A Master of Djinn Series: Dead Djinn Universe #1 Published by Tor Publishing Group on May 11, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Action & Adventure, Fiction / Fantasy / Historical, Fiction / Science Fiction / Steampunk
Pages: 464
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Winner of the Nebula Award, Ignyte Award, Compton Crook Award for Best New Novel, Locus First Novel Award, and the RUSA Reading List: Fantasy!
Finalist for the Hugo Award, World Fantasy Award, NEIBA Book Award, Mythopoeic Award, and the Dragon Award!
A BookRiot Best SFF Book of the CenturyP. Djèlí Clark's dazzling debut novel, 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 forty 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...
Novellas by P. Djèlí Clark
The Black God's Drums
The Haunting of Tram Car 015
Ring ShoutThe Dead Djinn Universe contains stories set primarily in Clark's fantasy alternate Cairo, and can be enjoyed in any order.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
A Master of Djinn was such a unique mix of fantasy and mystery. I loved stepping into this alternate version of Cairo filled with djinn, magic, and wonderfully unusual characters. The world-building is incredibly imaginative and easily one of my favorite parts of the book.
I especially enjoyed having a female investigator at the center of the story. Fatma is smart, determined, and memorable, and following her investigation gave the book the feel of a classic murder mystery while still being firmly rooted in a fantastical world.
The mystery itself kept me guessing, too. When I thought I might have things figured out, another piece would fall into place and change what I thought was happening. The twists surrounding who was actually responsible genuinely surprised me, which always makes a mystery more satisfying.
Overall, this was a creative blend of mystery, magic, and fantastic world-building with characters who stood out from the crowd—definitely a fun read for anyone who likes their fantasy with a good whodunit mixed in.
