Description
THE SECOND NOVEL IN THE REVOLUTIONARY DARK STAR TRILOGY
'Even more gripping and inventive than its predecessor . . . like Tolkien on ayahuasca' Observer
*Perfect for fans of Pratchett, George R. R. Martin and Octavia Butler*
In this mighty follow-up to his number one bestseller Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Booker-winner Marlon James once again draws on a rich tradition of African mythology, fantasy and history to tell the story of Sogolon the Moon Witch.
Part adventure story, part tale of an indomitable woman, Moon Witch, Spider King chronicles the antagonist-turned-antihero's journey from an ostracised no-name girl, hated by her brothers and made to live in a termite hill, to a woman with fully developed powers engaged in a long-standing feud with the Aesi, chancellor to the king.
Offering Sogolon's version of the events of Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Moon Witch, Spider King is an unforgettable exploration of power, resistance and revenge set in a world at once ancient and startlingly modern.
'A fantasy world as well-realized as anything Tolkien made, with language as powerful as Angela Carter's' Neil Gaiman
'James masterfully flips the first instalment on its head . . . [A] titanic story of empire, adventure and power' Esquire
'Told with James' inimitable linguistic verve . . . Riotous, ultraviolent, dazzlingly inventive' Literary Hub
About the Author
Marlon James is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling, National Book Award-finalist Black Leopard, Red Wolf; the Booker Prize-winning A Brief History of Seven Killings; The Book of Night Women and John Crow's Devil. In addition to the Booker Prize, his novels have won the American Book Award, the Los Angeles Times Ray Bradbury Prize for Science Fiction, the Anisfield-Wolf Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Born in Jamaica, Marlon James now lives in New York City.
Reviews
An epic fable drenched in African mythology. This is work that both meets the immersive worldbuilding standard in books by Tolkien and Martin and brings to the genre a voice unlike anything seen before . . . It sets readers up for what will undoubtedly be a superb finale * The Boston Globe *
Booker winner James's African-inspired imaginary kingdoms mark the series out from the usual run of epic fantasies, but his uniquely supple, powerful style is even more distinctive * The Guardian *
Black Leopard, Red Wolf and Moon Witch, Spider King are wildly inventive, genre-defining works of fiction on the level of The Lord Of The Rings and the Broken Earth trilogy that deserve to be studied, dissected, and argued over * AV Club *
An exhilarating tour de force . . . [James] establishes a new vision for the trilogy as a whole and confirms Dark Star as a true epic -- John Burnside
Moving, vivid, and thought-provoking . . . brilliant * Buzzfeed *
James cements his status as a wildly inventive and lyrical storyteller * Financial Times *
James masterfully flips the first instalment on its head . . . [A] titanic story of empire, adventure and power * Esquire *
Told with James' inimitable linguistic verve . . . Riotous, ultraviolent, dazzlingly inventive * Literary Hub *
A fantasy world as well-realized as anything Tolkien made, with language as powerful as Angela Carter's
* Neil Gaiman *James once again shattered my expectations . . . Moon Witch, Spider King is a breathtaking book, one that functions as well as a standalone as it does a sequel . . . This is a novel that begs to be read in one sitting * NPR *
Even more gripping and inventive than its predecessor . . . like Tolkien on ayahuasca * Observer *
This novel's prose style, inspired by the grammar of African languages, has an intoxicating swagger and energy * Slate *
James is one of the finest writers at work today, and Moon Witch, Spider King is a complex, enthralling novel. It is also utterly uncompromising, a book which the reader must meet on its own terms * Toronto Star *
A fantastical epic that draws on African mythology * The New York Times *
An imaginative story that advances the trilogy in a satisfying way, deepening and expanding an already epic world * Time *
Book Information
ISBN 9780241981795
Author Marlon James
Format Paperback
Page Count 656
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Series Dark Star Trilogy
Weight(grams) 440g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 38mm
