We have some information about the highly anticipated second book of Marlon James’ Dark Star trilogy. It is titled Moon Witch, Spider King and comes out next year on February 15.

We also know that the Dark Star trilogy is not a linear trilogy, meaning that readers who haven’t read Black Leopard, Red Wolf can begin with the new story. Moon Witch, Spider King is also not a typical sequel in the sense that it is not necessarily revealing a different period in the story’s chronology. Instead offers a different perspective. It essentially tells “the same” story but from a different perspective, this time Sogolon, the witch who goes on an odyssey with Tracker, the first book’s main character. James shared all this in an interview with Gizmodo.com. He says that apart form the alternative perspective, Sogolon’s account will challenge Tracker’s account of the story in the first book, especially his representation of Sogolon in extremely negative light. With this new book, Sogolon gets a chance to include her perspective on the already deeply complicated story.

The cover design is as breathtaking as the first book. It was designed by Pablo Gerardo Camacho and features a burst of colors.

The first book, published in 2019, tells the story of Tracker recalls the gory and page-turning details about an odyssey in search of a lost boy.

In Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Sogolon the Moon Witch proved a worthy adversary to Tracker as they clashed across a mythical African landscape in search of a mysterious boy who disappeared. In Moon Witch, Spider King, Sogolon takes center stage and gives her own account of what happened to the boy, and how she plotted and fought, triumphed and failed as she looked for him. It’s also the story of a century-long feud—seen through the eyes of a 177-year-old witch—that Sogolon had with the Aesi, chancellor to the king. It is said that Aesi works so closely with the king that together they are like the eight limbs of one spider. Aesi’s power is considerable—and deadly. It takes brains and courage to challenge him, which Sogolon does for reasons of her own.

Both a brilliant narrative device—seeing the story told in Black Leopard, Red Wolf from the perspective of an adversary and a woman—as well as a fascinating battle between different versions of empire, Moon Witch, Spider King delves into Sogolon’s world as she fights to tell her own story. Part adventure tale, part chronicle of an indomitable woman who bows to no man, it is a fascinating novel that explores power, personality, and the places where they overlap.

Even though the Dark Star Trilogy has been compared to Game Thrones, it is more in line with the work of Nigerian fantasist Amos Tutuola

Pre-order Moon Witch, Spider King: Amazon | Bookshop