The Black God's Drums

By: P. Djeli Clark

Narrated by: Channie Waites

In an alternate New Orleans caught in the tangle of the American Civil War, the wall-scaling girl named Creeper yearns to escape the streets for the air - in particular, by earning a spot onboard the airship Midnight Robber. Creeper plans to earn Captain Ann-Marie's trust with information she discovers about a Haitian scientist and a mysterious weapon he calls "The Black God's Drums".

But Creeper also has a secret herself: Oya, the African orisha of the wind and storms, speaks inside her head and may have her own ulterior motivations. Soon, Creeper, Oya, and the crew of the Midnight Robber are pulled into a perilous mission aimed to stop the Black God's Drums from being unleashed and wiping out the entirety of New Orleans.

©2018 P. Djeli Clark (P)2019 Recorded Books

It was an ok tale.. had it been read better, I might have rated it higher.

The Narrator.. the narration was HORRID. Misplaced inflections, mixing up the character voices so I barely can keep up with who is whom.

Steampunk Alternative History set in New Orleans

Delightful alternative steampunk history set in New Orleans with African goddesses, sky pirates, and scrappy street urchin. Another fabulous reading done by Channie Waites.

Very Entertaining

It was very entertaining. I like the characters, backgrounds, and how they crossed paths. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Great alt history reimagining

A lot of characters and world building in a short book. I really dig the ideas of this world. Great narration also.

Amazing just Amazing

This book has everything unlikely friendships. Yoruba Goddess and all the beauty in New Orleans.

Good story, capturing perspective

The story is great, a young 13 year old conquering evil alongside adults. She has no parents, so she carries herself well and independently. She has a gift that allows her to have assistance in fighting evil, and she surrounds herself with similar-powered people. Creeper focuses on maintaining the good and to live an unorthodox life of freedom.

There is a weird part at 2:27:16 where there's an overlap in audio for a second so you miss a little, but other than that its perfect!

Not in my recomendation list

I really liked Binti by Djeli Clark. However, this story does not grab me the same. I almost dropped the reading in the initial pages. The story picks up later to an extent and I like the signature writing of Mrs Clark but I find the story somewhat lacking

Great Listen

The actor really brought the story to life, I enjoyed this short story and finished in one sitting.

Exceptional story!

I cannot believe the author was able to tell such a compelling story with such rich characters in such a short story. I find myself desperately wanting to listen to more stories featuring the adventures of Ann Marie and “Creeper” and of course, Oshun and Oya. The narrator adds an element to this book that also makes listening to story in her voice even more immersive. This definitely made me look up more works by this author that I plan to dive into.

A dazzling adventure in an alternate New Orleans

Another lovely little steampunk gem from P. Djeli Clark. I'm eagerly awaiting his forthcoming longer works, including a return to his historical fantasy Cairo. This novella takes place in an alternate history New Orleans, a free territory where people of all races can mingle peacefully. However, outside the city the country has split into Union and Confederate states, with an uneasy armistice in place.

Clark's worlds are places where people of color have an equal say in how things are run. He's also unusually skilled at writing female characters. Creeper, a street girl with a Nigerian storm goddess living inside her head, and Anne-Marie, an airship captain, are the main characters here, along with a pair of delightful minor characters - informer nuns who know everything that's going on inside the city. Put them together with vengeful Confederates, terrifying skull apparitions and a foray into a drowned Dead City in the swamps, and you have the ingredients for a rip-roaring yarn.