A review by acouplereadss
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Maryse Boudreaux is not your typical bootlegger, she’s a monster slayer wielding a magical sword that hunts down the KKK, demons who walk around in human skin. They’re known as Ku Kluxes and have infiltrated organizations including political and religious. And now they’re plotting to unleash hell on Earth. Can Maryse and her comrades take out the monsters?

From the start we open up with non stop action and monster slaying. You meet Maryse, my new favourite female lead, Chef a former solider and bomb specialist, and Sadie one of the best sharp shooters in Georgia. With a largely character driven plot (and monsters) I was completely transfixed by this book. They leapt off the page.

The evil was damn scary and the deep rooted metaphor lances itself onto the reader. Although largely character driven the plot was not just a passenger seat and truly put me on the edge. I can’t recommend this novella enough and I’m annoyed with myself for not reading it sooner.

The blending of history with fantasy and horror was done in a way that Clark created a deeply poignant story. Reading Ring Shout you’ll see the mirror reflecting back on todays prevalent racism and hate. Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions has to adapt this. And we also need a sequel, 5✨.