A Master of Djinn

A Novel

By: P. Djèlí Clark

Narrated by: Suehyla El-Attar

Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

2021 NYPL Best Books of the Year

2022 Nebula Awards - Winner

"[Narrator Suehyla] El-Attar expertly creates a vibrant version of Cairo that captures a heady blend of the cosmopolitan and the supernatural that will win many new fans." (AudioFile Magazine)

Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns to his popular alternate Cairo universe for his fantasy novel debut, A Master of Djinn

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world 40 years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city- or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems....

A Master of Djinn is poised to launch P. Djèlí Clark’s SFF career to new heights as the highly-anticipated debut listeners are clamoring for.

Novellas by P. Djèlí Clark
The Black God's Drums
The Haunting of Tram Car 015
Ring Shout

A Macmillan Audio production from Tordotcom

"Listeners will be charmed by dashing, bowler-hat-wearing, janbiya-carrying Fatma el-Sha’arawi in book one of Clark’s Dead Djinn Universe series.... At times wry, often witty, [Suehyla] El-Attar’s delivery is an anchoring force from which a multitude of mortal and mystical characters emerge." (Booklist)

©2021 P. Djèlí Clark (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“A clever, wickedly fun steampunk mystery with an excellent balance of humor and heart. I loved it.” (S. A. Charkaborty, internationally best-selling author of The City of Brass)

“A delightful whodunnit full of sly commentary and a wonderfully lived-in steampunk Cairo. The perfect read when I needed a break from this world to enjoy one wholly made from Clark's enviable imagination.” (Rebecca Roanhorse, Hugo and Nebula Award winner, author of Trail of Lightning and Star Wars: Resistance Reborn)

“A Master of Djinn has all the tricky twists I want in a police procedural and all the djinns, magic and wonder I want from fantasy.” (Mary Robinette Kowal, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of The Calculating Stars)

Great Worldbuilding/Story/Narrator

A Master of Djinn is, essentially, an alternative history mystery story. A person claiming to be the legendary figure that caused the return of Djinn and magic to the world is stirring up trouble in Egypt. I really enjoyed the book, and while the themes are similar to other books, the setting and characters create an interesting and engaging story that I couldn't stop listening to. The narrator was great and really differentiated the characters. If your a fan of mystery, magic, period pieces, or Egyptian culture, then this book is worth listening to.

Perfect

One of my favourite books. The world building was perfectly intertwined with the story. I find myself being sad I could not linger more in this world. My first written review in hundreds of books.

The narration with the middle eastern accent furthered the feeling of a 1001 nights story,esoteric even.

I have a new author to follow.

A story full of intrigued, mystery, and humor. I loved the characters and all the twists. this book makes me want to visit Cairo and experience it.

Awesome book!

Great chatacter and an fabulous variety and so much detail! looking forward to the next book!

Great characters, atmosphere, but plot predictable.

It’s a fun listen, but a predictable plot. Still vanishing into a world where Egyptian modernity includes djinn and magical machinery is a pleasure.

Great stuff

Agent Fatma el-Sha'arawi works with the Egyptian Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities. She deals with haughty djinns, devious angels, and inept men running the world. And with a possible world-destroying event, but you know, crazy comes with this job.

P. Djèlí Clark's vision of an alternate Cairo is fascinating. In 1872, a man named Al-Jahiz opened a portal to another dimension, allowing magic and magical creatures into our reality. In the years that followed, Egypt became a new power, famous for its wonders of mechanics (like automatic carriages) and magic. England, on the other hand, failed to embrace the new age and is barely an empire anymore. This leads to international friction. Maintaining the delicate balance between world powers becomes tricky when someone claiming to be Al-Jahiz goes on a murderous rampage through Cairo.

I liked the way the author integrated all the components of his story. He lets us learn all about the various historical and current events that distinguish this world from our continuum through casual, off-the-cuff conversations and through Fatma's musings. He gives clear portraits of his characters, including the villains and supernatural beings.

I loved Fatma, one of the Ministry's few female operatives. She is highly competent, smart and independent. She has the drive and determination to succeed, but not at the expense of others. Her interactions with Hadja, a partner she neither wanted nor asked for, and Sati, a mysterious "independent contractor," felt genuine and natural. Their collaboration and relationships aren't always easy, but they all address issues and resolve them in a friendly way. I found this refreshing - these days, most fantasy books wallow in gray morality and violence; Master of Djinn keeps the stakes high, but also makes the reader smile and feel warm and fuzzy inside.

In addition to the wholesome characters, engaging plot, and arcane mysteries, the book deals with issues such as colonialism, sexism, racism, and more, but never gets preachy. Instead, it allows the reader to make up their own mind about the morality of the issues.

A Master of Djinn is the first novel set in a world outlined in a novelette A Dead Djinn in Cairo and the novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015. Djèlí Clark delves deep into this world and ups the stakes considerably. With great success! The ending left me with a satisfied smile and appetite for more.

wonderful story!

With well rounded characters, strong (yet realistic) female leads, witty dialogue, and a great storyline this novel really shines. The narrator does a tremendous job with voices and accents. I've been looking forward to his first novel and hope this is the start of many more!

Hit and Miss

The story was decent, but the constant mis-pronunciation of words was distracting. I wanted to like the book based upon the premise. However it just seemed to be off somehow.

What a wonderful world

This book is such a gem. The world it paints is vibrant, colorful and full of promises. I had a bit of a trouble with the narrator... for about 10 minutes. Then I fell in love with her voice and the life she gave to the characters. Wonderful.

A New Arabian Nights!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the narration!!! The imagery had me entranced throughout. I want to listen to it again immediately and I cannot wait for a second novel! I will be going back to read the prequel short stories now!