eBook, 32 pages

English language

Published May 17, 2016 by Tom Doherty Associates.

4 stars (30 reviews)

Egypt, 1912. In Cairo, the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities investigate disturbances between the mortal and the (possibly) divine.

What starts off as an odd suicide case for Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi leads her through the city’s underbelly as she encounters rampaging ghouls, saucy assassins, clockwork angels, and a plot that could unravel time itself.

5 editions

A quick, entertaining read.

4 stars

Love the alternate universe revealed here, with Cairo and Egypt becoming a major world power, likely due to the discovery of Djinn leading to a boom in innovation. Granted, this is a short story, so much of the how Cairo got to where it is, is not discussed. That said, the murder of the Djinn of course leads to a major conspiracy that our intrepid police detective must unravel. The book is filled with strong female protagonists and characters and a world that has had the breath of life and magic breathed into it. Definitely recommend if you like speculative fiction of this type.

A good read and intro to the author's version of a Steampunk Egypt with Djinn

4 stars

A fascinating story about an investigator looking into the death of a djinn in a steampunk version of Cairo. The investigation would lead her to conversations with an 'angel', fighting off ghouls and eventually meeting the old gods that the djinn worship from the beginning.

In this story, Cairo has become the heart of its own empire, made possible when a connection was formed with another dimension where djinn and various other spiritual denizens live. Through it, the djinn came, repelled the English and helped set up Cairo as the centre of a steampunk-ish nation with technology and magic.

But as in all tales involving djinn and magic, there is a darker side that is explored by the investigator, but it is only with the help of her wits can she possibly save the world from the hunger of old gods eager to devour mortals.

Review of 'A Dead Djinn in Cairo' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

This was a curious little short story set in an alternate universe steampunk Cairo where djinn and other supernatural creatures walk among us humans. The story follows a Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi. Though this was a short, I found it easy to gauge her personality and enjoyed her character. The others were more forgettable, though I did like the hint of Fatma’s gender nonconformity and potential lesbian love interest. The mystery of the dead djinn is a fairly enjoyable mystery to work out, though you might not have to try too hard. I let myself flow along the story and found the ending an unsurprising but fitting conclusion.

I am new to Clark’s work and appreciated how he wrote the atmosphere of early 1900s Egypt. It feels like you are walking alongside the characters in an odoriferous bazaar or eyeing massive Khedive stone palaces. I have never been to Egypt …

Review of 'A Dead Djinn in Cairo' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

A Dead Djinn in Cairo had potential but it felt like just a bit too much information to take in for such a short story. Set in Egypt in 1912, the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities investigates any supernatural crime and this story follows Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi. I would have totally been interested in a longer book or series, I could have just done with a slower introduction to all the supernatural beings.

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