The Dark Star Trilogy
#8303.56 adjusted 3.57 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Ongoing 2019–present Reading commitment Low Marlon James Last reviewed 2026-08-26
Overview
The Dark Star Trilogy is a dark, myth-dense epic fantasy by Marlon James, drawing on African history, folklore, and oral storytelling traditions across a sprawling secondary world. The first volume, Black Leopard, Red Wolf (2019), centers on Tracker, a mercenary hired to find a missing child, and assembles a band of allies with their own conflicting agendas and magics as the search stretches across kingdoms. The second, Moon Witch, Spider King (2022), retells much of the same span of years from the vantage of Sogolon, an immortal witch centuries older than Tracker, whose account of the same events undercuts and complicates his. Each volume is a self-contained retelling rather than a continuation, deliberately leaving readers unsure which narrator's version, if either, can be trusted. A planned third volume, intended to close the trilogy, had not been published as of this research pass. James, previously known for literary fiction including A Brief History of Seven Killings, has described the project as an attempt to build an African-inspired equivalent to the dense, layered mythologies of The Lord of the Rings.
Mythic fantasy, Dark fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
The Dark Star Trilogy Marlon James
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Black Leopard, Red Wolf | 2019 | core | 3.45 (31,554 ratings) |
 | Moon Witch, Spider King | 2022 | core | 4.16 (5,481 ratings) |
Two of three planned novels published so far.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Dark Star Trilogy? The Dark Star Trilogy's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for The Dark Star Trilogy? Publication order, starting with Black Leopard, Red Wolf. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Dark Star Trilogy finished? Ongoing (2019–present).
- How much reading does The Dark Star Trilogy take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books).
- How is The Dark Star Trilogy ranked? #830 in this site's official ranking, based on 37,035 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #830?
Ranked #830 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.56 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (37,035 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.45 to 4.16.
- Less than 0.01 behind #829, Islands of Blood and Storm (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 2 books · Ongoing · 37k ratings · Ranks #830 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- Black Leopard, Red Wolf (2019)
- Moon Witch, Spider King (2022)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.56 across 37,035 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit The Dark Star Trilogy (Marlon James) accepted 2026-08-26
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-26
Rule: Core Canon is the two published novels; a third is planned but not yet released.