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Black Leopard, Red Wolf
- The Dark Star Trilogy, Book 1
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 24 hrs and 2 mins
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Black Leopard, Red Wolf
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Publisher's Summary
One of Time’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time
Winner of the LA Times Ray Bradbury Prize
Finalist for the 2019 National Book Award
The New York Times best seller
Named a Best Book of 2019 by The Wall Street Journal, Time, NPR, GQ, Vogue, and The Washington Post
"A fantasy world as well-realized as anything Tolkien made." (Neil Gaiman)
"Gripping, action-packed.... The literary equivalent of a Marvel Comics universe." (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)
The epic novel, an African Game of Thrones, from the Man Booker Prize-winning author of A Brief History of Seven Killings
In the stunning first novel in Marlon James' Dark Star trilogy, myth, fantasy, and history come together to explore what happens when a mercenary is hired to find a missing child.
Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: "He has a nose," people say. Engaged to track down a mysterious boy who disappeared three years earlier, Tracker breaks his own rule of always working alone when he finds himself part of a group that comes together to search for the boy. The band is a hodgepodge, full of unusual characters with secrets of their own, including a shape-shifting man-animal known as Leopard.
As Tracker follows the boy's scent - from one ancient city to another; into dense forests and across deep rivers - he and the band are set upon by creatures intent on destroying them. As he struggles to survive, Tracker starts to wonder: Who, really, is this boy? Why has he been missing for so long? Why do so many people want to keep Tracker from finding him? And perhaps the most important questions of all: Who is telling the truth, and who is lying?
Drawing from African history and mythology and his own rich imagination, Marlon James has written a novel unlike anything that's come before it: a saga of breathtaking adventure that's also an ambitious, involving read. Defying categorization and full of unforgettable characters, Black Leopard, Red Wolf is both surprising and profound as it explores the fundamentals of truth, the limits of power, and our need to understand them both.
What the critics say
“Marlon James is one of those novelists who aren’t afraid to give a performance, to change the states of language from viscous to gushing to grand, to get all the way inside the people he’s created.... [Black Leopard, Red Wolf] looks like another great, big tale of death, murder and mystery but more mystically fantastical.... Not only does this book come with a hefty cast of characters (like Seven Killings), there are also shape shifters, fairies, trolls, and, apparently, a map. The map might be handy. But it might be the opposite of why you come to James - to get lost in him.” (The New York Times)
“James is a professed fantasy nerd, so Black Leopard, Red Wolf will certainly appeal to fans of all the well-acknowledged authors with at least two initials - George R.R. Martin, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, etc. But if you’ve read James’ 2014 novel A Brief History of Seven Killings (decidedly not a sci-fi or fantasy book but a 700-page world-building epic about the attempted assassination of Bob Marley), you’ll drag yourself to the midnight queue to buy Black Leopard regardless of the whole Game of Thrones selling point.” (Huffington Post)
“Black Leopard, Red Wolf is the kind of novel I never realized I was missing until I read it. A dangerous, hallucinatory, ancient Africa, which becomes a fantasy world as well-realized as anything Tolkien made, with language as powerful as Angela Carter's. It's as deep and crafty as Gene Wolfe, bloodier than Robert E. Howard, and all Marlon James. It's something very new that feels old, in the best way. I cannot wait for the next installment.” (Neil Gaiman)
“James' sensual, beautifully rendered prose and sweeping, precisely detailed narrative cast their own transfixing spell upon the reader. He not only brings a fresh multicultural perspective to a grand fantasy subgenre, but also broadens the genre's psychological and metaphysical possibilities. If this first volume is any indication, James' trilogy could become one of the most talked-about and influential adventure epics since George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire was transformed into Game of Thrones.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
Featured Article: 10 Books Like The Game of Thrones
George R.R. Martin’s epic series A Song of Ice and Fire was already a big name in the fantasy world prior to its television adaptation, after which it became a worldwide phenomenon and one of the most-watched shows in history. The TV series inspired a new wave of interest and love for the original works, but with the show well and truly finished and just two titles left to release in the series, fantasy fans are asking: What’s next? Whether you’re a longtime fan of A Song of Ice and Fire or a newcomer to the fantasy genre who fell in love with its HBO adaptation, these books like Game of Thrones are sure to enthrall, thrill, and delight.
What listeners say about Black Leopard, Red Wolf
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Skywatcher
- 2023-02-23
Takes a while to get into but it’s worth it
The performance by the narrator was fantastic. Lots of different voices, sound effects, and song :)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Krystyna Zablocki
- 2019-08-31
Expect a story ride you've never had before
I was totally unprepared for this story ride. The charactors are very colorful and sometimes hard to believe and somehow horrific. You will have to be strapped in until you are glued to the storyline.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Señor Tsunami
- 2023-09-03
Excellent performance of Marlon James' novel!
I purchased the novel 2 years ago. Found the novel a difficult read. The Audiobook production provided an incredible experience!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2024-09-05
Great performance
The narrator in this book was amazing and what helped me reach the end. It’s long, and sometimes confusing, but compelling and interesting and full of magic and myth, and tragedy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lesley
- 2021-05-23
Outside my typical
But I’m so glad I stepped out of my “normal”. At times the lingo, or jargon was difficult to understand, but the story line was easy enough to follow. The sci fi, horror genre that I love was brilliantly there, but the romance flavour was not my usual tilt. I’m not one for any romance at all anyways in my horror…lol. Yet, I found myself easily drawn into the main character’s way of heart…and how deep it ran no matter how he tried to deny it. The battle scars this man bore from child abuse thru to the way he pretended to have a stone heart as an adult…horror enough. And his deepest heart wrenching horror just about ripped my own heart from my chest . Well done Marlon James.
The novel also gave me a peek into a cultural lore so different from that which I’m aware of…except Anansi…everyone knows Anansi 👾
Dion Graham’s performance was at times confusing, but only due to my lack of cultural understanding and limitations. His female characters did lack some distinction between them, in that they sounded very much alike. On the whole though, he captured the characters well enough that I was chuckling when I think I was supposed to, and almost weeping when I should as well. This was an excellent story on the whole and am glad it’s now in my library.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dave_dash
- 2019-05-07
Absolutely incredible
This book is easily among the most unexpected and wonderful books I’ve ever read. It was an absolute delight to experience it from top to bottom.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Johannah
- 2019-03-07
one of the best readers of any audiobook
the reader, Dion James is exceptional. his performance is next level. I will listen to anything else he reads.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ryan
- 2021-05-05
Excellent
An excellent change of pace from tired european fantasy. The narrator is very good and passionate, something necessary for a book as emotionally charged as this one.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nik Hampton
- 2021-01-05
listen to this one with headphones. full of acti
extreme violence, extreme sexual violence, Xtreme action and twisted crazy story to go along with everything. pretty good to listen to but I recommend wearing headphones when you do..
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jamieson Wolf
- 2019-03-27
So Incredible!!!
This is one of the best audiobooks that I've ever had the pleasure of listening to!
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