Title: The Black God’s Drums by P. Djeli Clark, 978-1-250-29471-5, Tom Doherty Associates, New York, 2018,
11.99, 108 pp.
2. Genre: Science Fiction/ Fantasy /Alternate History
3. Characters: The main character of the novel is a young orphan girl named Creeper. She lives in the streets of New
Orleans. To make money she pickpockets and sells off secrets to interested parties. She’s rambunctious, street smart
and clever. She also has the spirit of Oya (the orisha goddess of storms and death) inside her head, offering her
guidance and supernatural powers. The other big character in the story is Anne-Marie, a smuggler and captain of the
airship Midnight Robber. Like Creeper, Anne-Marie also has a sprit attached to her. Her spirit is Oshun, the goddess of
the river. Together, these two go on a journey to protect the people of New Orleans.
4. Plot: The book is set in 1884 New Orleans. In this world, the civil war was ended with a compromise. There are still
Union and Confederate states (where slavery is still allowed) and Louisiana is a free/neutral state. There are also airship
pirates and African Orisha magic. Creeper lives in the streets of this New Orleans and makes a living of pickpocketing.
The story begins with Creeper getting a premonition from the spirit of Oya. In the premonition, she sees a giant skull
colliding into the city. This foreboding dream confuses and scares Creeper. Later, while hiding out in an alcove above
the port, she overhears a couple of suspicious men. They discuss meeting up with an important Haitian scientist and the
Black God’s Drums. The Black God’s Drum is a weapon that and harness the power of the orisha god, Shango and his
mighty thunder. With this weapon, these men could end the war completely. Knowing that this information is valuable,
Creeper plans on trading it for a spot aboard the airship, Midnight Robber. She tracks down Anne-Marie at a brothel
and tells her about the plot. Anne-Marie is interested, and they go together to track down the Haitian scientist at the
trading port. In the bustling port, they finally find Doctor Duval. Quickly Creeper and the captain are caught in the
middle of a shootout between Confederate soldiers (from the alcove) and a mysterious group of men wearing skeleton
masks. All of these men are after Doctor Duval. In the end, the skeleton masked men win and kidnap Duvual. Creeper
and the captain are unsure what happened, so they go to Creeper’s “source”. This source happens to be some nuns
running a convent. They tell the girls that the men with skeleton masks are called, “Jeannots”, an extremist group that
hide out in the swamp. They want to take over New Orleans or destroy it. They plan to do this with Shango’s Thunder
(the weapon created by Duval). The two girls decide to go after the men and protect New Orleans. They head out to the
swamp armed with a guide (a girl from the swamp) and Drapeto gas, which makes people listless and zombie-like. This
gas is used by the Confederate states to keep slaves docile. They travel through the swamp until they find where the
men are hiding. They see the doctor and a cannon filled with Shango’s Thunder. They make a plan to secretly grab the
scientist, but when they do, they discover that Duval’s daughter is being held hostage by the Jeannots and he won’t
leave without her. Creeper goes off to rescue her and finds her in a house close by. While trying to free her, the leader
of the Jeannots (and the man from her premonition) shows up. They get into a fight, but with the help of her swamp
guide and the Drapeto gas, she escapes with Duval’s daughter and sets fire to the cabin. They meet up with the captain,
and together the group is able to beat the Jeannots. However, when they try to board the Midnight Robber, the Jeannot
leader suddenly pulls the cannon and releases Shango’s Thunder. This giant, apocalyptic storm is now heading to New
Orleans. Creeper knows she must help, so she goes out into the oncoming storm. Using her powers from Oya, she tries
to push back the storm. She is successful but ends up falling into the water, almost drowning. Luckily, Anne-Marie is
able to connect with her goddess, Oshun, and saves Creeper. They protect New Orleans from destruction and return to
the city.
5. Touchy areas: There are some climatic action scenes, with guns and knifes being used to hurt Creeper (who is 13).
There is also a scene where Creeper goes to a brothel, and there are mentions of sex and prostitution. However, sex is
only implied in the text, and not depicted.
6. Related Titles: Children of Blood and Bone (2018) by Tomi Adeyemi (2018), Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (2017),
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (2009)
7. Movies: Daughters of the Dust (1991), Oya: Rise of the Suporisha (2014) Music: “Wild Women Don’t Have the
Blues” by Ida Cox (1924), “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” by Unknown (Before 1842)Poem: “Willing in the Orisha” by
Camonghne Felix Classic Work: Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) by Zora Neale Hurston Art: “Oya, The
Warrior Goddess” by Francisco Santos
8. Evaluation: The only thing that I disliked about this book was the pacing. Since the book was so short, it had a lot to
work in but in only a few pages to do so. Also, in this story, there were a lot of world building elements. The history of
the world was complex and detailed, but it was hard to follow because it was explained so quickly and sporadically. It
the reader didn’t read carefully, they easily could miss a major event, action, or explanation. Issues were simple or
convent to solve. There didn’t seem to be a problem that lasted more than a moment. All of this is mostly because the
novel is so short. I think the main issue that I have with it is the length. It left me wanting more of the story. However,
despite this, I really enjoyed reading the book. It was a fun and interesting read. I enjoyed the reimagining of New
Orleans and the use of orisha magic. I loved the voice of Creeper who was spunky and unique. I think that students in
8th -11th grade will enjoy this if they want a quick and simple read. 9/10
-Review by Grayce DeMent
Title: The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark, 978-1250294715, Tor.com, 2018, 112
pp. Audiobook available.
2. Genre: Steampunk /Historical Fantasy
3. Characters: Creeper is a 13-year-old orphan living on the streets of mid-19 th century New
Orleans. She is a smart, scrappy, and independent girl who has been blessed to carry the
spirit of Oya, the African goddess of wind and storms. Because of the spirit of Oya,
Creeper feels drawn to Ann-Marie, captain of the airship Midnight Robber. Captain Ann-
Marie is a smuggler and freedom fighter from Trinidad who has a secret she is unable to
hide from Creeper. Creeper’s effort to gain the trust of the Captain leads Creeper to
introduce the Captain to Sister Agnes and Sister Eunice, two nuns that live and work at a
local convent that serves as an outreach to women and children in need. But these two
ladies are more than they seem. They are the city’s source of underground information
and warriors to bring freedom to slaves and to protect the city of New Orleans.
4. Plot: As Creeper prepares for bed in her secret alcove in the wall surrounding New
Orleans, she overhears Confederate soldiers plot to kidnap a Haitian scientist and to force
him to create a powerful weapon. The next day, Creeper sees the airship Midnight
Runner come into port and hatches a plan to use this information to buy her way onto the
crew of the ship. Although Captain Ann-Marie is not interested in Creeper’s proposition,
she quickly becomes impressed by the girl’s intelligence and decides to humor her to find
out if the information Creeper has is true. The duo finds themselves pulled into a rescue
mission when they witness the kidnapping of Dr. Duval, the Haitian scientist, by a group
of men dressed as skeletons. After witnessing the kidnapping, Creeper takes the Captain
to a local convent, where the two are charged by Sisters Agnes and Eunice to fulfill the
plan the nuns have been working on to stop Dr. Duval’s kidnappers from succeeding in
their plan to control (or destroy) New Orleans.
5. Touchy Areas: Creeper likes to use the word “damn” to accentuate her narrative. There
is a scene that takes place in a brothel, but Clark only alludes to Chá Rouge being a
brothel, so unless the reader knows what a brothel is, they won’t realize that Chá Rouge
is anything more than a fancy establishment.
6. Related Titles: The Saga of the Steampunk Witches by Melanie Thompson, Cityscapes of
New Orleans by Richard Campanella
7. Movies: The City of Lost Children (1995), Wild Wild West (1999)
Music: “Down In New Orleans” by Dr. John (2009), “My Dawlin’ New Orleans” by Lil’
Queenie and the Percolators (2010)
Poem: “Conspiracy Theory” by Roz Kaveney https://www.tor.com/2011/04/10/seven-
steampunk-sonnets/
Classic Work: Old Creole Days by George Washington Cable
Art: Steampunk for Historians Illustration by Kathryn M Weaver
8. Evaluation: The ideal audience for The Black God’s Drums are students in 9-12 th grades
and college Intro to Literature classes. For 6-8 th graders, take into consideration the
maturity level of the student and the parenting style they are raised in when suggesting
this for individual reading. The plotline is high action from beginning to end. A lot
happens in 112 pages. This book is great for students who have a difficult time staying
engaged with a book. I recommend the audio book narrated by Channie Waites (2019).
Ms. Waites uses Creole and African accents to bring a dimension to the characters that a
student would miss just by reading text. Her voice inflection also adds to the tension in
the rising action, and it is nearly impossible to tear yourself away when listening.
Review by Eden Cook
11.99, 108 pp.
2. Genre: Science Fiction/ Fantasy /Alternate History
3. Characters: The main character of the novel is a young orphan girl named Creeper. She lives in the streets of New
Orleans. To make money she pickpockets and sells off secrets to interested parties. She’s rambunctious, street smart
and clever. She also has the spirit of Oya (the orisha goddess of storms and death) inside her head, offering her
guidance and supernatural powers. The other big character in the story is Anne-Marie, a smuggler and captain of the
airship Midnight Robber. Like Creeper, Anne-Marie also has a sprit attached to her. Her spirit is Oshun, the goddess of
the river. Together, these two go on a journey to protect the people of New Orleans.
4. Plot: The book is set in 1884 New Orleans. In this world, the civil war was ended with a compromise. There are still
Union and Confederate states (where slavery is still allowed) and Louisiana is a free/neutral state. There are also airship
pirates and African Orisha magic. Creeper lives in the streets of this New Orleans and makes a living of pickpocketing.
The story begins with Creeper getting a premonition from the spirit of Oya. In the premonition, she sees a giant skull
colliding into the city. This foreboding dream confuses and scares Creeper. Later, while hiding out in an alcove above
the port, she overhears a couple of suspicious men. They discuss meeting up with an important Haitian scientist and the
Black God’s Drums. The Black God’s Drum is a weapon that and harness the power of the orisha god, Shango and his
mighty thunder. With this weapon, these men could end the war completely. Knowing that this information is valuable,
Creeper plans on trading it for a spot aboard the airship, Midnight Robber. She tracks down Anne-Marie at a brothel
and tells her about the plot. Anne-Marie is interested, and they go together to track down the Haitian scientist at the
trading port. In the bustling port, they finally find Doctor Duval. Quickly Creeper and the captain are caught in the
middle of a shootout between Confederate soldiers (from the alcove) and a mysterious group of men wearing skeleton
masks. All of these men are after Doctor Duval. In the end, the skeleton masked men win and kidnap Duvual. Creeper
and the captain are unsure what happened, so they go to Creeper’s “source”. This source happens to be some nuns
running a convent. They tell the girls that the men with skeleton masks are called, “Jeannots”, an extremist group that
hide out in the swamp. They want to take over New Orleans or destroy it. They plan to do this with Shango’s Thunder
(the weapon created by Duval). The two girls decide to go after the men and protect New Orleans. They head out to the
swamp armed with a guide (a girl from the swamp) and Drapeto gas, which makes people listless and zombie-like. This
gas is used by the Confederate states to keep slaves docile. They travel through the swamp until they find where the
men are hiding. They see the doctor and a cannon filled with Shango’s Thunder. They make a plan to secretly grab the
scientist, but when they do, they discover that Duval’s daughter is being held hostage by the Jeannots and he won’t
leave without her. Creeper goes off to rescue her and finds her in a house close by. While trying to free her, the leader
of the Jeannots (and the man from her premonition) shows up. They get into a fight, but with the help of her swamp
guide and the Drapeto gas, she escapes with Duval’s daughter and sets fire to the cabin. They meet up with the captain,
and together the group is able to beat the Jeannots. However, when they try to board the Midnight Robber, the Jeannot
leader suddenly pulls the cannon and releases Shango’s Thunder. This giant, apocalyptic storm is now heading to New
Orleans. Creeper knows she must help, so she goes out into the oncoming storm. Using her powers from Oya, she tries
to push back the storm. She is successful but ends up falling into the water, almost drowning. Luckily, Anne-Marie is
able to connect with her goddess, Oshun, and saves Creeper. They protect New Orleans from destruction and return to
the city.
5. Touchy areas: There are some climatic action scenes, with guns and knifes being used to hurt Creeper (who is 13).
There is also a scene where Creeper goes to a brothel, and there are mentions of sex and prostitution. However, sex is
only implied in the text, and not depicted.
6. Related Titles: Children of Blood and Bone (2018) by Tomi Adeyemi (2018), Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (2017),
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (2009)
7. Movies: Daughters of the Dust (1991), Oya: Rise of the Suporisha (2014) Music: “Wild Women Don’t Have the
Blues” by Ida Cox (1924), “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” by Unknown (Before 1842)Poem: “Willing in the Orisha” by
Camonghne Felix Classic Work: Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) by Zora Neale Hurston Art: “Oya, The
Warrior Goddess” by Francisco Santos
8. Evaluation: The only thing that I disliked about this book was the pacing. Since the book was so short, it had a lot to
work in but in only a few pages to do so. Also, in this story, there were a lot of world building elements. The history of
the world was complex and detailed, but it was hard to follow because it was explained so quickly and sporadically. It
the reader didn’t read carefully, they easily could miss a major event, action, or explanation. Issues were simple or
convent to solve. There didn’t seem to be a problem that lasted more than a moment. All of this is mostly because the
novel is so short. I think the main issue that I have with it is the length. It left me wanting more of the story. However,
despite this, I really enjoyed reading the book. It was a fun and interesting read. I enjoyed the reimagining of New
Orleans and the use of orisha magic. I loved the voice of Creeper who was spunky and unique. I think that students in
8th -11th grade will enjoy this if they want a quick and simple read. 9/10
-Review by Grayce DeMent
Title: The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark, 978-1250294715, Tor.com, 2018, 112
pp. Audiobook available.
2. Genre: Steampunk /Historical Fantasy
3. Characters: Creeper is a 13-year-old orphan living on the streets of mid-19 th century New
Orleans. She is a smart, scrappy, and independent girl who has been blessed to carry the
spirit of Oya, the African goddess of wind and storms. Because of the spirit of Oya,
Creeper feels drawn to Ann-Marie, captain of the airship Midnight Robber. Captain Ann-
Marie is a smuggler and freedom fighter from Trinidad who has a secret she is unable to
hide from Creeper. Creeper’s effort to gain the trust of the Captain leads Creeper to
introduce the Captain to Sister Agnes and Sister Eunice, two nuns that live and work at a
local convent that serves as an outreach to women and children in need. But these two
ladies are more than they seem. They are the city’s source of underground information
and warriors to bring freedom to slaves and to protect the city of New Orleans.
4. Plot: As Creeper prepares for bed in her secret alcove in the wall surrounding New
Orleans, she overhears Confederate soldiers plot to kidnap a Haitian scientist and to force
him to create a powerful weapon. The next day, Creeper sees the airship Midnight
Runner come into port and hatches a plan to use this information to buy her way onto the
crew of the ship. Although Captain Ann-Marie is not interested in Creeper’s proposition,
she quickly becomes impressed by the girl’s intelligence and decides to humor her to find
out if the information Creeper has is true. The duo finds themselves pulled into a rescue
mission when they witness the kidnapping of Dr. Duval, the Haitian scientist, by a group
of men dressed as skeletons. After witnessing the kidnapping, Creeper takes the Captain
to a local convent, where the two are charged by Sisters Agnes and Eunice to fulfill the
plan the nuns have been working on to stop Dr. Duval’s kidnappers from succeeding in
their plan to control (or destroy) New Orleans.
5. Touchy Areas: Creeper likes to use the word “damn” to accentuate her narrative. There
is a scene that takes place in a brothel, but Clark only alludes to Chá Rouge being a
brothel, so unless the reader knows what a brothel is, they won’t realize that Chá Rouge
is anything more than a fancy establishment.
6. Related Titles: The Saga of the Steampunk Witches by Melanie Thompson, Cityscapes of
New Orleans by Richard Campanella
7. Movies: The City of Lost Children (1995), Wild Wild West (1999)
Music: “Down In New Orleans” by Dr. John (2009), “My Dawlin’ New Orleans” by Lil’
Queenie and the Percolators (2010)
Poem: “Conspiracy Theory” by Roz Kaveney https://www.tor.com/2011/04/10/seven-
steampunk-sonnets/
Classic Work: Old Creole Days by George Washington Cable
Art: Steampunk for Historians Illustration by Kathryn M Weaver
8. Evaluation: The ideal audience for The Black God’s Drums are students in 9-12 th grades
and college Intro to Literature classes. For 6-8 th graders, take into consideration the
maturity level of the student and the parenting style they are raised in when suggesting
this for individual reading. The plotline is high action from beginning to end. A lot
happens in 112 pages. This book is great for students who have a difficult time staying
engaged with a book. I recommend the audio book narrated by Channie Waites (2019).
Ms. Waites uses Creole and African accents to bring a dimension to the characters that a
student would miss just by reading text. Her voice inflection also adds to the tension in
the rising action, and it is nearly impossible to tear yourself away when listening.
Review by Eden Cook
