Ring Shout

A 2021 Nebula Award Winner! A 2021 Hugo Award Finalist! A 2021 AAMBC Literary Award Finalist! A New York Times Editor's Choice Pick! A Booklist Editor's Choice Pick! A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist! A 2020 SIBA Award Finalist! Named a Best of 2020 Pick for NPR Library Journal Book Riot LitReactor Bustle Polygon Washington Post P. Djeli Clark couldn't write a bad book if he tried. Ring Shout is fantastically fun even as its core is as serious as can be. --Victor LaValle A fantastical, brutal and thrilling triumph of the imagination...Clark's combination of historical and political reimagining is cathartic, exhilarating and fresh. --The New York Times Once the story picks up, it keeps hitting hard, climbing -- no, soaring -- to a cinematic finish, with character beats that hit beautifully. --NPR A thrilling narrative that mines African folklore, body horror and pulp adventure. --USA Today [An] emotional and riveting novella infused with Black folklore and rich friendships. --Buzzfeed Ring Shout is a wild ride into America's nightmarish history, a fantastical cross between Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. --Annalee Newitz Slyly told and laced with dark humor, this haunting tale pulled me into a richly realized world I didn't want to leave. --Rivers Solomon Ring Shout is a fearless punch to the heart and head! --Jonathan Maberry A sublime work of revolutionary body horror. --Sarah Gailey Brutal and hopeful, farcical and factual, Ring Shout is a book that speaks to the ridiculous and beastly nature of racism in a story that is difficult to put down. --Justina Ireland From the start, Ring Shout explodes into vivid color with a voice that's at once joyous and harrowing. --Bethany C. Morrow A thrilling and provocative inferno of a story. One of the most powerful and propulsive pieces of speculative fiction I've read in years. --Tochi Onyebuchi Feverishly inventive period adventure.... At once rousing, boisterous, and clever. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review Readers will be both captivated and entertained by this fast-paced alternate history, which doubles as a meditation on the all-consuming power of hate and violence. --Publishers Weekly, starred review This is a story of Black female power, drawn from both the old and new worlds, a tale that honors the Black American experience in all its complexity, and yet also delivers in its Lovecraftian delight. --Library Journal, starred review Clark's latest is set in a visceral world, steeped in historical detail and full of engaging characters, that asks the question, 'Who is to blame for the hate that hate made?'. --Booklist, starred review Clark does a brilliant job of grounding his spectacle in a convincing and unnerving portrait of the 1920s South, with a few chilling instances of the real costs of racism. What may be more important is how he does this without forgoing the energetic, almost cheerfully musical celebration of the power of resistance and belief. --Locus A smart cultural conversation, awesome characters, empowerment, positivity, and more. Accomplishing so much in such a cohesive, unobtrusive way, while pulling off a solid story with engaging, often really funny dialogue, is nothing less than brilliant. This book is a gift to American culture. --Lightspeed [Ring Shout] is a skillful feat of establishing distinctive characters, fleshed-out relationships, multiple set pieces, and exploration of racism and hate in the world, without feeling rushed or underdeveloped. That's a magic trick that makes the KKK's sorcery pale in comparison. --FIYAH Simply put, Ring Shout is a brilliant piece of speculative fiction. In just the length of a single novella, Clark presents a history lesson, copious amounts of action and adventure, social commentary that is critically important in the United States today, and all the elements of fantasy one could desire. --Nerd Daily