(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

Audio-arc provided by netgalley

This was delightful. I liked the idea of it even though I'm not usually huge into time travel plot lines and there were parts of it that genuinely made me laugh. This does seem a bit long to be classified as a novella though

Absolutely loved this audiobook. I loved the main characters ferocity and the fantastical world that the author weaved I would love to read more tales from this world.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins was an incredibly fun read set in a imaginative world. The story follows Eveen, a member of the titular guild of undead assassins who have no memories of their previous lives and serve a powerful goddess. When Eveen fails to complete a job, breaking the guild's most unforgivable rule, she must find a way to avoid the goddess's wrath for sparing her target before the sun rises.

Set in a world that blends magic and technology with steampunk vibes, the story captivates with its unique setting and well-developed characters. I really enjoyed Eveen's evolving relationship with the assignment she saved. The plot centers around the mystery of the target's true identity and the reasons behind Eveen's contract to kill her. The mystery element, intertwined with various science fiction concepts, added depth to the narrative, making it a perfect blend of fantasy and intrigue.

The resolution of the mystery and the story's conclusion were both satisfying and well-executed. Additionally, the audiobook was top-notch, with the narrator skillfully bringing the story to life. If you’re looking for a fantasy novella with sprinkles of science fiction and mystery The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is the book for the job.

Set in an alternate universe with differing laws of physics and it's own history and mythology, Dead Cat Assassins follows Eveen, an undead assassin working for the guild of the same name. After making a deal with the goddess of death in return for her soul she carries out contracts under certain rules. When the latest victim she is lined up to take care of - or ship - turns out to be herself from another time a whole can of worms is opened and Eveen and Sky work together to try and find out what has happened and correct it before at least one of them ends up dead for good. I loved the worldbuilding in this, despite being a novella, so much is packed into it and the characters were so rounded out and interesting, I want to spend more time with undead assassins! The narration was excellent, adding to the tone and setting of the world and managing to keep all the characters individual, despite two of them being the same person!

Big thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review

'The Dead Cat Tail Assassins' is a fantasy thriller with many many many fantastical creatures.

The story is quite imaginative, with lots of characters appearing in the story, and a main plot that was nicely handled.

Also, the main characters were quite interesting and, somehow, lovable.

The narrator of the audiobook did, in addition, a good job and provided many voices and accents for the characters.

I have to say though that the story would have benefited a lot with the addition of more chapters, so as to have a smoother worldbuilt. But, hopefully, the author will revisit the world.

This was a fun and interesting novella with a compelling plot and likeable characters. I got an audio arc and highly recommend it.

This book was so much fun! The narrator was phenomenal, her voice work was genuinely amazing. I could listen to her read off the ingredients of Mac and cheese and make it utterly fascinating.

The book itself is fairly fast paced, we’re following Eveen, an undead thrall who’s roughly in her late 30’s. That’s just a guess, as she has no memories of her previous life, part of her bargain with her patron goddess.

Eveen’s an assassin and her most recent contract goes a little sideways, it’s nothing but chaos and mayhem from there.

I had several good chuckles throughout this story, and I loved the world building. So many unique and creepy characters were introduced. Such an entertaining read!

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins does not in fact include cats – that is made abundantly clear in case there’s any confusion. What it does include, though, is a guild of dead assassins that operate based on a specific set of rules – the contract must be just, you can only eliminate the contracted, and you must carry out any contracts you accept. That seems simple enough for Eveen to accomplish at least until she accepts a contract that brings her face to face with her forgotten past. I thought this was such an interesting and fast read. It was also funnier than I expected particularly with the sass between Eveen and her mark. I also really loved the world building and assassins guild constructs. It hit all the must have elements of an assassin story which I found particularly impressive given that’s it’s a novella. I combo read this with the audiobook and ebook. I enjoyed Lynnette R. Freeman’s narration. She really brought the character’s feisty nature to life. I do believe it would be enjoyable read strictly as an ebook as well. If you’re looking for a quick, fast paced assassin tale, I would recommend checking this one out.

Another winner from P. Djèlí Clark! This was such a fun novella with action, wit, and the clever, humorous writing I love from this author.
Lighthearted while touching on deeper subjects, such interesting characters, and food descriptions (alway love this)

Really enjoyed the narrator and the personality they added to the story and characters!