Perfection, from start to finish, but I feel like we can really expect that of P. Djèlí Clark. He's given us Fatma, he's given us Maryse, and now he's given us Eveen, who is so relateable despite being in a situation we could never be in.

We're thrown right into things: Eveen, a Dead Cat Tail Assassin, is given a contract and so much time to do it, but this one is unlike any other, and throws Eveen's entire existence for a loop.

This was SO much fun. I was hoping it'd be slightly longer, but I'm not mad at the length at all; Clark gave us all we needed to really get into the story and the world. The banter is fun, the magic system isn't impossible to understand or follow, the characters (and it's a small cast) are vibrant.

It had touches of the Nevernight Chronicles, just INCREDIBLE what Clark has achieved here and I hope, when we talk about new Fantasy juggernauts, Clark's name is high on that list because he is proving time and again he deserves it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. The author's way of seamlessly blending captivating world-building with nods to Caribbean culture and intentional representation across the African diaspora is what initially drew me in. As a Caribbean-American seeing this kind of representation in fantasy is a rarity. Clark's narrative unfolds like a vibrant tapestry, each thread intricately woven with rich cultural references and vivid imagery. The fast-paced and character-driven plot is what truly kept me enthralled. From the outset, I found myself deeply invested in the lives of the lovable characters, each one uniquely crafted to captivate readers. The myriad twists and turns throughout the narrative, right up to the very end, made it nearly impossible to set the book down. Clark's ability to weave together elements of suspense, comedy, intrigue, and heartfelt emotion ensured that every moment was a thrilling adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor.com for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions herein are my own.

---

I once heard an anecdote about Maurice Sendak gifting an original drawing to a young fan. When he asked the boy’s mother how he liked the drawing, she told him that the boy had eaten it. Which Sendak took as a compliment. And it was a compliment, I think. To love something so much you want to keep it as a part of you forever.

It’s with this anecdote in mind that I say I want to lick Clark’s prose. It’s just so freaking good! Voicy and beautiful and immersive. I feel myself sinking into it, pulled down and savoring every word. In particular, Clark is a master world builder. His Tal Abisi lives and breathes. I can smell the food sold in its restaurants and market stalls, see its buildings in my mind’s eye, hear the songs and recitations as its festival rolls on. This is a fully realized world, with intersecting cultures and their pantheons of gods. With its own myths and lore, which color the internal symbolism of the story and its actual events. I feel like I’m there, and I desperately want to go there.

TLDR, I would read a travelog if Clark wrote one.

I also love Clark’s characters. Especially Eveen, who could easily have been a grimdark or over-snarky cliche, but instead is a real person with a deep, abiding love of pulp novels, who just happens to be a very competent assassin. But also the supporting cast, from Sky, the woman Eveen could have been, to Fennis the foodie, to Baseema the pirate turned assassin guildmaster. Clark actually introduces quite a sizeable cast of characters in this book, making each of them interesting and memorable, all in the space of a novella.

I adore how Clark writes women. That is to say, he writes them as people, and lets them take center stage. There’s no tokenism. No single grudging female character who is speshul. Instead, folks of all genders populate Clark’s world, each with their own skills and motives. There’s no essentialism, and no misogyny either within the secondary-world setting, or in the cracks of the narrative.

Also, his women interact and form bonds with other women. Like it’s no big deal. Which it’s not, but man I wish it wasn’t such a rarity in so many books.

As for the plot, it’s not like Clark could have known how much I love time travel, time loops, alternate selves, alternate universes. Especially the ways in which each of those tropes highlights variations on a self. So it’s by complete accident that he wrote this novella specifically for me. Every time he revealed another twist, I went ‘holy shit!’ and bounced in my seat a little, and every one of those twists got major payoff in the very satisfying ending.

As I type up that bit about bouncing, it spotlights something about the whole reading experience for me. Not only did I enjoy reading this novella, I had fun reading this novella. The two concepts are similar, but not the same thing, and each is worth pointing out individually. And so, I rate this book five stars and highly recommend it.

This was so fun and interesting. The author did an incredible job of world building in such a short time. Such a fun read!

I requested this book on a whim and did not think I'd like it as much as I did. The pacing is excellent and it felt remarkably complete for a novella. I have no idea how the author built such a layered universe with so few words. I cannot wait to read more by this author. I need more stories from this universe!

I give this a 4.25/5 rounded down to a 4.

This was complex, fascinating, funny, and wonderful all at once! The story revolves around Eveen, a skilled assassin who finds herself facing a mission that challenges her beliefs and forces her to confront a past she doesn't remember. The pace of the story keeps you entertained and just waiting to see how things unfold while also making you laugh. I wish this book was longer, and I wish we could get more stories taking place in this book's universe. definitely a great read!

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Publishong for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Thank you Net Galley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC.

I have to admit, P. Djeli Clark wasn’t an author I had heard about until the book club that I am in read “A Master of Djinn” which I absolutely loved. When I saw this book on Net Galley, I have to read it and did it meet my expectations. The world building and the magic really was next level. I could really imagine and visualize the world and scenes.

It starts with an undead assassin and progresses into a storyline I hadn’t read before. I would recommend this book to anyone who liked a Master of Djinn and doesn’t mind the undead.

4.5 Rounded up. Thank you netgalley for the arc! This was far more fun than I anticipated. I really liked how it was action-packed but also with how the characters spoke and reacted found myself laughing out loud. I've only taken a half star away because near the end of the book we introduce characters who have their accents written phonetically into their speech which is not my favorite thing and slows down my reading immensely trying to figure out what they're actually saying. Otherwise this was great and I wish it was a much larger book because the world-building is fantastic especially for a novella.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

P. Djèlí Clark Hit it out of the park with this Novella, there’s a part of time that wishes this was longer just because I didn’t want to leave this world and these characters! This was so so so good, the characters were wonderful and so lovable even though one of them is an undead assassin.

This book is a face paced adventure of us following Eveen, an undead assassin as she realizes she can’t complete the job she was contracted to do. She only has until dawn to fix it or some really not good shit will happen. It’s action packed and Eveen is hilarious with her quips and quirkiness. This book had me cackling in my works break room when I had a chance to read. I highly reccomend this to anyone looking for a short action packed high paced adventure!

Clark is great at world building within a short amount time. It was an interesting mystery with a nice twist and conclusion. My only complaint is he writes so many novellas. I wish he had more longer length novels.

this was a cool read. it occupies that nebulous middle ground where I didn't adore it, but I'm going to read more P. Djèlí Clark because of it. i like his writing style and his worldbuilding choices, and while i've heard good things about his other novellas i'm excited to see what he can do with more room to develop complicated characters and plot surprises.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are mine.

At this point in the review I haven't even finished reading it, and yet I already know I love it. Here's why: kick butt female main character, Eveen. There truly isn't anything wrong with her character Well except maybe that she kills people. But besides that small detail I love her.

Eveen wagged a finger. “That’s solid literature! Asheel hunts maniacs—even though he’s a maniac! A maniac who hunts other maniacs? Genius! And Terrors of the Demon Lands is reputedly an eyewitness account.”
Fennis regarded her skeptically.

Isn't this like a lot of anime plots lol? And speaking of loling, I literally did that a few times and again I'm not even 60% into this book.

Also, I just really enjoy books where the main characters are above the age of thirty, or just doesn't put an age on the characters, either way just another reason Eveen needs to be in more stories. Please, write more stories with her in it.

Then there's everyone else in the story. Fennis and Ennis are adorable and I would want them on my side. Baseema, another kick butt woman, whom I would not want to cross. Sky is super smart, strong, and capable. The quads were funny and scary. The Banari made me chuckle. Really having a hard time here to think of one bad thing. I guess let me finish reading the story.

Another thing is the world building is absolutely beautiful. I felt like I was there. The festival sounded neat and I got Guild Wars vibes from it. The Clockwork King, the Pirate Princess, and the Golden Bounty, magic called shimmer, laboratories with machines to see auras! Speaking of laboratories, that brings me back to this part:

"“You’ve used this before, then?” the girl asked.

“On myself, yes. And cats. Regrettably, they won’t let me experiment on students.”

“You shared your aura with a cat?” Eveen asked, half-expecting the man to lick himself.

“Yes. Remarkable creatures. Half in this world and half . . . who knows.”

“What is it cats are thinking about?” the girl asked.

Ennis shrugged. “Mostly fancy themselves predators who hunt and eat us. Delusions of grandeur. Anyway, the principle here should be the same. "

LOL

I found this while looking up the author:

"But much of his beloved sci-fi and fantasy fiction didn’t pass, or barely passed, his mother’s litmus test: It lacked Black and Latino characters, women, and LGBTQ people at the center of the stories.

Gabriel had from a young age written fiction as a hobby, loving the idea of world-building, of dystopias, of a kernel of history spinning out into a new alternative reality. And the absence of people like him in those stories colored his writing from day one.

“I felt a need for more diverse tales with more diverse characters drawn from more diverse sources,” he says."

This story doesn't lack. I mean if I finish this book and all the characters are killed off in insane manners, I might still give this at least three stars. Even while being incredibly saddened and disappointed, because I rarely start writing reviews in the middle of books.

------

Ok. I am back from finishing this story. I loved it. I love novella's because they are short, and I really wouldn't want to add any more to this particular story. However, I want to read more stories involving all of them. Most of all, I want more stories with and about Eveen. I started a book that was kind of close to this one in terms of smart, but also kind of goofy leading lady main characters, and had to stop reading it. It wasn't Eveen, it was similar, but not close enough, because it wasn't Mr. Clark's writing. No hate to that other novel though, I'll try again later on.

Anyways, I don't have anything else to say, and so, this concludes the love letter to this book.

Please write more about Eveen, pretty please?

— 4 ★

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital review copy!

P. Djèlí Clark's works are a masterclass in everything that makes a fantasy enjoyable. His characters are endlessly thoughtful and funny, just oozing with charm and wit. The world-building and plots are as vibrant and fascinating as they are adventurous, never missing a beat. As Lavalle states on the cover, Clark could not write a bad book if he tried.

This book was magical in every sense of the word. Eveen is an assassin. A dead one, at that, contracted by a god and working under a guild of specialized killers. She seems to have no problem with this, being dead and having no memories comes with its perks; that is, until one of her targets seems all too familiar.

This story of badass women, steampunk fairytales, more than a little bit of murder, and goddesses' fiery tits is one that you do NOT want to miss.

Thanks to Tor & NetGalley for my copy of this book!

I was itching to get my hands on P. Djélí Clark's next book and I'm not disappointed. He is a master at working in world-building seamlessly with plot and character so suddenly you're in a very detailed magical world and it never once feels like info-dumping. Seriously, he's the master. This book is a fast paced adventure of one night in an undead assassin's life where she realizes she can't complete the job. She only has until dawn to either fix it or face some pretty extreme consequences. Because of that time limit, it is absolutely nonstop action. It's also quite funny and quite a few of the quips really got me giggling! It's a bit of a whirlwind and I'm openly not a big fan of action stories (or movies) so those sections were not always enjoyable for me, but that is a personal preference rather than a flaw in the book. Pick up if you're looking for a fun, action-packed, adventure that will fly by!

I have received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins was an interesting short story. I'll admit that what initially drew me in was the cover and the synopsis. After meeting our main character, Eveen the Eviscerator, I came to the conclusion that I liked her. She was interesting and was quick with the sarcastic comments. Throw in her job, in which she's an assassin, and I was really intrigued to see what was going to happen next.

I'll admit that this book flew by, but there's still something off about it. I'm not quite sure what it was, but I just felt a little disappointed. Maybe it's because of how short it was or something else. Either way, I liked where it was going and wanted more. Especially when it came to solving the overall mystery of the contract and the Matrons of Assassins. It also felt like the ending—well, the vengeance really—came and went like a snap of a finger.

Besides wanting more, I could see the potential of this world and the characters within it. I'm happy that I got the chance to dive into this and look forward to my next book written by P. Djèlí Clark.

Despite having an intriguing concept I found this book to be thin and overly dependent on the author's ongoing descriptions of the fantasy world of the book. Although the language and descriptions used to describe the scenes are well written and initially interesting the author excessively layers these descriptions throughout the entire book. This overuse of complex descriptions gives the book a thin feel and leaves the plot shallow. The characters are initially interesting but are not developed well. Although the story does move quickly and did keep my interest the ending felt contrived and forced even if hints as to the final direction the plot would take were sprinkled into the story.

I received an arc copy of this novella. The whole idea of this book being an undead assassin who is hired to kill herself pulled from another time is a really cool concept and with all the action it should’ve been something that I loved. But I had to force myself to not dnf this book. There was too much going on to really appreciate anything at all. World building is some of my favorite things in fantasy books but there was too many small details about the world and no big picture. There also was soo many characters that I didn’t feel connected to any of them and there was such emphasis on what they looked like rather than exploring who they were. The whole story felt spread thin and I think this would’ve made an amazing full length book if everything was able to be explored a little more or a great novella if it was more concise. The basic outline of the book was everything that I love and look for in a book and the ending had an interesting twist but it unfortunately as a whole it fell really flat for me.

P Djeli is the master of novella. He has accomplished so much in so few pages here. This is a time-bending, genre defying, fun and funny read and I could devour five more like it.

Clark has become one of my favorite authors. I think this might be a little bit better than Master of Djinn, Clark really shines with short stories and novellas.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of “The Dead Cat Tail Assassins” by P. Djèlí Clark. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a movie in book form in the best possible way. I was so impressed with how this novella packed in a ton of world building and action scenes. I loved Eveen’s story as she tried to figure out what was going on with her assassination target and kept finding deeper and deeper levels of unpleasant surprises. The other assassins popped right off the page in their scenes and reminded me of video game boss fights.

I read this as an ebook ARC but while I was reading, I kept thinking I bet the audiobook narrator is going to have so much fun reading this so I may need to check out the audiobook when it comes out too. I highly recommend this one and would happily read more books set in this world.

5/5 stars

About the book:
“Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins—resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories—have only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That’s above Eveen’s pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen’s a professional. She’s never missed her mark.

The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A final death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen’s newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn’t supposed to remember and a vow she can’t forget.”