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 fun!

This book was really fun to read and came with a lot of laughs. I smiled all the way through. The narration is fantastic.

The most fun I've had with a book in a while

A delightful mix of a novel setting, cultural representation, and familiar tropes. On one level, this is a classic buddy cop story: the veteran who works alone partnered with a starry eyed rookie well have to overcome their differences to solve the case. But built on the familiar confirm of that framework is something fresh and novel. The veteran is a woman with a penchant for fine men's suits in 1930s Cairo whose lover is a feline femme fatale, and the rookie is a strong-willed hijabi woman who manages that rarest of feats in my experience: being a character for whom faith is an intrinsic part of who they are without it becoming the entirety of what they're about or manifesting in a way that makes the character harder to like.

The audiobook reading is also great. I love a reader who isn't afraid to really emote and be theatrical when the scene calls for it, and this reader does!

If I had to come up with a complaint with A Master of Djinn, there is one twist that the book seemed to expect to be more of a surprise than it was, but even then it was revealed in a scene that was just fun to imagine played out in my head. This is a book that begs to be made into a movie or big budget miniseries.

I'm looking forward to reading the other stories featuring these characters!

Djinn lovers must read!

Imaginative, fantastical and mysterious. If you are one who seeks out tales of the djinn, this work is enchanting and worth losing yourself in. Praise to P. Djeli Clark!

Fantastic!

I dearly hope there will be more novels in this world with Agent Fatima as the protagonist. Bravo!

Great story, only decent performance

The story is fantastic. I appreciate the immersion and inclusivity of hiring an actress with an accent for the reading. Some of this performers dialogue was stilted, some words mispronounced, some scenes overacted. Other parts, especially the protagonist’s, she did quite well with. Overall, though, I’d recommend this audiobook.