117. (January 2023) A Master of Djinn, by P. Djèlí Clark — The Tabletop Roleplayers' Book Club

A Master of Djinn 1: Overall impressions

RichardAbbott — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 06:54:53 +0000

Did you enjoy the story as a whole? Did it rely too much on the other two short stories in the series or was it self-contained enough? If you came across a new novel by P. Djèlí Clark would you read it?

A Master of Djinn 4: Prejudice

RichardAbbott — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 06:57:18 +0000

I hadn't realised until rereading this after finishing Babel that various kinds of prejudice are such an important secondary theme here in this book too - not just European prejudice about Egypt but several kinds of internal Egyptian prejudice as well. Do you feel these were handled well?

A Master of Djinn 5:Magic

RichardAbbott — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 06:58:11 +0000

Although never described in detail, magic seems to be a mix of learned spells and actions, innate ability, and the occasional mysterious artefact. Did this blend work for you? Was there enough counterbalance between the different magical forces?

A Master of Djinn 3: The Characters

RichardAbbott — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 06:56:17 +0000

There was a huge cast of characters here, considerably larger than many books I have read recently. Did you find that effective or confusing? How about the blend of human and (various kinds of) supernatural entities?

A Master of Djinn 6: Gaming

RichardAbbott — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 06:58:37 +0000

Which aspects of the book would convert well to a game? Which parts of the story, world-building and/or characters would you include or reject?

A Master of Djinn 2: Setting

RichardAbbott — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 06:55:38 +0000

Did early 20th century alternate Cairo intrigue you? Did the idea of a resurgent Egypt have cred? Some important parts were presented as tales or poems from Egypt's past, typically overlapping with our own past but given new dimensions by the arrival of djinn - did this work for you?

Description and back cover blurb

RichardAbbott — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 15:04:32 +0000

WINNER OF THE NEBULA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL

'Clever, wickedly fun . . . with an excellent balance of humour and heart. I loved it' S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass

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 fifty 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 . . .

P. Djèlí Clark is the winner of the Nebula, Locus, and Alex Awards and has been shortlisted for the Hugo Award.