There's Chef, the lovely butch lesbian and former Harlem Hellfighter back from the war, who handles the trio's explosives. There's loud, exuberant rifle woman Sadie, watching Maryse's back. Maryse is accompanied by an incredibly lively cast given the limited space a novella allows. And that hatred and anger is key to the story the demons' self-proclaimed 'Management,' Butcher Clyde (a visually nightmarish creature whose perspective on torment may best be described as 'I don't see color' meets Hellraiser), is more delighted by Maryse's presence than you might think. Whether or not you agree with the ending (there are multiple ways of understanding Clark's themes), one thing is clear about Maryse: What she does with these feelings is more important than trying to pretend she is somehow above the emotion. Clark acknowledges hate on all sides of this battle for survival, but as we learn about Maryse, the rest of the cast, the Ku Kluxes and the white, human Klan members, we learn about different kinds of hate, with different roots. It was refreshing to see Maryse's hatred and anger not wholly dismissed by the narrative. They take the form of the classic Black Auntie, but recall the Fates of ancient mythology, and possibly pose an unknown threat - Maryse is aware they may come from the same place (space? Reality?) as the Ku Kluxes, but accepts their help regardless.īook Reviews 'Tram Car 015' Is A Delightful Ride Maryse's existence as a monster hunter is complicated by the aid of entities only known as the Aunties. That sword came to her after a traumatic childhood incident, one that unfolds before us as we come to understand her world and why her anger towards the Ku Kluxes is so deservedly personal. We learn of the Ku Kluxes and their monstrous nature through the eyes of Maryse, a sword-wielding monster hunter. As the story starts, there are only days until Macon, Georgia is the center of another, larger ritual centered on a screening of the movie. Ku Kluxes are pale, pointy-headed entities existing alongside human members of the Klan, terrorizing Black folk and intentionally feeding the Klan's racist hatred. In Ring Shout, Clark gives us a world where the release of The Birth of a Nation in 1915 was a ritual performed by white men to summon demons - and not just any demons. Djèlí Clark is no stranger to the novella, and Ring Shout, a demonic horror twist on the Jim Crow South, is the newest addition to his collection.

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