Perspective Is Everything
This novel is usually referred to as a sequel to the author’s previous novel, Black Leopard, Red Wolf. Although it is the middle entry in a planned trilogy, however, it really is not entirely accurate to describe it a sequel to the events which take place in the previous book since it tells a story that runs parallel to those events. The difference lies in the teller of the tale rather than the tale itself. That initial entry in the trilogy is told from the perspective of a man named Tracker. This follow-up is intended to provide an alternative version of the story told from the female perspective.
Gender, Empowerment, and Autonomy
Tracker is an example of what used to be called a real man’s man. Thematically speaking, at least. And so the story he tells is infused with masculinity and patriarchal privilege. The perspective this time around is from the point of view of a character that does appear in Tracker’s version, a female named Sogolon. And with the shift in gender—and especially the shift from third-person narrator to Sogolon’s first-person narration about a fourth of the way into the book—the significance of perspective is made clearer. Perspective is always of supreme importance—which is often underappreciated by readers—in the telling of a story, but when gender divergence is introduced, this element becomes so much clearer. Sogolon tells a story that eschews Tracker’s narrative focus on the joys of manhood in order to offer a story about the struggle of womanhood.
Vengeance
The thirst for revenge is a theme usually associated with stories about men. This may be because we are constantly being told that revenge is pointless and when it comes to engaging in pointless behavior, men definitely have the advantage. Seeking vengeance can also have the effect of hardening a character to the point of making empathy more difficult. In this case, there is sure to be plenty of sympathy for lady vengeance as Sogolon is seeking revenge not only for the wrongs done to her personally but for all women abused by any man. Still, sympathy for the person seeking revenge can only extend so far and the question must inevitably arise that asks when does vengeance cross the line into a manifestation of something darker?
