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kkelley18's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Death, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Child death, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Child abuse
mmefish's review against another edition
Unlike the first book, this one is a bore. Sogolon’s story is stripped of all the magic and wickedness that “Black Leopard Red Wolf” was full of. Additionally, I just don’t care about Sogolon, and reading 626 pages written in her broken English is a torture. Very disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Rape
deedireads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? It's complicated
4.25
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Moon Witch, Spider King is a rich, complex novel with an indomitable protagonist. It’s an easier read than BLRW (though still not easy), and it widens the plot in super interesting ways.
For you if: You like very literary fantasy (and read Black Leopard, Red Wolf).
FULL REVIEW:
Hurray for the next installment of Marlon James’ Dark Star Trilogy, which started with Black Leopard, Red Wolf. I liked BLRW, but like many, also found it very dense and challenging. I’m happy to report that MWSK presents an easier read (although I would still not go so far as to call it easy).
You may have heard the MWSK tells the same story as BLRW, but from the Moon Witch Sogolon’s perspective. This is actually only part of the story — the novel actually goes back much further than that, to when Sogolon was a girl, all through her life, how she became the Moon Witch, and how she got tangled up with the search for the boy. The events of BLRW only come into play in the last third or so of the book.
I tell you this so you don’t spend as much time as I did wondering when all that was going to start. But even so, by the end, I understood exactly why James set it up this way; the story BLRW drops us into is so much bigger, so much older, than we knew before. MWSK shows us what’s at stake here — and sets us up for an epic trilogy conclusion, I think.
Part of what makes MWSK more readable is that we’re prepared for the trilogy’s episodic storytelling style (which doesn’t settle into the shape of a traditional plot until deep into the book), not to mention the world the story takes place in. But I also really, really loved Sogolon as a protagonist. Her voice is so strong, her desires so pointed. She tells you like it is, unlike Tracker. And she takes absolutely NO shit from anyone. Such a badass. The audiobook narrator did an incredible job bringing her to life, too, and I highly recommend listening along on audio as you read the print version (especially given that it’s still relatively long and challenging).
If you liked BLRW enough to consider continuing with the series, even if you’re feeling a bit intimidated, I say pick this up. I think chances are good that you will like it.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Moon Witch, Spider King is a rich, complex novel with an indomitable protagonist. It’s an easier read than BLRW (though still not easy), and it widens the plot in super interesting ways.
For you if: You like very literary fantasy (and read Black Leopard, Red Wolf).
FULL REVIEW:
Hurray for the next installment of Marlon James’ Dark Star Trilogy, which started with Black Leopard, Red Wolf. I liked BLRW, but like many, also found it very dense and challenging. I’m happy to report that MWSK presents an easier read (although I would still not go so far as to call it easy).
You may have heard the MWSK tells the same story as BLRW, but from the Moon Witch Sogolon’s perspective. This is actually only part of the story — the novel actually goes back much further than that, to when Sogolon was a girl, all through her life, how she became the Moon Witch, and how she got tangled up with the search for the boy. The events of BLRW only come into play in the last third or so of the book.
I tell you this so you don’t spend as much time as I did wondering when all that was going to start. But even so, by the end, I understood exactly why James set it up this way; the story BLRW drops us into is so much bigger, so much older, than we knew before. MWSK shows us what’s at stake here — and sets us up for an epic trilogy conclusion, I think.
Part of what makes MWSK more readable is that we’re prepared for the trilogy’s episodic storytelling style (which doesn’t settle into the shape of a traditional plot until deep into the book), not to mention the world the story takes place in. But I also really, really loved Sogolon as a protagonist. Her voice is so strong, her desires so pointed. She tells you like it is, unlike Tracker. And she takes absolutely NO shit from anyone. Such a badass. The audiobook narrator did an incredible job bringing her to life, too, and I highly recommend listening along on audio as you read the print version (especially given that it’s still relatively long and challenging).
If you liked BLRW enough to consider continuing with the series, even if you’re feeling a bit intimidated, I say pick this up. I think chances are good that you will like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Child death
Moderate: Sexual content, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
queenmackenzie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
5.0
The first word that comes to mind when I come to describe Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James is ‘ambitious’. It is so multifaceted and so complex in the story it weaves that I am still wrapping my head around it all. I am, quite frankly, in awe of Marlon James’ skill with words and especially the way his writing is so hypnotic even when you’re a bit lost within the plot and the grammar isn’t the standard English you’re accustomed to. I am also very impressed at the way James has created two characters that are so compelling from their own perspective and so antagonistic from the other’s point of view.
In the first book in this trilogy, Black Leopard, Red Wolf, the story of a missing boy and a group of mercenaries hired to find him is told by Tracker, a man with a wolf’s eye who ‘has a nose’ and can sniff something out from the slightest scent even months after it has disappeared. I loved Tracker’s story and being inside his head, so I was curious to find out what it would be like to read about the same events from the perspective of one of his rivals: the witch Sogolon. Though, if you read her story, you’ll see that the word witch doesn’t truly describe her. Her story begins many years before that of Tracker, and my worry about reading the same exact story told by someone else evaporated very quickly; Sogolon, in her meandering way, takes us to her childhood living in a termite hill, abused by her brothers because her birth killed their mother. Hers is a sorry existence, but you can feel the strength coming off of her even during her miserable times.
And those are many… she endures many masters, escaping one only to be taken up by the next, forced to grow up before her time, trying to understand the world and the mysterious force she sometimes exhibits. Through one of her masters she is taken to the court of Fasisi, the seat of the King of the North, and gifted to the King’s Sister. For me, this was the moment things truly kicked off – though the build up was necessary – as I loved the intrigue of the court and all the political schemes regarding the true Line of Kings and the mysterious chancellor that shadows the throne rang a bell from my time reading Black Leopard, Red Wolf. It was really interesting to be able to see all the politics from the front row, because Tracker always gets the information second hand, but Sogolon was there. Reading her story was like shining a bright torch onto the plot of Tracker’s story, but his side was necessary before everything could be peeled back and revealed. As I said, the complexity and the way its handled is truly impressive.
The other impressive thing about this book is the world-building. Marlon James has created such an inactivate world that feels so real, and each city has its own personality. The cool thing about following Sogolon, a woman who lives much longer than the average lifespan, is seeing how the kingdoms and cities change as well. It all feels very organic and probably part of the reason why both Tracker and Sogolon’s stories have lingered with me long after I turn the last page. The world of the Dark Star Trilogy is a cruel one, with monsters, power-hungry kings, and men ready to take advantage of any girl or woman they can. But it is also incredibly fascinating, with floating cities, shapeshifters, magic portals, and even a dragon. There is always some new facet to uncover, and I can’t wait to discover which direction the third book in the series will take.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Pregnancy and Pedophilia
tnociti's review against another edition
Just couldn't get into it right now. Maybe later.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Rape
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
mmcloe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
Oh lordy this is simply perfect. So so many ideas to talk about with this book, among them:
1. How trauma affects memory and its retelling, on personal and social levels
2. How we construct narratives and discourses. Written vs oral, archival vs personal, misremembered vs fabricated
3. Is the author the Inquisitor? Is the audience? Is this a metafictional work?
4. The different types of families and the circumstances that produce them
5. The fluidity of bodily and biological categories, the openness of our flesh as we engage with others
6. The long shadow of slavery and its stain on the "Western" archive of the African continent (I loved the allusion to Saidiya Hartman with "the archive is a tomb")
7. Women's networks and the ways in which they often spread subversively under the gaze of the patriarchy
And so so so much more. I sincerely hope this series reaches accolades and a legacy far beyond any literary category because it's simply unparalleled.
1. How trauma affects memory and its retelling, on personal and social levels
2. How we construct narratives and discourses. Written vs oral, archival vs personal, misremembered vs fabricated
3. Is the author the Inquisitor? Is the audience? Is this a metafictional work?
4. The different types of families and the circumstances that produce them
5. The fluidity of bodily and biological categories, the openness of our flesh as we engage with others
6. The long shadow of slavery and its stain on the "Western" archive of the African continent (I loved the allusion to Saidiya Hartman with "the archive is a tomb")
7. Women's networks and the ways in which they often spread subversively under the gaze of the patriarchy
And so so so much more. I sincerely hope this series reaches accolades and a legacy far beyond any literary category because it's simply unparalleled.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Body horror, Rape, and Violence
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
kikireads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Rape, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death
Minor: Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, and Infidelity
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