The “divine sisterhood” (374) in Mantha where she meets Lissisolo is reminiscent of Avalon of Arthurian legend Morgan le Fay interferes in royal dynastic politics through the duplicitous conception of Mordred, while Lissisolo sneaks a prince disguised as a eunuch into the sisterhood to conceive. Black Leopard, Red Wolf relates the adventures of a team of mercenaries hired by a slaver to find a child who has been missing for three yearsor, failing that, proof of the boy’s death. Sogolon, the Moon Witch, lies to and betrays the other members of the fellowship. The Mawana witches that appear in Chapter 16 are more monstrous than human-even Tracker wouldn’t classify them with human women. Touted as an ‘African Game of Thrones’, it describes a fantastical medieval adventure involving warring kingdoms, witches, giants, shape-shifters and a quest for a missing child. The “secret witches market” (152, 536) is where people barter babies for parts, but the body part merchant that appears there is a male white scientist. Black Leopard, Red Wolf is very different from that previous book yet still retains James’ unique style, sensibility and alluring mischievousness. She, along with other witches and non-witches, are morally repugnant. A woman involved in selling a baby replies to his witch-related insults with: “What plenty you know about witch and witchmen. Considering he is under the protection of a powerful magic user, the Sangoma, Tracker’s insults are hypocritical.
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