Eveen is a member of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins - which means she's an undead follower of the goddess Aeril, one who signed a contract before her death to to be resurrected in exchange for a century of service to the goddess, during which time she is unable to remember anything of her life. Unlike many of Aeril's followers, who are brought back as cooks, Eveen was resurrected as an assassin, complete with the knowledge she needs to complete contracts - contracts that someone else vets and accepts. Eveen has just been presented with her newest contract when the novel begins, and she heads off to complete it. But when she finds her target, something truly unusual happens: Eveen recognizes her target as someone from her former life, leading her to break the third unbreakable law, by not completing a contract she's agreed to carry out.

This novel has an interesting twist on resurrection; Eveen is dead, her sensations muffled, but she eats food for energy, and she is emphatically not a zombie. She lives in the city of Tal Abisi, which teems with various deities, although she concerns herself only with Aeril, the goddess with whom she has a contract. At one point, Aeril herself appears, in response to a summons, and speaks in a truly difficult to read fashion; the written version of her speech is best understood if read out loud, and resembles the speech of a person with a mouthful of marbles. I understand the attempt to make Aeril's speech unique, but this is truly hard to decipher. Still, it's an interesting perspective on magic, assassination, and resurrection.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a novella about Eveen - an assassin who is not a cat, does not have a tail, but is most assuredly dead, as she tries to figure out who wants revenge on her, survive the repurcussions of breach of contract and find a legal loophole in a magical contract, all in one night.

The book is a quick and fun read, with an action packed story kicking off early on. The hints and twists, along with the witty characters kept me turning the pages until the end! The characters are engaging and relatable, though I wish we could find out more about Eveen - I hope this is not the last we see of her!

P. Djèlí Clark's sharp and masterfully succinct writing conveys a more complex world than the page count belies. We get the impression of layered characters and subtle politics without going into outright exposition. And I laughed out loud when I heard a mythical fearsome goddess of assassins use the word mansplain.

Thanks to NetGalley, Tor Publishing group and P. Djèlí Clark for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The rating is 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to 5 stars as the book on the whole is a great standalone read and delivers on what is promised.

[One star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the writing; One star for the story; Half a star for the characters; One star for the world-building - Four and a half stars in total.]

I started this about a week into February, read it here and there for a few days, I think I got about halfway through it and then I suddenly found forgetting about it until the end of the month. I think it's pretty telling after a couple weeks, I just wasn’t going to continue. There's many things about this story that are so cool. I mean who wants to read about a middle aged (actually I think she's like 60 or 70 if I did my math right) assassin who is technically dead and breaks her super duper mandatory assassins vow and saves a pretty girl. ME! But unfortunately this did not hold my attention. The old woman wisdom I wanted wasn’t there as she just acts and speaks like a normal 20 year old and that threw off the whole book for me. I'm sure many will like this though.

I am reviewing an ARC provided by NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

"The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins―resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories―have only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That’s above Eveen’s pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen’s a professional. She’s never missed her mark.

The third and the once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A final death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen’s newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn’t supposed to remember and a vow she can’t forget."


I was SUPER excited to read this, having loved Master of Djinn, which was so righteously acclaimed. This far surpassed my expectations and was such a delightful surprise. The nearest comparison I can give is to Gideon the Ninth, which is HIGH praise, considering that the Locked Tomb series are (my favorite books seems such a weak phrase) some of the greatest works of literary genius of our modern day. The primary similarity between these titles (besides body horror, badass women, necromancy, and grotesque living gods a little too interested in their human vassals) is that both books find a similar balance, the "peanut butter and chocolate" between unspeakable horror and hilarity. Life is frequently horrible, and just as frequently funny as hell, and the gallows humor and occasional modern day memes really brighten up what could otherwise have been quite a grim book.

Eveen is an undead assassin, and she is, more than anything else, OVER THIS SHIT. She is ceaselessly wisecracking, alarmingly competent, as emotionally vulnerable as a definitely not zombie can be, and haunted by a past she literally has had wiped from her memory. I fell in love with her from the first sentence and spent the next 200 pages rooting desperately for her to find and hold onto herself, which (spoiler alert) she manages with ferocity.

The lightening pace of this novella still manages to give such a complete picture of an entire class system, a mythology, and a life. The action scenes (and there are many, as Eveen plows through a horde of her fellow Dead Cat Tails) are tense and cinematic.

The true soul of this book is in Eveen's determination to break the vile contract she finds herself in. I won't fully spoil this book, because I personally really enjoyed the OH WHAT moments, but suffice to say that the contract itself leads to some truly beautiful and heartachingly tender scenes.

I very much hope there will be a sequel. It's early days, but this has rocketed to the top of my Best of 2024 pile, and I am confident I will not be the only one who considers it so.

Thanks, NetGalley, and TorDotCom, for the opportunity to enjoy this perfect little book.

P. Djèlí Clark has done it again! He has delivered a punchy, hilarious narrative from the first page to the last. Sky and Eveen are brilliantly crafted characters whose witty banter adds humor to the mystery. I'm truly impressed by how much P. Djèlí Clark manages to achieve within the confines of a novella. This is a must-read!

Thank you Tor and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book.

P. Djeli Clark is a master of world-building and the best the genre has to offer at the moment. Their previous works had one foot in the world we know and the other led you to a fascinating alternative reality that is vibrantly inventive. This world is wholly invented and inventive with a dizzying explosion of elements magical and mundane and often downright hilarious. Very glad there is no romance subplot distracting from the undead assassin's guild shenanigans and Looper-esque central dilemma. I hope this world has more time to breathe in a full length novel eventually, but within the scope of this novella, the chase through a whole world of Tal Abbisi, was exhilarating. The end felt kind of indulgent and without any great lesson or nuanced social commentary. Still, overall, I couldn't be more delighted for the advanced reading copy, thanks to Netgalley. Can't wait for the next from this author.

Yup, this author is an auto buy. I love everything he writes. Especially his female characters. Chefs kiss! This is a darker, anti hero story that does not shy away from violence. Despite that the story was sweet, full of fun characters, and spoke to loyalty.

This was honestly not what I was expecting to get out of this novella- I read the synopsis again after receiving this ARC, and was intrigued (again).


Eveen is an undead assassin- part of an elite group of other undead like her, souls bound to the goddess of assassins and fate sealed. When a new job comes up on the night of the biggest festival in town, Eveen isn’t expecting her past to get dug up, and in the process, her entire life getting turned upside down.

This novella was equally gripping and immersive, to the point where you’re like, “Oh… that was a novella?” I haven’t read any of Clark’s work before, but I have marked Ring Shout and A Master of Djinn as TBRs, and let me just say this: you can tell that Clark cares about his craft, and that he truly does pour effort and love into every sentence he concocts. This world felt incredibly flushed out, even more astounding looking at the page count (224 pages?!?!) and the character dynamics were absolutely amazing! Clark is now definitely on my map. Am I saying that this book is flawless? No. It’s extremely action packed and sometimes tries to do a bit too much in its small frame. It’s not a literary masterpiece. However, I recommend you give it a shot!


— thanks to the publisher for the ARC —


— reading updates —

pov: you stayed up late even though you have two tests tomorrow because this was such an enjoyable read

she’s getting juiccyyyyyy

AAAAA I GOT AN ARC!!!


I received an e-ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. This did not influence my opinions. All thoughts are my own.

P. Djèlí Clark has done it again! Every time I read one of his novellas, I'm always in awe of how he manages to create such a vibrant world in about 200 pages or less. The world-building in this story is absolutely amazing and I want more of it. While the novel wraps up nicely, I want to know more about the city, the lore, the mythology, the people –– literally all of it. It was a really cool world to immerse myself in and if Clark wants to write another novella in this world, then sign me up immediately.

The characters were great as well. I enjoyed the banter between Eveen and pretty much everyone else, especially with Sky. The reason I rated this book four stars instead of five, though, was because, at times, the dialogue felt a little too modern/21st century. The setting, while a fantasy city, was clearly a more historical one (sort of steampunk-y vibes), and Eveen's dialogue especially does not match the world/time period that the novel is set in. There are a few different occasions where it really jumped out at me, though it wasn't so much that it completely ruined the whole novel for me.

Overall, as with all of Clark's novels, highly recommend this one!

I really enjoyed the premise of this novella and thought it was fun read overall. There were some great moments of comedic relief and the plot itself felt very unique. The only real negative for me was that the dialogue at the end was difficult to follow because of the dialect being used. While the dialogue was definitely readable, I had to do so at a much slower pace which messed with the flow of what is essentially the climax of the story.

4.5/5 Stars

Thank you for this eARC Tor! I went into this completely blind and left stunned. Such a fantastic and quick story. Truly changed my staunch opinion that a good fantasy story can't be told in less than 400 pages. Each word is maximized to showcase this colorful world filled with insane magic and history without overpowering the characters or story. The flow was effortless and made me not want to put it down. The twists were also brilliant and not insane. There is such a careful balance here that only comes with true talent and now I am bumping all of his stories to the top of my to be read pile because I need more. SO GOOD!

As usual for P. Djeli Clark, a vibrant and linguistically brilliant novella. Action-packed and full of mysteries that will leave you coming back for more, Dead Cat Tail Assassins is proof if need be that P. Djeli Clark is a master of original worldbuilding and loveable characters.
A great balance between action, mysteries and worldbuilding and a perfect door to discover P. Djeli Clark.

____

Après une Égypte alternative, une Amérique envahie par les forces lovecraftienne ou une Nouvelle Orleans steampunk, P. Djeli Clark montre une nouvelle fois que son imagination est foisonnante.

Eveen à été ressuscitée sans aucun souvenir de sa vie pour servir dans sa non-mort en tant qu'assassin la déesse Aeril. Elle fait partie d'une guilde d'assassins très encadrée, sous contrats et aux règles rigides. Dont la première est de de voir toujours mener à bout leur contrat avant l'aube. Mais lorsque sa cible s'avère être quelqu'un qu'elle reconnaît alors que cela devrait être impossible, Eveen va devoir se lancer dans une course contre la montre pour comprendre l'impossible...

Un style toujours aussi impeccable, vibrant, et avec le génie linguistique habituels de P. Djeli Clark, Dead Cat Tail Assassins est un vrai régal. Nerveux et haletant, porté par des personnages originaux et majoritairement (si ce n'est uniquement) noirs, la novella est bourrée d'humour et réussi à maintenir un excellent équilibre entre mystère et action. Une excellente porte d'entrée pour découvrir P. Djeli Clark.

Thank you @netgalley & @tordotcompub for this E-ARC The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djeli Clark

4 ⭐

This is my second novella from this author and I was very intrigued but also nervous as I loved Ring Shout , I will say this did not disappoint.

I had such a fun time reading this, it was serious and kickass but also light and funny. 

For such a short read, there was so much in it.

The humor won't be for everyone but it worked for me and the main character is unlikable but also very reliable in many ways. 

This book comes out in August 2024 and I can't wait to have a physical copy on my shelves. That cover is 🔥

My newest review book is called The Dead Cat Tail Assassins and its by P. Djeli Clark. It received an early copy from Net Galley and Tor Publishing Group.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats. They do not have tails either. That said, they are definitely Dead and Assassins. Eveen, one of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins, is well known for her work. She's one of the best of the assassins. She always does her job. Well, until one night when she meets a new victim and can't kill them. Unfortunately, not killing someone is much more trouble for her than killing someone. So begins a night she'll never forget.

And thats all I'll tell you about the story. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins has a very unique twist near the beginning that I don't want to spoil. Once you hear whats going on you'll want to keep reading this book and it'll be hard to stop. Dead Cat Tail is a complex, gripping story that'll have you on the edge of your seat. It also has plenty of funny and weird moments.

The world building in the novel is great too. You'll wonder if you're getting too much information, however every detail in this book is important. Not only does it build on this unique world but also it adds to the mystery. Dead Tail Assassins is definitely a mystery too. Its a complex action-adventure fantasy mystery.

Be warned though, the book is only nine chapters. Its a very short tail.

Of course that just makes the book even more addictive and ensures that you'll keep reading till the end. I know I did. The book ended much sooner than I thought it would. It has a very satisfying ending though.

Even so, The Dead Cat Tail Assassin's world is so good that the book will leave you hoping that the author will return to it someday. It doesn't even have to be these same characters! The book ends and feels complete but leaves room for more.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a really good book. P. Djeli Clark is an excellent writer and I look forward to reading more of their books.

If you want to check out The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, you find it at bookstores and online on August 6, 2024. Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and Net Galley for the digital review copy of this book.

Great premise and interesting worldbuilding, but unfortunately the character writing was a miss for me. The tone wasn't at all what I expected, and I especially struggled to connect with the final half. Still, this novella was decent and read very quickly.

This was awesome! I loved it. It wasn't like anything else and I thought that was one of the best parts. This story kept me coming back for more.

This is the second of Clark's works that I've read (the first was his short story in The Book of Witches) and I'm always so impressed by his skilled world building. This was a tight, fast-paced fantasy novella that pulled me into its rich world immediately (despite only being ~150 pages). I enjoyed Eveen, our main character, although it was some of the side characters that truly stole my heart, which only helped to round out the world and strengthen the story telling. This is a short, action-packed story perfect for fans of dark fantasy, assassins, and diverse world building!

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My first P. Djeli Clark book and won’t be my last. The world building in this short story was impeccable and I was drawn into the fantasy narrative from the beginning. I was fully invested in Eveen’s history and future. The dialogue was snarky and quirky, and I often found myself LOL’ing literally. I was a little sad at the end of the story, and would love to read more storylines from this world.

The heroine of P. Djèlí Clark's The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is the undead assassin Eveen, nicknamed "The Eviscerator." Perhaps I should have recognized this was inevitable, but I was startled to find that the end of the book involves Eveen and a newfound comrade torturing the antagonist to death.

The antagonist is a villain of the grandest sort, so if you're someone who finds the notion of retribution emotionally satisfying, maybe this will work for you. I'm not. I'm willing to read about torture, and even willing to read about protagonists who engage in torture, but an authorial stance that frames it as just is a hard no for me, even in stylized adventure stories. I would have set the book down unfinished if I hadn't already been on the last page.

Until that bloodthirsty denouement, Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a fun, snappy, fantasy adventure with a mix of wizardly and divine double-crossing. In some ways, the reading experience feels the way I imagine it must have felt to discover Steven Brust's Jhereg in the '80s: the braided timelines, the banter, the novelty of a fantasy setting that has no investment in mythologizing England. I missed some of the richness of the contrast between history and fantasy in Clark's Cairo stories, but I loved the late-book faceoff between divine powers and the booklong tug-of-war between Eveen and her intended target, who looks oddly like a younger version of herself.

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

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins may not be cats, and may not have tails, but they are dead, and they are assassins. Eveen is dead - like dead-dead - but something in her previous life made her give her soul to a goddess in exchange for a century (minimum) of self-healing, super-powered servitude. The kind of servitude where you kill people. Yet something is.. familiar about her latest contracted kill, and Eveen is determined to figure it out.

Rating it a 3.5 rounded up to 4. Don't get me wrong - it was enjoyable, and pulled me in immediately, but Aeril's fiery tits, I wanted more. I wanted more of Eveen's backstory - how did she get here? Who was she before? - more of the world building - we have the set up to something that could be an intriguing story, especially with the concept of universe/alternate reality travel, but the book barely scratched the surface.

Eveen and Sky had an enjoyable dynamic, and I would probably murder someone who hurt Fennis, but all in all, there just wasn't a ton of heft to it. Which could be enjoyable in it's own right, but when the "who" of the "who dunnit" is solved in what feels like thirty seconds, I was left feeling a bit... "okay and then what"?

Overall, I enjoyed it, and I would recommend it, though I would caution that it left me wanting. Will be keeping an eye out for more in this world.