Ring Shout
-
-
4.4 • 154 Ratings
-
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns with Ring Shout, a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan's reign of terror
“A fantastical, brutal and thrilling triumph of the imagination...Clark’s combination of historical and political reimagining is cathartic, exhilarating and fresh.” —The New York Times
Named a Best of the Year Pick by NPR | Library Journal | Book Riot | LitReactor | Bustle | Polygon | Washington Post
IN AMERICA, DEMONS WEAR WHITE HOODS.
In 1915, The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America, swelling the Klan's 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 is Maryse Boudreaux and her fellow resistance fighters, a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter. Armed with blade, bullet, and bomb, they hunt their hunters and send the Klan's demons straight to Hell. But something awful's brewing in Macon, and the war on Hell is about to heat up.
Can Maryse stop the Klan before it ends the world?
A New York Times Editor's Choice Pick!
A Nebula and Locus Award Winner!
A finalist for the Hugo Award, World Fantasy Award, Ignyte Award, Goodreads Choice Award, Shirley Jackson Award, AAMBC Literary Award, British Fantasy Award, Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy Award, and the SIBA Award.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Nebula Award winner Clark (The Black God's Drums) vividly reimagines the Ku Klux Klan's second wave in this thrilling, provocative, and thoroughly badass fantasy. In Prohibition-era Macon, Ga., Maryse Boudreaux and friends the scrappy Sadie and the unassuming WWI-veteran Chef spend their days slaying Ku Kluxes, demons unleashed by a spell cast by Sorcerer D.W. Griffith in the form of the propaganda film Birth of a Nation. After a gripping and humorous battle between this ragtag trio and the Ku Kluxes, Klan ringleader Butcher Clyde, a creature who feeds on hate, reveals his master plan: use Griffith's spell to summon the Grand Cyclops. Maryse sets out to put an end to this reign of terror, but when Butcher Clyde makes Maryse an offer too tempting to refuse she must first conquer her own lust for vengeance. Clark expertly uses fantasy to highlight the mysticism underlying the nation's darkest moments. Lyrical interludes, mythicized "oral histories" of Gullah traditions, and haunting retellings of African American folklore add rich texture throughout. Readers will be both captivated and entertained by this fast-paced alternate history, which doubles as a meditation on the all-consuming power of hate and violence.
Customer Reviews
Dark Fantasy set in the Jim Crow South.
“Ring Shout” is a 2020 novella P. Djèlí Clark that could be considered dark fantasy, or horror. It’s set in the Jim Crow period in the US South, and proposes that the hatred evidenced by the Klu Klux Klan might have partially had an otherworldly origin.
The protagonists of this work are primarily three African American women who battle against monsters called Ku Kluxes who are masquerading as people. These creatures are being led by a being known as Butcher Clyde, who intends to bring about a horrible end. However, they have support from their community, including spells and powerful artifacts. It’s really a work of high fantasy with an entirely different setting.
I found this a refreshing work, as so much fantasy is set in a medieval alternate world. The protagonists, led by Maryse Boudreaux, are bold and strong women of color who do not hesitate to take on impossible odds. This work won some awards, and was nominated for even more. Definitely work reading!