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kmoz's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Gore, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
alisonvh's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
bergha1998's review against another edition
- 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
Historical Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Diverse
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
emily_mh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Police brutality, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Major: six uses of the Arabic anti-Black a-slur, self-injury, body control, mind control, blackface Moderate: two uses of the archaic anti-Black n-slur, colourism, bomb Minor: gambling, apartheid, fainting, one use of the archaic anti-Black b-slur, imprisonmentwillow_the_wisp's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
asahome's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Self harm, Slavery, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jhbandcats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It opens with a chapter demonstrating Agent Fatma’s bravery and skill in dealing with an angry, powerful djinn, and goes on to give her a far more challenging assignment. She’s initially paired with an unwanted partner but very early on they work well together, with none of the squabbling common to Hollywood buddy movies. Fatma’s lover Siti rounds out the trio. The descriptions of Cairo a century ago add realism to the steampunk aesthetic.
I would probably have given this five stars but I was so frequently flummoxed by unknown words that I would really have appreciated a glossary. The words I didn’t know have to do with politics, religion, clothing, food, and magical beings. While the meaning was usually clear from the context, I spent way too much time on Google trying to find out more information.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this. I’ve liked Clark’s novellas and like this full-length novel even more.
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kiala's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: War and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation
lira_the_recluse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
kappafrog's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Fatima and Hadia made a great detective team, and I loved Siti. There were so many amazing side characters too, from a musician refugee from Jim Crow calling himself Mansa Musa, to a haughty djinn librarian, to a master of thieves feeding hungry children while keeping some wealth for herself. The world building was so rich, with so many strands woven together to make an engrossing tapestry. I'd love to see more of this world!
Graphic: Death, Racism, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Blood, Islamophobia, Dementia, Cannibalism, Abandonment, and Alcohol