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Ring Shout

P. Djèlí Clark,

Channie Waites (Narrator)

4.17 · Rating details · 4,563 ratings · 1,113 reviews

In America, demons wear white hoods. In 1915, The Birth of a Nation casts a spell across America, swelling the Klans 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 are Maryse Boudreaux and h ...more

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Published October 13th 2020 by Recorded Books, Inc.

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Jun 11, 2020 Gerhard rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, horror-thriller-mystery, arcs, 2020

It is weird how so many books are being published right now that were obviously written well before the current load of crap hit the fan, but which speak to global events with an urgency and a directness that seems quite prophetic.

The plot of this novella can be summed up in a few lines: “D.W. Griffith is a sorcerer, and The Birth of a Nation is a spell that drew upon the darkest thoughts and wishes from the heart of America. Now, rising in power and prominence, the Klan has a plot to unleash He It is weird how so many books are being published right now that were obviously written well before the current load of crap hit the fan, but which speak to global events with an urgency and a directness that seems quite prophetic.

The plot of this novella can be summed up in a few lines: “D.W. Griffith is a sorcerer, and The Birth of a Nation is a spell that drew upon the darkest thoughts and wishes from the heart of America. Now, rising in power and prominence, the Klan has a plot to unleash Hell on Earth.” If that doesn’t immediately grab your attention …

Having read most of PDC’s previous tor.com novellas, I must admit to not being quite sold on this one from the get-go. With very real blood being spilled on the streets of America, isn’t it trivialising to (re)imagine the KKK as a bunch of Lovecraftian monsters, when we see very ordinary-looking monsters on our television screens every day?

I did not know that PDC is the pseudonym for Dexter Gabriel, whom I have not read before. Apparently the two names are used for his fiction and non-fiction respectively. To confuse matters even further, he has also used A. Phenderson Clark. It kind of reminds me of Samuel R. Delany and his K. Leslie Steiner alter ego.

I also did not know that PDC “works as an academic historian whose research spans comparative slavery and emancipation in the Atlantic world”. It definitely explains the rich vein of historicity that runs throughout Ring Shout, including the Tulsa massacre.

This was highlighted in Damon Lindelof’s superlative HBO series Watchmen, and of course announced as the venue for Trump’s next campaign rally at end June … Ah, imagine if only one of the slavering KKK monsters from Ring Shout can make an appearance there and lay waste to the proceedings!

Ring Shout is such a terrific read that you are likely to gobble up its under 200 pages in one sitting. The ‘body horror’ dreamt up by PDC here is some of the most intense he has ever conjured up, and is enough to make David Cronenberg blush.

Underpinning the novella is an intense discussion about what turns ordinary people into monsters, and how everyone is grappling with their own demons, both personal and institutional. None of this subtext is forced down the reader’s throat, which makes you wonder if the underlying message is likely to go over many people’s heads.

But I don’t think so. Genre readers are generally very savvy (we’ll ignore the right-wing Sad Puppies). Fantasy, SF and horror have always been ideal vehicles to explore concepts of otherness, intersectionality and privilege.

I think what Ring Shout’s Lovecraftian excess also highlights is just how crazy and polarised the world is at the moment. Here the KKK’s innate badness is underscored by them being inter-dimensional bad asses. Thus we root for the good guys even more, and every hacked-off monster limb and bit of flesh makes us cheer. That ending alone is bound to get a fist-pump from every single reader. ...more

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Oct 30, 2020 karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: october-is-spooky

CAN I SQUEEZE IN ONE MORE SPOOKTOBER BOOK?

I COULD!!!!

***************************

"Girl, every choice we make is a new tomorrow. Whole worlds waiting to be born."

i liked this more than i didn't, with its strong female characters, its Lovecraft Country vibes, and that cover is DIVINE, but OOFA, it's a lot, and i know full well this is a dick thing to say, but honestly, this book shoulda been either longer or shorter.

hear me out!

i think i would have found it easier to take in if it had been either ...more

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Dec 28, 2020 Nataliya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-reads

I was a bit cautious approaching this novella, even after P. Djèlí Clark’s lovely The Haunting of Tram Car 015 captivated me earlier this year. First of all, this seemed quite horror-ish, and I’m a bit wary about that (shut up, I read Stephen King for the articles - I mean, character development and storytelling - not for the gory bits). Second, I’m always a bit cautious with fictionalization of actual historical events, let alone horrific things like KKK.

But my caution ended up completely unfo I was a bit cautious approaching this novella, even after P. Djèlí Clark’s lovely The Haunting of Tram Car 015 captivated me earlier this year. First of all, this seemed quite horror-ish, and I’m a bit wary about that (shut up, I read Stephen King for the articles - I mean, character development and storytelling - not for the gory bits). Second, I’m always a bit cautious with fictionalization of actual historical events, let alone horrific things like KKK.

But my caution ended up completely unfounded.

“With all the flag-waving and cavorting, you might forget they was monsters.
But I hunt monsters. And I know them when I see them.”

It’s an alternative 1922 Jim Crow South, where the horrific acts of KKK are still beyond horrific (it’s set only a year after Tulsa Massacre), but with the added caveat - the hatred of the Klansmen allows for their possession by Ku Kluxes, demonic (and suitably Lovecraftian) monstrosities that use the atrocities committed for their own feedings and bloodshed. The awfulnesses of our world, such as horrifyingly racist but much lauded in its time movie “Birth of a Nation” here, in addition to inspiring KKK resurgence, serves as a conduit for the monstrosities into our world, to add to our homegrown human monsters.

“You see, the Second Klan was birthed on November 25 back in 1915. What we call D-Day, or Devil’s Night—when William Joseph Simmons, a regular old witch, and fifteen others met up on Stone Mountain east of Atlanta. Stories say they read from a conjuring book inked in blood on human skin. Can’t vouch for that. But it was them that called up the monsters we call Ku Kluxes. And it all started with this damned movie.”

Novellas are tricky, I often note. The short length is not forgivable to poor pacing, but they are long enough to still demand satisfying story and character development. Clark managed it easily in Tram 015, and he pretty much nails it here. It’s very action-heavy, throwing us right into the thick of things from the first page, and relies on action for most of it — but characterization is deftly inserted in compact yet resonating bits, moving the story along while still providing enough soul to let me actually care. Yes, I still wish it was given a few more pages to breathe and develop a few backstories just a tad more, but even without that “more” it was still very satisfying and quite atmospheric.

I was wary that adding monsters to the actual, real, atrocities could cheapen them, allowing to shift the blame and guilt on external corrupting influences, but I underestimated Clark. People are the true monsters, as we all know, and he makes it loud and clear. There’s no false hope that killing a few outwardly creatures would magically give us all healing and solidarity and fix the issues that run deep.

“That’s science talk for how Klan folk turn Ku Klux. Molly says it’s like an infection, or a parasite. And it feed on hate. She says chemicals in the body change up when you hate strong. When the infection meets that hate, it starts growing until it’s powerful enough to turn the person Ku Klux. Ask me, it’s plain evil them Klans let in, eating them up until they hollow inside. Leave behind bone-white demons who don’t remember they was men.”

And Clark deftly adds a history lesson for those of us who, like me, were not aware that there’s is basically a fragging Mount Rushmore for the confederacy folks fighting for preservation of slavery. WTF Stone Mountain and your carvings of Confederate leaders? So often I’m coddled in protective blanket of blissful ignorance.

And yeah, it’s gory enough. But, in all honesty, if body horror in this one makes you cringe more than actual history does, then you should reread this book again, more carefully.

“I can feel the heat of that anger rising, hot enough to burn. In my head are all the visions I ever seen. Men, women, and children who look like me, under the lash, in chains, whipped until the flesh hanging from their bones, hurt so bad their souls cry out. This why they chose me. Because I carry not just the anger of what I seen with my own eyes but centuries of anger—growing up in me.”

Another thing I appreciated was subtlety and the message that I wasn’t exactly expecting, having been swept up into the story and burning with righteous indignation and such, at the point when even my inner pacifist was rolling up her sleeves for a fight. And instead Clark made me think, made me ponder the roots of anger versus hatred, and the thin but important line separating the two, and it was done very well.

(view spoiler)

4 stars. This is a very likely contender for Hugo and Nebula this awards season. Clark is very good.

———
Buddy read with carol. You are awesome, reading buddy!

“We apologize for calling on you at this late hour,” Auntie Ondine says. “We tried to wait until you completed your physical intimacies with your beau.”

...more

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Aug 22, 2020 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, fantasy, arc

4+ stars. Review first posted on FantasyLiterature.com:

In Ring Shout, P. Djèlí Clark melds two types of horror, Lovecraftian monsters and the bloody rise of the Ku Klux Klan in 1922 Georgia, as a group of black resistance fighters take on an enemy with frightening supernatural powers.

As Ku Klux Klan members march down the streets of Macon, Georgia on the Fourth of July, Maryse Boudreaux, who narrates the story, watches from a rooftop with her two companions, sharpshooter Sadie and former soldier 4+ stars. Review first posted on FantasyLiterature.com:

In Ring Shout, P. Djèlí Clark melds two types of horror, Lovecraftian monsters and the bloody rise of the Ku Klux Klan in 1922 Georgia, as a group of black resistance fighters take on an enemy with frightening supernatural powers.

As Ku Klux Klan members march down the streets of Macon, Georgia on the Fourth of July, Maryse Boudreaux, who narrates the story, watches from a rooftop with her two companions, sharpshooter Sadie and former soldier Cordelia “Chef” Lawrence, a bomb expert. They’ve baited a trap for the “Ku Kluxes,” who are hellish demons that hide in disguise among the Klan humans, taking over the bodies of the worst of them. The trap works, but the silver pellets and iron slags contained in the bomb aren’t enough to kill the three monsters that rise out of the wreckage and their human outer veneers. It takes more to kill a Ku Klux.

Since The Birth of a Nation had come out seven years earlier, in 1915, susceptible white folk surrendered to the spell of hatred woven by the groundbreaking silent film with its message of white supremacy and KKK heroism, lending manpower to the KKK and spiritual power to evil demons. Now The Birth of a Nation is getting a grand rerelease at Stone Mountain, a Georgia park honoring the Confederacy, in a few days. The spirits that frequently commune with Maryse let her know that this will cause a massive rise of evil and hatred, a rift that the demonic powers can use to fully inhabit and take over our world.

Ring Shout is little hard to wade through at times, with lots of idiomatic speech. Otherwise, though, this is powerful stuff. H.P. Lovecraft’s eldritch monsters and, more, his infamous racism lend themselves well to a plot centered on the infiltration of the KKK — and from there, our world — by unearthly, destructive powers that use our weaknesses against us. Opposing them are lively, earthy blacks and their sympathizers, many of whom have their own supernatural connections, primarily arising out of African traditions and folklore. Among these are Maryse’s magical sword and the Ring Shout, a ritual gathering involving song and dance. It’s “about surviving slavery times, praying for freedom, and calling on God to end that wickedness.”

Clark’s novella also points out the seductive power of hatred and rage, and how they can twist good to bad. “A righteous anger and a cry for justice,” Maryse realizes, aren’t the same thing at all as hate.

These monsters want to pervert that. Turn it to their own ends. Because that’s what they do. Twist you all up so that you forget yourself. Make you into something like them.

In Ring Shout, Clark deftly uses a historical and fantastical setting, characters and motifs to create a novella that’s both timeless and timely, with a powerful message for all.

Thanks to Tor for the ARC! ...more

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Oct 20, 2020 Elle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark is the perfect fantasical horror story to pull you away from the real life one we’ve been living this week.

Set almost a hundred years ago in Macon, Georgia, Ring Shout follows Maryse Boudreaux, a monster slayer who is hunting the KKK. Not just Klan members, though, but a particularly heinous type of demon that walks around in human skin. They’re called Ku Kluxes, and they have infiltrated one of the most hateful organizations in the last 100 years of American histor ...more

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Dec 28, 2020 carol. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, multi-culti, female-lead, urban-fantasy, awards, my-library-hardcover

Ring Shout is Clark’s entry in the revisionist Lovecraft genre, and I have to say, it ranks as one of my favorites by far. A novella set in Macon, Georgia, somewhen around 1922, it focuses on a band of African Americans who are doing their best to prevent the Ku Kluxes from making inroads into society. The monster, that is:

“My heart catches. The Ku Kluxes are moving! The big one sitting up, feeling at his caved-in chest. The portly one’s stirring too, looking to his missing arm. But it’s the lan Ring Shout is Clark’s entry in the revisionist Lovecraft genre, and I have to say, it ranks as one of my favorites by far. A novella set in Macon, Georgia, somewhen around 1922, it focuses on a band of African Americans who are doing their best to prevent the Ku Kluxes from making inroads into society. The monster, that is:

“My heart catches. The Ku Kluxes are moving! The big one sitting up, feeling at his caved-in chest. The portly one’s stirring too, looking to his missing arm. But it’s the lanky one that jumps up first, face half gone so that you can see bone showing. His good eye rolls around til it lands on me and he opens his mouth to let out a screech that ain’t no ways human. That’s when I know, things about it get bad.”

I’ve been entirely engrossed in almost everything I’ve read by Clark as I’ve made my way through his back catalog, and Ring Shout is no exception. A solid novella, it moves quickly, springing into action, then giving a bit of a breather to catch up on the world and the plot. The characters feel fleshed out enough for a novella, although I’m always left wanting more details in his stories.

Two hesitations. One character speaks in a Gullah accent, which is serious work to parse out. I’ve noticed it tends to be confusing for my non-American born reader friends. Honestly, friends–it’s confusing for the American ones too, so you aren’t alone. Secondly, there’s a psychological angle that was kept as a late ‘reveal’ that was somewhat underwhelming for both Nataliya and I. I’m not saying I want more horror, but it seemed boilerplate, which I do not expect from Clark.

Clark has done something very, very clever here, and I’ll have to put much of it under spoilers, but suffice it to say that he’s also snuck in here a ton of reader education about Black American issues and Black American history. I’m particularly history impaired, and I had to rely on my fabulous co-reader Nataliya and Google because I wasn’t quite sure what was actual history and what was made up.

How twisted is that?
(view spoiler)

Read it if you are into eldritch horror, urban fantasy, time-period fantasy, Kindred, or a whole host of other books I’ll probably have to add later as memory permits. I’m calling it slightly less than 5 stars at the moment for technical reasons–my 5 stars tend to be re-reads, and I’m not entirely sure I want to re-read this one soon. Like Connolly, it’s challenging and powerful, but not a comfort read.

Thank you to Nataliya for the buddy read and the research! ...more

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Sep 22, 2020 Mara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: recommended-to-me, ebook-owned, arc

I'm honestly blown away by the craftsmanship of this book. It is a textbook perfectly executed novella, and I am beyond delighted & impressed by how much plot, world building, character work, and thematic content Clark develops over the course of this story. I think if you read the description, you'll get a sense of if this a book that intrigues you, and if so-- just go ahead & read it. I don't think you'll be disappointed. With the ending, seems like there is a door for there to be a sequel, wh ...more

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Jun 28, 2020 Sadie Hartmann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: cemetery-dance

Original Review available at Cemetery Dance
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
I read a brief tagline for Ring Shout that was along the lines of, “a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan’s reign of terror” and I was sold. I love everything the tagline promises: Dark Fantasy. Historical Fiction. Novella. Supernatural. Give me all of those things.

Ring Shout not only delivered on these promises, but it also flew past all of my expectations making th Original Review available at Cemetery Dance
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
I read a brief tagline for Ring Shout that was along the lines of, “a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan’s reign of terror” and I was sold. I love everything the tagline promises: Dark Fantasy. Historical Fiction. Novella. Supernatural. Give me all of those things.

Ring Shout not only delivered on these promises, but it also flew past all of my expectations making this book a solid contender for my favorite book of 2020.

The most important aspect of my reading experience with Ring Shout is that I read it on my Kindle and I could highlight a specific mention in the book so that a definition or Wikipedia entry would get pulled up; I was able to, at the touch of the screen, educate myself on the references while I was reading. This interactive part of my experience was an integral part of why this book was such a success for me. I highly recommend reading it on a device so that you could do the same. When I’m reading a physical copy, I always have intentions of looking things up while I’m reading, but honestly, I never do.

It’s my understanding that P. Djèlí Clark is a nom de plume for science-fiction writer Dexter Gabriel. Gabriel is also a historian which explains why this novella is jam-packed with rich, historical elements. I felt like I was getting a solid education on Black history while also enjoying a dark fantasy tale with magical realism and seriously scary horror.

This is also a character-driven story. Clark’s female protagonists are larger-than-life and immediately worthy of emotional investment. I might have fallen in love with a character named Sadie—for obvious reasons, but mostly because she was brave and sassy. The main character, Maryse Boudreaux, is equally loveable.

Maryse is a “chosen one” hero. At some point in her life, she was singled out as a protector and given a magic sword. The sword embodies the war cries and testimonies of martyrs and fighters who have gone before her as they have embarked on similar quests for justice against oppression. Maryse’s specific mission is to rid the world of “Klu Kluxes,” monsters disguised as everyday members of the KKK. Things get tricky for Maryse when a new leader shows up on the scene, amplifying an even darker message of hate.

The stakes are so high in this story and the evil is overwhelmingly powerful and scary. Clark moves this tale along at a breakneck pace with edge-of-your-seat suspense. Every chapter ends with a fresh urgency to continue. I want more for this universe. I hope P. Djèlí Clark has more Maryse Boudreaux stories to tell because, even though Ring Shout felt like a complete book and I was not found wanting, I could see the potential for Maryse’s journey to either continue into more quests/adventures or for the author to write some of the backstories to some of the unusual/unique characters.

Even if we only get Ring Shout out of this universe, it truly is enough. I am enraptured by this book and can’t sing its praises loud enough or long enough. I’ll forever be recommending it as an all-time favorite. ...more

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Dec 03, 2020 Claude's Bookzone rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: friendships, young-adult-book, well-written, thriller, horror

Well that was an amazing and clever mash up of history, horror and dark fantasy!

There is a lot of action in this story as the hatred within people manifests into viscous demons (Ku kluxes) bent on ripping, killing and spreading their hate. Turning hateful ideology into literal demonic creatures was genius. The use of local vernacular added to the whole vibe, although my reading in these sections slowed to a crawl in order to make sure I understood everything. There was some incredible writing t ...more

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Jan 04, 2021 megs_bookrack rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2021-mt-tbr-challenge

The Ring Shout audiobook is an experience. I loved it!

The historical elements were so well done. The SFF elements were fantastic. The body horror and gore were top notch. The narration was PERFECTION!

Maryse Boudreaux is a Georgia-bootlegger with a magic sword a taste for hunting monsters.

The monsters in question, Ku Kluxes, are plotting to unleash hell on Earth, using D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation to channel their message to the masses.

Maryse, along with her fellow monster-hunting frie ...more

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Oct 19, 2020 Richard Derus rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: egalley, kindled-no-lend, quiltbag

DECEMBER 2020 UPDATE A TV SERIES IS ON THE WAY!! Starring the ineffably beautiful KiKiLayne, and produced by SkydanceTV, the people behind the Foundation adaptation, Grace and Frankie (seriously, does anyone not love that show?), and Altered Carbon (the first season was great, shut up)!

Would been five stars without the damned w-bombs. Nine, maybe even ten! Crapped on my loving like seagulls on a picnic.

Anyway, it wasn't *all* bad. Go look.

And THANKS, NETGALLEY!! (And Tor.com Publishing, of cours ...more

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Nov 29, 2020 Matthew rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, gr_awards_2020, monsters, fantasy, library, supernatural, 2020, historical-fiction, horror, revenge

3.5 Stars

Creative and creepy. Definitely a take on the Klan I never would have expected. It combines some actual history with an occult, Lovecraftian, Clive Barker-ish twist.

My 3.5 Stars means I enjoyed, but was not blown away. The story felt forced at times. At others it felt like the author was winking at me saying "see what I did there". Also, the way it was written made it a bit hard for me to get into it at times.

However, I will say that I can tell a lot of horror fans are going to be real ...more

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Oct 29, 2020 jenny✨ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-of-colour, black-authors, poc-reppin, adult-historical, spoopy-szn-2020, shorts, alternate-history, worldbuilding-awesomeness, 2020, adult-fantasy

absolutely phenomenal.

i have no words, except that i feel similarly to how i felt after watching Get Out for the first time: utterly blown away. filled with vindictive, fury-driven satisfaction. kind of shocked to find myself somehow back in my own reality (though i must admit, the line between fantasy/reality in both of these stories is a FINE one indeed). and ready for a re-read/watch already.

jordan peele needs to turn this into a movie STAT

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Aug 25, 2020 BookOfCinz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-read-caribbean-releases, 2020-read, edge-of-your-pages, page-turner, readcaribbean, surpisingly-good, racism, arc, believe-the-hype, cant-shut-up-about-this

If I could describe this book in two words it would be MASTERFUL and MAGICAL!

HOW is P. Djeli Clark able to pack well formed worlds, layered characters, history, culture and heavy themes in less than 200 pages? HOW?!!!

Ring Shout is a darkly twisted historical novella set in 1922 in Macon and follows the main character Maryse Boudreaux a black sword swinging woman who I could not get enough of! The story opens with Maryse, Sadie and Chef setting a trap for The Ku Kluxes who are Klan folk who f ...more

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Jun 02, 2020 Justina Ireland rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This books defies review, mostly because it is both funny and horrifying, fantastical oand much to realistic.

But! You should definitely read it and experience this magic for yourself.

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Jan 05, 2021 Andrew Fowlow rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Writing a review!

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Aug 12, 2020 Boston rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“They say God is good all the time. Seem he also likes irony.”

I liked a lot about this book. There’s not much to dislike about a black main character on a quest to hunt down Klansmen. Naturally, it had a lot of racial commentary that has been and will be relevant for a long time. Adding a horror theme to all of that just made it that much better.
My only problem was that at times I felt that because we were thrown into the story immediately, I had a hard time getting my footing, but that very we ...more

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Oct 17, 2020 Anna Luce rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, audiobooks, 2020-reviews, 6-so-so-reads, novellas-and-short-stories

/ / / Read more reviews on my blog / / /

“Like I said already, I hunt monsters. And I got a sword that sings.”

Ring Shout is an action-driven historical novella that combines horror with the kind of anime that have magical swords & monsters-posing-as-humans in them. The story takes place in Georgia during the 1920s and follows a group of black women who hunt monsters who take the form of KKK members. This is neat concept and I would definitely encourage other readers to pick this one up (I particularly recommend the audiobook version as I found Channie Waites' narration to be spot on). The story did strike me as a rather rushed and somewhat formulaic. Maybe I shouldn't have read this so soon after finishing another novella by P. Djèlí Clark but Ring Shout shares much in common with his other work. If we leave the setting aside we have a young woman who is the 'chosen one' or happens to be the 'only one' who can save the world. The stakes, dare I say, are too high for such a short format. If this had been a full-length novel, I wouldn't have minded as much. Here the side characters have rather one-dimensional personalities (we have the joker, the handsome love interest, the more level-headed in the team, the German who is Marx aficionado, three aunties reminiscent of the Moirai). Still, at least they had personalities. The main character, on the other hand, is very much defined by her 'chosen one' role. Nevertheless I obviously rooted for her as she slays KKK monsters.
While it wasn't a particularly thought-provoking novella (the whole discussion on good & evil was somewhat condensed) it makes for a quick and relatively gripping read starring badass black & queer girls/women. There is gore, some pretty-epic fight sequences, a few moments of respite, and a lot of banter. The author present his readers with some real creepy visuals (the mouths, enough said) and some subversive ideas. Overall, if you are new to his work this is definitely worth checking out (it will make for a solid Halloween read). ...more

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May 14, 2020 Bethany Morrow rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

From the start, P. Djeli Clark's RING SHOUT explodes into vivid color with a voice that's at once joyous and harrowing. Maryse is a stunning character, real and layered, and brilliantly employed in a novella that is confident, razor sharp, and utterly imaginative. An instant favorite. ...more

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Dec 20, 2020 Dennis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, horror, fantasy

Phenderson Djèlí Clark always delivers. Period.

Ring Shout is another excellent story, this time set in 1920’s Georgia, where three colored women are taking the fight to the (literal) monsters of the Ku Klux Klan.

It is dark and imaginative, and violent, and very satisfying. It is also extremely cool, because of the once again amazing characters. Is there another (male) author that writes totally bad-ass female characters as perfectly as Clark does? I believe not.

There are several influences that Phenderson Djèlí Clark always delivers. Period.

Ring Shout is another excellent story, this time set in 1920’s Georgia, where three colored women are taking the fight to the (literal) monsters of the Ku Klux Klan.

It is dark and imaginative, and violent, and very satisfying. It is also extremely cool, because of the once again amazing characters. Is there another (male) author that writes totally bad-ass female characters as perfectly as Clark does? I believe not.

There are several influences that went into what the blurb calls a dark fantasy historical novella. Yeah, I guess you could call it that. But I think the result tilts more towards horror. Either way, Clark took these influences and made them his own. And ultimately came up with something that feels quite unique.

I don’t want to get into plot details, since it is a rather short book. But expect things like monsters dressing as humans, monsters with tentacles, magic swords, rituals involving dance and song – and a movie to indoctrinate people, spirits, supernatural powers, a female gunslinger, a truly evil villain, lots of fighting, lots of banter, history, mythology, hatred, rage, revenge, trauma, gore, humor, friendship. And three ladies that are kicking ass.

It’s a powerful story.

I only got a few minor quibbles. At several points in the story the main character is crossing over into other realms, and here and there these scenes were a bit of a problem for the pacing. I was anxious for the main plot to keep moving, because it was so much fun to see Maryse, Sadie and Chef interact with each other, and I also could not wait for some people to get punished for their crimes. Ultimately those parts dovetail satisfyingly with the main plot. But I couldn’t see it at the time of reading.

The other thing that’s holding this back from getting a five-star rating from me is that I had trouble to understand one minor character. I assume that Clark has done a good job with the Gullah accent. But for the life of me I just could not understand what this woman was saying.

Overall though, great fun. And the ending is hinting at a sequel. Oh, how I would love that.

Buddy read with Yuna, Lata and Missy at SpecFic Buddy Reads. ...more

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Oct 12, 2020 Bethany rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ring Shout is a weird and smart little novella that blurs the lines between historical fantasy and horror. It follows a group of Black women in the 1920's who hunt evil KKK members, but with a twist. This is a fascinating story that serves to frame very real history through a fantastical lens that perhaps allows for a different approach to insight. It has impressively deep worldbuilding and well-developed characters despite the length.

The narrative weaves in the history of racism and slavery, in ...more

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Oct 20, 2020 Ms. Woc Reader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: black-lead, fantasy, horror

I've spoken out before in a previous review for a fantasy set during the Jim Crow era but I want to reiterate it here that we shouldn't let uncomfortable topics stop us from reading a story. And if people can praise Lovecraft Country which was written by a white man they can certainly support a Black man writing a fantasy in the same vein.

Ring Shout is set in 1922 Macon, Georgia where it reimagines the Ku Kluxes as literal white-boned demons. The story opens up with Maryse, Sadie and Chef takin ...more

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Jun 22, 2020 Emily Duncan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Now That’s What I Call Body Horror

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Sep 24, 2020 Raymond rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The cover and synopsis of Ring Shout drew me to this book. This historical science fiction novella is about three Black women from 1920s Georgia (Maryse, Sadie, and Chef) who are bootleggers and hunters of monsters known as Ku Kluxes. Ku Kluxes are people who turned into monsters when hate infected their bodies. This book is a good social commentary on the effect that hate has on the perpetrators and theirs victims. Clark is a very good writer, his descriptions of the monsters are very vivid, I ...more

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Aug 23, 2020 Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

Author P. Djèlí Clark offers up a historical paranormal horror novella in Ring Shout; the tale of a bootlegger in Macon, Georgia who fights monsters known as Ku Kluxes with her magic sword, and a sharpshooter and Harlem Hellfighter at her side.

Seven years ago, Maryse Boudreaux lost everything. She’s forced the memories under the floorboards where she hid that night in order to fight the Ku Kluxes — Klan members whose hatred becomes an infection that turns them from men to monsters. Maryse and he ...more

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Nov 18, 2020 Edward Lorn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Just goddamn exceptional.

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Oct 09, 2020 Dennis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-read, 2020-pub, dystopian, sci-fi, supernatural, horror

I don't normally read novellas, but when I do, I expect them to all be as action packed and scary as P. Djèlí Clark's upcoming Ring Shout . I read this book in one sitting last night and I legit had nightmares about it. I'm not sure if it's the frightening cover or the paranormal horror of the storyline, but Ring Shout is a must read in your October's horror selections. Ring Shout takes place in a post-World War I world during Prohibition, where the film Birth of a Nation takes a diff ...more

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Dec 23, 2020 Rachel (Kalanadi) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-releases, novellas, horror, by-black-authors

4.5 stars. Clark is amazing; I absolutely love the writing in this. A bit more gore than I was expecting, which tipped this over into horror for me.

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Sep 13, 2020 laurel [the suspected bibliophile] rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: poc-mc, arcs, alternate-history, fantasy, 2020-read, ownvoices, historical-fic, horror

The Klan has a plan to unleash more evil onto the earth, but luckily, Maryse Boudreaux has a magic sword and murder in her heart. She's out to stop the Klan and their monstrous Ku Kluxes, any way she can. Even if she has to travel to other dimensions to do so.

OMG yesssss this was fantastic and so fucking creepy!

I think the creepiest part—minus all of the mouths—is Clark's uncanny ability to tap directly into the heart of current affairs. Granted, racism and white supremacy is not something that ...more

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Nov 07, 2020 Matthew Quann rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, pretty-short, horror

I've been looking forward to P. Djèlí Clark's 2020 novella since it was announced. I loved Clark's Egypt of djinns and detectives in The Haunting of Tram Car 015 last year and couldn't wait to see what he'd cook up with a new setting and characters.

With Ring Shout, Clark introduces Maryse and her crew of monster-hunting black men and women. As you might have guessed from that spectacularly horrifying cover, Maryse's demonic prey are KKK-beasts and she's bringing a splendid magical sword to ...more

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About P. Djèlí Clark

P. Djèlí Clark

1,201 followers

Phenderson Djèlí Clark.

P. Djèlí Clark likes creating fantastic, dangerous, and exciting worlds. Usually with heroines & heroes. Almost always with magic & monsters. His short fiction has appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Lightspeed, Tor.com and in print anthologies including Griots, Steamfunk, Myriad Lands and Hidden Youth.

Books by P. Djèlí Clark

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 (Fatma el-Sha’arawi, #2)

A Dead Djinn in Cairo (Fatma el-Sha’arawi, #1)

The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington

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A Speculative Fiction Expert’s Year of Escapist Reading

Kerine Wint is a software engineering graduate with more love for books than for computers. As an avid reader, writer, and fan of all things...

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Quotes from Ring Shout

“Girl, every choice we make is a new tomorrow. Whole worlds waiting to be born.” — 4 likes

“There were two brothers, Truth and Lie. One day they get to playing, throwing cutlasses up into the air. Them cutlasses come down and fast as can be-swish!-chop each of their faces clean off! Truth bed down, searching for his face. But with no eyes, he can't see. Lie, he sneaky. He snatch up Truth's face and run off! Zip! Now Lie go around wearing Truth's face, fooling everybody he meet.” — 2 likes

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