A Master of Djinn - P. Djeli Clark - Book Review

 

                I was browsing for books of the fantasy genre when I came across this book. The name Djinn sparked interest, and I ended up selecting this as my next read.

            Egypt is a place in its fullest glory where djinns and people coexist. Fatma is a brilliant young woman who works for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. A mass murder happens that involves some prominent people, and it is attributed to Al-Jahiz, a famous mystic who lived many years back and transformed Egypt into what it is at present. All hell breaks loose when a person claiming to be Al-Jahiz appears out of nowhere, spreading discord. He can control the Djinns like Al-Jahiz claimed to. Fatma, along with her team, should race against time to get to the bottom of what ensues. 

            The first thing that caught my attention was the whole setting of the story. Most of the fantasy books I have read are set in an English background with ghouls, monsters, ogres, etc. This book has an Arabic backdrop that piqued my interest from the start. The book starts with a bit of excitement, which tames down as it goes, maintaining the pace as the world is built around us. Halfway into the book, it surprisingly picks up pace and keeps us well excited all the way. The book is a surprise drift away from pine forests and Gothic castles to deserts and palaces. There are a lot of things talked about in the book - feminism, women's suffrage, war, economic marginalisation of society, etc. I liked how that dived down to the djinn community as well. The pacing was apt, like I said. But the climax felt a bit dragging and preachy. The writing style was simple enough, with a lot of Arabic words being used. The characters were interestingly written (human, Djinn and Angels). Every character had their own shades, which they carried around perfectly. I realized that two novellas precede the book, which I have not read. But it did not hamper the reading experience anywhere.

            In short, a wonderfully written fantasy novel set in the Arabian lands. It will be a welcome change for fantasy lovers. And, if this develops as a series, I would certainly be interested to read more.