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A review by klnanker15
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
5.0
A Master of Djinn was a solid read that I thoroughly enjoyed. A large part of that was that the narrator for the audiobook was fantastic. She did such a wonderful job narrating and it really pulled me into the story. I highly suggest listening!
This book is largely a fantasy mystery set in an almost steam punkesque Cairo. I enjoyed the mystery, though I did solve it before the main character which always disappoints me a bit. I love that Cairo wasn't just a backdrop, but was a vital element to the story. The city informs the characters and the plot. The characters themselves are well written, aside from perhaps a slightly campy villian.
I also enjoyed that this book had so many women main parts. I've read plenty of books in fantasy where there were female main characters, but I've rarely read a book where it felt like there were more women who were important to the story than men. There are plenty of male characters too, but the women were given far more priority, agency, and depth then the men. At least, more than I feel like is typical in the genre! So for me that's a win.
Overall, Master of Djinn really had me invested, especially in the beginning to middle sections. The end got a bit too over the top, but there were some good laughs there too so it didn't take itself too seriously. Worth a read!
This book is largely a fantasy mystery set in an almost steam punkesque Cairo. I enjoyed the mystery, though I did solve it before the main character which always disappoints me a bit. I love that Cairo wasn't just a backdrop, but was a vital element to the story. The city informs the characters and the plot. The characters themselves are well written, aside from perhaps a slightly campy villian.
I also enjoyed that this book had so many women main parts. I've read plenty of books in fantasy where there were female main characters, but I've rarely read a book where it felt like there were more women who were important to the story than men. There are plenty of male characters too, but the women were given far more priority, agency, and depth then the men. At least, more than I feel like is typical in the genre! So for me that's a win.
Overall, Master of Djinn really had me invested, especially in the beginning to middle sections. The end got a bit too over the top, but there were some good laughs there too so it didn't take itself too seriously. Worth a read!