P. Djélí Clark's books have always been unique and engaging. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is no different. The worldbuilding, fun characters, and action packed scenes stood out. It was an enjoyable read that did a good job of blending genres to create a vivid world. The humor made the characters personable and made me more invested in their stories . The narration added to the thrill of the story.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC.

The rules for the undead assassins are simple: a contract has to be fair, they can only kill those they are contracted to murder, and once you accept the mission, you have to carry it out no matter what. Eveen is contracted to kill someone during the annual Festival of the Clockwork King, but when the night takes an unexpected turn, she finds herself with only a few hours left to come up with a solution while also having to navigate all sorts of obstacles. Time is ticking and dawn is just around the corner.

I really enjoyed the premise of this fantasy novella. I liked the dry humor and the idea of a group of undead assassins with no memories of when they were alive, as well as the lore in that world regarding the Pirate Princess, the Golden Bounty and the Clockwork King. Plus, certain twist towards the beginning really took me by surprise and made me very excited about where the story would go. But I have to say that I didn’t enjoy the second half of the story as much as the first, especially since I found the way the conflict is resolved rather uninteresting.

Summing up, The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a fun fantasy story with assassins, goddesses and a couple of sci-fi elements. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, as Lynnette R. Freeman did an outstanding job narrating it, giving each character a unique voice.

The Dead Cat Tails Assassins has a quirky title and a bold story concept. I'm talking about a dead female Assassin whose current assignment involves magic, time travel, a multiverse, politics, and sassy Goddesses with sharp tongues and teeth. How would I describe this? Well imagine if John Wick was in a fantasy world with Mages and Gods... and John Wick was a dead, brown-skinned Diva with deadly blades 🤣 That's a good description!

This book was dedicated to the culture... and the culture thanks my dear author 💜

So readers, are you ready to be dropped into a pure fantasy story? There will be no detours into unrequited love stories. There's no stumbling into any genres just for the pretty or dramatic scenery. Nope. And theres none of the usual fluff. Personally, I've become a fan of this type of writing. When you're reading dozens of these novels a year, you get the gist. With that in mind, this may not be for the casual fantasy reader as there is no beach to slowly walk into the depths. The story starts in the middle of something new to characters and the world. We don't get hours of backstory or pages of explanation of how this world functions. As a reader, you catch on as you go.

The main character was well done. Since she doesn't have any memories, the reader doesn't get anything about her past. But as the story progresses, you realize you're following along with someone who is dangerous enough to be feared, sweet enough to be a lover, strong-willed enough to not just do as she is expected, skilled enough to taunt other assassins, and righteous enough to stand up for an underprivileged community. She has the layers of a character that could hold down a series, but I hear this is a stand-alone novel.

One thing that ears didn't care for was some of the dialogue. This is not earth, but characters used earth phrases such as referring to someone as a "Badd B**ch". That's a very much earthy lingo that can break the reality seal for some readers. I would have preferred the author sticking with creating their own lingo as was done with "shipping".

The narrator, Lynnette R. Freeman, was like warm brownies on a cold day good. She was giving out voices, accents, good dialect, and perfect tone for days. I am so excited. I will be searching for audiobooks narrated by her in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and Recorded Books for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

Do you need a fantasy novella that features badass assassins, a mystery to solve and gods being a major part of the plot?

Well then this is where you're meant to be.

It had lush character development and world development. You're thrown into it a little, but it's a shorter read, so there isn't a whole lot of room to sit in the world building. I always enjoy when gods are actual people in the novel and I wasn't disappointed here. The narrator Lynette did an amazing job distinguishing voices and added depth to the story for sure.

Overall, it was a good short novel and I recommend if you're already a fan of P. Djeli Clark.

Thank you to Recorded Books and Netgalley for an audiocopy.

I had so much fun with this! Eveen is a fantastic main character, funny, spirited, and clever, and despite the novella length, Clark packs in a fast paced plot and more detailed world building than you might see in some full length fantasy novels. Plus, I always love a good weird time book. My only nit is the occasional colloquialism thrown in ("hells to the no", "hey there girlfriend"), which I found a bit jarring but other readers may not mind.

The audiobook was a fantastic way to read this - the narrator has a great, emotive speaking voice, and she does an excellent job differentiating between different characters through a variety of voices and accents. There were a few times where her cadence/dialect seemed to shift slightly mid-paragraph, but not enough to really bother me.

I thought this was a fabulously unique and surprising novella (borderline novel). This is the second of Clark’s novellas I have read and I am always struck by how rich the world building he is able to condense into these books is, with them often evoking more imagery and character than other books twice the length and a unique magic system and world.

Eveen is an undead assassin who belongs to the assassins guild The Dead Cat Tails. In this world the undead agree to service contracts whilst alive and then when they die wake up with no memories of their past lives and are now in the service of the Matron of Assassins where they carry out contracts on her behalf. Eveen has cultivated a reputation of some notoriety, leading to her being contracted for a job which is tied to her mysterious life prior to her death, however, of course, she has no memory of it.

I was fortunate enough to get an audio ARC of this story narrated by Lynette Freeman and I thought she did a fabulous job voice acting all the characters and bringing life to this story.

A great, action packed, fast paced, slightly gory time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review this audio ARC.

I am so glad I requested this book, because it was likely to have remained on my to-read forever otherwise - and I have to thank reviewers here for convincing me this should be a must-read! I feel bad I requested a previous book by this author but haven't managed to read it yet... I'll have to rectify that soon, for sure, based on how good this one was.

This is a story of undead assassins living in a magical fantasy city. The world-building is fantastic and fantastical. I was obsessed with all the little tidbits Clark feeds us on the culture, politics, and history of his world, from the clockwork king to the rules of magic in this world and the actually very real and very meddling gods. It reminded me a lot of the world-building in a favorite series of mine by Rachel Bach, Minimum Wage Magic. Bach makes her world more near-future scifi-fantasy though, while Tal Abisi gives off historical scifi-fantasy.

The characters themselves are enjoyable to spend time with as well, especially once Eveen and Sky find each other early on. The two help each other grow in different ways, while also supporting each other. Granted, it is in a morally gray direction in the case of Sky's turn, but then this is a book about assassins lol What's most fun though is meeting all the different other undead assassins, and learning about them - the descriptions are something else, especially the skeleton man. Like, this leans into a surprising amount of body horror, which I loved.

The narrator for the audiobook, Lynnette R. Freeman, is also absolutely wonderful in narrating this story. I forgot at times that it was just one woman, I got so into listening to her and her wonderful voices and accents. She especially shines when she finally gets to give voice to the assassins goddess - really shining bright for what is essentially a small part of the novel. Loved it!

Did I find a new favorite writer? Maybe! Off to add everything else by P. Djeli Clark to my to-read lol I absolutely loved this, it was everything that is right up my alley - adventure, horror, action, an incredible setting... The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is an incredibly fun romp through a dark fantasy world.

Similar vibes: Dishonored (see: The Knife of Dunwall), The Tainted Cup, Assassin's Creed (see: The Golden City), Trine (video game), Minimum Wage Magic, Thief (video game)

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins was okay. It was an interesting premise, although it didn't really seem all that original. I don't really want to go into the details too much because that kind of spoils the plot.

One thing that felt incongruous was how the language felt modern, but the setting and characters didn't. Not to say that they couldn't go together, but it would kind of distract me from the story because it didn't feel consistent.

I any case, it's got intrigue, action, humor, and gruesome undead assassin shenanigans. Solid 3⭐ for me.

The narrator, Lynette J. Freeman was also pretty good. The tone and modulation was on the slower side, so I was usually listening at 1.75x speed, when normally I am around 1.3x. She did a great job with the various character voices, especially the goddess, Aeril, though.

Narrated by Lynnette R Freeman
Presented by RB Media

A really fun read enhanced once again by Freeman's narration.

This is my first from this author but certainly won't be my last. It had a perfect blend of action, fantasy, and wit, and Eveen is tough and sassy but not obnoxiously so. Exactly the kind of blend I like.

The story follows our assassin, Eveen, when she's tasked with a kill she finds she can't carry out. It's one of the unbreakable rules, though, so trouble will inevitably follow if she doesn't commit the crime.

I don't quite know what I was expecting from this one, but it certainly wasn't what I got. This was funny and fast, and strayed into some interesting corners. The characters were delightful and I liked the variety.

The narration was fantastic, just as it was with the last book I listened to with this narrator (The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste). I love the way she brings the story to life and infuses characters with personality flawlessly. She gives these characters their own unique voices so brilliantly that if you told me this was narrated by multiple people, I'd believe you. I didn't think I'd ever be the kind of person to choose a book based on narrator but you can bet I'll be looking for anything this woman does from now on.

Admittedly, with this being audio I did zone out a little more than I would have liked, but I'd happily listen to it again - it was just that fun.

Solid story, fun characters and superior narration. Happy to recommend this one to fantasy lovers and audio fans!

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a new Novella by P. Djeli Clark and I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of the audiobook in exchange for a honest review.

The story follows Eveen the Eviscerator, a skilled assassin who during a routine job stumbles upon a mystery she can’t ignore.

Considering this is a Novella I think the author has done a great job in fleshing out their world, I was really impressed by the depth of lore that has been created.

While the story centres around the relationship between two characters and their attempt to solve this mystery, we were also introduced to a large supporting cast, many of which I found interesting and engaging.

My issues with the story real stem from the two main characters, both of which I actually found quite flat and pretty irritating. Which is odd compared to the detail in the supporting cast.

As you might expect there are a number of interactions between the two of them, and be them humorous or emotional they just didn’t land with me.I found the constant sarcastic and flippant remarks really quite grating.

Whilst a found the premise and the world quite intriguing this wasn’t enough to offset the elements that didn’t work for me, and the ending was a real disappointment.

I honestly don't get how P. Djèlí Clark can craft such incredible worlds in so few pages, but he does it every single time. Furthermore, The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is infused with humor while balancing incredibly dark themes.

I thoroughly enjoyed both Eveen and Sky. They both possess so much quick wit, which makes their interactions hilarious…even when facing the most dire of circumstances.

The pacing was fantastic, so I was engaged from start to finish. My only hope is that we get more stories in this world much like the Dead Jinn Universe.

That's a banger right there.

I believe this is technically the fifth work I've read from the author, though several of them were very short. And I'm happy to say that I finally found one of his books that I love!!

There were so many interesting twists, characters full of differentiated personalities, cultural influences, and small world-building details in the background that I ate this up. While it's reminiscent of other franchises to me (specifically a few popular superhero films in recent years), it still felt original and creative and held my interest the whole damn time-- something the last 20-25 books haven't managed to do!!

Audiobook Notes:
GIVE ME EVERYTHING SHE NARRATES RIGHT NOW.

I listen to a tonnnnn of audiobooks and within the first minute I was already perked up and paying attention to how smooth and emotive her narration was. Despite the number of audiobooks I consume (literally hundreds per year) I can probably count the number of narrators I know by name on one hand. Lynnette R Freeman is definitely joining them. And I can't imagine not having her fantastic accents for the characters introduced at the end. I'll definitely be listening to this audiobook again!

(Content warnings: graphic violence, gore, blood, torture mention, child death mention)

As always, P. Djèlí Clark delivers - this time, it's a fun, quick adventure about undead assassins, magical contracts and time travel!

I'll admit, I had trouble getting into this book for a long while - mostly due to the writing style, which, while full of Clark's characteristic wit, leans more YA than his other works. Still, somewhere around the mid-point the story ramps up, and when the most interesting and unique bits of worldbuilding were brought to the forefront I was sold. The conclusion delivers some highly entertaining takes on exploiting magical contract loopholes and making bargains with all-powerful beings (both tropes I personally very much enjoy), and while the big twist was very predictable, but it was still fun seeing a typically science fiction story beat in a fantasy context.

Also, Lynnette R. Freeman was a great narrator and I'm in AWE of the range of voices she has at her disposal! Her acting as the old man and the goddess in particular - mwah, top tier.

Thanks to RBMedia and Netgalley for the ARC :)

Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia for giving me early access to this audiobook! All opinions are my own.

I absolutely LOVED this audiobook. I haven’t read a P. Djeli Clark book before, but I can definitely see why everyone raves about his writing. The story, the plot, the characters were all phenomenal! I can’t believe a story that started with a badass resurrected assassin would take the turns that it did, with the conclusion absolutely blowing my mind! Quite easily a 5 star read, and with it being a novella a quick one as well! I highly recommend getting the audiobook especially, the narrator does a fantastic job bringing the story to life, especially at the end where the accents can be challenging. 5 ⭐️

Final note: to tell you just how much I love the audiobook, I immediately bought the ebook as soon as it released, and the very first moment I had a free day I went to the book store and also grabbed a physical copy. Absolutely no regrets either, this book was well worth it!

For my first P Djeli Clark book, I had SUCH a blast listening to this! The narrator did an excellent job capturing the characters voices and added a great touch of personality to the story.

I was immediately hooked by how creative and captivating the story started. The dead assassin concept is so cool, and I really loved the way the story unfolded. I could never quite tell where things were going, but I was fully strapped in for the ride. I was pleasantly surprised to see how funny this book was, and it made listening all the more enjoyable. Eveen has a great spark to her voice, and I love how often she made me laugh.

The world building in the middle got a little muddled for me. I had a hard time keeping track of the history and its relevance to the current story, and I feel like it could have been a bit more flushed out and clearer if the story was longer. This felt like a small bite out of a massive concept, and while it was super entertaining I think there was so much that could have been done to pump the story up into something more grand.

Overall this is such a blast of a book, I'd recommend it to anyone looking to have a lot of fun in a short amount of time, and I can't wait to read more of this author's work.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc. I need this world to be expanded into multiple full length novels. P. Djeli Clark’s writing grips you quickly and does not let go until the end. While reading I kept thinking how this would make an amazing movie, with all the action and adventure to solve the mystery. Humor also shines brightly in this novella, I caught myself a couple times laughing aloud. A group of hired undead assassins already sold me, but adding that she has to kill someone she rather not, I was absolutely hooked. Lynnette R. Freeman is an amazing narrator, all the voices she is able to create and use, made it seem as though this had a full cast of narrators. I think she truly made the audiobook as great as it is, I would recommend giving this a listen, if you are looking for your next audiobook.

I really loved this one. It was so refreshing to read female led fantasy that wasn’t about a romantic entanglement, but was instead a sort of ‘if you could see yourself’ scenario. I don’t want to give spoilers but this was very engaging with great world building, fun characters and plenty of grittiness and poignancy. Told with wit and enthusiasm, it’s an undersung gem.

I loved this title and the narrator was perfect. Distinct use of voices and matched the energy and plot of the book. Will recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the copy.

P. Djèlí Clark strikes again with The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, a thrilling blend of magic, mystery, and sharp wit that left me utterly enchanted. From the immersive world-building to the unforgettable characters, this audiobook delivers on all fronts. The setting is a fascinating mix of magic and light steampunk, reminiscent of Clark's Dead Djinn series, but with its own unique flair.

Eveen, our lead assassin, is as compelling as they come—tough, resourceful, and hilariously sharp-tongued. The story kicks off with action and never lets up, full of twists that kept me hooked until the end. The narration is spot-on, bringing every character, every twist, and every darkly funny moment to life.

The pacing wavers slightly in places but the incredible world-building, vibrant characters, and that perfect dash of humor more than make up for it. If you're looking for a quick, punchy listen that's as clever as it is entertaining, this one’s for you. I’m already counting down the days until the next installment!

Thank you to Netgalley and RBMedia for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

3.5/5 stars.

I love P. Djeli Clark's writing, his characterization, his dialogue is fantastic. This setup just did not really grip me the same way others have done. That being said, the audiobook was incredibly well done, the narrator did an incredible job. Her character voices were incredible and I just really clicked with the inflection used.

Eveen is an undead assassin, a guild member of the Dead Cat Tails. She is contracted to "ship" people no questions asked... except when one mark sparks a memory of a previous life that Eveen should not remember. Because this is a novella, the plot takes off from there quite quickly. There's a complexity and depth to the plot that is masterful to capture in a novella length. If you're in the mood for a quick read with a sarcastic quippy main character, some sci-fantasy elements and a satisfying ending, I'd recommend picking this one up.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this one in exchange for an honest review.