Blackheart Man
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
The magical island of Chynchin is facing conquerors from abroad and something sinister from within in this “immersive…engaging” (Kirkus Reviews) Caribbean-inspired dark fantasy from the Grand Master Award–winning author Nalo Hopkinson.
Veycosi, in training as a griot (a historian and musician), hopes to sail off to examine the rare Alamat Book of Light and thus secure a spot for himself on Chynchin’s Colloquium of scholars. However, unexpected events prevent that from happening. Fifteen Ymisen galleons arrive in the harbor to force a trade agreement on Chynchin. Veycosi tries to help, hoping to prove himself with a bold move, but quickly finds himself in way over his head.
Bad turns to worse when malign forces start stirring. Pickens (children) are disappearing and an ancient invading army, long frozen into piche (tar) statues by island witches is stirring to life—led by the fearsome demon known as the Blackheart Man. Veycosi has problems in his polyamorous personal life, too. How much trouble can a poor student take or cause all by himself as the line between myth and history blends in the “boldest reimagining of Caribbean culture since The New Moon’s Arms…and [Hopkinson’s] most linguistically inventive work to date” (Locus Magazine).
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
SFWA Grand Master Hopkinson (Falling in Love with Hominids) serves up a rich stew of folklore and history in this delightfully delirious fairy tale of a magical island resisting reconquest. The enslaved peoples of Chynchin banished the ruling Ymisen two centuries ago—but now the Ymisen are returning in force, ostensibly to discuss trade. Young scholar Veycosi is charged with collecting tales of how Chynchin won its freedom, a legend that involves three witches casting a spell to sink the enemy troops into a tar pit. When the boogeyman of that tar pit, Blackheart Man, appears in town, Veycosi fears a deal he made years before may be the reason for the monster's resurrection. As a rationalist, Veycosi initially discounts magic, but as a budding folklorist, he learns how and why words create worlds. Hopkinson's worldbuilding astonishes: the isle of Chynchin features its own patron twin caiman goddesses who watch over a culture that freely mixes words and foods from around the world, even as its own social order clings to vestiges of class and caste distinctions. This is a triumph.
