Book Review: The Black God’s Drums, by P. Djeli Clarke

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Book, Book Review, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mythology, P. Djeli Clark, Reading

Now I’m really getting back into the reading spirit!  This 2018 novella is my second story from author P. Djeli Clarke and one that I had been looking forward to for some time now.  This book seemed to be showing up everywhere where it first came out and after really enjoying my last work from this author I knew I had to get it off of my TBR list. 

The magic of the Afrikin gods is part of this city, ma maman used to say, buried in its bones and roots with the slaves that built it…

The story is set in the mid-1880s in an alternate history New Orleans.  Serving as a neutral port between the United States and the Confederacy, the city is a hub of intrigue, trade, and entertainment for people from both sides of the conflict.  It is also a popular destination for citizens of the newly independent Haiti and the Free Islands of the Carribean who won their independence from the colonial powers through the use of superior technology and a powerful, weather altering weapon dubbed the Black God’s Drums that drastically altered the balance of power in the region.  It is here that we are introduced to a teenage street urchin named Creeper who lives in a secluded part of an airship dock. Resourceful and street-smart, Creeper has been touched by Oya, the African Orisha goddess of wind and storms, and often is the beneficiary of her powers in times of need. One day while watching the city, Creeper happens to overhear a conversation between a Creole man and a group of Confederate officers.  It seems a Haitian scientist is conspiring to sell weapons technology to the Confederacy, a potentially deadly development for all involved given it catastrophic side effects. Feeling the need to act, Creeper seeks to enlist the help of the Midnight Robber, an airship under the command of the famed pirate Captain Ann-Marie and a pair of Sisters of the Holy Family to prevent a tragic loss of life.

I loved this!  The story hit so many of the right notes for me I’m not sure where to even start singing its praises.  New Orleans is a fantastic, magical place in our real world, but this book succeeded in making it even moreso in a way that felt authentic to the city.  I really enjoyed the way the author mixed in the essential parts of the city’s experience, everything from the local culture, dangerous storms, and revelry, with the more supernatural elements and African mythology.  The aesthetics of this story were also quite engaging, offering a mesmerizing balance of cool and terrifying devices and imagery. Right from the start the author invoked a steampunk vibe with descriptions of a dock teeming with gas lamps and airships before moving into the darker territory of weapons of mass destruction and the gas masks used in the Confederate States to create docile slaves.  On this note, I really liked how the technology fit seamlessly into the historical and cultural context of the story, making it feel all the more real.

What brought these ideas to life, however, were the fantastic characters.  The two mains, Creeper and Captain Ann-Marie were real standouts for me. Creeper was a fun and resourceful person to follow, and the ways in which she was guided by and interacted with the piece of Oya within her gave her a depth that went well beyond her years.  Ann-Marie was likewise fascinating, fully capable of all the carousing and fighting one might expect from a pirate captain, but also with an unexpected depth that made her really memorable as well. Although they had a relatively minor part in terms of page time, I can’t leave the two nuns out of this review.  Curiously well connected and supplied, they offered some formidable aid to Creeper and Ann-Marie in their quest.

Put them all together and these elements made for one fascinating story that every bit lived up to my expectations.  The ideas, world building, and characters were all top notch and I could easily have spent another 300-400 pages more in this world.  That the author wove in an exciting blend of history, mythology, and steampunk imagery made it all the better for me. I am definitely adding more of his works to my priority reading queue and I recommend you all consider doing the same.

Book Review: The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion, by Margaret Killjoy

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Anarchists, Book, Book Review, Danielle Cain, Fantasy, Horror, Margaret Killjoy, Reading

Hello again, long time no post!  I’m getting back into action and taking a step into the paranormal with this 2017 novella from new to me author Margaret Killjoy.  Since the author’s bio inspired me to read a bit more about them, I found that they are, among other things, a proud trans woman, anarchist, prepper, and electronic/death metal musician who maintains a Twitter feed worth reading.  But these are all topics for another day. Let’s end my review drought and bring on the book!

So yeah, welcome to Freedom, Iowa.  For the past year, we’ve had this benevolent, murderous spirit watching over us.  Which is weird, but it’s gone fine.

The story is set in the near future in a quasi-distopian United States and opens with our protagonist, a nomadic young woman named Danielle Cain, pulling a knife on an overly friendly man she hitched a ride with on her way to an anarchist commune in Freedom, Iowa.  In going there she hopes to find answers surrounding the final days of her friend Clay, who had finally settled down there only to eventually wander off and kill himself. The town, however, may hold more mysteries than answers for upon her approach to it Danielle encounters a number of horrifically mutated animals, most notably a strange deer feeding upon the carcass of a small animal.  Upon meeting the locals, she learns that the deer creature is the spirit Uliksi, a demon they summoned to prey upon those people who would seek authority over another. Suddenly her grim quest for answers gets a whole lot more complicated.

I enjoyed this for what it was: good, easy reading fun. While I can’t say it was particularly deep, the book’s commentary on the allure of power felt a bit cliche, it did have a certain charm that really drew me in.  The main characters were an immensely likable (if somewhat one dimensional) group of punks and anarchists and the potentially rogue Uliksi provided an intriguing dilemma. I also enjoyed that the book had a very familiar-to-me feeling sense of humor mixed with just enough action to help me make short work of its 84 pages.  Upon learning more about the author, I could see how their own experiences shaped this story and I absolutely enjoy supporting these types of characters and political ideals. As such, I am on board for reading the sequel and curious to see where the series goes from here.

The State of BeerRantsAndBooks Address

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Blog Life, COVID19

Hello friends!  As some of you may have noticed, I haven’t posted here in a little while.  Back in January I was facing the daunting task of simultaneously learning a new job while taking programming classes at night and to say I was stretched thin mentally would be an understatement.  Something (ok, somethings) had to give for the sake of my mental well-being and keeping up with the blog just didn’t fit into my schedule.

My portrait, courtesy of my wife @Ann Leonard Photography

My original plan for the past few days was to regroup a bit and work my way back into a posting routine.  My class ended the first week in March and the week after the family was going to take our annual trip down to Florida for some much needed time off.  I was going to sit back, read, and drink a few brews to celebrate the end of a demanding month and a half. The universe it seems had other plans, and facing the rapid advance of Coronavirus we made what was at the time the difficult decision to call off our trip.  Turns out we made the right choice since I am coming back here facing a drastically different world than when I left.

So what does this all mean for my posts going forward?  Hopefully, not a lot in most areas. I am feeling determined to make this comeback a success and feel like it will be a welcome distraction for me during these difficult times.  I have some great novellas lined up for review and since I primarily read e-books, I don’t see any major shifts in my reading habits once I get back into a rhythm. I also also have a few tags set aside I’ve been meaning to get to as well so Random Tag Tuesday will be making a return soon enough.

As for the beer side of things, well, that gets tricky.  Acquiring new, post-worthy beer is rather complicated now, despite the valiant efforts of my local breweries to safely stay open.  It pains me a bit to say this, but in all honesty I most likely will not be visiting them for the duration of the pandemic. I feel somewhat badly about this knowing that they need support to stay afloat right now, but I just don’t feel like even the curbside pickup options are worth it right now for something that is ultimately a luxury item.  In terms of the cost per beer and the risk of exposing my family I just can’t justify it. I pass no judgement on those who choose otherwise, but this is my personal choice based on my particular situation.

That said, I do have a few review beers left in my fridge that I am sure to get to soon enough.  I also stocked up on some more affordable options to keep me supplied over the period of isolation to come.  My beer needs for the next few weeks will be fulfilled by a dozen Lagunitas IPAs and a mixed 12 pack from Ipswich Ale Brewery.  Even after the delivery fees (thank you Drizzly driver!), they provided a relatively inexpensive way to stock up without sacrificing quality.  If these can’t hold me over until the end of this whole mess, I’ll have much bigger things to worry about anyway.

I’m looking forward to rejoining you all in WordPress land this week.  Stay safe out there and be good to one another!