The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings
Rating = ****

Normally, you don't judge a book by its cover, but in this case, go ahead 
and do it. It's a stunning book cover and a perfect harbinger of what to 
expect in this book. If your reaction to the book cover is cool, you can 
add this to your to-read list.

This is a stunning debut novel. It's fantasy, set in a post-Katrina New 
Orleans around 2015, IIRC. This New Orleans is soaked in magic, with a 
series of songs powering the magic and keeping everything in balance. 
Except that somebody is stealing the songs, throwing everything out of 
whack, and opening a rift that allows spirits and humans to cross a 
usually forbidden passage between New Orleans and its mirror in the spirit 
world, Nola. Nola is a city of zombie cab drivers and a magical sky car 
system to get around. Our heroes are a trio of three young kids, aided by 
some magical artifacts obtained on a quest set up by Grandma. There is 
also a parallel story line involving a 20-something trans ex-pat who has 
returned to New Orleans. He ends up on his own magical quest to find his 
cousin, who is presumed dead in a magical accident, but no body has been 
found.

There are many players in this story, and keeping up with them as the POV 
shifts and following where you are (New Orleans or Nola) can be a bit of a 
challenge at some points in the book. But stick with it. Ultimately, this 
is a love letter to New Orleans, both the place, the spirit, and the 
music.