Reviews with content warning for Sexism - A Dead Djinn in Cairo

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark

14 reviews

rubyredders's review

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

What a great story. I know this is part of a series but even self contained as it is what great world building.

The characters are all a delight. Fatma just trying yo do her job and somehow her mystery solving suit wearing cane swinging self is rizzing up Siti - certified baddie. Aasim was also there - I kid I kid he entertained me by being such an ‘in my day!’ Type of old man hahaha

The mix of history and magic weaved together surprisingly well. It didnt feel like it was lore dumping at any point. Just a case of as things appear Fatma puzzles them out using context clues that do relate to the world as is.

Cairo at the turn of the 20th century makes for such a unique take on the magical realism genre where modern day and [insert US location here] tends to dominate. I will definitely be looking into the rest of the series in future

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ko_rax's review

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

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emily_mh's review

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I’m so impressed by this novella! Standing at less than 60 pages, Clarke managed to incorporate imaginative world-building, memorable characters, and a speedy investigation. I was so pleased with the steampunk, alt-history Egypt this story took place in. It was cool learning about the inventor who changed the course of history by bringing the supernatural to earth. The world-building was wholly tied into the mystery, which sought to strengthen both. The mystery itself was the perfect level of complexity for such a short novella, and thankfullly our MC detective actually DOES detectieve work - nothing falls into her lap. As our MC, Fatma was great, being incredibly capable without the tiresome ego, and dynamic due to the references to her past. The SCs were also interesting, ranging from a gun-slinging acolyte to literal angels.

I always think that the-world-is-ending stakes play out a little shallowly in a novella, and unfortunately this was also the case here. However, it didn’t hugely impact my enjoyment or the impression of quality this story gave. I’m picking up the next novella straight away!

Rep: sapphic Muslim Egyptian MC, sapphic Sudanese-Egyptian LI

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takarakei's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I was told to read this first for some world-building before reading The Master of Djinn. It was a quick listen that is really packed with information about this world and follows the plot at a pretty quick pace. At it's core it's a mystery as you follow detective Fatma on a hunt to discover why some other worldly beings are being killed. Fatma is a cool main character to follow and I would've happily read more about her!

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scrubsandbooks's review

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

After reading A Master of Djinn, this little story was a delightful dive back to a world that I absolutely fell in love with. Besides wishing it was longer, I can't complain about anything. The characters, the dialogue, the plot, chef's kiss, entirely.

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renpuspita's review

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

3.5

3,5 stars

A short story that sure have a lot of things going on. Short story can be tricky, but I'm surprised P. Djeli Clark can write a murder case with complex and intriguing world building that make me want more. This alternate Cairo with a hint of steampunk technology in the early 20th century have djinn, angels and ghouls roaming free in the street and what the author do to make it interesting? Of course, by throwing murder to the mix.

We got introduced to the heroine, Fatma, an agent of supernatural ministry that already quirky from the get-go. I like Fatma's non-sense and cynics characteristic, also how she deal with her partner's sexism make me smile a little. There's a hint for some romance, but it's not the main focus.

I want to know more about this alternative Cairo and what Fatma's next case will be!

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