RING SHOUT by P. Djèlí Clark – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

RING SHOUT by P. Djèlí Clark – ReviewRing Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
Published by Tor.com on October 13 2020
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror
Pages: 192
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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five-stars

The nitty-gritty: P. Djèlí Clark’s tale of otherworldly horror is one of the best I’ve read, an emotional tour de force of good versus evil, upsetting at times, but ultimately uplifting and full of joy.

Sadie’s no sniper. But she ain’t lying. Girl can shoot the wings off a fly. Never one day in Uncle Sam’s army neither—just hunting with her grandpappy in Alabama. “Winnie” is her Winchester 1895, with a walnut stock, an engraved slate-gray receiver, and a twenty-four-inch barrel. I’m not big on guns, but got to admit—that’s one damn pretty killer.

Once in a while I discover a novella that is just the right length and is perfectly paced and executed, and Ring Shout is one such discovery. This is my first P. Djèlí Clark story, and I don’t think I could have chosen a better one to start with. Ring Shout is emotional and visceral and full of African American history and myth. Clark has taken some real life historical events and twisted them into a compelling page-turner of a supernatural monster story, and his writing perfectly captures the nuanced speech of his characters. Clark’s monsters are horrifying and disgusting, and they do shocking things, but I could not tear my eyes away from the page.

The story takes place in 1922 Macon, Georgia. With the rise of the second era of the Ku Klux Klan, the story focuses on a young woman named Maryse Bourdeaux and her friends Sadie and Chef. Maryse is in possession of a magical sword that can kill the Ku Kluxes, horrifying monsters that arise from Klan members and attack and kill African Americans. Along with Sadie’s shooting skills and Chef’s ability to cook up killer bombs, the three girls hunt and kill Ku Kluxes as a side gig, trying to keep their growing population in check.

But one night in a dream, Maryse is visited by a man named Butcher Clyde who tells her an entity called the Grand Cyclops is about to be born, an entity that will end the world. Maryse knows she has to stop it, but Clyde wants to make a deal with her instead. Faced with an impossible choice, Maryse gathers her forces together to stop the evil that is about to rise up.

Ring Shout deals with some heavy subjects—racism and the oppression of Blacks, and the horrifying deeds of the KKK—but boy, was this story a joy to read! Clark gives us a whole slew of badass Black women who don’t take shit from anyone, and yet there is such a joyful quality in the way they celebrate life. The “Ring Shout” of the title is a real thing—something I had never heard of before I read this book, and I’m grateful to Clark for bringing it to my attention. You can Google it yourself if you want to dig into it more, but basically it’s a spiritual ritual that involves dance, song, foot stomping and hand clapping. In Clark’s story, the Ring Shout has an otherworldly purpose, of course, since this is speculative fiction, and I loved the way he turns it into a powerful tool against evil.

I was also surprised to discover that other elements in the story have roots in real life. The controversial movie Birth of a Nation plays a big part, for example. There is also an extremely disturbing scene involving Night Doctors, another term I wasn’t familiar with but discovered (after yet another Google search!) has its own Wikipedia entry. Clark treats the Night Doctors much the same way as the other historical elements: he takes the heart of the story or myth and twists it just enough so that it works within the context of his story. Ring Shout is a great example of why white people in particular need to read more African American fiction—and with everything that’s happened in 2020, this is the perfect time to educate yourself, and read a damn fine story at the same time.

But let’s talk about the characters, because honestly, they are the reason I loved Ring Shout so much. Maryse is telling the story, so we get to see the other characters through her eyes. You can feel the love and respect she has for Chef and Sadie, who jump into the fight against the Ku Kluxes with no regard for their own lives. I loved Maryse in particular because she has such an interesting life. Not only does she have a magical sword at her disposal, but she acquired the sword from her “Aunties,” three women who exist on a magical plain and give out advice and encouragement to Maryse whenever she needs it. We’re also aware of a terrible event in Maryse’s past that Clark teases us with, but we don’t find out what it is until late in the story, an emotional gut punch that left me reeling. 

And I had so much love for Nana Jean, who uses the power of the Ring Shout to infuse her bootleg alcohol “Mama’s Water” with a magical essence; Molly, a scientist who is studying the dismembered body parts of the Ku Kluxes to better understand them; and even Maryse’s brother Martin, who we meet only in her memories: a brother who read stories to her as child and who affectionately called her “Bruh Rabbit” after her favorite tale.

Ultimately, Clark infuses his story with so many elements that I love: wry humor, heartbreak, thrilling action, horrifying monsters, fascinating historical events, and the power of good over evil. It isn’t often I feel like laughing and crying in the same breath, but Clark’s words seem to have made me an emotional mess, and I’m not sorry about it at all. And one more thing: the author throws in a line at the very end that made me gasp in delight, a line that seems to suggest there might be a sequel coming, or at least the possibility of a sequel. If you’ve read Ring Shout then you probably know what I’m talking about. Fingers crossed, I would love to revisit this world and these characters again! Highly recommended.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

Posted October 19, 2020 by Tammy in 5 stars, Reviews / 54 Comments

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54 responses to “RING SHOUT by P. Djèlí Clark – Review”

  1. Mayri

    My copy of this is incoming (and I’ve never been so impatient for a book to arrive!) Between your review and JonBob’s I am now salivating!

    Reply
  9. Maddalena@spaceandsorcery

    I was aware of this book because I saw it crop up now and then on the blogosphere – and every time with very enthusiastic reviews – but I have to say that your post compelled me to put it at the top of my “wanted” list because I believe that the fusion of historical facts and the horror elements will turn into a compelling read, the kind that teaches you something while keeping you enthralled. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
    Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…TO BE TAUGHT, IF FORTUNATE, by Becky ChambersMy Profile

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I learned a lot while reading this! I love books that teach you things but you’re entertained as well.

      Reply
  14. todd

    I love learning about authors new to me when they instill such passion in their work to result in reviews like this. Added to my TBR, definitely something I’d love to read. Thanks for the great review!

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I was impressed. I’ve read a lot of novellas and a lot of them just don’t feel like the right length, but this one did:-)

      Reply
  19. Susy's Cozy World

    This was a very compelling review!! I have read a lot of interesting things about this author, but I don’t really know if I would appreciate these books (or stories, more precisely). I am curious, that’s for sure, and your words are like a push to give in and try. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I was surprised! Some of the interactions among the characters are celebratory so despite the horror, it did actually have uplifting moments.

      Reply
  26. The Captain

    This book was so amazing and wonderful. I had read up on many things in the novel when I finished but didn’t read about the Night Doctors. The wiki page was horrifying. Seriously I get so angry when I think about the white washed US history and the lack of knowledge about how systemic racism is. I know people are always fighting to make it better but dang do we have a long way to go. This novella was so compelling and well done. It is his best work to date in my world.
    x The Captain

    Reply
  27. JonBob

    This is legit one of the best books I’ve ever read, actually left me stunned by how off the scale incredible it is. I’ve devoured everything Clark has ever written these past few months and am beyond excited for his upcoming full length novel A Master of Djinn

    Reply

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