In The Black God’s Drums, P. Djèlí Clark has masterfully brought an alternative steampunk version of New Orleans (amidst an ongoing Civil War) to life.

We’re following 13-year-old Creeper, a clever girl with a godly advantage making do on the streets while dreaming of joining up with the airship Midnight Robber. When she overhears a traitorous plan to secure a powerful weapon, she’s ready to use this information to earn the airship captain’s trust and experience more of the world.

The world is gripping – this is a twisted version of Civil War history (though the implications are not too far off from our current reality) that is detailed yet introduced with clarity. Clark is incredibly skilled at weaving in vital information without losing the quick pacing of the novella. There were a few cases of heavy writing that perhaps could have been simplified seeing as this was such a short piece, but overall I was enchanted.

While I would have loved a deeper dive into the main characters (Creeper and Captain Ann-Marie), I found them easy to root for and loved the unique helpers and foes they met along the way. 

A final highlight of the novella was an interplay between West African spirituality & steampunk (I’ve seen it referred to as “godpunk”, and I’m into it). God-powered weather and man-powered weaponized storms clash and influence society and create a unique culture. And Creeper’s dialogue, powers, and visions that come from the portion of Oya (orisha of storms) within her were captivating to read.

I hope there are more stories to come in this world!

CW: murder, gun violence, racism, slavery, death, war, hate crime, death of parents, injury, kidnapping, fire, colonization

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