Review: Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James

Tracker has a valuable skill – he can find literally anything if he follows his nose. Together with a magical protection that ensures that no weapon made of metal can kill him; he is the ultimate tool for those who have something to find and money to find it. After years of finding lost spouses and criminals, his skills are put to the test by a slaver who tasks him with the task of retrieving a boy who is lost to this world. Together with a gang of misfits including shapeshifters, witches and half giants, Tracker goes in search of the child. However, his party soon discovers that this is no ordinary search; the boy’s whereabouts are tied together with myths and legends of mad kings, vampires, and the undead. To find the boy, Tracker must enter into the unknown, following only his nose.

Black Leopard Red Wolf is dark, raw and powerful. The prose reads like song lyrics, lulling you into a hypnotic state in which you need to read more. Akin to Greek epic, this is an elaborate, intricate world featuring a complicated plot with myriad characters. An amalgamation of interwoven stories that overlap, contradict, or combine to form a staggeringly large narrative.

However, the sheer size and intricacy of the plot has its drawbacks; this books requires dedication, particularly as it can become repetitive as events are dissected and explained from multiple viewpoints - it’s difficult to find your bearings at points, as we’re shuttled across time and space within the span of a few pages. In addition, Black Leopard Red Wolf is filled with sordid details that will put off the faint of heart. However, if you’ve the patience to wade through this book, you will be rewarded with magic.

Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James is published by Hamish Hamilton, an imprint of Penguin Random House.