Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Ladies do buddy cop stuff in early 20th century steampunk Egypt

A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

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To be clear from the get-go, I hope A Master of Djinn is the first of a series. It’s got an interesting world, a twist of the classic steampunk which takes the perspective of the Egyptians not the English with a strong reliance of the local folklore/mythology (as opposed to the European traditions), it’s got some interesting characters, like Agent Fatma a queer lady Agent of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, Siti her capricious lover, and Agent Hadia rookie partner. Some of […]

Believing is seeing

A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

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In A Master of Djinn, writer P. Djeli Clark takes his readers back to Cairo, 1912, and a world where magical creatures such as djinn have become a normal part of life along with their incredible magical mechanical inventions. This book, which is a full-length novel rather than a novella like his previous works, features Agent Fatma el-Sha’arwi, special investigator with the Egyptian Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities. She was the main character in A Dead Djinn in Cairo, and it’s wonderful to […]

Even in an Alternate History, the Great Game is Still Played

A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

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A Master of Djinn is phenomenal. At the most basic level it is a very good murder mystery. On top of that it is a fantastic alternate history fantasy. The whipped cream on this sundae of a book is the smart commentary. It is layered, atmospheric, tense, and sharp. The two novellas that came before, A Dead Djinn in Cairo and The Haunting of Tram Car 015 are wonderful in their own right, but utterly necessary as an introduction to Clark’s world. I love it […]

Ring Shout: Monster Slaying KKK Fighting Awesomeness

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

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Ring Shout by @pdjeliclark– short, fast-paced historical fantasy w/ a little southern gothic thrown in. It’s an exploration of hate, how it builds, consumes, and makes blind, & its destructive power in the US, especially the South. Awesome monster fighting! Highly recommend

An Interesting Woman in a Sharp Suit

A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark

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A Dead Djinn in Cairo is like a bonbon. It’s perfect exactly as it is, but it leaves you wanting more, more, more. Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the interesting woman in the sharp suit, and we are dropped into her world with little fanfare. In Clark’s Cairo of 1912, the British and the French tried to colonize Egypt, but the sudden arrival of magical creatures drove them out. Some 40 years earlier, a man named al-Jahiz opened a portal allowing all kinds of djinn, […]

“…I hunt monsters. And I got a sword that sings.”

Ring Shout or Hunting Ku Kluxes in the End Times by P. Djeli Clark

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P. Djeli Clark continues to amaze me with his writing. In this short novel, he leaves behind the “steampunk” and adds plenty of horror to a story set in 1922 Macon, Georgia. As with his previously reviewed works, Clark creates a world where magic is real and plenty of strong women of color stand ready to wield it. Ring Shout or Hunting Ku Kluxes in the End Times focuses, unsurprisingly, on American racism and white supremacy. I think we all accept that Klansmen are monsters, […]



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