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A review by its_justine
Balam, Spring by Travis M. Riddle
4.0
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.
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.