The Black God's Drums

The Black God's Drums by P. Djeli Clark, 111 pages

In the midst of a long Civil War, the autonomous city of New Orleans is the one place that people of all races, creeds, and colors can walk free. It's in this port city that we find Creeper, a teen girl that lives on the street, picking pockets to stay alive, when she overhears plans to kidnap a scientist who has the ability to create the Black God's Drums, a weapon that has the power to rain terror down over the city. Teaming up with a Haitian airship captain, Creeper is determined to save her city, using her connection to Oya, goddess of the wind, if she has to.

Though it's short, this mix of steampunk, voodoo, orisha, and Creole is exactly what you'd want of a New Orleans science fiction novella. I'm not usually a steampunk fan, but I loved this book and I can't wait to dive into it with the Orcs & Aliens next week.