Book Review
Title: Ring Shout
Author: P. Djeli Clark
Genre: Historical/Fantasy/Dark/Supernatural
Rating: ****
Review: I read The Black God’s Drums by this author a while back and was intriguing at the strange genre combination that just seemed to work and when I got a copy of Ring Shout, I couldn’t wait to get into it. All I knew about this novel before hand was that it is a supernatural twist on the Ku Klux Klan’s reign of terror which was even more intriguing. In the opening of Ring Shout, we are introduced to Maryse Boudreaux, Sadie and Cordelia better known as Chef as they wait during a KKK march on the 4th of July 1922. Them seem to be waiting for certain members of the KKK present at the march and we soon learn that some of them aren’t human, they can only be identified by the strange way the move and their love of animal flesh, particularly dog. The trio of women have a trap set when three of the Ku Kluxs appear, Sadie quicky shoots the body of a dead dog filled with explosives thanks to Chef. However, the explosion doesn’t kill the Ku Kluxs which baffles the women as that should have been the result, while Sadie tries to take down one now transformed into its giant and ugly state the other two have gone after Maryse hiding in a cotton warehouse. However, Maryse has a special sword which she uses to deal with the creatures and I have a feeling despite being labelled as the softest of the group she isn’t soft at all.
After dispatching the creatures, the trio cut up their kill and make for home before the police arrive, taking some bootleg whiskey for their trouble which is ironic as Prohibition is still in place. During the drive back we get some background on the creatures, it turns out that the first Klans were created by witches who summoned creatures known as Ku Kluxs but they were swiftly dispatched but their evil endured. Other sorcerers tried to revive the Klans but they couldn’t reach enough people until D. W. Griffith, a sorcerer decided to work the evil into a movie rather than a book to reach more people and they used the spell The Birth of a Nation to basically brainwash to white population into believing that the coloured people were their enemy, the monster in need of exterminating which was extremely dark when you think about the actual history and crimes of the KKK. All three girls were recruited by Nana Jean as they all had some grievance against the Klan, for Sadie its because they killed her grandfather, for Maryse I am assuming it was her mother and brother but it is explicated stated but it doesn’t seem that personal with Chef. Nana Jean also seems to be running something scientific to do with the monsters as well as running a bootleg. The bootleg in question is a liquid used as a form of protection from the Ku Kluxs called Mama’s Water which the trio run when they need to. Mama’s Water is created by performing the Shout which seems to be a divine ritual of sorts but it hasn’t been explained that well yet. While I was enjoying the story, I did have a small issue with Nana Jean’s dialogue as she seems to be speak with a particular dialect that I found difficult to read. From the scientist, Molly we learn that the creatures are evolving. Molly has a theory that the creatures come from another world and are adapting to ours which is responsible for these changes. Something big seems to be building too as the attacks the creatures have been making are becoming more coordinated even when the creatures themselves have little intelligence like someone is directing them which would be really bad as they would have to find out who that is and stop them to make any real impact. D. W. Griffith is also planning to reshow the movie that spawned so much hate that coming Sunday in order to create more hatred for the creatures to feed on.
Every single on of the girls is aware of the war they are fighting in and how it is growing, Maryse reflects that a few years before the attacks were localised but they are spreading out all across the South and even into the Midwest making it very difficult for them to fight and they have even lost whole pockets of the resistance because of this. By the time, the girls can relax for the evening at Maryse’s boyfriend’s bar, Maryse is pondering on what Nana Jean said but soon gets distracted by her tasty man and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him. When she awakes some time later after having soon disturbing dreams featuring what I believe is her as a child being hidden from the slaughter that followed the Civil War and finding her sword and escaping from a figure calling himself Butcher Clyde, she finds her sword glowing. Maryse obviously knows this means something and goes to it where she is seemingly transported into another place, kind of like the Spirit Realm in Avatar, where she meets the 3 aunties, these spirits guide her and give her information when she needs it. They warn her that the enemy is getting stronger and there is a veil over what is coming so not even they can see it and when Maryse mentions Butcher Clyde they are horrified as she has let the enemy in. This entire section of the novel was supernatural/paranormal feeling but I didn’t really understand what was going on as the relationship between Maryse and the aunties isn’t explained neither is how she came to be in possession of the sword or what its true purpose is.
After finding out who Butcher Clyde is Maryse can’t wait and pays him a visit which doesn’t go the way she expects as there is something about him which throws off the power, she uses to wield her sword and he warns her that they will be paying her a visit very soon as they have been watching her for a long time. Maryse naturally assumes that they will attack Nana Jean’s farm but they very quickly learn the attack is on Frenchy’s, the bar run by Maryse’s boyfriend. The trio immediately head down to the bar which has been set alight with several Ku Kluxs inside and out as well as human KKK members and Butcher Clyde. Maryse heads inside to help people get out and look for her man because she can’t see him anywhere but Lester, a flame of Sadie’s tell her he was taken by some clan members. The trio are preparing to leave when they realise Sadie isn’t with them and it turns out she was overrun by the Ku Kluxs and very quickly bleeds out due to those injuries and dies in Maryse’s arms. Enraged by the death of her friend, Maryse begins cutting through the clan members even the human ones to get to Butcher Clyde but when she clashes with him his many mouths break the harmony she has with her blade and he breaks it leaving her defenceless. It is only Chef’s quick thinking that gets them out of there in one piece but Butcher Clyde reminds her that he has something she wants and she will come to him soon enough. Without her sword she doesn’t have a way to meet the aunties but her anger and will are enough to summon her to them. They explains that their gifts are being dampened by the veil and she alone must stop the coming of the Grand Cyclopes but she has to be careful. Maryse we learn was part of a prophecy to be a champion for the enemy but the aunties preventing this making her a champion for good but she could easily be swayed over to the dark if they held the right leverage over her which I think they have.
The aunties tell Maryse to find the Night Doctors, another supposedly mythical creatures and try to persuade them to join the fight but they will expect something in return. Maryse follows the aunties instructions to the letter and ends up meeting Dr. Bisset, once an ordinary human who went looking for the Night Doctors and found them giving up his mortal life in the process for life eternal. However, Dr. Bisset went searching in 1937 and Maryse is from 1922 and she explains that any time outside this one might not exist if they don’t stop the Grand Cyclops but the Night Doctor want to take her pain from her. Maryse is forced to confront what truly happened to her family but she won’t let the Night Doctors take her pain, instead she makes them confront the pain and suffering they inflicted on others which make them angry and they cast Maryse out so she can’t count on their help in the coming battle. As all the available hunters head to the meeting place where the Grand Cyclops is going to be brought back, they realise they are hopelessly outnumbered so Maryse goes alone with Chef to see if she can bargain with Butcher Clyde and prevents the battle altogether. While Clyde explains the purpose, she is intended for and what the Grand Cyclops actually is, Maryse almost gives into the darkness but she suddenly realises that her people’s cry for justice isn’t the same as hate and never will be which breaks the spell, they have over her. Maryse attacks with everything she has but the Ku Kluxs willingly give themselves up to heal the Grand Cyclops when out of nowhere Dr. Bisset arrives and this might turn the tide in their favour. However, I am sceptical of this since the ending of The Black God’s Drums was an absolutely sucker punch to the gut.
The final battle between Maryse and the Ku Kluxs was amazing as was the ending of the novel, however, I always leave Clark’s books lacking something. I think because the books are so short there isn’t enough time for all the elements to be developed on, like Maryse’s brother and what truly happened to her family should have had more time as well as her relationship with Sadie, Chef and Michael George to make them seem more realistic. I also felt the particular magic system and unique weapon could have been expanded on a little more as well. Due to this I can’t in good conscience give the book five stars because it was essentially lacking something that would take it from a great book to an amazing one but I am excited to read more of Clark’s work in the future.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Also see: The Black God’s Drums
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