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Jekua #1
On Lavender Tides
Ever since he was a kid, all Balt Vana wanted was to be a world-renowned Jekua Summoner like his grandmother, battling other Summoners in front of audiences of thousands. But from where he stands now, living up to the Vana name feels impossible.
When his best friend Alani, an initiate at the local Church, is sent on a pilgrimage to find her path in life and the god she will follow, Balt sees the perfect opportunity to launch his career by escorting her across the archipelago and its purple seas. The islands are filled with monsters to imprint and Summoners to battle, with every victory bringing him one step closer to his dream.
It will take more than just his family name to reach the same heights as his grandmother, but Balt won't stop until he does.
When his best friend Alani, an initiate at the local Church, is sent on a pilgrimage to find her path in life and the god she will follow, Balt sees the perfect opportunity to launch his career by escorting her across the archipelago and its purple seas. The islands are filled with monsters to imprint and Summoners to battle, with every victory bringing him one step closer to his dream.
It will take more than just his family name to reach the same heights as his grandmother, but Balt won't stop until he does.
398 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2022
171 people are currently reading
1318 people want to read
About the author
Travis M. Riddle
17 books394 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
May 7, 2022
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4.5 stars. A wonderful Pokémon inspired fantasy book that is impossible to put down
On Lavender Tides truly surprised me with how addicting it is once you begin reading. And after finishing it, I am desperately hungry for more of the series and am questioning why it has taken 25+ years for someone to write a book with this as the central premise as it translates extremely well in book form.
When reading this book you have to go in with the right expectations though. This book isn't going to knock your socks off with intensity, twists, or flowing prose. But it does offer wonderful worldbuilding, an extremely unique premise (at least for books), fun characters, with a low stakes plot.
The video game aspects to this book are really fun to read about, well thought out, and extremely interesting. The differences between the battles in this book differ in key ways from Pokémon, and in my opinion they are all for the better. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's very fun to fun to learn about the rules of the world and how battles function.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the pacing of this book. It would have been easy to make the progression happen too quickly, but thankfully it has a nice slow burn throughout that leaves the character still feeling like a little fish in a big pond, and will clearly expand greatly as more books are written.
It's hard to convey just how fast time flies when reading this book. I constantly had a smile on my face, not just from the humor between the character dialogue, but just because of how fun everything was and how invested you immediately become with the success of the main characters.
On the negative side, I did feel like this book was a little on the short side. While the book is billed as being 398 pages on kindle (which is what I read this on), it's clear the word count is much smaller than a normal 398 page book. This book doesn't take more than a couple days to speed through, and I kept on wishing this were significantly longer.
I also was a tad disappointed in the supplemental material. The world feels very well built, but I kept on wishing there was a map included so you could mentally keep track of where characters were. And while there are some artist renditions of some of the Jekua (the animals/Pokémon), there were only a few that were drawn and I wish there were more so you could really visualize what they look like.
Overall, this is a great book that I will most certainly recommend to many people. It's not just for fans of Pokémon, but should have a broad appeal for any low-stakes fantasy fan. I eagerly look forward to reading the next in the series.
4.5 stars. A wonderful Pokémon inspired fantasy book that is impossible to put down
On Lavender Tides truly surprised me with how addicting it is once you begin reading. And after finishing it, I am desperately hungry for more of the series and am questioning why it has taken 25+ years for someone to write a book with this as the central premise as it translates extremely well in book form.
When reading this book you have to go in with the right expectations though. This book isn't going to knock your socks off with intensity, twists, or flowing prose. But it does offer wonderful worldbuilding, an extremely unique premise (at least for books), fun characters, with a low stakes plot.
The video game aspects to this book are really fun to read about, well thought out, and extremely interesting. The differences between the battles in this book differ in key ways from Pokémon, and in my opinion they are all for the better. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's very fun to fun to learn about the rules of the world and how battles function.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the pacing of this book. It would have been easy to make the progression happen too quickly, but thankfully it has a nice slow burn throughout that leaves the character still feeling like a little fish in a big pond, and will clearly expand greatly as more books are written.
It's hard to convey just how fast time flies when reading this book. I constantly had a smile on my face, not just from the humor between the character dialogue, but just because of how fun everything was and how invested you immediately become with the success of the main characters.
On the negative side, I did feel like this book was a little on the short side. While the book is billed as being 398 pages on kindle (which is what I read this on), it's clear the word count is much smaller than a normal 398 page book. This book doesn't take more than a couple days to speed through, and I kept on wishing this were significantly longer.
I also was a tad disappointed in the supplemental material. The world feels very well built, but I kept on wishing there was a map included so you could mentally keep track of where characters were. And while there are some artist renditions of some of the Jekua (the animals/Pokémon), there were only a few that were drawn and I wish there were more so you could really visualize what they look like.
Overall, this is a great book that I will most certainly recommend to many people. It's not just for fans of Pokémon, but should have a broad appeal for any low-stakes fantasy fan. I eagerly look forward to reading the next in the series.
June 15, 2022
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I was provided an E-book in exchange of an honest review.
Actual Rating: 3.75 Stars
When I got into the reading world and started getting familiar with all the famous books. I was always baffled by the fact that there aren’t many books with companions that fight and grow as in Pokemon. The closest thing I could find was Codex Alera which I unfortunately DNFed. Fast forward to this year when I saw this cover on twitter and it was described as a progression fantasy Pokemon novel. I can not tell you how fast I asked for a chance to review it.
The story follows Balt who is the grandson of a world famous Jekua summoner and it does so through his journey with his friend Alani’s journey as a priestess. The story is heavily inspired by Pokemon but Riddle puts his own touch on it that it is not an exact copy of the franchise. But we do have Jekua (Basically the Pokemon) with different types and summoners (Trainers) and a device like the Pokedex and gyms and tournaments. There is even a rival who challenges Balt continuously.
I love Pokemon and I spent thousands of hours playing it and watching it so the world building was not a problem for me. It just felt like learning some new terms. The story is predictable too but there is something nostalgic and fun about reading it. Riddle also puts his own spin on it so it was entertaining seeing how different stuff would be moved into the story.
I don’t know if it is a YA book but it kind of felt like one for me. I can’t see it as an adult book because it seems appropriate for all ages. The writing is not that complex and the story flows smoothly. I was also drawn to the story by some of the illustrations I saw on Twitter for the Jekuas but the problem is that there are only three and I wish we had more because it would have made for a much more vivid and enjoyable read.
I think my main problem with the book is the way that it ended. If I am going to use a Pokemon analogy then it is that the book had an ending of an episode rather than a season. I know there are future books but the ending just felt abrupt and very predictable and it left me wanting more.
Summary: It was a quick and enjoyable read that I do recommend for fans of Pokemon which it is heavily inspired by. The ideas are cool and I loved seeing how different things are implemented into the story. I had a problem with the ending as it was a bit rushed. I am not sure if I will read book 2 but I am curious of what’s to come to be honest!
I was provided an E-book in exchange of an honest review.
Actual Rating: 3.75 Stars
When I got into the reading world and started getting familiar with all the famous books. I was always baffled by the fact that there aren’t many books with companions that fight and grow as in Pokemon. The closest thing I could find was Codex Alera which I unfortunately DNFed. Fast forward to this year when I saw this cover on twitter and it was described as a progression fantasy Pokemon novel. I can not tell you how fast I asked for a chance to review it.
The story follows Balt who is the grandson of a world famous Jekua summoner and it does so through his journey with his friend Alani’s journey as a priestess. The story is heavily inspired by Pokemon but Riddle puts his own touch on it that it is not an exact copy of the franchise. But we do have Jekua (Basically the Pokemon) with different types and summoners (Trainers) and a device like the Pokedex and gyms and tournaments. There is even a rival who challenges Balt continuously.
I love Pokemon and I spent thousands of hours playing it and watching it so the world building was not a problem for me. It just felt like learning some new terms. The story is predictable too but there is something nostalgic and fun about reading it. Riddle also puts his own spin on it so it was entertaining seeing how different stuff would be moved into the story.
I don’t know if it is a YA book but it kind of felt like one for me. I can’t see it as an adult book because it seems appropriate for all ages. The writing is not that complex and the story flows smoothly. I was also drawn to the story by some of the illustrations I saw on Twitter for the Jekuas but the problem is that there are only three and I wish we had more because it would have made for a much more vivid and enjoyable read.
I think my main problem with the book is the way that it ended. If I am going to use a Pokemon analogy then it is that the book had an ending of an episode rather than a season. I know there are future books but the ending just felt abrupt and very predictable and it left me wanting more.
Summary: It was a quick and enjoyable read that I do recommend for fans of Pokemon which it is heavily inspired by. The ideas are cool and I loved seeing how different things are implemented into the story. I had a problem with the ending as it was a bit rushed. I am not sure if I will read book 2 but I am curious of what’s to come to be honest!
April 12, 2022
4.5/5 stars. This was such a fun and fast (like less that 24 hours fast) read. I can't wait for more in Balt and Alani's journey through the islands. I love the creativity of the Jekua's while still grounding us in the familiarity to Pokemon. There is also the hinting at a greater mystery brewing and if that becomes and bigger part of the plot, I'd be super intrigued in that.
July 13, 2022
I picked this one up to read as part of the #SPFBO book club on the discord server and I enjoyed the Pokemon-style that the author draws on here. The characters felt a little flat for me, and I would have liked to see a bit more development, especially as this author (apparently) writes about quite a few heavy topics in his other works. I think I wanted to see a bit more from our MCs particularly about their motivations and their friendship, which are key focuses of the story.
We follow Balt and Alani who are best friends, living in an island-based society where there are creatures called Jekua (essentially like Pokemon) who roam free and can be magically 'caught' and copied and 'battled' with other Jekua. This hobby can become a profession and Balt has family who were renowned so he's determined to be good. Alani meanwhile is more interested in getting away from her family (who have an alcohol problem *trigger warning*) and learning about the magic of the islands and the religious order she follows now.
Overall, the plot is fairly simple, but the concept is an enjoyable one and I am intrigued about the mystery of the island that was overrun and the magic of the world at large. This may not be top of my list to pick up the next straight away, but I would read more by this author for sure. 3*s
As a note, I never got into Pokemon so you don't need to know anything about them to enjoy this!
We follow Balt and Alani who are best friends, living in an island-based society where there are creatures called Jekua (essentially like Pokemon) who roam free and can be magically 'caught' and copied and 'battled' with other Jekua. This hobby can become a profession and Balt has family who were renowned so he's determined to be good. Alani meanwhile is more interested in getting away from her family (who have an alcohol problem *trigger warning*) and learning about the magic of the islands and the religious order she follows now.
Overall, the plot is fairly simple, but the concept is an enjoyable one and I am intrigued about the mystery of the island that was overrun and the magic of the world at large. This may not be top of my list to pick up the next straight away, but I would read more by this author for sure. 3*s
As a note, I never got into Pokemon so you don't need to know anything about them to enjoy this!
March 24, 2022
I had a BLAST, this was so fun.
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
This was one of most enjoyable books I’ve read in a while, and I truly mean it when I say that absolutely everything about this book was so much fun. The creativity in this book is off the charts and combines everything I love, from adventures through a spectacular world to quirky and incredible animal-like creatures to charismatic characters–it has it all!
On Lavender Tides is the first book in a brand new progression fantasy series inspired by the author’s love of Pokemon. In this story, we follow Balt on his journey to become a Jekua Summoner and make a name for himself in the same way that his grandmother did before him. We also follow Alani, Balt’s best friend and an initiate of the local church, as she is sent on a pilgrimage by the church to discover what her next path in life will be. Together, the two embark on what is shaping up to be an adventurous and exploratory journey to adulthood and discovering who they are and what their purpose in the world is.
Balt and Alani were both incredible characters to follow and have personalities that are the perfect foil to one another. Balt is a pretty casual guy overall and doesn’t tend to take things in life too seriously–except for summoning, of course. Balt may not be the most dedicated student in school, but he is an extremely dedicated budding Jekua Summoner who has spent countless hours poring over his grandma’s book of Jekuas and making sure he knows as much as he possibly can about the creatures inside. He’s a rather impulsive character and tends to let his emotions drive his actions and decisions–something that doesn’t always work out so well for him–and I can definitely see where he has already made a lot of growth in this book and where I’m sure he will continue to grow in future books.
As mentioned, Alani is an almost perfect foil to Balt and seems to be slightly more responsible and serious about things. She is currently an initiate of the Church, a place that has been a refuge for her to escape from her difficult home life, and is told that she must complete a pilgrimage in order to determine which Veptist god will claim her. I really appreciated Alani’s outlook on life and how determined she is to make a better life for herself. I think I’m most curious to see how her journey will transpire, as I feel like this pilgrimage will be more than just a religious one, but rather one that may really help her discover who she is and what she wants out of life. The Church was a refuge to her at the time, but will it continue to be what she needs?
Despite Balt and Alani’s differences–or perhaps because of–they have an incredibly strong friendship that balances out both of their personalities. Each complements the other’s personality by highlighting the areas in which they both excel, as well as by making up for each other’s weaknesses with their own strengths. For instance, Balt often lets his emotions take over his actions, which gives Alani the opportunity to share her own advice and help Balt learn to move past things that may upset him. I also found myself amused and appreciating the authenticity of this relationship by seeing Alani get annoyed by Balt’s recklessness throughout their journey, but being unable to stay too annoyed with him for long because they just work together too well.
Also, I’ll talk about Jekua more a little later when I talk about the main 'magic system' of this book, but since they are sort of characters to me, I just wanted to note now how much I adored them and had such a fun time meeting each one. One of my favorite bits was Riddle’s inclusion of a few ‘excerpts’ from Balt’s grandma’s book of Jekua, which includes illustrations and notes about them. I genuinely cannot wait to (hopefully) see more of these in the future, as they really helped bring everything to life!
As much as I love the characters in this book so far, let’s dive into the next best thing about this series: the world and magic system! I’m loving this world so far and am so excited by knowing that this is just the start of what is sure to be an even more expansive and exciting world. In this first book, we visit a couple main locations, and Riddle’s descriptions of these islands and Balt and Alani’s journeys to them were so vivid and intoxicating that it makes me want to visit them all myself. Riddle has done an excellent job of creating a world that I honestly just want to go hang out in and explore, and if we’re being honest, there aren’t always that many fantasy worlds I’d actually want to visit!
The magic system is one of the main components of this book and also one of the most exciting, so let’s talk about that for a little. Much like Pokemon, Jekua are the many animal-like creatures that inhabit this world, each with their own unique skills and abilities. Jekua Summoners use special devices called kayets to ‘imprint’ them, essentially creating a copy of them, which they can then use to have battles with other Summoners and their own Jekua. Summoners have to train with their Jekua in order to work cohesively together and can learn a wide myriad of tricks and techniques to become better and stronger competitors, many of which go on to compete in tournaments and acclaim great fame for their skills. I haven’t read all that many progressive fantasy books, so I wasn’t sure exactly what I might be getting into this time around, but I have to say that I had such a blast learning about the mechanics of summoning. From the hard rules about imprinting and how to work Jekua to the more varied lessons about teaching Jekua new skills and learning how to better work with them, I was fully engrossed and watched everything play out in my hand like a movie.
I also really appreciated the additional component of mana that go with working with Jekua, which essentially dictates how much ‘energy’ a Summoner has while working with their Jekua-if you run out of mana, you risk soulsickness, a deeply unpleasant illness that has more dire consequences if it becomes a more common occurrence. This reminded me so much of stamina bars in games (and also how annoyed I get at them, haha!). Even though Pokemon already exists, I wish this series could become a game so that I could play it and do all the fun things that Balt is doing, as well as explore all the different islands along with Alani. (Side note: Alani’s pilgrimage requires her to visit some different shrines from various churches, and I had a hard flashback to having to visit a bunch of different shrines from Breath of the Wild and I thought that was super fun, intentional or not.)
The pacing of On Lavender Tides was perfect. I wouldn’t call it fast- or slow-paced, but rather relaxed and deliberate. It reminded me of a focused vacation where you’re relaxed and free from work so you can take your time, admire the view, taste the local food, etc., but you also have a goal in mind of where you want to go and what you want to see. It’s purposeful, but not rushed, and we readers get to take our time in each and every location and scene in all the best ways possible (and for those like me who love food descriptions in their books, Riddle once again does not disappoint in the slightest with that. I think I’ve actually started looking forward to descriptions of food in his books at this point…)
I think this review is shaping up to be way longer than most people probably want to read, so I’ll try to wrap it up here by saying that if you are looking for a book that has a fun coming-of-age vibe, two friends embarking on a journey together to discover themselves, a vibrant and exciting new world to explore, adorable and intriguing creatures, and an all-around delightful and engrossing story, then you’re going to want to pick up a copy of On Lavender Tides. Trust me on this one.
Overall, of course it's five stars from me!
*I received a copy of On Lavender Tides courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.*
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
This was one of most enjoyable books I’ve read in a while, and I truly mean it when I say that absolutely everything about this book was so much fun. The creativity in this book is off the charts and combines everything I love, from adventures through a spectacular world to quirky and incredible animal-like creatures to charismatic characters–it has it all!
On Lavender Tides is the first book in a brand new progression fantasy series inspired by the author’s love of Pokemon. In this story, we follow Balt on his journey to become a Jekua Summoner and make a name for himself in the same way that his grandmother did before him. We also follow Alani, Balt’s best friend and an initiate of the local church, as she is sent on a pilgrimage by the church to discover what her next path in life will be. Together, the two embark on what is shaping up to be an adventurous and exploratory journey to adulthood and discovering who they are and what their purpose in the world is.
Balt and Alani were both incredible characters to follow and have personalities that are the perfect foil to one another. Balt is a pretty casual guy overall and doesn’t tend to take things in life too seriously–except for summoning, of course. Balt may not be the most dedicated student in school, but he is an extremely dedicated budding Jekua Summoner who has spent countless hours poring over his grandma’s book of Jekuas and making sure he knows as much as he possibly can about the creatures inside. He’s a rather impulsive character and tends to let his emotions drive his actions and decisions–something that doesn’t always work out so well for him–and I can definitely see where he has already made a lot of growth in this book and where I’m sure he will continue to grow in future books.
As mentioned, Alani is an almost perfect foil to Balt and seems to be slightly more responsible and serious about things. She is currently an initiate of the Church, a place that has been a refuge for her to escape from her difficult home life, and is told that she must complete a pilgrimage in order to determine which Veptist god will claim her. I really appreciated Alani’s outlook on life and how determined she is to make a better life for herself. I think I’m most curious to see how her journey will transpire, as I feel like this pilgrimage will be more than just a religious one, but rather one that may really help her discover who she is and what she wants out of life. The Church was a refuge to her at the time, but will it continue to be what she needs?
Despite Balt and Alani’s differences–or perhaps because of–they have an incredibly strong friendship that balances out both of their personalities. Each complements the other’s personality by highlighting the areas in which they both excel, as well as by making up for each other’s weaknesses with their own strengths. For instance, Balt often lets his emotions take over his actions, which gives Alani the opportunity to share her own advice and help Balt learn to move past things that may upset him. I also found myself amused and appreciating the authenticity of this relationship by seeing Alani get annoyed by Balt’s recklessness throughout their journey, but being unable to stay too annoyed with him for long because they just work together too well.
Also, I’ll talk about Jekua more a little later when I talk about the main 'magic system' of this book, but since they are sort of characters to me, I just wanted to note now how much I adored them and had such a fun time meeting each one. One of my favorite bits was Riddle’s inclusion of a few ‘excerpts’ from Balt’s grandma’s book of Jekua, which includes illustrations and notes about them. I genuinely cannot wait to (hopefully) see more of these in the future, as they really helped bring everything to life!
As much as I love the characters in this book so far, let’s dive into the next best thing about this series: the world and magic system! I’m loving this world so far and am so excited by knowing that this is just the start of what is sure to be an even more expansive and exciting world. In this first book, we visit a couple main locations, and Riddle’s descriptions of these islands and Balt and Alani’s journeys to them were so vivid and intoxicating that it makes me want to visit them all myself. Riddle has done an excellent job of creating a world that I honestly just want to go hang out in and explore, and if we’re being honest, there aren’t always that many fantasy worlds I’d actually want to visit!
The magic system is one of the main components of this book and also one of the most exciting, so let’s talk about that for a little. Much like Pokemon, Jekua are the many animal-like creatures that inhabit this world, each with their own unique skills and abilities. Jekua Summoners use special devices called kayets to ‘imprint’ them, essentially creating a copy of them, which they can then use to have battles with other Summoners and their own Jekua. Summoners have to train with their Jekua in order to work cohesively together and can learn a wide myriad of tricks and techniques to become better and stronger competitors, many of which go on to compete in tournaments and acclaim great fame for their skills. I haven’t read all that many progressive fantasy books, so I wasn’t sure exactly what I might be getting into this time around, but I have to say that I had such a blast learning about the mechanics of summoning. From the hard rules about imprinting and how to work Jekua to the more varied lessons about teaching Jekua new skills and learning how to better work with them, I was fully engrossed and watched everything play out in my hand like a movie.
I also really appreciated the additional component of mana that go with working with Jekua, which essentially dictates how much ‘energy’ a Summoner has while working with their Jekua-if you run out of mana, you risk soulsickness, a deeply unpleasant illness that has more dire consequences if it becomes a more common occurrence. This reminded me so much of stamina bars in games (and also how annoyed I get at them, haha!). Even though Pokemon already exists, I wish this series could become a game so that I could play it and do all the fun things that Balt is doing, as well as explore all the different islands along with Alani. (Side note: Alani’s pilgrimage requires her to visit some different shrines from various churches, and I had a hard flashback to having to visit a bunch of different shrines from Breath of the Wild and I thought that was super fun, intentional or not.)
The pacing of On Lavender Tides was perfect. I wouldn’t call it fast- or slow-paced, but rather relaxed and deliberate. It reminded me of a focused vacation where you’re relaxed and free from work so you can take your time, admire the view, taste the local food, etc., but you also have a goal in mind of where you want to go and what you want to see. It’s purposeful, but not rushed, and we readers get to take our time in each and every location and scene in all the best ways possible (and for those like me who love food descriptions in their books, Riddle once again does not disappoint in the slightest with that. I think I’ve actually started looking forward to descriptions of food in his books at this point…)
I think this review is shaping up to be way longer than most people probably want to read, so I’ll try to wrap it up here by saying that if you are looking for a book that has a fun coming-of-age vibe, two friends embarking on a journey together to discover themselves, a vibrant and exciting new world to explore, adorable and intriguing creatures, and an all-around delightful and engrossing story, then you’re going to want to pick up a copy of On Lavender Tides. Trust me on this one.
Overall, of course it's five stars from me!
*I received a copy of On Lavender Tides courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.*
May 19, 2022
I wanted to love this, I expected to love this, I very much did not love this.
All of my thoughts are pretty uncharitable at the moment so I will just say that the writing style did not suit me with the constant info-dumping, stating the obvious, and stopping to describe every bite of food a person ever eats in their life. It was *too* close to Pokemon for my liking, but I understand some people will appreciate that aspect of it. To me it felt like I was drinking Mr. Pibb instead of a Dr. Pepper and that aspect bothered me. I didn't like the characters or the dialogue. The world was interesting, but instead of letting us explore it a bit more naturally, everything was told in large info-dumps.
3/10
All of my thoughts are pretty uncharitable at the moment so I will just say that the writing style did not suit me with the constant info-dumping, stating the obvious, and stopping to describe every bite of food a person ever eats in their life. It was *too* close to Pokemon for my liking, but I understand some people will appreciate that aspect of it. To me it felt like I was drinking Mr. Pibb instead of a Dr. Pepper and that aspect bothered me. I didn't like the characters or the dialogue. The world was interesting, but instead of letting us explore it a bit more naturally, everything was told in large info-dumps.
3/10
July 29, 2022
On Lavender Tides is the nostalgic adventure novel by Travis Riddle that just screams Pokémon-esque adventure that is both dynamic and entertaining.
Ever since he was a kid, all Balt Vana wanted was to be a world-renowned Jekua Summoner like his grandmother, battling other Summoners in front of audiences of thousands. But from where he stands now, living up to the Vana name feels impossible.
When his best friend Alani, an initiate at the local Church, is sent on a pilgrimage to find her path in life and the god she will follow, Balt sees the perfect opportunity to launch his career by escorting her across the archipelago and its purple seas. The islands are filled with monsters to imprint and Summoners to battle, with every victory bringing him one step closer to his dream.
It will take more than just his family name to reach the same heights as his grandmother, but Balt won't stop until he does.
From the very start we know what has inspired this novel but it doesn't stop Riddle making changes that turn this into his own story. The characters are engaging, the plot is fast-moving and the world is so unique compared to other fantasy backgrounds. Riddle has started an adventure that takes us across islands and into the hearts of these characters. There is a homage here that is clearly related to Pokémon but this was more of a nostalgic gimmick than a rip-off and I’m eager to see where it goes. This novel has enough different aspects that may even be considered adult that I’m having plenty of fun learning everything.
That's not to say that this wasn't a drawback either. There were times where it felt like a novelisation rather than an individual story. The references are an intentional homage to our childhoods but Riddle does enough to keep this fresh. The ending did startle me with how abrupt it was but kept me intrigued enough throughout to continue with the series.
On Lavender Tides is an easy progression fantasy that will appeal to all readers and I'm excited to continue the journey.
Ever since he was a kid, all Balt Vana wanted was to be a world-renowned Jekua Summoner like his grandmother, battling other Summoners in front of audiences of thousands. But from where he stands now, living up to the Vana name feels impossible.
When his best friend Alani, an initiate at the local Church, is sent on a pilgrimage to find her path in life and the god she will follow, Balt sees the perfect opportunity to launch his career by escorting her across the archipelago and its purple seas. The islands are filled with monsters to imprint and Summoners to battle, with every victory bringing him one step closer to his dream.
It will take more than just his family name to reach the same heights as his grandmother, but Balt won't stop until he does.
From the very start we know what has inspired this novel but it doesn't stop Riddle making changes that turn this into his own story. The characters are engaging, the plot is fast-moving and the world is so unique compared to other fantasy backgrounds. Riddle has started an adventure that takes us across islands and into the hearts of these characters. There is a homage here that is clearly related to Pokémon but this was more of a nostalgic gimmick than a rip-off and I’m eager to see where it goes. This novel has enough different aspects that may even be considered adult that I’m having plenty of fun learning everything.
That's not to say that this wasn't a drawback either. There were times where it felt like a novelisation rather than an individual story. The references are an intentional homage to our childhoods but Riddle does enough to keep this fresh. The ending did startle me with how abrupt it was but kept me intrigued enough throughout to continue with the series.
On Lavender Tides is an easy progression fantasy that will appeal to all readers and I'm excited to continue the journey.
August 7, 2023
For those who grew up cherishing Pokémon, the familiar elements and references will undoubtedly strike a chord and elicit warm feelings of nostalgia. The comfort I derived from revisiting a world akin to my childhood dreams was a highlight of the book. The writing style was approachable and accessible, making it a perfect read for younger audiences. If I had come across this series during my childhood or teenage years, I would have likely devoured it with enthusiasm.
June 14, 2022
This was really fun and I can’t wait for the next book to come out. As I was reading this the story got more and more interesting and fun. It was pretty lighthearted most of the time, but it still had some very realistic drama going on too.
The current “bad guy” is kind of like your generic rival from the “Pokémon” games, but I’m pretty sure that is what the author was going for. It was still fun though.
All in all the world is awesome, the Jekua are cool, and the characters are lighthearted and fun. There are also some really cool ideas in this story that added a lot to it that I’m looking forward to seeing in the next books.
Obviously highly recommended for Pokémon fans.
The current “bad guy” is kind of like your generic rival from the “Pokémon” games, but I’m pretty sure that is what the author was going for. It was still fun though.
All in all the world is awesome, the Jekua are cool, and the characters are lighthearted and fun. There are also some really cool ideas in this story that added a lot to it that I’m looking forward to seeing in the next books.
Obviously highly recommended for Pokémon fans.
July 23, 2022
Check out my full video review here:
On Lavender Tides - Non-Spoiler Review
https://youtu.be/JJt_oeH1FHA
A fun, low-stakes, Pokémon inspired progression fantasy that was just the boost of serotonin I needed. This was a colorful and entertaining reading experience that I loved going through. It felt like I was discovering the world along with the characters.
While this book was not perfect, it delivered on what I expected of it and never ceased to amuse me. I recommend this book!
B- / 82%
On Lavender Tides - Non-Spoiler Review
https://youtu.be/JJt_oeH1FHA
A fun, low-stakes, Pokémon inspired progression fantasy that was just the boost of serotonin I needed. This was a colorful and entertaining reading experience that I loved going through. It felt like I was discovering the world along with the characters.
While this book was not perfect, it delivered on what I expected of it and never ceased to amuse me. I recommend this book!
B- / 82%
March 24, 2022
This book made me feel like I took a vacation with a bunch of friends, and since I’ve barely left my house in two years, it was such a welcome treat.
Every scene, whether it’s the characters eating dinner or fighting a monster, is brought to life with lush imagery and description. In fact, my favorite scene in the novel is just the characters vibing with each other while eating exotic seafood. I felt like I was there with them, immersed in the novelty and camaraderie of the experience.
The friendship between the two leads felt as real, genuine, and warm as anything I’ve encountered in fiction. It’s the glue that holds the story together, and its got its hooks in me. I want these two friends to grow, prosper, and achieve their dreams. And through it all, I hope more than anything that they stay friends (or more). I can’t wait to see what these two are up to in the next book!
I also loved the JRPG and Pokemon influences. It’s astounding how well this book pulls off monster hunting. The whole process of finding a monster, catching it, training it, and finally using it in battle is fully-fleshed out, incredibly creative, and just plain fun and awesome.
I can’t describe how amazing it was reading this novel while listening to my favorite classic JRPG tracks. Just bliss!
This book not only set a new bar in progression fantasy for me, but it also showed how wildly creative and immersive the genre can be when in good hands. An absolute triumph!
Every scene, whether it’s the characters eating dinner or fighting a monster, is brought to life with lush imagery and description. In fact, my favorite scene in the novel is just the characters vibing with each other while eating exotic seafood. I felt like I was there with them, immersed in the novelty and camaraderie of the experience.
The friendship between the two leads felt as real, genuine, and warm as anything I’ve encountered in fiction. It’s the glue that holds the story together, and its got its hooks in me. I want these two friends to grow, prosper, and achieve their dreams. And through it all, I hope more than anything that they stay friends (or more). I can’t wait to see what these two are up to in the next book!
I also loved the JRPG and Pokemon influences. It’s astounding how well this book pulls off monster hunting. The whole process of finding a monster, catching it, training it, and finally using it in battle is fully-fleshed out, incredibly creative, and just plain fun and awesome.
I can’t describe how amazing it was reading this novel while listening to my favorite classic JRPG tracks. Just bliss!
This book not only set a new bar in progression fantasy for me, but it also showed how wildly creative and immersive the genre can be when in good hands. An absolute triumph!
March 17, 2023
Disclaimer: Travis M. Riddle provided me with an ARC, but this does not affect my opinion of this book.
Raiting: 4,5 out of 5 Stars
On Lavender Tides (Jekua Book #1) by Travis M. Riddle is the book you want to read to be transported back to your childhood. It is like a warm blanket that wraps you in all the nostalgia of being a kid playing and/or watching Pokemon and having a good time.
Yes, this series is heavily inspired by Pokemon, and you can feel it from the very beginning.
The story isn't too fast-paced and action-packed, but it's compelling enough to keep you turning the pages. It feels like a road trip with friends, and for me that is what this book is about, having a good time away from grimdark fantasy, brutal plots, and bulky books. You can think of it like an episode of Pokemon. It's part of a bigger picture and more of a setup for what's to come. Maybe that is the downside of this book, the end feels like the end of an episode and you miss the feeling of a real accomplishment. On the other hand, you have two more books at this point, and I guess book two picks up right where book one left off. So it might be a smart move by Travis to make you want to get the other books as well.
The worldbuilding is good, not overwhelming but deep enough to get a feel for the world, the wildlife and the people, and I think it will expand even more in the following books.
The prose is easy to follow and engaging, and some characters even have their own dialect, which was fun to read.
Now the characters are great in my opinion. I could relate to the two main POV's pretty quickly and you can hate on the antagonist like you should in a Pokemon inspired novel. It feels like there is some development going on with them and I look forward to seeing what comes next.
Yes, On Lavender Tides feels YA at times, but I think it is still a book for all ages. From a child of about 9 who is just starting to get into Pokemon to people like me (35 years old) who want to get a fix of nostalgia, comfort but also some adventure.
Overall, it is a good start for a series and makes me want to read more to see how the plot and characters develop.
If you haven't read it yet, give it a try, and if you like it, great if you don't just move on, because it's pretty short and won't set you back on your TBR for too long.
Raiting: 4,5 out of 5 Stars
On Lavender Tides (Jekua Book #1) by Travis M. Riddle is the book you want to read to be transported back to your childhood. It is like a warm blanket that wraps you in all the nostalgia of being a kid playing and/or watching Pokemon and having a good time.
Yes, this series is heavily inspired by Pokemon, and you can feel it from the very beginning.
The story isn't too fast-paced and action-packed, but it's compelling enough to keep you turning the pages. It feels like a road trip with friends, and for me that is what this book is about, having a good time away from grimdark fantasy, brutal plots, and bulky books. You can think of it like an episode of Pokemon. It's part of a bigger picture and more of a setup for what's to come. Maybe that is the downside of this book, the end feels like the end of an episode and you miss the feeling of a real accomplishment. On the other hand, you have two more books at this point, and I guess book two picks up right where book one left off. So it might be a smart move by Travis to make you want to get the other books as well.
The worldbuilding is good, not overwhelming but deep enough to get a feel for the world, the wildlife and the people, and I think it will expand even more in the following books.
The prose is easy to follow and engaging, and some characters even have their own dialect, which was fun to read.
Now the characters are great in my opinion. I could relate to the two main POV's pretty quickly and you can hate on the antagonist like you should in a Pokemon inspired novel. It feels like there is some development going on with them and I look forward to seeing what comes next.
Yes, On Lavender Tides feels YA at times, but I think it is still a book for all ages. From a child of about 9 who is just starting to get into Pokemon to people like me (35 years old) who want to get a fix of nostalgia, comfort but also some adventure.
Overall, it is a good start for a series and makes me want to read more to see how the plot and characters develop.
If you haven't read it yet, give it a try, and if you like it, great if you don't just move on, because it's pretty short and won't set you back on your TBR for too long.
January 27, 2023
On Lavender Tides is the fun start to a promising progression fantasy series. In this world, Pokémon-like animals called Jekua exist in the wild, but unlike that show/video game, the Summoners do not capture the actual Jekua, but instead imprint them and are able to Summon a "memory" of the Jekua that they can control. There are tournaments and battles reminiscent of Pokémon, but this is merely the inspiration for the story.
We follow newbie Summoner Balt as he journeys across his home island with his best friend Alani so that she can complete a pilgrimage to her Church's remote shrine. Both Balt and Alani are struggling to find their way in the world, with Balt wanting to take after his grandmother, a legendary Summoner, and Alani trying to wrestle with her future life as a Church elder, after running away from home in effect to break free from her alcoholic parents.
As others have said, this is a slice-of-life style story and the pacing is as such, as we follow Balt and Alani as they trek on foot across the island, with plenty of adventure and new characters to meet along the way. Not to keep coming back to video game comparisons, but this book also reminded me of Yuna's journey in Final Fantasy X, which is not a bad thing, because that is one of my favorite games. The tropical setting is also well-fleshed out and as par for the course in a Travis M. Riddle book, there is ample food eating that will make your mouth water as you read.
With five more books and more islands to explore, as well as the promise of bigger Jekua battles and an intriguing mystery that will hopefully come to the forefront as the series progresses, I am looking forward to traveling alongside Balt and Alani as they continue their journeys.
We follow newbie Summoner Balt as he journeys across his home island with his best friend Alani so that she can complete a pilgrimage to her Church's remote shrine. Both Balt and Alani are struggling to find their way in the world, with Balt wanting to take after his grandmother, a legendary Summoner, and Alani trying to wrestle with her future life as a Church elder, after running away from home in effect to break free from her alcoholic parents.
As others have said, this is a slice-of-life style story and the pacing is as such, as we follow Balt and Alani as they trek on foot across the island, with plenty of adventure and new characters to meet along the way. Not to keep coming back to video game comparisons, but this book also reminded me of Yuna's journey in Final Fantasy X, which is not a bad thing, because that is one of my favorite games. The tropical setting is also well-fleshed out and as par for the course in a Travis M. Riddle book, there is ample food eating that will make your mouth water as you read.
With five more books and more islands to explore, as well as the promise of bigger Jekua battles and an intriguing mystery that will hopefully come to the forefront as the series progresses, I am looking forward to traveling alongside Balt and Alani as they continue their journeys.
March 26, 2023
3.5 stars.
I loved the core of this book. A pokemon based adventure aimed at the generation that grew up with the original games? Sign me up immediately. The Jekuas (pokemon-esque creatures) that inhabit the world are extremely unique and I found a lot of joy in discovering them with the characters as we explored the world. Jekua battles are blow-by-blow and very riveting-they were some of my favorite scenes in the book. The world itself is also rich, imaginative, and immersive.
Unfortunately, some of the world building felt a bit info-dumpy to me and I found my attention waning at random points in the story for reasons I couldn't quite pinpoint. It took me a lot longer to read this short book than it should have.
I also couldn't connect to Alani who is one of our main POVs. She felt extremely contradictory in her characterization and didn't add much to the plot besides being a venue for questions/ info dumping at points. Getting her back story helped contextualize some of her choices, and I'm intrigued by where her story with the church may go in the future, but as a character in and of herself, I didn't care about her much. Which as a character-based reader does affect my enjoyment.
Overall, this was fun and I enjoyed my time! I do pan to continue on to the next installment in the series when I need a palette cleanser between some chunkier reads.
I loved the core of this book. A pokemon based adventure aimed at the generation that grew up with the original games? Sign me up immediately. The Jekuas (pokemon-esque creatures) that inhabit the world are extremely unique and I found a lot of joy in discovering them with the characters as we explored the world. Jekua battles are blow-by-blow and very riveting-they were some of my favorite scenes in the book. The world itself is also rich, imaginative, and immersive.
Unfortunately, some of the world building felt a bit info-dumpy to me and I found my attention waning at random points in the story for reasons I couldn't quite pinpoint. It took me a lot longer to read this short book than it should have.
I also couldn't connect to Alani who is one of our main POVs. She felt extremely contradictory in her characterization and didn't add much to the plot besides being a venue for questions/ info dumping at points. Getting her back story helped contextualize some of her choices, and I'm intrigued by where her story with the church may go in the future, but as a character in and of herself, I didn't care about her much. Which as a character-based reader does affect my enjoyment.
Overall, this was fun and I enjoyed my time! I do pan to continue on to the next installment in the series when I need a palette cleanser between some chunkier reads.
June 20, 2025
Pokemon meets LitRPG/cozy fantasy in Travis Riddle's On Lavender Tides.
You know, Pokemon Y is unashamedly my favourite game of the franchise. Maybe it's niche to zero in on but the first instalment of the Jekua series threw me right back to a happy playthrough of a treasured game.
The Jekua capture and battling mechanics are fine and well, and this book gives just enough collection of the Jekuas to scratch that gotta collect em' all LitRPG feel.
There were a few moments where I wanted to reach into the pages and give a character a thorough shaking but this only highlighted the author's ability to write genuine people going on a journey together. Self-doubts and goals often clash, which make for fantastically hard-hitting scenes.
At times the book drifts a little too close to the narrative style of a Pokemon game. They go here, something happens there, here's a new Jekua to capture so let's see what the bestiary says about it.
But all in all this was captivating and I had a great time.
You know, Pokemon Y is unashamedly my favourite game of the franchise. Maybe it's niche to zero in on but the first instalment of the Jekua series threw me right back to a happy playthrough of a treasured game.
The Jekua capture and battling mechanics are fine and well, and this book gives just enough collection of the Jekuas to scratch that gotta collect em' all LitRPG feel.
There were a few moments where I wanted to reach into the pages and give a character a thorough shaking but this only highlighted the author's ability to write genuine people going on a journey together. Self-doubts and goals often clash, which make for fantastically hard-hitting scenes.
At times the book drifts a little too close to the narrative style of a Pokemon game. They go here, something happens there, here's a new Jekua to capture so let's see what the bestiary says about it.
But all in all this was captivating and I had a great time.
March 16, 2022
Travis Riddle is totally in his element with this Pokemon-style adventure, where weird and wonderful creatures give colour to the first stage of a charming coming-of-age journey.
Balt wants to become a master Jekua summoner, but right now he's not up to much. Cue travelling to distant lands, bonding with his more serious friend while butting heads with his childhood nemesis – and discovering plenty of lessons and various perils along the way.
Riddle absolutely nails the atmosphere, pace and magic of a youthful progression fantasy, with his own unique touch of humour and brilliantly unusual creativity. He has a great flair for casually offering up an environment you're just happy to spend time in, then spicing it with drama that keeps you flipping the pages. And as an opening chapter in what promises to be a much more expansive tale, this gives you enough to get you totally hooked and itching for more.
Balt wants to become a master Jekua summoner, but right now he's not up to much. Cue travelling to distant lands, bonding with his more serious friend while butting heads with his childhood nemesis – and discovering plenty of lessons and various perils along the way.
Riddle absolutely nails the atmosphere, pace and magic of a youthful progression fantasy, with his own unique touch of humour and brilliantly unusual creativity. He has a great flair for casually offering up an environment you're just happy to spend time in, then spicing it with drama that keeps you flipping the pages. And as an opening chapter in what promises to be a much more expansive tale, this gives you enough to get you totally hooked and itching for more.
February 13, 2023
Me gusto el mundo que conjura, me ha parecido una fusión entre magia y Pokemon. Me encantaría compartir esta lectura con mi ahijada. Creo que la lección de mantener la fe en ti mismo y de comprender que la competencia es contigo mismo, es valiosa.
I liked the world that conjures up, it seemed like a fusion between magic and Pokemon. I would love to share this reading with my goddaughter. I think the lesson of keeping faith in yourself and understanding that the competition is with yourself is valuable.
I liked the world that conjures up, it seemed like a fusion between magic and Pokemon. I would love to share this reading with my goddaughter. I think the lesson of keeping faith in yourself and understanding that the competition is with yourself is valuable.
August 24, 2022
CHARACTERS 🧙🏼♂️
7/10
PLOT 📖
7/10
WORLDBUILDING 🌎
9/10
ATMOSPHERE ✨
8/10
PACE
7/10 🏃🏾
A really fun progression fantasy adventure that seems like a fresh spin on the Pokémon formula. I have yet to read something like this before (first time reading progression fantasy that I can recall) and I enjoyed it.
The author does an excellent job creating a bright and colorful world that I’d like to learn more about in the future.
7/10
PLOT 📖
7/10
WORLDBUILDING 🌎
9/10
ATMOSPHERE ✨
8/10
PACE
7/10 🏃🏾
A really fun progression fantasy adventure that seems like a fresh spin on the Pokémon formula. I have yet to read something like this before (first time reading progression fantasy that I can recall) and I enjoyed it.
The author does an excellent job creating a bright and colorful world that I’d like to learn more about in the future.
July 17, 2022
Im a bit on the fence woth this one. The premise was cool but I think it really felt too mich like pokemon sometimes, the elements that made it unique could be explained a lottle more.
My problem I think is that the pcing was off.
My problem I think is that the pcing was off.
September 8, 2022
travis i told you i’d be 200
September 18, 2022
This book has solidified for me that if a book has characters I really care about and a world that I want to live in then it’s going to be a home run.
Honestly just a really fun Pokémon inspired story and I cannot wait to pick up book 2 later.
Honestly just a really fun Pokémon inspired story and I cannot wait to pick up book 2 later.
April 12, 2022
Loved it! Travis does a great job making the monster trainer system something unique, but still familiar enough to get nostalgic from it. The story moves a little slower than most progression fantasy and I am totally along for the ride! Really interesting main characters with sensible problems instead of the typical universe shattering kinds, which is always refreshing in fantasy. Excited to see where it goes! More bestiary entries in the next one!
November 14, 2022
Now that I’ve gotten some distance after finishing this, I’m still impressed with the world that was built. Any fan of Pokémon or progression fantasy will enjoy this book. The mechanics of a Pokémon style world translated very well here in battles, the capturing system, and even just how normal people would live in a world filled with wonderful, and sometimes dangerous creatures.
To me, some of the character work had been more tell and less show, which I know over time in a series will remedy. The dynamic between the main characters, including our usual rival, felt nearly cozy while they traversed on their journey. All in all, I’m excited to continue this series!
To me, some of the character work had been more tell and less show, which I know over time in a series will remedy. The dynamic between the main characters, including our usual rival, felt nearly cozy while they traversed on their journey. All in all, I’m excited to continue this series!
March 18, 2022
Ultimately this is a heart-warming coming of age story about finding yourself in the world and the importance of friendship, all wrapped up in a nostalgia-filled fascinating world with weird and wonderful animals.
See my full review here: https://www.areadersreflections.com/s...
See my full review here: https://www.areadersreflections.com/s...
July 20, 2024
Can't believe I got through as this. I wanted to like this as the premise was unique to me for an attempt to put in a book format.
The writing quality was atrocious. Reminded me of a low complexity writing style that would maybe indicate the book was for elementary school children but some of the subject matters seen makes me think that's not the case. It's entirely too adult at certain points for a school child, which means that it likely was unintentional and the writing was just plainly bad.
I think the bad writing style leaned heavily on familiarity with Pokémon. Being unable to have a talent for world building as ambitious as they wanted to so instead leaned more on an existing franchise to do the heavily lifting. It's a cheap move and really shows through with some poor abilities lto use descriptors on the world building so my only option was to just refer to something else to make up for it.
The characters are soooooooo badly written and one note. I just could not at all understand why some more time wasn't spent on them to get a reader to care. Some of the poor writing on the characters are sometimes so overexagerated and reliant on an attempt to plug in some cheap trick due to the inability to once again be unique or have the talent to make a good character. An early example of this is one of the characters has this just lame, poorly written scene of a 3 minute spapshot of dealing with alcoholic parents that is so overly exaggerated and on the nose that it made me literally cringe at the author and seeing what they were desperately trying to do to seem deep. It was incredibly painful for all the wrong reasons as it really sets you up on how bad the writing is going to be.
And the plot.... Oh my word. Terrible terrible terrible. I hate to shred into this so fiercely but... It was not good. I can not believe how lazy and poor quality the writing was trying to desperately get a plot off the ground. Like, I just can't see how this is real? How did a draft not catch how poor this plot was or was the author really trying hard to capture that 'out of nowhere Pokémon plot' feel that you get commonly at the beginning of some of those earlier Pokémon games? I don't even think Pokémon was as bad as this was but its a little easier to get away with in a game as there are collectable aspects, game mechanics and visuals to distract away from the plot to get entertainment from. They does NOT work for a book.
Goodness this was garbage.
I sometimes run into bad books that I give 1 star too because it was bad and think to myself 'wow that was the worst' but then I run into actual worst books I've ever read and feel bad for those other 1 stars I have because when compared to the 1 star I'm giving now.... This 1 star is the actual worst leagues beyond the other 1 star I gave.
This is that 1 star, this was so bad that I feel bad not correctly representing what a true 1 star is from those other 1 stars. This is the most perfect definition of a 1 star and honestly bottom of the barrel worst 1 stars that I seriously am considering going back and rethinking how awfully critical I was to those other 1 star books were because compared to this, those other 1 stars were not 'this' level of 1 star.
This is that bad.
The writing quality was atrocious. Reminded me of a low complexity writing style that would maybe indicate the book was for elementary school children but some of the subject matters seen makes me think that's not the case. It's entirely too adult at certain points for a school child, which means that it likely was unintentional and the writing was just plainly bad.
I think the bad writing style leaned heavily on familiarity with Pokémon. Being unable to have a talent for world building as ambitious as they wanted to so instead leaned more on an existing franchise to do the heavily lifting. It's a cheap move and really shows through with some poor abilities lto use descriptors on the world building so my only option was to just refer to something else to make up for it.
The characters are soooooooo badly written and one note. I just could not at all understand why some more time wasn't spent on them to get a reader to care. Some of the poor writing on the characters are sometimes so overexagerated and reliant on an attempt to plug in some cheap trick due to the inability to once again be unique or have the talent to make a good character. An early example of this is one of the characters has this just lame, poorly written scene of a 3 minute spapshot of dealing with alcoholic parents that is so overly exaggerated and on the nose that it made me literally cringe at the author and seeing what they were desperately trying to do to seem deep. It was incredibly painful for all the wrong reasons as it really sets you up on how bad the writing is going to be.
And the plot.... Oh my word. Terrible terrible terrible. I hate to shred into this so fiercely but... It was not good. I can not believe how lazy and poor quality the writing was trying to desperately get a plot off the ground. Like, I just can't see how this is real? How did a draft not catch how poor this plot was or was the author really trying hard to capture that 'out of nowhere Pokémon plot' feel that you get commonly at the beginning of some of those earlier Pokémon games? I don't even think Pokémon was as bad as this was but its a little easier to get away with in a game as there are collectable aspects, game mechanics and visuals to distract away from the plot to get entertainment from. They does NOT work for a book.
Goodness this was garbage.
I sometimes run into bad books that I give 1 star too because it was bad and think to myself 'wow that was the worst' but then I run into actual worst books I've ever read and feel bad for those other 1 stars I have because when compared to the 1 star I'm giving now.... This 1 star is the actual worst leagues beyond the other 1 star I gave.
This is that 1 star, this was so bad that I feel bad not correctly representing what a true 1 star is from those other 1 stars. This is the most perfect definition of a 1 star and honestly bottom of the barrel worst 1 stars that I seriously am considering going back and rethinking how awfully critical I was to those other 1 star books were because compared to this, those other 1 stars were not 'this' level of 1 star.
This is that bad.
May 4, 2022
On Lavender Tides is a nostalgia-filled adventure for those who grew up playing Pokemon games and watching the TV Show. It's a light and dynamic read, with short chapters and quick story progression. I thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely recommend for Pokemon fans and non-fans alike.
Not only is the worldbuilding inspired by the world of Pokemon, but also the structure of the story, the cast of characters, and locations, with many references that will give you the occasional chuckle: the rival being a bit a jerk, the Zubat cave, TMs being sold at the store, the moves themselves. There are some neat twists to the creature-collecting theme, such as fusions instead of evolutions and it not being basically a rooster fighting competition.
The Jekuas are another strong point, and I do not say this lightly, because the creature roster is, to me, the most important aspect of such a story. Pairrots are a nice nod at Doduo, Puffolins are adorable and I'd love to have myself a Jontoo. The Eclipse Jackal did not particularly entice me, both because of the name that didn't exactly roll off the tongue and because it reminded me too much of Houndour. But overall, they are really neat. I wish there were more depictions from the bestiary, but I do understand the constraints due to it being the first novel.
Though I did like the references, I did find that at moments I was wishing for a bit more uniqueness from the story as it felt a bit samey to Pokemon. The Climax deserved a little extra oomph, but it was fine enough.
Again, this is not to say that I did not like it a lot. It's a good debut for a series, with some spare room for improvement. I am anxiously looking forward to the second iteration and what new Jekuas it will bring.
Not only is the worldbuilding inspired by the world of Pokemon, but also the structure of the story, the cast of characters, and locations, with many references that will give you the occasional chuckle: the rival being a bit a jerk, the Zubat cave, TMs being sold at the store, the moves themselves. There are some neat twists to the creature-collecting theme, such as fusions instead of evolutions and it not being basically a rooster fighting competition.
The Jekuas are another strong point, and I do not say this lightly, because the creature roster is, to me, the most important aspect of such a story. Pairrots are a nice nod at Doduo, Puffolins are adorable and I'd love to have myself a Jontoo. The Eclipse Jackal did not particularly entice me, both because of the name that didn't exactly roll off the tongue and because it reminded me too much of Houndour. But overall, they are really neat. I wish there were more depictions from the bestiary, but I do understand the constraints due to it being the first novel.
Though I did like the references, I did find that at moments I was wishing for a bit more uniqueness from the story as it felt a bit samey to Pokemon. The Climax deserved a little extra oomph, but it was fine enough.
Again, this is not to say that I did not like it a lot. It's a good debut for a series, with some spare room for improvement. I am anxiously looking forward to the second iteration and what new Jekuas it will bring.
April 15, 2022
I have made an effort to read everything Travis Riddle writes since he released Balam, Spring in 2018. He has proven to be a prolific author since then, and I think he’s improved with each book he’s released. That continues to be the case with On Lavender Tides. This is a book that takes a lot—and I do mean a lot—of inspiration from Pokemon. What’s so interesting to me is that Riddle manages to offer some engaging characters in the midst of this Pokemon-esque story. This is yet another unique fantasy novel that’s more than worth your time.
As I’ve already intimated, I’m a fan of Riddle’s novels. What really draws me to this one, in particular, are the characters and magic. Before talking about those, however, I need to talk about the world. The world that Riddle has crafted in On Lavender Tides feels very much like Pokemon, and particularly Pokemon Sun and Moon with their islands. It’s possible some readers might find this derivative, but I think we have more of an homage here. There are many aspects of the world Riddle has crafted that are clearly analogous to Pokemon, most obviously the Jekua. There are also more subtle tips of the hat—for instance, there is a reference at one point to something being “super effective.” But the most interesting aspects are the differences. Rather than capturing Jekua, summoners imprint them and then summon artificial, mana-created versions of natural Jekua. In other words, actual animals are not stored in a poke ball and then forced to fight one another. Rather, a summoners’ Jekua are simply a projection, wholly controlled by them. It’s a fascinating difference from the Pokemon games, and one that gives a lot of creative space while simultaneously removing what is likely the most objectionable aspect of the games. There are dozens of little differences like this, and those are what make the world interesting, at least in my estimation.
What’s more fun than all of that, however, are the characters and magic. The magic plays a large role in the story, from allowing summoners to imprint and summon Jekua to creating the backstory for both the world and our characters. There is a progression element to the magic, and I appreciated that. I’m a huge fan of progression fantasy, and while we don’t see a ton of progression in this first novel, we certainly see some and that offers a payoff to all the training that one of our main characters does. Speaking of characters, Riddle always has a way of crafting characters—particularly young adult characters—who feel very down-to-earth, very believable. The characters in On Lavender Tides are no exception. Balt dreams of being a great Jekua summoner, and living up to the legacy of his grandmother. Alani has joined the church, mostly intending to get away from her drunk-all-day parents. Neither character is particularly noble or heroic, both have their own problems to deal with and yet seem to be decent people who care about others while also having plenty of flaws.
If there is anything to criticize in this one, it’s that at times it really can feel like you’re reading a Pokemon story by a different name. On the other hand, I think that’s a feature not a bug. It’s an intentional homage that does—in my opinion—just enough to differentiate itself that it keeps things fresh. If I wanted to be exceptionally nit-picky, I think there were a couple scenes where things could have been tightened up a little in terms of the flow of a particular sequence of plot-point, but again that’s something that’s nit-picky and going to end up being very much an issue of personal preference. A slightly larger issue, for me anyway, is that the book sort of just stops. While the ending point makes sense, there isn’t much resolution to any of the major plot threads or character threads. This is the first book in a series, so that’s to be expected, but having a little more resolution to give this first entry a distinct feel of its own would have been nice.
On Lavender Tides will appeal to fans of Pokemon as well as fans of progression fantasy or books with believable young adult characters. If you enjoy all three of those things, you’re gonna love this one. Even if those aren’t quite your normal cup of tea, this one is worth adding to the TBR.
8.8/10
4.4/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
As I’ve already intimated, I’m a fan of Riddle’s novels. What really draws me to this one, in particular, are the characters and magic. Before talking about those, however, I need to talk about the world. The world that Riddle has crafted in On Lavender Tides feels very much like Pokemon, and particularly Pokemon Sun and Moon with their islands. It’s possible some readers might find this derivative, but I think we have more of an homage here. There are many aspects of the world Riddle has crafted that are clearly analogous to Pokemon, most obviously the Jekua. There are also more subtle tips of the hat—for instance, there is a reference at one point to something being “super effective.” But the most interesting aspects are the differences. Rather than capturing Jekua, summoners imprint them and then summon artificial, mana-created versions of natural Jekua. In other words, actual animals are not stored in a poke ball and then forced to fight one another. Rather, a summoners’ Jekua are simply a projection, wholly controlled by them. It’s a fascinating difference from the Pokemon games, and one that gives a lot of creative space while simultaneously removing what is likely the most objectionable aspect of the games. There are dozens of little differences like this, and those are what make the world interesting, at least in my estimation.
What’s more fun than all of that, however, are the characters and magic. The magic plays a large role in the story, from allowing summoners to imprint and summon Jekua to creating the backstory for both the world and our characters. There is a progression element to the magic, and I appreciated that. I’m a huge fan of progression fantasy, and while we don’t see a ton of progression in this first novel, we certainly see some and that offers a payoff to all the training that one of our main characters does. Speaking of characters, Riddle always has a way of crafting characters—particularly young adult characters—who feel very down-to-earth, very believable. The characters in On Lavender Tides are no exception. Balt dreams of being a great Jekua summoner, and living up to the legacy of his grandmother. Alani has joined the church, mostly intending to get away from her drunk-all-day parents. Neither character is particularly noble or heroic, both have their own problems to deal with and yet seem to be decent people who care about others while also having plenty of flaws.
If there is anything to criticize in this one, it’s that at times it really can feel like you’re reading a Pokemon story by a different name. On the other hand, I think that’s a feature not a bug. It’s an intentional homage that does—in my opinion—just enough to differentiate itself that it keeps things fresh. If I wanted to be exceptionally nit-picky, I think there were a couple scenes where things could have been tightened up a little in terms of the flow of a particular sequence of plot-point, but again that’s something that’s nit-picky and going to end up being very much an issue of personal preference. A slightly larger issue, for me anyway, is that the book sort of just stops. While the ending point makes sense, there isn’t much resolution to any of the major plot threads or character threads. This is the first book in a series, so that’s to be expected, but having a little more resolution to give this first entry a distinct feel of its own would have been nice.
On Lavender Tides will appeal to fans of Pokemon as well as fans of progression fantasy or books with believable young adult characters. If you enjoy all three of those things, you’re gonna love this one. Even if those aren’t quite your normal cup of tea, this one is worth adding to the TBR.
8.8/10
4.4/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
May 19, 2022
It's a pretty fun read, so I think I'm interested enough to pick up the next one when it comes out and see where the series takes things. The idea of a progression fantasy styled Pokémon adventure is certainly one that caught my attention, although I'm not sure it completely works.
The pacing in this first book of the series is a bit odd; I guess it's going to be a book per island/shrine the main characters visit, but I'd be a bit concerned about it being able to hold interest for that long. I'd have expected that first quest to wrap up much quicker, then for the series to be able to go to new, bigger adventures if it likes. I think it's trying to recreate something like the island quest in Pokémon Sun & Moon, but the Pokémon games have the advantage of the game format making their structure inherently more engaging - you can get much more into the struggle against a strong boss fight. Here, the person who ends up being the main boss battle disappears for most of the story before returning for what doesn't feel like a climactic encounter; maybe that's an attempt to imitate how the rivals of Pokémon games pop up every now and again, but I don't think it works quite as well here.
Speaking of the island theme, I hope this book had a sensitivity reader or two look over it for how it draws from (I think) Pacific island culture - especially when characters are written with accents.
Back to the inspiration, and something I did like was that adjustments are made to the Pokémon systems, using technological devices like memory cards and a magic system that draws from the trainer/summoner's own power, recreating each creature rather than actually capturing the original. Types are different, too, so you get the sense that there could be a lot of depth and payoff to how that's working here. It's familiar enough to Pokémon fans to give something to latch onto, but different enough not to feel like a carbon copy.
Other than Pokémon fans, I'm not 100% sure what kind of audience On Lavender Tides is aimed at, come to think of it; there's occasional mild swearing and a couple of references to sex, but the way it's written sometimes makes me think it's meant for a much younger audience. There are a fair few fragmentary sentences and occasional tense confusion, which could (and I'm probably inclined to think so) just be errors missed in editing and proofreading but sort of feel as if they might be deliberate choices trying to make the style feel a bit younger. Hard to tell. The word 'Jekua' (plural 'Jekuas') also feels young-skewed to me for some reason; I feel like it should be singular 'Jeku' and plural 'Jekua' if anything, but the word always tripped me up a bit whenever it came up, as if my mental voice couldn't quite get its tongue around the syllables.
Overall verdict, then: it's enjoyable enough that I don't think I ever considered not finishing it, and I'd recommend to those looking for an easy read.
The pacing in this first book of the series is a bit odd; I guess it's going to be a book per island/shrine the main characters visit, but I'd be a bit concerned about it being able to hold interest for that long. I'd have expected that first quest to wrap up much quicker, then for the series to be able to go to new, bigger adventures if it likes. I think it's trying to recreate something like the island quest in Pokémon Sun & Moon, but the Pokémon games have the advantage of the game format making their structure inherently more engaging - you can get much more into the struggle against a strong boss fight. Here, the person who ends up being the main boss battle disappears for most of the story before returning for what doesn't feel like a climactic encounter; maybe that's an attempt to imitate how the rivals of Pokémon games pop up every now and again, but I don't think it works quite as well here.
Speaking of the island theme, I hope this book had a sensitivity reader or two look over it for how it draws from (I think) Pacific island culture - especially when characters are written with accents.
Back to the inspiration, and something I did like was that adjustments are made to the Pokémon systems, using technological devices like memory cards and a magic system that draws from the trainer/summoner's own power, recreating each creature rather than actually capturing the original. Types are different, too, so you get the sense that there could be a lot of depth and payoff to how that's working here. It's familiar enough to Pokémon fans to give something to latch onto, but different enough not to feel like a carbon copy.
Other than Pokémon fans, I'm not 100% sure what kind of audience On Lavender Tides is aimed at, come to think of it; there's occasional mild swearing and a couple of references to sex, but the way it's written sometimes makes me think it's meant for a much younger audience. There are a fair few fragmentary sentences and occasional tense confusion, which could (and I'm probably inclined to think so) just be errors missed in editing and proofreading but sort of feel as if they might be deliberate choices trying to make the style feel a bit younger. Hard to tell. The word 'Jekua' (plural 'Jekuas') also feels young-skewed to me for some reason; I feel like it should be singular 'Jeku' and plural 'Jekua' if anything, but the word always tripped me up a bit whenever it came up, as if my mental voice couldn't quite get its tongue around the syllables.
Overall verdict, then: it's enjoyable enough that I don't think I ever considered not finishing it, and I'd recommend to those looking for an easy read.
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