A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (2021)
Beautifully imaginative
Book cover blurb
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 50 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 her clever girlfriend Siti, 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…
Interested in buying this title?
Click the link to find this book via a favourite online store.
Amazon.co.uk
My Review
I'm a fan!
Clark has imagined an amazing and beautiful world here, full of colour, vibrance and vision. This world is so well realised you literally lose yourself in the writing, which itself is gorgeously flowing.
Every character in this story is an absolute gem. Even the city itself feels like a character in a lot of ways. Fatma, the enigmatic lead role, with her immaculate sharp suits and bowler hat, leisurely wonders her way through these pages and I for one would happily follow her on any adventure. Her girlfriend, Siti, is a wise-cracking, unflappable, badass, who emerges as not what she seems toward the end. But I'll not spoil that for you.
Speaking of the end. My big letdown to this wonderful book was the finale. To my mind, it was just too much. It felt more like a low-budget B-movie climax instead of the intelligent and subtle ending I was expecting.
Unfortunately, the final big battle scene was the opposite, almost like the author just wanted to get it over with. But this is just my opinion and you may well consider me completely wrong when you read this. And I do, very much, recommend you read this book. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure. This entire book is incredibly well paced with a fantastically even flow through the slower scenes and into the action, without any sense of being rushed or forced…until the finale.
My copy of this novel
Tordotcom hardback edition.
Published in 2021
390 pages
ISBN 9781250267689