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.

⭐️ 3.5 STARS ⭐️

Okay, so the premise of this book was so interesting but the story had many highs and just as many lows. The story started off a bit slow but with not a lot of world building and the reader immediately tossed into multiple action scenes, which are very engaging and fun. However, my main problem with this book is that the writing is not the best, especially during the ending scene. I couldn’t tell what either of the goddesses were saying and it was just chaotic trying to find the context of the scene and how it progressed. I think that is one big thing that should be changed in the final copy of the book but otherwise, this was fun and a quick, interesting read.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins follows Eveen, who is an undead assassin in the Dead Cat Tail Assassins guild. She doesn't remember her life before being resurrected and becoming an assassin, only that she made a deal with a goddess before she died to become such. Amidst festival celebrations she is contracted by an unknown client and though Eveen expects it to be like any other contract, it quickly turns into anything but. When the target triggers a memory for her, which is most definitely not something that should be able to happen, Eveen and her target set out to figure out how they are connected and why this contract was drawn up in the first place, but the clock is ticking because if the contract isn't settled by morning, there will be hell to pay.

I went into this as a fan of P. Djèlí Clark's cheeky and dark humored writing, and this did not disappoint. The opening was a bit awkward ("Memories, wouldn't know much about those"), but once through the first chapter I feel like the stage was set and the story had found its legs. The larger story elements were somewhat predictable, but Clark approached them with a fresh perspective and pulled off an ending I didn't see coming!

Spoilers below:

The progressive telling of the festival story was flawlessly integrated. I think that's a mechanism that can be hard to do smoothly, and Clark did that so well. The sowing and reaping regarding Sky's origins are pretty obvious, but not tedious, and I don't feel like that was intended to be surprise reveal at the end as much as it was a secret the reader was let into that the characters in the story needed to work to to get everyone to the fantastical ending with sister gods from different dimensions ready to cross swords.

There's definitely some underlying gently pushed themes about power, consent, and humanity, but those are bonus features to a fun and darkly-humored adventure. This was such a fun read and though it won't be for everyone, I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes Tamsyn Muir, Martha Wells, or similar authors.

P. Djeli Clark NEVER MISSES!! I cannot think of one of his books that didn’t have me captivated within the first few pages, giggling, and shortly thereafter saying a few expletives! The characters and the world building are always on point!! And I absolutely LOVE how he always represents the Black Diaspora!
If you’re a Clark fan, definitely add this one to your TBR to get your P Djeli fix in. Bravo sir 🙌🏾

Thank you, Net Galley and Tor for providing this arc. P. Djeli Clark creates a black sci-fi masterpiece that rivals Lovecraft Country. Eveen is an assassin who has one crazy night that includes, magic, time travel, zombies, extensional dread, and surprisingly a good amount of food. I truly believe the story should be read without a lot of context I will say there is a load of gore but crafted perfectly. I can't wait to read more of Mr. Clark's works.

Could barely get out of the first chapter. I loved RING SHOUT, but this is not for me.

Didn't vibe with the characters OR the plot.

This was an action packed and unique Novella. So much character growth and plot was accomplished in a mere 200 pages.

The premise of the story immediately hooked me and drew me in. We learn quite a bit about our main character right off the bat. Undead assassins, dressed up as cats who complete contracts for unknown entities to assassinate rivals. Yes please!!

I really appreciated the descriptions of the assassins, and how they eventually became undead assassins. I feel like it gave a lot of depth to the characters and explained a lot of motivations surrounding the contracts. I really would love to have more novels about these assassins I especially found "the quad" very interesting. The old man was also super interesting to me.

P Djèlí Clark is very well-known for amazing characters and unique storylines and this is no exception. I highly recommend the Novella for a short action packed thrill ride.

This was awesome! It's a short book, but there is so much world-building, and the setting is fantastic. I don't want to say too much about the plot setup because it's so short and that could spoil the experience, but it's a little twisty and very action-packed. P. Djèlí Clark is an auto-read author for me now - a good novella is very difficult to pull off, but I have very much enjoyed all of the ones from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!