Today I’m pleased to say I have The Ballad Of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings on behalf of the Compulsive Readers blog tour. Massive thanks to Tracy Fenton and Orbit Books for my place on the tour amd my beautiful copy of this book.
In a fantastical version of New Orleans where music is magic, a battle for the city’s soul brews between two young mages, a vengeful wraith, and one powerful song in this vibrant and imaginative debut.
Nola is a city full of wonders. A place of sky trolleys and dead cabs, where haints dance the night away and Wise Women keep the order, and where songs walk, talk and keep the spirit of the city alive. To those from Far Away, Nola might seem strange. To failed magician, Perilous Graves, it’s simply home. Then the rhythm stutters.
Nine songs of power have escaped from the magical piano that maintains the city’s beat and without them, Nola will fail. Unexpectedly, Perry and his sister, Brendy, are tasked with saving the city. But a storm is brewing and the Haint of All Haints is awake. Even if they capture the songs, Nola’s time might be coming to an end.
This is a magical urban fantasy that is a tale of Alex Jennings’ alternative version of New Orleans. Nola, is as vivid as you can imagine if not MORE! Packed full of music, songs, darkness and magic. There are dancing haints, zombies that are just walking the streets, magicians and much more. I felt like I was in a world of chaos, and suffering hallucinations too.
The first thing I have to say is Alex Jennings has created such a detailed, crazy, vivid world. I felt like I had landed on a different planet but boy, I did love this. I always appreciate a book in which the world building takes me straight out of my comfort zone and this did just that.
Nola is in grave danger, nine songs that Nola relies on to exist have just gone, disappeared. Its life blood is music and without this there will be no Nola. The future of Nola relies on a few of the crazy, unique characters Alex Jennings has so skilfully imagined and created. Perry, Brenda his sister, Peaches and Casey set of on a crazy journey, facing villains and true evil along the way. Will they be able to complete the journey and find the songs? Well, you will have to read the book to find out.
A lyrically written book, told from the POV from almost anyone actually, but a lot of times we are given the children’s views and they swop over quite a lot., but once I got used to that I loved seeing things from a child’s view. Everything is wondrous (sometimes anyway).
A fantasy of fantasies, this kept me so intrigued constantly. The pace of this book was perfect, I couldn’t get enough. If you live getting lost, literally, in a story,this may be for you.
Buy Links https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09N786DB5/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_BSF84NJ7KYRA8K9GCXPA
Author Bio
Alex Jennings was born on Wiesbaden AFB in Germany, in 1979. Since then, he has lived with his diplomat father and the rest of his family in Gaborone, Botswana, Paramaribo, Surinam, Tunis, Tunisia, and the D.C. area.
After a stint at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, Jennings attended the Clarion West Writers Workshop in 2003. Since 2006, he’s lived in New Orleans, working as a nonprofit fundraiser, entertainment journalist, and teacher, in addition to his writing work. He probably drinks too much cold brew coffee, and he definitely spends too much time surfing the internet for bizarre news stories.
Along with his friends, Jennings has acted as MC and co-producer of the Dogfish Readings series, a monthly literary reading and open mic in St. Roch, New Orleans. The readings series has run for nearly four years, and Jennings calls it his “pride and joy.”
Some of his preoccupations include Afrofuturism, comic books, horror media, and standup comedy. Influences include Octavia E. Butler, Nisi Shawl, Victor Lavalle, Junot Diaz, and Jazz. He is currently finishing a novel set in an alternate New Orleans where music and magic are the same. You can find him on twitter or instagram as @magicknegro
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