A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

Title: A Master of Djinn

Author: P. Djèlí Clark

Publisher: Tor.com 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 396

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

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…

I was super excited by the first full-length from Clark after reading some of his novellas. I got into it and really enjoyed the story following Agent Fatma and her adventures through Egypt. I loved the inclusion of steampunk elements to this alternate history of Egypt. I love a good world-building in my fantasy novels and this one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed puzzling out the mystery and how Fatma was going to catch the killer. I will admit that I had the killer pegged from about a fourth of the way through the novel. But I did still enjoy the ride. My favorite parts were the interactions with the various djinn. I loved seeing all the different types and how they fit into human society. The pacing was a bit off at times and I felt like there’s was a bit much of posturing by some of the characters. For those reasons, I did take off a star.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark

Title: The Black God’s Drums

Author: P. Djèlí Clark

Publisher: Tor.com 2018

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 114

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

In an alternate New Orleans caught in the tangle of the American Civil War, the wall-scaling girl named Creeper yearns to escape the streets for the air--in particular, by earning a spot on-board the airship Midnight Robber. Creeper plans to earn Captain Ann-Marie’s trust with information she discovers about a Haitian scientist and a mysterious weapon he calls The Black God’s Drums.

But Creeper also has a secret herself: Oya, the African orisha of the wind and storms, speaks inside her head, and may have her own ulterior motivations.

Soon, Creeper, Oya, and the crew of the Midnight Robber are pulled into a perilous mission aimed to stop the Black God’s Drums from being unleashed and wiping out the entirety of New Orleans.

Another great novella from Clark! This time we’re thrown into a alternate history where the Civil War hasn’t really ended and New Orleans has been carved out as a free neutral city. From there, we get a fast-paced adventure story starring an orphan protected by a goddess. I love how Clark creates the most imaginative worlds and populates them with fascinating, complex, realistic characters. I sped through this story anticipating a large showdown and the book does not disappoint. Pick this one up for a big dose of fun fantasy.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

Title: Ring Shot

Author: P. Djèlí Clark

Publisher: Tor.com 2020

Genre: Horror

Pages: 192

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

IN AMERICA, DEMONS WEAR WHITE HOODS.

In 1915, The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America, swelling the Klan's ranks and drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of white folk. All across the nation they ride, spreading fear and violence among the vulnerable. They plan to bring Hell to Earth. But even Ku Kluxes can die.

Standing in their way is Maryse Boudreaux and her fellow resistance fighters, a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter. Armed with blade, bullet, and bomb, they hunt their hunters and send the Klan's demons straight to Hell. But something awful's brewing in Macon, and the war on Hell is about to heat up.

Can Maryse stop the Klan before it ends the world?

Simply horrifying! And I loved every page of it! I read Clark’s novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and was intrigued by his writing enough to seek out his other works. This one is very different than Tram Car; heavy on the horror and racial commentary, while the previous novella was very steampunk fantasy with a bit of social commentary in a very different part of the world. This story reminded me a lot of Lovecraft Country in it’s mixing of racial commentary, history, and Lovecraftian style horror. There is some serious body horror going on in these pages; not for the feint of heart. I also loved that it was told by Maryse in her own language. We get a lot of dialect on the pages including some dialogue in Gullah. Makes me want to know more about the Gullah culture. I was sad when the story ended as I really wanted to spend more time with all the characters (okay maybe not the Ku Kluxes, but the rest).

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark

Title: The Haunting of Tram Car 015 (Fatma el-Sha'arawi #2)

Author: P. Djeli Clark

Publisher: Tor.com 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 116

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Cairo, 1912: The case started as a simple one for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities — handling a possessed tram car.

Soon, however, Agent Hamed Nasr and his new partner Agent Onsi Youssef are exposed to a new side of Cairo stirring with suffragettes, secret societies, and sentient automatons in a race against time to protect the city from an encroaching danger that crosses the line between the magical and the mundane.

I picked this up as a free ebook from Tor.com. I also remember seeing it on one of the various book blogs I follow and had added it to my TBR at some point. This is a delightful little adventure story featuring some Ministry Agents, a mysterious entity haunting a tram, and a variety of interesting side characters. We’re dropped right into the action, but I quickly caught onto the story and the world. It’s a great mix of supernatural and true history of Cairo. I sped through this short story, but loved every page of it. Such fun! And I piqued my interest in reading more from Clark.

Next up on the TBR pile: