Marlon James’ Black Leopard, Red Wolf is a genre-shattering epic that reimagines African mythology through a dark, labyrinthine narrative. The first book in the Dark Star Trilogy, it unfolds as a visceral and hallucinatory confession from Tracker, a mercenary with a supernatural sense of smell, who is imprisoned and interrogated about his role in the disappearance of a mysterious boy.
Tracker’s story spans kingdoms, battlefields, and mystical realms as he joins a band of outcasts—including the shape-shifting Leopard, the vengeful Sogolon the Witch, and the giant Sadogo—on a quest to find the boy. Their journey is steeped in betrayal, political intrigue, and grotesque magic, from blood-drinking forests to zombie armies. James draws from Yoruba, Maasai, and other African traditions, crafting a world where gods walk among men and reality bends like a fever dream.
Written in Tracker’s raw, unfiltered voice, the novel blends high fantasy with the grit of a noir thriller, exploring themes of masculinity, truth, and the violence of storytelling itself.
“A saga where bones talk, shadows hunt, and every truth is a lie waiting to rot.”
Booker Prize-longlisted; praised as “an African Game of Thrones” (though far more poetic and brutal).
