The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark is death-defyingly fun. It was thrilling and hilarious and earned more than a few chuckles from me. It’s a standalone fantasy with a deadly mystery that truly makes the most of its short page count. I encourage you to sign here to enter Clark’s enticing world and shadow Eveen the Eviscerator for the night.

Eveen is one of Tal Abisi’s deadliest assassins, and it’s not because she’s dead. Resurrected and sworn to the Matron of Assassins, Eveen carries out her contracts with masterful precision. There are consequences for not killing or “shipping” the target, and Eveen doesn’t want to get on the Matron’s bad side. But when Eveen’s past gets involved with her next ship, her blade falters, and a chaotic adventure ensues.

If the title of this book is throwing you off, don’t worry, it’s supposed to. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins opens with confused banter about the guild’s strange name, and it immediately sets a fun, irreverent tone for the rest of the story. Eveen is the conduit for most of this, approaching work and absurd situations with deadpan (heh) humor and nonchalant honesty. Her line of work is grim, but Eveen doesn’t take it too seriously and easily finds a way to make light of everything. She made me laugh out loud several times and treated everything like it was an inconvenient game, even though the world is actually going to shit around her.

Assassins is a neat and tidy fantasy standalone. I’m in awe of how easily Clark can build a world and establish characters quickly and skillfully. This book has one of the strongest openings I’ve read in a while, simply for how efficiently it sets up the story. Eveen’s story begins alongside her foil and colleague, Fennis, which gives us a satisfying and intriguing download of the assassin. This served the story well because not one second is wasted and the adventure begins with a clear idea of who our protagonist is. Everything flowed so easily from character introductions to worldbuilding to the plot progressing through a fabulous mystery. It was effortless and entertaining from start to finish.

The tone of Assassins is fun and engaging, but it does present more somber ideas if you want to look past Eveen’s lively personality. She is as dazzling as the two blades she carries, but her second chance at life is lackluster. Everything is muted—food, sex, pain—and she has no idea who she was before signing her contract. Can you really know who you are now if you lack context of who you were? There are no memories, relationships, feelings, or experiences from her life before to give any sort of clue as to who she is or was. Eveen was brought back to life as a fully-formed person without knowing any of the things that shaped her. While I felt the weight of that gaping hole in her life, it was also beautiful to see who she became despite not knowing. Eveen is not some undead imitation of life, but a real person with her own desires, and we see this through the will she displays. The emptiness that courts Eveen gives the story weight and makes the moments of levity shine. The plot of Assassins could have easily been all fun and games, but Clark strategically adds a reflective moment or brutally honest dialogue to humanize the situation and give depth to the characters.

I am confident that you will have a great time with The Dead Cat Tail Assassins. It has a little bit of magic, mystery, and science, all swirling in a race against death. Who said a book had to have over 900 pages to be worthwhile? This one will spark enjoyment and make you laugh in no time at all.

Rating: The Dead Cat Tail Assassins - 9.0/10
-Brandee

P. Djèlí Clark has quickly made his name known in the fantasy genre and I adored his steampunk Cairo world. In the Dead Cat Assassins, we follow Eveen, a literally dead assassin with no recollection of her previous life, serving out a contract as an assassin. After an assigned job, certain memories begin returning to her and it’s a race against time to figure out why. While the Dead Cat Assassins was entertaining and the quirks of the many assassins we come across fun to read, I found the worldbuilding quick flat compared to Cairo. The time-travel aspect at the very beginning definitely threw me for a loop, but by the end I was kind of rolling with it. Probably the strongest aspect of this novella was the action and fight scenes. Clark has a deft hand with painting action and describing a scene in a way that’s fun and easy to follow as a reader. Overall I rate this book a 4/5.

Review will go live on my blog on 5 July 2024

A funny, engaging story full of endearing characters, quick wit, and some vividly gruesome undead assassins.
I loved so much of this! It was a quick read and held my attention the whole time. P. Djèlí Clark knows how to write a well-paced story that is packed full of humor and memorable characters. This is a great one to pick up if you are looking for a fast-paced, well-plotted fantasy standalone!

"The Dead Cat Tail Assassins" is a thrilling ride through a magical world filled with intrigue and adventure. P. Djèlí Clark weaves a captivating tale that keeps you hooked from start to finish. With vibrant characters and a unique setting, this book is a must-read for fantasy lovers everywhere!

While this wasn’t my favorite P. Djèli Clark, it’s fun and incredibly rich and vibrant for how short it is. The characters were delightful. The last third of this book just didn’t nail the landing for me.

This was so much fun! I wish this had been longer, purely because I was enjoying it so much and just wanted more. This is the perfect mix of fantasy, gods, assassins and multiverse aspects.

I'm truly in awe of how much Clark can fit in to so few pages. Clark is truly a master of characters, combined with an amazing world and social commentary this book does not miss.

If you love fantasy books with witty characters and amazing humour this is the perfect book for you.

An absolutely fantastic read in every way! Clark has this way of drawing the reader in right from the start, which shines especially well in his shorter format books. The characters are fascinating and start off with an immediate sense of comfort and familiarity. You can't help caring about their story. The worldbuilding is phenomenal! I loved every bit - from the gods to the guilds to the criminal underbelly to the corrupt politicians. I would gladly read a dozen more books exploring this world of undead assassins and the shady deals they execute.

My only complaint involves how some of the dialogue is presented in the text. There is a lengthy scene where a character's speech is spelled out phonetically to convey to the reader the type of accent and inflection that character has. While I recognize this is a really engaging and fun way to make the story more immersive, it's a huge challenge from an accessibility standpoint. As a dyslexic reader, I struggled to sound out the words in a way that made sense. It's embarrassing to admit, but I ended up abandoning entire sentences of dialogue because I just *could not* figure it out. I recognize that this is a me problem, but know there are others out there who would be impacted the same way and I wish there were a resource included that could help out with this. Hopefully anyone reading this review who has similar concerns will choose the audiobook or buddy read with someone who can help them out some. I truly loved this read and am just kind of bummed that I had to stumble my way through the ending rather than getting to enjoy it at its fullest.

Overall an outstanding read. Would jump at the chance to return to this world and I eagerly await whatever Clark decides to write next.

Special thanks to Tor for an ARC in exchange for review.

3.5 stars

An action-packed story with lots of twists and turns. Eveen was a fascinating protagonist and I love the concept of undead assassins. However, this didn't draw me in as much as some of P Djeli Clark's other books — but overall, it was definitely still a solid read.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a short book that packs quite a punch in terms of plot and characters but will not be everyone’s cup of tea due to the cavalier approach to violence and the quirky narratorial voice. This was exactly my cup of tea though. The book follows Eveen the Eviscerater, who is one of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins, an undead woman who is sworn to a century of assassination services to Ayeril, the Matron of Assassins. There are three vows to her order: the contract must be just, the assassin can only kill who the hit is contracted for, and the assassin must kill the target. When those who have given their lives to Ayeril are resurrected, they have forgotten everything about their pasts and are resurrected far enough away from their death-date that anyone who might’ve known them is probably dead. Eveen is very good at her job and enjoys it well enough, but everything is thrown off-course when she discovers that she recognizes her target for the night is someone she remembers from the Before. This sets of a series of events through the night about what Eveen might remember, who this girl is she is contracted to kill, and why.

The book immediately takes an irreverent tone that jolted me in the best way possible. I did not enjoy A Master of Djinnor Ring Shout, so I wasn’t sure if Clark was going to continue to be an author I followed, but I was drawn in by the tagline for the book: Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats. Nor do they have tails. But they are most assuredly dead. From this, I thought the book was going to be gritty, dark, and intense. The book opens with this line, but the reader quickly finds out this line is on a business card. This is a brilliant and hilarious twist to reader expectations and from there we are on a raucous ride that makes some of the most ridiculous jokes, including a very clever breaking of the fourth wall.
That said, because there is a streak of black (this is a book about an undead assassin after all) and sardonic humor throughout this book, it is not going to be for everyone. This is not written in first-person nor is it a “dear reader” kind of narratorial style, but there is a strong and unique narratorial voice that deftly and definitely shapes the way the reader understands the story. This was something I greatly enjoyed, but I understand why people might not.

This is a novella, so the world-building goes fast, and there is a lot of it. Almost none of it is given through exposition; the reader has to figure out everything from the dialog and descriptions. For instance, this story takes place on one night, which happens on the night of a major festival. In the background of pretty much every scene are people celebrating in various ways through the streets. From these comments, the reader can (should) pick up on why this festival is happening, and eventually the story of the festival ties into the plot.

This is a balanced character- and plot-driven book. Eveen grounds the book and her relationship with Fennis and Sky gives her balance and propels her forward through the plot, which is opaque to reader and characters for much of the book. They are trying to unravel the mystery of why Eveen has been given this contract and also how this contract is even possible given the confines of things like time, space, physics, reality, and the will of the gods. This is not a mystery, though, the reader is given many of the clues to figure out what happened and how the characters are going to solve it, but we skip over the final confrontation planning montage and right to said final confrontation. This didn’t bother me as, for the most part, their plan goes off without a hitch and gives the reader a satisfying (if bloodthirsty) ending—so seeing them plan it would’ve just spoiled the ending. A planning montage always means the plan is going to fail. And I didn’t want to see Eveen fail. I was really rooting for her by the end of the book—even if her solution to 90% of her problems is violence.

I would recommend this book to people who like Murderbot—a somewhat reluctant main character who really would prefer to just enjoy simple pleasures and be left alone but unfortunately is very good at their job and unwillingly cares about other people in their life and even more unfortunately discovers a massive conspiracy they somehow are in the middle of without even realizing it.

I received this as an ARC and here is my review.

This was the first I’ve read from this author and it was pretty interesting. The characters were very enjoyable and the story was pretty fun to read. I think the story was quite unique and it was very fast paced.
I really liked the zombie assassin and the twist at the end I didn’t see coming. The world building was great for being such a short story.
I highly recommend checking this one out!

4.5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

This story was so fun. It’s witty, action packed and overall an entertaining read. With so few pages the world building is impressive, the characters are all amusing, and kick ass. And I would absolutely eat up any kind of continuation of this world.

I knocked down a point because there were a few times where some phrases were used, and a little chunk of the last two chapters that just pulled me out of the book and do a double take. I understood the thought process and the explanations were good but still, just felt a little off to me.

Overall this book is so damn good, I will definitely be reading more from this author.

ai was trying to wait until pub day to post my review, but it got pushed back till the summer, so I figured I should write about it while I still have thoughts! Clark is so adept at putting together a world in so few pages — I’m not a novella reader, and yet he continues to impress the hell out of me. The premise alone of this story is awesome, and the way the story unwinds lives up to its excellent beginnings. He’s so good at leaving you wanting more in the best way! Can’t wait for what’s next from him.

Clark delivers one hell of a story in just over 200 pages. It's impressive. I've read 400+ page novels that don't have as rich of a world or as well-developed characters as Clark crafts in The Dead Cat Tail Assassins. The inclusion of the world's main folktale/carnival is something I enjoyed. It is a great way to become immersed in this world.

If you're looking for a badass female main character, a found family, action, and a mystery, then The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is the book for you.

“The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats,
Nor do they have tails,
But they are most assuredly dead.”

I don’t know how the author did it, but I got so engrossed in this world in just 209 pages. To be able to build up a world so richly in so little time is an art and I absolutely need more of his work. I loved the premise of these undead assassins and the complications that arise when Eveen receives a job that she cannot complete.

The pacing of this was perfect as there was never a true lull in the story while Eveen raced against the clock to solve the mystery of how she was given this assassination contract. I really loved the main characters Eveen, Sky, and Fennis and the banter often seen between them.

Thank you to Tor Dot Com / Tor Book for sending me this #gifted ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“But how does one love a machine?”
“Love is love, silly boy.”

“I’m not a zombie. That’s racist. But I am dead. Well, undead.”

Aeril’s fiery fucking tits.

Because sometimes there was nothing better than getting lost in your work, with no one but yourself for company. (goddamn this was such as good last line)

“Mi nuh need yuh tuh mansplain godling law.” - Aeril

3.75

This is the first book I read by P. Djèlí Clark and it was a great start! heard so many wonderful things about this author it honestly didn’t disappoint.

I’m truly shocked at what you can do in 200 pages, especially in fantasy. The world-building, character development ( and having a nice cast of characters too), and pacing were all done beautifully. Eveen is the type of friend that I wish I could have in real life and I loved getting to know about her past life while she’s learning about it as well. Even in death, you find that there are still things that can bring you joy and in your own way, you still have a soul.

This book is overall a good time. It's about witty undead assassins with unique abilities that like to kill- I mean ship, people. enough said.

This may be my first book by Clark but it won’t be my last.

A exciting and interesting premise that took some time to get into but was rewarding. I’m definitely more of a Clark short story fan when it comes to the fantasy aspect.

(4.5)

impossible to put down and impossible to forget, the dead cat tail assassins became one of my top 2024 releases from its very first lines. in just over 200 pages, its intricate writing, memorable characters, and action-packed plot–following undead assassin eveen the eviscerator, whose latest mission ends up being a lot more complicated than expected–come together to form an extraordinarily vibrant story that’s unlike anything i’ve read before.

i’ve been a huge fan of p. djèlí clark since i picked up a master of djinn in 2021, partly because i think his writing style is perfect–elaborate in a way that neither overshadows the plot nor sacrifices action and humor. you can easily imagine the city of tal abisi while reading, but not once do you get so caught up in descriptions and details that you lose track of the events taking place. many of these events, especially the scenes between eveen and other assassins, are actually some of my favorite parts of the book and also some of the many reasons it’s so hard to stop reading. when the action of the dead cat tail assassins is combined with a considerable amount of jokes and dry humor, generally fast pacing, and an extremely satisfying ending, the result is a reading experience that genuinely feels like an adventure.

additionally, the characters in this book are absolutely wonderful. eveen is an amazing main character; she made me laugh and gasp out loud so many times and i’m honestly depressed by the fact that i didn’t even get to spend 300 pages with her. i also really loved sky, and her dynamic with eveen is so well-written as well as very unique in the best way.

to put things simply, the dead cat tail assassins is excellent from its first sentence to its last. i’d highly recommend it for anyone who loves fast-paced, hilarious, and inventive fantasy that’s on the shorter side; i think it’s truly so much fun to read and definitely a book that people will be coming back to often. i hope clark writes more stories set in tal abisi and can’t wait to read whatever he has up next!

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc.

4⭐️

Wow there was so much packed in this short book. I really enjoyed the characters of this book, the world, and all the different backstabbing assassins we meet for a moment.

So far I have really enjoyed everything I have read from this author. They do an amazing job telling a rich and enjoyable in a short format, I will continue to pick up anything from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

This was my first P. Djèlí Clark novel but it certainly won’t be my last.

To me, The Dead Cat Tail Assassins played out almost like an action film. It was vivid in its descriptions and rich in its fight scenes. The tension was good too, as was the impending sense of doom as Eveen and Sky tried to unwrap the mystery of their meeting.

I think this book sits firmly in the four star territory. It manages to accomplish a lot in such a small space, and I’m wildly impressed by how robust the world building was for a 200 page novella. That said (and this is most assuredly a me problem), I really wish it was longer. Clark creates a world rich with lore and dozens of Gods. I’d have loved getting to spend a bit more time learning how the world ticks.

Of course that one minor complaint is just that: minor. Like I mentioned, Clark still manages to pack a lot of lore into a small space. I’m just greedy for more.

All in all, this was a really fun book. I don’t often enjoy novels that rely heavily on funny scenarios or humor, but the description of this one was too good to pass up and the balance between light-heartedness and actual stakes was nicely done. Also, who doesn’t love a good assassin story?

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are really only worried about one thing in the world, completing their contracts, but what happens when the assassin just *can't* hit the mark? This book is the wild ride of what happens when one such assassin suddenly finds herself in paradox after paradox while trying to sort out an impossible contract. As always, P. Djèlí Clark weaves an inthralling, dark magical world that you simultaneously want to jump into and are a little bit terrified of.