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The Ballad of Perilous Graves
Music is magic in this novel set in a fantastical version of New Orleans where a battle for the city's soul brews between two young mages, a vengeful wraith, and one powerful song.
Nola is a city full of wonders. A place of sky trolleys and dead cabs, where haints dance the night away and Wise Women help keep the order. To those from Away, Nola might seem strange. To Perilous Graves, it’s simply home.
In a world of everyday miracles, Perry might not have a talent for magic, but he does know Nola’s rhythm as intimately as his own heartbeat. So when the city’s Great Magician starts appearing in odd places and essential songs are forgotten, Perry realizes trouble is afoot.
Nine songs of power have escaped from the piano that maintains the city’s beat, and without them, Nola will fail. Unwilling to watch his home be destroyed, Perry will sacrifice everything to save it. But a storm is brewing, and the Haint of All Haints is awake. Nola’s time might be coming to an end.
Nola is a city full of wonders. A place of sky trolleys and dead cabs, where haints dance the night away and Wise Women help keep the order. To those from Away, Nola might seem strange. To Perilous Graves, it’s simply home.
In a world of everyday miracles, Perry might not have a talent for magic, but he does know Nola’s rhythm as intimately as his own heartbeat. So when the city’s Great Magician starts appearing in odd places and essential songs are forgotten, Perry realizes trouble is afoot.
Nine songs of power have escaped from the piano that maintains the city’s beat, and without them, Nola will fail. Unwilling to watch his home be destroyed, Perry will sacrifice everything to save it. But a storm is brewing, and the Haint of All Haints is awake. Nola’s time might be coming to an end.
456 pages, Hardcover
First published June 21, 2022
About the author
Alex Jennings
17 books119 followersAlex Jennings is a writer/editor/teacher/poet living in New Orleans. He was born in Wiesbaden (Germany) and raised in Gaborone (Botswana), Tunis (Tunisia), Paramaribo (Surinam) and the United States. He constantly devours pop culture and writes mostly jokes on Twitter (@magicknegro). He loves music, film, comix, and even some TV. He’s going a little nuts shut up in his Central City apartment, but thankfully he has two of the best roommates on earth (one of whom is a beautiful beautiful dog named Karate Valentino. His debut novel, The Ballad of Perilous Graves is due out from Redhook in 2022. You can also find him goofing around on Instagram: (@magicknegro)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 695 reviews
November 29, 2022
In the spirit here, I ask that if you are currently deceased, it is imperative that you resume living at once and begin reading – (very loosely taken from part of the digital galley).
New Orleans. There is no place like it, except in “The Ballad of Perilous Graves.” Alex Jennings fires up the torches to show the real Nola. Music always felt like the heartbeat here, we just never realized it is the heartbeat. Evil is out to kill nine essential songs holding this world together. Take away the songs, songs manifesting themselves as spirits, and the city collapses against a collection of all the storms ever visited on the area.
A chosen few are tasked with using magic to fend off the attack. Three are children who will face off against the likes of legendary song villain Stagger Lee and a gruesome ghoul he reports to. The fourth defender is Casey, an ex-tagger who abandoned his art when he saw his creations coming to life on their own. Graffiti can float on the air now and people passing through the graffiti become disoriented, one person vomiting flower petals after going through a tag. These episodes have been coined “Color Rushes.”
Musical spirits and ghosts are not unusual in Nola, but we bridge other oddities not found on your travel agent’s brochure. Zombies are commonplace walking the streets and when you look up you see the sky trolleys. Parades of P-bodies pass by, dazzled souls who spent a little too much time under the effect of the paint of the graffiti tags. Now things are getting grave and even the air pulses with the oncoming storm– a destruction promised.
A good deal of the book is spent preparing our unlikely heroes for their battle against the dark forces. Casey is a trans male coming to grips with the death of his cousin and the magic they both created which now runs rampant in the city. Perry, just out of fifth grade, and his younger sister Brendy are thrust into their roles as warriors by a fate reinforced by family. Then there is Peaches… a mysterious and astonishing girl who seems to live alone and is really the leader the other kids look up to. She could really be the focus of another book all herself.
Wait… am I following all this… I am not lost here am I?
With all the POV changes and strange events you find yourself taking a leap of faith that the tide is flowing forward. It is a journey and demands some patience getting to where it is going– there will be people who will not finish it. I found the payoff well worth the effort, though. “The Ballad of Perilous Graves” is super-charged with imagination, filthy rich in characters I have not even mentioned, and captures a Nola feel so well you can hear the music playing and capture the images moving as you go.
Thank you to Redhook Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Now to tape a coin to my record player needle and put my scratchy Dr. John “Gris-Gris” record on. #CocoRobichaux
New Orleans. There is no place like it, except in “The Ballad of Perilous Graves.” Alex Jennings fires up the torches to show the real Nola. Music always felt like the heartbeat here, we just never realized it is the heartbeat. Evil is out to kill nine essential songs holding this world together. Take away the songs, songs manifesting themselves as spirits, and the city collapses against a collection of all the storms ever visited on the area.
A chosen few are tasked with using magic to fend off the attack. Three are children who will face off against the likes of legendary song villain Stagger Lee and a gruesome ghoul he reports to. The fourth defender is Casey, an ex-tagger who abandoned his art when he saw his creations coming to life on their own. Graffiti can float on the air now and people passing through the graffiti become disoriented, one person vomiting flower petals after going through a tag. These episodes have been coined “Color Rushes.”
Musical spirits and ghosts are not unusual in Nola, but we bridge other oddities not found on your travel agent’s brochure. Zombies are commonplace walking the streets and when you look up you see the sky trolleys. Parades of P-bodies pass by, dazzled souls who spent a little too much time under the effect of the paint of the graffiti tags. Now things are getting grave and even the air pulses with the oncoming storm– a destruction promised.
A good deal of the book is spent preparing our unlikely heroes for their battle against the dark forces. Casey is a trans male coming to grips with the death of his cousin and the magic they both created which now runs rampant in the city. Perry, just out of fifth grade, and his younger sister Brendy are thrust into their roles as warriors by a fate reinforced by family. Then there is Peaches… a mysterious and astonishing girl who seems to live alone and is really the leader the other kids look up to. She could really be the focus of another book all herself.
Wait… am I following all this… I am not lost here am I?
With all the POV changes and strange events you find yourself taking a leap of faith that the tide is flowing forward. It is a journey and demands some patience getting to where it is going– there will be people who will not finish it. I found the payoff well worth the effort, though. “The Ballad of Perilous Graves” is super-charged with imagination, filthy rich in characters I have not even mentioned, and captures a Nola feel so well you can hear the music playing and capture the images moving as you go.
Thank you to Redhook Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Now to tape a coin to my record player needle and put my scratchy Dr. John “Gris-Gris” record on. #CocoRobichaux
June 16, 2022
You may think you know New Orleans with its culture and folkore, but Alex Jennings invites you to see it anew, with his alternate fantastical version, Nola, with its rhythms of music, song, magic and darkness, the zombies that walk the streets, dancing haints, dead cabs, floating graffiti, p-bodies and magicians. It is a discordant, chaotic and hallucinatory experience that had me confused and disorientated, as in all honesty, it took some time before the various threads began to make sense, but even by the end, I was still left with some feelings of bewilderment. Pay little heed to this, for this is a smart, beautifully crafted, and lyrical read, with its imaginative, colourful and vibrant world building, persevere through the first part, and you are likely to be amply rewarded.
The wondrous and offbeat city of Nola is in grave trouble, its life blood and beating heart depends on music, and horror of horrors, 9 songs of power have escaped, and without them Nola's very existence is under threat. With a wide cast of quirky characters, the future of Nola lies in the hands of the few. Perry, his sister, Brendy, Peaches and Casey embark on a wildly thrilling obstacle ridden adventure facing evil and villains, will they be able to succeed, particularly as there is a storm brewing? Jennings has composed a strange, exquisite and deranged musical song of a narrative, but some of its tone and rhythms may not appeal to everyone. However, I was enthralled and charmed, I loved the wordplay and dialogue, its illustration of the power of music, and its diverse and beguiling set of characters.
I highly recommend this to readers looking for something different and willing to take risks in the hopes of finding an enchanting read that celebrates New Orleans. Oh, and I love the cover!! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
The wondrous and offbeat city of Nola is in grave trouble, its life blood and beating heart depends on music, and horror of horrors, 9 songs of power have escaped, and without them Nola's very existence is under threat. With a wide cast of quirky characters, the future of Nola lies in the hands of the few. Perry, his sister, Brendy, Peaches and Casey embark on a wildly thrilling obstacle ridden adventure facing evil and villains, will they be able to succeed, particularly as there is a storm brewing? Jennings has composed a strange, exquisite and deranged musical song of a narrative, but some of its tone and rhythms may not appeal to everyone. However, I was enthralled and charmed, I loved the wordplay and dialogue, its illustration of the power of music, and its diverse and beguiling set of characters.
I highly recommend this to readers looking for something different and willing to take risks in the hopes of finding an enchanting read that celebrates New Orleans. Oh, and I love the cover!! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
June 20, 2022
Yessss! This was so different than anything I have read. Super imaginative and vivid. Magical and dreamy. The representation is awesome. I really enjoyed it! I feel like I may need to read it again to get more out of it, but ya a fun one!
November 14, 2022
The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings—featuring a New Orleans of sky trolleys, living graffiti, trans dimensional portals, and terrifying haints—gotta be one of the most amazing books I’ve read in a minute. Magical, lyrical, gritty, otherworldly… sh*t is hype like Bayou Classic in the 90s, set to song.
June 26, 2022
Knowing how magical realism and I don't play well together, I probably shouldn't have requested this one from NetGalley, BUT . . . the premise sounded intriguing, and then there was that AMAZING cover.
And, I tried to love the book, I really did, but the whole shebang was just too confusing for my rapidly aging brain. What was real and what wasn't? Who was a ghost, a zombie, or still alive? I gave up on trying to figure it out.
On the plus side, I did like the magical, folklore elements , the New Orleans setting, and I LOVED the three kids.
Every now and then I butt heads with a book that I honestly think would make a better graphic novel, or film, and this was one. Hopefully, I'll be watching this on Netflix in a few years, and it will all make sense to me then.
But, DAMN! That's an AWESOME cover, eh?
Many thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for letting me take this one for a spin.
And, I tried to love the book, I really did, but the whole shebang was just too confusing for my rapidly aging brain. What was real and what wasn't? Who was a ghost, a zombie, or still alive? I gave up on trying to figure it out.
On the plus side, I did like the magical, folklore elements , the New Orleans setting, and I LOVED the three kids.
Every now and then I butt heads with a book that I honestly think would make a better graphic novel, or film, and this was one. Hopefully, I'll be watching this on Netflix in a few years, and it will all make sense to me then.
But, DAMN! That's an AWESOME cover, eh?
Many thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for letting me take this one for a spin.
May 22, 2022
OK this might sound a bit weird but I probably only understood about half of what was going on in this wonderful debut but it could never have been anything except a five star read because I adored it.
Set in a vibrant New Orleans alternative city Nola, where music is magic, the dead and the living inhabit the crazy, colourful streets and a young Perilous Graves is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
The diverse and beautiful character dynamic alongside the intense and gorgeous setting make this book a fantastic read. So for sure the mythology is complex and
sometimes you feel a little lost in the flow of events and people, but the heart of it is a pounding, pulse racing delight of a read.
I won't attempt to make it coherent, the pure joy of it is its incoherence and the ending had me desperate for more.
Fabulous.
Set in a vibrant New Orleans alternative city Nola, where music is magic, the dead and the living inhabit the crazy, colourful streets and a young Perilous Graves is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
The diverse and beautiful character dynamic alongside the intense and gorgeous setting make this book a fantastic read. So for sure the mythology is complex and
sometimes you feel a little lost in the flow of events and people, but the heart of it is a pounding, pulse racing delight of a read.
I won't attempt to make it coherent, the pure joy of it is its incoherence and the ending had me desperate for more.
Fabulous.
June 20, 2024
What a peculiar story!
Perilious, believe it or not, is the name of a boy. He and his sister live in an odd place full of sky trolleys, zombies and more. Nola. Pery and his sister one day find out that 9 magic songs have been stolen and if they aren't returned, a mysterious storm is going to destroy Away () and Nola.
This book was quite interesting in that it was pretty much unique. Not just the language - authentic for New Orleans. Not even thanks to the book having it's own original music score (piano, appropriately).
Rather, it was pretty disorienting at first and one wasn't clear exactly what certain events or characters had to do with what was clearly the overall story. Even now, after having finished the book, I'm not entirely sure in certain instances. However, once we got a few more revelations and move from one to the next, things came together better and I got into the story more.
I definitely loved the mix of music and magic - music being magic, actually - as well as the old New Orleans traditions mixed with the worldbuilding.
Perilious, believe it or not, is the name of a boy. He and his sister live in an odd place full of sky trolleys, zombies and more. Nola. Pery and his sister one day find out that 9 magic songs have been stolen and if they aren't returned, a mysterious storm is going to destroy Away () and Nola.
This book was quite interesting in that it was pretty much unique. Not just the language - authentic for New Orleans. Not even thanks to the book having it's own original music score (piano, appropriately).
Rather, it was pretty disorienting at first and one wasn't clear exactly what certain events or characters had to do with what was clearly the overall story. Even now, after having finished the book, I'm not entirely sure in certain instances. However, once we got a few more revelations and move from one to the next, things came together better and I got into the story more.
I definitely loved the mix of music and magic - music being magic, actually - as well as the old New Orleans traditions mixed with the worldbuilding.
Read
September 2, 2022New Orleans-set and -themed fantasy with an almost entirely Black cast. The main protagonists are children but it's very much an adult book, about culture and loss and growing up.
It's also very dense with invention to the point where, for me, it was a bit overstuffed. It was hard to know what was important in the barrage of new ideas and strange creatures and multiple worlds and many characters, and honestly I found it pretty hard to follow the plot in detail. What were the zombies and the big insects there for? Why is one of the kids explicitly compared to Milo from the Phantom Tollbooth, but the Pippi Longstocking analogue of the other--red haired super strong girl with lost pirate-captain father--is never acknowledged? I got lost between the alternate versions of the Casey character, and a chunk of plot around the compass seemed to be missing unless I missed it. Basically a slightly bewildering, cornucopia of imagination and storytelling.
Which I bet is the point. I absolutely *bet* it would read differently if I knew New Orleans (just like all those millions of London set fantasies) and there's resonances and vibes in the exuberant worlds here that I'm just not picking up. Which, fair enough because not everything is for me.
I found it too kaleidoscopic to make a completely satisfying story, but it's wildly inventive and heartfelt and well written, so it will be fascinating to see where the author goes.
It's also very dense with invention to the point where, for me, it was a bit overstuffed. It was hard to know what was important in the barrage of new ideas and strange creatures and multiple worlds and many characters, and honestly I found it pretty hard to follow the plot in detail. What were the zombies and the big insects there for? Why is one of the kids explicitly compared to Milo from the Phantom Tollbooth, but the Pippi Longstocking analogue of the other--red haired super strong girl with lost pirate-captain father--is never acknowledged? I got lost between the alternate versions of the Casey character, and a chunk of plot around the compass seemed to be missing unless I missed it. Basically a slightly bewildering, cornucopia of imagination and storytelling.
Which I bet is the point. I absolutely *bet* it would read differently if I knew New Orleans (just like all those millions of London set fantasies) and there's resonances and vibes in the exuberant worlds here that I'm just not picking up. Which, fair enough because not everything is for me.
I found it too kaleidoscopic to make a completely satisfying story, but it's wildly inventive and heartfelt and well written, so it will be fascinating to see where the author goes.
August 8, 2022
“Claws scrabbled desperate at the back of his throat. Yakumo curved his back into a question mark and fought to swallow the creature. The rat was tenacious though, and scrabbled its way into his mouth. He tasted its hair and fright against his rotten tongue. Its terror, its hatred. But it was him, wasn’t it? Some of him? Yakumo spat the rat onto the dirty floor.”
The blurb sounded promising and the book had a definite rhythm and atmosphere that kept me reading longer than I should have. Unfortunately, this book was too confusing (and intermittently gross) for me to want to continue. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
The blurb sounded promising and the book had a definite rhythm and atmosphere that kept me reading longer than I should have. Unfortunately, this book was too confusing (and intermittently gross) for me to want to continue. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
June 15, 2022
Good writing and great premise, but so, so overcomplicated. I hated and resented this book by the end; I just wanted it to be over.
Full review to come
Actual review:
HIGHLIGHTS
~music is magic
~there’s more than one New Orleans
~family’s always got your back
~friends stand by your side against the Storm
~beware the sack
I started this book excited. By the middle I was confused. By the end, I hated and resented it.
I probably should have DNF-ed it instead of pushing on through, but I was so sure it was going to smooth out and become epic. But while it tapped into some big, mythic-level themes, it was much too complicated, confusing, and over-full to be epic-like-awesome.
What you need to know going into Ballad is that there are two New Orleanses: the New Orleans of our world, and Nola, which is New Orleans but magic, attached to our world as a kind of pocket dimension. The biggest, most frustrating thing about Ballad is that this is not explained or clear for the first half of the book. We jump seemingly at random between a city that has flying trams, zombies, and Mardi Gras beads growing from trees, to the mundane New Orleans (if NO can ever be described as mundane) where we follow a Black trans man named Casey living a pretty normal life with no apparent relevance to the plot going on in the magical city. I had no idea why Casey mattered, and to be honest, I still think his character and plotline could and should have been entirely cut from the book – it’s boring, it doesn’t add to the story, and it’s confusing in context.
In Nola, the magical city, three Black kids – Perry, Brendy, and Peaches – are tasked with tracking down and recovering the Nine Songs that, to keep it short, power Nola. The songs have escaped – or possibly been set free by some dangerous enemy – and are now manifesting in human shape. They have to be gathered together again as quickly as possible for everyone’s safety – including their own. For Perry and Brendy, this means discovering and tapping into the gifts of their bloodline; Peaches, on the other hand, has had superpowers for as long as anyone can remember and is absolutely ready to mess some bad guys up.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
Full review to come
Actual review:
HIGHLIGHTS
~music is magic
~there’s more than one New Orleans
~family’s always got your back
~friends stand by your side against the Storm
~beware the sack
I started this book excited. By the middle I was confused. By the end, I hated and resented it.
I probably should have DNF-ed it instead of pushing on through, but I was so sure it was going to smooth out and become epic. But while it tapped into some big, mythic-level themes, it was much too complicated, confusing, and over-full to be epic-like-awesome.
Outside, sunlight fell like rain. It was so thick, so powerful that Perry expected it to ring as it bounced onto Esplande Avenue.
What you need to know going into Ballad is that there are two New Orleanses: the New Orleans of our world, and Nola, which is New Orleans but magic, attached to our world as a kind of pocket dimension. The biggest, most frustrating thing about Ballad is that this is not explained or clear for the first half of the book. We jump seemingly at random between a city that has flying trams, zombies, and Mardi Gras beads growing from trees, to the mundane New Orleans (if NO can ever be described as mundane) where we follow a Black trans man named Casey living a pretty normal life with no apparent relevance to the plot going on in the magical city. I had no idea why Casey mattered, and to be honest, I still think his character and plotline could and should have been entirely cut from the book – it’s boring, it doesn’t add to the story, and it’s confusing in context.
In Nola, the magical city, three Black kids – Perry, Brendy, and Peaches – are tasked with tracking down and recovering the Nine Songs that, to keep it short, power Nola. The songs have escaped – or possibly been set free by some dangerous enemy – and are now manifesting in human shape. They have to be gathered together again as quickly as possible for everyone’s safety – including their own. For Perry and Brendy, this means discovering and tapping into the gifts of their bloodline; Peaches, on the other hand, has had superpowers for as long as anyone can remember and is absolutely ready to mess some bad guys up.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
Read
April 25, 2022I DNF’d this at 230 pages.
I really wanted to love The Ballad of Perilous Graves but unfortunately I found it too confusing. It’s set in New Orleans and an alternative New Orleans called Nola, which is full of magic. The setting was definitely my favourite part, there were some lovely descriptions and I loved that Nola was a place of powerful songs, of creepy haints, of p-bodies who could vomit fire, of graffiti which came to life, it was a place both quirky and eerie. Jennings includes many diverse characters including trans representation, which was fantastic to see. Yet there were far too many characters, we jump from each POV too often allowing very little depth or investment in their arcs. In all honesty it felt jarring. The narrative was too disjointed, too chaotic and I really couldn’t tell you what the plot was about other than there are two children with magical weapons on the search for some missing songs.
I realise that the plot may fall into place later on, but every time I put the book down my enthusiasm to pick it back up waned. However, don’t let my opinion discourage you. At my heart I’m a character driven reader and if I don’t feel any depth from the characters then I really do struggle. You may feel differently, in fact I hope you do. I’ll end this review with my favourite quote:
“Perry frowned and shut his eyes, listening more closely. He could hear it. At first the tone of the music reminded him of water, and it was still liquid, but now he imagined a bit of darkness and
blood mixed in. He saw flowers unfurling to catch rain in a storm. Some of them were destroyed, pulverized by the water or swept away in the high wind.
"That's the thing about music," Daddy Deke said. "It can destroy as much as it creates. It's wild and powerful, dig?"”
I really wanted to love The Ballad of Perilous Graves but unfortunately I found it too confusing. It’s set in New Orleans and an alternative New Orleans called Nola, which is full of magic. The setting was definitely my favourite part, there were some lovely descriptions and I loved that Nola was a place of powerful songs, of creepy haints, of p-bodies who could vomit fire, of graffiti which came to life, it was a place both quirky and eerie. Jennings includes many diverse characters including trans representation, which was fantastic to see. Yet there were far too many characters, we jump from each POV too often allowing very little depth or investment in their arcs. In all honesty it felt jarring. The narrative was too disjointed, too chaotic and I really couldn’t tell you what the plot was about other than there are two children with magical weapons on the search for some missing songs.
I realise that the plot may fall into place later on, but every time I put the book down my enthusiasm to pick it back up waned. However, don’t let my opinion discourage you. At my heart I’m a character driven reader and if I don’t feel any depth from the characters then I really do struggle. You may feel differently, in fact I hope you do. I’ll end this review with my favourite quote:
“Perry frowned and shut his eyes, listening more closely. He could hear it. At first the tone of the music reminded him of water, and it was still liquid, but now he imagined a bit of darkness and
blood mixed in. He saw flowers unfurling to catch rain in a storm. Some of them were destroyed, pulverized by the water or swept away in the high wind.
"That's the thing about music," Daddy Deke said. "It can destroy as much as it creates. It's wild and powerful, dig?"”
July 21, 2022
The New Orleans that Perilous, aka Perry, Graves, lives in, on the Mississippi and Lake Pontchatraine, is not the same New Orleans that you or I might visit. It has skyways instead of streetcars. Zombies drive barely recognizable “cabs”. Music is everywhere but so are visible songs floating by. There’s definitely magic at work.
The center of the story is a trio of children, Perry, a fifth grader, his younger sister Brendey, and their teenage friend Peaches, with a somewhat mysterious history—and present. There are others who will become important and move in and out of the story, but these three are the bedrock of this fantastic world Jennings has built. And fantastic in many ways: the beings in it; the way the world is structured; the use of music as music, character and device; and the plot itself to save New Orleans from its other ominous self, threatening to overwhelm it in storm water and out of control music, until it’s gone.
This is an exciting novel to read with its action, novelty and world building, but most of all for the story of Perry, who just wants to be a normal kid. Oh, and this is for adults!
Recommended!
Alex Jennings notes in his Acknowledgements his “father, Hartford Jennings, who, without meaning to, tasked me to write the Blackest fantasy I could concoct.” I’m so glad he did! The flavor of the story was wonderful as were the musical interludes for this white northern woman who was a teenager in the sixties when a lot of the music was playing here too.
A copy of this book was provided by Redhook Books through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The center of the story is a trio of children, Perry, a fifth grader, his younger sister Brendey, and their teenage friend Peaches, with a somewhat mysterious history—and present. There are others who will become important and move in and out of the story, but these three are the bedrock of this fantastic world Jennings has built. And fantastic in many ways: the beings in it; the way the world is structured; the use of music as music, character and device; and the plot itself to save New Orleans from its other ominous self, threatening to overwhelm it in storm water and out of control music, until it’s gone.
This is an exciting novel to read with its action, novelty and world building, but most of all for the story of Perry, who just wants to be a normal kid. Oh, and this is for adults!
Recommended!
Alex Jennings notes in his Acknowledgements his “father, Hartford Jennings, who, without meaning to, tasked me to write the Blackest fantasy I could concoct.” I’m so glad he did! The flavor of the story was wonderful as were the musical interludes for this white northern woman who was a teenager in the sixties when a lot of the music was playing here too.
A copy of this book was provided by Redhook Books through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
December 23, 2022
This book was incredibly imaginative but also sometimes confusing, but overall a very good time. I was going to Review Amnesty this book but it hasn't broken out like I hoped it would do, and I would like to see more people reading it, so I am going to say some stuff.
This is an extremely imaginative adult fantasy book, despite three of the main characters being children, set in an alternate New Orleans that is just called Nola. In this Nola, magic is commonplace, the dead walk, ghosts are a regular occurrence, and there's a man named Doctor Professor who coalesces out of nowhere with his piano, and when he starts playing, everyone has to stop what they are doing and dance.
But Nola is in danger, somebody is out there stealing the songs that make Nola run, and it becomes the responsibility of the titular Perilous Graves to save it. It is also, as the author notes in his acknowledgements, "the Blackest fantasy I could concoct". Nothing about this book was whitewashed, and it was so nice to read something so specific and obviously meaningful.
After you have finished reading (or even during!), the Spotify playlist curated by the author is a Must Listen.
This is an extremely imaginative adult fantasy book, despite three of the main characters being children, set in an alternate New Orleans that is just called Nola. In this Nola, magic is commonplace, the dead walk, ghosts are a regular occurrence, and there's a man named Doctor Professor who coalesces out of nowhere with his piano, and when he starts playing, everyone has to stop what they are doing and dance.
But Nola is in danger, somebody is out there stealing the songs that make Nola run, and it becomes the responsibility of the titular Perilous Graves to save it. It is also, as the author notes in his acknowledgements, "the Blackest fantasy I could concoct". Nothing about this book was whitewashed, and it was so nice to read something so specific and obviously meaningful.
After you have finished reading (or even during!), the Spotify playlist curated by the author is a Must Listen.
April 27, 2022
4/5 Stars on this one, friends.
Ooooee!
The Ballad of Perilous Graves is a riveting, wild, magical urban fantasy. Chock full of New Orleans charm and mayhem alike, I was happy to get lost (and I was certainly lost some of the time) in the beautiful town of Nola and follow Perry as he risks everything to return the lost songs of power.
Okay, the actual conception of this? Bananas. We switch POVs so often, that it's really hard to wrap your head around what's going on at first. Add in a dialect that you don't often see on the page(Aaamazing), and the fact that you often end up in the heads of children as they try to explain to you their strange and magical world and, well, there might be some turning the pages back and forth. I know this is going to put some people off, and it definitely did for me at first, but I was really glad I pressed on. I won't say I didn't struggle for the first half of the book. I put the book down a few times, unsure if I was going to be able to find my way back in, but I managed every time. And it was worth it.
It was like the silly thrill the Addams Family was met with the native nature of New Orleans—and it really made this story shine. Floating graffiti? Giant rats? Ghosts? Spells and mages and music that evokes power? Listen, the lore of this place is something I need its own book on. I was absolutely enthralled by the way power worked here.
It is usually strange, as an adulty adult, to read through the eyes of a child, but honestly, I think that added to a lot of the magic here. The wonder was still so fresh, even from the gaze of someone who had lived in Nola their whole lives. The way that music was described as its own force of nature; something that could both create and destroy, was so fascinating and I just cannot rant about it more. If you read this book for anything, read it for Nola itself. The plot was shaky at first, but once you find your footing, it's a wonderful and wild ride.
*My thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Book Group for gifting me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Ooooee!
The Ballad of Perilous Graves is a riveting, wild, magical urban fantasy. Chock full of New Orleans charm and mayhem alike, I was happy to get lost (and I was certainly lost some of the time) in the beautiful town of Nola and follow Perry as he risks everything to return the lost songs of power.
Okay, the actual conception of this? Bananas. We switch POVs so often, that it's really hard to wrap your head around what's going on at first. Add in a dialect that you don't often see on the page(Aaamazing), and the fact that you often end up in the heads of children as they try to explain to you their strange and magical world and, well, there might be some turning the pages back and forth. I know this is going to put some people off, and it definitely did for me at first, but I was really glad I pressed on. I won't say I didn't struggle for the first half of the book. I put the book down a few times, unsure if I was going to be able to find my way back in, but I managed every time. And it was worth it.
It was like the silly thrill the Addams Family was met with the native nature of New Orleans—and it really made this story shine. Floating graffiti? Giant rats? Ghosts? Spells and mages and music that evokes power? Listen, the lore of this place is something I need its own book on. I was absolutely enthralled by the way power worked here.
It is usually strange, as an adulty adult, to read through the eyes of a child, but honestly, I think that added to a lot of the magic here. The wonder was still so fresh, even from the gaze of someone who had lived in Nola their whole lives. The way that music was described as its own force of nature; something that could both create and destroy, was so fascinating and I just cannot rant about it more. If you read this book for anything, read it for Nola itself. The plot was shaky at first, but once you find your footing, it's a wonderful and wild ride.
*My thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Book Group for gifting me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 25, 2023
this book is a love letter to new orleans, but it’s all style and hardly any substance. i felt the characters were all underdeveloped and the storyline wasn’t compelling. i just couldn’t enjoy it to it’s fullest extent and the ending let me down.
September 28, 2023
I want to call this surreal fantasy. It’s whimsical and symbolic. It reminded me of cosmic horror (not that its scary, hold on let me explain) in that you might have trouble visualizing the images explained but understand the concept the author is trying to portray.
Music is magic. Art is magic. New Orleans is magic. Each character has a journey they must take, but there are no straight lines.
Music is magic. Art is magic. New Orleans is magic. Each character has a journey they must take, but there are no straight lines.
June 16, 2022
Exuberantly, fantastically inventive, Alex Jennings’ novel was so full of treats and wonders and that I was left feeling a little overwhelmed and definitely impressed with the world and characters in "The Ballad of Perilous Graves".
I knew death and music were going to be central, based on its clever title, in this tale of New Orleans and Nola, a parallel, very different version of this city. Nola is where most of the action takes place and it is considerably different from our understanding of New Orleans. For a taste of the magical differences populating Nola, Jennings has created, in no particular order:
-graffiti that moves about, and can influence and radically change the appearance and behaviour of people who come into contact with it. These people become known as P-bodies
-a super strong, super fast and super amazing girl who is one of the main actors in the story
-zombies who don't go about chomping brains
-wandering haints/ghost
-floating streetcars
-an underwater casino staffed by talking animals
-powerful, ambulatory songs
And the list goes on.
The story involves a few magical and powered people coming together to save Nola from a threat, but that description feels like a pale summary of the eye-popping imagery and sheer breath of unusual and amazing people and things Jennings has created and that are in conflict.
As you can probably tell, I liked this book a lot, but it's also not for the fainthearted, as it's a big, monster of a book. The story action moves along well, with only a little confusion, on my part initially, with the transitions back and forth in time, or between New Orleans and Nola, and from the perspectives of young Perilous "Perry" Graves and transgender Casey.
The story pops with energy and rhythm, from Jennings’ in-story song snippets to the vibrant characters and graffiti decorated city. Though this book won’t be for everyone, I liked this book a lot, and wondered if Jennings had more stories in mind for Perry, Brendy, Peaches and Casey, as I’m interested in what happens next for them.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Redhook Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
I knew death and music were going to be central, based on its clever title, in this tale of New Orleans and Nola, a parallel, very different version of this city. Nola is where most of the action takes place and it is considerably different from our understanding of New Orleans. For a taste of the magical differences populating Nola, Jennings has created, in no particular order:
-graffiti that moves about, and can influence and radically change the appearance and behaviour of people who come into contact with it. These people become known as P-bodies
-a super strong, super fast and super amazing girl who is one of the main actors in the story
-zombies who don't go about chomping brains
-wandering haints/ghost
-floating streetcars
-an underwater casino staffed by talking animals
-powerful, ambulatory songs
And the list goes on.
The story involves a few magical and powered people coming together to save Nola from a threat, but that description feels like a pale summary of the eye-popping imagery and sheer breath of unusual and amazing people and things Jennings has created and that are in conflict.
As you can probably tell, I liked this book a lot, but it's also not for the fainthearted, as it's a big, monster of a book. The story action moves along well, with only a little confusion, on my part initially, with the transitions back and forth in time, or between New Orleans and Nola, and from the perspectives of young Perilous "Perry" Graves and transgender Casey.
The story pops with energy and rhythm, from Jennings’ in-story song snippets to the vibrant characters and graffiti decorated city. Though this book won’t be for everyone, I liked this book a lot, and wondered if Jennings had more stories in mind for Perry, Brendy, Peaches and Casey, as I’m interested in what happens next for them.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Redhook Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
July 4, 2022
New Orleans, Louisiana is a very, very special place for me. My husband brought me there for our first date (to convince me to go, he also invited my friend and her husband). I have never been there during Mardi Gras - believe me, you aren't missing anything if you haven't, either. The party goes on year-round. We go for the food, the music, the art and the culture, and we avoid Bourbon Street like the plague (yes, it actually smells like death).
In The Ballad of Perilous Graves, three children, Peaches, Brendy and Perilous (Perry for short), are attuned to the city in amazing ways. Peaches is especially sensitive to its magic, drawing the two siblings into supernatural adventures that are more and more dangerous. Some of these involve mind-altering 3D graffiti, haints, and dead cabs driven by sapient nutria - giant orange buckteeth and all.
And that doesn't begin to scratch the surface of how weird this book is.
The truth is, I loved this book for all its real-world locations, jazz and blues music shout-outs, and honest to God love for the city woven into the fabric of the story - warts and all. We all have a hometown or special city we hold in our hearts, don't we? Readers will absolutely recognize that and identify with the writer's sense of place, even if their own isn't NOLA. Alex Jennings does an amazing job capturing that feeling in every single line.
BUT... does there have to be so many lines? Gawd, this book felt long. As much as I enjoyed it, it could have used a stringent beta reading with no feelings spared. Too many characters and plotlines made the story feel confusing at times, and choppy with so many different things happening. To be brutally honest, I had to let go of consciously trying to follow along and embrace a more superficial read.
I freely admit I'm a somewhat lazy reader when it comes to busy plots. Others who perhaps read more for content will delve into this and celebrate finding a gem. It's my sincere hope this review doesn't turn people off from reading Perilous, but instead intrigues and challenges them. It deserves plenty of readers.
In The Ballad of Perilous Graves, three children, Peaches, Brendy and Perilous (Perry for short), are attuned to the city in amazing ways. Peaches is especially sensitive to its magic, drawing the two siblings into supernatural adventures that are more and more dangerous. Some of these involve mind-altering 3D graffiti, haints, and dead cabs driven by sapient nutria - giant orange buckteeth and all.
And that doesn't begin to scratch the surface of how weird this book is.
The truth is, I loved this book for all its real-world locations, jazz and blues music shout-outs, and honest to God love for the city woven into the fabric of the story - warts and all. We all have a hometown or special city we hold in our hearts, don't we? Readers will absolutely recognize that and identify with the writer's sense of place, even if their own isn't NOLA. Alex Jennings does an amazing job capturing that feeling in every single line.
BUT... does there have to be so many lines? Gawd, this book felt long. As much as I enjoyed it, it could have used a stringent beta reading with no feelings spared. Too many characters and plotlines made the story feel confusing at times, and choppy with so many different things happening. To be brutally honest, I had to let go of consciously trying to follow along and embrace a more superficial read.
I freely admit I'm a somewhat lazy reader when it comes to busy plots. Others who perhaps read more for content will delve into this and celebrate finding a gem. It's my sincere hope this review doesn't turn people off from reading Perilous, but instead intrigues and challenges them. It deserves plenty of readers.
June 30, 2022
If you think New Orleans is rich in magic and enchantment, wait until you discover the secret Nola: filled with music, sky trolleys, zombies, haints, and floating graffiti.
Evil is out to kill nine songs in the city - and these songs are manifesting themselves as spirits. If the songs are killed, Nola will collapse under the power of all the storms that have battered the city throughout history.
Three children - Perry, his sister Brendy, and their bewitching friend Peaches - are asked to collect these songs, but this task leads them on a perilous journey through Nola, including rescuing their grandpa who has disappeared. At the same time, Casey, an artist searching for his missing cousin, has discovered the secret Nola and the magic that lies in their artistry.
This book captivated me from page one! The dialogue, the imagination, the adventure, the characters: it’s all so rich and vivid that I couldn’t put this book down!
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
Evil is out to kill nine songs in the city - and these songs are manifesting themselves as spirits. If the songs are killed, Nola will collapse under the power of all the storms that have battered the city throughout history.
Three children - Perry, his sister Brendy, and their bewitching friend Peaches - are asked to collect these songs, but this task leads them on a perilous journey through Nola, including rescuing their grandpa who has disappeared. At the same time, Casey, an artist searching for his missing cousin, has discovered the secret Nola and the magic that lies in their artistry.
This book captivated me from page one! The dialogue, the imagination, the adventure, the characters: it’s all so rich and vivid that I couldn’t put this book down!
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
Read
October 1, 2022This book was not for me. I'm not going to rate it as a result. I struggle when books are heavy in dialect, but recognize this was done very well. It just wasn't enjoyable for me. The musical influences were also lost on me. I spent the majority of my time so confused and trying to parse together what was happening. I very much think that my lack of enjoyment was all on me. A classic case of 'it's not you, it's me.' I do want to keep trying stylistic books like this, because I like pushing myself out of my comfort zone and hopefully by continuing to try them I will get better at appreciating them.
July 22, 2024
What a fabulous magical book, that is extremely well written. Perilous Graves is the name of the protagonist is this mystical, alternate New Orleans, named Nola. In this world, music becomes a way to transcend, graffiti is not just painted on walls, but painted in the air and has a life of its own, and squares of fabric sewn together became sewing moths that actually flap and dart around. There is the dead side of town which you can get to by taking a cab driven by a zombie. There is sorcery and a very considerable effort to avoid the Hurricane (Katrina). This is only the tip of this very extraordinary book. I could see myself reading this again and I hope Alex Jennings will continue to write novels. To me this was a highly underrated book. Thank you to Goodreads as I won this in a giveaway.
October 11, 2022
New Orleans Reading Vlog: https://youtu.be/xpC8KsmA5Cs
Actual Rating: 3.5/5
If you have not opened this book when you see it in a bookstore, do yourself the favor of looking at the GORGEOUS end page maps. It also highlights what I love most about this book, it is so colorful and vibrant in the settings we take place in. Unfortunately for my tastes this is a book I more appreciated than loved. I read it while in New Orleans, which ended up being the perfect time because this is a love letter to that city and I was able to make more connections while exploring the city than I would have reading it at home. There is a lot of non-linear story telling happening with this work and many threads that come together by the end. I think for me my biggest complaint was the inconsistent pacing. I loved the world building and piecing the puzzle pieces together. There is a lot of rich thematic discussion about relationship to the land, messages from your ancestors, protecting your home, your identity and finding yourself. In particular our main character Perilous Graves is a young man working through who he is as an individual and accepting himself for who he is while growing up during this tumultuous moment in his city's history. So although it has some plotting issues I think it is worth checking out if you have ever wanted to read about a fantastical New Orleans and the people who are trying to save it from the next oncoming storm.
Actual Rating: 3.5/5
If you have not opened this book when you see it in a bookstore, do yourself the favor of looking at the GORGEOUS end page maps. It also highlights what I love most about this book, it is so colorful and vibrant in the settings we take place in. Unfortunately for my tastes this is a book I more appreciated than loved. I read it while in New Orleans, which ended up being the perfect time because this is a love letter to that city and I was able to make more connections while exploring the city than I would have reading it at home. There is a lot of non-linear story telling happening with this work and many threads that come together by the end. I think for me my biggest complaint was the inconsistent pacing. I loved the world building and piecing the puzzle pieces together. There is a lot of rich thematic discussion about relationship to the land, messages from your ancestors, protecting your home, your identity and finding yourself. In particular our main character Perilous Graves is a young man working through who he is as an individual and accepting himself for who he is while growing up during this tumultuous moment in his city's history. So although it has some plotting issues I think it is worth checking out if you have ever wanted to read about a fantastical New Orleans and the people who are trying to save it from the next oncoming storm.
July 21, 2022
Extremely different from anything else that I've read. I really enjoyed this lyrical story. It was definitely confusing, with all the points of view changes mysterious spirits, but I loved whatever I did understand. The colourful and magical setting of New Orleans was perfect, and all the characters were interesting in their own way. It’ll take me a re-read to understand the entire book, but I liked it nonetheless.
December 26, 2023
Živo me zanima da li je u nekom draftu ispalo išta pošto je u knjizi ostalo sve a, kad kažem sve, mislim sve. Od prve do poslednje strane samo ubacuje novo i novije, ludo i luđe i sve na kraju bude uklopljeno kako treba, od svih ludila do tona koji varira od middlegrade štiva do čistog horora i svega između.
I da, može knjiga biti Black, može biti woke i ujedno može biti stvarno dobra i zanimljiva :)
PS. Posebno preporučeno ljubiteljima Nju Orleans džeza
I da, može knjiga biti Black, može biti woke i ujedno može biti stvarno dobra i zanimljiva :)
PS. Posebno preporučeno ljubiteljima Nju Orleans džeza
January 16, 2023
This was a fantastic magical realism adventure. The story is about the unique nature of New Orleans, its history, its commitment to the living and the dead, and the heart of its music, its art, and its people. It's a story about friendship, kinship, courage, love, and sacrifice. Not once in the novel's 452 pages, did the author flag in his rich and vibrant storytelling style.
July 12, 2022
I have no idea what I just read.
July 8, 2023
What a fantastic ode to New Orleans! This book was steeped in the music, magic, and energy of NOLA.
A young Perry Graves lives in Nola -- a fantasy version of New Orleans -- with his sister Brendy, his best friend Peaches, Daddy Deke, and a whole host of magical friends and acquaintances. In this alternate reality, the trolleys are sky trolleys, colorful graffiti floats through the air, and zombies drive dead taxis. But something has shaken the balance of the city, and the kids soon learn that someone is hunting down the songs of the city in an attempt to destroy Nola -- and its up to them to try and find the songs before it's too late.
The protagonists of this book are children, but it is very much a book for adults -- I didn't realize how dark it would get at times. The vibes were top notch, and I truly felt like I could feel the heavy humid summer air, the music flowing through the streets, the colors and characters of Nola. So immersive! I actually went online and looked up some Doctor John and Professor Longhair songs to play as I read, which took the ambiance to a whole other level. It was an absolute blast.
I will say, the plot and characters did get a bit confusing at times. Part of that was a stylistic choice, I think, like how the characters would figure something out or see something or have some sort of new understanding, but as a reader it wouldn't be revealed to us for another couple paragraphs or pages or chapters. Sometimes I think it was due to the complexity of the story itself -- this was a very ambitious and complex story to tell. I would say I'd only recommend this to readers who don't mind feeling a little lost at times, and are willing to trust the author to take them where they need to go.
3.75 stars
A young Perry Graves lives in Nola -- a fantasy version of New Orleans -- with his sister Brendy, his best friend Peaches, Daddy Deke, and a whole host of magical friends and acquaintances. In this alternate reality, the trolleys are sky trolleys, colorful graffiti floats through the air, and zombies drive dead taxis. But something has shaken the balance of the city, and the kids soon learn that someone is hunting down the songs of the city in an attempt to destroy Nola -- and its up to them to try and find the songs before it's too late.
The protagonists of this book are children, but it is very much a book for adults -- I didn't realize how dark it would get at times. The vibes were top notch, and I truly felt like I could feel the heavy humid summer air, the music flowing through the streets, the colors and characters of Nola. So immersive! I actually went online and looked up some Doctor John and Professor Longhair songs to play as I read, which took the ambiance to a whole other level. It was an absolute blast.
I will say, the plot and characters did get a bit confusing at times. Part of that was a stylistic choice, I think, like how the characters would figure something out or see something or have some sort of new understanding, but as a reader it wouldn't be revealed to us for another couple paragraphs or pages or chapters. Sometimes I think it was due to the complexity of the story itself -- this was a very ambitious and complex story to tell. I would say I'd only recommend this to readers who don't mind feeling a little lost at times, and are willing to trust the author to take them where they need to go.
3.75 stars
October 20, 2022
I had a few issues with the pacing and the chaotic nature of the magic elements, but I am bumping this one up to 5 stars because I cannot believe this is a debut. It is imaginative and wild, beautifully written and delightfully witty! If you like China Miéville’s The City & The City or Libba Bray’s The Diviners series, give this a chance. I was smiling from ear to ear for pages and pages... loved it!
⇝ 4.5 stars
⇝ 4.5 stars
July 22, 2022
DNF at 50% and it was a major struggle to get that far. I read all the reviews talking about how confusing this story was and how there were too many characters to keep straight. I thought that maybe since I've lived in Nola (the real place, what people call New Orleans in real life) that maybe it wouldn't be too bad. It was even worse than I imagined. I understood all the local references (Morgus, Morning Call, the neutral ground, Metry, too many others to list) and I noticed the errors made (there is no downtown 'side' of St. Charles, you can head uptown or downtown, but the only 'sides' are riverside or lakeside) but the plot itself was just too convoluted. I didn't understand why the characters were doing what they did. I couldn't keep all the side characters straight in my head. And worst of all, I just didn't care. It's clear this author loves Nola and he's worked hard to learn all of its details, but he just didn't create an engaging story with them. The thought of plodding through another 200+ pages was nauseating. This could've been amazing, but it needed some serious editing and tightening up.
May 25, 2022
I really wanted to like this book but in the end it was too disjointed and strange for me. It has an interesting concept, I loved all the New Orleans references, and the music references were fascinating. But I was left confused about what was happening for most of the book. And I felt like the writing had holes in it. Ultimately this was not an enjoyable read for me. I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. 2 stars
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