Marlon James' "Black leopard, red wolf"

You can find this book here.

James' book is epic in nature: in length and scope of the book, which by the way is the first in a trilogy, known as the Dark Star Trilogy.

In the first of this series, Tracker is hired as a mercenary to find a missing boy. the reason for this is because "he has a nose" for tracking anyone down. The book's perspective is all Tracker's and as it progresses it shows how whilst he is used to working alone, he teams up with a band of people with different abilities and secrets to find the boy. One of these is a shape-shifter who turns into a black leopard, mentioned in the book's title.

So, when I say this book is epic, I mean it. It draws from African history and mythology and James' own imagination to create a layered novel that looks at themes of power, ambition and truth. I think truth is very important in this novel, particularly as you only gain one character's perspective throughout. However, the trilogy itself will focus on different characters in each of the other two books to look at the same events in different ways; really bringing a look at what truth is to people, or at least these characters. 

Not only this, but the writing style is not linear and there is always a lot going on that may be hard to follow. I found that it took awhile for me to understand this flow; but once I did, it was a really strong read. You just have to make it through the first thirty pages or so. The language is very strong and it is a very gritty and descriptive book, also something to be aware of. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. but if you are looking for a strongly written, gender-bending, fantastical epic, this book should be a go-to.

The settings and characters are well described; incredibly diverse in their abilities, personalities and cultures; and once you get past the jumping through non-linear storylines, you feel very enmeshed in the story, the characters and their fates. 

I hope you make it through the beginning of this novel, because it is a great read once you adapt to the prose.

Links for you:

Read-a-likes in the Library:

Who fears death
Nnedi Okorafor

The novel is set in an African-inspired setting where outcasts with powers go on a dangerous and violent quest. The difference is this novel is more futuristic, whereas James' is timeless.

Fifth season
N. K. Jemisin

Jemisin's book is lyrical with strong world-building. It is also Afrofantasy and has a large cast of complex characters. it is also the first in a series, though it is more apocalyptic than James'.

Book Review—A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

In the 1970s the world become disillusioned with rock and reggae became the new counter culture with Bob Marley as guru. As a sign of this prominence, The Singer organises the Smile Jamaica concert. Although an event that would resonate with the world at large, it was designed to help bring peace to the trouble island facing political corruption and gang violence. Told through the eyes of gang members, politicians, CIA operatives, abandoned women, and journalists, the full panorama of the tumultuous times comes to bear, with the ramifications having bearings into the following decades.

James’ tome owes a great deal to the multitudes of voices that fill its pages, whether it’s the Jamaican jive of Papa-lo or the domestic tinged machinations of Diflorio or the sanctimonious droning of journalist Alex Pierce. Like Faulkner, these numerous voices give us a unique vernacular on the unfolding events. Where it does stumble a little is that unlike Faulkner these shifts in voice do not always amount to a shift in perspective, rendering them repetition without reconstruction. Where it does come to bear is with its central subject. Of all the voices, the one that is never heard is The Singer. He is already a spirit in his own time, a myth being created as the actions unfold, and becomes the source of all hope, assurance, despair, and paranoia of all those in Jamaica. He becomes the symbol, the solution, the sage, the suspect, the sin, the song that all these cacophonous voices sing about.

Rich, alluring, and gritty, A Brief History of Seven Killings is a vibrant, multidimensional tale that divulges the personal within the monumental. 

Andreas