Ballad for Jasmine Town
The town of Miryoku has ocean views, fragrant jasmine vines, and a thriving arts scene, including a popular nineties cover band. It also sits on the verge, sharing a border with fae territory, a realm of both enchantments and dangers.
Rafi has been unusual all his life: a human born to a fae mother, a mortal denizen of the fae realm, a form-changer. He aches to join the human world, but prejudices and legal tangles stand in his way. After the death of his beloved human grandmother at the careless hands of fae, his only connection to humans is the cover band he plays with—until he meets Roxana.
Roxana is a dutiful single parent and a metalworking witch specializing in healing charms. When she meets Rafi one summer night and repairs an instrument string for him, they strike up a friendship that soon kindles into love. But she’s moving away from Miryoku at summer’s end, and Rafi must stay, determined to stop the fae who keep hurting townsfolk. Together, Roxana and Rafi formulate an idea that might tame the most dangerous offenders—or might only accelerate the doom of their hometown.
Content warnings: Mild: consensual sexual activity, self-harm thoughts, drowning, nonconsensual sexual activity (mentioned, not shown), child abuse (mentioned, not shown). Moderate: classism/discrimination against groups, violence (physical), natural disaster, mass destruction, trauma, torture, swearing, murder (attempted), death and grief.
Rafi is trans-via-magic, and Roxana is bi, but abundant queerness is the norm on Eidolonia, there is no homophobia/transphobia, and identity labels aren't used in-universe.
Read the first four chapters at the bottom of the page
OTHER EIDOLONIA BOOKS (all can be read as stand-alones): Lava Red Feather Blue
REVIEWS:
“Ballad for Jasmine Town is both totally new and comfortingly familiar. Filled with love, family, fear, grief, and longing, this is a story about being human in an inhumane world, and ultimately a story of hope in dark times. The perfect book to break a reading slump when you feel like you've seen everything fantasy has to offer. This one turns the genre on its head and brings us the ’90s cover band we didn't know we needed (but we definitely do).” - Melissa McTernan, author of A Curse of Blood and Wolves
“An exhilaratingly seductive return to the magical island of Eidolonia, Ballad for Jasmine Town is a deeply moving story of what it means to truly love another: acceptance of their authentic self. A deliciously exciting adventure in a remarkable fantasy realm.” - Abbie Williams, author of the Shore Leave Cafe series
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