Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Note: The author’s middle name includes two diacritical marks. I typed up this review in Word, which has special characters for both of them, but I have no idea if they will survive transferring this into Wordpress.

A Master of Djinn is the first full-length novel in P. Djèlí Clark’s Dead Djinn series, which starts with “A Dead Djinn in Cairo” and continues through “The Angel of Khan el-Khalili” and “The Haunting of Tram Car 015.” These stories are set in a version of early twentieth century Egypt in which the barrier between the world of mortals and that of magical beings has been pierced, allowing magic to return to our world. For Egypt, this meant the return of the djinn. And while the djinn can be troublesome and outright dangerous, they did help the Egyptians expel European colonial powers, allowing their country to become an independent major power. A Master of Djinn begins with the mass murder of a group attempting to uncover the secrets of the man who brought about this great change, a mystic known only as al-Jahiz. Shortly thereafter, an individual wielding great magical power appears and claims to be al-Jahiz returned. It falls to the Egyptian Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities to deal with the fallout of these events.

As expected from his previous work, Clark brings the steampunk Cairo setting to vivid, bustling life. He renders the sights, sounds, and smells of the city with great clarity. But the heart of the story is the city’s population: humans from all over Africa and the Middle East (and a few from further afield), plus djinn. Cairo hasn’t always had an easy time adjusting to being a cosmopolitan metropolis, and the book’s antagonist takes advantage of those tensions.

Speaking of which, the presentation of the antagonist is another thing Master of Djinn does well. They’re smart, using the pre-existing divisions among Cairo’s citizens to turn their enemies against each other. We also see them using deception and obfuscation to keep their foes disoriented. So many stories only have the heroes winning because the villains seemed to leave their brains at home. In Master of Djinn, Fatma’s victory truly feels earned.

There are some very nice smaller details, too. Throughout the book, Fatma thinks of her mother’s sayings that might be pertinent to the situation. The first time she directly encounters the man who claims to be al-Jahiz, she quotes one of them. I liked this trait of hers and the payoff of having her state one of the maxims out loud after having repeatedly thought of them. There are a couple of phrases that are used so often they get repetitive, such as saying that a character’s eyes “rounded” in surprise, but this is a tiny quibble. Overall, this was a really fun read, and I hope it won’t be the last novel Clark writes in this setting.

With this book, P Djèlí Clark becomes an auto-buy author for me. After reading "Ring Shout" and two of the novellas in the Dead Djinn world, I was looking forward to this book so much, and it did not disappoint!

Characters 5/5
The characters in this book are so fun. I love the snark and sass some of the characters have. The djinn are fantastic, and funny, and feel over-the-top in a way that you can't wait to read more about.

Plot 5/5
The action in this, mixed with the mystery elements, was my style of story. This would make for an incredible adaptation to graphic novel or screen.

Storytelling/Writing 5/5
I love P Djèlí Clark's writing. And the pacing? The story sucks you in and doesn't lay off the gas. This is easily a book you can sit down and read in one sitting. The book just goes, and you have to know what happens next.

Enjoyment 5/5
Obviously, I thought this was amazing. I'm already looking forward to rereading it.

Atmosphere 5/5
Everything I wanted to know about the world that I felt the novellas only hinted at, this delivered on. Worldbuilding was most of the reason I was looking forward to a full-length book, and I definitely got my wish! I also loved the easter eggs and references made to the novellas. You don't need to read them first in order to dive into this book, but if you've read them, you'll definitely pick up on a few things others may think are just throw away statements. If you love that kind of stuff like me, then you might want to check them out first.

P Djèlí Clark wrote two novellas set in this universe before A Master Of Djinn, and I think that if you preferred A Dead Djinn In Cairo to <a href="https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2020/06/19/the-haunting-of-tram-car-015-by-p-djeli-clark/">The Haunting Of Tram Car 015</a> then you'll definitely enjoy this one too. Like the prior novellas, his first full-length book is about mystical goings-on in an alternate history, steampunk Egypt that shook off the colonizing yoke when Al-Jahiz, a Soudanese mystic, pierced the veil between worlds and allowed djinn and other creatures of legend to freely walk our mortal plane. Now Egypt is a burgeoning world power due to its enhanced citizenry. With any new source of industry, however, must come the requisite government oversight.

Enter the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, responsible for overseeing and regulating any legal issues involving same. Fatma el-Sha'arawi was once notorious for being its youngest female agent -- and for a style of dress that screams young Western dandy -- but has plenty of experience in solving supernatural crimes and saving the world. She prefers to work solo, but is often aided by her girlfriend, Siti, the Nubian worshiper of Sekhmet whose temple status seems to have lent her preternatural powers of her own. The last thing Fatma needs or wants is a rookie partner, in the form of fresh academy graduate Hadia, whose sky blue hijab hints at her less than conservative approach to a society where women traditionally wear more somber-colored head coverings.

Despite Fatma's reluctance, their first official case together is the slaughter of an entire Brotherhood devoted to Al-Jahiz. Headed by Alistair Worthington, one of the richest men in Cairo as well as a prominent English citizen, the secretive Brotherhood collected items said to have belonged to the long-disappeared mystic. When Al-Jahiz himself reportedly turns up to one of their meetings to violently display his displeasure, the entire city looks poised to riot, as the same mystical figure is also making appearances in the streets, preaching against foreign interference and decadence. With an international peace summit scheduled just days away, Fatma and Hadia must get to the bottom of this before the impostor brings more bloodshed to the streets of their beloved country.

So here's the deal: Mr Clark tries. I'm really glad that he's writing Afrocentric, Islamophilic fantasy featuring strong female leads, with a rich and textured world-building that emphasizes harmony and compassion, while denouncing warmongering and slavery. Which, I think, is why the feminism often feels a bit college-level in comparison. This is an Egypt where almost all the women wear head coverings but are also totally encouraging of a woman who dresses in suits carrying on a lesbian romance with a worshiper of the old gods? While I personally think this is pretty awesome, I don't understand why a fantasy environment like this one would also feature a heroine who flinches every time someone seemingly heteronormative comes into her daily orbit. Fatma has a lot of assumptions about Hadia that make it look like she has a lot of experience with asshole hijabi women judging her or worse for being who she is, but absolutely nothing about the setting as written lends itself to this tension. I was also not impressed with Hadia, at least not in the way I enjoyed how her counterpart, Onsi, proved himself to his superior, Hamed, in THoTC015. Hadia's a bit of a complainer, and I wish Fatma too was as bold on the inside as she goes to such pains to appear. I totally understand putting up a brave front, but finely tailored Western suits in multiple color combinations are A Choice in the Egyptian heat, you know?

Also, I was extremely unimpressed by their detective skills. It was glaringly obvious as soon as they had the ledger entries who the bad guy was, so I spent most of the back half of the book waiting with varying degrees of patience for them to figure it out too. I did really enjoy how the world-building was extended to the European powers tho, which are learning how to harness their own native spirits, and I'm looking forward to reading more of this universe in future. I'm rather hoping the next book will feature Agents Hamed and Onsi, who seem less like awkward character ideas and more like actual people, both in their novella and in this book where they appear as supporting cast members.

A Master Of Djinn (Dead Djinn Universe #1) by P. Djèlí Clark was published May 11 2021 by Tordotcom and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781250267689">Bookshop!</a>

As a big fan of Ring Shout, I was curious to dive into another one of Clark’s fantastical worlds. While I loved the 1920s steampunk/futuristic Cairo, I found the exposition and world-building dense and at times distracting from the central murder mystery. I wanted to spend more time with the characters exploring Clark’s re-imagined Egypt, and less getting lost in the complex socio-political landscape. (Full disclosure I did not read the novella predecessors, perhaps that would have made a difference.)

Despite the slow pace, a lot happens in the 400 page run time, I just wish that most of the action wasn’t crammed in the book’s latter half, as some of the conflicts started to feel repetitive rather than ending. Lastly while, the reveal of the big bad was predictable, it played out in a fun way, rife with tongue in cheek humour -one of the characters even makes a comment about villain speechifying. All in all, while the story wasn’t my favourite, I will definitely stay tuned to see what this quirky cast of characters gets up to in the next instalment.

Many thanks to the author and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

This is me sixth work by the author but not me last. This is set in the author’s early 1900s alternate Cairo where magic has returned to the world and Egypt is a major world power. First there was a short 40 page story about Agent Fatma el-Sha’arawi, then a longer novella about Senior Agent Hamed al-Nasr, and now this full-length novel set in the same world. Fatma stars but previous characters make appearances too.

A murder investigation drives the plot. The dead include a rich Englishman and his secret society dedicated to al-Jahiz. I have to admit that I knew early on who the murderer was but not how it all went down. Finding out was lots of fun.

I continued to love Agent Fatma. She rocks. I also really enjoyed the addition of new agent Hadia. The djinn, in all their variations, continue to be the highlight for me. I love the steampunk feel of Cairo and the lovely twisting of the historical elements. The world building rocks and I loved more insight into the city and its denizens.

The flaw of this novel was that the plot is quite scattered and Fatma doesn’t exhibit the brilliant intellect I expected of her. In addition there were just too many elements and I felt that most of them didn’t get the attention they were warranted. That said, I had fun with this and could read many more stories set in this world in whatever format the author chooses to write them in and starring lots of different folk. Arrr!

Side note: I found out there is another short story set in this world. I must track it down!

On this episode of Everything is Canon, Steve talks to P. Djèlí Clark all about his brand new novel, his first published one in fact, A Master of Djinn, which has him returning to his very popular alternate Cairo fantasy universe and characters already established in novelette’s such as A Dead Djinn in Cairo and The Haunting of Tram Car 015.

With its steampunk aesthetic, anti-colonialism message, razor-sharp wit, and a cast of characters you won’t soon forget, A Master of Djinn takes some of the familiar, mixes in lots of the unfamiliar, and creates one of the best whodunnits you’ll read this year.

You don’t necessarily have to have read the shorts prior to reading A Master of Djinn, but if you have, or plan to, the payoff is huge as Clark rewards those who have spent time in his Cairo with an incredible number of nods, winks, callback’s, and more.

We talk about his roots with FIYAH Literary Magazine, which TV series he thought had a perfect ending, what makes Fatma so great, A Master of Djinn of course, and much, much more.

To listen to the full interview, click the link below!

https://www.cinelinx.com/off-beat/shows/everything-is-canon-a-master-of-djinn/

This book was AMAZING. Steampunk, yes! Jinn, yes! LGBTQ, Yes! This book hit everything. It has a diverse cast, all of the main characters are POC, the main character is gay, every character is so unapologetically themselves. The story of agent Fatma racing through the streets of Cairo to save her city and the world at large from a mysterious murderer with world domination on the mind is so good. I loved every moment of this. I didn't see the reveals coming, I laughed at the continuously changing crocodilian priest, the imagery was so friggin good. I have read SO much fantasy and I can honestly say I've never read a book like this. Its such a breath of fresh air. Everything is amazing, the plot, the character development, the setting, the themes, the representation, the action, the fast pace without being too fast. Seriously READ THIS BOOK. Read it now. I cannot wait to recommend it.

After reading The Haunting of Tram Car 15 and A Dead Djinn in Cairo, I kept checking to see if P. Djèlí Clark was planning to write more in this fascinating alternative Cairo. And then my dreams came true with A Master of Djinn.

This urban fantasy world is so beautifully imagined, Clark has thought of every detail when melding the fantastic with the ordinary. A Master of Djinn is an incredibly fun and thought-provoking mystery that explores this world further. It was fascinating to learn more about the history of this world and of its various inhabitants.

Fatma is amazing main character and I’m totally here for amazing female sleuths. I also loved the various friendships and relationships in this books. I’m really crossing my fingers that we get even more novels in this world because the mentor/trainee dynamic between Fatma and Hadia was so excellent.

A Master of Djinn is probably going to end up on my favorites of 2021 list. Definitely recommend it if you’re a fan of urban fantasy or fantasy!

In an early 20th century steampunk Cairo, someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to the famous al-Jahiz. Al-Jahiz was responsible for opening a portal between worlds through which the djinn entered. Now the djinn are an accepted part of the world , many working and living among humans.
When the murders are reported, Agent Fatma of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities is summoned to the scene. Fingers point to someone calling himself al-Jahiz as the murderer. Fatma is suspicious and doubts that he is who he says he is. She, her girlfriend Siti, and Agent Hadia investigate. Soon this al-Jahiz has the city in an uproar.

The world-building is detailed painting a vivid picture of pre-WWI, supernatural, steampunk Cairo. Places are well described as are the people. Class differences and religious differences are mentioned.

My favorite characters are Fatma, Siti, and Hadia. They are all strong, forward looking women. Other supporting characters are also interesting such as Ahmed who is a worshipper of Sobek, one of the old gods. The djinn librarian also has a lot of personality.

Plotwise, the book is well done with a few slow parts. There was plot and subplots. I wasn't sure the angels needed to be a part of the story, but I suspect they were included for characterization and may play a bigger role in a future book in the same world. I figured out the answer to the mystery just before the big reveal. But, I wasn't expecting the scope of the struggle that followed.

Overall, A Master of Djinn is a well-written book. It has a unique setting and interesting characters. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It looks like the first in a series, but can be read as a standalone. It has me looking forward to more adventures of Fatma, Siti, and Hadia.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to receive a copy of A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark from Tor and Netgalley, having read and loved the author’s novella, “A Dead Djinn in Cairo.”

The worldbuilding combining steampunk and Middle Eastern folklore is a fresh and inventive take, but the characters, especially detective Fatma felt real and well-rounded. Also, I really want her wardrobe. The plot unspools at a measured pace, though the opening, which sets up the mystery that Fatma must solve, felt a little slow. Still, by the time I got to our detective, I was hooked on this story. Readers of SFF who love a good mystery plot will enjoy this book. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book set in this world.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC.

When I reviewed The Haunting of Tram Car 015 last year, I stated that I would definitely be willing to spend more time in Clark’s supernatural/steampunk Cairo. I didn’t realize at the time that a novel was forthcoming!

A Master of Djinn scores high in my three fields of “what makes enjoyable fiction according to Katherine”: setting, characters, and plot.

Obviously, I think very highly of the setting. I love the notion of steampunk, but I think it requires a light touch, especially when magic is also involved. Perhaps 1912 is a little late to be honest-to-goodness steampunk. We have, I suppose, entered the “cog age” by then. The magical elements end up giving the era a technological boost. I’m also a fan of mythical entities that don’t get a lot of play like djinn. (This is what led me to Clark’s fiction in the first place.)

Agent Fatma is possibly one of my favorite characters in fiction. She’s smart, tough, and has a very particular fashion sense. She’s also not perfect and knows when to ask for help, which is kind of important for an investigator. The supporting cast of character are fun and competent but also have their flaws.

The plot is a solid police procedural, though one with trips to djinn-run libraries and interviews with deity-touch informants. There are a few twist and turns (one of which I saw coming) and the conclusion is much bigger than the inciting incident, which is fine. There are of course themes of Fatma being a woman in a man’s world, though for the most part she’s proven herself. More vital to the plot is the casual hypocrisy that happens when an institution says “we’ve hired *a* woman; we’re progressive now!” and how that leads to people in power who believe that their society too is so progressive that there are no more problems of race or class. These aren’t issues that are harped on; Clark doesn’t preach at his reader. But these are issues that are in play and direct certain aspects of the story.

A Master of Djinn is set in the same world as Clark’s A Dead Djinn in Cairo, “The Angel of Khan el-Khalili,” and, aforementioned, The Haunting of Tram Car 015. While events from those plots are referenced and there are shared characters, they are not needed to enjoy A Master of Djinn. But then, I’ve read all of them, so it might be hard for me to tell.

What a magical world P. Djeli Clark has built. This is the first book I've read in this beautiful universe and I'm so excited that I have a few others to dive into. Fatma, Siti and Hadia are some of my favorite characters I have encountered as of late - I hope Hadia is a permanent fixture and a future MC.

I think there were slight issues with the plot that I was able to overlook because of the worldbuilding. I'm still struggling to understand why a certain political meeting/agenda was introduced when it didn't serve as large of a purpose as I think it was aiming it to do. I think Fatma could use a little more development but if she continues to have strong characters around her I'm not sure I would care if she stays just how she is.

Lastly, gimme more djinn! I hope in future stories (and maybe in the past ones this has been the case) that djinn characters can move to the forefront of the story and hold a more prominent role.

Clark’s alternate history Egypt is without a doubt one of the most alluring and vibrant settings in modern fantasy. It’s a steampunk playground of magic, technology and social revolution that jumps off of the page and demands to be explored. His Dead Djinn universe is the only fantasy I’ve come across that celebrates Arab culture and features Muslim protagonists, which in itself is exciting.

In this instalment, Clark delves a little further into how Cairo’s status has shaped international politics. This is done more playfully than seriously, with his depiction of European leaders and English aristocracy almost approaching caricature. I read somewhere that, despite the serious source material, Clark wrote Ring Shout to be more fun than commentary, and a little of that tone is present in A Master of Djinn.

Beyond this and further developing Djinn lore, much of the story is similar to the previous novellas, and Clark sticks with police procedural (though the stakes are arguably higher). This whodunnit formula meant that I saw a couple of plot developments coming from a mile away which diminished the tension somewhat, and Fatma has some pretty questionable interviewing and sleuthing skills for the sake of maintaining mystery.

I expected Clark to shake things up a fair bit with A Master of Djinn to explain the change in format from novella to novel. For example, instead of sticking with a one-person POV, it could have followed cases led by Fatma as well as Agent Hamad and Onsi that somehow intersected, beefing things up a bit. I do wonder if the page count was Clark’s creative decision, or if there was pressure on him to write a novel for the sales.

But, my specific expectations aside, the book is a lot of fun and it was great to be back in Clark’s incredible world. I really enjoyed the concept of homegrown magic beating imperialism, which reminded me a little of The Unbroken.

I also got strong Legend of Korra vibes from A Master of Djinn: a modern city struggling to catch up with its own exponential rate of change, and a masked stranger sowing seeds of unrest among the population.

I found a new favourite character in Hadia, a good Muslim woman who doesn’t let long skirts get in the way of completely dominating in hand-to-hand combat. The creepy race of clockwork giants who call themselves angels also make a return, and I suspect they will be central to the story in the next book.

A Master of Djinn is another example of Clark’s talent in creating immersive stories that play with magic and modern history. It can be picked up without having read the previous instalments, but for the sake of in-world chronology (and because I loved the novellas so much), I recommend reading them in order of publication.

Categories: Magical murder mysteries (or death near the Nile) / Queer women detectives / Non-Western fantasy
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What a fantastic debut novel — although I wouldn’t have expected anything less from P Djèlí Clark.
Set in Cairo in an alternate 1912, this historical-fantasy-crime novel is a cross-genre treat with a wealth of wonders to discover. In this version of the world, a Soudanese mystic discovered the gateway between our world and the world of djinn (genies, creatures of elemental power, and others), which has in turn allowed magical advances to propel Egypt to the forefront of civilisation. Think trams that traverse the city via cables high in the sky, buildings with clockwork brains, robot servants (called boilerplate eunuchs because why not), and so much more.
We follow Fatma el-Sha’arawi, an agent of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, as she is embroiled in a mass murder mystery that can seemingly have only been done by magic.
Muddy motives and shady characters make this feel like a noir-esque tale, but the North African and Middle Eastern touches elevate it to something entirely else.
With a cast as rich and diverse as the setting, this is a novel not to be missed.
While it can technically be read as a standalone, I’d strongly recommend checking out the short story ‘A Dead Djinn in Cairo’ and the novella ‘The Haunting of Tram Car 015’ because there are some events alluded to in this latest volume. And also, just because they’re great and it would be a shame to miss out on a single detail!

A Master of Djinn is P Djeli Clark's 1st full length novel. One thing he excels at like no other is creating a fun fantasy full of unique characters, jokes, and great historical tidbits. Though in this case it felt like you had to read the novellas to have that attachment to the characters and I only read A Dead Jjinn in Cairo and can't recall the events of that book. Agent Fatma for the most part is cool, calm and collected except when she's assigned a new partner who she immediately classes with as she threatens her position as one of the few woman agents in Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities. She's used to working alone and immediately tries to get the woman reassigned. While getting used to her new partner she is called upon to investigate a mass murder tied to the famed Al-Jahiz.

For me I just couldn't fully get into the plot which didn't seem to pick up until halfway through the book. Too much was going on and there was no sense of urgency that sucked me into the mystery. It probably also didn't help that I read this coming off a big epic fantasy read. I did a blended read with the audiobook and the narrator does a great job making moments funny and setting up the atmosphere of the story.

Wow, this book is a DELIGHT! It's set in Clark's previously established alternate Egypt where humans and Djinn live side by side, but can totally work as a stand alone. I absolutely adored every minute of this read. Fatma is the best. She's bold, brash, smart, but also feels very human. She's brilliant, but has to deal with the expectations placed on her in this alternate-WWI era time period. While I did solve the mystery before the end, the world building, character development, and humor kept me engaged the whole time. I loved how the story discussed geopolitical issues, social inequality, feminism, and racism in ways that felt natural to the world Clark built. I hope there are more novels after this because I'm eagerly awaiting them.

A Master of Djinn is a steampunk murder mystery that takes place in an alternate universe Cairo.

This was a fun time. I love the worldbuilding and the prose as well as the magical murder mystery. This story takes a lot of the fun tropes from classic detective novels and brings them into a fantasy setting. There's humor, action, and vivid imagery that all come together to make this a really well rounded novel.

I love the idea of the secret brotherhood. The very first pages were gripping and set a dark and dangerous tone for the rest of the book. The dynamic between Fatma and Hadia was comical and I loved that both women were able to learn from and challenge each other. I also liked that Fatma respected Hadia's religious practices throughout the case, allowing her time to pray.

The world building in this was really strong for me. This had so much atmosphere. I liked that Clark didn't spoon feed you culture but allowed you to sample it, bit by bit. The lore was learned in organic ways which I appreciated.

This is not a character focused novel and so that aspect of this book did feel a little lacking. I enjoyed reading about Fatma's character but I wasn't connected with her. I also figured out the mystery very early on so that reveal wasn't shocking to me, which lead to the ending being a little underwhelming for me.

Happy to see a continuation of a character I enjoyed in novella form, I was disappointed by the pacing in this longer portrayal.

I really enjoyed reading this book. At the beginning it was a little slow paced for me. That was mostly because the author introduced us to the world and its elements. As the story went on it became a real page turner and I was continuously trying to guess the suspect. The best part for me was the worldbuilding. I haven't read any of the novellas that take place in this world but that didn't stop me from loving it.
I also loved the characters. Fatma and Hadia are a great duo and I want to know more about Siti. They are great women characters in the book and they are smart and independent.

The ending was really satisfying and it wrap up everything really well.

Finally I really liked the diversity in the book and the writing style of the author. I will definitely read more of his work.

“I don’t have sad tales to tell you. I’m not some tragic character from a story, lost between two worlds. I revel in who I am. What I am.”

P. Djélì Clark never disappoints. This is the mantra that is reaffirmed to me with each novel of his that I devour.

A Master of Djinn marks the first full-length novel in the Dead Djinn Universe, and also my fourth time delving into Clark's marvelous world-building. In this sprawling story, we are once again plunged into Fatma el-Sha’arawi's alternate Cairo—a place of magic and mysticism, populated by powerful djinn, mechanical angels, and eldritch ghuls. Clark's lush science fiction transforms Egypt of the early twentieth century into a land of steampunk innovation; real and fictional historical figures commingle.

The best part, of course, was the cast of Black and brown women at the novel's helm. I adored the WLW relationship between Fatma and .Siti, and also the fierce friendship/mentorship that grows between Fatma and her new partner, Hadia. Although I found whodunit aspect of the mystery fairly straightforward and predictable, I nonetheless feel that that paled in comparison to the book's expansive world-building and diverse characters.

At every turn, the women of A Master of Djinn topple expectations and challenge the status quo. And that made this a truly captivating read.