Reviews

A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark

danzemacabre's review against another edition

5.0

This was everything I expected and more. Such a vibrant world we're thrusted forward, I ate through it faster than any ghul ate its meal in the story.
And on top of that??? Buncha cool ladies here. This book delivered everything and then some.
Steampunk has never looked THIS good.

prs21376's review against another edition

4.0

I ended up liking this novella a lot more than I expected. The writing was descriptive and the author did a great job of transporting the reader into their world. A djinn suicide leads our main character Fatma on one heck of a ride, and in the end, after following the clues of this mystery, she winds up saving the world from nightmarish gods from another dimension. And she even found herself a date too, which was a nice little touch to cap off the story. Nicely done!

sydsnot71's review against another edition

4.0

This is the second P Djèlí Clark novella I've read and, like the first, this was an enjoyable story. It's set in an alt-Cairo where a mystic opened a gate to an another plane where the djinn lived (and others, including Angels. Well, possible angels.)

The story centres of the investigation of a dead Djinn by Fatma el-Sha’arawi, special investigator with the Egyptian Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities. It's a short story/novella - I'm never sure of how the rule work on what is what. I know there are other stories set in the same 'world' but I don't know whether Fatma el-Sha'arawi is the main character in any of them. It's a fascinating setting.

The story itself is a mix of murder mystery and not quite horror. There is a Lovecraftian tinge in terms of hints about what might be out there in the universe. I really like the setting and the main character.

Highly enjoyable. Looking forward to reading more.

littlepepperguy's review against another edition

4.5

Banging short story. Love the whole series so far

tagoreketabkhane31's review

5.0

a unique take on Egypt and Djinn Lore

A unique short story that celebrates Egyptian mythos with that of the Djinn, an intriguing mystery and a dynamic main character help round out this great novella.

le_mur's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

library_rift's review against another edition

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

4.0

grizelybear's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

A fun, quick read! For something so short, it was able to vividly paint the kind of world the characters live in. I felt like I was watching a fun mystery movie, and I wish it didn't end so soon. I'd love to read a longer, more fleshed out novel centered around Fatma's work as an investigator.

rworleyrizk's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

sheriff's review against another edition

3.0

5.4/10

Okay book, weak compared to the novel which expounds on everything better. If i read this first I might have not started the novel which is really good.