A Master of Djinn

December 1, 2020

Forty years ago, mystic/inventor Al-Jahiz sundered the veil dividing worlds, letting magic seep into this world while vanishing into the beyond. Djinns now flit about 1912 Cairo while the Egyptian Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities strives to keep the peace. Then someone claiming to be Al-Jahiz wipes out the secret brotherhood protecting his legacy, and ministry agent Fatma el-Sha'arawi gets busy. From Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award winner Clark.

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2021

In 1912, Cairo dealt with its share of supernatural issues, and now magical and mundane beings live together in relative peace. But now members of a secret Brotherhood devoted to al-Jahziz, the man who ripped open the veil between the magical entities and mankind, are murdered, with al-Jahziz himself laying claim and condemning the oppression in the current world. When Fatma el-Sha'arawi is brought in to investigate, she is sure that the person is an impostor, and she applies her skills as an agent of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities to solve the murders. However, Fatma has her own challenges, with a new, unwanted partner and a past entanglement becoming more solidly involved. Fatma must find a way to stop the unrest from spilling beyond Cairo's borders and (hopefully) save the world once again from magical destruction. The fantastical worldbuilding highlights the thematic issues of colonialism, spirituality, and race relations, while Clark's prose provides a cinematic lens to issues of gender and class viewed through Agent Fatma's investigations and relationships. VERDICT Although the book is marketed as Clark's debut novel, readers have been following him for several years (Ring Shout is an LJ 2020 Best Book) and this work builds upon his alternate history Cairo, bringing together several enjoyable characters in a richly detailed, action-packed novel.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 15, 2021
In 1912, forty years after the mystic al-Jahiz put a hole through the realities that allowed djinn to enter our world, Cairo is a bustling metropolis with commerce, intrigue, and steampunk technology. The Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities keeps the peace between humans and everyone else in the city. When someone claiming to be al-Jahiz stirs up trouble in advance of a summit of world powers, Agent Fatma el-Sha'arawi, the young and capable ministry employee with a penchant for dressing like an English gentleman (introduced in A Dead Djinn in Cairo, 2016), is called in and paired with a determined new academy graduate, Hadia Abdel Hafez. As al-Jahiz fans the flames of unrest and manifests the ability to control djinn, Fatma and her allies, including her inscrutable love interest Siti, rush to identify and stop their foe before the world is destroyed. Clark deftly explores colonialism and the history of Cairo with an immersive setting that acts as another character in this delightful combination of mystery, fantasy, and romance. Give this to alternate history enthusiasts and mystery readers who enjoy a dose of the magical. Fans of S. A. Chakraborty, Martha Wells, and Zen Cho should be particularly pleased.

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