Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

This book was a recommendation from a dark fantasy forum I skulk around in. And l will say, it is a dark fantasy in all it's themes and narration.

I will say that the first two pages are a bit of a struggle, the English is not American or British English. Let that not deter you, the usage immediately dumps the reader into this fantasy world in a totally immersive way. Once you are in the story, you are Tracker - a whip smart, sharp tongued literal Tracker who is sent to find a lost boy.

In the first hundred pages you learn a bit of Tracker's past; of his family, of this world, and more importantly what the Theme is for this narration.

It is also a queer narrative. Tracker is a Bisexual, Homo-romantic man who has a war of feminine and masculine traits clashing together inside him. In his world, they actually are born with both - male with a bit of woman in this and women with a bit of male in them. Which is not a throw away, it is actual a fundamental part of the theme.

The first hundred pages sets all this up so the reader is fully prepared to enter the overarching narrative which is finding this boy.

I love this book and look forward to reading book 2 - Moon Witch, Spider King!