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“Even more brilliant than the first.”
— BuzzFeed
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“[A] medieval feast of dazzling fantasy. It’s vulgar and vivacious, big and brutal.”
— Minneapolis Star Tribune
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“Spectacularly alive…James choreographs fight scenes that make Quentin Tarantino’s movies feel comparatively tranquil. And…Sogolon is a thrilling, haunting heroine.”
— Washington Post
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“Part adventure tale, part chronicle of an indomitable woman who bows to no man…a fascinating novel that explores power, personality, and the places where they overlap.”
— LGBTQ Reads
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In the much-anticipated second installment…James has crafted yet another dark fantasy that blends history and mythology in an epic setting.
— TIME
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A rare sequel that is better than its predecessor. . . .Moon Witch, Spider King is a breathtaking book, one that functions as well as a standalone as it does a sequel. . . .Make no mistake, this series is absolutely a must-read.
— NPR
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In the second book of his Dark Star trilogy, James coaxes beauty from dark thoughts, leaving readers with a concaved, mystical and African-inspired world that begins in free-fall. . . .In a world as thoroughly imagined as J.R.R. Tolkien’s, no detail seems spared. Full figured and richly drawn, Moon Witch, Spider King is the bridge of a trilogy and also a creation that, like James’ talent, stands alone.
— Los Angeles Times
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Spectacularly alive. . . .James choreographs fight scenes that make Quentin Tarantino’s movies feel comparatively tranquil. And there’s a catalogue of diabolically ingenious creatures creeping along the ceilings, jumping from behind trees and even reaching through fourth-dimension portals to keep the pages simmering with terror. . . .Sogolon is a thrilling, haunting heroine.
— The Washington Post
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In this ambitious new installment, James masterfully flips the first's plot on its head, probing the distance between two versions of the same events to ask powerful questions about truth, history, and storytelling.
— Esquire
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James’s imagination is vast and fiery, and his numerous fight scenes are heart-pumping and vivid. But what has stayed with me are his more subtle observations on the human condition. . . .The Moon Witch lit my path and showed me how a woman might navigate this dangerous, remarkable world. . . .When I finished the last page of Moon Witch, Spider King, I found my copy of Black Leopard, Red Wolf and started at the beginning.
— The New York Times Book Review
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This is work that both meets the immersive worldbuilding standard in books by Tolkien and Martin and brings to the genre a voice unlike anything seen before. . . .If James managed to capture the imagination of readers with Black Leopard, Red Wolf, this second book, which is darker, longer, and better, does even more: It sets readers up for what will undoubtedly be a superb finale.
— The Boston Globe
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More than 1,200 pages into James’ trilogy, one thing is clear: Moon Witch, Spider King is even better than Black Leopard, Red Wolf. . . .Not only could you read Moon Witch, Spider King first without missing a beat; it might even be a better introduction to James’ world.
— AV Club
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[A] medieval feast of dazzling fantasy. It's vulgar and vivacious, big and brutal. . . .When I read the first book in this trilogy, I knew I was reading a genre-altering trilogy. . . .After reading Moon Witch, Spider King, I remain convinced that James is rebuilding the genre.
— Minneapolis Star-Tribune
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A beautiful novel with well-developed characters enmeshed in a very real and terrifying fight, not only for their lives but also against a cycle of life that repeats from generation to generation. . . .It’s impressive how much world-building and character development James manages in these pages.
— San Francisco Chronicle
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Moving, vivid, and thought-provoking, this second book is, if anything, even more brilliant than the first.
— Buzzfeed
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Part adventure tale, part chronicle of an indomitable woman who bows to no man, [Moon Witch, Spider King] is a fascinating novel that explores power, personality, and the places where they overlap.
— LGBTQ Reads