The Ballad of Perilous Graves - Review
- TheLittLibrarian
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
I received the physical, E-Arc, and audio copy from Orbit Books. All reviews are my own.
It's been three years since I picked up The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings, and I'm finally ready to talk about it. I have sat long enough. I have processed all that I could process. It is time.
"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."
It took me several attempts to get into this book, but I ended up tri-reading between physical, digital, and audio. The book is narrated by Gralen Bryant Banks, and it took up 17 hours and 15 minutes of my life. Seventeen hours is a wild-ass time consumption, but I do have to give it its credit. The book was complete with production, original music, and a narrating style that set you in New Orleans's mood. Banks' narrating style wasn't my favorite, especially when voicing the whining and teasing of the kid's POVs, but he wasn't bad overall. It had more to do with the story than with him telling it.
It's no secret that I ended up DNFing this book, but it took me a very long time to commit to the DNF. As mentioned, I did a lot of soft DNFing and format switching, trying to get comfortable with the story, and was able to accomplish reading about 75% before I called it quits. The book is weird, man! There was so much going on! TBoPG was similar to people asking how the movie US by Jordan Peele was, and the standard conversation went like this…
" Lupita acted her ass off!"
"But how was the movie?"
"I mean, she did the damn thing, and she deserves awards for it!"
"Okay, but how was the movie?"
"Ehhh….."
The story revolves around Perilous, his little sister Brendy, and their friend Peaches, who are on a quest to find the lost songs of Nola. These songs are not just any songs, they are the DNA makeup of Nola, the essence that keeps its rhythm going. The living and dead of Nola coexist through these songs. If they can't find the songs in time, a mysterious storm will wipe out the town, and everything will cease to exist. It's a high-stakes adventure that promises a unique reading experience.
I wanted to love this book. Y'all have no idea! If I could put a projector in my brain for y'all to see what I had in store for the promotions and marketing for this book! The world-building was immaculate, and the attention to detail was vivid. The personalities of the characters fit them well. The storytelling was impressionable. The lore behind Stagger Lee and the songs were memorable. But it was way too confusing for me. I spent a lot of time rewinding the audio and flipping pages, trying to pinpoint where I got lost. It was like trying to explain what Lovecraft Country was about. (And I know y'all have no idea what y'all were watching either, so don't come over here trying to write dissertation paragraphs on symbolism and meanings.)
Overall, I have no rating. This one was a doozy for me, but an impressionable doozy. Even though I will probably never pick up the book again in 2025, when I was indecisive about the title, the rereads helped a lot. It did get better with time, but after the third try, I called it quits. TBOPG is an extraordinarily unique and chaotic experience, so if you decide to pick up the book, I hear the ending is well worth the payoff. Despite my personal challenges with the book, I believe it's worth a try for those who appreciate a unique narrative and rich world-building. If this ever became a movie, I'd be there right there, front and center, with my bowl of popcorn.
The Ballad of Perilous Graves is available now!
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