Lovely little intro into an interesting world.
If I was in the market for a fantasy series, I would seriously give this a go.
But for now, I really enjoyed this story!
Ok, it was only 45 pages, but it definitively made me want to pick up the full lenght novel^^
I liked the main character Fatma, and the setting in this 1900s Cairo (but with advanced technology) and this mix of species, djinns, angels, and other ghuls was very interesting
This novelette puts the focus firmly on the world-building. And what a world it is. This is Cairo in 1912 – some 40 years after a gateway to other dimensions was opened. Part steampunk, part urban fantasy, part cosy mystery, and part alternative history – all superbly crafted.
Fatma is on the hunt. A djinn appears to have taken his own life. But who was he and why did he do it?
A fun short story, read in anticipation of A Master of Djinn which I plan to read this month and which is a sequel to this and The Haunting of Tram Car 015 (or at the very least loosely connected). The setting is fascinating, the mix of elements such as Arabian/Islamic mythology, mechanical automata and anti/post-colonial alternate history makes it very unique, and reminds me of the one for Eighty Days (a videogame/visual novel) which I also enjoyed quite a bit.
Once again: too short and rushed but that worldbuilding! I'm drooling thinking of the actual novel set in this world that we're going to get this year!
absolutely brilliant. incredible worldbuilding that makes me want to know everything about this earth and very glad that there's more written by p. djèlí clark in this cairo!
Reminiscent of an alternate Lovecraft: With hope, without racism, and actually able to write lyrically. Really lovely read, this one.
What a breath of fresh air! Which is a weird thing to write about a story set in the sandy streets of an alternative 1912 Cairo, in which supernatural beings are murdered and packs of ghouls roam at night.
A well-paced, clever P.I. story, with great characters and touches of original world-building that make you want to see a lot more. A good thing that there's a sequel to it, "The Haunting of Tram Car 015", which I'll get into right away. Can't wait!
