Set in a magical version of New Orleans called Nola, The Ballad of Perilous Graves is a fantastical tale that follows a varied cast of characters, both child and adult, as they try to find missing songs that have turned into people and save their beloved city from the approaching Storm.

The story, the tone, the dialogue and narrative, all of it is steeped in quirky jazz and AAVE.

Although I personally found it difficult to get into (it reads like jazz sounds, and I don't like jazz!), it is truly fantastic and I think well worth picking up. The story is wild, the lore of the world meted out in drips and drabs while you try to connect the pieces for yourself, only to find the truth weirder than you thought.

Here I is, baby! Writing this review and unable to find the right words to describe exactly how good it made me feel with every single page.

This is the Blackest fantasy you'll ever read and it's bursting with all kinds of magic. I loved everything, and I mean EVERYTHING about this roller-coaster of an urban fantasy. I loved NOLA (a.k.a. New Orleans) with its unique culture and the most beautiful magic imaginable. I loved the characters, who are all children (even the grown-ups) and all strong and full of magic, but still utterly human and relatable. I loved the powerful vibrancy of Alex's storytelling and although I don't know how he managed to make every word in this book just right, I can assure you that it was an absolute joy to read. The dialogue just came to life right there on the page, and I can't stop thinking this book needs a graphic novel adaptation because it would be a masterpiece.

I would love to tell you something about the story without spoiling it or sounding insane, but I don't think it's possible. All I can say is that the city of NOLA is in danger. The Storm is coming, and saving the city and those who call it home is up to 12-year-old Perry and his friends. I refuse to say anything else about the plot as Alex intentionally created a narrative that will confuse you and then make you think you're finally starting to put the pieces together only to confuse you even more to the point that you can almost here Jennings chuckle at his own mischievousness.

This book is trippy. It's brilliant and beautiful. It's a children's book for adults. It's so wonderfully unique and special that there's no way I can do it justice in this review. I recommend this book to everyone who loves original fantasy and isn't scared of being confused and trusting the author to take them on a journey they will enjoy. It does require some trust, but then again most good things do. And if there's someone you can trust on such a journey, it must be Alex who names his character's pet after his own dog.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @LittleBrownUK for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very clever, wonderful fantasy story set in an alternate, magical version of New Orleans (Nola).  One of the most original books I have read this year, full of fantastic imagery and cracking characters.  It did take me a little while to get used to the dialogue, and at times the story gets very surreal, but I really enjoyed this book and got totally lost in its wonderful weirdness.  Highly recommended.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. The story didn’t grip me and it was too slow for my liking. It’s a shame as the story basis is really good!

The Ballad of Perilous Graves is definitely a unique book to read. It is set in an alternative New Orleans and music is magic. There were a lot of things that I love about this book. Firstly, the worldbuilding was amazing. Alex Jennings described Nola very vividly. I could picture it very well while I was reading it. I loved the characters too. There were a lot of POV's and sometimes it was hard to understand what was going on. But that is why I really enjoyed it. This kinda book definitely deserves a reread. I understand The Ballad of Perilous Graves is not everyone's book but I think it will find the right reader.

Thank you to the Little, Brown Book Group U.K. and NetGalley for the arc of The Ballad of Perilous Graves in exchange for honest and unbiased review.

This book is totally marmite, you’ll either love it or hate it, there’s definitely no in between! Saying that, I’m not quite sure where I lie, as I’m wavering between the two…at certain points I was no, definitely no, this is not the book for me…and then si was entranced, beguiled by the atmosphere and mood of the writing.

The Ballad of Perilous Graves is set in a parallel, paranormal version of New Orleans, where our protagonists are drawn into a quest to find missing songs that have turned into characters of their own, some good, some not so good, with the aim of sending them back where they belong.

The key protagonists are primarily children with surprising powers and there are a tonne of characters to get your head around.

The atmosphere of New Orleans shines through, you can feel the burn of the sultry heat, the beat of the drum, the trill and trumpet of jazz, and of course the ghostly paranormal atmosphere all around.

If you’re looking for in depth characterisation, a deep and complicated plot, thus isn’t the book for you, but if you’re on the hunt for mellow jazz that swoops and slides between your bones, then dive in.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book, I wasn't a fan of the dialogue and found it hars to follow.

Love the idea of the book but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

To be perfectly honest, I'm kind of wavering between 3 stars and 4 for this book and have plumped for the latter mostly because I think this is one of those books where I'm not quite the intended audience but if someone is, this is probably going to be a book they love.

The basic premise of The Ballad of Perilous Graves is that it's set in New Orleans, but one slightly one step to the side of the one we know, one where the paranormal plays an even stronger part in the life of that city - it's partly a quest narrative, with our protagonists in search of missing songs which have turned into characters of their own, for good or bad, and need to be returned to where they belong. There's a lot going on here, so this is definitely not going to be a book that works for anyone who dislikes getting heavily engaged in the plotline.

One downside? The majority of the protagonists are literally children, although ones with unexpected powers, and that didn't quite work for me. There's lots going on in this very atmospheric book and I'd definitely pick up something else by this author, even if this particular book didn't 100% work for me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

I ended up DNF-ing this 20% in.

I was looking forward to reading this given the premise, but I found that though the setting was fun and there was a diverse cast of characters, it is hard to follow what’s happening in the book as the narrative jumps between their POVs quite frequently, with little depth to each of them.

Maybe the story gets easier to follow at a later stage, but at this point, I don’t have the inclination to pick it up, so I leave it here. Maybe I’ll pick it up again later, but I don’t see myself doing so before the publication date for sure.

All that said, grateful to have received an ARC, but not every tale is for every reader, so don’t let this review put you off the book please.

This was such a good read. I really liked the writing it had a good flow and was beautiully written and I loved the setting which really came alive thanks to the vivid descriptions and rich imagery within the pages. dark, gothic and chilling yet also magical and bueatiful. I couldn't put it down and I cannot wait to see what the author does next.