Welcome to Litsy!

Great world building with interesting characters. Looking forward to reading the novellas

Egypt is a super power in 1912. Much of the world is careening towards war. In Cairo, Fatma el-Sha‘arawi, is a celebrated agent in the ministry tasked with managing the many magical entities and objects let loose many years ago. With the assassination of the members of a secret brotherhood, a new threat arises. Fatma must stop an impostor before Cairo erupts into a maelstrom of fire. Four of five ⭐️ for a rollicking fun steampunk story.

#Two4Tuesday

1. Tagged—loved Clark‘s story about a never colonized, steampunk-ish Cairo with magic & djinn & more. Also loved Spy x Family Vol. 1 & was as entertained by Iron Flame as I expected.

2. Looking forward to Ruthless Vows, the sequel to Divine Rivals. It‘s a little bit of a wait though…it doesn‘t come out until the 26th!

@TheSpineView

It took me much longer to read this book—definitely a me problem, not a book problem—than it should. Loved this story set in a richly imagined, steampunk, uncolonized early-20th c. Cairo where magic is everywhere, djinn roam freely, & a gruesome crime threatens to upend everything. Great characters, fantastic setting, & engaging plot full of mystery, secrets, death, & more. Clark is a masterful writer & I look forward to reading more of his work.

Really enjoying this one so far—reading today with coffee, a caramel apple chocolate square and overcast, grey skies. It‘s starting to feel a lot like autumn!

Bedtime reading…

3.5/5⭐ The writing and audiobook narrator are incredible. This book would translate beautifully to a movie. What brought my rating down was 1) the villain's fate at the very end; it felt like the author was trying so hard to avoid violent ends that he did something even worse, and 2) the flatlining of the conflict to almost cartoonish good vs evil, which erased some nuanced social conflicts the villain brought up early in the story.

Didn‘t think I was going to finish this! It felt very long to me. Not sure because all his other books are novellas. It was good and I enjoyed the story. A lot of geography talk. It‘s been on my TBR forever, so glad to get it off!

#LMPBC Round 17 - I‘m out of envelopes, should get some delivered this weekend. So I‘ll try and mail it back next week Chrissy!

Master is on its way to you, @persephone1408 !

#lmpbc #groupf

Wow, that was...wow. I have thoughts, but I'm going to wait to share them with my #lmpbc #groupf

I should have this on the way to you early next week, @persephone1408

@Chrissyreadit @Laughterhp

I got this in the mail today, @Chrissyreadit. I'm so excited to jump in!

@persephone1408 @Laughterhp #lmpbc #groupf

This book was not what I expected- in a good way. I did enjoy the characters, especially Ahmed- and the overall story arc- I do think it could have been a little shorter and perhaps more emphasis on different parts of the story- but that might reflect my interest in characters more than the story itself. Going in the mail today #lmpbc
I used to be a fast reader…. I‘m not sure what happened. 😆

This book was a DELIGHT. Engaging characters, especially the MC, Fatma, who is bold, clever, and has just the right amount of swagger. The setting is unique and the mystery compelling. I did guess the villain well before the end, but it was a wild ride getting there, and one I completely enjoyed. Highly recommend for lovers of both mystery and fantasy, and can‘t wait for the next entry!

Picked this up on Kindle. A great read so far, if a little gruesome — it‘s somehow also a fun mystery frolic, which is impressive. Love the sideways step to a slightly different world, too.

A queer detective of the supernatural in an alternate, steampunk Cairo full of djinn in 1912!? Yes please!! Most of the main characters were women of various backgrounds and religions striving to succeed in a Cairo thrown into modernity by the the mysterious Al-Jahiz. I loved Fatma, Siti, and Hadia!! They were all complex characters and the romance was amazing. The angels were so disturbing! Looking forward to Clarke‘s other works!!

This was a ton of fun! Fantastic world building, djinn and other magical entities roam the world, having been released / brought to our world by an Egyptian mystic in the 1800s. Steampunk + magic + lead roles are women + light romance + djinn + period piece dealing with colonialism and the lead up to WW1? If that sounds like a lot, it is, and it came together great.

What a wonderful book! If you like fantasy, read this one.❤️❤️❤️

I'm excited to be starting this fantasy adventure!

A 1920s fantasy Cairo where djinn live alongside humans in a delicate balance between magic and non-magic life. An investigating agent solves supernatural crimes while navigating misogyny, conflicting ideology, racism, and the lingering effects of colonialism. A wonderful tale that has me looking forward to the next book in the series.

Currently reading, about 53% of the book.

Too much historic talks. It's slow and I'm getting sleepy 😴😴

Alternate 1912 Cairo full of magic and steampunk vibes, this mystery/fantasy was fun to read.

Trying to read through my booklist for #bookspinbingo but I just can't do it, so I pick up another book not on the list. I love the font 😍😍
And that first page just killed it 👹👹

With the Hugo finalists largely taking over my June reading, I've barely gotten any non-fiction reading in this month. Also, my format has largely swung to digital vs my preference for print books. Tagged book is the next Hugo on my list.

Pride Month: Day Sixteen! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

If you're looking for a different sort of fantasy story, you might want to give this one a try! It features an alternate 1920's Cairo in which djinn, ghosts, and all sorts of other creatures share the world with people. 📚💕

#pridemonth #queerbooks #lgbtq

This steampunk historical fantasy set in 1912 Cairo is a 2022 Hugo Best Novel nominee. It's a fun read with an interesting cast of magical characters.
#hugoawards #hugo2022

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Hanging out with my curious little dog on this Tuesday night. A MASTER OF DJINN is my P. Djèlí Clark tiebreaker, and I‘m pleased to report I‘m enjoying it a lot! It‘s super readable and I‘ve had fun digging into his alternate Cairo. #gaymay

I picked up three more Gay May titles on the way to the grocery store: an historical fantasy, a short fiction anthology, and a biography. Good times. #gaymay

This was the April pick for the Sword and Laser book club. The world building was excellent. The author constructed a steampunk magical Cairo in 1912, where Djinn live alongside humans and magic is everywhere. The author wrote several short stories in this setting before writing this novel. I read one of the stories, but it‘s not necessary to do so. Although I found the plot predictable, I enjoyed being in the world.

I like the world building of an alternate history/ steampunk / fantasy Egypt and the forefront of Cairo and Egyptian culture, detached a bit from the British empire even if they are a presence and central to the main plot. It feels like the primary message is don't underestimate women! Ha.

I do think my enjoyment of the novel was enhanced by my reading of the three connected novellas.

In an alternate Cairo, a young female police inspector follows the trail of clues from the supernatural murders of a seemingly harmless cult of idolaters. This is a richly detailed setting, a mixture of the real and the fantastic, with believable characters and a satisfying plot. I'll be looking for more from Clark in the future.

Full review at https://lamp.works/bwl?s=B08HKXS84X
#scifi #occult

This has it all - urban historical steampunk gender queer fantasy 🙌 Set in early twentieth century Cairo we follow Fatma, (agent for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities) hunt down a dangerous imposter stealing magical artifacts. Egypt is a global power that kicked out the British with the help of djinn and suffrage is bringing women into traditionally male roles. The city is still not ready to accept Fatma‘s ⬇️

This was a lot of fun! I enjoy Fatma and all the other characters, though I never feel like I can really lose myself in Clark‘s stories. I guessed the Big Bad quite early on but enjoyed the labyrinthine quest for all the answers, and there were definitely a few twists I didn‘t expect.

🎧 Fatma is the youngest female Agent at the Ministry of Alchemy. Her love interest is a female half-Djinn (a call back to a previous novella).

This was a FUN read. A murder mystery involving a possible imposter, magic, sleeping Djinn, Djinn living amongst & working with humans in 1912 Cairo! Mystery needs to be solved before there‘s an all out war.

A steampunky vibe.

The dialog is on par with Ring Shout & the narrator is great.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

For my #FoodandLit tour of Egypt, I read two books: the Lonely Planet guide and this amazing ride through an alternative Cairo where steam technology and magic coexist to make Egypt one of the world‘s great powers.
I love the characters in Clark‘s world (begun in two novellas before this full length novel), the world he has created, and the exploration of all kinds of power dynamics. I hope there will be more books in this universe!

Being third one in the series, I liked the full novel length. The first two ones seemed short in a very unsatisfactory way - the reader longing for more. I did not see some of the twist coming, but the ultimate and last one was clear to me already at the middle of the book. But Djèli Clark writes in a perfect way keeping the reader on a leash. ???

Before God, our blood means nothing. Virtue is in deeds, not the skin.

My #12Booksof2021 pick for May is this steam-punkish, alternate history, Urban Fantasy set in Cairo - where djinn are part of every day life and badass female detectives rock.

@Andrew65

@Crazeedi @Lizpixie

I really enjoyed this one. Fun characters, nice worldbuilding and interesting setting.

#BookReport
Managed to finish two books again this week so I‘m feeling good. Master of Djinn was excellent so I‘m glad my book club chose it.

#WeeklyForecast
Now that my book club picks for the month are done it‘s back to the BookSpin grind. I may end up bailing on the fairytales though.

I really enjoyed this but I think even though it‘s the first full length novel in this world you need to read the two previous short works to get the full scope of the story. I love this world if djinn and supernatural entities with a steampunk flair. I also really liked Fatma and her unique perspective.

I‘m so glad to have this back, and I cannot wait to sit and look through everybody‘s comments! Thank you for a wonderful experience and introducing me to some new authors! ❤️ #LMPBC #GroupL #Round12

#BookReport
I managed to finish not one but two things this week so I'm very pleased. After my slumpish reading lately this was so good. I also really enjoyed both books I read this week.

#WeeklyForecast
My goal this week is to finish Neverending Story and Master of Djinn. I also want to get at least another 25 pages into Fairy Tales as well.

Isn't it nice when a book just springs an amazing library on you? ☺😍

Since I'm on vacation next week, I'm going to try and finish all my current reads and maybe get started on my #bookspin.

#novelnovember @Andrew65

Just finished this snuggled on my couch. It‘s a soft pick for me as it was a difficult read but I enjoyed its spirit and I did want to finish the story. This is my last #LMPBC book for the last round. I‘m late finishing it but it will be headed back to you, @ozma.of.oz soon! @kellyann28 @Endowarrior21

I love this world of steampunk and djinn magic set in an alternate Cairo in the early 1910s. This first full length novel is not quite as effective as the novellas, but it's still a fun, worthwhile read. Fun nods to Peter Pan and Lord of the Rings in its inspiration.

Archibald James Portendorf disliked stairs.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

This a new favorite!! I love the world, the characters, the way the story is woven together, it‘s all great. I also appreciated the little Easter eggs throughout for those that have read the preceding short stories and novella. Alternate history 1920s Cairo with steampunk elements and djinn. Throw in a murder and a loveable cast of characters and you‘ve got this book. Moves fairly quickly and I can‘t wait for more in this world!