A review by pixieprose
The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

This book suffers for me because it is slow going and i don't fully understand why it needed quite so many characters to tell it. The magic system here is unique and very cool. The city of New Orleans comes to life in this book in a way that makes it a character [or two] in its own right. I would say this book has more good about it than it does bad, but it did feel like quite a slog. Notably, this book is proudly and loudly Black and for Black readers, and I think it is a good look into Black New Orleans culture for people who may need to broaden their cultural understanding. Has the n-word in it a lot, spoken more in a reclaiming way not a derogatory way, but i do think it's notable for anyone who may feel turned off by that.