Moon Witch, Spider King (The Dark Star Trilogy)

Product Description
From Marlon James, author of the bestselling National Book Award finalist Black Leopard, Red Wolf, the second book in the Dark Star trilogy, his African Game of Thrones.
In
Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Sogolon the Moon Witch proved a worthy adversary to Tracker as they clashed across a mythical African landscape in search of a mysterious boy who disappeared. In
Moon Witch, Spider King, Sogolon takes center stage and gives her own account of what happened to the boy, and how she plotted and fought, triumphed and failed as she looked for him. It’s also the story of a century-long feud—seen through the eyes of a 177-year-old witch—that Sogolon had with the Aesi, chancellor to the king. It is said that Aesi works so closely with the king that together they are like the eight limbs of one spider. Aesi’s power is considerable—and deadly. It takes brains and courage to challenge him, which Sogolon does for reasons of her own.
Both a brilliant narrative device—seeing the story told in
Black Leopard, Red Wolf from the perspective of an adversary and a woman—as well as a fascinating battle between different versions of empire,
Moon Witch, Spider King delves into Sogolon’s world as she fights to tell her own story. Part adventure tale, part chronicle of an indomitable woman who bows to no man, it is a fascinating novel that explores power, personality, and the places where they overlap.
Review
Praise for Moon Witch, Spider King:
“This second volume in a projected trilogy set in a boldly imagined, opulently apportioned ancient Africa shows that the Booker Prize–winning novelist is building something deeper and more profoundly innovative within the swords-and-sorcery genre. . . . witty, richly textured, and musically captivating . . . . There’s barely enough space to talk about James’ many inventions. . . . So much is densely packed into this narrative that it sometimes threatens to leave the reader gasping for breath, especially at the start. But . . . . James’ tale picks up speed with beautifully orchestrated (and ferociously violent) set pieces and language both vivid and poetic. The second part of this trilogy is darker and, in many ways, more moving than its predecessor.” —
Kirkus Reviews (starred)
About the Author
Marlon James is the author of the
New York Times bestsellers
Black Leopard, Red Wolf, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and
A Brief History of Seven Killings, which won the 2015 Man Booker Prize, as well as the novels
The Book of Night Women and
John Crow’s Devil. A professor at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, he lives in New York City.