This was such a great novella, Clark crafted such an interesting world in such little time that it makes me sad we didn't get to see more of it. Undead assassins working for a goddess? Sign me tf up. There were lots of fun twists in this, and I'd love to see how this looks adapted for a movie, because I think it's really well structured for that. I did think that some of the phrases, particularly around some of the humor were a bit out of place with the rest of the world building because it felt so modern, but other than being a bit distracting it was fine. Overall this was a wild adventure, and I'd love to see more novellas written in this world again.

This was a fun read, action packed, fast paced and funny. I have never read anythink by this but I'm Intriged to read more.

3.5 stars

This book was difficult for me to rate. While reading it, I enjoyed many aspects, but it was also so easy to put down and not pick back up.

The worldbuilding is interesting and I liked the history that we are given on how the Shimmer came to be. Eveen is a fun character, and I enjoyed her sarcasm very much. I had a hard time matching her age to her voice, however. It was written like she was much younger. Maybe because she's undead and her memories are erased? I'm unsure but it did throw me a bit.

The ending was really what made it difficult for me to give it a higher review. There is a character that has the dialogue written to demonstrate an accent, but that made it nearly impossible for me to understand. I wish there was some translation of it as my brain had a hard time with reading it and that threw me from the scene. This is a novella, so I knew it would be short, but the ending felt almost rushed. I wanted a little more of Eveen's vengeance instead of glossing over that part.

Overall, I think this will be a good read for some and I did enjoy it. It was just a little too easy to put down. I will most likely look into P. Djèlí Clark's other works because I did enjoy his writing style.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC.

Me being new to P. Djélì Clark I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this but I am completely blown away. Reading this had me on the edge of my seat and honestly every time I thought I new something was gonna happen something completely different and unexpected happened. This was just SO good; the story was interesting and unique, I loved the main character and all the supporting characters were so vital to the book. I don't think there was one thing I would change, I was hooked the minute I started. Even with how slightly dark and morbid of a theme there was there was still a good balance of humor and plot all tied up in a neat little package. I'm so glad I got to read this and be introduced to Clark this way and I can't wait to read more of his work.

Thanks to Tor/forge for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a fun tongue-in-cheek adventure about undead assassins in a world of magic and mysterious gods. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and the characters have plenty of snark. I've enjoyed everything I've read from P. Djeli Clark and this is no exception.

The story revolves around a mystery that the characters spend most of the book solving. Though it starts off slow, it quickly builds the intrigue and action to a satisfying conclusion. I would happily return to this world for another adventure.

I really enjoyed this novella! The amount of world building, character development, and plot that Clark was able to fit in such a short amount of pages is very impressive. From the first page, I was immediately sucked into the world and even though this was such a fast paced read, nothing felt rushed. The stakes were high, the main characters were multidimensional, and the ending was satisfying. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a quick and fun read!

That was Good Fun. A fast-paced, funny, rollicking up-all-night-to-get-this-done fantasy adventure with the fun, complex, and never heavy-handed worldbuilding I've come to anticipate from P Djeli Clark. I love how his universes feel so consistently fresh while still bringing in classic elements.

Eveen is an undead assassin -- it's a living with some clear rules, she's great at it and there's minimal angst -- who finds herself on the run with her intended victim after it all goes sideways. There's a mystery ("what's going on?" mostly), snappy banter, and some neat character building.

The end feels a little rushed -- lots of details and threads that got squished into too few pages -- but not so much that it detracts from the fun of reading it. And (hooray) no cliffhangers! Definitely one I'll be adding to my high school library and booktalking widely. Recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

This story follows Eveen, an undead assassin working for the goddess Aeril. Tasked with killing—or rather 'shipping'—citzens of all ilk in the name of coin and tribute to her goddess. Her newest contract should have been a simple one, yet both the festival overtaking her port-side town and a surprising encounter turn everything around. Eveen is beginning to remember things... a feat that shouldn't be possible in her undead form. The vessel meant to be emptied of its previous life is still clinging to some semblance of its past self and the cause of this is only one of the mysteries found within these pages.

A short tale with deliciously lush descriptions of the city and its history. Never did I find the descriptions excessive or told in a manner that felt like mental recitation. Eveen is a delightfully dry narrative voice with a matter-of-fact presentation style I really enjoyed. Every action-heavy scene felt meaningful and necessary for the story to progress. I loved the wit and humor, and omg that ending was absolutely wild!!!

If this story is ever expaned upon or has a sequel, I will be one of the first in line to dive back in. This world is one I'd love to play with again and again! This is my first foray with this author, and I can't wait to work my way through P. Djèlí Clark's backlog.

It's a shame that this novella had to push back its publication date - I personally think everyone needs to read this and read this now.

It has everything that makes an action/adventure book. It has a fantastic setting, fantastic storytelling, and great plot twists. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five was at the end when you are reading through a thick accent - it took a couple reads of the sentences to make out what was being said. In saying that, I wouldn't change it - I'll be the first to admit that sometimes things go over my head, and this was no different. Please let me struggle because then when I reread the book, I will have a better understanding and we be used to the way things are presented.

I would love (in a fevered dream obviously) if this became a series about different people you meet in the books; it is a fantastic standalone as well, I'm just greedy for more!

Eveen is an undead assassin who has no memory of her life, but is slowly working off years of tribute to her patron goddess, abiding by the three unbreakable rules of assassins: a contract must be just, you can't kill anyone who isn't contracted, and once you take a contract, you have to carry it out. But when Eveen takes a contract that involves killing someone who evokes impossible memories, she has to reevaluate exactly what "unbreakable" means while simultaneously solving the mystery of who this woman is and keeping them both alive long enough to sort it out.

This was a ridiculously fun book, with excellent worldbuilding and intriguing characters. Of course, that could describe any of Clark's books, so I'm not particularly surprised by this. It's well worth the short time it'll take to read through this one.

There are very clear rules about being an assassin and Eveen the Eviscerator (it was one time, she says) follows them very carefully. After all, being an assassin is the only reason that she’s alive…well, not actually alive. She’s undead. In her first life, she made a promise to serve Aeril, the Matron of Assassins, for one hundred years. In P. Djèlí Clark’s beautifully plotted and highly entertaining novella, The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, we get to witness Eveen’s greatest caper.

One of the first rules of being an assassin is that the assassin must fulfill their contract. The consequences are extremely dire. Eveen has never failed to complete an assignment until the night she is told to kill a young woman who has what Eveen describes as an “impossible” face. The young woman, Sky, has Eveen’s own face, though a couple of decades younger. Even more puzzling, it seems as though Sky has been pulled some sixty years through time just to vex Eveen.

The Dead Cat Assassins unspools over the course of a few very exciting days during the middle of a city-wide festival. Eveen and Sky race back and forth across the city, seeking witnesses and answers and—above all—a way out of this mess that doesn’t see them all suffering Aeril’s fiery punishments. Along the way, there are other assassins out to kill both of them, a ghastly conspiracy, revenge, and one of the most stunning and audacious conclusions I’ve seen in ages. This book was absolutely perfect and I strongly recommend it to any fans of fantasy, especially the ones who want something more than the usual epic slog.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P Djèlí Clark is a whip-smart, fast-paced novella about a group of
undead assassins living in a magic-rich world who follow a rigid set of rules. Eveen knows all too
well what happens when you break these rules, and when she makes a bizarre discovery while
executing her new contract, it looks like she may have to break another.
Clark delivers sharp, witty dialogue from a colourful cast of characters in this brief, but rich novella.
Its short length does nothing to hinder the depth or clarity of the world of Tal Abisi and the intricate
puzzle laid out before the reader.
Eveen is a lovable rogue of a protagonist and it’s impossible not to applaud her chaotic choices and
fall head over heels for her surprising quirks. The supporting cast is equally lovable: the foodie
acolyte who speaks fluent legalese, the deadly, story-loving mistress of the guild, and the bookish
thaumaturgist who wants nothing more than to stay in his orrery, the magnificence of which would
make Aughra jealous.
This story is thick with suspense and barely gives you a moment to stop and appreciate the sly but
poignant world-building that Clark weaves in between Eveen’s filthy curses and wicked grace. The
stakes ramp higher with every page until the climatic ending ties everything together in a way that is
perfectly satisfying and finger-stabbing smart.
This is a delightfully violent nugget of a book that brings nothing but joy and delicious vindication.
This would be perfect for fans of The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir and Foundryside by Robert
Jackson Bennett.

This was a fairly short book (200+ pages) that I was able to read in one sitting … so I can easily say that it all just worked. The foundation premise and world building were fun and interesting (an undead assassin caught up in a conspiracy that threatens her own very existence … to say nothing of the other members of her guild). So we get a combination of mystery, magic, action and humor that made it hard to put down all the way to a rather satisfying ending … perhaps my only complaint (and for me it was enough to subtract a half point … then I rounded up at the end) is the mangled, quasi-caribbean, dialect used by the assassin’s patron deity, which was so difficult for me to understand that I skipped most of her dialog and just picked up the gist from the context. Fortunately this was limited to the last part of the story, so I was already fully invested in the story and outcome. The snarky humor of the main character may not be for everybody, but I really enjoyed it (it reminded me of another favor series with the same black humor). Just as important for me was that it was more or less a unique take on a common trope (it didn’t feel mechanical or derivative), which made it so much more interesting overall.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#TheDeadCatTailAssassins #NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an review.

So, this is a book I was super excited for. I heard of it on a podcast some months ago, where one of the hosts was discussing ARCs she’d recently read, and this novella came up. And boy, did she wax poetic about it. I wasn’t expecting to see the ARC still available, and really wasn’t expecting to get access within hours of requesting. I was intent on finding out whether it was worth the hype and read it pretty much immediately.

The hype is deserved. I’ll start by saying that. The writing is easy to follow, though there are quite a few grammatical errors. I assume these will be edited out before the official release and thus aren’t an issue. The only problem I had, which took away from the book in my opinion, was the chapter near the end in which the g-ddesses were speaking. I absolutely could not understand what they were supposed to be saying. I caught some of it, through multiple rereads, but it took me out of the story big time. I spent more time decoding the speech than I did actually reading. For this alone, The Dead Cat Tail Assassins gets only 4 stars.

On the bright side, the characters were easy to love and root for, and the worldbuilding was top notch. I would love to read more stories set in this world; I was actually kind of depressed when I realized it was over. So P. Djèlí Clark, if you’re reading this, please for the love of g-d write more novellas set in this city. It would be glorious.

I will definitely be buying a physical copy when the novella releases, and I recommend that you do too.

One thing about P Djeli Clark stories, the storyline will be impactful, full and adventurous. I enjoyed the story of assassins in a made up world of Gods. Eveen was strong and determined. I, loved this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me an ARC of this novella.

This was a complete romp from start to finish: action-packed, exciting, and funny. My biggest complaint is that the story is not longer; knowing how short the story was made it harder for me to want to take in all of the rich details the author had included about this unique, interesting, and exciting world because that information would not relevant for long. However, I’ll be very excited if the author ever chooses to write another story in this setting.

Short, fun, well-written. Read for a good time!

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is an action-packed fantasy novella. We follow Eveen, a member of an undead assassin guild, as she is on the job.She makes it to her contracted mark, but her plans go awry.
There are a couple of things that worked really well in this book. One of those things was the humor. The dry, snarky humor just works for me. I also loved P. Djeli Clark’s use of imagery. Everything he describes, violence and all, is absolutely breathtaking. I also loved how the plot points gave me the impression of Marvel comics or a manga. This is because it was a hero’s origin story and based on how Eveen interacts with other assassins in the story.
My only complaint is how one character’s dialect was spelled in the text was difficult to decipher. Sometimes words with i were pronounced with a long i sound and sometimes with a long e. It got a little confusing and I had to whisper read it out loud for the text to make sense.
Other than that, I absolutely cannot wait to find out what happens next!

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are deadly—and dead—and live in Tal Abisi, a fascinating magical city. Eveen the Eviscerator really doesn’t love that title but is one of the deadly assassins who was resurrected after death in service to Aeril, the Matron of Assassins. When Eveen gets a job and discovers the person she’s meant to kill is someone she’s absolutely sure she can’t kill, she goes against her guild’s rules and has to find a way to let them live.

For a story so full of death that the main character is dead herself, the story is full of life and humor. The city is fascinating, as is the folklore behind it, and it was a pleasure to read and discover how all of the pieces come together.

Ahoy there me mateys! This novella as nothing to do with actual cats (sadly).  It does deal with actual assassins.  Eveen the Eviscerator is one of the best of her guild.  She gave her soul to her Goddess but unfortunately does not remember why.  Eveen does not miss her marks until a mission goes wrong . . .

I really enjoyed the character of Eveen.  She is the best kind of snarky and fun main character that I can cheer for.  I enjoyed the side characters, Fennis the foodie and Baseema the ex-pirate guild leader.  The guild leader's ability to be sneaky was excellent fun even though her part in the novella was small.

I also loved the complexities of the undead assassins fighting with each other.  This lead to some surprisingly humorous moments in the novella.  I kinda adored all of the other assassins and could have read about more of them and their preferred techniques.  How the assassin's guild agreed to the requested targets dealt with a cool concept.  The world building was fun and I liked the story of why magic is so weird in the city.

The only reason I did not rate this book higher is because of personal preference.  I did not enjoy the major plot twist involving who Eveen's intended victim was or how the contract issue was resolved.  It is not that I thought it was poorly written, I just did not find either of these two elements to me taste.

There was also some vernacular that I had a hard time reading on the page.  Made me wish I had listened to the audiobook instead.  I did not really love this story enough to revisit it in audiobook form but I would definitely give more books set in this world a shot.  Arrrrr!

I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.