Black Leopard, Red Wolf

by Marlon James
Black Leopard, Red Wolf cover
Good Books rating 3.62
Fantasy
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Paperback • £12.99
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  • ID: 7863
  • Added: 2025-12-17
  • Updated: 2025-12-30
  • ISBN: 9780241981849
  • Publisher: Penguin UK
  • Published: 2019-02-05
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 4

In the richly woven tapestry of African mythology and fantasy, Tracker, a solitary hunter known for his extraordinary tracking skills, is drawn into a perilous quest to find a lost child. Joining a group of eccentric and dangerous hunters, Tracker follows the boy's scent through enchanted lands, uncovering secrets and lies that challenge his understanding of truth and power. As the group delves deeper into the mystery, Tracker begins to question the true nature of the boy and the motives of those who seek him. Marlon James masterfully explores themes of ambition, power, and the human need to understand the world around us, creating a breathtaking and startlingly modern narrative that will captivate readers from start to finish. /n/nThe story is told from multiple perspectives, each offering a different version of the truth, and readers are left to decide who to believe. With its complex characters, lyrical prose, and gripping plot, Black Leopard, Red Wolf is a game-changing modern fantasy classic that will propel readers into a new galaxy of literary stardom.

Reviews
Black and Bookish · 2019-11-13
disappointing 2.00

The reviewer criticizes the book for its graphic and triggering content, suggesting it lacks a necessary trigger warning. They find the narrative convoluted and the prose staccato.

The reviewer expresses disappointment with the book, citing its graphic and triggering content as a major issue. They argue that the book lacks a necessary trigger warning, which could have prepared readers for the intense and disturbing material. The reviewer also criticizes the narrative structure, finding it convoluted and difficult to follow. They describe the prose as staccato and the overall writing style as showboating, which they find off-putting. The reviewer suggests that while the book has some redeeming qualities, its flaws outweigh its strengths.

Quick quotes

    James threw everything into this book except a giant, yellow, blinking, neon trigger warning for depictions of rape, gang rape, pedophilia.

    I got tired of the staccato prose. Tired of the convoluted, flip-flopping narrative.

    The 'look at me', 'let me dazzle you' nauseatingly showboating.

The Guardian · Madeline Miller · 2019-02-22
intriguing 4.00

The novel is a complex tapestry of rumour and dissimulation, with characters that fluidly shift between genders and forms. The prose is dense and intricate, offering a rich, albeit challenging, reading experience.

The reviewer praises the novel's intricate and layered narrative, which they describe as a complex tapestry of rumour and dissimulation. The characters, with their fluid identities and forms, add a layer of depth and intrigue. However, the dense and intricate prose can be challenging, making it a book that demands patience and attention. The reviewer appreciates the richness of the world-building and the sophistication of the storytelling, but acknowledges that it may not be accessible to all readers.

Quick quotes

    Much of the novel is a curtain-play of rumour, cover-up, dissimulation.

    Characters flit between genders, shift from one colour to another.

    The prose is dense and intricate, offering a rich, albeit challenging, reading experience.

NPR · Amal El-Mohtar · 2019-02-08
captivating 4.00

The book is a beast of a read, both in its length and its complexity. The reviewer likens it to being slowly eaten by a bear that occasionally cracks jokes, a painful yet captivating experience.

The reviewer describes the book as a beast of a read, both in its length and its complexity. They liken it to being slowly eaten by a bear that occasionally cracks jokes, a painful yet captivating experience. The reviewer appreciates the book's ambition and the richness of its world-building, but also notes that it can be overwhelming at times. They find the narrative to be both intense and engaging, with moments of brilliance that make it a standout work in the fantasy genre.

Quick quotes

    Reading Marlon James' new epic fantasy is like being slowly eaten by a bear that occasionally cracks jokes — painful and captivating.

    The book is a beast of a read, both in its length and its complexity.

    The narrative is both intense and engaging, with moments of brilliance that make it a standout work in the fantasy genre.

Goodreads · Tasha · 2019-02-05
brilliant 4.50

The book is brilliant and disturbing, with an intense and elaborate narrative that is both ingenious and unsettling. The reviewer finds it a standout work in the fantasy genre.

The reviewer is highly impressed by the book's brilliance and intensity, describing it as a standout work in the fantasy genre. They find the narrative elaborate and ingenious, with a level of sophistication that sets it apart. However, they also note that the book is disturbing and unsettling, with themes and scenes that can be quite intense. The reviewer appreciates the unique perspective and the rich world-building, but acknowledges that it may not be suitable for all readers.

Quick quotes

    Brilliant, disturbing, intense, elaborate and ingenious are all words I'd use to describe Black Leopard, Red Wolf.

    Marlon James has taken the fantasy genre and turned it on its head.

    The book is a standout work that will leave a lasting impression.

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