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A review by __apf__
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
4.0
Ring Shout is a gritty, dark take on historical SF/F. A group of Black women fight monsters in the KKK. The novel draws fantastical elements from African American folklore, blurring the line between science fiction and fantasy. The prose is rich and intensely human.
Despite being intrigued by the premise, I found it hard to immerse myself in the book. The idea that KKK racists are literal monsters felt faintly ridiculous to me, and many characters act exactly like 2020-era women despite the setting. I couldn't go back and forth between the real history and the science-magic. Perhaps this simply is not my genre; I've similarly struggled with other books set in faux historical contexts.
Over time and in memory, I've ended up liking this book more than I thought while reading it. It's so vivid and unique that it remained in my mind in a way that few books do; I often revisit it. (I ended up increasing the rating from 3 to 4 stars.)
I received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley from its publisher in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Despite being intrigued by the premise, I found it hard to immerse myself in the book. The idea that KKK racists are literal monsters felt faintly ridiculous to me, and many characters act exactly like 2020-era women despite the setting. I couldn't go back and forth between the real history and the science-magic. Perhaps this simply is not my genre; I've similarly struggled with other books set in faux historical contexts.
Over time and in memory, I've ended up liking this book more than I thought while reading it. It's so vivid and unique that it remained in my mind in a way that few books do; I often revisit it. (I ended up increasing the rating from 3 to 4 stars.)
I received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley from its publisher in exchange for an honest and fair review.