Moon Witch, Spider King is a fantasy novel written by Jamaican author Marlon James. It is set to be published by Riverhead Books on February 15th, 2022. The novel is the second installment in the Dark Star trilogy that was preceded by National Book Award finalist Black Leopard, Red Wolf. The books are based on African mythology and history with inspiration from ancient African settings and culture. The conflict revolves around the political tensions between the North Kingdom and the South Kingdom.
The first book focused on the hunter Tracker as he encountered other characters including Moon Witch, Leopard, Fumeli, and Nyla. Though Tracker’s adversary, Sogolon the Moon Witch is the sequel’s protagonist as she tells her version of the truth and story. The narrative dives back into her childhood to address why she is driven by revenge as a 177-year-old witch. The plot reveals the reason for her pursuing the lost mysterious child, answering some of the questions from the first installments. The backstory shows the cause and progress of the revenge plot against the Spider King while nurturing her dark powers. Another antagonist is the imperial chancellor Aesi with whom she has had a longstanding feud.
Much darker than its predecessor, the novel expounds on the Dark Star universe and the worldbuilding. The stories have been lauded for bearing some resemblance with Game of Thrones but with an African setting rather than a European one. With the trilogy, James joins the likes of Tomi Adeyemi in subverting the stereotypes ingrained in fantasy novels. The book will be followed by the third installment The Boy and the Dark Star.
