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

adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

P. Djèlí Clark's A Master of Djinn is set in an alternate version of Cairo in the early 1900s in which humans and magical beings like djinn live alongside one another after the veil between the magical and mundane worlds was opened. Special Agent Fatma el-Sha’arawi, the youngest woman working for a governmental agency called the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, is asked to investigate the murders of members of a secret brotherhood dedicated to al-Jahiz, the man responsible for opening the veil decades before. The murderer claims to be al-Jahiz himself, returned to advocate for those oppressed and downtrodden by society, but is he?

This was a fun read-- it had magic, mystery, badass women to root for (and against). It ran a little long and felt like it could have been tightened up a bit, but I really enjoyed my time in this world.
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