Blackheart Man
by Nalo Hopkinson
Reviewed by Galen Strickland
Posted August 2, 2024
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Nalo Hopkinson was awarded SFWA's Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award three years ago. I had previously read a few things, then that year read as many others as I could find. This year, Net Galley, Edelweiss, and Saga Press all offered a free digital review copy of her latest, Blackheart Man, which I accepted (from Net Galley) even though I had already met my quota of ARCs for the year. I probably shouldn't be reviewing this, at least at this time. Just as I started it I tested positive for Covid, which affected my focus issues and reading mood. It is hard to say if that influenced or hindered my appreciation, or if other factors made it difficult to connect with the text.
Hopkinson was born in Jamaica, and grew up in Guyana and Trinidad before her move to Canada, and later California. Some of her stories are based on Caribbean folktales, many of which derived from African roots. That may or may not be the case for Blackheart Man, but searches did not reveal sources for several of the story's elements. It is set on the island of Chynchin, and more specifically in Carenage Town. There is a Carenage on Trinidad, along with a geological feature relevant to the book, although not in as close proximity to Carenage. As legend tells it, some two hundred years prior to the main action, three Chynchin witches were able to defeat invading warriors by trapping them in a piche (bitumen/asphalt) lake. Another plot line is the worship of Mamacona, embodied in the caiman, an alligator-like species prevalent in Central and South America, and many Caribbean islands, including Trinidad. The main character, Veycosi, is a student at the Colloquium, training to be a griot, a gatherer of stories, and a performer of those stories through song. He is trying to find information on how the witches accomplished their task, convinced that witchcraft wasn't the true answer. Whatever he finds could be of use when Ymisen once again threatens their shores.
If Veycosi is based on any mythical story it would be of the Trickster variety. He may have the best of intentions, but his self-centered nature always leads to trouble. The first we see is when he dumps phosphorus in the reservoir above the town in order to clear a blockage in a pipe, but it causes flooding instead of bringing much needed water to the town's wells. At the same time, he had witnessed fifteen Ymisen ships enter the harbor, which startled him enough to drop a borrowed book into the reservoir. Leaders of the Colloquium are not pleased, since that was the only copy of that particular book. His next assignment was to travel to Ifanmwe to search for another sacred text, but he is denied that opportunity. Veycosi tries to redeem himself on other occasions, yet his plans continue to go awry. It is possible my focus issues caused me to miss clues in dialog or exposition. I don't think Veycosi ever figured out how the soldiers were trapped in the piche lake, or else he would have used that knowledge to thwart Ymisen again. So, magic it was, which sorted out part of the plot, but other actions worked against Ymisen too. A group of pickens (children) are able to sink the Ymisen ships, and at the same time, the Ymisen heir to the throne decided they would stay in Carenage and study at the Colloquium. Whether he deserved it or not, enough people forgave Veycosi, although maybe not enough to be welcomed back to the Colloquium.
Sometimes it is easy, even if not accurate, to assign peoples and nations in a story to some historical referent. It is clear Ymisen is a colonial nation, but which might it be based on? Possibly France, maybe Portugal or Spain. They had enslaved others, and it is apparent Chynchin is home to a mix of people, some of whom may have fled slaveholders. The soldiers buried in the piche lake were Mirmeki, enslaved by Ymisen. Other Mirmeki either were never enslaved, or they defected from Ymisen and stayed on Chynchin. They are considered a lesser people, of the servant class. But if certain names are considered, it appears many others came to Chynchin by various means. How else to account for names like the French Mireille, the Irish Saoirse, or Chinese Li Jing. The latter is the reigning Mamagua, one embodiment of the caiman goddess Mamacona. She had been training her replacement, Kaïra, the 'twinning' daughter of Veycosi's intended bride Thandiwe, in a three-way marriage with his longtime friend, Gombey. Due to things Veycosi did that union is not likely to ever happen. Kaïra is considered a twinning child because Thandy claims she was an immaculate birth, genetically identical to her mother. Not sure that was actually the case, but even if so, it is not the most unique thing about Kaïra. Unless I completely misunderstood the ending, Veycosi became the new Mamagua, something else completely unprecedented. Sorry for so much synopsis, which is not unusual for my reviews, but in this case it was more to sort out the elements to see if they make more sense than they did when I was reading. I can't say I recommend this, but that might change if I ever re-read it. I am sure many will be captivated by the setting and characters, and will enjoy it more than I did.
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