Marlon James’s Dark Star trilogy is thick, vivid, poetic fantasy on such a large and yet personal scale. I loved this sequel even more than his first, which itself made it to many best books of 2019 lists. It tells the story of the Moon Witch, Sogolon, and her life of violence, control, and chaos, from court dealings to monster battles, all with the chancellor Aesi as her arch-enemy. James’s prose is vividly stunning, but the true strength of this book lies in Sogolon’s journey, its magic, her need to survive, her repeated absolute heartbreaks.