A review by kaadie
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I loved the African folklore and mythogy in the book. The cities were also really well constructed. However I found the authors writing style quite brutal and vulgar. Every horrible thing imaginable happens in these societies and the description of all of the environments required there to be a number of bodily fluids present. I can't tell you how many times I read the word "sh*t" in this book. I just wasn't  fan of the horrific cruelties described in the book. I also wish there was a little more explanation behind some of the folklore since I am not familiar with most African fiction and stories and it was a little hard to follow sometimes.

Finally, I'm not really sure that you can proudly describe your book as lgbtq+ if you make use of the dead lesbian trope. I was really disappointed that the author decided to kill Mossi.