‘Hit the ground running’ doesn’t do this book justice. I flew through Ring Shout like a swing of Maryse’s sword to a Ku Kluxe’s neck.

Set in a gothic-fantasy AU of the1920s Deep South, the novella follows Maryse, Chef and Sadie: three Black women who hunt demons summoned by the KKK. Known as Ku Kluxes, the hellish creatures do their bidding, all while something even more sinister grows stronger, feeding off the hatred towards African Americans.

P Djèlí Clarke’s writing style flows so naturally with his characters in perfect mix of adventure, intrigue and storytelling. The horror was minimal in my opinion (there was a particularly gorey scene that made me wince, though I’m a proud weenie in that regard), but it’s perfectly complemented by the overlying sense of dread and unease that follows Maryse – and the reader – throughout the book.

Ring Shout is a gripping read that paints the terror and evil of the KKK, as well as the prejudice towards African Americans, with a brutal (and necessary) brush. It felt a tad rushed in some parts, and I do wish the story was a bit longer, but it still stands out as an incredible novella that I will definitely be recommending and re-reading.

I’m not a big contemporary romance reader, but I love vampires, I love lesbians, and I love the intersection thereof.

This book was a fun read, but I will say I enjoyed the first half more than the second. I think it needed a structural edit as there were many latter plot points that didn’t reflect the initial plot that was set up, as well as key characters who were never mentioned again.

I loved the two main characters; they had fantastic chemistry and the dialogue was very fun to read. I also enjoyed their characterisation and the few flashbacks that were offered did a lot to help me understand them and their motivations/behaviours in the modern day.

I didn’t know the book was originally a fanfic going in, but it felt more obvious about 2/3 of the way through, which is likely why some plot points felt rushed/out of nowhere.

Overall, a very sweet and easy read with fun characters, and an interesting take on the modern vampire genre. Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting a good sapphic romance :)