A Master of Djinn (Fatma el-Sha’arawi, #1)

by P. Djèlí Clark

Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns to his popular alternate Cairo universe for his fantasy novel debut, A Master of Djinn

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 mysterious 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…

A Master of Djinn is poised to launch P. Djèlí Clark’s SFF career to new heights as the highly-anticipated debut readers are clamoring for.

• ISBN10: 1250267676
• ISBN13: 9781250267672
• Publish Date: 11 May 2021
• Publish Status: Forthcoming
• Imprint: Tordotcom
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 464
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

A Master of Djinn is a beautifully written alternate history fantasy set in WWI Egypt by Dr. P. Djèlí Clark. Released 11th May 2021 from Macmillan on their Tor/Forge imprint, it's 392 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is such a transportive novel. I was reading it at a difficult time in my life; a time when I often simply didn't have the endurance to sit and read (and this is a shocking condition for me - I read constantly - voraciously). The narrative is so beautifully and evocatively written that it enraptured me and gave me a little respite from the real world.

The protagonist (introduced in a currently free prequel available in Tor's website) is a smart, funny, badass sharp dressing investigator with impressive skills. The plotting is tightly written and despite being fantasy, it feels *real* and believable. Fatma's not perfect. She's not supergirl, just breezing through every hurdle. She's good at her job and part of that is knocking up against her limitations and knowing when to accept help from her team.

I really loved the writing. It's good and the dialogue is sublimely readable. The subgenre (fantasy cop procedural set in an alternate world) is one of my absolute favorites and I finished the book impatient for the next. I promptly went back and re-read the earlier stories in the series (two of them are currently free from Tor). This author (already richly rewarded by his peers and fans with multiple nominations and wins for Hugo, Nebula, BFAs, Locus, etc) is also genuinely talented and readable.

This is one of the best books I've read this year (and it's almost November and I'm bumping 700 books reviewed for 2021, so that's a fairly big field of competition). For readers who enjoy fantasy, alternate history, and mystery, this is a very very good book. The protagonist is in a lesbian relationship, but it's not a huge focus of the book; nor is the romance element overplayed in my estimation.

Can't wait to see what comes next.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Quirky Cat]

A Master of Djinn is the first in a new series by the amazing P. Djeli Clark. Naturally, I knew that I had to add Dead Djinn Universe to my must-read series! Did I mention that this is P. Djeli Clark's debut novel? Yes, please!

Fatma el-Sha'arawi may be the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, but that doesn't mean she's clueless. Or a rookie. She's already been through one cataclysmic event, and she's ready to take another.

Good thing, too, as a secret brotherhood rises to the forefront, forcing Agent Fatma to step up and deal with it personally. Now, she's got a murder and a mystery on her hands.

“Why is everyone so slavish to texts written thousands of years ago?” he snapped. “Gods can change. Grow apart. Try new things. Besides, Set was a jerk.”

Wow. If you pick one fantasy novel to read this year, please let it be A Master of Djinn. This novel is everything I could have ever hoped for – and about a hundred things more. It was thrilling and fantastical, as well as providing some truly outstanding characters.

Really, what more could a girl ask for? Fatma is a brilliant leading lady here. She's confident and bold, not to mention calm in ways that I could never manage – not even in the best of times. Yet, she's also very clearly human, which made her all the more approachable.

As for the adventure, she gets thrown into here? Perfection. I expected that given this is P. Djeli Clark we're talking about! The descriptive nature of this novel really took the whole story to a new level. There were times where I sincerely forgot I was reading; I was that wrapped up in the world and plot. That is how you know it's a book worth reading (and gushing about!).

Thanks to Tor.com and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[empressbrooke]

This debut novel that continues the world started in novellas has been one of my most anticipated books of the year, and it did not disappoint. Absolutely a fantastic time. I really, really want to get to spend more time with Fatma and Hadia and Siti, they were wonderful characters.

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available on May eleventh.

This book takes place in a fantastical version of Cairo. I loved the creativity of the world. The way it was described painted a vivid picture of a new twist on an already interesting setting. I’m a big fan of that steampunk sort of world, so I was immediately enchanted. Magic abounded and everything was just a little heightened. I happily began to expect the unexpected.

A Master of Djinn follows agent Fatma el-Sha’arawi, who works for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, as she tries to solve a murder that rapidly goes sideways. I wanted to like Fatma, I really did. However, she just sort of irked me. She really wasn’t all that…competent, to be honest. I had a hard time believing she was the experienced agent she is supposed to be. Worse, though, is her personality. She was judgmental and condescending and it just really grated on me. Thankfully, her new partner Hadia was pretty much the opposite of Fatma. She was smart, eager to prove herself, and a fun character to read about.

Of course, the mystery soon turned into a much bigger situation. I’m a big fan of stakes being raised, but I do sort of wish this particular mystery had stayed just that-a mystery, as opposed to being a huge conspiracy (for lack of a better word). I was hoping for a whodunnit. I got both less and more.

I ended up being entertained by A Master of Djinn, but I didn’t love it. I honestly think what took it from the “love” to “like” reaction was Fatma. The mystery itself was interesting, and the world was absolutely fantastic.

I suggest this book to readers looking for a fun puzzle, set in a unique, fantastical world.

https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2021/04/18/a-master-of-djinn-by-p-djeli-clark/