When a djinn is found dead – exsanguinated, to be precise – it’s Fatma el-Sha’awari’s task, as an investigator for Egypt’s Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, to find out how and why, in P. Djèlí Clark’s intriguing urban fantasy A Dead Djinn in Cairo. What at first appears to be a simple case of suicide (however unlikely that may be among immortals) quickly develops into a mystery involving djinn mythology, mechanical angels and flesh-eating ghuls rising from Cairo’s slums. Whatever it is that’s stirring amongst the city’s supernatural denizens, it’s up to Fatma to put a stop to it.
There’s a lot of world building to cram into this alternate-history short story, from technology (dirigibles, aerial trams, mechanical servants) and supernatural creatures to magic and mythology, but it’s a delight to explore from start to finish. The plot itself is pretty easy to follow with few real surprises, but it’s entertaining and full of excitement right from the off, and the investigation provides plenty of opportunities for details of this world to be gradually revealed. There’s also a wonderful sense of modernity taking hold of an ancient city, nicely emphasised by Fatma’s boorish male counterparts in the local police who disapprove of her appearance and grumble about the changing times. It’s hard not to want more of these characters and the overall setting (and luckily there is more in the novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015), but even as a standalone story it’s brilliantly imaginative, evocative and a lot of fun.
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