*I’d like to thank Netgalley for an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

*Sigh* I said I’d give an honest review and I will… I devoured A Dead Djinn in Cairo and The Hauting of Tramcar 015, so to say I was looking forward to the first full novel in the Agent Fatima series by P. Djèlí Clark was a little of an understatement. I imagined this book to have all the excellent elements of the two novellas before and some more…


What is it about?
Its 1912 and we are back in Cairo with our myriad of Djinn, Angel’s and other ghoulish creatures from the supernatural that we have encountered in the two previous books. Agent Fatima el- Sha’awari is sent to the residence of an Englishman where a group of people known as “The brotherhood of al-Jahiz” were congregated the night before. That’s right… the same al-Jahiz who opened up the dementions between supernatural beings and our world, thus giving us Djinn and Angel’s and ghuls.

When Fatima arrives she discovers all members of the cult have all been murdered brutally and the only witness says that the culprit claims to be al Jahiz himself.

This sends Fatima and her girlfriend, Siti back into the underbelly of Cairo to find out who this person is and if it is al Jahiz… what his secrets on summoning Djinn into our world are.

What I loved…
P. Djèlí Clark is phenomenal when setting the scene. His descriptions of Cairo are detailed and lure me in like a street vendor selling spices. I am encapsulated and in awe of how beautifully the underbelly is described! I really enjoyed the scenes where Siti and Fatima were questioning suspects, looking for clues and speaking with the local people.

I also am still in love with the ethereal beings that are Angel’s… they carry a sense of wonderment that, as a reader, makes one feel inconsequential… EXACTLY how I imagine an being of no time or age would make me feel should I ever come into contact with one.

What I wanted more of…
I felt like this book was very slow, I was expecting the punchiness of the novellas carried through the full novel and I found that this was just not so. I have to say in all fairness I was very disappointed.

I did at one point skip 40% of the book to see if there was anything I could not deduce and if it was worth while me reading on… I found that I had figured out the twist and that not much had occurred in the section I had skipped.

HOWEVER, in wanting to give a fair and honest review I decided that I should go back and read the section I had skipped and still found nothing (I feel) of worth that was gripping.

Secondly, there were sections of dialogue that I just couldnt emotionally link with; for example, in one scene between Siti and Fatima they have a disagreement and the dialogue reads…

“Did we just have a fight?”Siti asked, a smile forming. “I think we just had a fight!”

“We had a fight,”Fatma agreed. Her irritation all but vanished at the realization. It was a wonder it’d taken this long. “How about tonight you make it up to me—”Siti began. Fatma’s eyes rounded.

“Make it up to you?”

“Make it up to me, by taking me to the Spot. It’s still there, isn’t it?”

“The Spot is always there.”

“Then looks like you’ve got a date, investigator. Dress sharp.”Fatma gave a slight snort as Siti turned to walk inside. She always dressed sharp.

It felt really unrealistic and I feel like there was a whole depth of the characters that was missed here. Almost like a fight would have been too much of a dynamic to put between these two.

I loved A Dead Djinn in Cairo and The Haunting of Tram Car 015 but was sorely disappointed in this book. That being said I will not be giving up on the author as there are pockets of pure genius in Master of Djinn. And I do feel that P Djèlí Clark has a talent for story telling that is incredible.

I’m truly sorry but it wasn’t my cup of tea.

P. Djeli Clark's first foray into a full-length novel is wonderful and a delight. I've always loved Clark's way of creating fantasy worlds with in-depth characters, and having a longer story finally satiated my hunger for his books. For now. The funny thing is that this is a sequel to a short story that I thought was too short and didn't give me a good enough look at this world. Well, this was a perfect amount.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

I suppose strictly speaking this is set a little too late in 1912 to be true steampunk but anyone who likes that sub genre should really like this book! It’s a police murder mystery and light enough on the blood and violence for the moderately squeamish. I’d call the violence level about a pg-15... The magic in this world is in the form of djinn having returned to the world (along with mention of other magic species returning to the countries where their stories were told). It’s murder mystery with the grumpy seasoned officer getting stuck with a perky rookie. If you haven’t read the two shorter stories i this world I recommend A Dead Djinn in Cairo and The Haunting of Tram Car 015 as well! He’s an excellent writer and I look forward to reading more by him. The Black God's Drums was excellent too though not related to this book.

While I liked P. Djèlí Clark's world-building and prose his main character leaves a lot to be desired. She's the classic wannabe feminist who believes she is strong and smart but ends up treating other women badly (especially women who are more feminine etc.) I found her incredibly unlikeable and that in turn made me feel not all that interested in the story.

P. Djeli Clark is an automatic yes for me based on their fantastic novellas - so this full length novel set in an alt universe Cairo full of magic and sophistication was always going to be on top of my list. But even I didn't expect it to be this amazing. This book is crafted like an exquisite little puzzle made of various bits of history and culture and what I particularly appreciate about it is that he makes no attempt to dumb down or over explain the little details that might be unfamiliar to readers who might be more accustomed to the vast amount of Euro-set fantasy, holding faith instead in the ability of the story to impart information and the reader to keep up.

From the very first chapter, this book is off to an old school rollicking start. There's magic and murder and subversion of expectancies and a lady detective in a sharp suit who can talk down fearsome magical beings - and that's just the beginning. Imagine The Mummy (the OG with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz that we all love) with djinns, old gods, kickass femme fatale priestesses, a feminist ninja in a hijab, and a crazy, chaotic city brought vividly to life. I can't imagine who wouldn't have fun reading this book for the plot alone. It's funny and fun and exciting and action packed and scary in bits. And even though I had a strong suspicion who the bad guy was fairly early on, the revelation of their motive was a delicious unveiling.

But wait! there's more to it! Everything that happens in the book plays out against this fabric of a world on the cusp of the First World War, with the emergence of magic having caused ripples of consequences across the world. There's colonialism, feminism, racism, isolationism, white saviorism, theology and nationalism.

This book is so clever, I almost can't stand it. Except I love it. Highly recommended.

This book is well done as far as world building and complex characters. Sadly I struggled to follow the plot and couldn't keep track of all the different elements and people. I wanted to love this and I got sucked in but I had a difficult time sticking with it.

[author:P. Djèlí Clark|15117586]'s Egyptian alternative history novels are fascinating, in both the modern sense (extremely interesting) as well as the older sense (spell-binding). The mixture of technology and magic in early-1900s Cairo itself is enough to reel me in, and the critique of colonialism and structural inequality kept me hooked. Alright, enough fishing puns. Cairo is full of robots (boilerplate eunuchs) and many species of djinn, living alongside humans of all races and creeds.

Previously, I had only read [book:The Haunting of Tram Car 015|56886405] of Clark's works in this setting, and I loved it. Meeting Agent Fatma in this book made me like it even more. She wears tailored suits, is a very good detective, and has a mysterious, female lover (whom I also adore). Even with Agent Fatma's shortcomings, like discounting the abilities of other women in the story, I really liked her character. Throughout the story, she grows as a person and a detective.

It's her flaw that blinds her to the true mastermind for whom she is searching. That tension in the story was almost unbearable! The conclusion does not disappoint, and the ways she and Agent Hadia uncover the truth includes a sword fight!

I recommend you read everything Clark has written, and I mean to do so as well. I really like his alternate history of America books (like [book:The Black God's Drums|57539658]), but seeing Cairo from the perspective of a resident (Fatma) instead of a colonizer or white person (Indiana Jones) is so refreshing. The colonizer perspectives also appear in the story, which only furthers the social critiques present in the book, which are all still applicable to the world today.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. (I only ask for books I know I'm going to like through Netgalley).

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.

I was so excited when I got approved for A Master of Djinn in January that it almost jumped my entire reading queue.

I'd been introduced to the world of Fatma el-Sha'arawi in The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and done my homework by reading the original A Dead Djinn in Cairo on Tor.com. I was really struck by how P. Djèlí Clark crafted this amazing world and these complex characters in so few pages. They made me crave food and going out so much.

To be prepared for A Master of Djinn, I would say that A Dead Djinn in Cairo is an absolutely mandatory backstory. It's available for free on Tor.com so you have no excuse. If you, like me, have a memory like a sieve, read it directly before A Master of Djinn. I almost wished that I had reread it because I had a little trouble jumping into the story because I'd forgotten all of the character names from A Dead Djinn in Cairo.

We start with the prologue, with Arichbald James Portendorf. The prologue so beautifully demonstrates how few words it takes for Djèlí Clark to set the scene and establish a character. I actually read "Archibald" as "Archbishop" the very first time, which was a little odd until I figured it out (and went and got more sleep). We never come back to Archibald, but the foundation he sets is so important.

After the prologue, we jump to our heroines, Agent Fatma from Dead Djinn in Cairo and Agent Hadia. I absolutely loved Hadia from the moment we met on the page. She had a tenacity that I absolutely admire and this is how she approaches all of her problems:

"I was told you might not take to having a partner right away. I was given an assignment with Agent Samia on graduation. Turned it down. Told her I wanted to work with you."

Writing this review, I realize that I really would have loved a dual point of view that switched between Hadia and Fatma. Hadia is just a valuable character in terms of plot development and also in terms of a foil to Fatma. She has a completely different way of looking at the problem and a completely different set of resources than Fatma would consider using.

I also really love how Hadia's faith was shown throughout the novel. I've been looking for more characters who have faith in my books and:

"A djinn put me into a wall. I think for a while, I was the wall. Then he tried to singe my skin off. So no, I'm not okay. But, God willing, I'll be alright."

The same determination Agent Hadia applies to their Ministry case, Hadia applies to her life through her faith. I'm a hundred percent sure that on the first day she purposefully packed a spare hijjab, knowing that at some point Agent Fatma would disrupt prayers, and that a bowler is not an appropriate head covering for prayers.

I also absolutely loved the lack of space Djèlí Clark made for me as a reader in the descriptions of Cairo. Djèlí Clark describes the clothing of various individuals as Fatma would, "that's a shirt" without explaining how exactly a shirt functions. I wasn't familiar with a lot of the proper names for the clothing worn in Cairo, but Djèlí Clark made me open up my phone and google it. It's not Fatma's job to explain what a completely ordinary clothing item (to her) is to me (who has never been to Cairo). I really like being immersed this way and that I'm made aware that this isn't my story and that I have work to do to understand it.

What felt a little at odds here was the global opening up of the story to the world stage. It happens throughout the novel, but becomes significantly more apparent at fifty percent. I was a little confused, but this also coincided with when life got in the way and I had to put the book down for a couple of days. I felt a lot more at home with the expanded plot when I had the chance to come back to A Master of Djinn. There's no way that the presence of djinn in Cairo isn't going to have massive political ramifications worldwide and I don't think Djèlí Clark ever intended to just have Cairo be the focus of the story. If the whole world is going to end, it's going to be the whole world. I really like how this aspect of the story sets up potential further sequels/spinoffs.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I was so excited to get a full length novel in this world! P. Djeli Clark is so talented and I'm excited to see him grow as an author. His alternate Cairo is vivid, unique, and imaginative. The Djinn and Angels are fascinating and I always want to know more about them. Did I mention Agent Fatma? I'm not sure there is another character out there quite as iconic as her.

I also really appreciated the diversity and relevant social commentary in this novel. It was clever. I did think the book could be a bit description heavy at times and there were a lot of info dumps. Sometimes this pulled me out of the story. It was also slightly predictable. Overall, I think A Master of Djinn is a solid novel. If you are a fantasy reader looking for something different, you should definitely pick this one up.

What an exciting story, full of adventures, challenges and emotions.

We are in the city of Cairo in 1912, here magic exists, djinns and also secret societies.

Fatma is a young agent working for the Ministry of Supernatural Entities; she is cool and sassy with great sense of style and she is assigned to work on a dangerous new case. A group of British and rich people were discovered burned, in what seems like a kind of secret rite, the strange thing is that their clothes are intact but they were burned unrecognizably. What creature has such power?

The mission is more dangerous than it seems, but Fatma will not be alone, she will be accompanied by Hadia, the new recruit of the ministry, she wants to test her talent and courage and Siti, an old friend who knows more than she It seems. The villain claims to be the reincarnation of Al-Jahiz. He returned to earth to help people. Fatma's mission is to prove that he is an impostor, that he is a murderer and not with good intentions.

The worldbuilding is amazing, the perfect balance between mythology and folklore with steampunk. We find Egyptian mythology, with creatures like djinn, ghuls or angels and with extremely advanced technology. The characters are great too, they have different personalities but they all have in common that they are strong, funny and intelligent. I really like Fatman and Hadia, want more of their adventures, also I need to visit the library, sounds amazing.

The story is so good, not only is about magic, it also talks a little about racism, gender discrimination and LGBT characters. I read it without having read the prequels, and know I wan to read them.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark a stunning steampunk urban fantasy and murder mystery set in an alternative Cairo in the early 20th century. You know the feeling you get when you're reading a book and you realize that the book is actually very good and is sure to become a modern classic? That's how I felt reading this book. The author clearly put a lot of thought into the world-building and the plot. The plot is so unique that I'm not sure I can do it justice with my description, but I will try. If I had to compare it to other books, I would say that it is a better-written version of Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas or comparable to the Obsidian and Blood series by Aliette de Bodard, which is set in ancient Mesoamerica. All of the aforementioned books deal with murder investigations in a city with magic systems and mythical beings like gods/angels.

The book revolves around Fatma, an agent of the Bureau of Magic in Cairo. She investigates supernatural entities in a world where djinn and other magical creatures live and work alongside mortals. At the start of the book, an unknown entity, claiming to be al-Jahiz, commits mass murder. Fatma has to track down this murderer and reveal whether he is an imposter or the real al-Jahiz. Along the way, she has to deal with unsavory characters including djinn-librarians, ash-ghuls that can duplicate as they fight, and people who believe they are the incarnations of ancient gods. Alongside the fantasy plot, the author also comments on real-world issues by weaving in subplots about standing up to misogyny, female friendships, an LGBT relationship, the English colonization of Egypt, colorism, racism, and more. One especially intriguing part of the fantasy world in the book is that the djinn was concentrated in Egypt, while there are fae in France and rusalki in Russia. I was fascinated by this aspect of the world that the author creates.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter Two, when Fatma is sent to retrieve a magical bottle from a pair of youths:

"Instead, they stared open-mouthed at what one of the young men held - an old antique bottle pouring out bright green smoke. Like enchanted maassel, but in greater amounts. It formed something that looked more solid than any illusion. When the vapor vanished, a living, breathing giant was left in its wake: with skin covered in emerald scales and a head crowned by smooth ivory horns that curved up to brush the ceiling.. He wore nothing but billowy white trousers held up by a broad gold belt. His massive chest swelled and retracted as he took deep breaths, before opening his three eyes - each burning like small, bright stars."

Later, the djinn speaks:

"No one imprisoned me. I slumbered, at my own choosing. And you woke me, unbidden, unasked, undesired - so that I would grant you wishes. Very well. I will grant you only one wish. You must choose. Choose how you will die."

When I read this part of Chapter Two, I knew that I was in for a wild ride and that I would enjoy the action-packed fantasy in this book. One quibble I had was that I wasn't sure why they were so eager to prove that Al-Jahiz was an impostor instead of the real Al-Jahiz. I wasn't sure why they were making such a big deal about it.
However, the plot moves onto other more interesting points, and I was also immensely satisfied with the ending, which revealed the true culprit in a way that makes sense and ties up loose ends. Because of the fascinating world-building and well-plotted mystery, I have no choice but to give this book 5 stars! Overall, I highly recommend A Master of Djinn for all fans of fantasy, steampunk, murder mysteries, and alternative histories. If the excerpt above or any part of the description intrigues you, you should check out this book when it comes in May!

"

After a week's worth of reading this between my free time at work, I must say that A Master of Djinn was a really good steampunk Adventure/Mystery that I've read in a long while. Before I jumped into this story, I've read the novella, A Dead Djinn in Cairo, one of its prequels to have a better understanding of the world Agent Fatma works in. There was so much rich world-building, and Egyptian culture was thrown into this novel that made the whole reading experience really worthwhile. One of the things that kept me hooked as well was how the story addressed certain social topics, such as development, the rights of women in society during the time period, and most especially the gap between the rich and the poor. It was clear that the author spent so much time and care into the book and the aim of not only enriching readers into a fantasy-like story, it gave me a whole new appreciation as well to Egypt. I think for a long time, I've only known it through what I've seen from Hollywood movies or tales about Pharaohs and lost treasures. P. Djeli Clark, wove this unique supernatural mystery and made a new perspective into it that left me wanting more.

I also like the representation here of Agent Fatma's overall character. She had her strong personality but flaws that she greatly acknowledges as well. Her dynamics with her rookie partner, Hadia balanced out their insights towards the entire case through the book.

For me, the story was top class, BUT the reason I couldn't give it a solid five stars, lies a lot in how the antagonist was created. For me, the villain, the whole grand mastermind in this story fell so flat by the time their identity was revealed. Before that, I was extremely engaged and hooked into the cat and mouse chase, but by the time, the villain was figured out and their true personalities have shown, it all became a huge meh, for me. Which was a bit of a disappointment, cause I expected a ton more twisted ideals or something deeper of meaning from the antagonist, though it just painted that the antagonist was just a big delusional person, albeit their logic for their schemes had origins. I just couldn't appreciate or like how the antagonist came out for their conquests, unlike the first antagonist from A Dead Djinn in Cairo.

Overall, I still love the book and definitely will be checking out more of P. Djeli Clark's works in the future. I'd once again like to thank NetGalley and Tor for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. :)

I would like to thank the author and publisher for kindly providing an electronic advanced copy of this book for review.

"A Master of Djinn" by award winning author P. Djeli Clark is an exciting novel that continues the previous short stories "The Haunting of Tram Car 015" and “A Dead Djinn in Cairo.” This full length alternate-history steampunk (magicpunk?) story takes place in Cairo in 1912 with the twist that magical creatures such as Djinn were allowed to pour into Egypt several decades earlier. The addition of magic provides a similar form of power and modernization that happened in our history with the development of electricity. In this novel, we join Agent Fatma el-Sha'arawi and her rookie partner Agent Hadia at the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities as they track down an magically empowered impostor posing as the very inventor that enabled the Djinn to come into our world. She is assisted by other agents, her mysterious lover, and the local police department as they investigate, and do their best to protect Cairo from harm.

This book was a very fun read. I look forward to reading more in the series.

I loved the story and the twists and turns; plus the strong females in this novel were fantastic. The only thing I felt was missing was a dictionary for the copious number of words that many readers would have to look up if they didn’t already have some background on Egyptian myth, the customs and language of the area.

"Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns to his popular alternate Cairo universe for his fantasy novel debut, A Master of Djinn.

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world forty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city - or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems...

A Master of Djinn is poised to launch P. Djèlí Clark’s SFF career to new heights as the highly-anticipated debut readers are clamoring for."

I'm always here for all things Egypt, but after finally reading P. Djèlí Clark for book club I'm ready for more!

We’re in Cairo, 1912. Cairo, 1912 with Fatma el-Sha’arawi who is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. The case she’s working on is the murder of a secret brotherhood dedicated to al-Jahiz who transformed the world 50 years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown.

We first met Fatma in the novella, A Dead Djinn in Cairo, and I’m so glad the author brought her back with a full length novel! We really get a feel for what this World looks like as we follow Fatma all over the city trying to get a handle on this case – and some other “issues” … all the customs, the people, how they live and the societal norms and customs. It’s a very well thought out story and – let me not forget to mention how well we get to know the characters … yes, Fatma and her love of suits – but also the mysterious Siti! I only wished I could have listened to the audiobook, which is how I experienced all of the author’s previous works.

TL;DR: A Master of Djinn is a queer, magical steampunk fantasy anticolonial alternate history murder mystery detective novel. And it’s excellent. My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

A mysterious scientist-philosopher-magician of a bygone era opens the human realm to greater settlement by djinn and other “mythical” beings. Thanks to this historical development, Egypt has greatly benefited from advanced djinn magic and technology to become an early nineteenth century superpower.

One of the reasons I was excited to read this book is that the description (steampunk alternate history with anticolonial bent) reminded me of Nisi Shawl’s Everfair, which I read and enjoyed a couple years back. There were indeed thematic and steampunk genre similarities between the two, but these are ultimately very different kinds of stories. Mystery, detective, and fantasy tropes are far more prominent in A Master of Djinn. The main character, Fatma el-Sha’arawi, is an investigator with the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. The supernatural bureaucracy elements of the story reminded me a bit of the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter, as did the protagonist’s mission to stop a megalomaniac from harnessing potentially catastrophic magical powers.

There is so, so much to love in this book. The clues, twists, and turns of a good mystery. Strong, complex female heroes, sidekicks, and villains. A queer love story that navigates racial, religious, and other differences in identity and lived experience. Gender politics of turn of the century Cairo. Revenge fantasy scenes where white colonizers get what’s coming to them. Vivid and imaginative descriptions of setting and characters that make glorious use of color (e.g. Cairene woman protagonist is known for wearing androgynous and brightly color-coordinated European suits). Compelling historical allusions (e.g. Black New Orleans jazz musicians who fled Jim Crow America for Egypt give commentary on the racial politics of their adopted country of refuge).

As a big language nerd and someone who has traveled and lived in places with Turkic, Persian, and Arab cultural influences, I also LOVED the religious, cultural, and linguistic details that Clark weaves into his story. It’s quite apparent in his fiction that Clark is a historian by training.

I also want to address the question of whether A Master of Djinn is a standalone work. When I requested an ARC for A Master of Djinn, I hadn’t realized that P. Djèlí Clark had already written two novellas set in this fantasy world and featuring these characters. I was curious whether they were important to understanding and enjoying his debut novel, so I decided to buy and read them before jumping into A Master of Djinn. I can definitely report that it’s not necessary to read “A Dead Djinn in Cairo” or “The Haunting of Tram Car 015” in advance. The important information gets repeated in A Master of Djinn for the benefit of the uninitiated.

That said, if you want to get a taste of this world before committing to the full novel, “A Dead Djinn in Cairo” is very short (43 pages) and tells the story of a previous case Fatma has solved that is very relevant to the case she becomes embroiled in during the events of A Master of Djinn. “The Haunting of Tram Car 015” is longer (82 pages) and centers on side characters (Fatma only makes a brief cameo) and a case that is not central to A Master of Djinn. However, it is entertaining in its own right and provides background for some of the religious conflict present in this imagined Cairene society, as well as recent political movements for gender equality that are alluded to in A Master of Djinn.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for giving me advance access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with an e-arc of this book!

I was very excited about this book from the moment I heard we were finally getting a full length novel from this author. I love his writing and have enjoyed many of his stories before going into this one. It was an absolute pleasure to reunite with agent Fatma and the other characters in the colourful, busy streets of Cairo. While I wish we got a bit more of agent Hamed, I was pleased to learn more about Fatma. I will say that her character did not develop as much as I would have liked in this book. It was however cool to see her more vulnerable and flawed than in previous stories. I thought the love story was precious and generally believable. I very much enjoyed the world building and atmosphere created in this book and given the previous novellas having some knowledge to pull from as the author expanded the universe a bit was very enjoyable. This book is action packed and the pacing pretty consistent with appropriate highs and lows throughout. However, dare I say it, the end was almost too action packed for me... what I mean is that there was so much happening at once that it felt almost rushed which I found surprising. It may be that I’ve been spoiled by previous books by this author and have come to expect highly satisfying endings from Clark and this one didn’t fully hit the mark for me. Some parts felt too easy and convenient which made the stakes unrealistic and so I was not as invested as I wanted to be or, rather, I was invested but the resolution of the conflicts left me crestfallen. Despite my lukewarm feelings about the conclusion of this book, this was yet another fantastic story by an author who is rapidly becoming one of my favourites!

I was looking forward to the first full-length novel from Mr. Djèlí Clark. The two novellas I had read before were nice but too short and therefore overstuffed. So I felt a proper novel will give the ideas space to breathe.

Well, there is space to breathe, however the novel still feels overstuffed with... stuff. I have an impression every possible supernatural being of Western hemisphere is mentioned - including rusałki and bagiennik (possibly misspelled in this ARC) from Eastern Europe - to not much effect.

The title bleeds Orient. The book? Not so much. The plot feels simple and quite superficial. The few chapters that are interesting with the right atmosphere are the ones concentrating on the djinn and the angels. The rest feels unfortunately easily forgettable, even though we possibly visit every landmark of Cairo. I feel Lord of Sobek deserves his own story being the most mysterious being in the book. Just don't throw too much at him or it will feel a waste - he too needs to breathe.