by P. Djeli Clark; narrated by Channie Waites
Confession time – I love this author’s stories.
They are fantastic creations filled with both terror and wonder set in places I never knew I wanted to travel to until they were described to me. Alas, I can only travel there in story.
I have only ever read the author’s stories in audiobook format (since that is how I do the majority of my reading these days) and they are phenomenal. The narrators have been excellent and add so much more detail and authenticity to the stories. (My favorite by far is A Master of Djinn. I wrote briefly about it here.) I use the Libby app and check out audiobooks from my library.
This story is set in New Orleans in an alternate history where a slave uprising changed the course of the Civil War and subsequent events. “The magic of the old African gods is a part of this city” (54:48 min).
It’s told in first person narration from the perspective of Creeper, an orphan who prides herself in her ability to care for herself on the streets. She also holds Oye, an African Orisha inside of her. While we don’t know Creeper’s exact age, she may be fourteen. When she comes across some information about The Black God’s Drums, she goes to the person who can do something with it – an airship captain of a smuggling ship.
Like Creeper, the captain, Ann-Marie, also holds an African Orisha – Oshun. Unlike Creeper, the captain is much less comfortable with this experience. This story reminds me of an adult Rick Riordan Presents. While the main character may be a child, she holds an African spirit that is ageless inside of her. One that is capable of displaying jealousy towards an equally ageless spirit. (Oye and Oshun are sisters and both lovers of Shango.) So while this is not a kid’s book, it does have plenty of magic and myth based on Yoruban culture.
This is a highly recommended read. It won an Alex Award and was a finalist for many other awards. It’s an amazing story.
Dun and Red 