I have a love hate relationship with novellas. The concept always sounds really good, but I'm always disappointed because I want more story. I will be giving Clark's longer works a go after enjoying this one. One thing that really irked me in this story was near the end there was a dialect introduced that was very difficult to read/decipher what the character was saying. This might have been improved by listening to the audiobook.

P. Djèlí Clark's The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a wild ride of speculative fiction and urban fantasy that delves into a unique world where magic and mystery intertwine with the mundane. Set in a vividly crafted city, the novel follows a group of eccentric and morally complex female characters who are entangled in a web of assassination, intrigue, and supernatural elements. Clark's rich world-building and sharp dialogue bring to life a narrative that is both imaginative and grounded in emotional depth. The book does a seamless integration of cultural references and fantasy elements that will keep readers engaged while exploring themes of identity, loyalty, and justice. Overall, it’s a fantastic story that showcases Clark's talent for creating engrossing and thought-provoking story telling.

Clark is back with a style he absolutely slays: a fantasy with a wickedly smart FMC who excels at witty banter and takes no crap. I fell in love with these characters, and the world building is exceptional as always. You’ll get hints of Nevernight and a whiff of buddy cop vibes. So fun and enjoyable!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars, rounded up!

Thank you so much to Tor for sending me an ARC of this book to read and give an honest review.

This was my first P Djélí Clark book, but I've had a few others of his on my list and will definitely be checking them out in the future.

This is a short book, but Clark packs in so much worldbuilding. The magic is constant and there's all sorts of fantasy creatures and technological aspects woven throughout the city. The concept of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins is inherently fascinating and I loved meeting the other members of the guild throughout.

A few of the lines didn't quite fit the story and atmosphere of the book, but these were few and far between. The fights were easy to follow and inventive, building out characters even as they battled. I loved each unique assassin and how Eveen has to change her strategy to defeat each one.

This was a quick read, but there was still so must content! Clark builds out a world and a magic system that I would be happy to go back to.

This was a very solid story. I thought the world and the premise were very interesting. I wish I could have been in the world a lot more because it had a lot of intriguing elements with the stories, the gods, etc. While I did enjoy the story, it isn't a favorite of mine by P. Djèlí Clark. I wasn't connecting to the characters much and there was just little things with the plot that left me uninterested in picking the book up for some reason.

oh how i wanted to love this but it ultimately fell flat in execution. the writing is still fun and the characters draw you in, but this did not deliver for me.

Never have I been so happy and excited that I accurately predicted the plot twists omfg. 😂 But listen, this was madly entertaining, funny, snarky, and action-packed—basically everything I imagined from a new P. Djeli Clark masterpiece.

At first, I thought it was a little slow but I was quickly proven wrong. Once I got past the first chapter, the story is just filled with action and magic from there. Apart from that, I really appreciate the level of world-building and the effort of getting the reader to care about the world-building even when it's just a novella. Because the world in this book—Tal Abisi, the festival happening, the lore and the magic—everything tied up with the storyline itself and that's just so good for me. It's so well-written and compelling that way.

Of course, the characters are really interesting. Eveen, Sky, Fennis, even the goddess Aeril and the other minor characters, I cared about all of them because their characterizations were on point. Not to mention the fact that this story, in a way, kind of raises the question of knowing yourself and what you could have been or what you could be. I just think that's pretty neat, especially for such a snarky, comedic SFF like this.

As for the actual plot/storyline? Perfection. Yes I did guess some of the major plot twists, but it's just so fun 😂 And I think it's because the author did such a great job laying down hints and small crumbs for the readers. They can go unnoticed and surprise the reader for sure. But as for me who's a little fond of the [redacted], I loved getting to see that particular plot twist and guessing it right 😆

Overall, The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is an excellent novella perfect for SFF lovers, especially for fans and new readers of the author!

3.5 stars rounding up. Fun, but mostly inconsequential. I finished this less than 3 weeks ago and I already remember very little of it. It's a new setting, and perhaps Clark plans to continue to flesh it out (as he did with his alternate Cairo); in which case, I will esteem this book higher as it becomes part of an overall milieu. There's enough meat on the bones here to build it out, if that's what Clark decides to do, and I look forward to reading more if so.

This is definitely one of my favorite's by P. Djeli Clark! I want more stories in this world and will keep my fingers crossed that we get them in the future!

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is short at just over 200 pages. It’s packed with plenty of action and decent world building, but with few twists and turns. This was fun to read, but I struggled a little with getting into it. It took some time for me to imagine the world, which was a bit frustrating considering how short this is, and Eveen’s speech just didn’t feel like it fit quite right, but it’s a fun story that suggests multiple self-contained alternate worlds, something that always catches my attention.

Eveen is an undead assassin, raised from the dead some years before by the goddess of assassins, and chefs. She serves in the only remaining assassins guild in Tal Abisi, and follows three unbreakable rules. But, on the night of the Festival of the Clockwork King, she breaks them, because her target has an impossible face. Now on the run with the girl, Sky, from her own guild boss and fellow assassins, Eveen has one night to figure out how to save herself, Sky, and her guild before someone with a great deal of power decides to take action because she broke the rules.

As I mentioned, this is fun. It’s a fun, compact story, even if I felt it skimped a little on the world building. It took me a while to get into this world and feel like I could probably picture it. The focus just felt like it was mostly on the characters, so I struggled a little with placing them against the background, which was frustrating because the world really tied into the story in crucial ways. After all, Eveen and Sky figure things out because of certain differences. I just wish more world building details had been given earlier on and a bit more frequently as I constantly felt like my brain was scrambling to catch up.

The characters, though, are the shining stars here. They were all unique and interesting, but didn’t have much depth considering the short length of this book. Eveen was a great deal of fun, offering heaps of humor, which worked really well considering this is about an assassin nicknamed the Eviscerator. Since she doesn’t remember her life before she died, there isn’t much history to her character, but I did love the way that short history played into everything in The Dead Cat Tail Assassins. The one problem I had with her is that her speech felt a bit incongruous. It just didn’t fit well, but that might be because I was a little too vague on the world building. Sky, though, was wonderful. I had such a great time getting to know her. She and Eveen played well off each other, and their combined humor just made this into the fun story it is. Fennis was fun, too, especially at the end, but there isn’t much depth given to him. He has his role and he plays it to perfection, just like Eveen’s boss and the other assassins. I suppose this was just too short for in-depth character development, but I really would have loved more.

I enjoyed the story, but it was predictable and I figured out where all the threads were going very easily. I wish there had been space for some twists and turns, and that maybe a little less space had been given over to the events towards the end. Those felt like it slowed the story down after everything before it felt very fast pace. I also felt like I missed out on a lot of interesting things that happened between the scenes, but I did like how much of the story always felt like it was moving. It was great getting to know the history of Tal Abisi and the characters so it felt like jigsaw pieces falling into place with the story. Each piece just fit so well with the others. I just wish the ending hadn’t felt so extended, and that maybe it ended on a less stomach-churning thing.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is short, but packs it in. It’s fast-paced, but still somehow felt like it wasn’t moving too fast. The characters had space to breathe and the reader had a decent amount of time to get to know the characters at least a little. Overall, it did feel like the perfect length for this story, even if I wished for more world building and character development considering there are no major twists and turns, and none necessary to needlessly extend the story at hand. I had such a fun time with Eveen and Sky, and I enjoyed figuring out the puzzle with them, even if I figured it before they did. I really enjoyed this one. It has an interesting story and fun characters, and a fantastic world for both to operate within.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was fun and quick. Voice-y in a way I liked and had a fun little sense of humor, even if a little dark humor at times. The premise is unique. I liked the characters and the world was interesting. Overall I recommend this novella if you want a little ~200ish page magic and assassin adventure/mystery with some time-y wime-y stuff thrown in too.

3.5/5 stars because I wanted EVEN MORE.

This is about an undead assassin -for-hire with a past that she can't remember. This has fascinating world-building and compelling characters. Clark introduces us to a vibrant, yet deadly, world where the line between life and death is blurred, and the only certainty is that a contract, once accepted, must be fulfilled.

Eveen the Eviscerator is a hilarious and wonderful character. The novella shines with Clark’s signature style of world-building, offering a city brimming with lore, ancient gods, and political intrigue. It FEELS lived in. The ending is clever and satisfying, tying together the threads of the story while leaving the door wide open for future tales. I hope???

However, if there’s one complaint, it’s that the novella could have easily been expanded into a full-length novel. The world Clark has crafted is so rich with potential that it feels like we’re only scratching the surface. The characters, the guild, and the city itself all BEG for further exploration.

Overall, this is an engaging, fast-paced read that leaves you wanting more and I'm uncertain if we'll get it. It’s a tantalizing glimpse into a new world that is begging for expansion, and fans of Clark’s previous works will not be disappointed. Here’s hoping we see more of Eveen in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, and Tordotcom for the opportunity. This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary. All opinions are my own.

This was a strange but fun novel about an undead assassin named Eveen, who is a member of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins, a group of people who have contracted their bodies to the Assassin Goddess following their deaths. Eveen has super strength and healing powers, but her existence is bound to some very exacting rules: she can’t remember her previous life, she can’t kill except under a contract, and every contract must be completed. Unfortunately, Eveen has just been assigned to a contract she can’t carry out, and she only has one night before the goddess will come for her.

In a lot of ways, this book wasn’t as dark as a lot of fantasy novel; it has an irreverent tone even towards murder. It opens with people celebrating a Festival that honors their gods’ origin story, which involves a Clockwork King, a Pirate Queen. There’s snarky banter and dressing up in costumes. It was an entertaining read, although at about 200 pages, it did feel lacking in character development and the world and its mythology was confusing at times. Quite a lot was left unexplained, which kept the story moving but ultimately felt a little unsatisfying.

In this world, the undead and the living interact and are even friends. Eveen isn’t a slave exactly, as she and one of her companions even discuss how to drum up business. The main downsides to her life are that she has no memories and no family. She essentially has no knowledge of who she is.

For me this was most interesting aspect of the book. Eveen has no idea why she sold her body into a century of bondage as an assassin. What kind of person does that, and under what circumstances? She doesn’t mind killing, because the goddess and her manager must determine that each contract is “just” before it is given to her. And she’s clearly good at what she does (her nickname is The Eviscerator).

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I definitely saw the plot twist coming (though not how it was resolved), and I wasn’t crazy about the very end of the book. If you’re looking for a fun, fast-moving fantasy with a sense of humor, you’ll enjoy this book. If you’re looking for thorough world-building and character development, this book will feel a little lacking.

Note: I received an advanced review copy of this novel from NetGalley and publisher Tor Books. It published August 6, 2024.

3.5 rounded up. This was a largely enjoyable, quick read. The world building and characters in this book were so well developed despite this book being very short. The plot started to feel somewhat repetitive as each chapter in the middle contained a fairly similar action/fight sequences. While I can understand the stylistic choice to use dialect to make the goddesses seem ancient or otherworldly, it was very difficult to read and took me out of the action in the climax of the story.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC

P. Djeli Clark is so good at crafting a rich, lively fantasy world in so few pages. I learned this with A Dead Djinn in Cairo, and The Dead Cat Tail Assassins further proves this. I loved the main characters and the villains. Eveen and Sky's story and motivations were well explored throughout while maintaining an irreverent humor.

I personally don't like stories that use time travel as a plot device, they often get too convoluted and sometimes feels pretentious, like the writer wants to prove they're smarter than their audience. Clark avoided that. It seeded all the right hints while still maintaining a few fun surprises, and let's the action take center stage.

It was a blast, I am a huge fan. If we get more stories about Eveen the Eviscerator it would be a treat.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5923751413

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/1eb41a70-451e-4f04-8bbb-ec8d2f15a2ac

Check out this review of The Dead Cat Tail Assassins on Fable. https://fable.co/review/cf77374d-348a-4351-a3cb-864d52ee4bd4/share

this was unique and weird at the same time, in a good way! The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are professional assassins who were dead but also alive and has conscious mind but didn't remember one bit about their past live the moment they serve the Matron of Assassins. But when Eveen got her recent mission, she recognized her target and couldn't carry out what she's supposed to do (kill the target). turns out, that target is her past self who's plucked from the past.

it was really fast paced, full of action, mixed with light humor. quite gruesome since we're dealing with assassins. but it was interesting.

This was a quick fast read for me. It was filled with lavish world building in which I wanted to read more Tal Abisi. The characters were very well refined and rare. This was a short novel and I wish it were longer. The author could have expanded on many things in the novel but didn’t.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a great book overall. I think I had an issue with the pacing a little bit but I love P. Djeli Clark and I also love seeing more and more fantasy books by POC authors coming out!

NOTE: i could read P. Djèlí Clark's shopping list and be raving about the storytelling and the world building.
This means that I am a fan and I will try my best to write a very objective review.
That said this novella is fast paced, a lot of fun, and some food for thought. I couldn't help thinking about Pratchett's Assassin Guild even if these Assassins are resurrected.
I loved this story, the twists, the surprises, the world building and the excellent storytelling.
As it was like eat an Amuse-bouche (a single bite dish served at the beginning of a formal dinner) I cannot help wondering if we are going to travel again to this world soon.
I would be very happy and can't wait to read the next novel by this beloved author.
Have fun, read it
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

"There were lots of rules to being an assassin. Three were deemed unbreakable."

Eveen is an undead assassin sworn to the goddess Aeril. She’s a professional who never misses her mark, or at least she is until she meets a girl who gives Eveen the impossible: a memory. The only problem is that Eveen has been hired to kill her, and now she’s on a race against time to find a way out of the contract before dawn, when Eveen’s failure will bring Aeril’s wrath down upon them all.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins had a really interesting plot and I liked the world-building a lot. The characters were also very fun. That being said, I’m glad this was a novella because I don’t think I would have enjoyed this in a longer format. This just wasn’t for me. There was clearly much thought put into the details of this story, such as the clothing and the personalities, but that did very little for me. I grew tired of detailed descriptions of what everyone was wearing and quickly saw that detailed personalities did not necessarily equivocate to a character that seemed alive (or, well, undead). Also, I just personally hate when accents are written out into the story. It makes it very difficult for me to discern what’s being actually said, and the whole scene with the goddesses just became very unpleasant for me.

None of this is to say that this was not a good story. I had a fun time with it; I just don’t think it was for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Tor for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

<b>4/5 stars</b>
<b>includes:</b> badass women, cool world-building, a fun twist
<b>TW:</b> violence, some gore.