What a wild ride!

This was my first read from P. Djèlí Clark so I didn’t know what tone to expect and was very pleasantly surprised by how hilarious it was.

I loved the main character Eveen and hope their will be more stories following her, or even just more stories within this world. We are given so much lore from this world in such a short fast paced story.

Overall, I found this book to be very engaging and listened to the whole thing in one sitting.

This is exactly what a novella ought to be - intriguing, immersive, and just a little bit of delight! It also has the best final line of any book I've ever read- but I won't spoil it!

Whether you've read all of P. Djèlí Clark's works or this is the first, you're in for a treat. The writing is so intentional and purposeful and the world is so immersive. I didn't fully understand the magic system, but I think that was a me issue, and it didn't impede my enjoyment of the story at all.

I'm so grateful to Recorded Books and NetGalley for granting me access to an audio ARC. I don't think I've listened to any of Lynnette R. Freeman's work before, but she's incredible! There was a huge range in character depictions and voices that drew me right into the story!

This was an interesting story and the first I’ve read from this author. I’m going to be looking into their backlist.

Eveen is a Dead Cat Tail Assassin - not a cat but definitely dead and really good at her job, until her latest mark triggers a memory she's not supposed to have. Can Eveen sort out the mystery and save lives (including her own...well not life...but rather whatever horrible forever fate befalls already dead assassins) before the end of the Festival?

The writing is similar to other books I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed by P. Djèlí Clark - he has a style of character, humour, and world building that I appreciate and devour. He drops you into his world, but also gives exactly enough lush and detailed information to understand where you are and what’s going on before leading you into the action. I also appreciated the audiobook narrator’s style: I thought her emotiveness, pace, and character personalities really added to the listening experience.

If you’ve read the author's stories in the past and enjoyed them, then you’ll likely like this - I’d say this compares most with Ring Shout or The Black God's Drum in terms of character and action richness. And if you haven’t read the author yet, then I’d doubly recommend this as an excellent entry into his unique and enjoyable writing style.

Thank you to Netgalley and RBmedia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: speculative fiction

Eveen is an undead assassin, guild bound and sworn to the Matron of Assassins, her memory wiped clean and trained to execute just contracts. But her latest contract jars something loose - memories and knowledge she shouldn’t have - kicking off a sequence of events to topple everything she knows, against the perfect backdrop of the Festival of the Clockwork King.

One of the reasons I enjoy picking up P Djèlí Clark's work is that I never quite know what to expect because every novel or novella takes on something new. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins gives us an incredibly rich fantasy world in only 200 pages, thick with legends and intricate worldbuilding all critical to the short plot arc. It's an impressive feat to bring to life...or afterlife, as it were, with our undead assassins.

Clark’s shorter works lean on vibes and atmosphere, rather than intense plot. He paces the novella well, with fragments of storytelling, reflection on circumstance, and a little bit of deadly action. They are assassins after all.

The narration by Lynnette R Freeman gives the book a snarky and playful edge, which I enjoyed, cutting some of the serious themes.

I was provided an audio ARC of this book via the publisher and Netgalley, all opinions are my own. Listening to the audiobook was even better than reading the book. The narrator was wonderful, she did an amazing job voicing all of the characters. It was like there were multiple narrators with all of the accents and voices she created for this book. It was such a rich listening experience and really brought Clarks vivid world and characters to life.

I read this back in April when it was originally scheduled to release in the spring, but I jumped on a chance to listen to the audiobook. I absolutely loved the audiobook and highly recommend picking this up in whatever format you prefer. This was originally supposed to release in April, however the publication date has moved to August. This novella is roughly 200 pages in print, bringing it to just over 7 hours of listening time. I listened to it in a day and couldn't put it down. It is a fast paced and action packed mix of sci-fi and fantasy. Each one if Clark's books mixes a bit of steampunk, science fiction, and fantasy into a unique story that you don't want to put down. The world building is excellent, and even in a short time you come to love the characters!

Eveen is a member of The Dead Cat Tail Assassins', they are a guild of undead assassins governed by contracts and godling laws. When presented with what appears to be a proper contract, Eveen finds herself unable to fulfil the contract which could bring down the wrath of Aeril, the goddess she and those like her serve, on not only herself bur her entire guild.

Eveen and her mark, set out on a mission to figure out how to undo the contract through time and space without destroying the entire city before the sun comes up. Eveen and Sky offset each other like night and day, while using everything at hand to figure out how to circumvent the contract and set things to rights. This had everything I would want from a great story, good humor, engaging plot, interesting characters, and it was a lot of fun!

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djeli Clark is a book that has been in my radar for a bit after reading and really enjoying another book by this author and I’m so pleased that this really delivered.

This novella follows Eveen, a member of the elite Dead Cat Tail Assassins as she is about to go after her next mark. Only there is something very different about this one. And the story goes on from there.

What is really amazing about this story is how much world building and character work the author manages to cram into this short book. After finishing this, it felt so much longer than it was in the best way. The humor that is in here is also fantastic. I laughed out loud several times while listening to this audiobook.

Speaking of audiobook, the narrator of this book, Lynette R. Freeman crushes this. It is so well done. I think the audiobook really enhances the reading experience. Her tone and pacing throughout lend itself well to this story and I will be listening to more books narrated by her in the future.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and funny with a neat world that I could read even more about in the future should the author decide to write more books about it.

What is the worst thing your boss asked you to do? Pretty sure Eveen is at least on the podium for that. In P. Djèlí Clark's "The Dead Cat Tail Assassins" she is lucky to already be dead. Out August 6, 2024.

That isn't a joke, she is dead. Most of her coworkers are dead. But she promised herself to a Goddess of Assassins (and other things) for a resurrection, all it takes is 3 vows and a wiped memory. All is well, she has a a fearsome reputation as "The Eviscerator, " plenty of literature to read and a century to work through, that's job security. Unfortunately, that all goes out the window when she has a memory and breaks the Third Unbreakable Vow. Which has consequences...

Narrated by Lynnette R. Freeman, terrific work, rather enjoyed the broken nose and the voice of the last character(s) added to the scene.

Reasons to read:
-It's a novella, you have time to sneak a novella in, you deserve it
-Deadly killers
-Banter
-An unexpected workplace friends
-Super creepy workplace associates
-Great world, felt real lived in
-OH definitely stab that person

Cons:
-The flaw of great novellas of being short, but quality

Clark truly doesn’t miss. In this one we get humor and heart (Eveen and Sky have such great senses of humor, okay), a whole lot of really detailed worldbuilding without needing to pause the plot (stories of legends, an annual festival, contract law, government structure, religion, international politics, civil rights, and more!), we get some fun and gruesome fight scenes (as well as clever hints about far more gruesome torture scenes without needing to pause the forward momentum).

There is one key thing left unresolved at the end, which I think could be Clark leaving things open for a potential sequel - or it’s just something that the average reader might not care enough about to niggle at them. I can do without an answer, but I’d much rather have one, personally.

(3.75 Stars, rounded up to 4)

This was an enjoyable book, made even more enjoyable by the narration.

The good: Like I said, enjoyable... But also fun. It was a story about killing, obviously, but focusing more on the contractual obligations of assassination, so that kept it from getting too dark. It is also about the undead, friendship, and family (kinda). It was well paced and the characters were likeable.

The bad: It was very predictable, and seemed to do two contradictory things. First, it really spelled out "important" parts of the plot that lead to the finale. But, it also threw some elements in completely from left field, like a literal red herring, but not done well enough to be misleading.

The writing style is similar to Edgar Cantero or L.G. Estrella. Not quite YA, but not far off from it.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the early audiobook copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed being in the world of gods and assassins that is Tal Abisi. As usual with Clark, the world and characters are rich and memorable. I also love the speculative questions that are asked during his books.

Definitely pick this up if you want a fast-paced trek with lots of action!

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by P. Djèlí Clark, RBmedia/Recorded Books, and NetGalley.

This is fantastic. I adore the world building and have my fingers crossed this world ends up like the world in the Djinn universe, with multiple stories based around this character.

Eveen is a phenomenal character, smart, strong, capable and with a heart. In this world when folks die they don’t always die, die. Some who promised themselves to the Goddess are raised as undead assassins. Eveen is such an assassin but one night upon reaching the person she was contracted to kill, something happens that should never happen.

Unfortunately I can't be more specific than that without spoiling the story. This is phenomenal and I hope the first of many stories of Eveen's adventures.

The narrator of this audiobook is Lynnette R. Freeman. Lynette is one of my favorite narrators and she did not disappoint. This had a Caribbean accent that was perfection!

Thank you to P. Djèlí Clark, RBmedia/Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

This was a fascinating idea and I was extremely intrigued by the world! I adored finding out snippets about the characters and that we found out so much in just a day and yet it didn’t feel like it. Eveen is exactly the type of badass character I adore and this specific concept of undead assassins is extremely creative and I’d love to see more of this world. Only reason it’s a 4 star instead of a 5 is that it was a bit predictable for me.

Ring Shout is still my favorite but I am so happy the discover that P. Djeli Clark is slowly climbing up to the rank of favorite authors for me. Strong women is his thing and he is genius at it, I’m here for that.

From the first time I saw this gorgeous cover and read the phrase about how they are not cats, nor do they have tails, but they are most assuredly dead, I was hooked and I had so much fun listening to this book! It was easy to picture the world with the assassins that wear cat masks, have oddities (like that skeleton guy or the spider cat) and the festival that is going on around them as Eveen tries to figure out what went wrong with her contracted kill and who was behind it all. And most importantly, how to get out of it before she or the contracted kill end up dead, or more dead in Eveen's case.

I was happy to see how much got packed into this story (traveling the city looking for answers and avoiding other assassins) as well as backstory into the assassin's guild with it's many rules, some that can be bent for a price (like Eveen did in killing the reaper of the barrows who was killing kids) and others iron clad. I did kind of yell at the book when Eveen tried to explain her reason for not killing Sky but nobody wanted to listen, even though it was a darn good reason.

So, I fun action packed story full of the undead, shimmer, and a satisfying though fairly bloody ending, though that guy definitely deserved it.

I am glad I got the chance to listen to this book (helped me figure out pronouncing all the names and especially when the goddess Aeril shows up with her interesting dialect). Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to enter a very interesting world. And I would not mind if there ended up being another book in this world.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this book as an audiobook

I have wanted to read this since I heard about its release date, over time I have heard mixed reviews but still sounded good, and wanted to see what I thought.

From the beginning of the book I found it very easy to get into, the story flowed nicely being fast-paced as well... but for me, I didn't connect with the main character much and wish there was a little more for me to grab onto but it was an enjoyable read full of adventure and trying to stop her own demise even tho she is already dead.

4.5 Stars

Eveen the Eviscerator, a foul-mouthed undead assassin, is good at her job. As an acolyte to the Matron on Assassins, Eveen is bound by three vows:
1) The Contract must be just.
2) An assassin may only kill the contracted.
3) The Job must be carried out.

When Eveen is contracted to kill a mysterious girl in a tower, she finds herself in a deeper conspiracy than she bargained for.

I had so much fun with this book. I have grown very fond of P. Djèlí Clark and his works.

The world building in this was super interesting, with a gaslamp aesthetic and a fascinating backstory. I was also thoroughly impressed by Clark's actions scenes. I don't think I've ever read hand-to-hand combat from him before, and I was surprised by how dynamic and engaging they were.

Clark utilized fascinating concepts to create a very well-rounded world, with great characters and an interesting plot. I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story!
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

Oh how I WISH this story was longer. I remember requesting it because the title sounded funny to me and what made it even funnier was where it came from (which is explained in the very first chapter). Skye and Eveen were so funny together (maybe because they basically were each other) and so I enjoyed their conversations and the journey they had together. The world building in this story is so damn immersive too. I was astounded by the deeply rooted magic and culture in the story. The reveal of the "Old Man" was really funny too as I'd thought it was the skeleton but I was wrong! The ending was so much fun too with both of the goddesses showing up and Eveen and Skye getting their revenge on the guy who even got them into this whole mess. This was the first novel I've ever read by this author and I'll be on the lookout for more!

A note on the audiobook: A narrator can make or break the story and Lynette really sent this story to the moon! the characters came alive to her voice and I could really picture everything that they were describing. It also helped that they had voices for the other characters. Sometimes when narrators use alternete voices for characters, there isn't much difference but here, damn could you really hear the distinct tones of each person.

Eveen is an undead assassin sworn to serve the Matron of Assassins. Members have their memories wiped and follow 3 (simple) rules.

The world-building felt richly unique, especially considering this book is a novella. It had a dystopian feel with elements of fantasy and action woven in.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins flew by, partially in thanks to the narrator, Lynnette R. Freeman. Her unique embodiment of each character made the story even more enjoyable.

If you’re looking for an unusual, quick, entertaining read, pick this book up when it releases on August 6.

3.75/5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you to Net Galley and RBmedia for the audio ARC to review.

#TheDeadCatTailAssassins #NetGalley

’m a huge Clark fan!

Dead Cat Tail Assassins is such an interesting read. Eveen the Eviscerator is sworn to the Matron of assassins-memory wiped and then resurrected to take on kill contracts of different patrons. Eveen is the best at what she does. Until one contract throws her into an existential paradox and might bring down the whole operation.

The world building and the rich fantastical language of this book was so incredible especially when you know it’s a novella at about 200 pages but you never feel rushed or lacking detail.

A great book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Recorded Books for an alc

Audiobook Review
4 🌟
-
Oh! This audiobook is a game changer. I read | reviewed the eBook for "Dead Cat Tail Assassins," maybe 2 months ago, and I struggled with the ebook. But the audiobook is a game changer, I enjoyed the audiobook. The narrator Lynnette R. Freeman did a phenomenal job and definitely made me change my rating for this story!
Contains:
•ya fantasy
•dystopia
Release Aug.6
Thank you, Netgalley, and RB Media for the audiobook for my honest review.

#bookreview #audiobook #fantasy #dystopia