This is a story of Eveen, a member of the guild of the Dead Cat Tails Assassins sworn to the goddess who is the Matron of Assassins. Eveen is chosen specifically to kill (ship) a particular target by a client who has paid extra to remain anonymous. All guild assassins are dead and have been resurrected to serve their goddess. Eveen discovers that she has been contracted to kill the living version of herself who has been brought forward in time. The writing is fairly solid and the story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger so we do learn the outcome.

4 Stars!

What an entertaining story!!

Bridging fantasy with a touch of steampunk, this is a world where magic and sorcery are abundant, class division is sharply noted, and guilds of hired killers are a dime a dozen ready to carry out a job if the price is right.

Our heroine Eveen is one of those hired killers, having agreed to be resurrected and undead but with many side benefits. She is beholden to the goddess Aeril who demands a strict code of conduct that’s in place for civilized reasons, mainly to minimize collateral damage but always in the goddess’s favor. Aeril obviously has the power to bestow existence after death, but she can easily take one’s life force if they don’t play by her rules.

When Eveen is given what seems like a standard contract, what she uncovers about her target tilts the axis and all bets are off where unbreakable vows just <i>might</i> need to be broken.

To say the least, I loved how this was set in the fictional port city of Tal Abisi, evoking a Middle Eastern historic vibe with hints of New Orleans and India as well. This is a place with opulent trade filled to the brim with luxuries and exotic items but also with dangerous depravity, violence, and horror. Magic is everywhere, forbidden thaumaturgy lurks in dark corners, and the atmosphere is rich with strange occurrences and offbeat creatures.

Clark caught my attention with A Dead Djinn in Cairo, and this has solidly put this author on my radar! Adventurous, filled to the brim with action, Eveen is a scrappy skilled assassin who knows her way around varied fighting techniques and weaponry, all with plenty of tricks up her sleeve and the talent to take advantage of her surroundings as her back up plans have back up plans. She must race against time to find a way out of her binding contract as well as save herself from its fatal repercussions. Will she succeed???

Overall, this was a lot of fun despite the grim tones and themes, and I can only hope Clark brings more to this fascinating world he’s created. The last sentence was perfect, making me cackle with a well placed nod to the reader!

Thank you to the author and Tordotcom via NegGalley for an ecopy in exchange for a review posted on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6315631884

It is always such a pleasure to experience Clark’s world building, which for me, is right there with Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s. And his unique magical systems are right there with Sanderson’s. I would have to pick the Dead Djinn-verse over this one, but this is still an excellent tale! And there is so much perfection in Aeril, Goddess of Assassins, Lady of Knives, also being the Goddess of Chefs and things culinary….I’ll never watch The Bear the same way again.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC of this Novella.

This is a wickedly funny story about an assassin who takes an unbreakable contract to kill someone from her past. Full of delightful characters and so much wit, I really enjoyed this story. And the ending was just *chef’s kiss*

**Note that this book publishes August 6, 2024**
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for my review.

This novella was pure adventure from start to finish.
I have never read anything by this author before and I now have to change that.
The time-frame of all the antics of this story takes place during a Mardi Gras-esque revelry in celebration of their folkore. The streets are packed with people and celebration as the mystery unfolds. It was a fun backdrop to picture as everything else was happening.
Both the world and character building seem naturally paced within this book. There are very few “info dump” feeling moments, it's a gradual understanding of both what the world is and Eveen as our main character.
The dialogue was quippy and sassy at certain points and had me chuckling.
I had so much fun with this story, there was constantly something happening that made me want to continue reading. I basically binged this read in two days.
I know this is a standalone, but by the end, I now want a series in this world or another novella spin-off adventure with The Dead Cat Tail Assassins.
Definitely pick this one up if you are a fantasy/sci-fi fan and want a fast-paced read without attachments to need to read a whole series.

Eveen is a member of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins - which means she's an undead follower of the goddess Aeril, one who signed a contract before her death to to be resurrected in exchange for a century of service to the goddess, during which time she is unable to remember anything of her life. Unlike many of Aeril's followers, who are brought back as cooks, Eveen was resurrected as an assassin, complete with the knowledge she needs to complete contracts - contracts that someone else vets and accepts. Eveen has just been presented with her newest contract when the novel begins, and she heads off to complete it. But when she finds her target, something truly unusual happens: Eveen recognizes her target as someone from her former life, leading her to break the third unbreakable law, by not completing a contract she's agreed to carry out.

This novel has an interesting twist on resurrection; Eveen is dead, her sensations muffled, but she eats food for energy, and she is emphatically not a zombie. She lives in the city of Tal Abisi, which teems with various deities, although she concerns herself only with Aeril, the goddess with whom she has a contract. At one point, Aeril herself appears, in response to a summons, and speaks in a truly difficult to read fashion; the written version of her speech is best understood if read out loud, and resembles the speech of a person with a mouthful of marbles. I understand the attempt to make Aeril's speech unique, but this is truly hard to decipher. Still, it's an interesting perspective on magic, assassination, and resurrection.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a novella about Eveen - an assassin who is not a cat, does not have a tail, but is most assuredly dead, as she tries to figure out who wants revenge on her, survive the repurcussions of breach of contract and find a legal loophole in a magical contract, all in one night.

The book is a quick and fun read, with an action packed story kicking off early on. The hints and twists, along with the witty characters kept me turning the pages until the end! The characters are engaging and relatable, though I wish we could find out more about Eveen - I hope this is not the last we see of her!

P. Djèlí Clark's sharp and masterfully succinct writing conveys a more complex world than the page count belies. We get the impression of layered characters and subtle politics without going into outright exposition. And I laughed out loud when I heard a mythical fearsome goddess of assassins use the word mansplain.

Thanks to NetGalley, Tor Publishing group and P. Djèlí Clark for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The rating is 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to 5 stars as the book on the whole is a great standalone read and delivers on what is promised.

[One star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the writing; One star for the story; Half a star for the characters; One star for the world-building - Four and a half stars in total.]

I started this about a week into February, read it here and there for a few days, I think I got about halfway through it and then I suddenly found forgetting about it until the end of the month. I think it's pretty telling after a couple weeks, I just wasn’t going to continue. There's many things about this story that are so cool. I mean who wants to read about a middle aged (actually I think she's like 60 or 70 if I did my math right) assassin who is technically dead and breaks her super duper mandatory assassins vow and saves a pretty girl. ME! But unfortunately this did not hold my attention. The old woman wisdom I wanted wasn’t there as she just acts and speaks like a normal 20 year old and that threw off the whole book for me. I'm sure many will like this though.

I am reviewing an ARC provided by NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

"The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

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 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."


I was SUPER excited to read this, having loved Master of Djinn, which was so righteously acclaimed. This far surpassed my expectations and was such a delightful surprise. The nearest comparison I can give is to Gideon the Ninth, which is HIGH praise, considering that the Locked Tomb series are (my favorite books seems such a weak phrase) some of the greatest works of literary genius of our modern day. The primary similarity between these titles (besides body horror, badass women, necromancy, and grotesque living gods a little too interested in their human vassals) is that both books find a similar balance, the "peanut butter and chocolate" between unspeakable horror and hilarity. Life is frequently horrible, and just as frequently funny as hell, and the gallows humor and occasional modern day memes really brighten up what could otherwise have been quite a grim book.

Eveen is an undead assassin, and she is, more than anything else, OVER THIS SHIT. She is ceaselessly wisecracking, alarmingly competent, as emotionally vulnerable as a definitely not zombie can be, and haunted by a past she literally has had wiped from her memory. I fell in love with her from the first sentence and spent the next 200 pages rooting desperately for her to find and hold onto herself, which (spoiler alert) she manages with ferocity.

The lightening pace of this novella still manages to give such a complete picture of an entire class system, a mythology, and a life. The action scenes (and there are many, as Eveen plows through a horde of her fellow Dead Cat Tails) are tense and cinematic.

The true soul of this book is in Eveen's determination to break the vile contract she finds herself in. I won't fully spoil this book, because I personally really enjoyed the OH WHAT moments, but suffice to say that the contract itself leads to some truly beautiful and heartachingly tender scenes.

I very much hope there will be a sequel. It's early days, but this has rocketed to the top of my Best of 2024 pile, and I am confident I will not be the only one who considers it so.

Thanks, NetGalley, and TorDotCom, for the opportunity to enjoy this perfect little book.

P. Djèlí Clark has done it again! He has delivered a punchy, hilarious narrative from the first page to the last. Sky and Eveen are brilliantly crafted characters whose witty banter adds humor to the mystery. I'm truly impressed by how much P. Djèlí Clark manages to achieve within the confines of a novella. This is a must-read!

Thank you Tor and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book.

P. Djeli Clark is a master of world-building and the best the genre has to offer at the moment. Their previous works had one foot in the world we know and the other led you to a fascinating alternative reality that is vibrantly inventive. This world is wholly invented and inventive with a dizzying explosion of elements magical and mundane and often downright hilarious. Very glad there is no romance subplot distracting from the undead assassin's guild shenanigans and Looper-esque central dilemma. I hope this world has more time to breathe in a full length novel eventually, but within the scope of this novella, the chase through a whole world of Tal Abbisi, was exhilarating. The end felt kind of indulgent and without any great lesson or nuanced social commentary. Still, overall, I couldn't be more delighted for the advanced reading copy, thanks to Netgalley. Can't wait for the next from this author.

Yup, this author is an auto buy. I love everything he writes. Especially his female characters. Chefs kiss! This is a darker, anti hero story that does not shy away from violence. Despite that the story was sweet, full of fun characters, and spoke to loyalty.

This was honestly not what I was expecting to get out of this novella- I read the synopsis again after receiving this ARC, and was intrigued (again).


Eveen is an undead assassin- part of an elite group of other undead like her, souls bound to the goddess of assassins and fate sealed. When a new job comes up on the night of the biggest festival in town, Eveen isn’t expecting her past to get dug up, and in the process, her entire life getting turned upside down.

This novella was equally gripping and immersive, to the point where you’re like, “Oh… that was a novella?” I haven’t read any of Clark’s work before, but I have marked Ring Shout and A Master of Djinn as TBRs, and let me just say this: you can tell that Clark cares about his craft, and that he truly does pour effort and love into every sentence he concocts. This world felt incredibly flushed out, even more astounding looking at the page count (224 pages?!?!) and the character dynamics were absolutely amazing! Clark is now definitely on my map. Am I saying that this book is flawless? No. It’s extremely action packed and sometimes tries to do a bit too much in its small frame. It’s not a literary masterpiece. However, I recommend you give it a shot!


— thanks to the publisher for the ARC —


— reading updates —

pov: you stayed up late even though you have two tests tomorrow because this was such an enjoyable read

she’s getting juiccyyyyyy

AAAAA I GOT AN ARC!!!


I received an e-ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. This did not influence my opinions. All thoughts are my own.

P. Djèlí Clark has done it again! Every time I read one of his novellas, I'm always in awe of how he manages to create such a vibrant world in about 200 pages or less. The world-building in this story is absolutely amazing and I want more of it. While the novel wraps up nicely, I want to know more about the city, the lore, the mythology, the people –– literally all of it. It was a really cool world to immerse myself in and if Clark wants to write another novella in this world, then sign me up immediately.

The characters were great as well. I enjoyed the banter between Eveen and pretty much everyone else, especially with Sky. The reason I rated this book four stars instead of five, though, was because, at times, the dialogue felt a little too modern/21st century. The setting, while a fantasy city, was clearly a more historical one (sort of steampunk-y vibes), and Eveen's dialogue especially does not match the world/time period that the novel is set in. There are a few different occasions where it really jumped out at me, though it wasn't so much that it completely ruined the whole novel for me.

Overall, as with all of Clark's novels, highly recommend this one!

I really enjoyed the premise of this novella and thought it was fun read overall. There were some great moments of comedic relief and the plot itself felt very unique. The only real negative for me was that the dialogue at the end was difficult to follow because of the dialect being used. While the dialogue was definitely readable, I had to do so at a much slower pace which messed with the flow of what is essentially the climax of the story.

4.5/5 Stars

Thank you for this eARC Tor! I went into this completely blind and left stunned. Such a fantastic and quick story. Truly changed my staunch opinion that a good fantasy story can't be told in less than 400 pages. Each word is maximized to showcase this colorful world filled with insane magic and history without overpowering the characters or story. The flow was effortless and made me not want to put it down. The twists were also brilliant and not insane. There is such a careful balance here that only comes with true talent and now I am bumping all of his stories to the top of my to be read pile because I need more. SO GOOD!

As usual for P. Djeli Clark, a vibrant and linguistically brilliant novella. Action-packed and full of mysteries that will leave you coming back for more, Dead Cat Tail Assassins is proof if need be that P. Djeli Clark is a master of original worldbuilding and loveable characters.
A great balance between action, mysteries and worldbuilding and a perfect door to discover P. Djeli Clark.

____

Après une Égypte alternative, une Amérique envahie par les forces lovecraftienne ou une Nouvelle Orleans steampunk, P. Djeli Clark montre une nouvelle fois que son imagination est foisonnante.

Eveen à été ressuscitée sans aucun souvenir de sa vie pour servir dans sa non-mort en tant qu'assassin la déesse Aeril. Elle fait partie d'une guilde d'assassins très encadrée, sous contrats et aux règles rigides. Dont la première est de de voir toujours mener à bout leur contrat avant l'aube. Mais lorsque sa cible s'avère être quelqu'un qu'elle reconnaît alors que cela devrait être impossible, Eveen va devoir se lancer dans une course contre la montre pour comprendre l'impossible...

Un style toujours aussi impeccable, vibrant, et avec le génie linguistique habituels de P. Djeli Clark, Dead Cat Tail Assassins est un vrai régal. Nerveux et haletant, porté par des personnages originaux et majoritairement (si ce n'est uniquement) noirs, la novella est bourrée d'humour et réussi à maintenir un excellent équilibre entre mystère et action. Une excellente porte d'entrée pour découvrir P. Djeli Clark.

Thank you @netgalley & @tordotcompub for this E-ARC The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djeli Clark

4 ⭐

This is my second novella from this author and I was very intrigued but also nervous as I loved Ring Shout , I will say this did not disappoint.

I had such a fun time reading this, it was serious and kickass but also light and funny. 

For such a short read, there was so much in it.

The humor won't be for everyone but it worked for me and the main character is unlikable but also very reliable in many ways. 

This book comes out in August 2024 and I can't wait to have a physical copy on my shelves. That cover is 🔥

My newest review book is called The Dead Cat Tail Assassins and its by P. Djeli Clark. It received an early copy from Net Galley and Tor Publishing Group.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats. They do not have tails either. That said, they are definitely Dead and Assassins. Eveen, one of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins, is well known for her work. She's one of the best of the assassins. She always does her job. Well, until one night when she meets a new victim and can't kill them. Unfortunately, not killing someone is much more trouble for her than killing someone. So begins a night she'll never forget.

And thats all I'll tell you about the story. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins has a very unique twist near the beginning that I don't want to spoil. Once you hear whats going on you'll want to keep reading this book and it'll be hard to stop. Dead Cat Tail is a complex, gripping story that'll have you on the edge of your seat. It also has plenty of funny and weird moments.

The world building in the novel is great too. You'll wonder if you're getting too much information, however every detail in this book is important. Not only does it build on this unique world but also it adds to the mystery. Dead Tail Assassins is definitely a mystery too. Its a complex action-adventure fantasy mystery.

Be warned though, the book is only nine chapters. Its a very short tail.

Of course that just makes the book even more addictive and ensures that you'll keep reading till the end. I know I did. The book ended much sooner than I thought it would. It has a very satisfying ending though.

Even so, The Dead Cat Tail Assassin's world is so good that the book will leave you hoping that the author will return to it someday. It doesn't even have to be these same characters! The book ends and feels complete but leaves room for more.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a really good book. P. Djeli Clark is an excellent writer and I look forward to reading more of their books.

If you want to check out The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, you find it at bookstores and online on August 6, 2024. Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and Net Galley for the digital review copy of this book.

Great premise and interesting worldbuilding, but unfortunately the character writing was a miss for me. The tone wasn't at all what I expected, and I especially struggled to connect with the final half. Still, this novella was decent and read very quickly.