A Master of Djinn

I have been looking for a book inspired by middle eastern/Islamic mythology and this one comes highly recommended.

at it's core, this is a "goverment agent looks for mysterious suspect" type story, which is not my cup of tea, so take my words with a grain of salt.

in theory this had all the right elements, but it falls short in execution.

my biggest problem with this book is that everything is quite shallow, from the world building and politicis to character motivations. it feels as though the author simplified everything to the extent of the understanding of a 10 year old, and that damages the overall reading experience heavily.

ps: there are novellas in this universe that I recommend you read before this book, I haven't read them but I could see the gaps before I even knew the novellas existed.

I have been looking for a book inspired by middle eastern/Islamic mythology and this one comes highly recommended.

at it's core, this is a "goverment agent looks for mysterious suspect" type story, which is not my cup of tea, so take my words with a grain of salt.

in theory this had all the right elements, but it falls short in execution.

my biggest problem with this book is that everything is quite shallow, from the world building and politicis to character motivations. it feels as though the author simplified everything to the extent of the understanding of a 10 year old, and that damages the overall reading experience heavily.

ps: there are novellas in this universe that I recommend you read before this book, I haven't read them but I could see the gaps before I even knew the novellas existed.

4.5!

this book really feels like a labor of love, like you can tell just how much the author put in and how well-crafted the world ended up being for it. everything was immaculate! the vibes are akin to an adult scooby doo episode, the characters are incredible, and while I did guess the whodunit aspect I think that just shows how well-written it was to have left the clues in the narrative for you and not just make it some out of left field thing. the world is so magical and immaculate and also to have a suit wearing lesbian be your protag in a historical fantasy is literally top tier and (kind of but not really spoiler) to have a character invent a motorcycle years too soon just to have your lesbian motorcycle rescue moment was EVERYTHING. in conclusion read this book, especially if you enjoy babel, indiana jones, Scooby doo, Egyptian mythology, and lesbians

I can’t believe that I will wake up tomorrow and realise that there aren’t any more pages in this book. Would I be blamed for believing that some kind Djinn would magic me into Clark’s Cairo?

5 STAR - FLAGGED AS FAVORITE What a fantastic set piece. 1910s Egypt, where magic and technology intertwine and enhance one another. A beautiful world and setting, with incredible characters and rich detail. I found myself wishing that I had the ability to experience this world in person numerous times. An instant favorite, and I'm so glad that I picked it up.

This is an excellent book. The steampunk elements were fun, and the world-building extraordinary. The characters are fun, with the types of little quirks that make them come to life. This is absolutely the best book I have read so far this year. There are little hints about things that happen in other places, that I can't wait to read more based in this world. I really want to know what happened in New Orleans...

4.5 Stars *A creative, fascinating alternate history combining mythology and mystery* I enjoyed Ring Shout but my biggest complaint was that it was way too short. I felt like I was just getting to know the world and characters when - boom - it was over. This led to mixed feelings and trepidation about starting the A Dead Djinn series. I had absolutely zero interest in reading the three prequel short stories set in this universe. Because if I was left frustrated by a novella, then teaser short stories were sure to leave me high and dry. I heard mixed feedback about whether the short stories were necessary to enjoying the main novel. But I was still greatly intrigued by the description of A Master of Djinn. So after months of dithering, I decided to just dive into A Master of Djinn without bothering with the short stories. Having read the book, I would say the short stories are unnecessary. It was obvious when events from them were referenced; so obvious in fact, that I felt like each reverence ought to include a footnote to “please see story X for more details.” Not only was it obvious when the short stories were being referenced, but just from reading the titles of the short stories I felt confident hazarding a guess of exactly which reference belonged to which story. Regardless, the events seemed thoroughly recapped, so the short stories seem unnecessary to being able to enjoy and understand this book. I certainly feel no compulsion to go back and read them. I'm sure they are just as creative and exciting, but I'm sticking with my theory that add-on novellas/short stories are like deleted scenes from movies: there is usually a good reason they got deleted, and if they don't fit into the main story, then they aren't needed. Read them if you are a completionist who wants every detail possible, but don’t feel obligated to. You’ll still be able to comprehensively enjoy A Master of Djinn without them. The story is set in a creative alternate world where someone made a portal to another dimension that let in supernatural beings. In this alternate 1912 Cairo, the djinn helped Egypt overthrow colonial rule and now the city is focused on its "modernity." (And boy was the world modernity used a ton.) The result is a brilliant, creative world that melds myth and folklore and a little steampunk with enough historical and cultural detail to build a fascinating world. The ingenuity of this world is by far the strongpoint of the novel. “Fatma had come to learn “It’s you” could mean a lot of things. It’s you, the sun-dark Sa’idi from some backwater village. It’s you, the woman who was all but a girl in their eyes that the Ministry had made a special investigator—and assigned to Cairo no less. It’s you, the strange agent who wore Western suits. A few others tended to get less polite. Egypt boasted its modernity. Women attended schools and filled its booming factories. They were teachers and barristers. A few months back, women had even been granted suffrage. There was talk of entering political office. But the presence of women in public life still unnerved many. Someone like her boggled the senses completely.” In this world, women have made progress breaking into the workforce although they still deal with plenty of sexism. The main character is Fatma el-Sha’arawi, a female agent with the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities – a bureau that investigates crimes involving magic. When she gets assigned to the murder of a rich Englishman and his cult, she ends up with a case that's far more complicated than expected and the fate of all Cairo may be on the line. Fatma was snarky and fun to read although I cared more about the side characters than her by the end. “‘You! You can’t just walk in here! This is a crime scene!’ ‘That would explain the dead bodies, then,’ she replied. He blinked dumbly, and she sighed. Wasting good sarcasm was annoying.” A Master of Djinn was fast-paced with great action. The details of the world made the time between action just as interesting. And rather than being the sort of Fantasy story where people just faff about with magic, the story dealt with themes of colonialism, classism, racism, and religious discrimination giving the story added weight. “Rich people always have enemies. Usually, that’s how they became rich.” I loved most of the characters. There were lots of smart, badass women, and Clark thankfully managed to give them distinct personalities and different strengths. Too many authors get generic as all-get-out when it comes to “strong female characters.” It was also great to feature a sapphic romance that didn't come across like a creepy man’s porno fantasy. And the romance didn't dominate the story but rather added to it (the way a good romance should). For a minute I was worried it would end up like The Watchmaker of Filigree Street where an amazing premise devolved into a hollow device for the sole purpose of facilitating the romance. Unless something is an actual romance novel, I don’t really want romance to be the focus of a story. A Master of Djinn achieved a good balance between romance and plot with the romance being well-developed and not thrown in just for diversity’s sake. The one downside was that I never cared much about Fatma. Although intriguing at first, she felt like such a flat character. Sure, she had lots of interesting things about her. But by the end, I felt like all I knew about her was her taste in wardrobe. Also, for being a prodigy detective, she seemed to miss a lot of obvious things. She didn't do much actual detecting in the story. Various informants led her from clue to clue almost every step of the way. While I initially wished the story had stuck more to the murder mystery that it started out as, once it became clear how underwhelming Fatma was at deductive reasoning, I realized it was probably a good thing that the story veered more towards political intrigue and action. Regardless, it is a bit disappointing that I cared more about Hadia and Siti than the supposed star of the show. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the story overall. With so many Fantasy stories that feel like stale knockoffs, it was great to read something that felt so original. And Clark certainly has a way with words. Everything was described so vividly that I could picture this magical Cairo perfectly in my mind. “They threw around words like “post Neo-Pharaonic” and “epistemologies of alchemic modernity,” eyes veiled behind dark glasses and lips pulling leisurely at thin cigarettes—perhaps meant to show their defiance to the panic gripping the city. Or they were just being weird. Good for them either way, Fatma decided.” I debated for a while whether to round my rating up or down. Usually the lack of connection with the main character would make me round down, but the creativity and originality of this story are enough that I think this deserves to be rounded up to five stars. I really hope Clark writes more full-length novels rather than short stories and novellas. It's so much more satisfying to read robust stories rather than just teasers. And he is certainly one of the genre’s more innovative writers. RATING FACTORS: Ease of Reading: 4 Stars Writing Style: 5 Stars Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars Plot Structure and Development: 5 Stars Level of Captivation: 4 Stars Originality: 5 Stars

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Oh, this was a lot of fun. I adored the setting and the mystery. The characters were all full of life and I want more!

I never knew I wanted a steampunk/fantasy/sci-fi but this hit all the sweet spots. Beautifully intricate world that was written compellingly and had me invested from page one. I haven’t read much Egyptian or African myth but the way Clark describes the culture is so rich and was very captivating. It was in turns humorous and poignant, as Clark writes a clever commentary on colonialism and the unabashed hunger of the colonizer. I totally see how this was nominated for a Hugo award. The only reason it’s not five stars is because I found a good chunk of things in the middle to be completely obvious, while the main character ran around confused. So much diversity in this book - I can’t wait to read the other stories in this world.

** spoiler alert ** 2,5 stars. Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my expectations from seeing the book information. The big reveal was rather anticlimactic (not much mystery in who the impostor was), and everything about the battle was just so far fetched. I mean: that Clock of World’s wouldn’t have had to be opened if Fatma just ended the threat when she had the upper hand in the little sword battle. She just… wasn’t the most competent investigator, and her obliviousness was vexing at times. All the interviewees literally have to tell her where to go next and spoon-feed her the answer to the mystery she’s supposed to be solving Still, the alternative atmosphere was kinda cool, and fleshed out well, so that was most certainly enjoyable

4.5 stars I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. A Master of Djinn was such a delight to read. It's a fun steampunk whodunnit story with rich worldbuilding and strong female characters that take the lead. I personally really love a good mystery storyline and while this one didn't really have a shocking plot twist that completely threw me off guard, it was still exciting to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to get to the conclusion. Another thing that I just completely fell in love with were the female characters! Fatma, Siti, and Hadia really took the spotlight as they were such a fun trio to read about and they all had distinctive voices that really make them individually stand out. Their interactions and relationships with one another was also something that I very much appreciated. And though I think the side characters lacked nuance, I found myself not really minding it because I genuinely had a good time reading about the female leads. The worldbuilding was also nicely done. It was fascinating to read about especially with the fantasy elements added on to the world. Despite the lighter tone of the book, it does still tackle topics such as slavery, gender, colonialism, and capitalism in such a thoughtful manner which also is what made the overall story a more compelling read.

P Djeli Clark knows just how to suck me in. The culture, the character development, the mystery, all of it wins for me. I wish I could follow Agent Fatma and the gang forever. For anyone looking for fantasy set outside of the typical American or European setting, with lgbtq+ and African representation. Please read this series...maybe we can bully* Clark into continuing the series. Bullying is bad, maybe intense begging might be better*

3.5. ⭐️ I really liked this one but there were some giant clues I figured out wayyyyy before Fatima and it was weird to be ahead of her. It felt less subtle than the novellas

Update 23/05/2021 Find me review on : An Ode to Fiction Official Release Date : 19th August 2021 by Orbit (UK), 11th May 2021 by Tor Books (US) Buy the book : Amazon | Book Depository --- 🌟 5/5 🌟 “I will make you hurt. I will make you understand. And drag your secrets into the light.” ARC provided by the publisher Orbit UK through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A long awaited debut novel full of adventure, magic, and mystery followingwith special investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities as she dives back into a world where magic exacted a price and nothing is what it seems. In 2020, I discovered P. Djèlí Clark’s novellas after my friend Raf recommended me to read a short story by Clark titled, A Dead Djinn in Cairo. I listened to the audiobook and it was the best novella I read that year. The audiobook elevated the story to newer heights narrated by the amazing Suehyla El-Attar. Then I continued with Clark’s other novella set in the same world as its predecessor following two other characters titled The Haunting of Tram Car 015. Again! It was a hit for me. When I saw that Clark announced that he is set to release a full length novel following Fatma el-Sha’arawi yet again as she tries too get to the bottom of a mysterious involving magic and murder. I was beyond excited! A Master of Djinn is originally published by TOR (US) on 11th May 2021. Around the end of April, Orbit UK acquired the debut novel by Clark in a two-book deal from Anna Carmichael at Abner Stein on behalf of Seth Fishman at the Gernert Company. The fantastic cover of the UK version is done by Little Brown Books’ in house cover artist Matthew Burne. The mozaic design with the lamps, the bowler hat, the pocket watch and the vibrant colors really caught my attention. A very special thank you to Orbit UK for accepting my request for the book on NetGalley. The eBook is set to release in May and the trade paperback version will be released on August 19th 2021 so be sure to pre-order a copy now! For those who are interested and don’t want to commit just yet, you can read a free sample of the book on Orbit’s website, click here. Usually the secrets we keep deep down . . . we hide away because we’re afraid what other people might think. How they might judge us, if they knew. Maybe that was worth considering. But there was more at stake here. A Master of Djinn is wondrous fantasy adventure set in an alternate Cairo in the year of 1912, where humans and djinns coexist by Nebula and Locus winner and Hugo award nominated writer P. Djèlí Clark. The story centers around special investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. She is tasked to investigate a case involving a cult that has been slaughtered and a mysterious figure claiming to be Egypt’s most well known icons in history that has long disappeared, Al-Jahiz. The story is full of twists and turns, stunningly sharp suits, magic, and familiar characters from Clark’s novellas. Readers that have read the novellas will be reunited with Siti and Aasim (from A Dead Djinn in Cairo); Hamed and Onsi (from The Haunting of Tram Car 015). Not just that there are relevant things from A Dead Djinn in Cairo that also became an important point in this new book. Readers don’t be discouraged both novellas are relatively short and fast reads. You can read A Dead Djinn in Cairo for FREE on TOR.com, click here. If you want to read this book you don’t need to read the novellas but if you do read the novellas it makes the experience of reading A Master of Djinn much more interesting. The world in A Master of Djinn is much more vivid than its novella predecessors. Cairo expands to include more places compared to before we only get glimpses of the world. Clark’s worldbuilding is astounding, detailed, and vibrant. One setting that is still engrained in my mind is the Ministry building. Mini spoiler if you look at the US cover of the book that is a sneak peek of one part of the building. It is absolutely stunning! Everything about the world is rich with history and lore, which are inspired by Muslim mythology, Egyptian mythology, and other African and Middle Eastern cultures. What drew me in the first time I read A Dead Djinn in Cairo is how effortless it is for me to dive into the world. It is no different reading A Master of Djinn. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about every setting, the many tidbits of folklore mixed in with the plot, the variety of Djinn and their powers, and other magic related creatures and things. AH AND THE FOOD! The food sound so delicious when Clark describes it. I had to Google each one of them because in my head I find them tasty. “I am many things to many people. Teacher. Thinker. Inventor. I have been called other things. Saint. Madman.” He paused. “And to those of whom you speak, who perished in fire, I was vengeance.” Based on the lore of the world, magic existed in the world after the arrival of Djinn into the world. When humans and djinns start to coexist with each other in society. This magic is relatively unknown and is slowly being regulated to keep the peace between djinn and humans. Hence the existence of the Ministry. The magic is a double edged sword and comes with hefty price. I always liked when magic is used as something of a gamble that can instantly back fire depending on the outcome. Relating to the magic, there are different kinds of it as well. It all depends on what type of djinn or magical creature they are. Readers will learn as they go about the variety of djinns that exist in the world. The powers of each Djinn is limitless and varies depending on how old they are or what kind they are, it is intriguing yet scary at the same time. Finding that the djinn and humans laid laws to regulate such things is beyond me, how would discussions go? Truly, I wanna know how that whole meeting went when they were laying down the laws. “Why do these colonizers always claim what isn’t theirs?” There are underlying themes of anti-colonialism, racism, sexism, misogyny, colorism and so on that are weaved into the world. Without revealing much about the main plot, there is one moment that involved colorism, how one Egyptian women refused Siti, a character with a darker skin tone, to enter the woman’s house. An act that is fueled by centuries of prejudice and bigotry reminiscent to real life occurrences. This scene is so memorable to me because of how realistic it is. Then there are also scenes involving a group of white men, colonizers, casually talking about how the Anglo-Saxon are the superior race *eye rolls*. I will say that Clark did a marvelous job in exploring these important relevant themes into his story without making it the center piece of the story. Though it does play a big part in the politics and the world, it is done effectively by conveying it through characters and scenes that is near to realistic depiction to show readers that any reader of color can encounter it in real life. Besides that the all round female empowerment that is present in the diverse cast of characters filled me with so much joy. The messages about feminism and the indirect toxic behavior women have towards each other are also explored in the story. There are so many things I can point out about the book that discuss about a variety of topics. Any reader that picks this book up will find something that sparks conversation and thoughts about the themes being spotlighted by Clark. The sheer wit and humor that is present in Clark’s writing is charming and smart. I never get tired of the “ugh men…” jokes in the book. “I’m no lord or ruler. I’m just the daughter of a watchmaker, from a village outside Luxor. I don’t desire any of those things. I just want to save this city.” One of the strong points about Clark’s books is the distinct and unique way he writes his characters compared to other writers. There is a certain magnetic flair to Clark’s characterization making each one of character have that “IT” factor that can draw you in and easily latch to. I cansurely say that P. Djèlí Clark’s character has depth and personality that is believable. In the novella I only got a glimpse of Fatma el-Sha’arawi but in this book we get to see more of her in action. Fatma is a well written and fleshed out character. Her presence as a character is felt through the pages. Comparing the past Fatma in A Dead Djinn in Cairo and current Fatma, she is much more developed. We get to see all facets of her character in this book. Fatma shows vulnerability, growth, and a much more human side to her previous imposing lone wolf attitude. Anyone will be captivated by Fatma, even other characters in the story are captivated by her. And not to mention we get to see more of the stunningly well tailored and dapper suits she wears! “… I expected when I got assigned, I’d have to deal with people who didn’t think I could measure up. Who thought I was in the wrong place. Who only saw some girl they’d stick behind a desk. But, wallahi, I didn’t think one of them would be you!” In A Master of Djinn, we are introduced to a combination of old and new characters. One character that will make an impact in Fatma’s development as she is assigned a partner named Hadia Abdel Hafez. Through the introduction of Hadia, Fatma is able to grow exponentially as a character. Even though both Fatma and Hadia are the only female agents in the Ministry they are polar opposites. Hadia is proper, religious, and a doe eyed rookie in the agency. But they both have something in common besides being female, they are both ambitious, strong, and full of spirit to prove themselves capable or even surpass their male colleagues. What I like about Hadia is that she humbles Fatma by showing her that she isn’t just a sheltered girl that needs protecting. After Hadia confronts her, Fatma did a lot of contemplation that lead her to embrace Hadia as a partner. Hadia herself also showed growth becoming a much more assertive, fearless, and risk taking woman. Now, I wanna talk about Siti and Fatma. Their relationship left an impression on me. I loved them both the first time in A Dead Djinn in Cairo but here? I love them more. I’m glad that we get to explore more about their relationship, seeing both of them grow feels wholesome and heartwarming. We also get to know Siti’s back story and more of Fatma’s inner thoughts about Siti. There is a moment where Fatma has to confront Siti all the while confronting herself to find a middle ground to make the relationship work. The discussed it in a healthy non dysfunctional way that warms my heart so much! Both women respect each other and see each other as equals, it makes me think that everyone should find a Siti to their Fatma and a Fatma to their Siti. It’s the reckless free spirit and equally reckless lone wolf dynamic that gets me. Let me tell you sapphic couples are winning this year. “God the most Beneficent, the most Merciful. Not this one. Not this one.” “Remember often death, the destroyer of all pleasures,” a woman’s voice sounded. “But it is not that day for this one.” Last thoughts, A Master of Djinn is a book that I never knew I wanted. It is a story full of mystery, adventure, and magic that is rich with history and lore. All the while filled with impactful and nuanced discussions about important themes such as race, gender, anti-colonialism, colorism, and so on weaving them in with charming and humorous writing. I can see myself rereading this book in the future, it has everything I love in fantasy. It is clear why P. Djèlí Clark is an award winning writer once you read his books and I’m glad that he continues to expand the world of Dead Djinn. I’d pay anything to see Fatma, Siti, Hadia, Onsi, Hamed, and the other characters again. If you readers like City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty consider picking this book up because it is such a wonderful story with a steam punk edge, amazing suits, djinns, mystery, and its sapphic! You will not regret it! The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

oh well it's deffo an amazing book but not exactly 5 stars for me HDISJSJDH I STILL LOVE IT

Wow. What a debut novel for an author to have. I enjoyed this book from page one, nay, I enjoyed it from reading the first novella that preceded this book! I could definitely tell that the author was writing this for his two daughters so that they can be inspired by many different kinds of strong women and people. I loved how he showed us to put our own prejudices away and judge people not by stereotypes or how we imagine them to be but by their character and actions. Like our main protagonist being called out by her new partner for judging her meek and in need of protection because she wears a hijab. When I read the first novella I thought "please be gay" and not long into this novel my wishes came true. And thankfully a djinn or angel was not around to make me regret the wish 😉. The characters were well written and lived their truths on the pages, never seeming to take the low hanging fruit of character assassination in service of drama. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and magic. What's not to love about a steampunk alternate Cairo in 1912 with a strong feminist movement and message throughout? I look forward to subsequent stories in this series.

3.5 rounded up This is a fun whodunit in maybe one of my favourite settings ever? Certainly up there, anyway. It feels like it lasts some of the punch as the novellas in the world, because I think the characterization is there, but not so much the rest of the character work. The pacing is pretty good, worldbuilding fantastic, and the specificity of the setting is absolutely top-notch. I tend to love authors who describe things that differ from defaultism - and tend to think too many authors rely a bit too much on it in settings where that’s a questionable choice (often fantasy). It’s also a bit subversive if you are aware of some of these tropes/stories/inspirations, which is always satisfying. I’m not a huge fan of the tone switching often, as I generally don’t like humour and I think this setting actually is, for lack of a better word, “cooler” when serious. I just find that humour can really undermine certain aspects of mysteries and murders and crime and things, unless handled very deftly. Yes, we need tension to break sometimes with a book of this length, I just think the subject matter feels like a weird dichotomy with humour. Could be I’m just in a mood too. I never know when comedy will play well with me. Regardless, as with the previous novellas, I hope people pick this up and give it a shot. It’s unique and compelling throughout.

Sapphic Federale tries to find out why a room full of rich, white colonizers are burned to death with their clothes intact. Great story honestly. I'm excited to see more. I think the author needs to be a bit clearer in their descriptions. They rely a lot on pronouns to carry through a conversation and I think they could be a bit more clear but other than that it's a pretty brilliant story. Great world building. Love seeing more Arabic/Persian/Egyptian stories. Fantasy is so fun when you use the Thousand and One Nights instead of Tolkien as your inspiration.

Actual rating: 2.45645896 stars. I nearly DNFed a P. Djèlí Clark story. I NEARLY DNFed a P. Djèlí Clark story. Life will never be the same. This experience is traumatizing enough as it is so I'll cut the crap to the chase and stuff. ① This book is 396 pages, which is about 200 pages too long. If Clark is going to ramble on and on and on and on and 💤💤💤 like this every time he writes a full-length story then I’d rather he stuck to shorts and novellas as he used to in the past. Yes, this world is fascinating, but Clark gets so lost in it that he forgets his plot for pages at a time and the book is filled to the brim with pointless information that adds absolutely nothing to the story. ② The mystery itself is a disjointed, chaotic mess. Not to mention that it is ludicrously predictable. The identity of the culprit is obvious from the start. (The fact that I—aka the person who usually displays worse detecting skills than an sleep-deprived, anaemic barnacle—guessed who the culprit was so early on should tell you something. Yes it should.) Oh, and the villainous villain’s evil plan is ridiculously convoluted, too. All in all, you could say that this really is quite a fascinating, well-plotted mystery. Then again maybe not. ③ My girlfriend Fatma obviously underwent a lobotomy since we last met. She’s become a one-dimensional moron, crappy as fish investigator whose sole personality trait seems to be her obsession for tailored suits. But hey, it’s not all bad. When she’s not busy picking her outfits fighting crime she spends her time stressing over her new paramour as if she were a bloody teenager! Yay and stuff! So Time for some quick maths: ① + ② + ③ = To be continued. Or not. All depend on the length of the next installment in this serie it probably shall. · Book 0.5: A Dead Djinn in Cairo ★★★★★ · Book 0.6: The Angel of Khan el-Khalili ★★★★ · Book 0.7: The Haunting of Tram Car 015 ★★★★

A wonderfully told mystery novel. It was a bit of a slow build for me, but once it got going I couldn’t put it down.

Wow. What a debut novel for an author to have. I enjoyed this book from page one, nay, I enjoyed it from reading the first novella that preceded this book! I could definitely tell that the author was writing this for his two daughters so that they can be inspired by many different kinds of strong women and people. I loved how he showed us to put our own prejudices away and judge people not by stereotypes or how we imagine them to be but by their character and actions. Like our main protagonist being called out by her new partner for judging her meek and in need of protection because she wears a hijab. When I read the first novella I thought "please be gay" and not long into this novel my wishes came true. And thankfully a djinn or angel was not around to make me regret the wish 😉. The characters were well written and lived their truths on the pages, never seeming to take the low hanging fruit of character assassination in service of drama. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and magic. What's not to love about a steampunk alternate Cairo in 1912 with a strong feminist movement and message throughout? I look forward to subsequent stories in this series.

Being my most anticipated book of this year, I never expected to get this advance copy. But I overjoyed when it happened and couldn’t wait to get to it. And as expected, this was such fun. After having read one short and a novella set in this world, I was looking forward to seeing how much more expansive this would get. And I really enjoyed how the author gave us more background about how the Djinn came to inhabit this world and coexist with mortals, the differences in the workings of supernatural creatures in various countries, as well as the disintegration of the British empire. The author also throws a light on the racism and prejudices that form the undercurrent of this world, both from the white people towards the native Egyptians, as well as between the Egyptians who believe in different faiths. All of this information makes us feel like this world is real and vibrant, and immerse ourselves in its sights and sounds. I’ve always admired the author’s writing for his distinctive world building and this one was no less impressive. The writing is also engaging right away, pulling us into the mystery and sending us on a quest to find the truth along with Agent Fatma. She is delightful as ever, standing out not only due to her signature suits and bowler hats, but also her bravery and drive to do her best. I didn’t expect a partner would work well with her, but the author manages to create a wonderful character in Hadia - she is a perfect foil to Fatma, with her conservative dressing and strong belief in religion, but she is also extremely sharp and fearless, throwing herself in harmful circumstances despite not having a lot of experience. The author weaves an interesting murder mystery plot, mixed with the villain’s desire to control the world, and a volatile time in history when countries are teetering on the cusp of war. This makes the stakes very high, with us worried every step of the way for our favorite agents. In the midst of it, we also get an unexpected sapphic relationship which is full of angst and twists, but deep yearning. However, the author never lets the narrative be all serious - we also get lots of humorous dialogue, either through the Djinn or cameos from the previous stories - making this story very enjoyable. In conclusion, this was a delight. If you’ve read the previous stories set in this works, you can’t give it a miss. If you are new to the author’s works, do start with A Dead Djinn in Cairo which you can read for free on Tor.com. If you wanna experience a steampunk historical Cairo full of supernatural creatures, fascinating mysteries being solved by very memorable agents, and a what if scenario of colonial powers having lost their hold on their empires much earlier than our real world - then this is a perfect series for you. Just be prepared to be wowed.