The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings

In New Orleans Casey Ravel a forty year old trans man has returned to a city he left in the shadow of Hurricane Katrina and to escape strange things that occasionally happened around him. Perry and his friends may be about to go on a dangerous mission to save the world. But a long-standing enemy of Nola has a new plan and Nine Songs that hold Nola together have been released and now a dangerous killer aims to destroy them for their mysterious employer.

A mysterious magician can create impromptu musical numbers, zombies are standard and, in some parts, its always Night.

Their city of Nola is a strange magical and musical place. Perilous ‘Perry’ Graves is a teenager with a super-powered friend called Peaches and his annoying yet lovely sister Brendy. Constantly surprising and well worth your attention. The way this works for many places is taken to New Orleans a city always full of magic and mystery at the best of times but here gets even more stranger in Alex Jennings’ debut novel The Ballad of Perilous Things which is a ambitious, joyful and strange trip into the different aspects of an amazing place. Cities have a soul and their own shape just as much as they have urban planning strategies - which is why I love them. I can see the issues of Liverpool’s lack of investment for decades and know it’s various problems and yet I know it’s a city where in certain places you can hear the faint music of the Beatles, meet old ghosts and find a small strange disturbing pool in a cemetery (I really can). The legend of a place and its currentreality and they interact with each other are fascinating. Cities are our cultures, our histories and our songs all wrapped together. But a storm is brewing and even if they capture the songs, Nola's time might be coming to an end.Ĭities are where lots of people live and have to learn to live together and deal with their problems. Unwilling to watch his home be destroyed, Perry will sacrifice everything to save it. Nine songs of power have escaped from the magical piano that maintains the city's beat, and without them, Nola will fail. To failed magician Perilous Graves, it's simply home. To those from Away, Nola might seem strange. An alternate New Orleans made of music and magic, where spirits dance the night away and Wise Women help keep the order. Put on your dancing shoes and step into New Orleans as you've never seen it before in this vibrant and imaginative debut. Price – £8:99 paperback £4.99 Kindle eBook

I would like to thank Nazia from orbit for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings