A review by smerika
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

While some aspects of this felt hokey to me, the novelty of actually being different was a strong draw. I suppose the portrayal of women in the police force sometimes came across as clunky, almost as if drawn from a sloppy comedic sitcom, which isn't typically my kind of humor. However, despite these moments, the book still delivered without being vapid.

The truly unique setting and cultural influences were a primary reason for its appeal. The alternate-history Cairo, steeped in Middle Eastern folklore, was vividly realized, and the different monsters and their lore were captivating. The varied powers of the different Djinn were so well described, making for a truly vivid reader experience. I also thoroughly enjoyed the funny dialogue and the other social tensions explored.

The outfits sounded outlandish at times, bordering on unbelievable – perhaps a minor flaw in the world-building for me initially – but I could always visualize them. Like a very stylistically bold suit or hat for Fatma, they certainly made her stand out. After reminding myself, 'hey, it's fiction,' I could carry on, though I admit they were briefly distracting.

So I found myself half smiling a lot through this book. Sometimes this was due to the author's intentional humor, other times because I was imagining the scene as described, and very occasionally because of moments that felt unintentionally humorous, perhaps due to cultural nuances I didn't fully grasp or stylistic choices that struck me differently. I liked that the queerness was not token, but more naturally integrated without fanfare. There was certainly almost a comedy aspect to this one for me.