On the Horizon – the black god’s drums (P. Djèlí Clark)

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

the black god’s drums (P. Djèlí Clark)

Title: the black god’s drums

Author: P. Djèlí Clark

Publisher: Tor.com

Publication Date: Tomorrow!! (paperback/ebook)

ISBN: 978-1250294715

Source: NetGalley

I absolutely loved this novella.  It follows the orphan, Creeper, who inadvertently hears a plot she is not supposed to know about and then gets drawn into the struggle to stop it.  This is set in an alternate 1884 New Orleans, has airships, shows an America where slavery in the South is not illegal, and also has Gods alive and well and getting involved in human affairs.  And me description does not really begin to do it justice.  The world-building is exquisite, the characters are quirky and wonderful, and the writing captivated me.  Though short, it packed an emotional punch.  I want many more stories set in this fantastic diverse world.  Don’t just take me word on it (though yer Captain’s word should be enough!).  Check out these other reviews by me crew.  Then go get a copy.  That’s an order.  Arrr!

Melanie @ meltotheany’s review – “I loved this book and P. Djèlí Clark is now forever on my auto-buy list. And in this ownvoices novella, the entire cast is black. And the characters in this book are a tier above most, and you can’t help but fall in love with them in only 100 pages! Creeper, Madame Diouf, Anna-Marie (the bi or pan airship captain of my heart, also physical disability rep because she’s missing a leg), Feral, Eunice and Agnes, I loved them all. And I want nothing more than more books from this world.”

Elise @ thebookishactress’ review – “I absolutely love the worldbuilding of this book. The Black God’s Drums is set in a post-confederate New Orleans in which the South achieved their goal of armistice. While many cities rebelled, they succeeded in keeping most territories, using slave labor and keeping them confined via a type of poison gas called drapeto. The aesthetic used is perfect, keeping you very firmly within the alt-history lowkey-sci-fi vibe but also not feeling overdone.”

Goodreads has this to say about the novella:

Creeper, a scrappy young teen, is done living on the streets of New Orleans. Instead, she wants to soar, and her sights are set on securing passage aboard the smuggler airship Midnight Robber. Her ticket: earning Captain Ann-Marie’s trust using a secret about a kidnapped Haitian scientist and a mysterious weapon he calls The Black God’s Drums.

But Creeper keeps another secret close to heart–Oya, the African orisha of the wind and storms, who speaks inside her head and grants her divine powers. And Oya has her own priorities concerning Creeper and Ann-Marie…

To visit the author’s website go to:

P. Djèlí Clark – Author

To buy the book go to:

the black god’s drums – Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

Previous Log Entries for Tor.com Novellas

• Bear, Elizabeth – stone mad – book 2 (Dry Dock – Fantasy Western)

• Brennan, Marie – cold-forged flame – book 1 (On the Horizon – Fantasy eArc)
• Brennan, Marie – lightning in the blood – book 2 (On the Horizon – Fantasy eArc)

• Cole, Myke – the armored saint – book 1 (Captain’s Log – Fantasy)

• Hutchinson, Dave – acadie (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)

• McGuire, Seanan – every heart a doorway – book 1 (Captain’s Log – Young Adult Fantasy)
• McGuire, Seanan – down among the sticks and bones – book 2 (Captain’s Log – Young Adult Fantasy)
• McGuire, Seanan – beneath the  sugar sky – book 3 (Captain’s Log – Young Adult Fantasy)

• Newman, Emma – brother’s ruin – book 1 (On the Horizon –  Fantasy Steampunk Arc)
• Newman, Emma – weaver’s lament – book 2 (On the Horizon – Fantasy Steampunk eArc)

• Okorafor, Nnedi – binti – book 1 (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)
• Okorafor, Nnedi – home – book 2 (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)
• Okorafor, Nnedi – the night masquerade – book 3 (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)

• Thompson, Tade – the murders of molly southbourne (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)

• Wells, Martha – all systems red – book 1 (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)
• Wells, Martha – artificial condition – book 2 (On the Horizon – Sci-Fi e-Arc)
• Wells, Martha – rogue protocal – book 3 (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)