A Dead Djinn in Cairo

, #0.1

de

eBook, 32 pages

Langue : English

Publié 17 mai 2016 par Tom Doherty Associates.

ISBN :
978-1-250-62446-8
ISBN copié !
(2 critiques)

Egypt, 1912. In Cairo, the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities investigate disturbances between the mortal and the (possibly) divine.

What starts off as an odd suicide case for Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi leads her through the city’s underbelly as she encounters rampaging ghouls, saucy assassins, clockwork angels, and a plot that could unravel time itself.

5 éditions

a publié une critique de A Dead Djinn in Cairo par P. Djèlí Clark (Dead Djinn Universe, #0.1)

Could make a great novel

Novella set in an alternate Cairo in the early 1900s. Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi investigates the case of a dead Djinn who seems to have died by suicide. Ghouls, assassins, and angels all show up during her investigation, some a help, some a deadly hindrance.

I didn’t care much for this, it’s too short to have anything other than a straightforward plot, and there’s no space for deep characterisation. The writing is good, and the world-building impeccable, but I think I’ll stick to Clark’s novels from now on. It’s a good novella, but I prefer longer fiction.

a publié une critique de A Dead Djinn in Cairo par P. Djèlí Clark (Dead Djinn Universe, #0.1)

A quick, entertaining read.

Love the alternate universe revealed here, with Cairo and Egypt becoming a major world power, likely due to the discovery of Djinn leading to a boom in innovation. Granted, this is a short story, so much of the how Cairo got to where it is, is not discussed. That said, the murder of the Djinn of course leads to a major conspiracy that our intrepid police detective must unravel. The book is filled with strong female protagonists and characters and a world that has had the breath of life and magic breathed into it. Definitely recommend if you like speculative fiction of this type.