When COVID first started back in early 2020, I read everything by this author that I could get my hands on. I read their full length novel, "A Master of Djinn", in 2021 right when it came out. So, I was beyond thrilled to get to read another story from this author, especially early. I really enjoyed this story! The premise of this was so compelling and the world of assassins was so well-realized. The storytelling was so great in this, too--the setting and the characters were all so real. Eveen was such a compelling character to learn about and read through, and I flew through this story at break-neck speed. I long for more in this super cool, well-done world! Even though the ending wraps up nicely, I wouldn't mind getting a few more stories (or even novellas) set in this land (please I beg of you). This will have to tide me over until another story by P. Djèlí Clark is released.
I'm so excited to get physical copies in at my library when this is released in August, I think that my patrons will really love this.

I love, love, loved this story! This world of assassins was so interesting to read about. The premise was great, the storytelling was fantastic, and I thought the ending was a good wrap up to the story. If this were a series, I wouldn’t hesitate to read every book. Eveen was an interesting character and getting to learn about her was such a delight.

While this was the first book I’ve read by P. Djèlí Clark, it certainly won’t be the last.

I have always wanted to read Clark’s books. I have his books in my tbr and I am so glad The Dead Cat Tails Assassins is the first book I read by him because this book is so amazing!!!

Eveen is an undead hired killer who agreed to be resurrected. She signs a contract for a new job, but soon after she encounters a sudden problem while on the job. Now Eveen has to act quickly to find a way to terminate this contract without suffering from the consequences.

Reading this book was so fun! I enjoyed every aspect of it. This book was so exciting and compelling, I read it in one sitting and I absolutely love his ability to create a vivid fantasy world where it made everything around me disappear and had me thinking I was in this world. The way he managed to build this action and adventure in this short novella is truly amazing and wow I just want more of it!

If you like mythology, assassins, and magic then this is the book for you!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC for an ecopy in an exchange for a honest review

I loved this book, I got it from Netgalley as an eARC which does not affect my review. This basically scratched all of my itches, fun necromancy in a fantasy world with plenty of action and a compelling plot! P. Djèlí Clark has definitely become an author that I will look out for whenever I am out searching for books. I hope that we can return to this world again!

This book me some time to get into. I initially started this book thinking this is going to be about the Assassins as a collection. However, the story mostly follows one Assassin named Eveen. She is given job that we soon learn she is unable to fulfill. Eveen must find away to either finish the job or face punishment.

P. Djèlí Clark has rapidly become an author I'm always interested in. He has a great imagination that centers black characters in fantasy, and I know he's always going to come up with some cool worldbuilding and character dynamics.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a ton of fun, and takes place in a fantasy world that is so richly described and built. We follow our main character Eveen, who is not a cat nor does she have a tail, but she is dead and she is an assassin. After a job goes wrong and she suddenly has memories of a past life she's not supposed to remember at all, the plot kicks off.

As I've already said, the world building is grand. Clark really knows how to build a world up around a character as they move through it and interact with other characters within it. He's fantastic at showing, not telling, and it's fun to find out about this world as Eveen's story unfolds.

Though the world building is strong, there are other aspects of the novel that didn't work as well for me. This feels like a madcap sort of story; it moves along at a strong pace that is steady but also feels very rushed at times. Additionally, I wasn't a huge fan of the humor or tongue-in-cheek character work. I never really felt totally connected to all the characters, which was unfortunate because the story itself was interesting as it unfolded.

This is a pretty fun novel, in the end. I would highly recommend this for readers who love plot driven stories, and who are looking for a fun new fantasy world with fun characters to read about.

What a fun read! Assassins that are already dead, cranky gods, contracts that no one remembers making…it all adds up to an entertaining and too-short book that I truly hope will become a series. This author tends to be a must-read for me, and this definitely continues that trend.

Thank you to NetGalley & Tor for sending me this ARC copy for review!

This was such a fun novella by P. Djèlí Clark. It packed so many things into such a small book and all were things I really enjoy. We have an undead assassin who is given an assignment more wild that she could imagine. It leads to a action packed night filled with magic, misfortune, and mayhem.

I really enjoy the humor within the story and the way Clark is able to build a world in such a short amount of pages. I wasn't expecting most of the plot of this book and it was a nice surprise. I think Clark really shines with his novellas so if you didn't enjoy his longer works, this might work better for you.

Overall, if you enjoy fast faced fantasies where you have to watch the main character get themselves out of a mess then I would highly suggest it!

This was my first P. Djèlí Clark book, and I’m sure it will not be my last. This was an absolute masterclass in world-building packed into a bite-sized novella.

Exceptionally brief overview because honestly, going in blind is 100% the best experience.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats, but they are most certainly dead. Eveen is one of these assassins, and when she gets her next assignment, it should be no different. She’s looked into plenty of peoples faces while she ended their lives. This time is no different, right?

This book was such a fabulous ride with the best twists and turns imaginable. It was amazing to see how much world building was in this story. Not in an info dumping way at all. The world and story were layered in a genuinely organic way. Everything developed in a really believable set of outcomes. It felt like the characters’ actions had consequences that fit the world the story is set in.

Just wonderful.
4.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars

I got to meet this author back when Kate and I went to ALA in Chicago in 2023, so he’s been on my list of writers to check out for a bit. Not to mention, I’m always interested in a fantasy story featuring assassins, so this book was an obvious request for me! Plus, the title is intriguing as heck!

This was one of those books that felt familiar and a bit like a homecoming in the best of ways. This isn’t to say that the story, characters, or world were unoriginal, more so it was the fact that they all so neatly referenced many other familiar, beloved traits found in similar fantasy stories. Eveen, in particular, while still very much her own character, also reminded me of other beloved similar characters (Keesan from “Godkiller” comes to mind). She was that perfect combination of hardened, rather sarcastic warrior woman who finds her straight-forward approach to the world suddenly challenged. She was funny, powerful, and charismatic, and I would read more books about her any day of the week!

I also really enjoyed the world-building that went into this book. It’s a novella, so the author had to be judicious with how to build in the framework of this world while not cutting into the fast-paced action of the story. The entire story takes place over a 24-hour period of time, and yet between all of the fighting and running and scheming scenes, I still felt as if I understood this world of undead assassins and the powerful families who would wield them for their own goals. The concept of the undead assassins was also very interesting; it was one of those ideas you find in fantasy stories that are deceptively simple and yet brilliant when played out on the page.

While some of these fantasy elements and characters (both main and side) felt vaguely familiar (again, in the best way), the ending of this book packs a major punch with the way it resolves the greater conflict. I can truly say I didn’t see that last twist coming at all, and not only was it clever, but it perfectly wrapped up many of the threads of the story that had begun to feel impossibly knotted.

I also really enjoyed the numerous side characters sprinkled throughout the book. Eveen will always be my favorite, but her greatness was supported by the variety of other “Dead Cat Tail Assassins” we meet throughout the story, each with their own unique fight style. Rounding out the cast was the target of Eveen’s assassination mission, a young woman with a connection to Eveen’s forgotten past that is shocking and propels the entire story forwards.

I enjoyed the heck out of this story! I sat down and read it one sitting (this is helped by it being a fairly short story), completely drawn in by the fast-moving plot and hilarious main character. I definitely recommend this one for all fantasy readers, especially those looking for an action-packed story that features a compelling leading lady!

Rating 9: Crackling with action and humor, I finished the last page wishing for only one thing: more!

(Link will go live August 7 on The Library Ladies)

Assassin rule #942, read this book. Filled with murder, mystery, mayhem and more, Clark's latest offering may be short, but oh, is it sweet. With a few deft pen stokes the world of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins comes to life. Rich, like a tapestry, the world unfurls on the pages. Sights, sounds and flavors mix with the hijinks of unforgettable characters like Eveen and her fellow undead. This was too short a trip to this fantastic world.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the advance ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

♡ Release Aug.6 ♡
- YA Fantasy
- Dystopia
3.5 🌟
.First this cover is EVERYTHING, it's so beautiful.
.I think this book just wasn't for me honestly. The storyline had potential but just wasn't for me.
.The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.
Nor do they have tails.
But they are most assuredly dead.

♡ Thank you Netgalley for allowing me this eArc for my honest opinion | review ♡

This was my first P. Djèlí Clark book and I can confidently say that it won’t be my last. I absolutely loved the atmosphere of this book. I desperately want to be in this world more!! I will admit that I found the long chapters a bit sluggish and harder to get through. It did slow me down quite a bit, even making me put this book down for a couple weeks before coming back to it, but I loved it in the end.

this was A LOT of fun. I kinda feel like I would have liked a more punchy ending or better pacing or something, plus sometimes the jokes could be... a lot... but it is so incredibly fun and charming that the tone and characters easily carry it.

also, like, you guys know I hate it when characters that shouldn't talk in like modern SJ language start doing so. well, this book has the most laugh-out-loud example of using "mansplain" in a situation like that. I mean that positively because it's INCREDIBLY funny so props to the author for pulling it off lol

3.5 Stars
For a novella I was impressed with the depth of world building allowed in this story, and I think any fans of the Shades of Magic series (particularly those who like Lila Bard) will enjoy this story and MC.

First of all, I would like to thank Tordotcom Publishing for giving me an advanced readers copy of The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark!

Incredibly atmospheric, I was emerged in the story by the first line! Dark, mysterious, with steampunk vibes, this world draws you in immediately!

Eveen is such an interesting character that leaves you guessing about who she is, who she was, why did she give up her life to be an undead assassin? She's witty, snarky, and loves to poke fun at other people.

Not to mention; she's an absolute badass. She can take on several armed guards easily! The fight scenes were insane, fast paced, and easy to visualize (which is something I tend to struggle with visualizing)

And then she sees her own face in her next victim.

The characters are super interesting and memorable. Fennis is a guy who works with Eveen, despite being alive, and is a foodie. I absolutely adore the banter between him and Eveen!

And then there's the girl, Sky, who looks like Eveen who seemed to come from 60 years in the past who Eveen was hired to kill. Come to find out, they really are the same person!

As the mystery unfolds, Eveen and Sky are hunted by other Dead Cat Tail Assassins. The two work to overcome each assassin as they try to get Sky back where she came from, save Eveen from possibly dying (again), and save the guild from Aeril and her demon dogs' revenge for not completing the job. And, Eveen was contracted from one of the most powerful men in the city, Pol Oranus.

It comes to a point where they find out Sky is Eveen from another universe, and Pol orchestrated it all as revenge for Eveen killing his son.

This book left me gasping from reveals and laughing from witty quips from the main character. The world is one of my favs at this point, I love how intricate it is, with its own stories and histories woven into it.

Clark has been an author I'm always excited to see a new work from ever since "A Dead Djinn in Cairo" came out. He has a real gift for the drawing highly imaginative and visual stories and "The Dead Cat Tale Assassins" is no exception. The absolute highlight of this novella is the setting. A magical city in the midst of a carnival celebration is brought to life with all its sparkle (and food!). The bustle and detail made the world feel brilliantly real and I really appreciated how much of a sense of culture and place was created in a story starring a zombie assassin and her time travelling double.

The story's use of the in-world folk tale of the Clockwork King, the Pirate Princess, and the Golden Bounty works beautifully both a way to make the world feel lived in and as a surprising plot point. In an action novella there isn't a lot of space for world building, but the carnival and the folk tale really allowed Clark to get across the sense that this is a real place, full of real people and evolving traditions.

I appreciated how the ending was foreshadowed without ever being clearly spelled out in advance. I kept *almost* figuring it out, but didn't quite have all the answers predicted by the final pages. The author held enough things back to keep the mystery going until the reveal, but I didn't feel cheated.

My love of the story was tempered by the constant and repetitive cursing. I think Eveen's catchphrase was supposed to be a joke, but most anything gets annoying when repeated that often. I think this character device would have been more tolerable in a longer work or one with multiple points of view just to give readers a bit more variety in language.

I also had trouble with how very young Eveen seems. I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't a cocky young teenager most every time she spoke. I understand this might have been a way to highlight the fact that as a mind wiped zombie she didn't have the memories necessary to base maturity on. However, this potential was undercut by the fact that Eveen is dealing with her younger self and we are frequently reminded of how much older she is than the version that was conjured up by magic. Though I think these complains may be a bit unfair for a short piece focused on showcasing clever ways to defeat the enemy through both strategy and head busting.

I think that this story will appeal to those looking for a quick read full of creative action and violence.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for an e-copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

Dead Cat Tail Assassins was a wild ride with the undead, gods, intricate world building and lots of violence. The insults and trash talk during the fights was so entertaining too. The book spends a lot of the ending going over the law, which reminded me of the nuances of legal interpretation in courtrooms. Can’t say I enjoyed that part. Overall an entertaining read that I liked, but didn’t love.

This was such a fun read. My first time reading this author and I plan to definitely read his other works. It manages to be an action=packed novella with a good amount of humor and dialogue.

The challenge with a sci-fi and fantasy novella is balancing world-building with the length of the story. I think Clark does an excellent job at explaining enough that we get the gist of the world, but not so much that a shorter story is overdrawn with exposition and trying to orient the reader to the world.

I would love to read more in this world!

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at Tor allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats, nor do they have tails. But they are assassins. This story follows Eveen whose job as an assassin is put at risk when she goes to kill her mark and has a memory--the one thing no Dead Cat Tail Assassin has ever had. The problem is that once a contract is accepted the assassin must complete the contract--or else. We follow Eveen as the sands in the hourglass fall, her time running out, while she tries to get to the bottom of this memory. Can Eveen complete her contract? Or will she be the one meeting the end of a dagger? The Dead Cat Tail Assassins comes out on August 6th and is available for preorder now.

I struggled when it came to the rating for this one. I don't love shorter works because it lacks in the details I really need to feel grounded in a story. Yet this was such a fun and compulsively readable novella. There are little touches here and there that can really ground the reader while also pushing the plot forward, always forward. I did have to fill in quite a few blanks on my own based on my reading history but that's sort of to be expected when you're reading a Fantasy story that is SO short. It says the final copy should be around 200 pages which is just so, so short for a Fantasy. (I've literally written a review for an almost 800 page Fantasy novel saying it should have been longer. I LOVE some chunky Fantasy.) Yet, I feel like I knew enough about the magic to understand what was happening throughout the story. I also felt like the characters felt realistic. I would have loved more from them but they still had enough good and bad qualities to seem well rounded. I will say that I guessed a component of the plot twist very early on. Possibly because of books I've read in the past, but most likely because of a tv show I'm currently watching that had a similar-ish twist. (If I even say the title of the tv show, you'll guess the plot twist so I won't spoil that for you.) I think this would be a great pick up for people who already really enjoy this author, but also for people who don't like getting bogged down in the details of most Fantasy novels. People who don't love Tolkein spending three pages describing a tree but who still want to enjoy Fantasy will probably have a good time with this one.

Overall, this was such a fun and quick read for me. I know that P. Djèlí Clark is a beloved author on the bookish parts of the internet so I felt so lucky to get this ARC. I would love to read more from them in the future.