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tiannaedwards's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book works well in the context of the trilogy and the whole story it is trying to tell.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Sexual assault, Rape, and Child death
shiroxix's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I liked this one a lot more than Black Leopard Red Wolf. I appreciate the moral grayness of James' characters. I feel like the first half of this book was strong, but the part that rehashed the events of the previous book felt sloppy and poorly executed. The ending, however, packed a punch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Gore, Sexual violence, and Violence
micksland's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars
Ultimately this is a sequel that suffers from “second novel in a trilogy” syndrome.
This was sold to me as “book one, but from a different point of view”. That is an inaccurate statement; it’s better to say that this is a prequel that eventually catches up to “Black Leopard, Red Wolf”. This book is 626 pages long, and the protagonist from book one doesn’t show up until page 500! I kept wanting the first few parts of the book to be over, because they were slow-paced character-driven escapades and I knew that there would be action happening eventually. 500 pages is really too long to wait for the exciting parts of a story.
Another frustrating detail is that Sogolon is a difficult and unlikeable character. Even though this is purposeful, I personally liked Tracker better.
That being said, the ending was phenomenal. The different takes on “what actually happened” are fascinating and I can’t wait to see if we get a “true” answer in the finale. I blew through the entire final 100 pages in a single sitting, which shows the author’s prowess when things really start moving. If the author had chosen to cut part one entirely in order to make the book faster, I would have enjoyed it much more.
Ultimately this is a sequel that suffers from “second novel in a trilogy” syndrome.
This was sold to me as “book one, but from a different point of view”. That is an inaccurate statement; it’s better to say that this is a prequel that eventually catches up to “Black Leopard, Red Wolf”. This book is 626 pages long, and the protagonist from book one doesn’t show up until page 500! I kept wanting the first few parts of the book to be over, because they were slow-paced character-driven escapades and I knew that there would be action happening eventually. 500 pages is really too long to wait for the exciting parts of a story.
Another frustrating detail is that Sogolon is a difficult and unlikeable character. Even though this is purposeful, I personally liked Tracker better.
That being said, the ending was phenomenal. The different takes on “what actually happened” are fascinating and I can’t wait to see if we get a “true” answer in the finale. I blew through the entire final 100 pages in a single sitting, which shows the author’s prowess when things really start moving. If the author had chosen to cut part one entirely in order to make the book faster, I would have enjoyed it much more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Murder, Child death, and Rape
Moderate: Homophobia and Misogyny
lex_situ's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Incredible book. Be prepared for a lot of dark themes (wish this series came with the necessary content warnings). The world of fiction has a deep need for more African mythology, and this book and its counterpart(s) deliver. Having not learned much about African cultures, I had to look up various words (different garments, accessories, creatures and beings...) now and then -- learned a lot!
I read BL, RW first, then this one. I really enjoyed Sogolon's story more, her development, and her impatience with Tracker by the time they finally meet in her narrative. Can't wait for the 3rd book!
I read BL, RW first, then this one. I really enjoyed Sogolon's story more, her development, and her impatience with Tracker by the time they finally meet in her narrative. Can't wait for the 3rd book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Body horror, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Gore, and Rape
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Pedophilia, and Alcohol
book_gremlin42's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
Moderate: Slavery, Vomit, Homophobia, and Pedophilia
lanid's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Blood, Child death, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Infidelity, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Slavery
becksusername's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I wish I had read Black Leopard Red Wolf more recently, or had a copy with me to compare the parts of the story that overlap, so I could note all the subtle differences between Sogolon's account and Tracker's. This book was such a satisfying follow-up after BLRW, which I remember being an incredible story unlike any I'd ever read, but also wildly misogynist (the narrator and characters, not the author obviously). Like Sogolon said of Tracker's story "maybe some of it even have one or two women he neither call witch nor bitch." Sogolon is a (deeply flawed) feminist icon. I want more stories in this world!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest, Homophobia, Violence, Vomit, War, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Grief, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Death of parent, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual content, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Stalking, Suicide, Body horror, and Sexual violence
econsidine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Another book I was skeptical about that really surprised me. I liked Black Leopard, Red Wolf, but Sogolon was the least interesting character in that book for me (her grumpy misandrist schtick got old fast) so a 626-page prequel from her POV was not the most enticing.
But I was definitely wrong. Though it takes some time to get going, Sogolon is a compelling narrator, and this second book makes me very intrigued for where this series is going to go next. Something about a second book as a prequel/retelling from a different perspective is always going to be fun to me, but James goes a step further with it. Sogolon is not a direct counterpoint/pair/antagonist to Tracker, even though they have a lot of similarities, so she is not concerned with his story most of the time, which is a bizarre place to put the readers in and a reminder that there is so much damn plot and world building here that has nothing to do with the guy we spent the last book rooting for. To be clear: The previous main character of a 600+ page novel is only in its sequel for about 1/6 of it and the whole time the new narrator treats him as an annoying side character—or, as she says, “a silly slutty fool.” It’s a fun, ballsy risk to take with your sequel, and one that somehow works because the rest of the world James has built is rich enough to sustain itself without the reader’s automatic emotional buy-in from the last book.
A bunch of odd thoughts:
—Neither narrator seems to care what their audience ("the interrogator") thinks of them, and both are very matter-of-fact in tone. So I was not expecting either of them to be unreliable narrators. But there are inconsistencies between their stories that seem odd, especially as they’re not harped on, and I can’t figure out why it would be different. Am I remembering the first book wrong or is there’s some much deeper thing going on?Who killed the Leopard? Because Tracker said it was Sogolon and Sogolon said it was a random spear. Was it her "wind (not wind)" power and she's just being cagey? But why would she lie when she admits to so many other murders? And isn't the Leopard the one who fucked Fumeli, not Tracker? Wasn’t that why Tracker was so pissed at the Leopard in the first book? But why would either narrator care to lie about that? It’s such a small relationship detail that made me suddenly wonder if Fumeli is actually super important and not just a plot device who barely has any lines. We know basically nothing about him.
—The title of this book was not as strong as the previous, mainly because the actual Spider King is not really the antagonist, counterpart, or foil of Sogolon the Moon Witch. It would have made a lot more sense if the second name was a clear reference to the Aesi, who IS her direct antagonist. Which makes me wonder if he’s not referenced here because the next book is going to be about him.
—My other guess for the next book is that it will be from ( long shot ) Fumeli’s perspective and suddenly this very minor character will turn out to be super critical.
--Why is this called the Dark Star trilogy? I can't remember a single reference to stars at all in either of these books.
—One character that has yet to make a comeback is Smoke Girl. My beloved. Where’d you go?
But I was definitely wrong. Though it takes some time to get going, Sogolon is a compelling narrator, and this second book makes me very intrigued for where this series is going to go next. Something about a second book as a prequel/retelling from a different perspective is always going to be fun to me, but James goes a step further with it. Sogolon is not a direct counterpoint/pair/antagonist to Tracker, even though they have a lot of similarities, so she is not concerned with his story most of the time, which is a bizarre place to put the readers in and a reminder that there is so much damn plot and world building here that has nothing to do with the guy we spent the last book rooting for. To be clear: The previous main character of a 600+ page novel is only in its sequel for about 1/6 of it and the whole time the new narrator treats him as an annoying side character—or, as she says, “a silly slutty fool.” It’s a fun, ballsy risk to take with your sequel, and one that somehow works because the rest of the world James has built is rich enough to sustain itself without the reader’s automatic emotional buy-in from the last book.
A bunch of odd thoughts:
—Neither narrator seems to care what their audience ("the interrogator") thinks of them, and both are very matter-of-fact in tone. So I was not expecting either of them to be unreliable narrators. But there are inconsistencies between their stories that seem odd, especially as they’re not harped on, and I can’t figure out why it would be different. Am I remembering the first book wrong or is there’s some much deeper thing going on?
—The title of this book was not as strong as the previous, mainly because the actual Spider King is not really the antagonist, counterpart, or foil of Sogolon the Moon Witch. It would have made a lot more sense if the second name was a clear reference to the Aesi, who IS her direct antagonist. Which makes me wonder if he’s not referenced here because the next book is going to be about him.
—My other guess for the next book is that it will be from ( long shot ) Fumeli’s perspective and suddenly this very minor character will turn out to be super critical.
--Why is this called the Dark Star trilogy? I can't remember a single reference to stars at all in either of these books.
—One character that has yet to make a comeback is Smoke Girl. My beloved. Where’d you go?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Slavery, Grief, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Sexism, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry
speaksoft's review against another edition
i really dislike the writing style, i'm just not enjoying this. might pick this up again but the child rape (???? why. especially written by a man) is really not helping
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Rape
itstaralw's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
1.0
It never sits right with me when men write about sexual assault—but when they write this much about graphic sexual violence, it’s just repulsive. .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Child abuse