A Master of Djinn

A Master of Djinn

1st US edition
Author	P. Djèlí Clark
Cover artist	Stephan Martiniere
Language	English
Series	Dead Djinn Universe
Genre	Steampunk Fantasy
Set in	Cairo
Publisher	Tordotcom
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardcover), ebook, kindle
Pages	392
Awards	Compton Crook Award Nebula—Novel Ignyte Award Locus—First Novel
ISBN	9781250267689 (1st ed US hardcover)

A Master of Djinn is a 2021 fantasy steampunk novel by American writer P. Djèlí Clark, published by Tor.com.^[1][2] The book is part of Clark's the Dead Djinn Universe and follows the events of the novelette "A Dead Djinn in Cairo",^[3] and the novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015.^[4]

A Master of Djinn is the winner of the 2022 Nebula Award for Best Novel, the 2022 Locus Award for Best First Novel, and the 2022 Compton Crook Award for Best Novel, and was nominated for the 2022 Mythopoeic Award for Fantasy Literature, the 2022 World Fantasy Award—Novel, and the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Novel.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11]}

Plot

In 1912 Cairo, Fatma el-Sha'arawi serves as an agent for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities and has recently been recognized for thwarting a malevolent scheme—a story recounted in the prequel novelette A Dead Djinn in Cairo. The Hermetic Brotherhood of Al-Jahiz, mainly composed of Englishmen who admire Al-Jahiz—a Sudanese mystic who reintroduced magic to the world around forty years ago—suffers a brutal attack when a man donning a golden mask murders its members during a meeting. Fatma is tasked with finding the murderer and resolving the case. With assistance from her new Ministry partner, Hadia Abdel Hafez, and her lover, Siti—a Sekhmet devotee and informant linked to the clandestine followers of the Egyptian pantheon—Fatma follows a trail of clues and leads throughout Cairo and its environs pursuing the gold-masked assailant who proclaims to be Al-Jahiz himself supposedly returned to the world.

Reception

Publishers Weekly gave the novel a starred review, calling it "stunning" and a "fantastic feat of postcolonial imagination", lauding Clark's "colorful prose," "thorough worldbuilding," and "keen, critical eye toward gender, class, and imperialism."^[12]

Kristi Chadwick at Library Journal gave the novel a starred review, calling it "a richly detailed, action-packed novel" and praising Clark's "fantastical worldbuilding [that] highlights thematic issues of colonialism, spirituality, and race relations" as well as "issues of gender and class".^[13]

Booklist gave the book a starred review, and described it as a "delightful combination of mystery, fantasy, and romance."^[14]

Marisa Mercurio of Strange Horizons called the novel "smart", "enormously fun", "an adventure that grapples with a history of imperialism", and praised Clark's rendering of a diverse cast of women from a variety of backgrounds.^[15]

Awards and nominations

A Master of Djinn won the Nebula Award for Best Novel of 2021, the 2022 Locus Award for Best First Novel, and the 2022 Compton Crook Award for Best Novel.^[5][6][7] The novel was also nominated for the 2022 Mythopoeic Award for Fantasy Literature, the 2022 World Fantasy Award—Novel, and the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Novel.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Year	Award		Result	Ref.
2021	Dragon Awards	Alternate History Novel	Shortlisted	[16]
	Nebula Award	Novel	Won	[5]
2022	Compton Crook Award	—	Won	[7]
	Hugo Award	Novel	Shortlisted	[10][11]
	Ignyte Award	Adult	Won	[17]
	Locus Award	First Novel	Won	[6]
	Mythopoeic Award	Adult	Shortlisted	[8]
	World Fantasy Award	Novel	Shortlisted	[9]

References

1. Wolfe, Gary K.; Bourke, Liz (June 18, 2021). "Gary K. Wolfe and Liz Bourke Review A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark". Locus Online. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
2. Wint, Kerine (May 6, 2021). "A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark". FIYAH Literary Magazine. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
3. "A Dead Djinn in Cairo". Tor.com. May 18, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
4. "P. Djèlí Clark The Haunting of Tram Car 015". Retrieved 2022-05-26.
5. "SFWA Announces the Winners of the 57th Annual Nebula Awards®" (Press release). Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. May 21, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
6. "2022 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Magazine. June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
7. "Clark Wins 2022 Compton Crook Award". Locus Magazine. April 12, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
8. "2022 Mythopoeic Awards Winners". Locus Magazine. August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
9. "2022 World Fantasy Awards Finalists". Locus Magazine. July 20, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
10. "2022 Hugo Awards". TheHugoAwards. April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
11. Codega, Linda (April 7, 2022). "The 2022 Hugo Award Nominations Are Here". Gizmodo. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
12. "Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Book Review: A Master of Djinn by P Djèlí Clark". www.publishersweekly.com. 2021-05-11. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
13. Chadwick, Kristi (May 1, 2021). "A Master of Djinn by P Djèlí Clark". Library Journal. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
14. "Master of Djinn, by P. Djèlí Clark". Booklist Online.
15. Mercurio, Marisa (November 8, 2021). "A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark". Strange Horizons. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
16. Glyer, Mike (12 August 2021). "2021 Dragon Awards Ballot". File 770. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
17. FIYAH Magazine [@fiyahlitmag] (September 17, 2022). "And the best 2022 Novel winner is... @pdjeliclark's A Master of Djinn #IGNYTEAwards" (Tweet). Retrieved September 17, 2022 – via Twitter.