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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
spacecars's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
If you’re in the mood for something that screams female empowerment, this is it. Run, don’t walk.
I don’t read fantasy, but this is by far the best book on female empowerment that I’ve read so far. Sogolon is a queen in her own right, and I stan a woman’s bloodlust for stupid men—men who only want to own women, men who only want to violate women, men who think women are just birthing machines.
Marlon James did an extremely fantastic job on this—the observations and monologues that Sogolon had on men were so relatable I found myself agreeing with everything she’s said. It’s a feat to write something so empowering when you’re not a woman, and not going through what we have to endure.
I’m left breathless by the end of this book, and I can’t emphasise how much I admire and love Sogolon for all that she’s been through and all that she does as the Moon Witch.
Read this, please, especially if you’re a woman. I guarantee that it won’t be disappointing at all.
I don’t read fantasy, but this is by far the best book on female empowerment that I’ve read so far. Sogolon is a queen in her own right, and I stan a woman’s bloodlust for stupid men—men who only want to own women, men who only want to violate women, men who think women are just birthing machines.
Marlon James did an extremely fantastic job on this—the observations and monologues that Sogolon had on men were so relatable I found myself agreeing with everything she’s said. It’s a feat to write something so empowering when you’re not a woman, and not going through what we have to endure.
I’m left breathless by the end of this book, and I can’t emphasise how much I admire and love Sogolon for all that she’s been through and all that she does as the Moon Witch.
Read this, please, especially if you’re a woman. I guarantee that it won’t be disappointing at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Death, Blood, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Grief, Hate crime, Gore, Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexual violence, and Child death
jialianyang's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Loved this sequel even more than its immersive predecessor. The emotional world and life experiences of the main character show that one does not need to know their name to be assured of their inner voice, their drive to keep living and fighting, their value despite others' assessment of their class or worth. To say that this book features a strong female lead would be accurate but inadequate-- a no name girl / woman adopts a name, life purposes, family, rage, powers, revenge, mission, legend, appearance and more. We learn that a nobody can have the power to alter the course of a whole world and the power that a stubborn mind that refuses to bend can hold, as well as the importance of etching his/herstory into memory, walls, song and so many locations that it can never be lost. I end this book with more questions than answers about the massive plot that I tumble into, but I get a full to bursting sense of the intricate inner life of a person who has refused to let destiny be defined for her, who has experienced the lowest lows and highest highs that life has to offer, who has felt loneliness, despair, ambivalence, passion, sensuality, anger, and vengeance in equal measure, all the whole persevering without falling into empty hope and easy optimism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Sexism, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Slavery, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Stalking
annemaries_shelves's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
4.25
4.25 stars
I enjoyed this a LOT more than Tracker's perspective - Sologon the Moon Witch was a compelling character who was consistent in her characterization - stubborn, quick to anger, violent, intense in all emotions, and unwilling to take anyone's shit (or advice, to her own detriment).
I was impressed with how James wrote her - she was a lot more realistic than many male fantasy writer's female characters. She actually talks about her period (moonblood), expresses frustration with how stupid men are and how unfair and unjust the world is to women, and has her own interests outside of a husband and children (both of which she does have). She's not perfect - frustrating, sometimes veers towards homophobic in her comments/thoughts about Tracker, violent, rude, but always compelling.
The world is just as violent, misogynistic, and brutal - rape, witch hunts, and murder are still common, everyday occurrences. We follow Sogolon through at least 170+ years of her life, with a more sequential story than BLRW. Characters from the first book really only show up 500 pages in, and as expected, there are discrepancies between Tracker's versions of events and Sogolon's. Particularly around the Aesi - who is only slightly less mysterious in this novel and altogether more terrifying as you learn more his backstory (mostly through interactions with our protagonist).
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and it flew by in comparison to BLRW. Sogolon had so many great moments of insight and power, and her impact on the woman of this fantasy world is undeniable. There's still a lot left to uncover across the main plot, which I hope will be revealed in the final book, whenever that's published.
CW: rape, torture, sexism and misogyny, slavery/enslavement, domestic and child abuse, blood and gore, witch hunts, bestiality (consensual this time, for what that's worth...), child death, grief, pregnancy and birth, pedophilia, and I'm sure others that I can't remember after 650 pages.
I enjoyed this a LOT more than Tracker's perspective - Sologon the Moon Witch was a compelling character who was consistent in her characterization - stubborn, quick to anger, violent, intense in all emotions, and unwilling to take anyone's shit (or advice, to her own detriment).
I was impressed with how James wrote her - she was a lot more realistic than many male fantasy writer's female characters. She actually talks about her period (moonblood), expresses frustration with how stupid men are and how unfair and unjust the world is to women, and has her own interests outside of a husband and children (both of which she does have). She's not perfect - frustrating, sometimes veers towards homophobic in her comments/thoughts about Tracker, violent, rude, but always compelling.
The world is just as violent, misogynistic, and brutal - rape, witch hunts, and murder are still common, everyday occurrences. We follow Sogolon through at least 170+ years of her life, with a more sequential story than BLRW. Characters from the first book really only show up 500 pages in, and as expected, there are discrepancies between Tracker's versions of events and Sogolon's. Particularly around the Aesi - who is only slightly less mysterious in this novel and altogether more terrifying as you learn more his backstory (mostly through interactions with our protagonist).
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and it flew by in comparison to BLRW. Sogolon had so many great moments of insight and power, and her impact on the woman of this fantasy world is undeniable. There's still a lot left to uncover across the main plot, which I hope will be revealed in the final book, whenever that's published.
CW: rape, torture, sexism and misogyny, slavery/enslavement, domestic and child abuse, blood and gore, witch hunts, bestiality (consensual this time, for what that's worth...), child death, grief, pregnancy and birth, pedophilia, and I'm sure others that I can't remember after 650 pages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Slavery, Blood, Gore, Grief, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Violence, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Child death, Death, and Sexism
Moderate: Pedophilia, Homophobia, and Torture
jessthanthree's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Body horror, Gaslighting, Murder, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Violence, Classism, Death, Sexism, and Rape
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and War
ronpayne's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexism, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Body horror, Violence, Gore, Physical abuse, Cursing, Classism, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Vomit
2treads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
'Tell me what it mean that my memory is of a man telling me what my life was and me choosing to believe it, when even the gentlest of men can tell only so much story about a woman. But look at you.' —Sogolon
🕸🕷🕸🕷🕸
A tale full of political machinations, deceit, power, intrigue, corruption and the struggle for the soul of a kingdom.
🕷🕸🕷🕸🕷
At the turn of every page of #MoonWitchSpiderKing, from the mistreatment and violence that Sogolon endures, to the evolution in her quickness and sharpness of tongue, is her shrewdness, capacity to observe, learn, and thus adapt; we glean that she will become a force to be reckoned with, and in turn will have a reckoning of her own to face.
🕸🕷🕸🕷🕸
It is engrossing to see the turn of the machine that is molding Sogolon: the magic, intrigue, betrayals, punishments, and warnings; all of which she observes and learns from. Sogolon is a character that is very much a learning character rather than one that just exists for the narrative. But it is her spirit that truly captivates the reader. Sogolon will fight.
🕷🕸🕷🕸🕷
All the usual suspects of James' style is here: wicked wit, frightful violence, irreverent dialogue, feisty interplay, slight of hand; ingenious, complex and twisty plotting that really culminates to just suck a reader in, engendering questions and comparisons while revelling in a world that is always changing, with characters that just absolutely tickle one's fancy and are just as easily liked as they are despised.
🕸🕷🕸🕷🕸
And yet I am left full of questions, because a lot is lost to the mystery and structure of the telling, whereby important storylines are never fully resolved, leaving the reader equally frustrated and intrigued.
🕷🕸🕷🕸🕷
🕸🕷🕸🕷🕸
A tale full of political machinations, deceit, power, intrigue, corruption and the struggle for the soul of a kingdom.
🕷🕸🕷🕸🕷
At the turn of every page of #MoonWitchSpiderKing, from the mistreatment and violence that Sogolon endures, to the evolution in her quickness and sharpness of tongue, is her shrewdness, capacity to observe, learn, and thus adapt; we glean that she will become a force to be reckoned with, and in turn will have a reckoning of her own to face.
🕸🕷🕸🕷🕸
It is engrossing to see the turn of the machine that is molding Sogolon: the magic, intrigue, betrayals, punishments, and warnings; all of which she observes and learns from. Sogolon is a character that is very much a learning character rather than one that just exists for the narrative. But it is her spirit that truly captivates the reader. Sogolon will fight.
🕷🕸🕷🕸🕷
All the usual suspects of James' style is here: wicked wit, frightful violence, irreverent dialogue, feisty interplay, slight of hand; ingenious, complex and twisty plotting that really culminates to just suck a reader in, engendering questions and comparisons while revelling in a world that is always changing, with characters that just absolutely tickle one's fancy and are just as easily liked as they are despised.
🕸🕷🕸🕷🕸
And yet I am left full of questions, because a lot is lost to the mystery and structure of the telling, whereby important storylines are never fully resolved, leaving the reader equally frustrated and intrigued.
🕷🕸🕷🕸🕷
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexism
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Misogyny
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