A Master of Djinn


A Master of Djinn is a 2021 fantasy steampunk novel by American writer P. Djèlí Clark, published by Tor.com. The book is part of Clark's the Dead Djinn Universe and follows the events of the novelette "A Dead Djinn in Cairo" and the novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015.
A Master of Djinn won the 2021 Nebula Award for Best Novel, the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Novel, Locus Award for Best First Novel, and the Compton Crook Award for Best Novel. It was a finalist for several other literary awards.

Plot

In 1912 Cairo, Fatma el-Sha'arawi serves as an agent for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities. The Brotherhood of Al-Jahiz is a secret society of Englishmen who admire Al-Jahiz, a mystic who reintroduced magic to the world around forty years ago. Many members of the Brotherhood are murdered by a man in a golden mask who claims to be Al-Jahiz himself. Among the victims is the Brotherhood's founder, Alistair Worthington. Fatma visits the murder scene and meets Abigail Worthington, Alistair's daughter.
Fatma is assisted by her new Ministry partner, Hadia Abdel Hafez, and her lover, Siti. Siti is a follower of the old Egyptian religion, a devotee of Sekhmet. Through Siti, Fatma meets Ahmad, a priest of Sobek.
A man wearing a golden mask and calling himself Al-Jahiz begins appearing in the poor neighborhoods of Cairo. Fatma and the police attempt to arrest him for murder, but he escapes. Fatma and Hadia interview Alexander Worthington, the son of Alistair Worthington. Alexander is unhelpful, but his sister Abigail provides the agents with financial documents from the Brotherhood.
The Ministry is attacked by Al-Jahiz and an army of ghuls. During this fight, Al-Jahiz shows that he has the ability to control djinn, even those ostensibly loyal to the Ministry. Al-Jahiz steals documents from the Ministry's vault, which contain plans to build the Clock of Worlds. This Machine can open a portal to the Kaf, the world of the djinn.
Days later, Fatma and Hadia guard the royal palace, where the king of Egypt is preparing for a summit with other world powers. Al-Jahiz appears, accusing the king of corruption and stoking conflict between the world's leaders. Siti and Fatma attack him. Al-Jahiz takes control of Siti, revealing her to be half-djinn. Fatma steals Al-Jahiz's gold mask and sees that his face ripples. This reveals that he is using magic to disguise his face; he is not the original Al-Jahiz, but an imposter.
During the course of their investigation, Fatma and Hadia learn of the Seal of Sulayman. This relic takes the form of a ring that grants the wearer the power to control djinn

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."
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 highlights thematic issues of colonialism, spirituality, and race relations" as well as "issues of gender and class".
Booklist gave the book a starred review, and described it as a "delightful combination of mystery, fantasy, and romance."
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.

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryResult
2021Dragon AwardBest Alternate History Novel
2021Goodreads Choice AwardsFantasy
2021Nebula AwardBest NovelWon
2022Compton Crook Award—Won
2022Hugo AwardBest Novel
2022Ignyte AwardAdult NovelWon
2022Locus AwardBest First NovelWon
2022Mythopoeic AwardAdult Literature
2022RUSA CODES Reading ListFantasyWon
2022World Fantasy AwardNovel
2025Seiun AwardTranslated Novel