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A Master of Djinn is a unique fantasy novel, a true blend of genres with elements of steampunk, history, legends, fantasy, and women’s fiction. The story takes place in 1912 Cairo, Egypt, following Fatma el-Sha’arawi, who works for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities as a detective into Egypt’s supernatural occurrences. She investigates an imposter pretending to be the legendary mystic Al-Jahiz, who has made an appearance in Cairo and is causing mayhem among people and djinn alike. The story also explores her relationship with a mysterious woman named Siti, who helps her on her missions and is also her lover.
With djinn magic, political intrigue, secret societies, and an exploration of how strong women find their place in a man’s world, this book seems to have it all. And even better, it comes off as a well-integrated whole rather than a hodgepodge of unrelated elements.
A few drawbacks: In some instances in the story I felt humor was forced or inappropriate, such as in critical life-and-death situations that were not taken seriously. Fatma’s personality is likable enough, but she doesn’t stand out as remarkable. She is a strong character who is determined and willing to put herself in harm’s way for her work, but I didn’t find she had a very solid moral compass. Her partner, Hadia, on the other hand, is a much more likable and engaging character, and had the story followed her point of view instead, I would have enjoyed it much more. And one smaller quibble: Fatma’s obsession with suits and her attire, rather than being a fun idiosyncrasy, feels forced and leads to a loss of some of the story’s believability.
In all, I found A Master of Djinn enjoyable if a bit too drawn out at times. The premise is fascinating and Clark crafts a singular alternative history while representing a strong, intelligent Muslim woman as the protagonist.
Rated: Moderate. Language just includes some use of the mildest terms. There is significant violence and blood, but I did not find the descriptions too detailed. Fighting occurs throughout the book between humans and magical creatures. There is also some intimacy between two women, but the details are not gratuitous.
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