Reviews

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark

katelin00's review

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

 This book was difficult for me to rate. While reading it, I enjoyed many aspects, but it was also so easy to put down and not pick back up.

The worldbuilding is interesting and I liked the history that we are given on how the Shimmer came to be. Eveen is a fun character, and I enjoyed her sarcasm very much. I had a hard time matching her age to her voice, however. It was written like she was much younger. Maybe because she's undead and her memories are erased? I'm unsure but it did throw me a bit.

The ending was really what made it difficult for me to give it a higher review. There is a character that has the dialogue written to demonstrate an accent, but that made it nearly impossible for me to understand. I wish there was some translation of it as my brain had a hard time with reading it and that threw me from the scene. This is a novella, so I knew it would be short, but the ending felt almost rushed. I wanted a little more of Eveen's vengeance instead of glossing over that part.

Overall, I think this will be a good read for some and I did enjoy it. It was just a little too easy to put down. I will most likely look into P. Djèlí Clark's other works because I did enjoy his writing style.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC. 

moholub's review against another edition

3.0

There are three rules to being an undead assassin in Tal Abisi: a contract must be just, you can only kill those who have been contracted, and a contract must be fulfilled (or all of hell might literally show up on your doorstep)--and Eveen the Eviscerator is well on her way to breaking another one of these unbreakable vows. Fast paced and funny, "The Dead Cat Tail Assassins" trips you into a world of magic, murder, and mansplaining, with a loud-mouthed main character not afraid of the forces amassing against her (or her goddess' fiery tits).

While the sudden-stop of an ending was ultimately unsatisfying compared to the depth and heart of the rest of the story, I enjoyed Clark's writing and flair for description. Kept waiting for this one to magically grow more pages so I could spend more time in Eveen's world.

lillieslibraryy's review

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• 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

4.0

This was so much fun! I wish this had been longer, purely because I was enjoying it so much and just wanted more. This is the perfect mix of fantasy, gods, assassins and multiverse aspects. 

I'm truly in awe of how much Clark can fit in to so few pages. Clark is truly a master of characters, combined with an amazing world and social commentary this book does not miss. 

If you love fantasy books with witty characters and amazing humour this is the perfect book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.  

courtsport3000's review

adventurous dark 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? No

4.0

An absolutely fantastic read in every way! Clark has this way of drawing the reader in right from the start, which shines especially well in his shorter format books. The characters are fascinating and start off with an immediate sense of comfort and familiarity. You can't help caring about their story. The worldbuilding is phenomenal! I loved every bit - from the gods to the guilds to the criminal underbelly to the corrupt politicians. I would gladly read a dozen more books exploring this world of undead assassins and the shady deals they execute. 

My only complaint involves how some of the dialogue is presented in the text. There is a lengthy scene where a character's speech is spelled out phonetically to convey to the reader the type of accent and inflection that character has. While I recognize this is a really engaging and fun way to make the story more immersive, it's a huge challenge from an accessibility standpoint. As a dyslexic reader, I struggled to sound out the words in a way that made sense. It's embarrassing to admit, but I ended up abandoning entire sentences of dialogue because I just *could not* figure it out. I recognize that this is a me problem, but know there are others out there who would be impacted the same way and I wish there were a resource included that could help out with this. Hopefully anyone reading this review who has similar concerns will choose the audiobook or buddy read with someone who can help them out some. I truly loved this read and am just kind of bummed that I had to stumble my way through the ending rather than getting to enjoy it at its fullest. 

Overall an outstanding read. Would jump at the chance to return to this world and I eagerly await whatever Clark decides to write next. 

Special thanks to Tor for an ARC in exchange for review. 

thereadingrambler's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted 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? No

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a short book that packs quite a punch in terms of plot and characters but will not be everyone’s cup of tea due to the cavalier approach to violence and the quirky narratorial voice. This was exactly my cup of tea though. The book follows Eveen the Eviscerater, who is one of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins, an undead woman who is sworn to a century of assassination services to Ayeril, the Matron of Assassins. There are three vows to her order: the contract must be just, the assassin can only kill who the hit is contracted for, and the assassin must kill the target. When those who have given their lives to Ayeril are resurrected, they have forgotten everything about their pasts and are resurrected far enough away from their death-date that anyone who might’ve known them is probably dead. Eveen is very good at her job and enjoys it well enough, but everything is thrown off-course when she discovers that she recognizes her target for the night is someone she remembers from the Before. This sets of a series of events through the night about what Eveen might remember, who this girl is she is contracted to kill, and why.

The book immediately takes an irreverent tone that jolted me in the best way possible. I did not enjoy A Master of Djinnor Ring Shout, so I wasn’t sure if Clark was going to continue to be an author I followed, but I was drawn in by the tagline for the book:  Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats. Nor do they have tails. But they are most assuredly dead. From this, I thought the book was going to be gritty, dark, and intense. The book opens with this line, but the reader quickly finds out this line is on a business card. This is a brilliant and hilarious twist to reader expectations and from there we are on a raucous ride that makes some of the most ridiculous jokes, including a very clever breaking of the fourth wall.

That said, because there is a streak of black (this is a book about an undead assassin after all) and sardonic humor throughout this book, it is not going to be for everyone. This is not written in first-person nor is it a “dear reader” kind of narratorial style, but there is a strong and unique narratorial voice that deftly and definitely shapes the way the reader understands the story. This was something I greatly enjoyed, but I understand why people might not.

This is a novella, so the world-building goes fast, and there is a lot of it. Almost none of it is given through exposition; the reader has to figure out everything from the dialog and descriptions. For instance, this story takes place on one night, which happens on the night of a major festival. In the background of pretty much every scene are people celebrating in various ways through the streets. From these comments, the reader can (should) pick up on why this festival is happening, and eventually the story of the festival ties into the plot.

This is a balanced character- and plot-driven book. Eveen grounds the book and her relationship with Fennis and Sky gives her balance and propels her forward through the plot, which is opaque to reader and characters for much of the book. They are trying to unravel the mystery of why Eveen has been given this contract and also how this contract is even possible given the confines of things like time, space, physics, reality, and the will of the gods. This is not a mystery, though, the reader is given many of the clues to figure out what happened and how the characters are going to solve it, but we skip over the final confrontation planning montage and right to said final confrontation. This didn’t bother me as, for the most part, their plan goes off without a hitch and gives the reader a satisfying (if bloodthirsty) ending—so seeing them plan it would’ve just spoiled the ending. A planning montage always means the plan is going to fail. And I didn’t want to see Eveen fail. I was really rooting for her by the end of the book—even if her solution to 90% of her problems is violence.

I would recommend this book to people who like Murderbot—a somewhat reluctant main character who really would prefer to just enjoy simple pleasures and be left alone but unfortunately is very good at their job and unwillingly cares about other people in their life and even more unfortunately discovers a massive conspiracy they somehow are in the middle of without even realizing it.

ellenreading_theend's review

4.5

I was trying to wait until pub day to post my review, but it got pushed back till the summer, so I figured I should write about it while I still have thoughts! Clark is so adept at putting together a world in so few pages — I’m not a novella reader, and yet he continues to impress the hell out of me. The premise alone of this story is awesome, and the way the story unwinds lives up to its excellent beginnings. He’s so good at leaving you wanting more in the best way! Can’t wait for what’s next from him.

lannnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaa's review

adventurous funny 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

sparksbooks's review

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

natlren's review

adventurous funny 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? It's complicated

4.0

This was my first P. Djèlí Clark novel but it certainly won’t be my last. 

To me, The Dead Cat Tail Assassins played out almost like an action film. It was vivid in its descriptions and rich in its fight scenes. The tension was good too, as was the impending sense of doom as Eveen and Sky tried to unwrap the mystery of their meeting. 

I think this book sits firmly in the four star territory. It manages to accomplish a lot in such a small space, and I’m wildly impressed by how robust the world building was for a 200 page novella. That said (and this is most assuredly a me problem), I really wish it was longer. Clark creates a world rich with lore and dozens of Gods. I’d have loved getting to spend a bit more time learning how the world ticks. 

Of course that one minor complaint is just that: minor. Like I mentioned, Clark still manages to pack a lot of lore into a small space. I’m just greedy for more. 

All in all, this was a really fun book. I don’t often enjoy novels that rely heavily on funny scenarios or humor, but the description of this one was too good to pass up and the balance between light-heartedness and actual stakes was nicely done. Also, who doesn’t love a good assassin story?

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

chaos_carrie's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are really only worried about one thing in the world, completing their contracts, but what happens when the assassin just *can't* hit the mark? This book is the wild ride of what happens when one such assassin suddenly finds herself in paradox after paradox while trying to sort out an impossible contract. As always, P. Djèlí Clark weaves an inthralling, dark magical world that you simultaneously want to jump into and are a little bit terrified of.