Published: 2022
Series: The Dark Star Trilogy (Book #2)
Author: Marlon James
Illustrator: N/A
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, LGBT, Science Fiction, Africa, Queer, Mythology, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adult
Audience (Grade Levels): Adult
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads Link: Moon Witch, Spider King
Triggers / Content Warnings: Graphic sexual violence involving men, women, and children; extreme familial abuse and severe physical cruelty.
Review By: Lisa McPherson
Publisher’s 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.
Review:
Here again I looked forward to a strong female character. A warrior. Yet here again, I found myself struggling to finish the book. The main character, Sogolon, is one I didn’t know whether to like or hate. She started life hated by her brothers, who blamed her for her mothers death during childbirth. Their cruelty to her was shocking and that cruelty led her to become a fighter for those treated unjustly. In one section, she showed herself to be a great warrior and fighter. She was a woman who stood up against injustice and defended the innocent. I admired her wit and cunning. Then, in the next section, she was heartless and careless. I didn’t know whether to admire her determination or despise her. In addition, there were what I found to be troubling sex scenes interspersed in the novel that involved violence on men, women and even children. These nonchalantly mentioned encounters were disturbing to me. The book itself was difficult to finish. The prose was unique but difficult at times to read. Overall, it was interesting, but not a top 10 for me.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- ELA & Higher Education Literature: An advanced mentor text for university-level literature circles exploring non-linear plots, unreliable narrators, perspective-shifting trilogy formats, and structural deconstruction in post-colonial speculative fiction.
- Social Studies & World History: Connects to specialized collegiate historical surveys examining alternative versions of empire, the cultural geography of West African folklore, and political hierarchies in pre-colonial state societies.
- SEL (Social-Emotional Learning – Adult Focus Only): Offers deep thematic material for adult book clubs analyzing the generational cycles of trauma, the psychological effects of severe isolation, and how early childhood abuse impacts a character’s capacity for empathy.
- Extension Activity / Library Application: Due to its mature rating, this novel is not suitable for PreK-12 extension choiceboards or student-led activities. For adult public library programming or collegiate courses, it can be paired with an “Epic Perspective Comparative Audit.” Readers can track identical historical events between book one (Black Leopard, Red Wolf) and book two to analyze how personal bias, gender identity, and socio-political status reshape the absolute truth of a narrative timeline.
- Diversity & Representation: The novel features exceptionally profound diversity, equity, and inclusion by populating its landscape with rich African mythology, queer and LGBTQ+ identities, and an expansive look at global Black perspectives. By grounding its high-fantasy world entirely within non-Western cultural traditions and centering an indomitable, older female protagonist who actively dismantles patriarchy, James ensures marginalized perspectives are treated with serious literary weight and artistic agency.
Readalike:
- The Book of Night Women by Marlon James
- The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth series) by N.K. Jemisin
- The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
- The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
- The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields
- A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass
