In bookish spaces, there's a lot of talk about what makes a book a 5-star read. Sometimes I give a five star rating because I think a book tackled a complicated/emotional/underrepresented topic in a way that moves me. And other times I'm reading the book and going, "WTF is happening? WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN NEXT???" and this is in the latter category.

I've read Clark's work before, but not his Dead Djinn of Cairo series, although it's been on my radar for a while. I guess I need to fix that, because I spent the first half Dead Cat Tail Assassins wondering if it was supposed to be dark, or funny, or what, and... turns out it's all three. I can't talk about the ending without spoiling *something*---a surprising amount of stuff happens in this novella---but I could not possibly have anticipated the utterly bonkers and totally delightful turn the story took. It's so good, you guys. It's outrageous and it's good and now I have to go read all the other works in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC. So many twists. So many turns. I love it.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Dead Cat Tail Assassins from author P. Djèlí Clark!
I am mostly familiar with Clark’s writing from Ring Shout, which I read a few years ago, although he tends to write more in the fantasy and sci-fi genres rather than horror. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is no exception – set in a magical world of gods and killers. While there are no dead cats in this tale (see what I did there?), there are certainly undead contract killers who must carry out every job assigned to them.
This was a short read, clocking in at around 200 pages, and my biggest complaint is the world-building in the book felt large enough for the story to be a fully fleshed out novel. It didn’t feel like there was enough time or space on the page to get to know and appreciate the characters, specifically our protagonist. There is a lot of humor and heart here, however little room for character development. I appreciated the action and tongue-in-cheek dialogue, but it still felt like something was missing.
If you’re a fan of Clark, or a fan of sci-fi/fantasy action, this might be worth checking out. Although I loved Ring Shout, and will actively seek out more of Clark’s writing, this one fell a bit flat. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is set to be published in August of this year.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a fast-paced story that features a strange but colorful world of deities, assassins, and the contracts that bind them together. Featuring an intriguing mystery and solid world building, I felt like I could envision the world as Eveen and Sky ran across the trade city of Tal Abisi, trying to figure out the reason behind their mysterious connection.

I enjoyed the two main characters and the side characters really shined. They were unique, full of life, and I enjoyed getting to know them whenever Eveen and Sky encountered a new one, whether they were a terrifying assassin or a sweet but strong grandmother that could make a mean meat pie. Although I did enjoy this book, there were some things that were missing from this short story. In my opinion, some of the jokes fell flat, and they felt almost sitcom-like, I could easily imagine the jokes being in a Disney or Nickelodeon tv show. There were some moments that felt out of place and awkward. It was a smart choice to make this story a shorter novella style, I felt it was quick and to the point, and yet I still felt that I would have liked to learn a bit more about the side characters. I mean, a powerful female guild boss, a group of sadistic twin sisters, and an assassin man made of bones, what's not to love about that? They were very interesting and each of them had a unique voice but because of the short style of this novel, we only get to see these characters for a moment. Eveen only comes into contact with most of the other characters for a short time, but I felt that going more into depth about their backgrounds and stories would have helped me feel more connected to the characters. Perhaps focusing on a smaller amount of characters and allowing readers to spend more time with them rather than having a large amount side characters and shorter time with them would have helped this story.

In summary, the shorter format strengthened this novel, but it also led to a lack of depth with the side characters. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more of this authors work, as Clark certainly knows how to create vibrant, and fantastical worlds within his pages.

When the main character told two goddesses: "Thought you were supposed to be some kind of bad bitches or something. Trifling." it solidified that this was a 5-star read for me.

Going into this novella, I didn't have any expectations. I saw a fun premise (and a stunning cover) and I was sold. Immediately, the story sucks you right into the world of Tal Abisi, following the assassin Eveen.

I really enjoyed this read because it didn't take itself too seriously, but it still proved to be incredible storytelling and so much heart. To see Eveen and Sky interact and get close during this impossibility bringing them together was so much fun, even as their lives were in danger. (Though I'm not sure if that would count for Eveen given her undead status).

Anyway, this was a solid novella! Super fun, dangerous, creative storyline, and the world building felt incredibly immersive without info dumping

I absolutely LOVED the sarcasm and banter between all the characters in this!
My low star rating was due to me being more of a plot-driven girlie. There was just way too much SLOOOOOOWWW plot progression in between massive amounts of dialog.
There were times where the dialog also felt rather choppy and the ending was just weird for me.

I think if you enjoy lots of dialog and banter, you'll for sure enjoy this and rate it higher than me!

Thank you, Netgalley for the advanced copy.

A short but exciting and fast-paced fantasy novella. You don't always need 700 or more pages to tell a good story, with interesting characters, and this proves it. I'll be reading more from this author.

What a fantastic story! A fun, darkly humorous novella with characters who can't help but like. This might be my favorite by P. Djèlí Clark yet! A highly unique and descriptive world, complicated but loveable characters, and a fast-moving plot makes this a book not to be missed. While a short story I have no doubt this will be one of my favorite reads from this year, especially with such a perfect ending. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a brilliant and hilarious tour-de-force from Clark, whose other work I have enjoyed to no end. Here, an assassin is sent to kill....someone who might very well be her younger self, literally. When the assassin runs, taking her quarry with her, adventures ensue, involving the world's equivalent of mediocre, White, crypto-flogging men in tech, other assassins, and goddesses. It's a romp through popular culture and fantasy tropes, and is glorious.

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

Eveen was dead. Like dead, dead. For real dead. How that had happened, she didn't know. She didn’t have a single memory about who she'd been in her life either.
Now she was bound by a contract, agreed to in life, binding herself to the goddess of knives she now serves.

Story like that should be a Terrible Escapades of Eveen the Eviscerator!

This was a fun one and only an hour read. I definitely preferred the first half as after that it became more of either being chased or chasing down important people. (If you’ve been following my reviews for long, you know I tend to get bored with repetitive fight, chase scenes.)

I also struggled to follow along the last part due to the written dialogue which Clark adapted to demonstrate accents. Whilst this made it more immersive and authentic, I sometimes struggled to make out the meaning.

I loved how Clark manages to cram so much vibrant world-building into such a short amount of time without it ever feeling overwhelming or overdone.
Also, the writing is just so self-aware, snarky, and witty!

This short taster is testament to Clark’s talent and will make you all the more excited to dive into their slightly longer works!

My first P. Djèli Clark but absolutely not my last. That was fantastic and the ending was just *chefs kiss*!

P. Djèlí Clark does. not. miss! Action packed and funny, this novella is a ton of fun from start to finish.

Everything I read from this man is a fantastic time. What Clark is able to accomplish in such a small page count never ceases to amaze me. He can consistently build worlds that feel rich and full, put together a stunning cast of characters, and can typically slip in commentary on class, the commodification of marginalized bodies, and women unabashedly holding their own power in less time than full length novels take to set up a story.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is out August 6, 2024 and if 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 is a 200-page book full of lore and world building. The Guilds of undead assassins in Tal Abisi, in service of the Goddess of Knives, are a part of the inner workings of the port city, where contracts are made, money is exchanged, and people are killed. There are three unbreakable rules for the Guilds of Assassins, with dire consequences if they are violated. Eveen has never broken any of these rules. But on the last night of the festival, she receives a contract from a rich patron who has paid extra to keep his identity a secret. This is not the only strange thing about this job. Eveen always follows her contracts. Until now. With the city filled with revelers, she must learn more about the target, the mysterious patron, and the motive behind the contract before dawn.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on a new book by this amazing author! If you haven't read either of his books (Master of Djinn winner Locus and Nebula 2022, Ring Shout winner Locus, Nebula and World Fantasy 2020/21), they are definitely worth the read! He writes bad a$$ women characters so well!

The Master of Djinn is set in the steampunk magical city of Cairo, Fatma is the strong female MC who works for the ministry of alchemy and solves high-profile murders.

Ring Shout is set in the antebellum south, where our female monster hunter MC is fighting to take down the evil demonic Ku Klux Klan and fight against their power that is rising through the movie Birth of a Nation.

I was really excited to receive an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley!

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins was a fun casual fantasy read. I enjoyed the main character's personality and the overall slightly humorous tone of the book. The world itself was detailed enough for a fantasy setting without being too overwhelming with details which is great for a short read like this one.

The plot itself was interesting enough, kind of middle of the road and then the end was a little underwhelming.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It's a fun read for a casual fantasy enjoyer who wants something short and fast paced.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was really entertaining! Very creative concept, and Eveen was a great character to follow. P. Djèlí Clark does not disappoint. The deep, richly imagined worldbuilding is a treat to read, which is especially impressive because the world feels so fleshed out for a novella. The humor in the book is also well done and makes for a fun read. I'd love to read more from this world.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djeli Clark, just not for me. I tried to get into this book and it simply failed for me. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book and I do think others will enjoy it.

This was a really good book and so suspenseful, and also full of good ideas and unique concepts.
The only thing that made the story fall apart for me a little bit was the “time travel” aspect being the main story when it wasn’t typical of this world. If this had been part of a larger series and just this installment had a time travel arc, that would have made more sense, but to have something that’s not normally possible in that world be the main story when we’ve barely gotten to know the setting didn’t quite work for me.

Thank You Net Galley for the advanced reader copy of The Dead Cat Tail Assassin's! The review below is my honest opinion.

Release Date: 8/6/24
Rating: 3 Stars (generous)


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

Eveen is undead with no memories of how she died or her previous life. She was resurrected and signed a contract to serve the goddess Aeril to be an assassin. When Eveen saw her next assignment a flash of a memory came to her that prevented her from completing the assignment.

I love the premise of the story and I wish the book was a bit longer to build on the relationships more. I was really confused throughout the story

Who is this goddess?
What is this world?
What is the social structure?

There were a lot of descriptions without context. It felt like references were being made that I should know about but no expectations. Plenty of fun banter between characters but with no real relationship building the banter fell flat

I received an advanced copy of this title via NetGalley.

I was already a fan of Clark's work, and this tightly plotted adventure with undead assassins, magic, and facing your choices as bravely as possible was deeply satisfying.

Eveen is an undead assassin, in a guild of undead assassins, pledged to the goddess Aeril. She doesn't love her job, but she's resigned to doing it as well as she can, following the rules laid down. Until she gets handed her next assignment, which is ... unsettling. This assignment sets off a chain of events that upends a major part ofTal Abisi society, exposing long hidden dark secrets, and putting her face to face with the goddess to which she has pledged her blade.

Tight pacing, an excellent cast of supporting characters, and sharply written action make this a delightful fantasy adventure, on a par with the exciting books that Eveen favors in her down time between jobs.

Another wildly creative, fast-paced, action-packed tale, as fans of P. Djeli Clark have come to love and expect.

The improbable Dead Cat Tail Assassins are definitely not cats, nor do they have tails, but they are definitely assassins and most definitely (un)dead. They seem slightly better off than zombies in that they are recognizably human, but with odd quirks such as eyes that don't blink, a self-healing body, no memory of their former lives etc. The hero of this novella happens to be a member of this organization and is given a target at the beginning of the tale. What she thinks is a routine job becomes an unexpectedly tough one and then a really alarming one as she recognizes the potential victim to be her younger self!

What would happen if you meet your younger self? It's a question SF/Fantasy has addressed in a variety of ways...the resolution to the conundrum is typical of the genre here, but the fun is in the journey. The fast pace and well-developed characters make this a delightful read. Both the female leads as well as the supporting characters show their strength in a variety of ways.

The city in which the action is set is equally engaging making you wish the story was longer or at least ask for additional stories set in the same universe.