Marlon James Changes the Game with BLACK LEOPARD, RED WOLF

It’s not easy to describe the world that Marlon James has created in Black Leopard, Red Wolf. I could get lazy and call it an African fantasy epic. I could get hype and call it an exhilarating thrill ride laced with death and betrayal. What I want to say is that this book should become mandatory reading for all 8th grade students in the United States. But what I will say, is that Black Leopard, Red Wolf is unapologetically ambitious, unrelenting, and Herculean by nature. A Challenging Opening While it may not be easy to describe this game-changing read, it is easy to get lost in its pages. Many readers will require some time to get acclimated to Jones’ trial-by-fire approach to this land of river tribes, witches, lightning birds, and prophecies. But if I may be so bold, Gods know people required a bit of time to get accustomed to The World of Ice and Fire, and look at that series now. I admittedly had some grievances with the confusion I felt in the first 100 pages, while in retrospect, having that foundation set was a necessity in world building and forced familiarity.

While fully entrenched in the meat and potatoes of this tale, I consistently found myself thanking James for the introduction that I, at times, unnecessarily moaned over at the beginning. I had fallen into the category of entitled readers who want straightforward text, but I needed complexity to go along with it. Now, I sit back and relish my opportunity to dive back in from the top, but only once I’m done he…