A Master of Djinn / P. D. Clark

Title / A Master of Djinn

Author / P. D. Clark

Series / Dead Djinn – book 1

Published / 2021

Page no. / 396

Overall Rating / ★★★★

A Master of Djinn is the first full length book in the Dead Djinn series set in an alternate Cairo – two novellas, A Dead Djinn in Cairo and the Haunting of Tram Car 015 preceded this release. Each of the stories are set in 1912 in an alternate Cairo, where humans live and work alongside otherworldly beings. Prior to reading this, I had already read and loved the two novellas, so this was one of my most anticipated releases of this year. This book follows Fatma el-Sha’arawi, the youngest agent of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, as she works a case dealing with the recent murder of a member of a secret brotherhood.

 

A Master of Djinn is a fantastic addition to the books set in the Dead Djinn universe. I had high hopes for this instalment and I am happy to say that it didn’t disappoint. It was so good to be back in this world and with these characters. The world of the alternate Cairo continues to be of my favourite things about these books and I loved that we got a full length novel set in this world. Clark has written an incredibly vivid and interesting world with lots of mythology woven into the story. Clark does a fantastic job at building on what we already know from the two novellas and adding more depth into the history and societies of this alternate Cairo. The characters are so well written and Fatma is a fantastic protagonist. I loved the introduction of Hadia, a new agent at the Ministry and Fatma’s new partner, and thoroughly enjoyed watching their relationship develop. The plot is compelling throughout and I enjoyed every second of reading it. It’s definitely a mix of mystery (kind of like a whodunnit) and fantasy with elements of steampunk. I found it so easy to settle into the flow of the story and the writing was fantastic. I cannot wait for the next instalment in the series.

 

Overall I thought this was a fantastic full length instalment to this series and I would highly recommend checking it out, if you haven’t already. I’m unsure about the timeline in terms of if the novellas or book comes first, but I think you can probably read either first. I will definitely be checking out the next instalment in the series. Have you guys read this book? What did you guys think? I’d love to know what you thought. I hope you are all having a wonderful day and I will see you next time.

 

 

Pippa