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roadtripreader 's review for:
The Black God's Drums
by P. Djèlí Clark
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A book that made me go down a Wikipedia rabbit hole and do a deep dive on African Pagan Mythology, All the different ways to say Mixed-Race in Old-America and look up recipes for gumbo and beignets. The recipes are the ones that have remained bookmarked and I should like to make a mess in the kitchen attempting to make the delicious things.
The Black God's Drum is unexpected to say the least. Having almost zero Haitian Folklore Knowledge but thnks to that one visual album by Beyonce, I can say I have some vague recollection of African Gods and Goddesses pre-colonial/slavery era - I sound this to be truly different yet familiar. There is a God of the High Seas, there is some form of possession but by Gods and not ghosts - It's all so intoxicating. The New Orleans alternative history setting is really something else and I'm beginning to find myself looking for more New Orleans Gothic SF books thanks to this.
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Plot/Storyline: had me hooked from the moment she was scouting what sounded like Dirigible Airships in the sky looking for potential marks so she could stick her fingers in pockets and lift things.
Characters: Everyone seems so vibrant yet dark and a little dusty, so busy and loud and accented, so Classique and chic and crass and gothic and beautiful like the printer tones have been cranked up and they're leaking onto the page in a intricate design.
Favorite scene: Creeper knocks into a man wearing a black suit, wearing a skull mask a day before the Mardi Gras. There is something about this moment, it just sets this crackling sense of doom from the moment Goddess Oya sends a warning into Creeper's mind not to accept the stranger's help to stand up. Two things are clear, Oya has too much control over Creeper even though she thinks otherwise and Creep is not as free as she perceives herself to be.
Favorite Quote/Concept: not a quote but a concept: Drapeto Gas is horrifyingStoryGraph Challenge: 1800 books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Punk Fantasy Books
The Black God's Drum is unexpected to say the least. Having almost zero Haitian Folklore Knowledge but thnks to that one visual album by Beyonce, I can say I have some vague recollection of African Gods and Goddesses pre-colonial/slavery era - I sound this to be truly different yet familiar. There is a God of the High Seas, there is some form of possession but by Gods and not ghosts - It's all so intoxicating. The New Orleans alternative history setting is really something else and I'm beginning to find myself looking for more New Orleans Gothic SF books thanks to this.
******************************************************************************
Plot/Storyline: had me hooked from the moment she was scouting what sounded like Dirigible Airships in the sky looking for potential marks so she could stick her fingers in pockets and lift things.
Characters: Everyone seems so vibrant yet dark and a little dusty, so busy and loud and accented, so Classique and chic and crass and gothic and beautiful like the printer tones have been cranked up and they're leaking onto the page in a intricate design.
Favorite scene: Creeper knocks into a man wearing a black suit, wearing a skull mask a day before the Mardi Gras. There is something about this moment, it just sets this crackling sense of doom from the moment Goddess Oya sends a warning into Creeper's mind not to accept the stranger's help to stand up. Two things are clear, Oya has too much control over Creeper even though she thinks otherwise and Creep is not as free as she perceives herself to be.
Favorite Quote/Concept: not a quote but a concept: Drapeto Gas is horrifyingStoryGraph Challenge: 1800 books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Punk Fantasy Books