A Master of Djinn

David Bremner reviewed A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (Dead Djinn Universe, #1)

Perfect to read on a boat in Egypt

4 stars

I read two shorter works set in the same universe first, so I knew what to expect, more or less. As a mystery novel, the book is good, but maybe a bit less surprising than the author intended. I did really enjoy the setting, perhaps because I was somewhere where I could hear Arabic spoken all around me. And of course anything that makes fun of the (fallen) British Empire has my sympathies.

flashy_dragon reviewed A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (Dead Djinn Universe, #1)

Gumshoes in steampunk Egypt

4 stars

Agent Fatma is called to investigate the deaths of all members of a secret society, and assigned a new young partner, the latest woman in an organization that is overwhelmingly male. So a bit of old-cop, new-cop, plays out throughout the story, where Fatma learns to trust her partner.

There’s plenty of sluething and subterfuge at play in this book, with a fantasy, sci-fi, and whodunit mashup. Clark keeps the pages turning, with occasional head-scratchers. For instance, why does Fatma routinely make mistakes in how she conducts her work with Djinn, when that’s her job?

However, the general grist of the story is strong, the characters are engaging, and the surprises are truly surprising. I recommend it.

Christo reviewed A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (Dead Djinn Universe, #1)

Inspired world-building, excellent murder mystery set in an alternate djinn-punk Cairo

5 stars

As others have noted, this is an alternate steampunk universe set in the 1910's. A world changed by a single man piercing the veil, and bringing Djinn and magic back into our world. Since that happened about 40 years ago, the djinn have transformed Cairo with their amazing mechanical creations, including robots, flying gliders and trams, and mechanical brains in buildings.

The main character, Fatma, is a respected, if youngest female, investigator in the Ministry of Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. She is definitely a maverick, dressing in suits, hats, and carrying a sword cane.

The descriptions of clothing and locations feed the imagination, breathing life into the world and putting it all in your mind's eye. The gradually revealing of the consequences of the mass murder in a secret brotherhood in honor of al-Jahiz, the man who brought back magic to the world, is gripping. The impostor …

As others have noted, this is an alternate steampunk universe set in the 1910's. A world changed by a single man piercing the veil, and bringing Djinn and magic back into our world. Since that happened about 40 years ago, the djinn have transformed Cairo with their amazing mechanical creations, including robots, flying gliders and trams, and mechanical brains in buildings.

The main character, Fatma, is a respected, if youngest female, investigator in the Ministry of Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. She is definitely a maverick, dressing in suits, hats, and carrying a sword cane.

The descriptions of clothing and locations feed the imagination, breathing life into the world and putting it all in your mind's eye. The gradually revealing of the consequences of the mass murder in a secret brotherhood in honor of al-Jahiz, the man who brought back magic to the world, is gripping. The impostor who claims to be al-Jahiz has a dramatic flair that makes everything so much more cinematic. There are more than enough plot twists to keep you guessing until the end, and in the end you are left wanting more of this fantastical world and this amazing investigator.

My one criticism is, of course, Fatma has to save the world.

Again.

What does that leave her for an encore?

All said, the book is a fun romp with descriptions that you can taste and see in your mind's eye. There are multiple strong female characters, which definitely gives the book a distinct flair.

I only give 5 stars to books I think I will read again, and this fits into this category easily due to the cinematic world-building, enchangint character arcs, and gripping adventure.

Strakul reviewed A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (Dead Djinn Universe, #1)

An Arabian steampunk fantasy mystery

4 stars

This was quite an enjoyable book and a fascinating world to explore. It has been a long time since I read any steampunk and this falls very much in that category. The Egyptian setting was excellent and makes me want to read even more in this universe. There are allusions to other adventures between Fatma and Siti so there is more out there to explore.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2022/06/book-review-master-of-djinn-by-djeli.html

colin reviewed A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (Dead Djinn Universe, #1)

It's fine

2 stars

As much as I wanted to, I didn't find this book very compelling. I certainly like the notion of a fantasy-ish story that takes place somewhere other than London or NYC, but that wasn't really enough for me. The plot gets bogged down in endless explanations -- basically with every introduction of a new tool, location, creature, character, etc, instead of showing us the thing, the author just tells about the thing. The dialogue drags and is repetitive. The concept of the plot has a lot of potential, but in execution it is extremely predictable, especially for a book that purports to be a mystery. The book is vaguely anti-colonial, and the gender politics are certainly interesting, but at the same time it's really falls into traditional genre tropes and in a lot of ways it buys into the accepted structure of western/colonial politics. I almost put it down several …

As much as I wanted to, I didn't find this book very compelling. I certainly like the notion of a fantasy-ish story that takes place somewhere other than London or NYC, but that wasn't really enough for me. The plot gets bogged down in endless explanations -- basically with every introduction of a new tool, location, creature, character, etc, instead of showing us the thing, the author just tells about the thing. The dialogue drags and is repetitive. The concept of the plot has a lot of potential, but in execution it is extremely predictable, especially for a book that purports to be a mystery. The book is vaguely anti-colonial, and the gender politics are certainly interesting, but at the same time it's really falls into traditional genre tropes and in a lot of ways it buys into the accepted structure of western/colonial politics. I almost put it down several times.

Anathema reviewed A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

Gay. Anti-colonial. Delightful.

5 stars

Sapphic Dandy MC, sword fights, anticolonialism, and a willingness to take on the most troubling aspects of the steampunk genre head on with humor and artistic flair. Loved it.

Frank Burns reviewed A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (Dead Djinn Universe, #1)

Review of 'A Master of Djinn' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This was very, very good.
In the late 1800's magic is restored to the world in Egypt. Djinn emerge to live with humans and all sorts of shenanigans ensue. This book is set a bit after that event when a 'magical police' have been formed to try and bring some semblance of order to this chaos. The protagonist is an Inspector in this agency.
I do love a tale with a good Arabesque setting and this one delivers a fine punch. The characters are sharply drawn without resorting to cliche and you can feel the grit and heat and noise of Cairo.
This book is as much about the fall of empire as anything else and holds a dark mirror to the times it is writing about.
This is a recommend from me.