Mariella Hunt

I believe that every reader has fallen victim to the trap of buying a book for its pretty cover and discovering that the story wasn’t as good as they’d hoped. It’s happened to me countless times, and while some of those novels turned out to be pleasant reads, they failed to meet my expectations, leaving an aftertaste of disappointment.

Fortunately, this was not the case with The Ballad of Perilous Graves. I was endless-scrolling on social media—don’t judge me; don’t we all?—and the cover for this fantasy novel caused me to stop. Who wouldn’t stop scrolling at such a rich red backdrop? As a pianist and someone who’s dabbling in teaching myself guitar, the piano keys also caused me to go oooh. The skull illustration made me go aaah.

And so, as soon as I had the opportunity to read it, I did. I’ve just finished twenty minutes ago, and I scrambled to write a review while the magic is fresh in my imagination.

This book is long, so I have been carrying my Kindle around with me for a little over a week. Set in New Orleans, The Ballad of Perilous Graves is a love letter to that noble city. It teases from the historical woodwork elements of magic so convincing that one could believe Nola is actually like that. It makes wish I could visit sometime and experience the sights and sounds myself. It’s what I consider magical realism at its finest. 

In Perilous Graves’ Nola, there is graffiti that floats in midair. Zombies are regarded as fellow citizens, and songs can take the forms of people. In Perilous Graves, there is an alternate New Orleans where stranger things take place. Perilous Graves features one of my new favorite characters, Doctor Professor, a humorous but larger-than-life musician who travels sitting on his moving piano playing bars of music and belting out lyrics of jazz and the blues.

The Ballad of Perilous Graves is rich with inclusivity. It represents different people and cultures. Most of the characters speak in the dialect of the area, which makes it even more of a treat to read. I didn’t know finna was a word until this book found me, but it was a great pleasure to read.

I enjoy seeing how the English language can transform and take on different shapes, depending on where it is spoken. My favorite characters from Pride and Prejudice speak beautiful English; in the same vein, my new favorite characters in Perilous Graves also speak beautiful English. How I love the English language and the way that it comes alive! 

I would venture to compare Perilous Graves to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell in the sense that an alternate version of an existing world is created, where unusual things aren’t all that unusual. The world-building in both of these novels is fantastic, and it was worth the long read. I can’t wait to revisit Alex Jennings’ New Orleans again in a few years, when enough time has passed that the book is new to my older mind and the characters are glad to see me again.

I know I will spend the rest of my life looking for more novels that captivate me in the way that Perilous Graves and Jonathan Strange did. You could add all of the books I’ve read by H.G. Parry to this list—A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians and The Magician’s Daughter (click both links to find my reviews for these novels). It brings me great joy to add Jennings’ work to my shelf of all-time favorites, and I am in love with the written word; I know more such books will crop up to join them.

Do you have any suggestions for me to read next? Have you read a book that might fit nicely in this magical family? Please comment with your advice; help me escape once more to a world like Jennings’ New Orleans or Susanna Clarke’s London!