Marlon James writes that, to build the world and its magic system, he conducted a comprehensive study of African traditions, with the help of local and international research institutions. We see this in the geography and climate zones, but mainly in the culture and myths. While the book itself was written by a Jamaican author, the fictional country in which it takes place is strongly based on the continent of Africa. This is the framework of Black Leopard, Red Wolf. It begins with his early childhood and continues until the mission that went wrong – or maybe not? He keeps on repeating that he really wanted to kill the child, even though he eventually didn’t. Instead of just answering the questions he was asked, Tracker chooses to tell his entire life story, which in writing encompasses over 600 pages. At the beginning of the book, he is captured by the agents of the king of the south and accused of murdering the child he was paid to find – twice, several years apart. Tracker (no other name) is an infamous mercenary he has a red wolf’s eye, a nose that can track any person from any distance, and a spell cast upon him by a Sangoma (a kind of witch, but don’t call her that) that protects him against metals and poisons. You want to know what I want? I want to kill this bloodline. So no, I don’t want purpose and I don’t want children born in blood. Who killed one of his, who killed one of theirs, and on and on while even gods die. You want to know what’s my purpose? To kill the men who killed my brother and father… To kill the men who killed my brother, because they killed him because he killed one of theirs.
Purpose is the gods saying what kings say to men they want to rule. You use that word purpose like there is something noble to it, something of the best gods. I had purpose and I told them to go fuck themselves with it.
“I had a purpose, given to me by my blood, my father and my grandfather. Trigger warning: sexual violence, child abuse, sever graphic violence
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