P. Djèlí ClarkA MASTER OF DJINN

Set in an alternate version of Cairo , the story follows the adventures of main lead Fatma who is a special agent in the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural entities.--> The fully fleshed out characters and the incredibly unique world-building was simply too good.--> The pacing however was extremely slow. No doubt , the author should be lauded for the descriptive writing which was so beautiful and vivid that I was able to visualise literally everything that was written in the page.Unfortunately, these descriptions slowed down the pacing. I had to skim through a lot to get to the part where the plot seemed moving.--> If this one above mentioned flaw doesn’t bother you, then you must check this book out . The diverse characters, unique world and an extremely strong lead is worth it.

I must admit before I begin to lay bare my thoughts on this book is that I'm biased towards anything and everything related to Egypt. It would be an understatement if I said that I love this place. I feel a connection to not only the place, its culture, or its dynamic history but also to its people, its animals and everything in between. So yes, when I heard a story has been written based on an alternate Cairo in 20th Century, I placed my bets in favour immediately. Now, was I satisfied or was it a painful disappointment? Let's see.So the story is about a very powerful man, yes very. He is none other than Al-Jahiz. He, who had disappeared into thin air is now apparently back and is already wrecking havoc on the streets of Cairo. And who better than Agent Fatma to call for this case? Is he a dangerous imposter or a known enemy? Now at this point you must already admit that it sounds irresistible (or not?).The introduction for both Al-Jahiz and Fatma were mind boggling. Especially the former, because it truly brought in the colors necessary to visualize his character. Honestly, the writing is pretty sophisticated, and I enjoyed decoding the words but it took me quite a while to get used to it. I found myself taking reading breaks (sometimes for days), but thankfully it did not send me to a slump. So not a disappointment yet.The characters are interesting, and murky. It was really hard to tell someone's true intentions and what they really wanted. One thing that I would like to appreciate at this point is how very unpredictable the plot was. It was almost like diving blind into deep sea and finding a world hidden beneath. I liked, no I loved the surprise.So yes, it wasn't a disappointment. What I would suggest though is that take your time with this one, don't give up. It might take a while to get used to the writing, but the world dynamics would definitely make up for it. Master Of Djinn is an epic fantasy full of magic, mystery and mayhem. 3.75 stars rounded off to 4.

In a word this book was Fun with a capital F.A steam punk plus urban fantasy plus mythological murder mystery set in an alternate universe Cairo where colonisation efforts of the European countries have been brought to a standstill with the help of Djinns and Angels? That itself was enough to get me hook, line and sinker into this book.From the very first page it kept me glued to the pages and reminded me just why exactly I love to read.We follow Fatma el-Sha’arawi investigator extraordinaire for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Suprnatural Entities trying to catch a mass murderer who claims to be Al-Jahiz, the master of Djinns who opened the portal that introduced other worldly creatures into Earth and managed to change the entire sociopolitical structure of the world. She’s assisted in this endeavour by her mysterious assassin girlfriend Siti and her newly appointed partner Hadia.I can’t tell you how madly entertaining this whole read was. I wasn’t bored for even a moment and as soon as the book ended I was left wanting more and more and more of this world and these characters.Clarke does a brilliant job of creating an immersive, vivid and magical world that’s on the cusp of modernity while also incorporating the sociopolitical setup of the early 1920s turned on its head. He also addresses the suffragette movement, colourism, racism and other prejudices prevalent in the community and seamlessly weaves it into the narration thereby making it all the more vibrant.The characters were soooo charismatic that I have become a forever fan. Fatma, Siti and Hadia are my absolute favourite badass heroines of all time and I cannot wait to read more of their adventures.Now was this book perfect? Objectively, no. It had some pacing issues, a few places were the story meandered a bit and there were definitely some loose ends to be tied up. But you know what? I don’t care. For me, subjectively, this book was perfect. I didn’t want it to end, I didn’t want to leave this world, I just wanted to keep on reading and that’s what a 5 star read is. So yeah, this get the full five stars and more from me and I cannot recommend it enough.P.S for those who are planning to pick this up( you better be picking this up) please make sure to read the prequel novellas and short stories as some of the world building and character intros are done there and they will definitely enhance your reading experience

I just finished this and Thoroughly enjoyed journeying to this magical Middle Eastern alternative universe. I’m not one to dissect all elements of a novel, like some who do go on (and on, and on) about the author’s style, expertise, character development etc, etc ad nauseam, like they are Experts of all that, because all I personally really want to know from a review is, in brief, what the story is About. And, only if absolutely necessary, anything that might detract from my enjoyment of the narrative. For crying out loud. That’s just me but I honestly feel whether one enjoys a story or not is pretty much due to one’s own taste and preference. I am rarely, if ever, influenced by all those Lengthy critiques. Good Lord. Like Who cares? 😂 Well, apparently some do and they believe others will appreciate their assessments of everything under the Sun. To each their own. I’m (kinda) not judging. I just find it beyond tedious with a capital T and personally don’t care what somebody else thinks about an author’s style etc.So, I just loved The Tale, felt like I was easily made to understand the characters, including their personalities, motives and reasons for acting as they did. I found them relatable and interesting. I enjoyed the Action, the tense surprises and the cliffhangers. I love it when I have to ask myself how in the world are they gonna get outta That, resolve That. And I look forward to the resolution.I loved the descriptions of the many magical beings. Middle Eastern culture and ‘mythology’ have always fascinated me and it was sweet to have creatures I’ve read about brought to life in these pages. Wow. I feel like I learned some stuff too. I am somewhat familiar with the very spiritual Islamic cultures. In True Islam everyday life is simply meant to be a submission to the will of Allah, which is merely a term for God, the One Creator, Not a deity different from either the Christian or Hebrew Source Being. I have always been impressed by true Islam’s devotion and acts of same. The obligatory 5 daily prayers and Month of fasting from Sun up to Sun down are profound indications of a truly spiritual people. It is beyond sad that this deeply spiritual religion has been corrupted and misused by those who wish to put forth their own Political agendas. But that’s also happened in Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and likely every other way folks choose to regard and worship the divine. Human Beings, apparently, just Do that, try to influence and control others using Their take on ‘religion’. Sad but oh so true.The Only thing I would Strongly recommend the author do is provide a glossary of the many, many non-English, usually Arabic, terms he spouts bout every other sentence. I think it would enhance the reader’s understanding of how, and probably Why, these characters think and behave as they do. I have a pretty good familiarity with the religion and cultures of that region but even I was at a loss sometimes. And I Hate guessing and, not knowing. I so hope, should he write about these cultures again, he will do that for us. Please!

Es una novela policiaca que se desarrolla en Egipto a principios del siglo 19 pero ambientada en un estilo entre fantasía y steampunk y con una dosis de mitología egipcia y musulmana. Muy recomendable

Magnificent blend of steampunk skiffy, Middle Eastern mythology and folklore, and alternate history.Set in turn of the 20th Century Egypt, we are taken to a world in which djinn, rukh and other mythical creatures live side by each with humanity.In this world's Cairo, we meet Fatma el-Sha’arawi the first and youngest woman to become an operative for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities.In the short story A Dead Djinn in Cairo (included at the end of the book - and the very first Agent Fatma adventure - read it first) she and her civilian friend, Siti, save the universe in a lovely tale that generated the positive response that got author P. Djèlí Clark to develop his unique world further.In A Master of Djinn, an imposter claiming to be Al-Jahiz (the sorcerer whose researches led to the the event that brought the djinn and other supernatural entities into the world).Unlike the pacifist original, this would-be Al-Jahiz is set to destroy Egyptian civilization - beginning with the disruption of a peace accord that could actually bring about world peace.Agent Fatma, who prefers to work alone, is saddled with an eager top-of-her-class rookie, Agent Hadia Abdel Hafez.Now she has to work out a unique murder (wherein the victims were burned to death without the flame harming anything else in the room - not even their clothes and accessories).Meanwhile, one of her best sources of information seems to be transforming into something else.And her friend Siti is revealed to be something more than a friend (which is not the only revelation on her part).Plus, there's that imposter...Clark's 1912 steampunk Cairo is a genuinely unique creation, and his characters are fresh and as intriguing as the mysteries they have to unravel.A Master of Djinn is an excellent work and well worth your time.Highly recommended.

Meu marido gostou muito da história.

Half fantasy and half steampunk, with an unusual historical and cultural perspective. Very enjoyable reading. However, part of the plot was a bit obvious, and the lucky way the main characters survive, while common to many other books, is a bit annoying.