P. Djèlí Clark’s debut novel A Master of Djinn builds upon the world already introduced in several fantastic shorter tales – A Dead Djinn in Cairo, The Angel of Khan el-Khalili and The Haunting of Tram Car 015 – and delivers more in every sense. More of this wonderful world of djinn, angels and mechanical marvels in 1912 Cairo. More scope, more scale, more danger and adventure, and more of the marvellous agent Fatma el-Sha’arawi from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. The streets of Cairo are fired up when the man responsible for a horrifying mass murder proclaims himself to be Al-Jahiz, the legendary mystic who ushered in this new age of magic and wonder, returned from his long absence. As tensions rise, Fatma has the unenviable task of hunting down and stopping a man who, whether he truly is Al-Jahiz returned or not, wields fearsome powers and seems to know exactly how to get the poor and downtrodden of Cairo on his side.
Whether you’ve read the preceding stories or not, there’s so much to enjoy in this beguiling blend of Egyptian urban fantasy and detective drama, set in a vividly drawn world with a tangible sense of history and an intriguing perspective on ‘modernity’. In Fatma’s world, Egypt – and in particular Cairo – is at the forefront of cultural and technological progression, but at the same time as it’s driving the world forward it’s still struggling with the conflict between modern and traditional values. For all the incredible technology (automated carriages and clockwork automatons are only the tip of the iceberg) and otherworldly beings there are plenty of societal issues too, which Clark tackles head on in both the foreground and background of the main narrative. Even as the supposed Al-Jahiz wreaks bloody violence in the streets, Cairenes deal with income equality, racial and religious discrimination and all manner of believable, real-world problems.
A beautifully-developed world is nothing without great characters and compelling stories, but A Master of Djinn has both in spades. The central mystery here revolves around who this dangerous man claiming to be Al-Jahiz truly is (because surely he can’t actually be the great mystic returned) and what he’s trying to achieve, which Fatma has to work out while juggling, amongst other things, the unwanted burden of a young partner foisted on her by the brass, her complicated relationship with the mysterious woman Siti, and the tedious prejudices of a still heavily-male dominated Ministry and police force. All cool competence and sartorial style on the surface, there’s much more to Fatma than just jaunty suits and bowler hats. She’s an endearing mix of the classic weary investigator and a driven, determined, self-sacrificing badass, and whether she’s drinking in jazz dens, battling ghuls or running down leads, it’s never less than engrossing to watch her work.
These characters – not just Fatma but her new partner Hadia, Siti, and the various agents, officers, priests and other assorted citizens – are easily entertaining enough to carry any story. This particular narrative is a lot of fun in its own right though, providing a cleverly constructed mystery that makes complete sense once the reveal takes place, but until then leaves the reader guessing and happily trying to put the pieces together. There’s a pitch-perfect balance of stakes in play, with considerable danger posed to Egypt and potentially the world as a whole, alongside very personal dramas taking place with Fatma and Siti, Hadia, and the Ministry. For a fantasy reader interested in exploring a thought-provoking alternate world enjoyably different to the regular Western-centric norms, with brilliant characters and smart plotting, delivered by a ferociously talented author with plenty to say, this really does come highly recommended.
Many thanks to Tor.com publishing and P Djèlí Clark for providing a review copy of A Master of Djinn, in exchange for my honest review.
Check out my reviews of the other stories set in this world:
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