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alisonvh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Blood, Sexual content, Murder, Colonisation, and Violence
turrean's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Slavery, Sexism, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Colonisation
bergha1998's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Historical Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Diverse
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Body horror, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Slavery, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Racism, and Murder
emily_mh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Confinement, Murder, and Death
Minor: Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Misogyny, Grief, Homophobia, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Classism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Islamophobia, Vomit, Pedophilia, Colonisation, Blood, Slavery, War, Sexism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Alcohol, Ableism, Suicide, and Religious bigotry
Major: six uses of the Arabic anti-Black a-slur, self-injury, body control, mind control, blackface Moderate: two uses of the archaic anti-Black n-slur, colourism, bomb Minor: gambling, apartheid, fainting, one use of the archaic anti-Black b-slur, imprisonmentasahome's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Death, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Slavery, Alcohol, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Cultural appropriation, Body horror, Classism, Drug use, and Gore
jhbandcats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It opens with a chapter demonstrating Agent Fatma’s bravery and skill in dealing with an angry, powerful djinn, and goes on to give her a far more challenging assignment. She’s initially paired with an unwanted partner but very early on they work well together, with none of the squabbling common to Hollywood buddy movies. Fatma’s lover Siti rounds out the trio. The descriptions of Cairo a century ago add realism to the steampunk aesthetic.
I would probably have given this five stars but I was so frequently flummoxed by unknown words that I would really have appreciated a glossary. The words I didn’t know have to do with politics, religion, clothing, food, and magical beings. While the meaning was usually clear from the context, I spent way too much time on Google trying to find out more information.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this. I’ve liked Clark’s novellas and like this full-length novel even more.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Blood, Classism, Violence, Alcohol, Police brutality, Racism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, and Gore
lira_the_recluse's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Slavery, Cultural appropriation, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Dementia, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
kappafrog's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Fatima and Hadia made a great detective team, and I loved Siti. There were so many amazing side characters too, from a musician refugee from Jim Crow calling himself Mansa Musa, to a haughty djinn librarian, to a master of thieves feeding hungry children while keeping some wealth for herself. The world building was so rich, with so many strands woven together to make an engrossing tapestry. I'd love to see more of this world!
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, Police brutality, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Classism, and Racism
Moderate: Misogyny, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Body horror, Sexism, War, Slavery, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Blood, Cannibalism, Dementia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Islamophobia, and Mental illness
beepsies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Torture, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Self harm, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Classism, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Religious bigotry, and Slavery
novella42's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
The story began a little slow for me because I'm not into mysteries, but by the second half I was having a hard time putting it down as the pacing built more and more.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Gore, Slavery, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Violence, War, Self harm, Gun violence, Murder, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Classism, Addiction, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Animal death, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Body horror, and Confinement
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Homophobia, War, Death of parent, Islamophobia, Hate crime, and Stalking
Minor: Kidnapping, Sexual content, Grief, Alcohol, and Death of parent