Review – Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 192 pages
Publisher: Tordotcom
Release Date: October 13, 2020
ISBN-13 : 978-1250767028
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars
“In 1915, The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America, swelling the Klan’s ranks and drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of white folk. All across the nation they ride, spreading fear and violence among the vulnerable. They plan to bring Hell to Earth. But even Ku Kluxes can die.
Standing in their way is Maryse Boudreaux and her fellow resistance fighters, a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter. Armed with blade, bullet, and bomb, they hunt their hunters and send the Klan’s demons straight to Hell. But something awful’s brewing in Macon, and the war on Hell is about to heat up.
Can Maryse stop the Klan before it ends the world?”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book that I borrowed from the library.
Story (5/5): I absolutely loved this story. This takes place in 1915, as the Klan’s ranks swell and spread fear and violence across the US. However, unknown to most of the public the Klan is being led by demons called Ku Kluxes. The Ku Kluxes have an even bigger plan for evil domination of the whole world and it is up to Maryse and her resistance fighters to stop it.
This was an amazing concept that tackles a lot of social issues while also being incredibly entertaining and well done. While it is your basic monster slaying fantasy, the way it is done is just beautiful. I loved the story and how seamlessly it was woven into the history of the time.
Characters (5/5): I am quickly coming to realize that Clark makes amazing characters and this book was no exception to that rule. Maryse was amazing and kind of the planner of the group, as well as an excellent swordswoman. Sadie is a sharpshooter with one heck of a mouth on her. Cordelia is an ex-soldier (yes she lied to get into the army) and is their explosions expert. These women are amazing and incredibly fun to read about; they are tough and complex and I adored them.
Setting (5/5): The whole book takes place in Macon, Georgia right in the middle of the Ku Klux Klan’s peak. It was really well done and I was super impressed by how seamlessly Clark merged these demons and this sort of Lovecraftian mentality into this era. It was just perfect.
Writing Style (5/5): The more of Clark’s books I read the more impressed I am. This is the third book I have read by him and I’ve loved them all. Clark has a knack for building awesome worlds in a short page space, creating characters you can’t help but love and admire, making a fast paced complex and entertaining story, and doing all of this over a backdrop of thoughtful political and social issues. His books entertain the heck out of me, are super fun to read, but also leave me thoughtful and thinking about important topics….in short, they are spectacular.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this book soooo much. At its heart it’s a wild monster hunting fantasy ride, but it’s also so much more. There’s an amazing world, engaging characters, heart-stopping action, and a fascinating story to boot. Then on top of all that the story leaves you thinking long after you finish it. I am going to say if you are at all interested in historical fantasies I would check out all of Clark’s books. In fact maybe everyone should just check out Clark’s books, they are so much darn fun to read!
