The Black God's Drums

The Black God’s Drums is 110 pages of an incredible story that’s compelling and imaginative, and rich with history by capturing the very essence of N’awlins (New Orleans) during the 1880’s. The narration by Channie Waites is spectacular, and honestly makes this entire novella 100x better. The dialogue can be tough for some, as most is written in Louisiana Creole and Caribbean, and Channie nails it with ease making the accents feel as true as possible which made me feel if I was on those very streets which made me dive even further into this incredible story. Though it’s just a stand-alone novella, I pray that Clark decides to come back to this world and build upon what has already been started, because there is so much more that can be added to this story in the future! This type of story is what I love about historical fiction/fantasy. It not only tells such a riveting story, but also adds in real life places and beliefs. When I don’t know about something, it makes me want to look it up, so I get a great story, plus I get to learn about history or deities from other places that I didn’t really know. Something like this also opens up learning a bit more about the dark history of our past in the US, such as the use of “drapeto gas” which is based on Drapetomania, which was a supposed mental illness that caused enslaved African Americans to flee plantations, because “slaves that only those suffering from some form of mental illness would wish to escape.” –Samuel Cartwright. “She hadn’t meant to harm them. But she was Oya, the rain that grows your crops and the tornado that tears your home apart; the wind that brings change and the storm that reaps destruction. Calling on her was always like flipping a coin: one side a blessing, the other chaos.” With that being said, I want to say how much I loved the characters Jacqueline, aka Creeper who is the MC and who the story is being told through, and Captain Ann-Marie St Augustine. With how much history is in this, I have a feeling that these two characters names may have something to do with Louisiana history, but I’m not certain. Anyways, I loved both of these characters almost immediately, and I thought Clark did such a smooth job of using Yoruban Goddesses Oya and Oshun who incapsulated the characters they were connected to perfectly. Finally, there is Eunice and Agnès, two minor characters that are completely unforgettable! Have I mentioned there are sky pirates? Because there are freaking sky pirates! Just imagine what can be done in a series with something like this, we’re talking something that already stands out as different, but could add a whole new twist and standout even more. Especially with the popularity growing of the One Piece manga and Netflix show. Pirates are coming back and this could be a great opportunity to jump aboard to give not only pirates, but POC pirates a large platform and a bright future in fantasy!

I can’t remember the last time I read a really great steampunk story, so I’m thrilled that I finally picked up P. Djèlí Clark’s The Black God’s Drums. At just 112 pages, it’s a short and quick story, but one that is packed with an interesting world, intriguing characters, and a solid plot. The Black God’s Drums is a steampunk-fantasy story set during an alternate history where the Civil War agreed to an armistice and New Orleans became a free city. Creeper, our main character, is a teenage girl who lives on the streets and pickpockets newcomers to the city in order to survive. One day, after hearing a group of men plotting over a Haitian scientist coming to town, Creeper tries to sell the information, instead getting tangled up in a race to keep a dangerous weapon out of the hands of the wrong people. I read the whole thing in a single sitting and wanted more as soon as I finished it. It’s a world that would warrant a full-length novel. I want to know more about The Free Isles, which, in the story, became free after the Haitian Slave Rebellion in 1794 and comprises Haiti and the Caribbean. Using the mysterious weapon known as The Black God’s Drums, won their freedom against the French naval fleet that was on their shores. I want to know more about the gods and goddesses who live inside of people and can unleash their power through them. I need to know more about Ann-Marie, captain of the airship Midnight Robber. Clark did an amazing job of weaving history with fantasy and creating a “what if” scenario, and made it even better by adding airships. There’s so much happening in the story, but it never feels overwhelming. I’ve read some novellas where the authors tried to stuff the pages with way too much information that it becomes confusing, and P. Djeli Clark certainly didn’t do that. One of the things I most appreciated about the novella is that the author didn’t make the female characters (which, by the way, they’re almost all female characters) sexualized or have them fall in love. They simply were awesome and kicked all the ass. I wish more authors would just let their female characters be themselves without forcing awkward romances on them. The only gripe I have about The Black God’s Drums is that the politics of the world, and of New Orleans specifically, felt a little jumbled. There’s limited space for explanation in a novella, so I get it, but I needed more information on that front. This was the first piece of literature by P. Djeli Clark that I’ve ever read, and it certainly won’t be the last. I want to read everything by him now because of how impressed I was by The Black God’s Drums.

Black God's Drums by P. DDeli Clark First off, Clark can write no wrongs; his stories are always so engaging, impactful, and entertaining. In Black God's Drums we follow Creeper, a teenager living on the streets who stumbles onto some vital information. She's looking to sell what she knows for a ticket out of New Orleans and adventure on an airship. What we all get is a heck of a ride! The story is an amalgamation of an alternative history of New Orleans set in 1884, hints of steampunk, history, adventure, brilliant characters, detailed settings and it's all powered by Black God's magic. I loved every pages and found myself wanting more in this world, with these characters. I want more with the Nuns, with Feral, with Creeper and Ann-Marie. I just loved these women so much. Such a fun and educational adventure!

Es una novela corta, pero muy buena

A really excellent read. If you like sci-fantasy and/or steampunk ((or just good writing) but think they've got a little samey, read this! Fresh and fascinating, I do hope to encounter this city and these characters again.

Fresh storytelling beautiful word smithing. Great plots I've spent the last few days tracking down and devouring P. Djeli Clark's work and I want more! Thank you

"The Black God's Drums" is one of those rare books where all I really want to say it: "READ THIS: IT'S WONDERFUL" and then add as a postscript: @HBO please spend a few million making this into an award-winning piece of television. "The Black God's Drums" is a novella of only 112 pages yet in terms of world-building, character-building and plot twists, it stands up against novel two or three times its length. Djèli Clark pulls off a first-person narrative that delivers a clear view of a complex alternative history and sustains a level of tension and excitement. The dialogue is perfect, especially the use of dialect, which brightens the storytelling and deepens the characters. This a sparkling little novella is set in an original and uplifting alternative history in which, in the late nineteenth century, New Orleans and Haiti are independent nation-states and the Civil War has a different ending. The story involves a wicked plot that could bring great destruction, a swashbuckling Haitian airship captain who is strong on technology but refuses to give ground to the old African Gods who call to her, innovative steampunk-ish science that has a dash of magic in it, two black nuns who seem closer to voodoo than Christianity, fanatical soldiers with a scary leader and, at the centre of it all, an engaging, fourteen-years-old goddess-possessed black street child who calls herself Creeper. Creeper made the book for me. We see the world through her eyes and she is full of fire. At one point, Creeper manages to rescue a key character in the plot. They have never met before and the person being rescued expresses surprise it's just Creeper affecting the rescue. “Wi. It is just . . . you?” Creeper's response tells you a lot about he: "I scowl up at her. I happen to think I’m plenty." One of the things that I liked about this story was that all the good guys are women or girls, all but one of them is black and all of them kickass in their own ways. I'm now a P. Djèli Clark fan. I've bought another of his novella, "A Dead Djinn in Cairo" and I'm hoping that he will go on to write some full-length novels.

Excelente livro com estética Steam Punk e temática afrofuturista. Me ajudou a entender conceitos e foi eficiente como entretenimento.