Loved this mystery/thriller from P. Djèlí Clark – much like Martha Wells’ Murderbot, novellas in this series have been moving through the Tor.com ecosystem over the last few years, and I was delighted to read the full novel. It was great seeing pieces from the previous short stories and novellas come into play, but Clark handled these in a way that doesn’t leave the reader confused if this is their entry into the world.
I’d broadly label this book as historical fantasy; I’ve seen it tagged as steampunk and while that doesn’t quite feel right, it’s close enough to give you an idea what to expect. Unlike most late-19th/early-20th century fantasy, though, Clark centers his story (and the power in the world he builds) outside Europe, which is great to see. I also liked how in his Cairo, djinn and humans live side-by-side with the cultural complications and variety you’d find in any large city. Also, the change that brought djinn into Egypt in the 19th century had similar effects worldwide, with the magic of various cultures emerging into the world. I appreciated this, compared to some worldbuilding that stops at “Catholic mythology is real but nothing else” or “Irish fae is real but nothing else.”
I’ve seen the series called “Steampunk Cairo,” “Fatma el-Sha’arawi” (the main character), and “Dead Djinn Universe” (referencing the first story). Whatever the name settles on, I highly recommend it.
