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totallyshelfaware's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Wow. Just .. wow.
The setting, the intricacy of the world-building, the characters, the lore - this was so interesting and enjoyable, I loved everything about it! 😍
Plus, Suehyla El-Attar's narration elevated this to being an easy favourite.
So glad that there's more from this universe left for me to explore!
The setting, the intricacy of the world-building, the characters, the lore - this was so interesting and enjoyable, I loved everything about it! 😍
Plus, Suehyla El-Attar's narration elevated this to being an easy favourite.
So glad that there's more from this universe left for me to explore!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Blood and Violence
Minor: Suicide
tinyelfarcanist's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
There was a lot of focus on the djinn’s penis size.
I was very excited for this as I love djinn folklore, but the steampunk setting didn’t do it for me. I found the resolution predictable and underwhelming.
I was very excited for this as I love djinn folklore, but the steampunk setting didn’t do it for me. I found the resolution predictable and underwhelming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Suicide
bluejayreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
This is a novella, so it's able to be devoured in a single sitting, which is exactly the way it should be read because it's great.
I love steampunk anyway, but this blend of steampunk and supernatural with a Middle Eastern setting was absolutely fantastic. Fifty years ago a magician gave the supernatural world access to our world, and now sorcerers, djinn, angels, the undead, and all manner of magical things are commonplace in Fatima's Cairo. Her job is to investigate crimes and other problems involving the supernatural.
Fatima is awesome. She dresses like an English gentleman, really knows what she's doing, and overall was a ton of fun to follow around. She's smart and unflappable and it was a lot of fun to contrast her against her staunchly traditionalist partner in the beginning before she went off to save the world on her own.
What starts as a really weird magical suicide case turns into something much bigger real quick, as Fatima's investigation leads her to discover a dead djinn, a dead angel, and a prophecy that means she has until dawn to stop the old gods from coming into the world and killing every single human on the planet. It manages to be just tangled enough to be interesting without being so tangled as to feel rushed, and even though a couple of the answers seemed to be a little easy, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This being super short, you don't get a lot of details, but this is a prequel of sorts to a series featuring her so I'm super excited to get more. I would love a full-length novel or several in this world with Fatima being awesome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Minor: Gore
mar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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? No
5.0
BANGER
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Gore, Body horror, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Sexism
elk_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Murder, and Suicide
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
In 'A Dead Djinn in Cairo,' P. Djèlí Clark creates an intriguing murder mystery set in a fantastical Cairo that is populated by angels, djinns, and ghouls.
The story follows Fatma el-Sha’arawi, an investigator, as she tries to unravel what appears to be a suicide. But things aren't adding up in this case and as she begins to probe further, she finds that much more may hang in the balance than she previously thought.
Despite it's short length, Clark creates a fully fledged world for the reader to step into. Populated by fantastical beings and helmed by a bad-ass investigator in a crisp suit, it's hard not to instantly be pulled into the world. An intriguing mystery that unravels more of the world as Fatma delves deeper into what happens, creates the perfect balance of world-building and story. I am so excited that there are more in this series. Though the story itself fits well into the novella length, there is clearly so much happening in the world that I can't wait to explore it further.
The story follows Fatma el-Sha’arawi, an investigator, as she tries to unravel what appears to be a suicide. But things aren't adding up in this case and as she begins to probe further, she finds that much more may hang in the balance than she previously thought.
Despite it's short length, Clark creates a fully fledged world for the reader to step into. Populated by fantastical beings and helmed by a bad-ass investigator in a crisp suit, it's hard not to instantly be pulled into the world. An intriguing mystery that unravels more of the world as Fatma delves deeper into what happens, creates the perfect balance of world-building and story. I am so excited that there are more in this series. Though the story itself fits well into the novella length, there is clearly so much happening in the world that I can't wait to explore it further.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Murder, Suicide, and Violence
northcoastwanderer's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Murder, and Gore
bertramshotel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Violence, Sexual content, and Sexism
gracew's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Oh super love this series, would only love it more if these were longer. A fun, dark fantasy mystery that manages to be equal parts fantasy and horror. I love putting a semi-steam punk world but setting it in Cairo, I love the world building, I love the complex lady characters kicking ass and taking names. I would literally read a twelve book series set in this world, please give it to me at once!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Suicide
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