This book is so blisteringly good. P. Djèlí Clark reimagines history with vivacity, ingenuity, and pure damn style in his alternate early 20th c. Egypt that has forcibly sloughed off the British colonial yoke and risen to power with the help of Djinn. It has murder, magic, mayhem, and at the center of it all, one lesbian detective with a sharp taste in suits and even sharper monster-hunting chops. I had so much fun reading this!

This is an excellent book! I love the steampunk and the magic and the djinn and angels of this world of Cairo at the turn of the 20th century. If you're looking for steampunk in places other than Victorian London, then this is the book for you!

Clark has a singular talent of creating stories that are deeply visceral and visually compelling! I truly cannot wait to see where the rest of the series takes us!

Does this book have its flaws? Yes. Did I love it anyways? Yes. The characters and the world were just so wonderful that they made up for any other flaws that I felt this book had. I have now read all the short stories and novellas in this universe and am still craving more.

This book literally has EVERYTHING!!!!!!
Magic!
Steam Punk Cairo!!!!
More Magic!!!!!
Murder!!!
Lesbians!!!!!
Ancient Gods!!!!!!

I loved this book so much.
It was a delight.

We interviewed P. Djèlí Clark in Episode 428 of The Skiffy and Fanty Show.

This was our second interview with Phenderson, who is a brilliant guest and a brilliant writer. A Master of Djinn was one of my favorites from that year!

This is such an intelligent historical fantasy that you can tell is very well-researched. It took a while to get going, and I felt like there could have been more character depth, but a great read overall.

Thoroughly enjoyable alt-hist romp - djinnpunk?? It's wonderful, anyway, and much funnier than I was expecting. Not a bad thing at all, I just think the preceding novellas took themselves more seriously; this one is definitely lighter in tone. Look forward to spending more time in this universe.

The first full-length novel in this world is terrific, with more development of the characters previously introduced in the short story (A Dead Djinn in Cairo) and novella (The Hunting of Tram Car 015), as well as the world they live in. An immersive and unique reading experience.

A fantastic read. The world's was truly unique and well-developed, and the plot was exciting. I loved the characters.

I am so sad to say that I did not LOVE this book in the way that I've loved all of PDC's other work. I do appreciate it though. As usual, PDC proves himself to be an excellent world builder, and in that respect this book did not disappoint. As personal preference, I feel like I would have much preferred to experience this story visually (movie, series, graphic novel). There were a number of times where the book seemed drawn out to me, specifically when historical context was being explained. All things considered though, this might have just been because of my ignorance of Egyptian history and folklore. Apart from that, it just felt like this book took too long to end. As a side note, I felt like there was a lot of repetition (mostly concerning the mechanics of how this new world came to be, who the characters are, what they are capable of).

I did not hate the story. There was a lot to enjoy. I really do wish it is something that I can experience in a different format one day.

'A Master of Djinn' by P. Djeli Clark is an urban fantasy set in an alternate Cairo where magic creatures exist.

Fatma el-Sha'arawi is a young but seasoned investigator in Cairo's Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. She dresses sharp and really doesn't want a partner, but when a mysterious man in a gold mask shows up and seemingly commands the cities many Djinn, she just might need the help.

While I found the mystery a bit easy to unravel, the motivation and method as well as the lush world-building made it a fun journey. The varied characters are interesting and well rounded also.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark goes full-length for the first time in his dazzling debut novel: A Master of Djinn (Tordotcom, 2021).

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..

Wow! This one really blew me away. Absolutely loved everything about this. I've only read Tram Car 015 but I loved that so I knew this would be a win for me.

Entertaining murder mystery with Djinn magic in an exotic setting. Featuring lesbian characters. Stand alone but same character from one of his previous novellas.

It was an obvious first novel. The mystery and clues were easyish to anticipate and twist was obvious before big reveal. Lots of the ideas were obviously recycled and climax was too tidy and convienent. Subplots and themes were superficial and lacked layers or complexity- a lost opportunity.

However, the world absorbed you and story was easy to read and enjoy. The above flaws were present but disnt ruin it for me. Would recommend.

A Master of Djinn was an intriguing book with excellent world-building. The character development was lacking and the plot felt unnecessarily drawn out but I'd consider continuing the series.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher.

P. Djeli Clark is one of those authors you need to be watching, His story and world crafting is so unique and visceral. Months go by and I can still see the imagery he provides, and A Master of Djinn will be no exception. In the first novel within this series, Clark brings together strong characters, page turning mystery, and heartfelt insight to a steampunk-esque Egypt and a brilliant detective. I highly recommend reading the novella and short story in this series before diving into this novel, but whatever route you take, just make sure you read it.

Great blend of the past and futuristic elements. We need mire books about djinn. Interesting concept about djinn being invasive on human culture since they usually are portrayed as being captured or summoned.

Great steampunk novel with a well crafted world and compelling characters. Enjoyed this and cant wait to read the associated novellas.

After reading all his novellas set in this world full of Djinns, I was so excited to finally get a full novel in it! I loved seeing the characters cross each other's paths, and that we get this novel from Fatma's POV. Despite the fantasy setting, this reads like a mystery detective story. I may have seen the ending a bit coming, there were many twists and turns that kept me engaged the whole time. I lied the adding of a new character that gave a bit more contextual information about the time and gave this story a feminist layer.

Really enjoyed A Master of Djinn and would recommend reading the novellas before to have the full experience. Can't wait to read P. Djeli Clark's next novel.