Historical history with a fantastical twist!

This is the first book in a new series called Dead Djinn Universe, however I would definitely read the two novellas A Dead Djinn in Cario and Haunting of Tram Car 015 before this one. It is not necessary to understand the plot, but adds backstory to some of the characters.

The author’s depth of knowledge of history lends itself to the realism of Cairo in the early 20th century. The dialogue is rich with cultural and religious references. This is speculative fiction, an exploration of an alternate universe where human history has been drastically altered by the technological advancements introduced by Djinn from another realm. I was blown away by the author’s blending of Egyptian and Arabian mythologies into this realistic setting.

As if this book could not get any better....the protagonist is an intelligent, fierce queer lady investigator of the Egyptian Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities!

In the master of Djinn we meet Fatma "the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer." Fatma is a detective in a supernatural world who is complex, clever, and captivating. I would like to meet her!

Then we have the world, Egypt, Cairo, 1912. This Cairo was transformed by al-Jahiz, "forty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown".

What a great mix. I really enjoyed reading about a non-Western world with magic and djinns, and a strong female (LGBTIQ+) lead.

I would recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge.

Links forthcoming.

Agent Fatma of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural entities has the coolest girlfriend in the world.
Sorry not sorry, Siti makes up about half of my motivation to pick up the next book in this series. The other half lies in wanting to spend a bit more time in this alternate history, turn-of-the-century steampunk Cairo full of magic, mystery, kickass activist women, and beautiful imagery. The worldbuilding was like one of Fatma’s suits: full of colour and flashy details, not always matching, fabulous anyway. From the various types of Djinn to automatons to ancient Egyptian Gods to speakeasies to multiple dimensions, A Master of Djinn is certainly never boring.
We follow Fatma as she works on an inter-dimensional mass-murder mystery, but the plot often felt like it was there to be a high-speed fly-by tour of this wildly delightful world. There were some superhero-style extravagances toward the end that felt excessive, and I never really got that satisfying feeling of the truth clicking into place.
While the mystery sped up and exploded at a bit of a disproportionate pace, the stops along the way were always worth my time and the characters were as fun as their city. P. Djèlí Clark’s novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and his two short stories from Tor.com are all set in this world, and they also make for excellent reading. I recommend A Master of Djinn for fans of fantasy whodunnits and unique worlds.

I thought I knew what I was getting myself in for after reading the two pre-novellas, but Clark took the world and characters from those and blew them both up to epic proportions. As much as I loved the Novellas, having a full length book meant we got to explore both the world and characters to a deeper level and I really struggled to put this book down.

Agent Fatma el-Sha’arawi certainly doesn't class herself as a rookie, but when someone appears claiming to be a reincarnation of Al-Jahiz, the person who broke down the veil between realms and welcomed magic into the world, she finds herself incredibly out of her depth. Between his magical abilities and his penchant for riling up the populace with engaging speeches condemning social oppressions she is unsure how to handle him. Alongside her partney Hadia, girlfriend Siti and colleagues in the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities Fatma will have to use every resource available to her if she is to catch the person claiming to be Al- Jahiz and make it out alive.

I'm just going to start off by saying that I love Fatma with my whole heart. She is witty, determined & maybe a little stubborn. Her choice of job, clothing and attitude make her something of an oddity, she almost resents being a woman in a world built for men and does her best to remove herself from any kind of female stereotype. At times this makes her prone to judgment and sometimes disdain for members of her sex, but working with Agent Hadia, and her relationship with Siti make her realise there is more than one kind of 'powerful' woman. Hadia is almost the polar opposite of Fatma, she prays daily, makes time for her family and friends and dresses in a more traditionally feminine fashion, none of which stop her from being an incredibly skilled and kick ass agent. She wants nothing more than to prove herself to Fatma, the youngest female Agent in the Ministry, and lends her knowledge and strength to the case on more than one occasion. And then we have Siti who puts the two of them to shame, a member of the Forty Leopards ( a kind of rogue group) she is able to fight in the slinkiest and most daring of outfits & is never one to shy away from an altercation. Siti has faith in the old Gods, and belongs to the church of Hathor, something that as seen as almost heretical in this 'modern' world.

Anyone who has read the pre-novellas will notice quite a few returning characters from Agents Hamad and Onsi, co-workers of Fatma at the ministry to Aasim a liaison between Cairo's police force and the ministry, but we also get introduced to a whole host of other side characters from members of the Brotherhood who were murdered and their families, Djinn of all varieties, Angels, as well as introductions to some other magical creatures. Each character has their part to play in the story, some more pivotal than you may realise at first glance, but when it all starts coming together you see the awesomeness of Clark's foreshadowing.

My favourite thing about this series, other than fatma herself is Clarks worldbuilding. Epic doesn't even begin to cover it. When Al-Jahiz brought down the veil between worlds it didn't just affect Egypt, in fact it happened all over the globe meaning the reintroduction of creatures thought only legend happened world wide. We learn that some have come to peace with their magical brethren, whereas in certain countries the development lead to wars. Because of the scope he gives us, Clark could realistically write a book set in every country of the world, delving into their folklore/mythology, and I can tell you right now I would read every single one. In terms of this book though we do learn about some of the other countries and how they are handling the return of magic, Clark focuses on Egypt and the Djinn, Angels and other creatures that reside there. When the Djinn travelled through to Egypt they brought with them a wealth of knowledge, leading to an industrial revolution and an Egypt that runs on machines and magic We do meet some foreign dignitaries in this book, including a Goblin from Germany but I can't wait for more information and potential introductions in later books.

This is the perfect books for fans of the grumpy mentor/wide eyed rookie trope. Clark has a way of writing strong powerful women showing that they come in all shapes and sizes, with all kinds of religious backgrounds and they don't always have to wear pants. Agent Hadia is exactly the kind of doe eyed newbie that Fatma does not want as a partner, but the more time they spend together (usually in some form of danger) Fatma learns that having a partner, especially one with Hadia's kind of skill set can some in extremely handy. She initially looks down on the woman who wears a headscarf and prays regularly, deeming her as lesser than Fatma herself, but Hadia quickly shows herself to be more than up for the challenge and makes Fatma question her own lifestyle decisions. Fatma, Hadia and Siti couldn't be more different, but Clark shows them all to be strong and resilient women in a world that is only just beginning to accept them fully.

Clark has a kind of sharp and witty writing style that pulls you into the story, it makes all the parts of the book that could be info dumpy gloriously entertaining, and he writes his characters in a similar style. Going from the Novellas to a full length book, I wondered if the story would drag slightly, however I just never wanted it to end. The way he weaves in Egyptian culture absolutely transports you to his steampunk style Cairo with all it's modern conveniences, while at the same time he stays true to the religion, beliefs and culture that would have been prevalent at the time. The mystery he weaves through A Master of Djinn is masterfully done (pardon the pun), I buddy read this with a friend and we were forever throwing out ideas as to who Al-Jahiz, or the person claiming to be him was, and when it all came together we couldn't believe we hadn't seen it sooner. There are plenty of other twits thrown in for good measure, one of which I could have hit myself for not realising sooner, but they all add together to make a plot that flows brilliantly and a story I didn't want to finish.

Another 5 star read to add to my year and a series that I can't ever see myself getting bored of. Between this series and Ring Shout, Clark has cemented himself as an auto-buy author, and I cannot wait to see what he has in store for Agent Fatma and the ministry in the next book.

I did not read the short story associated with this world before delving into A Master of Djinn, but I can certainly say that I'm going to go back and read it now. I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but it filled me with such contentment. I've realized these last few months that I adore this genre where modernity meets magic, whether it's actual places on earth, the case of this book, or made up ones. I'm obsessed and Clark did the genre phenomenally!
Moreover, after a dynamic cast of characters, wonderfully fantastic lore, and wit to match, I would recommend this story to any fantasy lover. I'm probably going to start screaming about it from the rooftops because I know plenty of people would adore it.

This is a great steampunk murder mystery! I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the prose. The story incorporated classic mystery tropes while keeping them fresh. The humor and action kept me reading, and I loved the plot twists throughout.

Pure brilliance. The level of inventiveness and creativity put forth by the author is impressive. This wonderful alternative Egypt put forth is one of the best fantasy settings to come along in years, and every time it is fleshed out more, it gets better.

If you love the Craft Sequence, this book is a must-read. Honestly, a must-read for anyone.

A fantastically written, refreshing read. Fatma is a character you connect with immediately, and one LGBT+ readers will be happy to meet. The story benefits from a setting that isn't a rehashing of pseudo-European countries and I adored being able to read about Egypt as the main setting and not as some sort of exotic landscape that had to be shown to me through a European lense. I found myself looking up things new to me as I read along, and I adored every moment of the adventure.

I just couldn't get into the writing style of this at all. And if it's going to show up as being over 900 pages on my Netgalley shelf, I really have to like the writing style. I'm sure this is a great book for some people, but I am not that person.

Absolutely brilliant. I couldn’t get enough of the writing. The story and characters had me on the edge of my seat

TITLE: A Master of Djinn
AUTHOR: P. Djèlí Clark
500 pages, TorDotCom, ISBN 9781250267689 (hardcover, e-book, audiobook)

DESCRIPTION: (from the back cover): Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world 50 years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and her clever girlfriend Siti, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city - or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems....

MY RATING: 5 stars out of 5

MY THOUGHTS: In his first full-length novel, P. Djèlí Clark expands the alternate-history, steampunk-flavored Cairo he introduced us to in the short story “A Dead Djinn in Cairo” and the novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015. Characters from both “A Dead Djinn in Cairo” and The Haunting of Tram Car 015 appear in the novel in various lead and supporting roles, but one does not have to have read those previous stories to understand what’s going on in A Master of Djinn. (Although I will say that reading the short story and novella will enhance your enjoyment of the world and understanding of the characters’ personalities and inter-relationships.)

Clark has crafted a multi-layered murder mystery that the formidable Agent Fatma, along with her mysterious lover Siti and newly assigned work partner Hadia, must solve before the city of Cairo, and perhaps the entire world, fall into chaos. Thanks to an opening chapter that presents the mass-murder from the perspective of one of the victims, the reader heads into the story knowing more than the investigative team – but that’s not the same as knowing everything. The clues necessary for the reader to solve the mystery are there to be found, as are the requisite number of false clues and moments that seem to mean more than they really do. The case takes several interesting twists before the ultimate reveal. I had my suspicions early-on about who this person claiming to be al-Jahiz really was, but there were also moments where I thought I could be very wrong. This delighted the mystery fan in me: I love having my guesses turn out to be wrong as much as I love being correct, because being wrong means I can re-read the book to see where the correct clues were. Of course, I am not a fan of mysteries where all the clues are red herrings and the answer is something the reader could never have guessed. But that’s not a trap Clark falls into, thankfully.

I’d have been happy enough with A Master of Djinn being a straightforward mystery set in this alternate world. But the book provides so much more. There’s a rich history to be explored, with Egypt becoming a world power based on the revival of magic into the world and Colonialism being overthrown in some parts of the world earlier than in our own timeline. It’s 1912, and the international conclave hosted in the middle of the book gives us interesting looks at what a “World War One” would look like in this setting. There’s a magic system that I think we’ve only scratched the surface of in the tales told so far: not just various types of djinns and other Middle Eastern magical beings, but goblins in Germany and hints at other types of beings al-Jahiz’s actions released into the rest of the world as well. These magical beings have been involved in some of the fights for regional freedom mentioned, so you know these world powers will put such beings to use when full-scale international war does break out (with the possible exception of America, where Puritanical beliefs seem to have essentially outlawed magic use). The Colonialist mind-set of the era, the European fascination with “adopting” local culture while disdaining the actual people, is on full display throughout the book and Clark does not let his characters leave it unremarked (at least among themselves, even if politics prevents them from saying anything to the actual perpetrators).

The character relationships are also beautifully established. Fatma is essentially a loner. She has eschewed being assigned a partner for this long mostly on strength of personality and successful cases, but department policy can’t be pushed off forever. Hadia’s arrival at the crime scene the day before she’s supposed to officially meet Fatma creates a wonderful level of friction between the two women that plays out as one of the sub-plots. First impressions give way to shared experiences, and Clark charts that growth subtly through dialogue and body language. Fatma at the same time is learning more about Siti, their sexual relationship moving into the romantic – but Siti has secrets of her own that influence both the relationship and the main plot of the novel, which I will not spoil here. We also learn a lot more about Fatma’s past thanks to her interactions with both Siti and Hadia, but there’s plenty we still don’t know about all three women that I look forward to seeing revealed in future books set in this universe.

Clark further develops the Ministry beyond the vague structure and mission established in the previous short story and novella, giving us more intimate looks at Fatma’s immediate superior, the Ministry’s support staff (including a delightfully surly Djinn librarian), and fellow investigators (including the stars of The Haunting of Tram Car 015, Hamed Nasr and Onsi Youssef). Hamed and Onsi are supporting characters here but I hope we’ll get more of their own adventures in the future. Likewise, Fatma’s main contacts outside of the Ministry, bookie/underworld contact Khalid and Cairo police Inspector Aasim Sharif (who reminds me, perhaps intentionally, of Holmes’ Inspector LeStrade), are further developed from their previous appearances, although they play smaller supporting roles than Hamed and Onsi. I was also intrigued by the details revealed about an all-female criminal organization, the Forty Leopards, and the hierarchies and interactions of various temples dedicated to Egypt’s earlier, pre-Mohammedan, gods.

Excellent alternate-history fantasy world-building, multi-dimensional characters, on-point political commentary, and a top-notch murder mystery combine to make P Djèlí Clark’s debut novel a must-read. Go get it!

NOTE: Although I’m posting this review after the release date, it is based off an electronic advance reading copy I received from NetGalley.

Honestly, this book is pretty incredible. Clark's originality and creativity with world building is profound. There are diverse interesting character in a unique setting with a dynamic plot. I loved everything about it!

A Master of Djinn is a fast-paced adventure full of history and djinn lore. I really appreciate when an author gives the reader just enough information about the history of a region and the lore involved to keep a story flowing, and trusts the reader to look up any information they may need for more context. Several times throughout the book, Fatma or one of her colleagues would refer to a magic-related incident from their past without divulging many details. I hope as the series progresses that there will be some novellas or short stories that flesh out those incidents as they sounded like a lot of fun magical action occurred. The action never stops in this fantastical steampunk adventure through Egypt. From a true djinn in a bottle, magical sandstorms, fights in the streets and at fancy parties, the story moves along quickly .

Fatma is a strong and interesting character who felt really alive and whole. Her complicated relationships with religion, work, and her intimate relationship with Siti were all very relatable. Fatma is a true badass who never backed down from a fight, magical or mortal, but was also very vulnerable in her relationship with Siti. It was interesting how even in a magical world there could still be sensitive conversations about differences of religion as the djinn and magic were everywhere. A Master of Djinn also touches on bigger topics like cultural appropriation, racism, and sexism.

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to read more from this author!
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

One paragraph into P. Djèlí Clark’s “A Master of Djinn,” the chronically truant self-preservation muscle in my brain jerked to life and hit pause. The novel is too well crafted, too interesting, too readable. It’s a magical detective story set in pre-World War I Cairo narrated by no-nonsense special agent Fatma el-Sha’arawi and her plucky, paperwork-loving, hijab-wearing junior, Hadia Abdel Hafez. It is set in the same world as other books from the same author but is a stand-alone story. From its base components alone, mathematically speaking, “A Master of Djinn” almost overwhelmed me (and my exam study schedule).

Once started, “A Master of Djinn” is a fast read. Clark creates a compelling fantasy setting full of representation. Despite being marketed as steampunk, the novel is a detective, police procedural at its core. When twenty members of a secret society are brutally murdered, special agent Fatma and her new partner Hadia are tasked with locating the killer. Together, they unravel a larger magical plot within their Egyptian home city.

Set before WWI, the novel imagines a world before American hegemony and nuclear power. In Fatma’s metropolitan Cairo, the local zeitgeist is one of possibility, with energy wild and unpredictable. The world is less surveilled, less formed at the turn of the century. But Clark does not settle for easy first impressions of a halcyon past. Considering the many social identities of the characters, the novel would be incomplete without a consideration of power structures and imperialism. Clark mindfully engages with the past, forcing his characters to move through a world recognizable in its colonialism, colorism and religion. Fatma’s friend Benny, a Jim Crow-era American ex-pat, helps contextualize and ground Clark’s expansive world. Perhaps, instead of the Djinns and Priestesses, the most fantastical aspect of Clark’s novel is its ability to recall a tantalizingly vast, flawed and cautiously hopeful world.

“A Master of Djinn” is an amazingly consistent read. Clark is a competent storyteller and a master of unobtrusive style. While the ultimate mystery is not hard to puzzle out three-quarters in, the characters are vibrant and the plot is sound. Some writers have stylistic ticks that require more deliberate reading; fantasy writers, in particular, have an unfortunate tendency to “info-dump,” front-loading their worldbuilding and characters. Most fantasy classics require some measure of indelicate, brute mental force to break into the center of the novel. Clark breaks that mold, presenting a digestible and compelling fantasy landscape. His writing exemplifies how such a novel should be paced, most notably in how he distributes and buffers the customary info-dump hurdles.

Clark introduces the main character, Fatma, over the course of one chapter. It’s with a deft, careful hand that Clark contours and colors this LGBTQ+, suit-wearing, cane-sword-wielding, overworked government agent. Clark approaches each character with care, depicting them as dynamic, multifaceted characters that are informed, rather than defined by their social identities. They feel authentic. Clark is cheeky with his characters. Fatma’s junior agent endearingly sports a fun, modern bright blue headscarf as a display of her progressive values.

Because the novel follows the detective-novel, CSI-esque structure, one might misread it as an entertaining but run-of-the-mill iteration — not quite radical but also not derivative. However, Clark’s characterizations and attention to detail positions “A Master of Djinn” solidly above its contemporaries. The only downfall of his attention to character and storytelling is how unsustainable producing ten more similar novels would be. Ideally, there would be as many “A Master of Djinn” entries as there are “Dresden Files” novels. Alas, the rich world and characters leave room only for a sequel or so.

Clark’s novel is a prime fantasy book complete with a unique comprehension of identity and personhood. While reading “A Master of Djinn,” time flows eagerly past, weaving through bustling, magical Cairo streets. The novel’s concept is uncomplicated and naturally integrates Arabic mythology with historical, fantasy settings. Clark’s dynamic characters and consideration of historical power imbalances, class and racism are a balm to the tired fantasy reader.

A Master of Djinn was nothing short of perfect. Clark created a world rich with lore and mysticism. Just like the book's predecessors, A Dead Djinn in Cairo and The Haunting of Tram Car 015, the magic system and world-building were vivid and well-written. It was lovely to jump back into the world and coming back to my favorite characters.

I loved following alongside Fatma and Siti as they tried to uncover the mystery of the sudden appearance of al-Jahiz. However, I did find the mystery element rather predictable. This did not stop me from enjoying the novel because I was so engrossed in the world-building and character dynamics. Speaking of the character dynamics, it was amazing to see a sapphic relationship take center stage. Fatma and Siti's relationship was so supportive and healthy - it was refreshing to read. As for Fatma and Hadia's relationship, I loved seeing Fatma slowly start to warm up to her new partner. It revealed a softer side of Fatma.

Overall, I loved this book! Whatever Clark puts out, I will read it.

My first interaction with Clark's work was accidentally reading a in-between novella set in this world, but despite not knowing all the ins and outs of the world I was hooked.

This story builds on previous work but you don't have to read any of those to understand what is going on in 1920s Cairo. I loved the world building and setting for this book. It is such a rich location and the cultural, while partially made up, is still vibrant and full of interesting and compelling characters.

The plot of this book started slow and we get to know the world and our main heroine, but it quickly builds and the pacing of the drama and adventure was so well done I didn't want to put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Note: The author’s middle name includes two diacritical marks. I typed up this review in Word, which has special characters for both of them, but I have no idea if they will survive transferring this into Wordpress.

A Master of Djinn is the first full-length novel in P. Djèlí Clark’s Dead Djinn series, which starts with “A Dead Djinn in Cairo” and continues through “The Angel of Khan el-Khalili” and “The Haunting of Tram Car 015.” These stories are set in a version of early twentieth century Egypt in which the barrier between the world of mortals and that of magical beings has been pierced, allowing magic to return to our world. For Egypt, this meant the return of the djinn. And while the djinn can be troublesome and outright dangerous, they did help the Egyptians expel European colonial powers, allowing their country to become an independent major power. A Master of Djinn begins with the mass murder of a group attempting to uncover the secrets of the man who brought about this great change, a mystic known only as al-Jahiz. Shortly thereafter, an individual wielding great magical power appears and claims to be al-Jahiz returned. It falls to the Egyptian Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities to deal with the fallout of these events.

As expected from his previous work, Clark brings the steampunk Cairo setting to vivid, bustling life. He renders the sights, sounds, and smells of the city with great clarity. But the heart of the story is the city’s population: humans from all over Africa and the Middle East (and a few from further afield), plus djinn. Cairo hasn’t always had an easy time adjusting to being a cosmopolitan metropolis, and the book’s antagonist takes advantage of those tensions.

Speaking of which, the presentation of the antagonist is another thing Master of Djinn does well. They’re smart, using the pre-existing divisions among Cairo’s citizens to turn their enemies against each other. We also see them using deception and obfuscation to keep their foes disoriented. So many stories only have the heroes winning because the villains seemed to leave their brains at home. In Master of Djinn, Fatma’s victory truly feels earned.

There are some very nice smaller details, too. Throughout the book, Fatma thinks of her mother’s sayings that might be pertinent to the situation. The first time she directly encounters the man who claims to be al-Jahiz, she quotes one of them. I liked this trait of hers and the payoff of having her state one of the maxims out loud after having repeatedly thought of them. There are a couple of phrases that are used so often they get repetitive, such as saying that a character’s eyes “rounded” in surprise, but this is a tiny quibble. Overall, this was a really fun read, and I hope it won’t be the last novel Clark writes in this setting.

With this book, P Djèlí Clark becomes an auto-buy author for me. After reading "Ring Shout" and two of the novellas in the Dead Djinn world, I was looking forward to this book so much, and it did not disappoint!

Characters 5/5
The characters in this book are so fun. I love the snark and sass some of the characters have. The djinn are fantastic, and funny, and feel over-the-top in a way that you can't wait to read more about.

Plot 5/5
The action in this, mixed with the mystery elements, was my style of story. This would make for an incredible adaptation to graphic novel or screen.

Storytelling/Writing 5/5
I love P Djèlí Clark's writing. And the pacing? The story sucks you in and doesn't lay off the gas. This is easily a book you can sit down and read in one sitting. The book just goes, and you have to know what happens next.

Enjoyment 5/5
Obviously, I thought this was amazing. I'm already looking forward to rereading it.

Atmosphere 5/5
Everything I wanted to know about the world that I felt the novellas only hinted at, this delivered on. Worldbuilding was most of the reason I was looking forward to a full-length book, and I definitely got my wish! I also loved the easter eggs and references made to the novellas. You don't need to read them first in order to dive into this book, but if you've read them, you'll definitely pick up on a few things others may think are just throw away statements. If you love that kind of stuff like me, then you might want to check them out first.

P Djèlí Clark wrote two novellas set in this universe before A Master Of Djinn, and I think that if you preferred A Dead Djinn In Cairo to <a href="https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2020/06/19/the-haunting-of-tram-car-015-by-p-djeli-clark/">The Haunting Of Tram Car 015</a> then you'll definitely enjoy this one too. Like the prior novellas, his first full-length book is about mystical goings-on in an alternate history, steampunk Egypt that shook off the colonizing yoke when Al-Jahiz, a Soudanese mystic, pierced the veil between worlds and allowed djinn and other creatures of legend to freely walk our mortal plane. Now Egypt is a burgeoning world power due to its enhanced citizenry. With any new source of industry, however, must come the requisite government oversight.

Enter the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, responsible for overseeing and regulating any legal issues involving same. Fatma el-Sha'arawi was once notorious for being its youngest female agent -- and for a style of dress that screams young Western dandy -- but has plenty of experience in solving supernatural crimes and saving the world. She prefers to work solo, but is often aided by her girlfriend, Siti, the Nubian worshiper of Sekhmet whose temple status seems to have lent her preternatural powers of her own. The last thing Fatma needs or wants is a rookie partner, in the form of fresh academy graduate Hadia, whose sky blue hijab hints at her less than conservative approach to a society where women traditionally wear more somber-colored head coverings.

Despite Fatma's reluctance, their first official case together is the slaughter of an entire Brotherhood devoted to Al-Jahiz. Headed by Alistair Worthington, one of the richest men in Cairo as well as a prominent English citizen, the secretive Brotherhood collected items said to have belonged to the long-disappeared mystic. When Al-Jahiz himself reportedly turns up to one of their meetings to violently display his displeasure, the entire city looks poised to riot, as the same mystical figure is also making appearances in the streets, preaching against foreign interference and decadence. With an international peace summit scheduled just days away, Fatma and Hadia must get to the bottom of this before the impostor brings more bloodshed to the streets of their beloved country.

So here's the deal: Mr Clark tries. I'm really glad that he's writing Afrocentric, Islamophilic fantasy featuring strong female leads, with a rich and textured world-building that emphasizes harmony and compassion, while denouncing warmongering and slavery. Which, I think, is why the feminism often feels a bit college-level in comparison. This is an Egypt where almost all the women wear head coverings but are also totally encouraging of a woman who dresses in suits carrying on a lesbian romance with a worshiper of the old gods? While I personally think this is pretty awesome, I don't understand why a fantasy environment like this one would also feature a heroine who flinches every time someone seemingly heteronormative comes into her daily orbit. Fatma has a lot of assumptions about Hadia that make it look like she has a lot of experience with asshole hijabi women judging her or worse for being who she is, but absolutely nothing about the setting as written lends itself to this tension. I was also not impressed with Hadia, at least not in the way I enjoyed how her counterpart, Onsi, proved himself to his superior, Hamed, in THoTC015. Hadia's a bit of a complainer, and I wish Fatma too was as bold on the inside as she goes to such pains to appear. I totally understand putting up a brave front, but finely tailored Western suits in multiple color combinations are A Choice in the Egyptian heat, you know?

Also, I was extremely unimpressed by their detective skills. It was glaringly obvious as soon as they had the ledger entries who the bad guy was, so I spent most of the back half of the book waiting with varying degrees of patience for them to figure it out too. I did really enjoy how the world-building was extended to the European powers tho, which are learning how to harness their own native spirits, and I'm looking forward to reading more of this universe in future. I'm rather hoping the next book will feature Agents Hamed and Onsi, who seem less like awkward character ideas and more like actual people, both in their novella and in this book where they appear as supporting cast members.

A Master Of Djinn (Dead Djinn Universe #1) by P. Djèlí Clark was published May 11 2021 by Tordotcom and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781250267689">Bookshop!</a>

As a big fan of Ring Shout, I was curious to dive into another one of Clark’s fantastical worlds. While I loved the 1920s steampunk/futuristic Cairo, I found the exposition and world-building dense and at times distracting from the central murder mystery. I wanted to spend more time with the characters exploring Clark’s re-imagined Egypt, and less getting lost in the complex socio-political landscape. (Full disclosure I did not read the novella predecessors, perhaps that would have made a difference.)

Despite the slow pace, a lot happens in the 400 page run time, I just wish that most of the action wasn’t crammed in the book’s latter half, as some of the conflicts started to feel repetitive rather than ending. Lastly while, the reveal of the big bad was predictable, it played out in a fun way, rife with tongue in cheek humour -one of the characters even makes a comment about villain speechifying. All in all, while the story wasn’t my favourite, I will definitely stay tuned to see what this quirky cast of characters gets up to in the next instalment.

Many thanks to the author and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.