The Black God’s Drums Review

By Celeste Daniels

TW: Racism

Hello, audacious readers!

Fall is upon us and we’ve have goen through a lot this summer, to say the least. Last month, we had a good cry in Tokyo with the newest addition to the book club’s favorite series, Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi . This month, we’re ending the summer season by fighting against war and gods in The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark.

In a steampunk alternate universe, the Confederate has won the Civil War, the Haitian Revolution has resulted in the forming of the Free Isles, and New Orleans is stuck in the middle as an independent state and popular port for both sides. Confederate soldiers and Haitian sailors roam the streets as New Orleanians like Creeper navigate and profit from the chaos.

Creeper is an orphan scrapping by on the streets and is ready to leave the city for good. Her ultimate dream would be to join the crew of the airship, the Midnight Robber. Ran by Ann-Marie St. Augustine, she knows it won’t be easy to convince the experienced captain to let a 13-year-old thief on board so, she keeps an eye out for information that she can leverage to get her abroad the ship. After all, knowledge is power.

But when she witnesses a shady exchange and receives a terrifying vision from Oya, the African orisha of the wind and storms, she becomes entangled in a conspiracy that threatens to drown the entire city. With the power she’s been hiding her entire life, she’ll have to step up with the hope that it’s enough to save herself and all she’s ever known.

So, for those of you who don’t know, this is a novella, meaning it’s longer than a short story but not quite long enough to be considered a novel. I point this out because it is downright incredible how much P. Djèlí Clark fits into the 100 pages that make up this book. The way he incorporates the world building, the setting, and still makes the characters relatable is just awesome. His writing is captivating and realistic despite all the magic incorporated.

My favorite scenes are the ones between Ann-Marie and Creeper. I really enjoy their sisterly dynamic. I also love seeing the African gods Oya, Oshaun, and Shango used so well. Oya especially is interesting in how she’s presented as both part of but also a separate entity from Creeper. There’s also a band of secondary characters that make fun appearances but don’t overstay their welcome for the most part (a few I actually wanted to see more of).

And I appreciate that he doesn’t skip the nuance nor the action of the story despite how short it is. He gives you so much history alongside numerous battle scenes that can pull readers in. He also succeeds in capturing how terrifying the titular weapon is, echoing back to the horrors of Hurricane Katrina while keeping it grounded in the world he’s presented.

While I can gush over many things in this story, I do have one criticism: It’s too short! I want to know sooo much more about Creeper and Ann-Marie, the Black Robber, and this new alternative world Clark created. There’s so much potential in this novella (more than enough for a full novel, if not a series) that I really hope that he comes back to this world in this future and explores it. And maybe this review nudges that possibility forward just a little bit.

I hope you enjoyed The Black God’s Drums. Feel free to comment your thoughts below and make stay tuned for October’s book club read, coming soon.

Make sure to also check out the STAYCATION, Audacity’s members-only virtual retreat, coming September 26th. Join us to relax, reset, and upgrade you and your business (or your book club) through expert panels, workshops for professionals, and daily meditation.

Until next time, don’t forget to read audaciously!

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