Moon Witch, Spider King
- Downloads：8637
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-03-31 09:51:51
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Marlon James
- ISBN：0593541464
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
From Marlon James， author of the bestselling National Book Award finalist Black Leopard， Red Wolf， the second book in the Dark Star trilogy， his African Game of Thrones。
In Black Leopard， Red Wolf， Sogolon the Moon Witch proved a worthy adversary to Tracker as they clashed across a mythical African landscape in search of a mysterious boy who disappeared。 In Moon Witch， Spider King， Sogolon takes center stage and gives her own account of what happened to the boy， and how she plotted and fought， triumphed and failed as she looked for him。 It's also the story of a century-long feud--seen through the eyes of a 177-year-old witch--that Sogolon had with the Aesi， chancellor to the king。 It is said that Aesi works so closely with the king that together they are like the eight limbs of one spider。 Aesi's power is considerable--and deadly。 It takes brains and courage to challenge him， which Sogolon does for reasons of her own。
Both a brilliant narrative device--seeing the story told in Black Leopard， Red Wolf from the perspective of an adversary and a woman--as well as a fascinating battle between different versions of empire， Moon Witch， Spider King delves into Sogolon's world as she fights to tell her own story。 Part adventure tale， part chronicle of an indomitable woman who bows to no man， it is a fascinating novel that explores power， personality， and the places where they overlap。
In Black Leopard， Red Wolf， Sogolon the Moon Witch proved a worthy adversary to Tracker as they clashed across a mythical African landscape in search of a mysterious boy who disappeared。 In Moon Witch， Spider King， Sogolon takes center stage and gives her own account of what happened to the boy， and how she plotted and fought， triumphed and failed as she looked for him。 It's also the story of a century-long feud--seen through the eyes of a 177-year-old witch--that Sogolon had with the Aesi， chancellor to the king。 It is said that Aesi works so closely with the king that together they are like the eight limbs of one spider。 Aesi's power is considerable--and deadly。 It takes brains and courage to challenge him， which Sogolon does for reasons of her own。
Both a brilliant narrative device--seeing the story told in Black Leopard， Red Wolf from the perspective of an adversary and a woman--as well as a fascinating battle between different versions of empire， Moon Witch， Spider King delves into Sogolon's world as she fights to tell her own story。 Part adventure tale， part chronicle of an indomitable woman who bows to no man， it is a fascinating novel that explores power， personality， and the places where they overlap。
Reviews
Josh Mlot
，
I was both intimidated and excited to tackle this book。 The first book in the series， "Black Leopard， Red Wolf，" was one of my favorite books of 2019 。。。 and also wildly challenging。 So while I was so looking forward to diving into this second installment， I was also bracing myself for a challenge。I found Moon Witch， Spider King to be slightly more accessible。 While I can't quite put my finger on it—especially when I read the first one nearly three years ago—I'd say that this one is slightly mor I was both intimidated and excited to tackle this book。 The first book in the series， "Black Leopard， Red Wolf，" was one of my favorite books of 2019 。。。 and also wildly challenging。 So while I was so looking forward to diving into this second installment， I was also bracing myself for a challenge。I found Moon Witch， Spider King to be slightly more accessible。 While I can't quite put my finger on it—especially when I read the first one nearly three years ago—I'd say that this one is slightly more linear， and combined with the fact I knew how to set my expectations coming in， it led to a much smoother reading experience。 But all the hallmarks of the first book are still here—it is dense and meandering， both profane and profound， and utterly unique。 If you're not here for violence or explicit imagery and language， this book isn't for you， but it feels like Marlon James earns those moments with his world-building and characters， and it's balanced by wonderful story and writing。Like the first book， this novel borrows from oral storytelling stylings and African folklore， and is written in patois that lends the story character and legitimacy， though it does add to the density of the book。I did not revisit "Black Leopard， Red Wolf" before jumping into this， and although I may not remember every detail of the first novel， it didn't hinder my ability to follow the narrative I loved the moments here where it brought me back to the first book。 After the first book is from the perspective of Tracker， we get Sogolon's perspective here as the book tackles themes of storytelling， memory， survival， vengeance， and patriarchy。Just like the first novel， this book isn't for everyone， but what James is creating is singular and wonderful， and I highly recommend it。 In fact， I think these books could be read in any order and this one might even be an easier access point to the series。 。。。more
Duane Meeter
，
Fantasy not my cup of tea。
Kalil Zaidan
，
Marlon James acertou uma vez e agora conseguiu de novo: OBRA-PRIMA！ é impossível não ficar fascinado por essa saga， tanto pelo mundo， pelos personagens ou pela trama， mas sobretudo pela estrutura， na qual o autor se esforçou muito pra imbuir de inspirações definitivamente não europeias e totalmente metalinguística。 aqui novamente vemos a história da busca fracassada pelo garoto， só q agora sob uma outra ótica， q leva em conta motivações e revelações totalmente diferentes。Sogolon não tinha me cha Marlon James acertou uma vez e agora conseguiu de novo: OBRA-PRIMA！ é impossível não ficar fascinado por essa saga， tanto pelo mundo， pelos personagens ou pela trama， mas sobretudo pela estrutura， na qual o autor se esforçou muito pra imbuir de inspirações definitivamente não europeias e totalmente metalinguística。 aqui novamente vemos a história da busca fracassada pelo garoto， só q agora sob uma outra ótica， q leva em conta motivações e revelações totalmente diferentes。Sogolon não tinha me chamado muito a atenção no primeiro livro。 achava ela até uma personagem irritante。 o q o Marlon teceu nesse livro fez minha opinião mudar completamente， oq imagino q seja parte da intenção dele。 ao mostrar a jornada brutal e triste da personagem， conseguimos absorver a visão de mundo dela e entender suas preocupações。 é uma jornada de vingança e obsessão， mas tbm de solidariedade feminina e identidade。 a narrativa tá beeem mais acessível e linear do q em LNLV， acompanhamos direitinho a vida da protagonista pelos diferentes estágios da vida， da corte traiçoeira e do lar caloroso em Fasisi até as perambulações dela por toda essa África mística e ancestral。 consegui fixar muito melhor vários conceitos e contextos histórico-políticos desse mundo， foi extremamente esclarecedor nesse sentido。 quem se sentiu boiando no primeiro livro vai se encantar com a continuação。o universo continua estupendo。 aquele misto de fantasia com história， com o autor buscando emular uma África complexa e independente antes das influências cristãs e islâmicas。 o Marlon sempre diz q quer fazer pela África oq Tolkien fez pela Europa， no sentido de dar vida a todas essas mitologias， criaturas e referências enquanto constrói uma narrativa q tbm é africana em seu modo de contar。 felizmente os livros não ficam só nesse conceito， entregam absolutamente tudo。o final foi como o do primeiro， porém contado de uma maneira completamente diferente， é absurdo ver como a troca de ponto de vista muda o tom e o foco da história。 torço tanto pra q a Intrínseca traga pro Brasil esse segundo volume， pq é algo sem precedentes na fantasia contemporânea q merece ser muito conhecido。 no terceiro volume， supostamente veremos a história do garoto。 ainda tem vários mistérios pra serem revelados， além do fechamento da trama q se passa no presente。 mal posso esperar！！！ 。。。more
Josh
，
Excellent。 This book is a challenge to the reader， asking and demanding your complete and total absorption。 And it deserves that from you。 I have never read a book like this ever。 The use of language is unprecedented and reminds me of Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker， where all the rules of grammar as we know it are gone。 What remains is a masterful command of storytelling。 The characters are vibrant。 The action is tense， leaving the reader constantly unsettled。 And the power of the story lives lo Excellent。 This book is a challenge to the reader， asking and demanding your complete and total absorption。 And it deserves that from you。 I have never read a book like this ever。 The use of language is unprecedented and reminds me of Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker， where all the rules of grammar as we know it are gone。 What remains is a masterful command of storytelling。 The characters are vibrant。 The action is tense， leaving the reader constantly unsettled。 And the power of the story lives long in the brain， chewing on words and concepts that are completely original。 You do need to have read the first volume but it's totally worth it。 。。。more
Nhu
，
“Watching them be kind to children should make me think of them as better men， but it make them worse， for no other wickedness more wicked than choosing with who you dole out kindness。”
Alec Venecia
，
Marlon James is the most inspiring writer I have read since Gene Wolfe and Neil Gaiman。 The Dark Star Trilogy is truly unique， you won't find another story that does what this does。 If you want the height of fantasy craft in 2022， here it is。 Read for yourself。 Marlon James is the most inspiring writer I have read since Gene Wolfe and Neil Gaiman。 The Dark Star Trilogy is truly unique， you won't find another story that does what this does。 If you want the height of fantasy craft in 2022， here it is。 Read for yourself。 。。。more
Jonathan
，
The latter half drags， but only by comparison to the first。 Still a delight and pages of dialogue and description to treasure。
Ethan
，
Complicated and dense， more so than BLRW。 I get why it was written in a dialect （of sorts？）， but it was distracting。 But， I couldn't put it down。 Complicated and dense， more so than BLRW。 I get why it was written in a dialect （of sorts？）， but it was distracting。 But， I couldn't put it down。 。。。more
Ron
，
This was excellent。 As dark as the first book， but with a much more expansive look at the world。 It follows the life of Sogolon， one of Tracker's foils from Black Leopard， Red Wolf， has a very different narrative voice， and gives you a different set of unreliable narrator issues to deal with。 Reading this made me like the first book more because of the revelations and inconsistencies the change in perspective gives us。 Really looking forward to the third book now， and wondering which character i This was excellent。 As dark as the first book， but with a much more expansive look at the world。 It follows the life of Sogolon， one of Tracker's foils from Black Leopard， Red Wolf， has a very different narrative voice， and gives you a different set of unreliable narrator issues to deal with。 Reading this made me like the first book more because of the revelations and inconsistencies the change in perspective gives us。 Really looking forward to the third book now， and wondering which character it will focus on。 All the content warnings for this series， though。All。 Of。 Them。 。。。more
Riley T
，
Okay， I enjoyed this one a LOT more than the first one， but I don't think I would have been able to keep up if I hadn't read the first one first。 Okay， I enjoyed this one a LOT more than the first one， but I don't think I would have been able to keep up if I hadn't read the first one first。 。。。more
Marc Childs
，
While the first book in this series was good， this one was great。 Improved upon the story and filled in the world。 Can't wait to read the last one when it comes out。 While the first book in this series was good， this one was great。 Improved upon the story and filled in the world。 Can't wait to read the last one when it comes out。 。。。more
Bradley
，
Even better than the first in the series。
Jill
，
Marlon James is again very humbling author to read。 Sogolon is definitely my favorite character， so loved the sprawling back story。 I disagree with the reviews saying this was so much easier to follow than Black Leopard （or maybe I set this down for too long）。
Rado Baťo
，
Neraz už písal ódy na jamajského spisovateľa Marlona Jamesa。 Podľa môjho názoru je to jeden z najzaujímavejších a najoriginálnejších rozprávačov 21。 storočia。 Jeho fantasy trilógia Dark Star dokázala spojiť parádnu literárnu štylistiku s africkou mytológiou， prepracovaným fiktívnym svetom a príbehom， ktorý vás odmieta pustiť večer spať。V prvej knihe trilógie Black Leopard， Red Wolf sa James pohyboval na tenkom ľade， na ktorom s chuťou a detailne prekračoval hranice znesiteľnosti zobrazovania nás Neraz už písal ódy na jamajského spisovateľa Marlona Jamesa。 Podľa môjho názoru je to jeden z najzaujímavejších a najoriginálnejších rozprávačov 21。 storočia。 Jeho fantasy trilógia Dark Star dokázala spojiť parádnu literárnu štylistiku s africkou mytológiou， prepracovaným fiktívnym svetom a príbehom， ktorý vás odmieta pustiť večer spať。V prvej knihe trilógie Black Leopard， Red Wolf sa James pohyboval na tenkom ľade， na ktorom s chuťou a detailne prekračoval hranice znesiteľnosti zobrazovania násilia v literatúre。 Druhá kniha Moon Witch， Spider King by sa dala najlepšie opísať ako fantazmagorický feministický Bildungsroman。 V druhej polovici knihy sa premení krvavú pomstu voči všetkým mužom， čo ublížili hlavnej hrdinke alebo hocijakej inej žene， ktorá sa jej priplietla do cesty （"What man do in all things， more than anything， is take up space， whether he be priest， king， beggar， or hunter。 Whether he living or dead。 More space than he need， and more space than he will use。"）Obe časti trilógie voľne spája na pozadí rovnaká zápletka – boj o následníctvo trónu vo fiktívnom Severnom kráľovstve –， ktorá je zobrazovaná očami rozdielnych postáv。 V prvej časti je rozprávačom Stopár， ktorého úlohou je nájsť uneseného chlapca záhadného pôvodu。 V druhej časti je rozprávačkou čarodejnica Sogolon， ktorá sa nechtiac ocitne uprostred zápasu o moc v kráľovstve。Do ďalších detailov je škoda zachádzať。 Spôsob， akým Marlon James odkrýva jednotlivé časti zápletky， je pôžitok sám o sebe， ktorý si treba užiť。 Veľká paráda。 Druhá časť možno ešte lepšia ako prvá， ak je niečo také vôbec pri genialite prvej knihy možné。 Silno odporúčam。 。。。more
Ricky Schneider
，
Moon Witch， Spider King is Marlon James' companion novel （rather than direct sequel） to his epic and incredible Black Leopard， Red Wolf。 It can even be read as a stand-alone and I would love to hear from readers who consume this book in that way。 I was blown away by that first novel and though there is much of the same brutal beauty to be beheld in this as there was in that first one， and even some new and enlightening perspective given to the events of that story， I felt this one was slightly l Moon Witch， Spider King is Marlon James' companion novel （rather than direct sequel） to his epic and incredible Black Leopard， Red Wolf。 It can even be read as a stand-alone and I would love to hear from readers who consume this book in that way。 I was blown away by that first novel and though there is much of the same brutal beauty to be beheld in this as there was in that first one， and even some new and enlightening perspective given to the events of that story， I felt this one was slightly less impressive and engaging。 I very much appreciated the Rashomon style approach to this effort from James as we switch perspectives from Tracker in the first book to the Moon Witch， Sogalon in this one。 Her narration is just as intriguing and fascinating as Tracker's but， as she was the antagonist of Black Leopard， Red Wolf， the shift in perspective is constantly at odds with the version of the story we know。 This is by nature of the narrative setup and certainly by design but it meant that sometimes my favorite characters and events were underplayed or diminished。 While I understand the intentionality behind that， I couldn't help being underwhelmed by it and I feel that it is a counterintuitive and somewhat counterproductive approach for a sequel in a series。James is a masterful writer and his style is unapologetic and visceral。 His graphic and gritty prose is not for the faint of heart and he does not hold back here。 The violence and sexuality doesn't feel gratuitous in these novels because it comes across as an authentic and integral part of the world that James is crafting。 That world is so rich and mesmerising that the rough edges are smoothed out with the stunning and imaginative beauty at its heart。That majestic vision and astounding world-building is all a product of James' decision to set this epic fantasy， not in a Eurocentric medieval environment but in precolonial Africa。 The prose is imbued with a musical cadence and has the feeling of an oral history。 All of this was intentional by the author and it really enriches the reading experience with a distinct and engrossing aesthetic all its own。 It may be challenging but it is certainly worth the effort to get a story this unique and entrancing。 Upon finishing this expansive and extensive story， I was grateful for the dimension it added to the first novel and the clever ways that James so deftly addressed the misogynistic and narrative criticisms that Black Leopard received。 Moon Witch， Spider King intelligently and skillfully broadens the scope of James' incredible world-building while doing the exact same for the more personal elements as well。 This novel is a fitting follow-up to the first but the absolute literary beast that was Black Leopard， Red Wolf may have proven itself to be impossible to eclipse in its engaging cast of characters and their immense and colorful world。 However， Moon Witch did scratch that itch for more that I had going into it and it stands strong on its own as yet another bewitching and often befuddling fantasy fever-dream from a masterful writer。 。。。more
Lisa
，
As with the first installment， it's not for everyone， but I found it an interesting story。And it is so compelling and bewitching and wonderful and awful all at the same time。 This is a glorious journey through a mythical African world that incorporates all kinds of traditions and storytelling and queerness。 The storyteller in each book is not reliable so you have to open your mind to what might be true， which resonated with me as a long time connoisseur of European fairy tales。 I'm a cisgender w As with the first installment， it's not for everyone， but I found it an interesting story。And it is so compelling and bewitching and wonderful and awful all at the same time。 This is a glorious journey through a mythical African world that incorporates all kinds of traditions and storytelling and queerness。 The storyteller in each book is not reliable so you have to open your mind to what might be true， which resonated with me as a long time connoisseur of European fairy tales。 I'm a cisgender white woman who loved the new/old way of thinking about the typical quest story。 So creatively written and so entertaining to read。 。。。more
Kate
，
Just like Black Leopard Red Wolf， the prose in this story is defying。 Just like the characters。 Sogolon is just as bitter and cantakerous as Tracker， and the writing style almost wants to push you away and keep you at arm's length， just like the characters。 So， there is definitely a learning curve to wrapping your brain around the writing style， but once you get there， you are flying。 Sogolon's story is way more linear than Tracker's， so the story seems to move at breakneck speed。 For such a thi Just like Black Leopard Red Wolf， the prose in this story is defying。 Just like the characters。 Sogolon is just as bitter and cantakerous as Tracker， and the writing style almost wants to push you away and keep you at arm's length， just like the characters。 So， there is definitely a learning curve to wrapping your brain around the writing style， but once you get there， you are flying。 Sogolon's story is way more linear than Tracker's， so the story seems to move at breakneck speed。 For such a thick book， the middle section moved like a breeze （not breeze？）。 I can't wait to read the third book and see where the truth really lies with this story。 。。。more
Earl Okiki-Ifa
，
Can't wait til the next installment It keeps getting better and better， story keeps building and building。 I'm ready for next book。I already chose my Book of 2022 Can't wait til the next installment It keeps getting better and better， story keeps building and building。 I'm ready for next book。I already chose my Book of 2022 。。。more
Joel
，
Incredibly long！ The second half， with action and a different point of view on the story in the previous book， was pretty interesting。 The first half was a real fucking slog。 It's really difficult to enjoy a world with no animating logic to the magic or plot; really the first 2/3 of this thing are like reading someone's dream。 Definitely interesting moments and vignettes， but for the most part the payoffs do not justify the investment。 The fact that it's written in a vernacular lacking most pron Incredibly long！ The second half， with action and a different point of view on the story in the previous book， was pretty interesting。 The first half was a real fucking slog。 It's really difficult to enjoy a world with no animating logic to the magic or plot; really the first 2/3 of this thing are like reading someone's dream。 Definitely interesting moments and vignettes， but for the most part the payoffs do not justify the investment。 The fact that it's written in a vernacular lacking most pronouns actually makes it quite difficult to follow who's doing what， or even who's present at a given moment。 。。。more
Abbie
，
Amazing phrasing。 James attention to diction and detail transported me to the complex world of his imagination
Sarah
，
My second visit to the immersive world of flawed heroes and the beasts and demons they rage against。 I like Sogolon and feel as though I "got" this book more than the first; they continue to be entertaining， challenging， and recommended。 My second visit to the immersive world of flawed heroes and the beasts and demons they rage against。 I like Sogolon and feel as though I "got" this book more than the first; they continue to be entertaining， challenging， and recommended。 。。。more
Catalin Constantin
，
Back to the amazing world that Marlon James created out of African folklore to experience the story from another point of view， that of Sogolon， a 177 year-old woman also come to be known as the Moon Witch， that made her appearance in the first novel as an antagonist of the Tracker and the Leopard and their gang in the pursuit of their job， finding and rescuing the heir to the Northern kingdom。 We get to know Sogolon from her abused childhood， through her years in a whorehouse， brief period in t Back to the amazing world that Marlon James created out of African folklore to experience the story from another point of view， that of Sogolon， a 177 year-old woman also come to be known as the Moon Witch， that made her appearance in the first novel as an antagonist of the Tracker and the Leopard and their gang in the pursuit of their job， finding and rescuing the heir to the Northern kingdom。 We get to know Sogolon from her abused childhood， through her years in a whorehouse， brief period in the royal court when she is presented as a gift to the royal prince， the discovery of her powers and the plot of the Aesi （right hand to the king） to uproot the normal royal hierarchy， her improbable survival and her starting a family with shapeshifter Keme， half man half lion， her battle with the Aesi and retreat to the wilderness after the fight produces losses she can't bear and so on， until she is called once again to fight against the Aesi and bring the old order to the kingdom。 She starts in this last part as an ally to Tracker and the Jaguar but soon finds herself in enemy lines within their fold。 It is interesting to see how each protagonist creates his own story， first the Tracker and now Sogolon， and how there may be no evil characters in this， only different points of view to the story。 I wonder if the Aesi is the last ome to tell the story in the trilogy， that would be quite something I believe。It was amazing to come back to this world and get reaquainted with these wonderful characters， although I must say that I missed Tracker and The Leopard a lot， them making an appearance only in the last quarter of Sogolon's story。 And I felt the first novel was more vivid， has a rush to it， and kept me a lot more engrossed and engaged that this second one。 Maybe just because I got more attached to its protagonists than to Sogolon， I don't know。 In either case， this is a great follow-up， and should be read and enjoyed by everybody to loved the first and James's writing and lore。4 stars from me， can't give it the same 5 stars as the first unfortunately。 Let's see how the 3rd entry in the series fares。 。。。more
Mr SSingh
，
3。5/5 Moon Witch Spider King is a giant tale that I will try to recount as many events as I can。 Takes a drink…（view spoiler）[It starts with Sogolon as a child and ends up with her being the Moon Witch and meeting with Tracker and co to go on their journey to find the boy and a much， much shorter of retelling of events from Black Leopard Red Wolf。 Sogolon begins in a place called the Termite hill and she lives with her three abusive brothers。 It’s incredibly important to take note of this becaus 3。5/5 Moon Witch Spider King is a giant tale that I will try to recount as many events as I can。 Takes a drink…（view spoiler）[It starts with Sogolon as a child and ends up with her being the Moon Witch and meeting with Tracker and co to go on their journey to find the boy and a much， much shorter of retelling of events from Black Leopard Red Wolf。 Sogolon begins in a place called the Termite hill and she lives with her three abusive brothers。 It’s incredibly important to take note of this because this molds her perception of men through the rest of the novel。She comes to take place in a whorehouse where she steals from the men who sleep with her and builds up large collection of treasure。 One day she is visited by my favorite ‘monster’ from the novel， the Ukundunka （I relooked up the name）。 The Ukundunka is a large shadow creature with the mouth of a crocodile and parts of other animals that is controlled by a witch。 Sogolon had stolen a pendant from her。 Later the witch takes her to find refuge in the master’s house。 The master is another horrible man of the many throughout her life who she ends up killing by the awakening of her power the wind （that is not wind）。 An important part of this story is Sogolon discovering her powers the wind that is not wind。 She will use this power throughout the novel but its similar， described at one point as force…not ‘The Force’， but acts in a way that’s similar， it can lift people into the air， slam them against things。Sogolon ends up in Fasisi as a servant of the royals。 It is here she meets the Aesi， the creature who will hound her through the rest of the story， and who later becomes her mission to destroy。 So， the King Sisters firstborn male child has always been the one to rule over Fasisi， the tradition for generations。 But the Princess didn’t produce an heir from her husband so the Prince， becomes the King as their father is dying and eventually passes。 The King Sister is having affairs in secret with many soldiers and warriors to produce a male heir in which she can call the King。 Sogolon finds this out at one point。 Takes another drink…The King orders a witch hunt where they kill any woman who is or suspected of being a witch。 Sogolon sees the body of a witch skewered in the palace balcony window。 Sogolon is banished？ with the Princess， or else there off somewhere for a reason I forget。 But anyhow it leads to this awesome encounter where she fights the Sangomin， these like ‘devils’ who the necromancers created from children each with certain superpowers。 They destroy the princess’ caravan and leave her for dead on the ground， an attack that was orchestrated by her brother the current Kwashi。 Sogolon wanders in to Fasisi and meets Keme who teaches her to ride and who she falls in love with and has an affair with， the one decent man perhaps in the novel and in her life， a shapeshifting man/lion who has a wife and kids。 She takes refuge with them in their house and ends up with cubs of her own human lion shapeshifters。 She finds graves that had been dug near the house and finds out a horrible secret about the wife。 At the time of living with them， Sogolon sneaks off at night to the Floating City take place in these fights， kills a bunch of competitors， or red flags them， white flag means that the surrender。 My favorite story and place in this world are the Floating City， a city in the clouds where the platforms are made of dirt， clumps of grass， twigs， and refuse。 Where the donga fights take place。 I had to look this up， it’s basically a real-world form of stick fighting practiced by certain tribes in Africa a quick search gives Ethiopia。 Of course， Keme finds out and is upset。 The Aesi who had taken interest in Sogolon visits her with members Red Guard who kill one of her male children before she explodes them with the wind （not wind）。 Keme blames her for the death of their son。 Sogolon broken and full of guilt leaves them。 We find out later The Aesi is not dead for good but gets reborn every few numbers of years I forget in the body of a young child。 Sogolon makes it her mission to destroy him once and for all。 Sogolon lives with apes in the Sunken City at one point for a hundred or so years。Bunshi the water sprite/elemental return as does Nsaka Ne Vampi， a character whose name I love。 Technically this is their first appearance since it happens before BLRW story though。 Then there’s a section in this book that almost made me put it down。 I think it happens in the last third of the book。 It’s basically Bunshi’s retelling that ends up with her encounter with the Spider King。 James’ prose and storytelling is a hell of lot more interesting than a lot of many other current authors when it works， but when it doesn’t it’s a hell of annoying to read。 This part bored me so much， I almost DNF permanently which would be stupid because I guess I could have just skipped over this part。 I love a challenge， but this tested my patience and afterward I had no idea what any of it meant other than there’s a giant Spider creature that attacks。 Drinks…We come back to the ten plus nine doors， basically the fast travel system in the world of Dark Star。 It is explained even more that you can’t go through the doors more than once and going through the doors brings a curse upon you or such ‘bad things happen。’Eventually Sogolon becomes the Moon Witch and deals justice upon men who committed acts of violence onto women who are often close to them。 Again， the opening scenes and first half of the book is incredibly important in establishing her character later。We go back to Dolingo， my favorite setting from the first novel a giant city in the trees that operates with a pully/tram car system。 Sogolon meets with the Queen （I don’t remember why） briefly before continuing her journey。 The last part is a short retelling of the events of ‘Black Leopard Red Wolf’ where Sogolon meets Tracker， who she dislikes and finds to be a dumb brute， and the rest of the company the Leopard， giant Sondogo？， the girl， his other lover the soldier/mercenary guy。 They travel from place to place by means of a big island fish， in the mouth of this fish that is like a miniature island。 They revisit Dolingo eventually in those events where ‘white science’ is described。 The scientists are basically breeding Dolingo slaves to work the gears and the trams and the operations， I think？ The heart eating lightning beast the Impundulu and the two demon minions encounter is replayed again from Sogolon POV where the creature runs off with the boy。 Eventually it ends with Sogolon finishing her side of the story。 （hide spoiler）]Am I forgetting leaving out a bunch of things？ Of course， I am。 Again， I’m trying to figure out what the plot is or what the story is about， it’s so muddled in my head that I can’t keep it straight， and parts of it are incredibly confusing。 Who is the spider king？ Who exactly is the boy。Is the boy the next Aesi？ What is the conflict between the North and South about？What end will this boy bring to the world？Is he the Spider King？ Sogolon mentions that he is the king when Tracker misreads the prophecy as he will end up killing the king。 I think the authors prose is a double edge sword。 It feels like a folktale being told in the sense of sitting around a fire or a gathering and listening to someone speak and reenact at its best。 But then you have never-ending run-on chunks of writing with sometimes run on sentences in those chunks that it was for me frustrating to read。 It’s not pleasing on the eye， there’s no break where you can follow on thought or one an event at a time， it’s just a bunch of things happening rapid fire that aren’t expanded upon。 And I think that’s why I missed a lot of the plot。 I really like Sogolon’s story and would have enjoyed the book more if it had just strictly been a character study。 But I think things get muddled and confusing with tying the plot of the first novel in there， tying in prophecies to the whole thing， griots？ I still don’t know how the southern griots fit into all of this。 My brain had to shift back into this whole thing about the boy…why is he importance， what is the importance of the time jumps and difference， the North and South Kingdoms at are war with each other who are the alliances。 All the while trying to read a more poetic storytelling style， all while trying to figure the plot out， all while trying to keep track of the abstract things the time jumps， the doors。 It became too much， or maybe it requires a second read to fully get？ But if you’re trying to make a complex plot， I think this style of poetic style can make it confusing。 I would be happy if it was just a series of short stories the way that something like Kvothe’s story in Kingkiller Chronicles happens， and for a while it is that。 Some of it seems like epic poetry meant to be analyzed deeper。 And other events are clearly written and easy to follow， whilst others are just glazed over。 I still want to find out how it ends。 Hopefully the third book is a bit more straightforward and answers some of these big questions。 。。。more
Micah
，
I think Marlon James just is not for me。
Kimberly
，
When are we getting the movies for this trilogy？ That’s all I need to know。
Rebecca Blomgren
，
I wasn’t too eager to start Moon Witch， Spider King after Sogolon was portrayed so annoyingly in Black Leopard， Red Wolf。 Not exactly a sequel， this novel puts Sogolon front and center， starting with her origins and then slowly catching up to the events of the first book。 Her story is a centuries long one， spanning across many different kingdoms with many different characters。 She’s an orphaned girl living in a termite hill， then a virgin sold to the highest bidder， then a gift to the King to re I wasn’t too eager to start Moon Witch， Spider King after Sogolon was portrayed so annoyingly in Black Leopard， Red Wolf。 Not exactly a sequel， this novel puts Sogolon front and center， starting with her origins and then slowly catching up to the events of the first book。 Her story is a centuries long one， spanning across many different kingdoms with many different characters。 She’s an orphaned girl living in a termite hill， then a virgin sold to the highest bidder， then a gift to the King to restore a fallen mistresses favor。 She becomes a mother， a warrior， an assassin of men。 She tentatively learns to love but more than anything learns to hate。 And that hatred for one particular villain is what leads her to keep going。 Moon Witch， Spider King is a lengthy， formidable story， packed with monsters， magic， and brutality。 Even though I did find it be slower paced and a bit dense to get into， the plot is written in a much more linear style that’s far easier to digest than the labyrinth that was Black Leopard， Red Wolf。 I also really enjoyed the historical aspect of Sogolon’s story。 She takes us back to when the deviation of the King’s line first started and we’re able to watch the corruption unfold that will lead us right back to the missing boy。 While it still wasn’t the easiest story to comprehend， and Sogolon is a very passive character， it was a captivating one。 When the retelling finally meets up with Tracker’s， we learn that Tracker is the most unreliable of narrators。 Despite how true the first book seemed， Sogolon’s retelling paints a very different picture。 Tracker is now shown in a far harsher light， with details of his story having been completely made up or twisted to benefit his image。 While he warns us at the end of his story that Sogolon will say he’s lying， her true feelings towards him are far more apathetic， dubbing him as a ‘silly， slutty， fool。’ It does beg the question if her version of events are really the true ones。 The end of the novel drags a bit， even though Marlon doesn’t waste too much time over ground already covered。 I think out of the two， I still prefer the first book， as it was a bit more dynamic and better paced。 Moon Witch， Spider King leaves me wondering what direction the third novel will take and who we’ll hear from next。 。。。more
Drakeryn
，
You think this is about setting right what is askew， disorder back into order。 That is the shit men think， to make any wicked action right in their eyes。 No fool， this is about revenge。 tbh I love SogolonMarlon James is definitely a furry though。 just putting that out there
Marques Jenkins
，
An instant classic。
Mr H
，
Refreshing。 Not perfect but I went through a very fun and interesting journey with the characters of this story。 The gaps book#2 creates and fills-out are nice touches that make me anticipate the final book in the saga。 Now lets talk about that buffalo。。。
Elena
，
Marlon James plays with ideas of time， truth， and memory like no author I’ve ever read before。 The world he has created is complex， magical， and deeply human， and his prose is so beautiful that at times I had to stop and read a line again just to let it sink in deeper。 I’m reading this as a “sequel” to “Black Leopard， Red Wolf，” but can already see his vision for a triad of books that can be read in any order。 This book is a triumph。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Moon Witch, Spider King
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Moon Witch, Spider King&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft