The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats. Nor do they have tails. But they are most assuredly dead.

What an interesting take on an assassin story. I love books with a unique mystery and different beings and especially love anything with undead. This book was imaginative, quick paced and full of action. Our main character, Eveen the Eviscerator is snarky, witty and clever and I love her so much. For such a short novel, this one packs a punch with a well detailed storyline with a satisfying end that will make you wish the book was longer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tordotcom for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy this book, first time reading anything from the author and I have to say this has made me a fan.
the story is not long and draw out. Eveen got a job to do and couldn't do it but instead rescue the job and decide to get answer. This was not a coincidence that the job look exactly like you. So it follow Eveen on her journey as try to find out how this could be. the has it funny moments: the banter between the Goddess was hilarious. "A we run thing, things nuh run we"
The Plot is awesome and straight forward
World Building is on point and you feel immerse into the Eveen World

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of this novella about a fantastical city full of gods, magicians, living and the undead, and the strange goings on that take place during a festival.

I'm going to bust a few bubbles here, but life, no matter how we scheme, beg, pray, plead, even commit science on, will end. Many have an idea of an afterlife. A heaven where one is reunited with loved ones and favored pets. A Hell, where one can laugh with the sinners, while suffering the pains of torture for the rest of eternity. Maybe even reincarnation,being born again in a chance to get things right. Possibly the void, where the lights just go off, and stay off. The city of Tal Abisi offers one more afterlife. A chance for your corpse to be made undead, with a contract lasting one hundred years. As an assassin. Not just an assassin but a member of the The Dead Cat Tail Assassins which shares its title with this novella by P. Djèlí Clark, about a an undead killer who is faced with in impossible target in a plot that reaches across time and space.

Eveen the Eviscerator is the best she is at what she does, but what she does is not very nice. Eveen is Undead, returned to the world by the power of the God Aeril, Matron of Assassins, The Silent Blade, the Lady of Knives, Snatcher of Souls and, the Crafter of Delectable Culinary Delights, to do the valuable work of riding the city of Tal Abisi of those who would cause problems, disrupt the flow, cause chaos, or were just jerks for money. The cost is one hundred years of service, one's memory wiped and the following of rules that keep order, even while killing. Eveen is given a quick job, one that Eveen was asked which is odd, and one that seems strange from the start. The guards around the target seemed more determine to keep the person under threat contained, than protected. When Eveen sees the target's face she knows why. Eveen is caught in a trap, to do her job might cause her own death, to not do it signs her own death warrant, and might mean an end to things in the city. For Eveen has made a powerful enemy, one Eveen doesn't know, nor does Eveen know how to stop what is going on.

Another great story from Clark. This is my third work by Clark and each one has been different, which is exciting, and set in completely different worlds that seem real. This book is no exception. Starting right from the first lines, Clark draws the reader in, gives an idea what the characters are plotting, the ideas behind the world, and a few jokes. And for a novella this is a very full and broad adventure. Clark explains the world, and shows the rules, not info dumping or wasting lines on exposition that is not important. Clark also gives the characters, all them space to shine, and more importantly breathe. The readers care what is going on, why its happening, and where the story might be going. The ending is big, and full of ideas that are uncommon in fantasy books, but works well. Enough hints have been dropped in the book to make the ending fit. A fantasy that seems bigger than a novella, but one that never drags, and more importantly does not disappoint.

Absolutely amazing just like everything else that P. Djèlí Clark writes! They create a strong bond between the reader and the characters almost immediately and you, as the reader, become deeply interested in people we only get a short time with. A quick read page wise that was fabulous on every page!

Set in an alternate universe with differing laws of physics and it's own history and mythology, Dead Cat Assassins follows Eveen, an undead assassin working for the guild of the same name. After making a deal with the goddess of death in return for her soul she carries out contracts under certain rules. When the latest victim she is lined up to take care of - or ship - turns out to be herself from another time a whole can of worms is opened and Eveen and Sky work together to try and find out what has happened and correct it before at least one of them ends up dead for good. I loved the worldbuilding in this, despite being a novella, so much is packed into it and the characters were so rounded out and interesting, I want to spend more time with undead assassins!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I wanted to love it, but the beginning of the book gave me severe The Assassin and the Pirate Lord vibes, which is a short story by Sarah J. Maas that I did not like. It was a struggle to get through the book.

There were so many times when I wanted to DNF it, but I didn't and just pressing on.

There's not much more I can say without ruining my review. over on my website.

This novella was amazing. The story was action packed, quick paced, and had the perfect length. For a novella just over 200 pages the characters were well fleshed out and the development of the story was impeccable. This was the first piece that I’ve read from P. Djélí Clark and I can’t wait to pick up more of their work. I would definitely recommend this novella.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for providing me with an E-ARC to review.

3.5/5 I definitely enjoy this author’s writing and have enjoyed past books, but this particular one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Interesting concept and characters.

P. Djeli Clark is an insta-buy author for me and I absolutely loved this novela so I don’t foresee that changing anytime soon!

What Clark is able to accomplish in such a small page count never ceases to amaze me. We yet again have been given a world that feels so realistic that it couldn’t possibly be fiction out and an outstanding cast that I was invested in.

Clark’s ability to provide unique story lines while still tackling social issues in a novella format will forever be impressive to me. The pacing was immaculate and kept me intrigued from start to finish. The beauty of this story is it leaves you wanting more while also expanding your personal views and education in regards to class, marginalized individuals and the strength of women.

I feel it was best said by EmmaSkies that “The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is out August 6, 2024 and it you like vivid fantasy worlds, undead assassins, quippy, murderous heroines, descriptions of food so good you may briefly want to eat ants (no i will not be explaining this, and women getting shit done, then you won't want to miss this one.”

This will 100% be added to my shelves in August and I already know a few people who would enjoy this as a gift as well :)

I loved this book! I could not put it down. The reader is dropped immediately into action and adventure. The characters are great. Funny. The plot was well-written. I wanted more!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Tor Publing Group for the ARC.

P. Djèlí Clark has in past works show himself to be a master of the short novel form, and that holds true with his newest, The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, a fast-paced mystery romp full of dark humor set amidst a twisting turning tale. I had a blast reading it and can’t imagine that reaction won’t be widely shared amongst those wise enough to pick it up.

That odd title (it gets explained in the opening scene) is the name of an assassins guild working in the port city of Tal Abisi. Our main protagonist, Eveen (aka “The Eviscerator”) is one of their best and a great creation — funny, charming in a rough sort of way though her propensity for violence and even torture (even if it metes out a quasi “justice”) makes it difficult perhaps for her to win readers over fully, resilient, persistent, smart, and, oh yeah, dead. Turns out at some point in her past life she’d agreed to pledge herself to Aeril, Matron of Assassins, and so was resurrected without any memories of her former self.
How that had happened, she didn’t know. No clue about who she’d been in life either. Not a single solitary memory … about the only thing she could say for certain was that she’d done this to herself. She’d been shown the contract and everything — the one agreed to in life, giving herself to the goddess she now served … to whom she was bound, body and soul, in death.

As one might imagine, revelations will be forthcoming about the void that is her past life. But I actually don’t want to say much at all about plot as the first major twist hits pretty early, followed by a number of others. The story opens with Eveen receiving her night’s contract from her “worker friend” Fennis. Suffice to say the hit does not go well, and for reasons best left unstated, Eveen ends up the target of her own guild as she works to solve the book’s major mysteries and stay alive while doing so (and also keep another major character alive as well). Pretty much everything else I feel comfortable noting about the plot is in the first paragraph: it’s twisty and turny, fast-paced (though Clark finds time for a few quieter, more introspective moments), keeps the reader on their toes, is filled with action (usually in the form of Eveen’s fights against her fellow assassins), and is very, very funny.

Eveen could have just been your stock quipped assassin character one sees again and again, but Clark avoids that pitfall by imbuing her with a distinctive personality at the start and then developing her further via her experiences in the narrative that change her or revelations about her that show a different, more complex side. And even if the story doesn’t dwell on it, or even highlight all that much, there’s a deep sadness underlying her cynical quipping: the lack of memories, her desire to know why her past self did what she did, her clear ache to have a sense of community despite her jaded exterior, and the way everything in her “life” is muted by her state of being: taste, pain, emotions —all there but deadened. One wonders if it would be easier on her if she just felt nothing at all rather than these pale shadows of life.

Other characters are equally strong regardless of how much page-time they get. Each feels distinctive, each comes fully alive, and most are just as funny albeit in different ways, whether we’re talking about Baseema, the head of the guild; Fennis, the gourmand-slash-assassin agent who came up with the guild’s odd name (and even printed up business cards), his quirky thaumaturgist brother, or even the goddess herself (one of my favorite running bits of humor is how her name could also be translated as Lady of Knives, so “lots of those resurrected by Aeril’s priestesses go into the culinary services. Most of the best chefs in Tal Abisi are her undead thralls.”

As for Tal Abisi itself, it shines as the setting for the narrative. Literally in some cases, as part of the city is still under the glow of a long-ago sorcery known as “The Shimmer.” There’s a whole great backstory to the city that gets doled out in pieces throughout the novel involving giant mechanical creatures, a pirate, and a sacrifice made for love. That historical event is celebrated in the multi-day festival that serves as the backdrop to the story’s action. We also get multiple reference to a series of “Terribles”—basically pulp fiction novels Eveen devours with titles like “Asheel the Maniac Hunter” or “Terrors of the Demon Lands.” Honestly, it’s amazing how good a job Clark does in conveying such an immersive sense of place in so few pages.

Between the great city setting and the fantastic character creation, though this story wraps up fully resolved as a deeply satisfying standalone fantasy, one can’t help but hope for more “Terribles” involving Eveen the Eviscerator in the City of Tal Abisi. Highly recommended.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins follows Eveen, who is not a cat, but is in fact dead and an assassin. She’s under contract to a fiery goddess to ship people for those who’re willing to pay for the service. And Eveen is one of the best in the business, until a strangely familiar face causes her to break contract and seek out answers to questions she’s tried not to ask herself before.

Eveen is a ruthless assassin, but she’s also genuinely funny and a huge book nerd. It’s hard not to love her instantly. She’s also positioned in a wonderfully detailed fantasy world on the days of a city-wide festival celebrating a legendary love story. The rich history and vivid imagery makes this novella feel all encompassing without needing an excess of words. And, as a novella, the adventure moves quickly forward, but that doesn’t take away from character and world development at all. The balance is perfect!

Any new book from P. Djèlí Clark is a delight. After "The Haunting of Tram Car 015," I eagerly anticipate his releases. Their latest novella surpasses expectations with its dark, intriguing fantasy world and compelling mystery. Told from the perspective of Eveen, an undead assassin, the story explores Tal Abisi's politics and underworld. Clark puts a unique spin on fantasy tropes, introducing undead assassins who lose their memories after making a deal with their god. The story is well-paced, engaging, and leaves readers wanting more. Highly recommended for dark fantasy fans.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!

With memories of their previous life erased, the Dead Cat Tail Assassins are resurrected to work for the goddess Aeril. Eveen is an assassin who never questions a job and always fulfills her contract. Until the night she comes face to face with someone who could unlock her hidden past. And in her moment of hesitation, sets off a chain of events that will test the very fabric of her undead life.

Eveen is crude and sarcastic, the type of character who makes sure her opinions are heard. No matter the situation. She is a lethal assassin and has an attitude that can make readers snicker as she takes down her foes. While she must follow the rules of her trade, she will push the boundaries when the needs arise. Such as when her latest contract threatens her own undead life. She’ll do everything she can to thwart the powers to be and come out on top.

While the main character is a delight to read, the underlying mystery of the plot is just as intriguing. Readers will accompany Eveen as she uncovers back alley deals and impossible magical feats. Along the way, she will have to use her skills in combat and manipulation to fight off increasingly powerful and disturbing fellow assassins. Readers will be entertained right at the start as Eveen rises to each challenge, with weapons, and snark flying.

If you enjoy morally gray characters with a fiery personality, pick up a copy of The Dead Cat Tail Assassins. This is a novella length story and a quick entertaining read.

This book was so much fun, I had a great time. P. Djèlí Clark manages to be funny while staying grounded. The characters and the magic were great and the plot was simple but entertaining.

Thank you Netgalley/Tor for the ARC.

P. Djeli Clark has become a favorite for his world building, dry humor, and well developed characters, and The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is no exception. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins follows Eveen the Eviscerator, a member of The Dead Cat Tail Assassins Guild. We follow her as she starts on a new contract when things start to go a bit unusual. The characters are all fun and fleshed out, and you can see Eveen traveling through Tal Abisi through the story. I loved the Assassins, and would gladly read more of their tales should Clark decide to revisit the world of Tal Abisi.

This story just didn’t grab me and I mostly was bored throughout. I really liked A Master of Djinn by the same author but for some reason, probably a fault of my own, I just could not get into this one.

The story centers around a dead but undead Eveen, a hired assassin resurrected by the goddess Aeril who is the head of the guild. One of the core rules of the assassins are to always compete the job.

But, in a big twist, Eveen is sent to assassinate someone and…she just can't. For reasons that will be a spoiler here.
The rest of the story is about Eveen trying to avoid fulfilling the contract, and might have even nodded off a few times while reading it. The background, setting, and characters were kind of interesting but I'd pass on this one had I not felt compelled to finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Is this book amazing? Not particularly. But is it FUN? Absolutely. There are so many interesting aspects of the world, gods, and magic system that I loved. What was lacking, though, was great character work. However, the premise and world were that compelling that I never considered putting the story down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for a digital advanced copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this quick little novella. It was fast paced, a little self aware, and funny! It could be due to recency bias but the book gave me Hazbin Hotel vibes. Mostly in the way the characters act, talk, and react to each other. I also enjoyed reading a Black/POC Fantasy book. Being a cis female white reader, I appreciate expanding my consumption to voices and experiences that are not like my own and challenging my assumed cis/whiteness bias. I am really interested in reading more P. Djeli Clark!

My copy did have some typos and weird sentence structure which may be due to the fact is was an ARC.

Who its for?: fantasy readers, fast-paced action, get out of a reading slump, not so hard to think about

Who is it not for?: People who want more complex/epic fantasy, People who think to hard when they read (that can be me sometimes!), people who don't like a little bit of gore.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.
This book is wild fun from the get-go. It just dives straight into the action. It is short and wastes no time on world-building, but you get to pick up so many elements from throughout the narrative that are absolutely engaging and diverting. (I can’t wait to dive back into this world in the future) The book is fast-paced, but it does give the appropriate time to certain moments that need more space. The religious and assassin and science/magic aspects are so fun! I adore complex magical systems, even when there isn’t too much time spent on them and I was intrigued by the setup Clark has for magic and the study of it in this book, it felt kind of Discworld-esque, though without an orangutan.
Eveen, the main character, is so charming. She may be an assassin, but with the book from her perspective, we get to peek behind her curtain. She is funny, a voracious reader, and skilled. Honestly, I loved the characters in this book, even the villains and creeps (though those because they were written well, not because of any nobleness of spirit). There are so many little things that are very funny and kind of meta, without overpowering the story at the heart of the book. The themes of identity, love, and community are present and powerful without taking away from the violence I expected from an assassin story. There are fight scenes and spell-wielding that are fun and scientific and wicked cool. I loved this book for many reasons and had so much fun with it, I read it in one day because I couldn’t bear to drag it out.