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A review by afi_whatafireads
A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark
adventurous
dark
funny
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? Yes
3.75
Well hello, I was not expecting this to be a good one!!
A turn of event had urged me to start with this one - as I had actually started 3 chapters in the full novel which is A Master of Djinn, I wondered wether the prequels will play a role in understanding more of the novel itself, and honestly, I was glad to trust my instincts, stopped at chapter 4 of Master of Djinn and started with this one first , because holy damn I was in awe and it totally gives more depth to what I have read in the first 3 chapters of the full novel.
For a novelette, it actually served its purpose. It was packed with actions, with sufficient information to create a worldbuilding that is unique and interesting for me and how each of the elements that has been taken to create the story was inspired by true events and scholars but with a twist in an alternate world. Goddamn, I devoured it. I loved it. And I loved all the references that might be hard for those who are not familiar (but Google is free , so.. :p) and how intricate Clark's worlbuilding is. The writing is also easy to digest, but again, you will have to google some terms - which you won't regret a single thing - and I was honestly totally in love with the storyline albeit if its short.
A turn of event had urged me to start with this one - as I had actually started 3 chapters in the full novel which is A Master of Djinn, I wondered wether the prequels will play a role in understanding more of the novel itself, and honestly, I was glad to trust my instincts, stopped at chapter 4 of Master of Djinn and started with this one first , because holy damn I was in awe and it totally gives more depth to what I have read in the first 3 chapters of the full novel.
For a novelette, it actually served its purpose. It was packed with actions, with sufficient information to create a worldbuilding that is unique and interesting for me and how each of the elements that has been taken to create the story was inspired by true events and scholars but with a twist in an alternate world. Goddamn, I devoured it. I loved it. And I loved all the references that might be hard for those who are not familiar (but Google is free , so.. :p) and how intricate Clark's worlbuilding is. The writing is also easy to digest, but again, you will have to google some terms - which you won't regret a single thing - and I was honestly totally in love with the storyline albeit if its short.
"Everyone has rights, no matter their work.
I get a feeling I would be loving Fatma very very much. She's not only sassy but so badass with her own touch of empathy towards the people around her. Not only that, her very profound sense of fashion makes her so endearing to me and I can't wait to read more of her adventures.
Definitely a good start and a series that is a mix of various adventures and subtle references to the real history infused and intertwined into the story. I'm definitely binging the next short story The Angel of Khan el-Khalili and the novella , The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and will delve into the novel with its full glory, especially knowing that Al-Jahiz has appeared in the novel (damn this scene is still imprinted in my head)
3.75🌟 For this one! Super short but super impactful!
p/s: The story is available for Free on TOR's website! Click here to read it :) You definitely won't regret it!
Read A Dead Djinn in Cairo Here!