Review to comeI have to say this was a lot of fun to listen to on audio. As soon as Agent Fatma from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities arrives on the scene to work the case of the dead Englishmen the story is a complete joy. Fatma is one of the few female agents but is given her due by her male coworkers because of her skill. She stands out in Cairo in her beautifully tailored suits even as it becomes a power in the world with the help of the return of the djinn to the world. She enjoys her job and is good at it. With the help of her girlfriend Siti and her contacts with underrepresented religions in Cairo she is going to solve this case. It seems that al-Jahiz has returned to the world 50 years after allowing the djinn to come back. But is it al-Jahiz or something else? Whatever it is, it can control the djinn and it is tipping the balance of the world. I really enjoyed the story and now I need to track down the other short stories set in this universe and find out if and when there will be more stories of Agent Fatma. ( )

I was a little nervous this wouldn't be as good as the short fiction in the series, but I ended up really loving this. The story has great characters, amazing world-building, really engaging writing and very sharp social commentary. It also has snarky djinn, enigmatic clockwork angels, and an interesting love interest whose sole purpose isn't just being the love interest.

The story takes place in alternate 1910's magical Cairo, where the "western world" isn't able to keep up with Egypt's advancement that's been aided by their acceptance of magic as apart of everyday life. Islam is the prevalent religion, but there are also Coptics as well as the worshippers of the old gods who practice in secret.

Our main character is the youngest female detective working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, and I very much love her. Her relationship with Siti feels very organic and at no point did it feel pasted on. Siti has her own motivations and secrets, so she isn't just there to be The Girlfriend who can be used to raise the stakes for Fatma.

Another character I really liked and would have wanted to have an even larger role was the djinn librarian. I love the snarky bastard characters, especially when they happen to be book nerds.

The plot was good too, even if the twist wasn't as surprising as it maybe could have been. I love this world and Clark's characters so much, that I would pretty much read any story taking place in this universe. I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who appreciates good writing, and would suggest maybe looking into the short stories and novella in this same world before reading this one. Though this does work as a standalone as well, the previous stories help with understanding the world better, and also gives the backstory for Fatma and Siti. ( )

An amazing novel. The author brings an alternate history Cairo to life, and pulls off an intricate plot quite nicely. Well done. ( )

Having seen a bunch of glowing reviews for this, I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did. Clark has created a delightful version of Egypt in 1912. Decades earlier, a mystic/scholar called al-Jahiz opened a portal between realms, before vanishing, and now magical beings, including djinn, co-exist with humans in an independent Egypt that has benefited from djinn design and technology. But trouble is brewing. When the members of a secret British brotherhood dedicated to al-Jahiz are all murdered in a mystical manner, Agent Fatma el-Sha'arawi must find the killer and prevent an al-Jahiz imposter from recreating al-Jahiz's work to bring yet more powerful beings to Earth.

Fatma, a rare woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, prefers to work alone, but her superior assigns a newly minted female agent to be her partner, which provides a logical way to present info dumps as Fatma fills in her unwanted partner and their budding friendship helps keep things moving along. This is a breezy read and I hope to be able to read more about Fatma and her adventures in Cairo. My volume included the story that preceded the novel ("A Dead Djinn in Cairo"), which is a nice plus. ( )

A fantastic fantasy detective book set in Egypt, filled with magic and folklore. The story follows an agent in a magical branch of the ministry, as they try to discover and catch a mass murderer and magical beings. It is a great story, with great characters. It is set in the same universe as P. Djeli Clark's novellas, so if you have read and enjoyed those, you will definitely enjoy this novel. ( )