I really enjoyed the novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by Clark and was really excited for A Master of Djinn. There is a prequel short story “A Dead Djinn in Cairo” which is available for free online and that I highly recommend you reading before A Master of Djinn.

Clark excels at world building. I love the idea and execution of an alt-history Cairo where the djinn have returned. The whole book is a tangible bite. I could taste the coffee, smell the smoke from explosions, see the bright colours of the streets before my eyes.

Unfortunately I think this debut novel suffers on two parts. One, the plot drags for a good chunk of it. This is a mystery yet for most of the book nothing really happens? It just feels like an event happens, or Fatma goes somewhere to gather information, yet there is no progression. Then suddenly the book was 80% over and I’m left feeling a bit cheated.

My second issue is that you really need to read the prequel short story beforehand. Fatma’s relationships with other characters is dependent on what happened in that short story and if felt more like I was being told about their relationship, rather than reading it unfold in front of me.

Overall, A Master of Djinn is a fun read. It just wasn’t as tight of a book as I’d been hoping. I love the setting and characters though and hope Clark writes more in this world in the future.

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.

I am loving this alternate history world! This first full-length novel set in the “Dead Djinn Universe” features Fatma el-Sha’arawi, the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. Fatma is called in to investigate the murder of 24 individuals who died in a distinctly magical manner and had been gathering as a secret brotherhood. The case will bring her old friends, a new partner, and a fabulous and terrifying array of Djinn. This is a well-constructed mystery, with great characters, all in a fascinating world that I want to see more of.

A Master of Djinn is the first in a new series by the amazing P. Djeli Clark. Naturally, I knew that I had to add Dead Djinn Universe to my must-read series! Did I mention that this is P. Djeli Clark's debut novel? Yes, please!

Fatma el-Sha'arawi may be the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, but that doesn't mean she's clueless. Or a rookie. She's already been through one cataclysmic event, and she's ready to take another.

Good thing, too, as a secret brotherhood rises to the forefront, forcing Agent Fatma to step up and deal with it personally. Now, she's got a murder and a mystery on her hands.

“Why is everyone so slavish to texts written thousands of years ago?” he snapped. “Gods can change. Grow apart. Try new things. Besides, Set was a jerk.”

Wow. If you pick one fantasy novel to read this year, please let it be A Master of Djinn. This novel is everything I could have ever hoped for – and about a hundred things more. It was thrilling and fantastical, as well as providing some truly outstanding characters.

Really, what more could a girl ask for? Fatma is a brilliant leading lady here. She's confident and bold, not to mention calm in ways that I could never manage – not even in the best of times. Yet, she's also very clearly human, which made her all the more approachable.

As for the adventure, she gets thrown into here? Perfection. I expected that given this is P. Djeli Clark we're talking about! The descriptive nature of this novel really took the whole story to a new level. There were times where I sincerely forgot I was reading; I was that wrapped up in the world and plot. That is how you know it's a book worth reading (and gushing about!).

While the writing was enjoyable and overall theme of the book was fantastic... there were some areas were I was left with more questions than answers from the plot.

I felt like it tried to blend a traditional mystery with a more modern thriller. It didn't quite come off.

That being said, I struggled between a 3 or 4 start (probably a 3.75 to me). I will definitely be waiting for the author's next book.

Once again, P. Djèlí Clark weaves an absolutely stunning fantasy world.

Set in his alternate Cairo of the 1900’s, Agent Fatma el-Sha’arawi is back in the newest Dead Djinn mystery. When twenty members of a mysterious brotherhood dedicated to the famous Al-Jahiz turn up dead, Fatma and her new partner must find the culprit. Together they embark on a journey filled with Djinn, angels, and a masked man intent on the destruction of Cairo itself.

Seriously, this world is so enchanting. It’s one of those books where the setting kind of becomes the plot because every moment you are unsure what magic is going to pop up next. One of my favorite creatures had to be the angels— they were so different from any angel description I have ever seen, and in a captivating way. But at the same time it is reiterated that “they can’t really be angels” which provides a whole other layer of questions (that are never answered, but, like, in a good way)

Not to mention, I’m someone who doesn’t generally like reading purely mystery books, and especially not police detective books. But the combination of police mystery with a mythical setting was just so intriguing. The blend of genres is seamless and was able to captivate even my short, impatient attention span. I definitely fell even more in love with Cairo in A Master of Djinn than I did in The Haunting of Tram Car 015 (which is the first Clark book I read). And that’s saying something, because I very much enjoyed it in that book too.

I will say that I had a slight problem with the repetitiveness of certain characters. I saw it mentioned in another review that Fatma sometimes much boiled down to her love of suits, which I think is accurate. In fact, many of the characters were often represented by a single personality trait. Siti was the fierce lioness (side note: I was still in love with her), Ahmad a creepy crocodile, and Fatma had her suits. And I got on the one hand wanting to really develop certain qualities in the characters, but their range was limited in a way that took away from feeling like real people. However, I did still find them likable.

I think that may be partially why I had trouble staying engrossed at times—there was just something about the story that was distinctly fictional. And as the world building was so fantastic, it must have had something to do with the characters (and possibly the occasional info dumping). While I appreciated the amount of detail put even into the history of the world, I also wanted to see more action and dialogue. After reading all of Clark’s novellas, I think I can say A Master of Djinn had the plot of a full-length story, but character development that better matched the short stories. If there had just been a little more to them, everything would have felt more tangible.

But really, I have enjoyed the entirety of the Dead Djinn universe, and don’t want to come off too critical. The world building alone will make me read any future books in this series. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to get lost in a gorgeously told and vivid story!

Pacing: Medium
Intended audience: Adult
Content warnings: murder, violence

A Master of Djinn is a fun, inventive, richly explored historical fantasy mystery, expanding on P. Djèlí Clark's earlier short stories and novella in a fantastical 1912 Egypt. In this alternate history, magic has returned to the world, and djinns and demigods, alchemists and angels (sort of) have spent fifty years becoming entwined in human society. Clark's protagonist, the ever-suave Agent Fatma, is an investigator of the supernatural - such as the apparent resurrection of Al-Jahiz, the mystic who first breached the barrier between worlds and brought magic into this one.

The longer format, compared to the earlier stories, gives A Master of Djinn the space to breathe, to develop its characters as well as its world. While Egypt is still the heart of the story, A Master of Djinn expands on the larger post-al-Jahiz world, with tantalizing glimpses of other nations and cultures’ responses to the breach between realms that led to magic’s new place in reality. The book’s length also gives it more room to be *about* something, more than just (I mean, “just” but...) telling a ripping good tale, as it were. Colonization, racism, gender, community, nationalism, faith...though it’s certainly still another great adventure story, too.

While the story falls short a little as a whodunit (it takes Fatma somewhat too long to even consider a possibility that felt painfully obvious, too early, to me), it's wildly successful as a fantastical adventure tale, as Fatma and her associates - her enigmatic lover Siti, her naïve-yet-enthusiastic new partner Hadia, and all the assorted humans, djinns, and whatever other kinds of beings that surround them - careen through Cairo in the course of the investigation. I loved the earlier stories in this setting and with these characters, and can't wait for more to follow!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the advance review copy!

Booktube, A Master of Djinn by P Djeli Clark is an amazing book. Like the novellas A Dead Djinn in Cairo and The Haunting of Tram Car 015, this full length novel set in a steampunk Cairo perfectly layers story, theme, and character into one of the most well written books I have read in 2021. This book is what adult fantasy books should aspire to be.

I spent my time rooting for Fatma and her girlfriend, Siti to continue their relationship throughout the mystery and subsequent fallout of Fatma's case. I also loved how the characters showed growth with respect to gender equality, cultural acceptance, and the role of law enforcement. In a stunning turn of events, I have no negative feedback in this book review. I'm literally invested in every aspect of this story and can't wait to see what happens next.

I was already a big fan of P. Djèlí Clark before reading his first novel, but now I’m ready to find a laminator and make myself a little fan club membership badge.

First of all, the cover by Stephan Martiniere! I want to eat it. The sheer lusciousness of it matches the insides perfectly. Tor constantly puts out quality works, writing and aesthetics wise.

A Master of Djinn is set in the same world as the story A Dead Djinn in Cairo and the novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015 – a sumptuous and vibrant early 1900s steampunk Cairo. There’s so much Life and buzz and movement in this word, it’s so easy to let go and let it carry you along. The setting and the atmosphere are such a huge part of what makes this world compelling. You can picture every street, every dish, the smells, the noises, the wonderful djinns and horrible ghuls.

The characters are compelling and fun. Fatma is such a good protagonist: she has a strong moral code and fantastic outfits. Her dapper suits are to die for, the colour combinations and details are absolutely delicious and you can tell P. Djèlí Clark delights in their descriptions. Her developing relationship with Siti is also such an interesting dynamic and not something that you see a lot – two people who have the beginnings of something romantic prior to the start of the official narrative and their journey as the relationship deepens and progresses. Hadia, Fatma’s new partner, adds a lot of lightness and fun to the journey and I’d love to read something from her perspective.

The plot combines classic murder mystery/detective and steampunk/fantasy elements. But at its core, it’s really a nuanced discussion of imperialism and colonialism and their destructive forces. It touches on race, colourism and classism; on police presence and how the poor and vulnerable can be easily preyed on by false prophets and self-proclaimed gods; on misogyny and feminism. The way P. Djèlí Clark approaches religion as well is so intricate, joyful and expansive. His narrative tension is deeply based on culture and tradition.

The only thing that didn’t quite work for me was the pacing of the first half. I felt every single percentage when reading it and it went sloooowly. But that’s about it really.

I can’t wait for the second book and anything else the author puts out.

Thank you Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the free review copy!

7.43 on CAWPILE.

A great story in this setting in steampunk Cairo, had the same vibes as the short story I initially read earlier this year.

The atmosphere and world is definitely the best part of this book. The steampunk vibes and the whole idea of Egypt being a superpower because of Al-Jahiz opening rifts in the universe for Djinn to come through really ties this novel together.

The writing was a little cheesy at times, I think there could be less exclamation marks - but this could have been fixed as I did read an ARC.

The plot was slightly predictable, but in a fun way so it didn't ruin anything for me. It is essentially a murder mystery, reminds me of Poirot.

The main character is lesbian and POC, with most of the cast being POC (obvious I guess as it's set in Cairo), with really good commentary on race and inequity, as well as the difficulty of the poor and police brutality. This isn't a huge part of the book but is really subtle in the background and definitely adds to the realistic feel.

I'm looking forward to seeing if P Djeli Clark returns to this universe as I'd love to read more cases involving Fatma!

This was fantastic! I was provided an ARC via Netgalley but did end up listening to the final production edition of the audiobook. I'm so glad that I listened to the audiobook, the narrator was wonderful! She did a fantastic job distinguishing between all of the characters!

Clark has quickly become a must buy author for me! I also highly recommend reading A Dead Djinn in Cairo and The Haunting of Tram Car 015, but they are standalones set in the same world as this book and just add to it, but aren't required reading. I hope we get more books in this series or universe as it is so interesting and I love Fatma's character. Clark leaves the end open for more especially with that note from Ahmad, so I hope there are more books to home or atleast more novellas/short stories. If not I thought this ended with a great conclusion and stood on it's own really well.

I absolutely love this steampunk, fantasy world set in an alternate 1912 Egypt. The author does a wonderful job combining history, fantasy, myth, social commentary, and magic into this world. He also writes wonderful characters. Our main character, Fatma is employed as a special agent for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enhancements, and Supernatural Entities. She is one of the best at what she does, but she stands out as not only one of the only women in her profession but by the sharp English suits she wears. When she is called into investigate a mysterious murder alongside the police, she is pulled into a dangerous case with an unpredictable culprit. Fatma also has to deal with the addition of a partner to her investigation. Hadia was a great addition, and while she was a rookie investigator, she brought alot to the team and wasn't afraid to call out Fatma when needed. The characters in the book are flawed but they each show grow.

This mystery is full of adventure and actions. It will keep you on your toes and guessing what is going to happen until the very last minute. If you are looking for something a little different in the mystery genre but you are fan of fantasy I highly recommend picking this up!

I really love this author's short stories. I've read everything he published and each one of the stories was a solid 5 out 5 stars. So I was really looking forward to diving into this full length novel set in the same world as the Haunting of Tram Car 015.
Unfortunately, my high expectations were met with a disappointment. This has all the ingredients that made his short stories great... but the mixture isn't quite setting right.
I think one of the reasons is that there isn't enough plot here for a novel, so the author is putting a lot of filler to add to the word count. As a result, the narrative moves at a very sedate pace and feels rather disjointed. I caught myself wondering several times why the the author chose to stay with some minutia details for as long as he did.
When the narrative actually moves the story along, it's all tight writing and nail-biting action. Unfortunately the "padding" kills that momentum every time. I constantly felt like the story was hitting the break every time it was starting to get good.
My other problem with this book was that I didn't particularly care for the protagonist. Fatma spends most of the book worrying more about if her tie matches her outfit or what her lover is doing than doing actual detective work. As a result, she comes across as an irresponsible airhead, not a decorated investigator.
And speaking of detective work, Fatma is particularly bad at it in this book. To the point I started wondering exactly how she got her position. Did she get hired as the token female into an all male world? I'm sure that's not the view the author intended to convey, but Fatma's seeming ineptitude and worry about her wardrobe above anything else doesn't make her seem like a capable character. Heck, all the major clues that move the story along are basically handed to her by other characters!
I think the author realized that his protagonist wasn't doing much detecting, so he decided to give her a new partner. Who is also a female. Fresh out of the academy. Very eager to learn and to jump into action.
This could have been such a wonderful idea to explore - to have those two women used to being tough in a man's world butt heads, learn how to cooperate, and slowly gel into a cohesive team. And in the beginning it really seemed like that would be the road the author would take... until it wasn't.
The problem here is that he made the new recruit too perfect. She is skilled in martial arts, she is smart and reads several languages, she never looses her cool even in dreadful situations, and she knows and uncle/cousin/brother-in-law, etc. in any and all departments of Egyptian life. She is basically a glorified Mary Sue.
So we have a wishy washy protagonist paired with a Mary Sue and a story that draaaaaags over pages and pages... and the result is a big disappointment. I think I'll still with this author's shorter work for now.
PS: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley, Tordotcom and P Djélì Clark for this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. I'm very sorry for the late review, study ate my brain.

This is the first full length novel from novella superstar P Djélì Clark. I've loved everything I've read by him and it's so exciting to see a full length book from him.

It takes place in a Cairo made world leading metropolis thanks to the power of djinn. The architecture, neo Pharonic (as opposed to the western neo classical), makes an incredible backdrop to this supernatural detective whirlwind.

This is an adventure that takes us all around Cairo. I love the luxury of space this novel gives to explore the city that the shorter works set here didn't have. We see a city reckoning with gentrification and poverty in contrast to a grand world power hosting international leaders to try avert World War one.

This was enormous fun, though I found the pacing a bit off in the middle. The conclusion was very satisfying and deftly avoided the trap of making the ending just one giant battle. There is a pretty sweet battle, but it's much more than that.

I feel privileged to read work from this masterful writer and very much look forward to seeing what he does next.

I loved the steampowered alternate history setting of Cairo in this! The mythology with djinns was interesting, and the characters of Hadia, Fatma, and Siti were delightful. The main drawback for me was depth of character development and consistency with Fatma at times in her role as an investigator at an agency that handles supernatural entities, but this was minor for me. And sometimes some of the plot threads felt like this work was trying to do too much and losing a little focus. The intersectional diversity in this was welcome and appreciated-- It was really nice to a solid female protagonist and a functional relationship with a main female love interest, even if it was fraught at times due to story events, it was overall not abusive and not tragic. I liked this read overall.

Overall I did enjoy this book! I liked the characters and the mystery. However, it did get really slow in the middle section and it took me awhile to get through it.

P. Djèlí Clark is a SFF grandmaster, full stop. How he manages to create so much with only a few words, I'll never know. A Master of Djinn is absolute perfection - full of magic, steampunk, badass ladies, and gorgeous worldbuilding, everything about this book (and its accompanying novellas and short stories) is just exquisite. Do yourself a favor and read all of them, now.

Clark’s steampunk fantastical version of our world in the 1900s is rich and compelling. The worldbuilding truly shines and I don’t think I’ve read such a vivid, compelling world for quite awhile! Additionally I’m always here for a good fantasy mystery and I want this to be a more common genre because I adore it. The mystery was a bit predictable and convenient at time but that made it feel cozy and familiar and it didn’t bother me because the true stars of this book are Fatma and the other characters and this brilliant world. Definitely give it a try; and I can’t wait for more in this universe.

Thanks to Tor and to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Yeah, I'm obsessed. Literally, who's doing it like P. Djèlí Clark? So vivid and imaginative, I want to see this magical Cairo with my own two eyes. Such a promising start to a mystery series with a handful of wonderful characters. Excellent.

In a word this book was Fun with a capital F.
An steam punk plus urban fantasy plus mythological murder mystery set in an alternate universe Cairo where colonisation efforts of the European countries have been brought to a standstill with the help of Djinns and Angels? That itself was enough to get me hook line and sinker into this book.
From the very first page it kept me glued to the pages and reminded me just why exactly I love to read.
We follow Fatma el-Sha’arawi investigator extraordinaire for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Suprnatural Entities trying to catch a mass murderer who claims to be Al-Jahiz, the master of Djinns who opened the portal that introduced other worldly creatures into Earth and managed to change the entire sociopolitical structure of the world. She’s assisted in this endeavour by hwr mysterious assassin girlfriend Siti and her newly appointed partner Hadia.
I can’t tell youbhiw madly entertaining this whole read was. I wasn’t bored for even a moment and as soon as the book ended I was left wanting more and more and more of this world and these characters.
Clarke does a brilliant job of creating an immersive, colourful, vivid , magical world that’s on the cusp of modernity while also incorporating the sociopolitical setup of the early 1920s turned on its head. He also addresses the suffragette movement, colourism, racism and other prejudices prevalent in the community and seamlessly weaves it into the narration thereby making it all the more vibrant.
The characters were soooo charismatic that I have become a forever fan. Fatma, Siti and Hadia are my absolute favourite badass heroines of all time and I cannot wait to read more of their adventures.
Now was this book perfect? Objectively, no. It had some pacing issues, a few places were the story meandered a bit and there were definitely some loose ends to be tied up. But you know what? I don’t care. For me, subjectively, this book was perfect. I didn’t want it to end, I didn’t want to leave this world, I just wanted to keep on reading and that’s what a 5 star read is. So yeah, this get the full five stars and more from me and I cannot recommend it enough.
P.S for those who are planning to pick this up( you better be picking this up) please make sure to read the prequel novellas and short stories as some of the world building and character intros are done there and they will definitely enhance your reading experience

Queer steampunk fantasy mystery set in early 1900s Egypt

“A Master of Djinn” by P. Djèlí Clark is a fantasy mystery novel with steampunk elements set in an alternate Cairo, Egypt in 1912. After the barrier between our world and the magical world was removed half a century earlier, countries have been trying to manage the influx of magical beings. In Egypt, where Djinn now live amongst people, Fatima is the youngest woman who works at the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. Fuelled by confidence and a snappy style of dress, a new mystery soon has Fatma stumped. After members of a secret British society are murdered by someone claiming to be the very man they worship, Fatima must solve the crime before the tension in the city boils over and and all is lost. Meanwhile, she has an unwanted new partner at work and her hot and cold girlfriend is more than who she seems.

This is a fun novel that reimagines Cairo at the turn of the century in a new light. The introduction of magic and Djinn in the world shifts the international power dynamic and in Clark’s Egypt, the British have withdrawn early and colonialism is becoming a distant memory. Djinn and the mysterious Angels bring with them new technologies, which Clark shows off to great effect during some of the action scenes. Fatma is a great, imperfect character whose brilliance is tempered by her vanity and her stubbornness. I really enjoyed Fatma’s new partner Hadia, and their interactions were a really good comment on how scarcity of opportunity for women (or people who belong to any marginalised group) can force unfair competition, but also how valuable mentorship and camaraderie can be. I also really liked the romance. Clark explores what it means to come from more than one background, and how critical trust and safety is in a relationship. The Djinns as well were really well done and I thought Clark brought a lot of complexity and humanity to these new citizens of Cairo.

I think something to keep in mind is that the characters refer to events earlier one quite often, and I though perhaps he was setting the story up for a prequel. It turns out, he has actually written a short story set in the same world. While I don’t think you need to have read it to enjoy this story, given how often it is referred to it might help. Although set in a steampunk fantasy world, this is at heart a mystery and I probably would have liked it to be a little, well, mysterious. Clark introduces several red herrings and plenty of action, but ultimately I guessed the twist early.

A fast-paced and enjoyable novel with a lot of interesting social commentary if not a particularly surprising ending.