This was the book for our October book group selection and it was phenomenal. It was just creepy enough that I was unnerved driving to and from Upstate NY in the dark early mornings and evenings. It’s not something I would’ve reached for, which is why I’m enjoying this book group as much as I am.
I can’t say enough that I’m so glad I read this via audiobook. The narrator, Channie Waites, was an absolute delight. Her voices gripped me from the start and didn’t really let me go. I actually struggled a little bit to get into the story because I was just enjoying the sound of her voice and the various voices she created that I wasn’t actually paying attention to what was actually happening in the story. A small part of me wishes I went back and re-read the book to make sure I didn’t miss anything, but I’m not sure I could recreate the voices in my head so I just didn’t (that and I had a bunch of other books to actually get to :-D)
The three primary characters of Maryse, Sadie and Cordelia were a perfect balance between each other. You had the brooding leader with a dark past, the over-the-top loud and brash sharp-shooter, and the veteran tactician. They were called to Georgia by Nana Jean, an old Gullah woman who uses root magic to protect her community and ultimately fight back against the paranormal Ku Kluxes. There were so many other amazing minor-characters (good and bad—Butcher Clyde was horrifying) that for such a short novel it felt like there was so much in it!
For me, the highlight of the novel was the blending of modern (for the time) weaponry, root magic, fantasy and historical fact to create a fantastical story that kept me on my toes with heightened emotions and feelings the entire time. Seriously, though, the span of emotions from the beginning of the novel to the end runs the full gamut from disgust and hatred to delight and sadness, and that’s not easy to do in such a short work. I’ll definitely need to check out more of Clark’s work in the future (in addition to Waites’ narrations)!
Recommendation: LOVED IT! I can’t say enough about how creepy and eerie this book was blurring the lines between reality and fantasy/science fiction. It’s one of those books that makes you think “Well it could be real. Maybe?” I enjoyed the juxtaposition between the three main characters and honestly, the narrator was an absolute gem and I loved every second of her voice and the many many voices she created for the narration.
Opening Line: “You ever seen a Klan march?”
Closing Line: “I pick up my sword balancing it over one shoulder as I head back home listening to Auntie Jadine cackling above as I whistle a song of hunting Ku Kluxes in the end times.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)
