A Master of Djinn

Being my most anticipated book of this year, I never expected to get this advance copy. But I overjoyed when it happened and couldn’t wait to get to it. And as expected, this was such fun.

After having read one short and a novella set in this world, I was looking forward to seeing how much more expansive this would get. And I really enjoyed how the author gave us more background about how the Djinn came to inhabit this world and coexist with mortals, the differences in the workings of supernatural creatures in various countries, as well as the disintegration of the British empire. The author also throws a light on the racism and prejudices that form the undercurrent of this world, both from the white people towards the native show more Egyptians, as well as between the Egyptians who believe in different faiths. All of this information makes us feel like this world is real and vibrant, and immerse ourselves in its sights and sounds. I’ve always admired the author’s writing for his distinctive world building and this one was no less impressive.

The writing is also engaging right away, pulling us into the mystery and sending us on a quest to find the truth along with Agent Fatma. She is delightful as ever, standing out not only due to her signature suits and bowler hats, but also her bravery and drive to do her best. I didn’t expect a partner would work well with her, but the author manages to create a wonderful character in Hadia - she is a perfect foil to Fatma, with her conservative dressing and strong belief in religion, but she is also extremely sharp and fearless, throwing herself in harmful circumstances despite not having a lot of experience. The author weaves an interesting murder mystery plot, mixed with the villain’s desire to control the world, and a volatile time in history when countries are teetering on the cusp of war. This makes the stakes very high, with us worried every step of the way for our favorite agents. In the midst of it, we also get an unexpected sapphic relationship which is full of angst and twists, but deep yearning. However, the author never lets the narrative be all serious - we also get lots of humorous dialogue, either through the Djinn or cameos from the previous stories - making this story very enjoyable.

In conclusion, this was a delight. If you’ve read the previous stories set in this works, you can’t give it a miss. If you are new to the author’s works, do start with A Dead Djinn in Cairo which you can read for free on Tor.com. If you wanna experience a steampunk historical Cairo full of supernatural creatures, fascinating mysteries being solved by very memorable agents, and a what if scenario of colonial powers having lost their hold on their empires much earlier than our real world - then this is a perfect series for you. Just be prepared to be wowed. show less

Who loves Agent Fatma? Raise your hand!

Two three star books in a row meant that I needed something I could rely on. I adore P. Djèlí Clark’s Dead Djinn Universe, and I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while, so…

Ah, it’s good to be back in this steampunk version of Cairo, with djinn, magic, AI’s, a melting pot of cultures… and Agent Fatma of the Egyptian Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities – with her amazing suits, bowler hats, cane, and badass attitude.

Some obnoxious Englishmen are having an occult gathering and are massacred – by magic. Call Agent Fatma to the scene! Oh, and Fatma’s boss thinks that she should have a partner. Fatma doesn’t want a partner, thank you very much much, show more but… Enter Hadia. Typical dynamics ensue, done very well. Hadia is awesome, I want to see more of her.

There will be a lot of strange and dark magic, as many djinn as you could possibly want in one book, old Egyptian gods, libraries and book stores, lots of action (sword fights!), police procedural, and saving the world from a terrible fate. Fatma’s personal life will get more complicated as well (awww).

I like these books because of Fatma, because of their plots and action. There is also a wonderful sense of time and place. I’ve been to this Cairo! The effortless world building is of the kind I really like – something mentioned in passing here, something said there. It’s lovely.

Not wanting to put the book down is such a nice thing, and I had it in plenty here.

Quotes I liked:

”Fatma gritted her teeth. For once, could villains stop being so damned cryptic?”

”I hope I’m not signing away my free will or fondest memories,” Hadia muttered.
”Oh no,” Azmuri replied. ”Those forms are much longer.”

”I feel a villain rant coming on.” show less

'A Master Of Djinn' is the full length novel that I've been waiting for from P. Djèli Clark and it exceeded my expectations.

He first snared my imagination with his novella, 'The Black God's Drums' which displayed his original, colourful, anti-colonial imagination and his flare for writing tense action with strong female leads who aren't cookie-cutter copies for other fantasy novels but which was over quickly and left me hungry for more.

Then I read his novellas based in an alternative Cairo in 1912 where the return of Djinn to the world has enabled Egypt to kick out the foreign powers and create a modern magic-enabled city with humans and Djinn as citizens.

In 'A Dead Djinn In Cario', I first met the flamboyant, talented and fearless show more Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities as she puzzled over the death of Djinn in a Cairo hotel room and ended up saving the world from a mad 'angel'. It was fast, fresh and intoxicating but I knew I was just skimming a world that had a lot more to offer.

His next Cairo novella 'The Haunting of Tram Car 015' was twice as long and showed me that he'd startled to settle into this alternative reality. I could see it and taste and I relished its difference and its energy. This time he followed to make investigators of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities as they dealt with something haunting one of the autonomous tram cars, powered by Djinn magic, that whizzes through the sky above Cairo on a network of cables starts attacking passengers. I knew I was hooked then and I pre-ordered 'A Master Of Djinn'.



A novel is quite a different proposition from a novella. The idea needs to be bigger, the plot more complex, the characters and their relationships need to develop, the world needs to become even more real and the pacing has to work - not just a sprint to the finish but a series of crescendos sweeping the reader along to a big finish. P. Djèli Clark managed all that and more.

Although the plot, twisted around a mystery of who is doing the killing and what they want, is complicated and delivers tension, exciting action and a satisfying solution to a mystery (which the author coached me to arrive at just a little ahead of the Big Reveal so that I could enjoy my own cleverness) what I liked most was that it is the perfect vehicle for displaying this colourful world and develop some strong, believable relationships while mocking imperialism, racism and misogyny.

The most powerful characters in the book are all women and they are magnificent in their diversity and individuality. The magic systems and magical races draw heavily on Persian and Arab myths that I know little about but which are made to seem real. I loved the way Cairo society is shown as normal (if normal means vibrant, chaotic and rapidly changing) while the Europeans, especially the British, are shown as out-of-touch and arrogant, convinced of their own superiority even as their power wanes.

One of the things that this book does that the earlier books didn't was to let me learn more about the Djinn themselves. Typically, what I was shown was surprising, diverse and convincing.

I was delighted with t
his book. I hope that it's the first in a series. I'll be reading whatever P. Djèli Clark publishes. show less

Over the past few years, the author's tales of the women and men of the Egyptian Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities have given me as much pleasure as any other genre fiction that I've read, and the first full novel set in milieu I really have no problems giving it top marks. This time out Agent Fatma el-Sha'arawi is front and center again, and yeah, she's basically going to have to save the world again, as what starts out as an investigation into a very lurid case of mass murder turns out to have much bigger implications. One of things that Clark does to expand his story is to consider the impact of magic on early-20th century international relations, as Cairo is holding its first diplomatic congress, as befits show more its role as a major power. I look forward to seeing how Clark continues to expand his reach in these stories. show less

I had been nursing this book for WEEKS, saving it only for reading in the car while waiting in the school pick-up line, as getting to slide into this fantastical world of djinn and mystery is one of the few things that makes that chore actually enjoyable. But this week I got close enough to the end that I just had to know how it all resolved and I sat down to binge read the rest of it.

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD! It taps into a bunch of my special interests NONE OF WHICH I CAN TALK ABOUT HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL VAGUELY SPOILERY. This is set in the same world as Clark's other djinn books which YOU SHOULD READ, THEY ARE SO GOOD, but you don't necessarily have to read the in order as long as you don't mind some mild spoilers for recurring show more characters along the way.

Think detective story meets international intrigue meets steampunk meets djinn meets Egyptian gods with queer characters and feminism and anti-capitalism and an unexpected ode to free will.

While I was waiting for this book to come out in paperback, Clark shared the cover to the UK version in Instagram and I loved it so much I ordered it instantly, international shipping be damned.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. Just in case that was not clear. show less

I received a galley of this book via NetGalley.

P. Djèlí Clark is one of the best historical fantasy authors out there right now, and his debut novel proves it yet again. I've enjoyed his novellas set in this same magical, steampunk-tinged Cairo as well as his Nebula-nominated Ring Shout, but this novel is even better because it delves deeper into the setting, into the characters.

The set-up of the book uses the formula of most mystery novels: it begins by showing a murder, though the victim's perspective. It then switches to the investigation. Fatma is a dapperly-dressed woman, one of few who work within the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. She's called to the scene of a disturbing mass murder that reeks of show more magic, and soon encounters something she finds even more disturbing: she has been assigned an enthusiastic new partner. The gruff detective wants no part of this arrangement, but together they start an investigation that abounds in dark magic, conniving angels, and powers no human should command.

The book doesn't shy away from the horrors of colonialism, homophobia, and racism. The world feels realistic, even filled as it is by djinn and spirits and old gods reborn. Fatma is a fantastic heroine--a rare lesbian lead character. She's smart, impeccably-dressed, and I couldn't help but root for her from the very start. The plot of the book has many twists and turns, and while I predicted the identity of the Master of Djinn early on, that didn't spoil my enjoyment one bit.

I hope there are many, many more books set to come in this world. show less

Having seen a bunch of glowing reviews for this, I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did. Clark has created a delightful version of Egypt in 1912. Decades earlier, a mystic/scholar called al-Jahiz opened a portal between realms, before vanishing, and now magical beings, including djinn, co-exist with humans in an independent Egypt that has benefited from djinn design and technology. But trouble is brewing. When the members of a secret British brotherhood dedicated to al-Jahiz are all murdered in a mystical manner, Agent Fatma el-Sha'arawi must find the killer and prevent an al-Jahiz imposter from recreating al-Jahiz's work to bring yet more powerful beings to Earth.

Fatma, a rare woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, show more Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, prefers to work alone, but her superior assigns a newly minted female agent to be her partner, which provides a logical way to present info dumps as Fatma fills in her unwanted partner and their budding friendship helps keep things moving along. This is a breezy read and I hope to be able to read more about Fatma and her adventures in Cairo. My volume included the story that preceded the novel ("A Dead Djinn in Cairo"), which is a nice plus. show less