A Dead Djinn in Cairo

A Tor.Com Original

By: P. Djèlí Clark

Narrated by: Suehyla El-Attar

Length: 1 hr and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

"With impeccable inflections and tones, El-Attar's narration embodies the quirky investigator and those who surround her. She personifies both the place and the people, making them come alive. Listeners will imagine they're traversing Cairo through the deep, dark night. This is a perfect listen for those who are short on time but want a thrilling audiobook." (AudioFile Magazine)

Egypt, 1912. In an alternate Cairo infused with the otherworldly, the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities investigate disturbances between the mortal and the (possibly) divine. What starts off as an odd suicide case for Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi leads her through the city’s underbelly as she encounters rampaging ghouls, saucy assassins, clockwork angels, and plot that could unravel time itself, in P. Djèlí Clark's Tor.Com Original, A Dead Djinn in Cairo.

"Suehyla El-Attar’s narration has the vocal quality of slightly roughened silk, a gorgeously textured pleasure for the ear." (Locus)

©2016 P. Djèlí Clark (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

spectacular

just fantastic. the details and descriptions took me to this world. what a fantastic story and magnificent place. must read or listen to more by this author

Wow

Loved it! Really cool story and setting. Hope to read more from this author a

Steampunk Cairo with zombies!!!

Loved the steampunk Cairo the author created for this story, where magic and ancient Egyptian gods coexist with mechanical men and air ships. Add in a couple of kick-ass female characters, a mystery, zombies (okay, he calls them ghouls but they sound a lot like zombies and I love zombies!) and a rift to another dimension and you have the ingredients of an excellent tale. Clark does not disappoint. The plot is tight and he includes just enough details to make the reader feel steeped in the atmosphere of this alternate world. The Arabic-inflected narration by Suehyla El-Attar powered the whole story to another level. The short (less than 2 hrs audio) story was just the right length for the tale, but definitely left me hungering for more stories set in this world and featuring Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi. (less)

Steam Punk meets Middle Eastern mythology

Dug this a lot. Middle Eastern folklore is a subject I don't know a lot about. I enjoy fantasy that delves into it.

Great Short Story

Great Short Story. Very well read. Loved the performer's accent. Fantastic world building, just with it were longer.

So fun

A short and sweet, enjoyable adventure. If you're trying to reach a book goal but don't have a lot of time, this is a good one.

Wonderous

This! is an amazing story. I am even more excited now, for the next tale.

A Lovely Story for a Quiet Evening.

I really enjoyed this story of an altered reality in early twentieth century Egypt. The narrator did indeed have an accent which was entirely appropriate for the story. The characters and plot were interpreted with wit and intelligence.
It was if I were listening to a sort of modern, altered One Thousand and One Nights.
With many longer novels, I just prefer to read.... It takes less time and I can process them more quickly.
But this story reminded me of a time when I could sit back and enjoy the experience of being read to.. A much better evening than watching TV.

A great Novella and intro to a New World

I really enjoyed this book. The change to history by the mysterious character al-Jahiz, which brought Magic and "Otherworldly Entities" into the world was done well. The setting, 1912 Cairo, is very different to the more common locations like the U.K. or U.S.A. and I enjoyed the worldbuilding and introduction to this new Cairo. It also gives a look at a culture, about which, many people may not have much knowledge. The main character is a female Agent for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, Fatma el-Sha’arawi. Of course, due to the culture and the time, she faces various forms of discrimination throughout the book. That said, Fatma was a very well written and realistic protagonist and I'm looking forward to seeing her character again in future installments. Although the ending was somewhat predictable, this is a novella and more of an intro to the world than a full story so it's not that big of a deal. Honestly, most of my criticism for this book is a result of how short it is. With a new, full length, book coming in 2021 I am looking forward to seeing the world expand and evolve. Also, since this is an Audiobook, I should mention that the Narrator, Suehyla El-Attar, was amazing. She read the characters and material extremely well and I really hope that she will be the one Narrating the next book, A Master of Djinns.

Steampunkish romp in Cairo

Excellent narration of a well done short story with memorable characters and some lovely world building.