Published May 10, 2021 by Little, Brown Book Group.
4 stars
(77 reviews)
Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha'arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she's certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.
So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, Al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world fifty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be Al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.
Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city - or face the possibility …
Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha'arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she's certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.
So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, Al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world fifty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be Al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.
Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city - or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems . . .
In 1912, Egypt is the foremost power of the world …
3 stars
… and if you want know more, you will need to read this breathless paranormal investigation set in a Cairo where Djinns, magic, humans and technology cohabit, mostly, if not always, peacefully. The pace is breakneck, the tone and characters engrossing, the setting perfect not only in its freshness but in its wariness of pure escapist fantasy. If there is one thing P Djèli Clark has not quite mastered yet, then it is the Pratchettian segue from the serious undercurrent to the more ludicrous aspects of the plot – but then, Pratchett himself was a far cry from a perfect Pratchettian in his first novels. Djinnpunk (hat tip to @joachim@lire.boitam.eu for the term) is the infusion of elemental forces the Steampunk genre needed, and I, for one, am eager to see more of it.
Overall had a good time with this, knowing the characters from the previous novellas really helped (and I would go as far as calling it necessary, there's info from them spread throughout when needed, but without reading them I'd imagine it'd feel like going to see a movie that's a sequel to something you didn't and having a friend whisper in your ear frantically to try and fill in the details as you watch), and the setting remains as inventive and colorful as ever. I do think it felt a bit bloated in comparison to the (IMO) tighter novellas, where the "procedural investigative" format feels like it keeps a nice and exciting roallercoaster-ish pace, whereas this one seemed to lose steam at times in comparison.
A steampunk urban fantasy adventure set in 1912 Cairo, A Master of Djinn is P Djèlí Clark’s full-length début, returning to the setting of 2 of his shorts — an Egypt become Great Power in the few decades since magic was returned to the world, with djinn bringing art, architecture and decolonisation from European powers.
Our POV protagonist is Fatma el‑Sha’arawi, a queer woman widely recognised as being the best agent in the Egyptian Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, and the protagonist of Clark’s previous novellas in this world. A Master of Djinn follows Fatma — with Hadia, her rookie partner, and Siti, Fatma’s mysterious kick-arse girlfriend — as they investigate the death of a bunch of rich white Brits, burned to death in the headquarters of their cult to al-Jahiz, the man who tore through the veil between worlds to bring back magic and its creatures.
This …
A steampunk urban fantasy adventure set in 1912 Cairo, A Master of Djinn is P Djèlí Clark’s full-length début, returning to the setting of 2 of his shorts — an Egypt become Great Power in the few decades since magic was returned to the world, with djinn bringing art, architecture and decolonisation from European powers.
Our POV protagonist is Fatma el‑Sha’arawi, a queer woman widely recognised as being the best agent in the Egyptian Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, and the protagonist of Clark’s previous novellas in this world. A Master of Djinn follows Fatma — with Hadia, her rookie partner, and Siti, Fatma’s mysterious kick-arse girlfriend — as they investigate the death of a bunch of rich white Brits, burned to death in the headquarters of their cult to al-Jahiz, the man who tore through the veil between worlds to bring back magic and its creatures.
This all plays out against the backdrop of class tensions in an Egypt where slums are full of people left behind by the rapid industrialisation, and an upcoming peace summit between the European Great Powers. And a black-robed figure riding atop a giant fire ifrit who claims to be al-Jahiz returned. As Alex Brown wrote for Tor.com, “Clark weaves in nuanced discussions of colonialism, the patriarchy, white feminism, sexism, racism, misogynoir, and blackface, among other issues”, also exploring the colourism in Egyptian society that is little different to Western racism, including “African American jazz players who fled Jim Crow for Cairo find it interesting and frustrating that colorism and racism seem to be everywhere, even in Africa, even in the most advanced nation in the world”.
An intelligent read that melds a gripping police-detective procedural with an intriguing supernatural reality and witty dialogue, bringing rich characters who I hope to see a lot more of in future.
CN: death by burning, mind control, racism and colourism, self-harm, discussion of poverty and privilege
A solid first novel based in a steampunk—or djinnpunk—city of Cairo
4 stars
Following the return of Djinn and other mythic and magical creatures in the world, Cairo is the center of the world as the 20th centurty is beginning. Fatma el-Sha’arawi is a dapper dresser first and foremost, and works as an agent of the ministry in charge of overviewing alchemy, enchantments and supernatural entities.
I liked this novel. The rythm holds us to the seat of our pants, the characters are well rounded, the main critic I’d have to make is that this books depends too much on the previous novelettes/short stories in the same universe. I liked that the main story revolves around story elements also present in S. A. Chakraborty's Daevabad trilogy. The fact that Chakraborty's quote is on A Master of Djinn's cover reinforces the closeness of these two litterary worlds. Old middle-eastern legends come back to life, and it's a perspective that's sorely lacking in western SF/F.
Clark's steampunk fantasy Cairo is some of my favorite worldbuilding ever. It's just as delightful here as it was in his novellas--textured and vivid. The rest of the book--plot, characters, emotional arc--is perfectly fine but nothing to write home about. Still, well worth reading and I continue to be happy to follow his career.
