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kayladaila's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Violence, Medical content, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Genocide, Sexual content, Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Colonisation
carlyoc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
If a monster fed on hate, what part of American history would be his feast? There's a lot of right answers to that, unfortunately. but the heyday of the KKK is a strong contender. In this alternate version of history, a supernatural force has given many members of the Klan the ability to shapeshift into super-strong bone-white houndlike creatures known as Ku Kluxes. Fortunately, their targets have some supernatural help as well, in addition to just plain badassery.
Maryse Boudreaux is armed with a magic sword forged by the vengeance of her ancestors sold into slavery. But her fighting companions Sadie and Chef do just as well for themselves with a mundane Winchester rifle and homemade bombs, respectively. Together, they work to take down the Ku Kluxes as well as discover who the puppet master controlling their strings is and what he wants.
Along the way, Maryse will have to face the past she's been burying, travel into several supernatural realms, and resist the temptation to become a monster herself.
Side note: I find amusing the fact that for once there is a male love interest who does absolutely nothing besides participate in a few sex scenes, get rescued, and serve as motivation. Although I personally would have enjoyed more of a romance angle, I appreciate the way this flips the script on how female love interests are often treated in fiction, and that this is a story about Maryse's fight for survival, not her love life.
Graphic: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Slavery
Minor: War
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Slavery, Grief, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
orireading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
horizonous's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Racism
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Hate crime and Sexual content
◦ Death = Family member, friendnnennaya_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Racism
cjcrawfish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, and Violence
2ndbooktotheright's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Slavery, Death of parent, and War
rorikae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Maryse Boudreaux hunts Ku Kluxes, monsters that parade as members of the Ku Klux Klan. With her friends and a group of resistance fighters, she is determined to wipe out these creatures. When they learn about a showing of Birth of a Nation that will call a new demon into their lands, Maryse and her friends cook up a plan to take out the group once and for all.
P. Djeli Clark continues to be one of my favorite novella writers. His ability to create such an expansive, evocative world in such a short amount of words is truly unparalleled. Each of his stories are unique from one another and yet they all suck you in and spin a full fledged narrative even with few words. This is true for 'Ring Shout' as well.
Through flashbacks and more fantastical experiences, Clark fleshes out Maryse as a character. We come to know and understand her strengths and her weaknesses as she is directly dealing with them. One of the strengths of this story is the balance between the true to life horrors of America during the early 1900s with the fantastical elements that Clark uses to elevate this horror. The mix of folklore, body horror, and badass fight scenes create a story that is fast paced but also full and complete. The ending leaves itself open for a sequel that I hope Clark will write. His worldbuilding shows that there is even more to this world that we could explore.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Kidnapping and Death of parent
geilie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Racism, and Violence