Alex Jennings

In a fantastical version of New Orleans where music is magic, a battle for the city's soul brews between two young mages, a vengeful wraith, and one powerful song in this vibrant and imaginative debut. 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.

The Ballad of Perilous Graves

'Wild, witty, and profound. . . a cosmic storm of talent' Victor LaValle Put on your dancing shoes and step into New Orleans as you've never seen it before in this vibrant and imaginative debut. Nola is a city of wonders. An alternate New Orleans made of music and magic, where spirits dance the night away and Wise Women help keep the order. To those from Away, Nola might seem strange. To failed magician Perilous Graves, it's simply home. Then the rhythm of the city stutters. Nine songs of power have escaped from the magical piano that maintains the city's beat, and without them, Nola will fail. Unwilling to watch his home be destroyed, Perry will sacrifice everything to save it. But a storm is brewing and even if they capture the songs, Nola's time might be coming to an end. Praise for The Ballad of Perilous Graves: 'A hallucinatory wonder of a debut' Walter Mosley 'The two worlds of this gripping and inventive fantasy are so vividly depicted that reading it is a bit like taking a fabulous city break' Guardian 'An enchanting, energetic, wild ride of a story set to a staccato melody. The electric prose leaps off the page in a riot of colours and sounds' Leslye Penelope 'A slice of delightfully disorientating and whimsical magic' CultureFly 'A wild, dark and joyful love song to New Orleans, the power of stories, and hope in the face of destruction' H. G. Parry 'His lyrical prose dances to a rhythm all its own' Stina Leicht 'An unforgettable story' Rion Amilcar Scott 'The Ballad of Perilous Graves is not only an engrossing adventure but a potent homage to the beating heart of one of the world's most magical cities' Ladee Hubbard 'Scary, sweet, lyrical, and real' Poppy Z. Brite 'I ached to live in their world. A stunning debut that is sure to become a classic' Elizabeth Hand 'Alex Jennings writes with an energy and a profusion of imagination and vividness that carries you off. Brilliant!' Katherine Addison 'A beautiful song full of magic and rhythm, darkness and delight. A profoundly gorgeous debut' Christina Henry

Susan Cooper

The Dark Is Rising

Walter Mosley

Christopher Caldwell

John Chu

Nghi Vo

Malka Older

Kathleen Alcalá

Tananarive Due

Rochita Loenen-Ruiz

Jaymee Goh

Hiromi Goto

Karin Lowachee

Darcie Little Badger

Tlotlo Tsamaase

Minsoo Kang

Saad Hossain

K. Tempest Bradford

Geetanjali Vandemark

Octavia E. Butler said, “There’s nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns.” New Suns 2 brings you fresh visions of the strange, the unexpected, the shocking—breakthrough stories, stories shining with emerging truths, stories that pierce stale preconceptions with their beauty and bravery. Like the first New Suns anthology (winner of the World Fantasy, Locus, IGNYTE, and British Fantasy awards), this book liberates writers of many races to tell us tales no one has ever told. Many things come in twos: dualities, binaries, halves, and alternates. Twos are found throughout New Suns 2, in eighteen science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories revealing daring futures, hidden pasts, and present-day worlds filled with unmapped wonders. Including stories by Daniel H. Wilson, K. Tempest Bradford, Darcie Little Badger, Geetanjali Vandemark, John Chu, Nghi Vo, Tananarive Due, Alex Jennings, Karin Lowachee, Saad Hossain, Hiromi Goto, Minsoo Kang, Tlotlo Tsamaase, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, Malka Older, Kathleen Alcalá, Christopher Caldwell and Jaymee Goh with a foreword by Walter Mosley and an afterword by Dr. Grace Dillon.

Alex Jennings

About

Books

Join the club