Book Review: Ring Shout by P. Djèli Clark

 

Ring Shout     

Author: P. Djèli Clark

Publisher: Tordotcom

American release date:  October 13, 2020

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/Historical Fantasy/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

1920s Macon Georgia is a time filled with prejudice and hate… and filled with the evil that is the Ku Klux Klan. But there is something not right about these Ku Kluxers, other than the obvious. Some of them are not what they seem, demons in human form, inhuman incarnations of hate. But Maryse Boudreaux can see them for what they are. And she has a sword that can whup them real good. And lots of friends who feel the same way and want nothing more than to send these misbegotten demons back to where they came, if not worse.

Now they’re about to re-release that damned movie, that Birth of a Nation, that stirred up so much trouble, so much hate, and so much violence, the first time it saw the light of day. There’s trouble brewing in the air, and Maryse isn’t about to sit back and let it be… she’s going to do something about it, no matter what the cost… and no matter how terrified she is of what’s coming.

I literally drank in this book in just a couple of days, a fascinating, brilliant tale that combines history with fantasy, and introduces us to some damn memorable characters. I cried at the end. Was it relief or sorrow? Read the book and find out for yourself.

This is my first book by this author, but it won’t be the last. He writes with a rich colorful language that sings, much like Maryse’s sword, and it’s filled with people you won’t soon forget. Even hateful ones, like Butcher Clyde. I look forward to reading more of his work.