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.
The Ballad of Perilous Graves, the debut novel by Alex Jennings, comes out on June 21, 2022. Redhook Books provided me an early galley in exchange for this honest review.
What instantly attracted me to this book was its wonderful cover and very intriguing title. Just from those two, I knew this was going to be a rather unique story. And the first few chapters definitely confirmed my supposition.
I must admit that the introduction to the world of Nola was a bit disorienting. It is both familiar in some ways and yet also like looking at our own world through a funhouse mirror. It has its own rhythm, its own frequency. It takes a bit to get used to. By contrast, the parts of the book that deal with Casey and his life in New Orleans, in our world, are more grounded and accessible. There is a dichotomy here when the two are put side-by-side, and the transitions back and forth can be jarring. That might be a turnoff for some readers.
The first part of the book is very much set-up - introducing the characters and the worldbuilding. At times, I will admit, it was a bit overwhelming. I was wrestling if whether I was missing symbolism or what. I do, however, enjoy Jennings' love of pop culture which is something we both share. So, I got all of the obscure references. A general audience might not follow them though. By the end of the second part, I realized that this was very much a fantastical urban "super-hero" style adventure which is when it started to click for me.
This is a book that is an acquired taste. It might have to work a bit to find its audience, but the audience for whom it clicks are going to love it.
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