The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P Djèlí Clark is a whip-smart, fast-paced novella about a group of
undead assassins living in a magic-rich world who follow a rigid set of rules. Eveen knows all too
well what happens when you break these rules, and when she makes a bizarre discovery while
executing her new contract, it looks like she may have to break another.
Clark delivers sharp, witty dialogue from a colourful cast of characters in this brief, but rich novella.
Its short length does nothing to hinder the depth or clarity of the world of Tal Abisi and the intricate
puzzle laid out before the reader.
Eveen is a lovable rogue of a protagonist and it’s impossible not to applaud her chaotic choices and
fall head over heels for her surprising quirks. The supporting cast is equally lovable: the foodie
acolyte who speaks fluent legalese, the deadly, story-loving mistress of the guild, and the bookish
thaumaturgist who wants nothing more than to stay in his orrery, the magnificence of which would
make Aughra jealous.
This story is thick with suspense and barely gives you a moment to stop and appreciate the sly but
poignant world-building that Clark weaves in between Eveen’s filthy curses and wicked grace. The
stakes ramp higher with every page until the climatic ending ties everything together in a way that is
perfectly satisfying and finger-stabbing smart.
This is a delightfully violent nugget of a book that brings nothing but joy and delicious vindication.
This would be perfect for fans of The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir and Foundryside by Robert
Jackson Bennett.

This was a fairly short book (200+ pages) that I was able to read in one sitting … so I can easily say that it all just worked. The foundation premise and world building were fun and interesting (an undead assassin caught up in a conspiracy that threatens her own very existence … to say nothing of the other members of her guild). So we get a combination of mystery, magic, action and humor that made it hard to put down all the way to a rather satisfying ending … perhaps my only complaint (and for me it was enough to subtract a half point … then I rounded up at the end) is the mangled, quasi-caribbean, dialect used by the assassin’s patron deity, which was so difficult for me to understand that I skipped most of her dialog and just picked up the gist from the context. Fortunately this was limited to the last part of the story, so I was already fully invested in the story and outcome. The snarky humor of the main character may not be for everybody, but I really enjoyed it (it reminded me of another favor series with the same black humor). Just as important for me was that it was more or less a unique take on a common trope (it didn’t feel mechanical or derivative), which made it so much more interesting overall.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#TheDeadCatTailAssassins #NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an review.

So, this is a book I was super excited for. I heard of it on a podcast some months ago, where one of the hosts was discussing ARCs she’d recently read, and this novella came up. And boy, did she wax poetic about it. I wasn’t expecting to see the ARC still available, and really wasn’t expecting to get access within hours of requesting. I was intent on finding out whether it was worth the hype and read it pretty much immediately.

The hype is deserved. I’ll start by saying that. The writing is easy to follow, though there are quite a few grammatical errors. I assume these will be edited out before the official release and thus aren’t an issue. The only problem I had, which took away from the book in my opinion, was the chapter near the end in which the g-ddesses were speaking. I absolutely could not understand what they were supposed to be saying. I caught some of it, through multiple rereads, but it took me out of the story big time. I spent more time decoding the speech than I did actually reading. For this alone, The Dead Cat Tail Assassins gets only 4 stars.

On the bright side, the characters were easy to love and root for, and the worldbuilding was top notch. I would love to read more stories set in this world; I was actually kind of depressed when I realized it was over. So P. Djèlí Clark, if you’re reading this, please for the love of g-d write more novellas set in this city. It would be glorious.

I will definitely be buying a physical copy when the novella releases, and I recommend that you do too.

One thing about P Djeli Clark stories, the storyline will be impactful, full and adventurous. I enjoyed the story of assassins in a made up world of Gods. Eveen was strong and determined. I, loved this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me an ARC of this novella.

This was a complete romp from start to finish: action-packed, exciting, and funny. My biggest complaint is that the story is not longer; knowing how short the story was made it harder for me to want to take in all of the rich details the author had included about this unique, interesting, and exciting world because that information would not relevant for long. However, I’ll be very excited if the author ever chooses to write another story in this setting.

Short, fun, well-written. Read for a good time!

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is an action-packed fantasy novella. We follow Eveen, a member of an undead assassin guild, as she is on the job.She makes it to her contracted mark, but her plans go awry.
There are a couple of things that worked really well in this book. One of those things was the humor. The dry, snarky humor just works for me. I also loved P. Djeli Clark’s use of imagery. Everything he describes, violence and all, is absolutely breathtaking. I also loved how the plot points gave me the impression of Marvel comics or a manga. This is because it was a hero’s origin story and based on how Eveen interacts with other assassins in the story.
My only complaint is how one character’s dialect was spelled in the text was difficult to decipher. Sometimes words with i were pronounced with a long i sound and sometimes with a long e. It got a little confusing and I had to whisper read it out loud for the text to make sense.
Other than that, I absolutely cannot wait to find out what happens next!

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are deadly—and dead—and live in Tal Abisi, a fascinating magical city. Eveen the Eviscerator really doesn’t love that title but is one of the deadly assassins who was resurrected after death in service to Aeril, the Matron of Assassins. When Eveen gets a job and discovers the person she’s meant to kill is someone she’s absolutely sure she can’t kill, she goes against her guild’s rules and has to find a way to let them live.

For a story so full of death that the main character is dead herself, the story is full of life and humor. The city is fascinating, as is the folklore behind it, and it was a pleasure to read and discover how all of the pieces come together.

Ahoy there me mateys! This novella as nothing to do with actual cats (sadly).  It does deal with actual assassins.  Eveen the Eviscerator is one of the best of her guild.  She gave her soul to her Goddess but unfortunately does not remember why.  Eveen does not miss her marks until a mission goes wrong . . .

I really enjoyed the character of Eveen.  She is the best kind of snarky and fun main character that I can cheer for.  I enjoyed the side characters, Fennis the foodie and Baseema the ex-pirate guild leader.  The guild leader's ability to be sneaky was excellent fun even though her part in the novella was small.

I also loved the complexities of the undead assassins fighting with each other.  This lead to some surprisingly humorous moments in the novella.  I kinda adored all of the other assassins and could have read about more of them and their preferred techniques.  How the assassin's guild agreed to the requested targets dealt with a cool concept.  The world building was fun and I liked the story of why magic is so weird in the city.

The only reason I did not rate this book higher is because of personal preference.  I did not enjoy the major plot twist involving who Eveen's intended victim was or how the contract issue was resolved.  It is not that I thought it was poorly written, I just did not find either of these two elements to me taste.

There was also some vernacular that I had a hard time reading on the page.  Made me wish I had listened to the audiobook instead.  I did not really love this story enough to revisit it in audiobook form but I would definitely give more books set in this world a shot.  Arrrrr!

I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Perfection, from start to finish, but I feel like we can really expect that of P. Djèlí Clark. He's given us Fatma, he's given us Maryse, and now he's given us Eveen, who is so relateable despite being in a situation we could never be in.

We're thrown right into things: Eveen, a Dead Cat Tail Assassin, is given a contract and so much time to do it, but this one is unlike any other, and throws Eveen's entire existence for a loop.

This was SO much fun. I was hoping it'd be slightly longer, but I'm not mad at the length at all; Clark gave us all we needed to really get into the story and the world. The banter is fun, the magic system isn't impossible to understand or follow, the characters (and it's a small cast) are vibrant.

It had touches of the Nevernight Chronicles, just INCREDIBLE what Clark has achieved here and I hope, when we talk about new Fantasy juggernauts, Clark's name is high on that list because he is proving time and again he deserves it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. The author's way of seamlessly blending captivating world-building with nods to Caribbean culture and intentional representation across the African diaspora is what initially drew me in. As a Caribbean-American seeing this kind of representation in fantasy is a rarity. Clark's narrative unfolds like a vibrant tapestry, each thread intricately woven with rich cultural references and vivid imagery. The fast-paced and character-driven plot is what truly kept me enthralled. From the outset, I found myself deeply invested in the lives of the lovable characters, each one uniquely crafted to captivate readers. The myriad twists and turns throughout the narrative, right up to the very end, made it nearly impossible to set the book down. Clark's ability to weave together elements of suspense, comedy, intrigue, and heartfelt emotion ensured that every moment was a thrilling adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor.com for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions herein are my own.

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I once heard an anecdote about Maurice Sendak gifting an original drawing to a young fan. When he asked the boy’s mother how he liked the drawing, she told him that the boy had eaten it. Which Sendak took as a compliment. And it was a compliment, I think. To love something so much you want to keep it as a part of you forever.

It’s with this anecdote in mind that I say I want to lick Clark’s prose. It’s just so freaking good! Voicy and beautiful and immersive. I feel myself sinking into it, pulled down and savoring every word. In particular, Clark is a master world builder. His Tal Abisi lives and breathes. I can smell the food sold in its restaurants and market stalls, see its buildings in my mind’s eye, hear the songs and recitations as its festival rolls on. This is a fully realized world, with intersecting cultures and their pantheons of gods. With its own myths and lore, which color the internal symbolism of the story and its actual events. I feel like I’m there, and I desperately want to go there.

TLDR, I would read a travelog if Clark wrote one.

I also love Clark’s characters. Especially Eveen, who could easily have been a grimdark or over-snarky cliche, but instead is a real person with a deep, abiding love of pulp novels, who just happens to be a very competent assassin. But also the supporting cast, from Sky, the woman Eveen could have been, to Fennis the foodie, to Baseema the pirate turned assassin guildmaster. Clark actually introduces quite a sizeable cast of characters in this book, making each of them interesting and memorable, all in the space of a novella.

I adore how Clark writes women. That is to say, he writes them as people, and lets them take center stage. There’s no tokenism. No single grudging female character who is speshul. Instead, folks of all genders populate Clark’s world, each with their own skills and motives. There’s no essentialism, and no misogyny either within the secondary-world setting, or in the cracks of the narrative.

Also, his women interact and form bonds with other women. Like it’s no big deal. Which it’s not, but man I wish it wasn’t such a rarity in so many books.

As for the plot, it’s not like Clark could have known how much I love time travel, time loops, alternate selves, alternate universes. Especially the ways in which each of those tropes highlights variations on a self. So it’s by complete accident that he wrote this novella specifically for me. Every time he revealed another twist, I went ‘holy shit!’ and bounced in my seat a little, and every one of those twists got major payoff in the very satisfying ending.

As I type up that bit about bouncing, it spotlights something about the whole reading experience for me. Not only did I enjoy reading this novella, I had fun reading this novella. The two concepts are similar, but not the same thing, and each is worth pointing out individually. And so, I rate this book five stars and highly recommend it.

This was so fun and interesting. The author did an incredible job of world building in such a short time. Such a fun read!

I requested this book on a whim and did not think I'd like it as much as I did. The pacing is excellent and it felt remarkably complete for a novella. I have no idea how the author built such a layered universe with so few words. I cannot wait to read more by this author. I need more stories from this universe!

I give this a 4.25/5 rounded down to a 4.

This was complex, fascinating, funny, and wonderful all at once! The story revolves around Eveen, a skilled assassin who finds herself facing a mission that challenges her beliefs and forces her to confront a past she doesn't remember. The pace of the story keeps you entertained and just waiting to see how things unfold while also making you laugh. I wish this book was longer, and I wish we could get more stories taking place in this book's universe. definitely a great read!

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Publishong for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Thank you Net Galley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC.

I have to admit, P. Djeli Clark wasn’t an author I had heard about until the book club that I am in read “A Master of Djinn” which I absolutely loved. When I saw this book on Net Galley, I have to read it and did it meet my expectations. The world building and the magic really was next level. I could really imagine and visualize the world and scenes.

It starts with an undead assassin and progresses into a storyline I hadn’t read before. I would recommend this book to anyone who liked a Master of Djinn and doesn’t mind the undead.

4.5 Rounded up. Thank you netgalley for the arc! This was far more fun than I anticipated. I really liked how it was action-packed but also with how the characters spoke and reacted found myself laughing out loud. I've only taken a half star away because near the end of the book we introduce characters who have their accents written phonetically into their speech which is not my favorite thing and slows down my reading immensely trying to figure out what they're actually saying. Otherwise this was great and I wish it was a much larger book because the world-building is fantastic especially for a novella.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

P. Djèlí Clark Hit it out of the park with this Novella, there’s a part of time that wishes this was longer just because I didn’t want to leave this world and these characters! This was so so so good, the characters were wonderful and so lovable even though one of them is an undead assassin.

This book is a face paced adventure of us following Eveen, an undead assassin as she realizes she can’t complete the job she was contracted to do. She only has until dawn to fix it or some really not good shit will happen. It’s action packed and Eveen is hilarious with her quips and quirkiness. This book had me cackling in my works break room when I had a chance to read. I highly reccomend this to anyone looking for a short action packed high paced adventure!

Clark is great at world building within a short amount time. It was an interesting mystery with a nice twist and conclusion. My only complaint is he writes so many novellas. I wish he had more longer length novels.

this was a cool read. it occupies that nebulous middle ground where I didn't adore it, but I'm going to read more P. Djèlí Clark because of it. i like his writing style and his worldbuilding choices, and while i've heard good things about his other novellas i'm excited to see what he can do with more room to develop complicated characters and plot surprises.