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

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

4.75

I loved this book. Tracker has a quick wit which gets him in trouble. He’s known for being able to follow a scent anywhere in the world. When he is called on for these services and his sharp tongue discovered, he often gets told “It is said you have a nose. Nobody told me you have a mouth.” There were quite a few points I was cackling at these characters shenanigans. It is also dark, graphic, and moving. The ending is sad but feels authentic to the story. The magic is fantastical, you have to just sit with it and accept it. And I loved the way in which the stories at the beginning become so relevant to character development later. I fell in love with a lot of these characters. Would recommend with content warnings for graphic fights, deaths, slavery, abuse.
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