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arnold68081's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
aotales's review against another edition
4.0
100% you will enjoy this more if you read at least one of the mini novella’s that predate this release (you can find them easily and for free). I, however, learned about A Dead Djinn in Cairo and The Haunting of Tram Car 015 well into reading this story. Admittedly, it therefore took me a long time to sink into A Master of Djinn and it was frustratingly confusing when events/characters were referenced from these prior novellas … especially since this is marketed as the FIRST book in the Fatma el-Sha’arawi series!
Aside from the frustrating drawbacks of “playing catchup”, this was a really entertaining read. Full of surprisingly snarky, slapstick humour, a unique steampunk take of Cairo 1920, a world where Djinn walk among humans, and just an all-around fantastic leading lady detective. The queer romance is well developed, central to the plot, and features two equally strong, complicated women.
A Master of Djinn is an entertaining, all around fun read that while the author does bog down the narrative with some information dumps, it still remains lighthearted and approachable mythological fantasy. Come for the alternate steampunk take of 1920s Cairo and stay for the strong female characters, crafty imagination, slapstick humour, and the most fantastic mentor/rookie relationship ever. I definitely want detective Fatma el-Sha’arawi in my squad!
Big thank-you to Tordotcom for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Aside from the frustrating drawbacks of “playing catchup”, this was a really entertaining read. Full of surprisingly snarky, slapstick humour, a unique steampunk take of Cairo 1920, a world where Djinn walk among humans, and just an all-around fantastic leading lady detective. The queer romance is well developed, central to the plot, and features two equally strong, complicated women.
A Master of Djinn is an entertaining, all around fun read that while the author does bog down the narrative with some information dumps, it still remains lighthearted and approachable mythological fantasy. Come for the alternate steampunk take of 1920s Cairo and stay for the strong female characters, crafty imagination, slapstick humour, and the most fantastic mentor/rookie relationship ever. I definitely want detective Fatma el-Sha’arawi in my squad!
Big thank-you to Tordotcom for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
thelittleotter's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
medium-paced
4.5
This was a wonderful book, the early time setting but steampunk themes were perfect along with the magical elements. I did see a twist coming but loved the ending!
jessvm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
katjerrr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mystery meets fantasy meets politics meets feminism
ohmygoshman's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book. A lot of people I know liked this book. The Nebula committee liked this book, but I really had to slog to get through it. lt has a dapper queer female protagonist, which made it seem like a shoe in for my affections, but unfortunately for me, it felt like the characters were flat and the plot was not necessarily clear or consistent. The world-building was interesting, but the continued introduction of bigger and badder magical beings felt uninspired. It had that deus ex machina thing that I find off-putting. I don't know if reading the short stories would have helped - it did seem like there was a lot of backstory that was frequently referenced. Overall, some good moments but just disappointingly not my cup of tea in the end.
lqvekanej's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
simplysope's review against another edition
5.0
This is w/out a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read.
I remember when I first learned to read and I was mesmerized by books. "You mean to tell me an ordinary person came up with this?"
That is exactly how this book makes me feel.
The book features a queer female detective, magical entities, and so many concurrent mysteries. My absolute favorite part was how FUNNY the book was. I felt the levity and found myself laughing aloud many times. Do you know how hard it is to weave genuine humor into fantasy books, w/out sounding like a bunch of forced quips?
This book was enjoyable from start to finish and I am so grateful to the author. Books that rekindle my wonder of literature do not happen often and I’m so glad to add this one to the list.
Every note of the book was perfect and I loved it wholly. Brilliantly written, expertly researched, and endlessly immersive. A dream.
I remember when I first learned to read and I was mesmerized by books. "You mean to tell me an ordinary person came up with this?"
That is exactly how this book makes me feel.
The book features a queer female detective, magical entities, and so many concurrent mysteries. My absolute favorite part was how FUNNY the book was. I felt the levity and found myself laughing aloud many times. Do you know how hard it is to weave genuine humor into fantasy books, w/out sounding like a bunch of forced quips?
This book was enjoyable from start to finish and I am so grateful to the author. Books that rekindle my wonder of literature do not happen often and I’m so glad to add this one to the list.
Every note of the book was perfect and I loved it wholly. Brilliantly written, expertly researched, and endlessly immersive. A dream.