.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those very unique fantasy books that defies categorization. It took me a while to get into, but in this case I don't know if that's altogether a bad thing. It begins as a slow, relaxing slice-of-life tale as we get to know the major characters--all of whom had their own voices and all of whom I enjoyed reading about. In the latter part, the pacing picks up as events begin to unravel (and in a surprisingly dark way!), and I became very engrossed in the end game. All-in-all, it was a fun yarn with a Final Fantasy-ish feeling world. On top of that, it's a stand alone novel, which sometimes seem few and far between in this genre. If you're looking for a palate cleanser between bigger epics, look no further! (Also, can I just say that the cover art on this one is gorgeous?)

[Jordan (Forever Lost in Literature) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5. What a truly wonderful, refreshing story! I think I loved this. It was such a nice slice-of-life story, but with so much more than I ever expected and I was constantly surprised by the events of this book. Full review to come soon!

Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!

Lately, I've been feeling a little... burnt out, if you will, due to how much dark and epic fantasy I've been reading. I love those types of fantasy, but I've been doing a lot of reviews and reading a lot of books that are dark, often nihilistic, fairly violent, full of political plotting, etc. I love all those, but it's left me feeling bombarded lately. When I started reading Balam, Spring and found this beautiful, welcoming small town with quirky characters and a sense of normalcy, I was elated. (If you think I'm exaggerating, you should have seen me running around gushing about how perfect this book was to everyone) Balam, Spring is a book that you can just sit down and lose yourself in because not only is it a lovely small town setting, it also has an intriguing plot line to keep you hooked.

I really loved the fantasy world that Riddle created for this book It's the sort of setting that feels somewhat like our own, but is clearly a second world fantasy and is full of magic and magical creatures. Balam is a quiet seaside town that moves at what can only be described as a leisurely place. Things don't stay all sunshine and rainbows, however, and there are indeed some serious events that happen and are discussed in this book, but Balam, Spring never loses its charm and relaxing quality. I need some art for this book because I think it would make for some beautiful illustrations. And if you're anything like me who loves a good food description, you will be in heaven with the amount of food depicted in this book.

The main characters we follow are Aava, Theo, and Ryckert. Of course, we get to meet many of the other town members as well, all of which are wonderful and have their unique story that adds dimension to the story as well.

Theo is a teacher, married to a lovely woman named Lyra, and an all-around nice guy. He becomes a big part of this story because he is the one that is with the White Mage when she dies from her illness. Both Theo and Ryckert have interesting backstories, but I have to admit that Theo's was the more surprising of the two and made me understand Theo and his relationship with his family in a better light.

Aava is the temporary White Mage brought in to take over the town's White Mage duties until a more permanent replacement can be found. Aava is fresh out of school and is nervous--and a bit excited--to start her duties as a White Mage. She gets a bit more than she bargained for when the mysterious illness takes over the town, and I was impressed to see how well she handled the situation for being someone so young and relatively inexperienced.

Lastly we have Ryckert, a rather reclusive rocyan that lives in Balam. He gets drawn into everything because his own curiosity is simply too strong, and I enjoyed seeing his interactions with the various townspeople. Ryckert is a resourceful and intelligent person who prefers to be on his own and not become a big part of the town's events, but as the story progresses he slowly develops relationships a few people that help him realize it's okay to open up more.

I didn't expect certain parts of this book to get quite as dark or intense as they did, but I think it added a really great balance to the tone of the book. Looking back, I actually really liked how even though some horrible things happened, the sense of warmth and comfort from the town and its inhabitants never went away, which I think is nice to remember when we all go through our own dark times.

Overall, I've given Balam, Spring four stars! I had a wonderful time reading this book. I have no idea if Riddle plans to write more books in this world or with these characters, but I would absolutely pick them up--though I'll probably try out anything he writes out, if we're being honest. If you're looking for a charming and compelling book, then I can't recommend Balam, Spring enough.

I received a copy of Balam, Spring courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the book.

[Tom Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair review.

Balam, Spring - Travis M. Riddle

Balam is the type of town I grew up in, a small town where everyone knew everyone and their business and Travis M. Riddle took me straight back there. There's something homely, for lack of a better word, about his writing; it's familiar without being basic, comforting without being coddled. Sometimes I find it takes me a while to get into the groove with a new author's writing style but with BALAM, SPRING I slotted in straight away.

After reading so many epic, world traveling, a hundred books long fantasies, it's nice to scale down to a story with one setting and a definitive start, middle and end, in fact sometimes I forgot I was in a fantasy world, everything felt so normal. The story is sort of a Tolkien x Agatha Christie fantasy x murder mystery set in a world best described as pseudo-modern medieval time period (they don't seem to have modern technologies, but they have most modern-day luxuries).

We meet two out of the three main characters at the start of the story: Ryckert, a rocyan (sort of a dog-man) who has retired to Balam after working as a mercenary and Theo, a teacher working at the local school. The third is introduced a few chapters in, Aava, a white mage (a magic healer) sent to their town to replace the former white mage who died mysteriously. All three characters are incredibly three-dimensional, showing their attributes and shortcomings throughout the story with just enough back story on each without becoming infodump-y. Theo in particular is an interesting man, with an extremely tragic upbringing and the relationship he has with his wife Lyrra is one I think we should all aspire to. Ryckert was my favourite of the lot - seeing his growth from hermit to being able to develop meaningful relations does warm my heart.

Although the pace of the story can be quite slow at times it is never boring as the characterization and growth of the three main characters is well worth the time you spend reading, as well as being entertained by the quirky residents of Balam who pop in and out of the story. If you are worried about the story ending on a cliffhanger, don't be - the story is concluded but there is just enough scraps left of other information to allow for many more adventures in the world of BALAM, SPRING. I do hope to return to the town one day.

I give BALAM, SPRING 4 1/2 * out of 5.

[D.P. Woolliscroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many books start in small villages and then move onto world ending conflicts, battles of thousands and gods looking to interfere in the lives of mortals. If that's what you're looking for then Balam, Spring isn't it. And I for one am happy about that.
I think this book hit me in just the right moment after one such book of ever escalating action, and Balam, Spring's focus on the inhabitants of a small town as they look to understand the nature of a disease that is striking down their inhabitants was a delightful tonic.
The setting itself is an interesting one; a combination of the medieval and the modern with a well defined though hardly touched upon magic system, and there are plenty of hints at the broader world that exists. But what really brings the story to life are the characters. There are three POV characters that we follow, all at different stages of their lives and all dealing with the baggage that life throws at them.
I won't give too much away but this had moments of happiness, laughter, adventure and a genuine tear jerking chapter that you could tell really came from the heart. 4.5/5

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start off by explaining that slice of life stories are not usually my first choice when picking up a book in any genre. They definitely have a special place and sometimes it's necessary to delve into one for something a little different than the norm. Having that said, Balam, Spring is a solid 3.5 for me, with some aspects I liked and some I really liked.

The quaint and quiet town of Balam is suddenly disrupted when its white mage falls ill and perishes to an unknown illness. In an attempt to find answers to this mysterious occurrence, the town requests a replacement and is sent Aava, a freshly-graduated mage from a nearby academy. Soon, she finds that whatever is sweeping through the town is much more than she bargained for. Together with local (and extremely bored) ex-mercenary, Ryckert, Aava must find the the cause and quickly cure the town of this sickness before an epidemic takes the lives of everyone. Oh yeah, and there are bugs. Big bugs.

Balam, Spring is a genuinely unique whodunnit tale that is part mystery, part slice of life, filled with a suspense that refuses to release its claws. Right when you think you're coming upon a reveal, Riddle throws in another twist that leaves you back at square one with more questions than before. The pace is a bit slower than I generally like, but it serves its purpose by building the tension. There are also seemingly random flashback interludes for all the POV characters that appear throughout, but their purpose becomes very apparent as the story continues on. The action scenes are well written with a palpable sense of urgency that involve most of the tale's likable characters.

The tone is filled with a realistic and tangible sadness as it deals with the loss of loved ones. However, there is a strong sense of uplifting hope that can easily be attributed to the camaraderie of the small town setting.

Speaking of the setting, I'd have to say it's one of the strongest aspects of the book. The world building in here is just absolutely beautiful. The descriptions were so vivid, I felt like I could close my eyes and upon opening them, I'd be resting under Balam's massive yunesca tree on an picturesque spring morning framed with the calming sounds of waterfalls. I'm really looking forward to exploring more of this world in the future.

WARNING: DO NOT read this when hungry. There are multiple scenes involving detailed descriptions of various foods that may cause snacking.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it, but I just... can't.

Proper review later.

[Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve seen Balam, Spring described several times as a cozy story about solving a mystery in a small town. That description makes me think it’s light and low-stakes, a casual read to meander through and then on from. But that is not the case here. Balam, Spring made me feel things; it got me invested in this tiny town’s mystery and its people. What started out as a simple, slice-of-life, enjoyable read ended up as a desperate marathon to finish the book and see the mystery solved. The writing is very polished and the style is immersive. The book is a standalone, tying everything up nicely in the one volume. The world is presented as-is, with no history lessons given to the reader. We really only see the small town of Balam in any detail, only seeing flashes of other towns and cities in characters’ reflections or histories. And those are more focused on the characters than the locales. The characters are where this book really shines; I found them to be just so well-done. It really was a joy to read.

[Tawallah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balam, Spring is considered a slice of life fantasy novel. Embarrassingly, I passed up on reading this book a year ago. And I ended up winning it as part of the BINGO challenge on r/fantasy. Having read this, I am puzzled to why I didn't read it before. I liked the author's other book - Wondrous.

In Balam, Spring, we are in a universe called Atlua and we are in a small sleepy town called Balam. Here we follow the residents, mainly a school teacher Theo, a retiree Rickert during the spring season. Events change in town when the white mage, essentially a healer develops a mysterious illness. A temporary replacement, Aava is sent to help out as more townspeople develop the same symptoms.

This was a soothing and great break from more intense or dense books.The pace was slow in spots but there was a mystery element to maintain interest in the initial stages. Despite being a slow pace read, the author took the time to develop character and explore the world in the book. He even captures the atmosphere of spring in this book.

Like the previous book, a major theme was grief. There are quite a few characters who have to wrestle with loss. Personally, this helped me as I lost a very close friend while reading this book. As it is such a comforting read, this book happened to be read at the right time.

There are some issue and unresolved aspects and I could easily read a companion type novel for certain characters. It did end a little too pat. But if you are looking to try a slice of life fantasy novel, this one seems to be a great introduction to this relatively unknown genre. If you like your books to have a strong plot, then this is not the genre for you.

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m new to slice-of-life fantasy and I’m not 100% sure how to define it. People say Balam, Spring belongs to the subgenre, so I’ll trust them.  It’s a much quieter, smaller-scale story than the ones I read recently. 

Balam’s resident white mage falls ill and dies. Several townspeople display similar symptoms and that’s a bad sign. Hopefully the new mage, Aava, will find a cure and solve the mystery. An ex-mercenary, Ryckert, helps her in the case. 

Two of three main characters - Aava, and Ryckert - are distinct enough, but Theo, a local schoolteacher, lacks strong personality. Ryckert is a rocyan (a sort of wolf-man) and despite his age remains fast, strong and dangerous. We get some glimpses of his mercenary past and I would say he’s the most rounded character in the book. Aava, with her sense of insecurity but also a sharp mind, is likeable. Theo, well, I find him rather boring.

Riddle excels in writing engaging vignettes of every-day life. Despite low - stakes I rarely lacked motivation to follow the story. That said, I prefer “tighter” books. The story slowed down in the middle and dragged in places. Murder mystery has a surprising and problematic explanation - figuring out the killer’s identity is part of the fun. Here, though, the final reveal came out of nowhere. 

Despite minor criticism, I’ve devoured the book in two sittings. Any final thoughts? Worth a shot if you ask me. 

[Shalini Gunnasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite enjoyed this. Even if the mystery was solved rather too slowly (for someone who reads a lot of detective novels, that is), it was still an entertaining read. Bit melodramatic though, though that is probably just my opinion.

The perspective flip at the very end was interesting, especially given that it is a piece of Balam's history that no one ever knew or ever will.

[Andrew Yerich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this “slice of life” “mystery / who done it” set in a fantasy world. The characters were all great and the author did a good job building this small village up. My only real complaint was the ending seemed a tad rushed, but otherwise I loved it and couldn’t put it down!

[Rossana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise!

[Jake Swartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an enjoyable read! Travis has created my dream home in Balam, such a lovely quaint small town on the coast.

As a predominately sci-fi and fantasy reader, this was a very refreshing mystery fantasy book for me. I think it would be a great book for introducing someone to fantasy or to mystery novels. Balam, Springs was beautifully written, it was delightful read and still tugged at my heartstrings. The author is great at characterization, can't wait to see what he comes out with next!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Balam, Spring is an enjoyable slice of life fantasy novel with a mystery for the driving plot. As mentioned in the blurb, there's an illness going around the town and the main characters work together to figure out what is causing it. There's a schoolteacher, Theo, a white mage (doctor), Aava, and an ex-mercenary, Ryckert. Each of their viewpoints gets about the same amount of pages, so you get to know the characters well. Because they're a diverse group with very different backgrounds, you get more exposure to what the world of Balam is like.

Ryckert was for sure my favorite character. Being the ex-mercenary, his plotlines were more action-oriented and his way of speaking and interacting was more casual.

Aava was a great fit for the white mage role. As a white mage in this world, she's basically a doctor. She has an inquisitive mind and speaks scholarly, yet isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She was a realistic 18 year old fresh graduate.

Theo was my least favorite, mostly because he didn't have any special skills. You learn a lot of about his background, including his relationship with his wife Lyrra. He didn't become involved with solving the mystery until the end, and because the mystery was the main plot, I was usually disappointed when I started one of his chapters because I knew it wouldn't progress the plot.

The town of Balam is detailed well throughout the novel. You really begin to know the inhabitants and their personalities. It's obvious the author spent a good amount of effort effectively building the world.

The prose is good but not complex or elegant like some of the masters of fantasy. I was able to read swiftly without having to reread sections to understand what was going on. For a self-published novel, the editing exceeded my expectations. I only remember one misused word and there were no typos.

My praise isn't without complaints, though.

I'm not the biggest fan of slice of life novels, so the beginning of the novel and many of the backstories didn't resonate with me. I was more interested in the mystery plot and wanted it to be explored more. Various sections of the book could have been dropped without any impact on the story.

One of the inhabitants of the town plays a large role in the first half of the book, but ends up leaving town and we never hear from him again. I was disappointed how quick his departure was.

Aava is competent in her role as a recently graduated white mage, but as the story develops she no longer has the ability to identify or cure the illness. The illness is so bad and affecting many of the townspeople, yet no one attempts to bring in a more experienced person to help.

[Maša · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mysterious illness plagues a small city.

The inhabitants are varied, and interesting. The world is big, and hosts many different races. It's also pretty brutal, and people live with their scars, and traumas.

I enjoyed the leisurely pace, even though I read the book quickly - it was cozy but kept me invested in the characters. Sure, it could've been shorter and some of the characters could be ommitted, bit for a self published work this was nicely done. If you love slice-of-life, this is for you!

The mystery was resolved in a unique way, and the ending made me tear up. Oh, and the symptoms of the illness are similar to COVID so keep that in mind.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a strong 4 star read from me. This is a lovely slice-of-life type fantasy, with many rich details about the town of Balam and a scattering of Balam's citizens. It also has a bit of a mystery aspect as well as the threat of an illness which could become an epidemic and strange creatures attacking the town. Despite there being a few battle scenes and serious consequences for the character, the overall feel of the book is mostly on the peaceful side. which I enjoyed.

Balam is a seaside town, built on three levels, one basically at the beach that's very small and almost uninhabited, and two terraces along the cliffside above. Each level is connected to the next via a staircase in the cliffside. There are the usual suspects in the town - a school complete with schoolteachers, a pub, an inn, a concerned but self-important "mayor", a healer/white mage, a butcher, and so forth.

For me the worldbuilding was good but had some odd inconsistencies. I really liked the different races living together, although clearly some races are less populous in Balam (the jeornish who seem to be distinguished by white hair; the rocyan - sort of dog-life humanoids). I also liked that there were characters of different sexual orientations represented without it being made a big deal one way or another. I liked the layout of the town being unique and that there were other towns and establishments like well-known schools and so forth mentioned and part of the larger world.

However, there were several notes (and these are probably me being picky) that pulled me out of the story from time to time - right near the start there's the mention of a larger, nearby town (2 days travel) named Brigher and then right after a mention of making weekend trips there. Four days round trip doesn't seem like a weekend trip. Other small things - a meal from the diner (diner by itself seemed out of place to me), but the meal named "Moonlight Sonata" - cute, but at the same time so real-world that it pulled me out of the narrative - served on disposable plates as takeaway. Mentions of a motel (that seems really modern, but the world-building doesn't come across that way); streetlamps flickering on; jeans; mailboxes in front of the houses/shops. One or two I would probably have ignored, but there were enough little things that were jarring that it bears mention.

We open the story with Theo (Theodore) Saen, one of the schoolteachers in Balam right as the school year ends. Theo is relatively young and an earnest, genuinely nice character. For me his defining characteristic was his love for his wife, Lyrra. Their relationship was lovely to read about without being cloying.

Although we opened with Theo, I'd say the stars of the story are really Ryckert, a retired rocyon mercenary who lives by himself in a simple house/shack he built on the lowest level of Balam, by the beach and Aava, the recently-graduated white mage who is sent to Balam to replace their mage (Freya) when Freya dies early on in the narrative.

There are three (or perhaps four) types of magic in this world - White, Black, Red (and maybe Blue). We really only see three of these types and the magic isn't a system that's fully spelled out. Interestingly enough, the author chose to make some of the White magic (generally healing/curative type things) properly named - sort of D&D or LitRPGish, such as Aava casting "Protect" on her companions when they're pursuing some monsters.

It's an interesting book and gave me the warm, fuzzies despite their being some deaths and violence. Overall a good read and I'd encourage you to give it a try!

[Dianthaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains a mild spoiler about the direction the story goes, but it’s info that is spelled out even more in the blurb.

Balam, Spring starts very idyllic countryside cosy mystery, think Murder She Wrote, and then strays a bit into some horror territory, think Alien, before ending on a sweet note in the epilogue.

Overall I liked it, I really loved the cosy parts,but was bugged by a couple of things.

The narrator is a one woman show. She’s delightful, puts in a performance, and has a pleasant voice. When Theo is walking around Balam enjoying spring, you can hear the smile in her voice. She also changes rhythm based on characters, there’s one guy thatalkslikethisohmysuchfastveryexcite. It’s really fun.

Balam is a very small very quiet little town, where everyone knows everyone. We follow 3 point of view characters for most of the book, though others have a few scenes too. The cast is small, easy to follow and the narration makes them very easy to tell apart.

The characters

Theo is the first we meet, the schoolteacher finishing up his work at the start of spring break. He’s a wholesome good guy, who’s the unfortunate witness to the town mage’s mysterious death.

Ryckert is the retired mercenary, the town recluse, who’s a Rossian (spelling may vary) a non-human race that I couldn’t really visualise very well, but sort of wolf-like. He decides to investigate this mysterious death.

Aava is the new white mage, fresh out of school, sent to the town. She’s very sweet and also tries her best to solve the mysterious death, and treat the other villagers that are getting sick.

My downsides

The part that bugged me, was how deliberated heart strings were being pulled, with regards to other villagers getting sick, especially one of them. The way it’s written definitely makes sense in the story, just felt a bit on the nose. Though it did ultimately move the plot along a lot. I also thought the change from sleepy town murder mystery to icky invading insects was a bit weird, but I knew about it from the blurb so it wasn’t that much of a shock. And I think the was some out-of-character action on Aava’s part in dealing with the increasing number of patients.

My upsides

Despite some dark stuff, Balam is very feel good. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the people are happy. It’s by the sea, it’s a lovely spring, people have good relationships. And there’s always that hint quiet towns have, of something darker hidden underneath.

I also liked that the world building was only partially revealed, hinting that this is more than just your average world. There’s a mix of modern and fantasy things, for instance mentions of far away airships, and the local blacksmith, the local clinic run by a mage not a doctor, people riding horses for transport but wearing jeans. I’ve see people mention this as a complaint, having modern terms among fantasy ones, but I thought it was quirky.

I also liked how LGBTQ representation was just normal, same-sex relationships were normal and not a single eyebrow was raised about them.

The mystery was cool, a lot of red herrings were chased down, and the hint that cracked the case was hinted early on enough that I could mentally scream at the characters remember the thing about 15 mins before they remembered the thing.

I received the audiobook through TBRindr, and I want to thank the author, it was a very enjoyable listen.

[Shreyas Parida · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very excited to read Balam Springs. It was my first time reviewing a book and I was giddy with anticipation...And sure enough, the book lived up to my expectation!

I knew Balam Springs had broken my set expectations (which are usually very high) after reading about the city in which the book is set in, Balam.

On greater introspection, I would like to take my words back...

Calling Balam a city is perhaps too exaggerated. In essence, Balam is a small coastline town. It is famous for being separated into 3 layers. Each layer has it's own purpose; habitation, commerce, etc. This "amusing" structure of Balam is just touching the tip of a giant iceberg. The iceberg being the amount of creative decisions taken by the author of the book, Travis Riddle.

Another lovely fact about Balam is that it is a very "cozy" town, in the sense that most people in the town know each other like they know the back of their hand. This adds the much needed sense of "collectivism", usually lacking in many fantasy books.

But Balam Springs is not just an ordinary fantasy book. Unlike conventional books, where it is anchored around a specific character (s), the author strives to be different by making Balam town the main pivot of the book. Yet one can identify the three main characters in the book:

- Theo - A person who does initially strike off as a perfect cliche hero-type character: Young, fit and living a normal life that borders on being repetitive. Yet as the book progresses, we see the author extracting the reader's judgment of cliche and shoving it down the throat of Theo's Soreko (a fictional breed of a dog, another great creation by Mr. Riddle).

- Rychert - A Roycan (a race closely linked to human), an ex-mercenary who is retired and living in a self-build shack on the coast. Even though he is retired, Rychert still could probably take on the whole town of Balam by himself and still win.

- Aava - A Jeornish (a race which one could say is a slightly nerfed version of the elves) , she is the perfect balance to the above two characters which are slightly on the grimmer and introverted side. A batman fan could say that she is "the hero they need but don't deserve".

The story starts off when Freya, a white mage drops dead while small talking with Theo. Aava, the mage which has came to replace Freya probably has an IQ in the 99th percentile and yet she has no idea why Freya died. Since Aava is the only one that has a P.H.D in magic and she has no clue what happened, it makes the town very uneasy. As more people drop dead like Freya and everyone still remains clueless why, the town plunges into a civilised form of chaos.

Yet, like little finger from GOT once said "Chaos isn't a pit, it is a ladder", we get to how Mr. Riddle beautifully manoeuvres through the countless emotions of many characters. We see interactions and conversations that makes you feel warm . The characters slowly grow on to you.

Balam Springs is definitely a must read. It is great for getting a break from reading all those heavy 20 booked series. It is also just one of those books you read by the fire, while drinking hot chocolate on a cold Christmas day.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balam is a cozy little town by the sea where everyone knows each other. Nothing exciting happens…until, of course, the town’s white mage dies to an unknown sickness. To make matters worse, other townspeople begin to fall ill with the same symptoms.

Balam’s new white mage, Aava, teams up with a bored ex-mercenary to get to the bottom of the mysterious illness. The stakes rise when insectoid monsters are drawn to the corpses of those killed by the disease. Together with the help of a young schoolteacher, the three attempt to stop the illness before it afflicts the entire town.

Unlike many fantasy stories, this book doesn’t have a grand villain, end-of-the-world stakes, or even a focus on magic or violence. Instead, it’s a slice-of-life mystery that explores the various lives of the townspeople of Balam in depth.

The heart of this story is the characters. We get to spend a lot of time inside each of the main characters’ heads, seeing their thoughts, hopes, and memories. This was a bit of a double-edged sword, though. A good bit of the characterization was accomplished through lengthy description and detailed flashbacks rather than showing someone’s personality in the moment. I much preferred the characterization through little quirks and how each POV saw the world around them, which the author excelled at.

The editing was superb. I can’t recall a single typo or misuse of grammar, and every scene had a clear purpose. My only minor criticism of the writing style is the overuse of the past-perfect tense. Scenes would begin with a character recounting the events that brought them to the start of the scene instead of simply starting the scene at the start of those events (e.g. Theo had walked to the diner, where he’d eaten breakfast before arriving at the clinic). Some of the flashbacks were told this way, while others were told as if the characters were experiencing them in the moment.

In addition to being vivid and detailed, the world of Balam was also refreshingly hopeful. There are multiple characters across the LGBTQ spectrum portrayed in a positive light, women hold positions of authority, and nearly every character had more likable qualities than not. The world had some pretty dark aspects, but the overall feel was hopeful.

Balam, Spring was a cozy mystery centering around a cast of intriguing characters. Despite the story occurring in spring, this would make for an excellent cozy winter read. It’s written as a standalone, but I could see future books written in this world. I enjoyed reading it and I look forward to seeing what the author writes next.

[Fuecoco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balam is a remote, seaside village that goes about life at a leisurely pace. While beautiful and peaceful, It's the kind of place that can become claustrophobic in an instant. This is exactly what happens in Balam, Sping. When a mysterious illness claims the life of the town's only healer, the newbie white mage Aava is faced with the task of finding a cure for the illness before more lives are claimed. Tensions and paranoia rise at an alarming rate and quickly the novel morphed into something entirely unexpected. How do people react when an incurable illness begins to kill neighbors and loved ones? Will Aava realize she is in over her head? If the town sends for help, will someone arrive in time to make a difference?

Riddle creates a world lush with unique flora and fauna and lore. Balam, Spring features a retired Rocyan wolf-man mercenary, white and black magics practiced by the Jeornish people, and giant humanoid insects of mysterious origin. The cast is an eclectic and interesting ensemble that you'd expect to be gathered in a town like Balam. The prose is proficient and is never an obstacle to the story.

I have to dock a star for pacing. The action lulls too frequently and at times causes the momentum to sputter to a stop entirely. Lore is peppered throughout the book in bizarre self-indulgent blocks exposition between plot points. This may have been under the guise of character development or world-building, but only served to weaken the novel's strengths. Many of the scenes dragged unnecessarily, interjecting too much of the character's thoughts between lines of dialogue or drawing out the explanation of hand motions required for performing magic. These I usually read slowly and with intent so that the book plays out like a movie in my head, but much of the time I found myself skimming to get to the action. With this mental editing, the book became much more exciting.

Balam, Spring is a smoldering fantasy/mystery slice-of-life story that sometimes struggles with pacing but overall made for a light and enjoyable read. With some editing focused on unnecessary fluff, this book could easily become worthy of 5 stars while still respecting the overall tone of the town of Balam.

[Ella (The Story Collector) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the quiet town of Balam, people are dying. Following the loss of the town’s resident white mage, Aava – fresh from the mage academy – is sent to find the cause of the unknown illness and create a cure before the rest of the town becomes infected. When strange insectoid creatures start invading the town, seemingly attracted by the bodies of the illness’ victims, Aava seeks help from ex-mercenary Ryckert to get to the bottom of the mystery, before there is nobody left alive in Balam.

The story is a little bit slow. It’s a kind of cross between a cosy mystery story and a fantasy adventure. Overall, not that much actually happens, but it’s a good read nonetheless. The characters are likeable, and we get to know them quite well. There are a couple of lesbian/gay/bisexual characters, and these relationships are treated very casually and as not at all unusual in this world, which was nice to see.

My very favourite thing about Travis’ writing is that he invents his own new fantasy worlds and creatures. Balam, Spring is fully immersive and filled with fantasy beings, but not ‘common’ things like elves, dragons, and the other usual creatures. Instead, we meet Rocyans and Jeornish, and other original critters. Because of the immersive nature of the writing, the characters and settings are easy to picture, without ever being over-described or explained in excessive detail.

It’s a good, solid, fantasy/mystery about a small town filled with well-developed and lovable characters.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.