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A review by ekcd_
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Universe
This book is advertised as the author's debut book, but apparently, he has also written some short stories that are in the same universe. When I started reading, I felt like I had accidentally picked up a sequel or accidentally picked up a book halfway through. A lot of the character's cryptic references were actually major plot points from the short stories that were not addressed at all in the book. It wasn't mysterious and gripping it was pretty confusing trying to piece together who Fatma is, what happened to her, what is important to her, etc.
Setting and Cultural Context.
I was raised in a euro-centric Christian culture, and so this book was not written for me. As such, there were a lot of little things that I missed. Maybe I would have been more invested in the characters if I had been better introduced to the characters and/or known more about the culture. I have to wonder if the short stories established some of the Islamic / Muslim / Religious / Cultural themes that would have made the book more cohesive to me personally. Because I am unfamiliar with this part of the world and its customs, I can't comment if it is accurate or problematic. Just be prepared that if you don't know much about 20th-century Egypt, you probably will feel lost. Had Wikipedia pulled up the whole time and learned a lot, but the book wasn't good enough to warrant doing this again.
I love fantasy, and sometimes being dropped in the middle of the world gives the reader an endearing "stranger in a strange land" vibe, but this was just frustrating.
Writing Style
The prose was so purple that I stopped paying attention to the paragraphs of character descriptions and clothing descriptions. The descriptions were not detailed; they were just long. You could line up all the character introductions without their names shuffling the order and genuinely not be able to identify them.
The dialogue was choppy, and some of the words made no sense - I can't tell if the book was translated, or again, it's just little cultural norms or cues that I am missing, but some of the speaking words made no sense with the situation. I'm normally not picky with this; no one is perfect, but after I noticed it, it was like noticing I had popcorn in my teeth, and I was in a terrible mood until I got it out (i.e., finished the book).
*Spoilers Follow*
Characters
Fatma:
Wearing a suit and tie as a woman is not a personality trait. Quoting your mother's overly metaphorical but ultimately meaningless maxims is not a personality trait. This character has so much potential as a queer WOC, and it was completely squandered. Fatma also is incredibly inconsistent but not in a "loveable unreliable narrator" or "character flaw way" but in a "does the author even know their own character?" way. . In the final two chapters, Fatma mentions being against slavery, yet within seconds of putting on the ring starts to control the Djinn. Then moments later, the Seal compliments her on how pure she is? What??
The ethical dilemmas she faces had the potential to be rich and detailed, but all of her choices are rushed by crisis, and it feels like a cheap narrative tool to avoid discussing bigger ethical and social justice subtleties.
Antagonist (MAJOR SPOILER):
Abigail as the villain is super weird. She's somehow one-dimensional and inconsistent at the same time. The book would be identical if you just removed her completely from the story. The "reveal" is one sentence and not very thought out.
Sexism, Colorism, Bigotry, Colonization, Slavery, etc
Once again, I feel like there was a secret book I missed here. Many other reviews laud this book as a great commentary on big social justice issues, and I did not get that impression at all. Bigotry, religious intolerance, sexism, colorism, and racism were mentioned maybe once or twice each (in a 400-page book) and it was always just a small comment from one of the characters. The issues were not addressed or acknowledged otherwise. There were no significant plot issues driven by these themes or plot points that interacted with them. Wasted potential ? False advertisement? Personal opinion? Yes.
Plot Holes
This is not a procedural, it is more of a fantasy call to adventure. There is no police work happening here, no induction, deduction, or sleuthing. Not a good or bad thing, but certainly not a mystery as advertised.
Overall
I will forget about this book the second I submit this review. It left very little impression on me. I am disappointed because this has been suggested to me both by humans and algorithms, so I had high expectations. Not worth 400 pages, I will not be reading it again and will not suggest it to other people.
THAT BEING SAID, it did whet my appetite for Egyptian mythology and folklore, and I already have some non-fiction on the topic being queued up.
This book is advertised as the author's debut book, but apparently, he has also written some short stories that are in the same universe. When I started reading, I felt like I had accidentally picked up a sequel or accidentally picked up a book halfway through. A lot of the character's cryptic references were actually major plot points from the short stories that were not addressed at all in the book. It wasn't mysterious and gripping it was pretty confusing trying to piece together who Fatma is, what happened to her, what is important to her, etc.
Setting and Cultural Context.
I was raised in a euro-centric Christian culture, and so this book was not written for me. As such, there were a lot of little things that I missed. Maybe I would have been more invested in the characters if I had been better introduced to the characters and/or known more about the culture. I have to wonder if the short stories established some of the Islamic / Muslim / Religious / Cultural themes that would have made the book more cohesive to me personally. Because I am unfamiliar with this part of the world and its customs, I can't comment if it is accurate or problematic. Just be prepared that if you don't know much about 20th-century Egypt, you probably will feel lost. Had Wikipedia pulled up the whole time and learned a lot, but the book wasn't good enough to warrant doing this again.
I love fantasy, and sometimes being dropped in the middle of the world gives the reader an endearing "stranger in a strange land" vibe, but this was just frustrating.
Writing Style
The prose was so purple that I stopped paying attention to the paragraphs of character descriptions and clothing descriptions. The descriptions were not detailed; they were just long. You could line up all the character introductions without their names shuffling the order and genuinely not be able to identify them.
The dialogue was choppy, and some of the words made no sense - I can't tell if the book was translated, or again, it's just little cultural norms or cues that I am missing, but some of the speaking words made no sense with the situation. I'm normally not picky with this; no one is perfect, but after I noticed it, it was like noticing I had popcorn in my teeth, and I was in a terrible mood until I got it out (i.e., finished the book).
*Spoilers Follow*
Characters
Fatma:
Wearing a suit and tie as a woman is not a personality trait. Quoting your mother's overly metaphorical but ultimately meaningless maxims is not a personality trait. This character has so much potential as a queer WOC, and it was completely squandered. Fatma also is
The ethical dilemmas she faces had the potential to be rich and detailed, but all of her choices are rushed by crisis, and it feels like a cheap narrative tool to avoid discussing bigger ethical and social justice subtleties.
Antagonist (MAJOR SPOILER):
Sexism, Colorism, Bigotry, Colonization, Slavery, etc
Once again, I feel like there was a secret book I missed here. Many other reviews laud this book as a great commentary on big social justice issues, and I did not get that impression at all. Bigotry, religious intolerance, sexism, colorism, and racism were mentioned maybe once or twice each (in a 400-page book) and
Plot Holes
This is not a procedural, it is more of a fantasy call to adventure. There is no police work happening here, no induction, deduction, or sleuthing. Not a good or bad thing, but certainly not a mystery as advertised.
Overall
I will forget about this book the second I submit this review. It left very little impression on me. I am disappointed because this has been suggested to me both by humans and algorithms, so I had high expectations. Not worth 400 pages, I will not be reading it again and will not suggest it to other people.
THAT BEING SAID, it did whet my appetite for Egyptian mythology and folklore, and I already have some non-fiction on the topic being queued up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Islamophobia, Murder, Classism, Misogyny, War, Slavery, Police brutality, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Confinement, Gun violence, Violence, and Lesbophobia