#fatma el-sha'arawi

[remnantglow]

i reread A Master of Djinn recently and i’ve gotta tell u. Fatma and Hadia are still the detective duo of all time

[tashashideousmeowing]

Gay magic steampunk detectives. Just. Gay magic steampunk detectives. Everyone go read this.

[tigger8900]

A Master of Djinn, by P. Djèlí Clark

⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's 1912 in Cairo: colonial powers have been rebuked by the return of magic to the world, clockwork and airships are the height of technology, and every single member of a secret brotherhood has just been murdered. A mysterious figure claiming to be al-Jahiz — the man responsible for the resurgence of magic 40 years ago — returned openly claims responsibility, and preaches a new revolution. Fatma el-Sha'arawi — an agent with the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities — must discover the imposter's true identity and put a stop to his true plans, whatever they might be.

This started off slow, but by the end I couldn't put it down. The layers of deception and mesmerization, not to mention the foreshadowing of such, were very well done. While a few short stories and a novella have been previously published in this universe, you don't have to have read them to understand A Master of Djinn. The one thing you might have trouble with is the Angels. I don't really understand what they were. I'm also not convinced that reading the previously published material would have shed any more light on that, as I think they're supposed to be a bit unknowable.

Unfortunately, I found the steampunk setting to be underutilized. I believe it might have played a significantly larger role in the previous stories set in the universe, but in this novel the focus was largely elsewhere. It's a shame too, because we all know about steampunk London, but I was really looking forward to steampunk Cairo.

I really appreciated the dynamic between Fatma and her work partner Hadia, especially how their relationship grew over the course of the story. Most of the mysteries I've read lately have had the detective working mostly inside their own head, and it was refreshing to see a well-executed foil, even if it was reluctant at first!

This is the second P. Djèlí Clark story I've read, and I'm noticing a few patterns. First, his wry skewering of colonialism and white people who are being ignorant is very appreciated, and utilized well in this novel. And second, he seems to have a thing for writing women in sexual relationships with other women. To be clear I don't have any complaint with how they were written here, but if you're someone who avoids sapphic content written by men on principle, be advised.

[yetanotherramblingfangirl]

Fandom asks: 1, 3, 9, 17 (also, happy new year!)

1. Favorite fictional characters this year

Melissa Schemmenti, Barbara Howard, Sister Julienne, Tom Barnaby, Alec Hardison, Pat Butcher, Fatma el-Sha'arawi, Thursday Next (from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde)

3. Favorite TV shows to watch this year

Abbott Elementary, NCIS, The Witcher, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Worst Witch (2017), Letterkenny, Ghosts (BBC), Leverage, Call the Midwife, Midsomer Murders, cooking competition shows in general. (It was a year of mostly rewatches because I just didn't have the mental bandwidth for new shows if I'm being brutally honest. The exception was Abbott Elementary because of the relatable content.)

9. Best new fandom discovery of the year

Definitely Abbott Elementary.

17. Your fictional true love of the year

Fatma el-Sha’arawi from A Master Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark. She's the definition of a bamfy lady being awesome.

[caribeandthebooks]

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

Genres:  Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Adult Fiction

Setting: Egypt

Description: Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha'arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she's certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer...Read more on Goodreads/Storygraph

Content Warning information can be found via the above Storygraph link.

[drabbleswithdragons]

I actually have things for this! because I am having the same issue and I blow through books so fast

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: Linus Baker, a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, must travel to an orphanage on a distant island to determine of six magical children are going to bring about the end of the world.

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley: The main character Myfanwy wakes up with no memory of her past at all and has to basically impersonate herself to figure out who tried to kill her at her job as a paranormal spy.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch: Urban fantasy detective series that follows Constable Peter Grant as he discovers the magical world of London while trying to solve a seemingly impossible murder.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark: A fantasy version of our world in 1912, we follow Fatma el-Sha'arawi who works with the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities in Cairo as she investigates a murderer who claims to be al-Jahiz, the man who 50 years prior opened the veil between the magic and non-magical worlds and then disappeared.

With ao3 currently offline fighting the good fight, what are your go-to reads from published folks? (totally not fishing for book recs)

Anyways, I'll start:

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baltree (reading this now btw), and Hunger Pangs by Joy Demorra (I have the flirting with fangs edition but there's a fluff and fangs edition for the smut-disinclined)

Legends and Lattes is about an orc adventurer who decides she's sick of that life and wants to open a cafe instead. Very much a feel-good fic watching someone build a comfortable life. Many shenanigans and entertaining characters <3

Hunger Pangs is about a depressed but intelligent anticapitalist vampire lord's unappreciated son helps a disabled war veteran werewolf adapt to his new reality and they also help a hot powerful [redacted] fix probably the last seal holding back the Big Baddie with his super smart sexy brain. :3

[coffeenonsense]

Can't believe it took me so long to start reading a master of djinn Fatma el-Sha'arawi is the most character ever. She's a magic investigator. She wears colorful suits and a bowler hat to fight magical crime. She gets flustered by her badass girlfriend, who wears lioness claws and regularly breaks into her house. She loves jazz. She carries a SWORD CANE. I'm actively in love with her.

[layaart]

spiderverse meme but with Fatma and Hadia

[multifru196]

Fatma el-Sha’arawi from Dead Djinn Universe Series by P. Djèlí Clark

[frayderike]

“Sleep is for the dead. And I plan on doing lots of living.”

- quote from A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

[remnantglow]

so like. does siti count as a catgirl, or

[littletinydoom]

ok so here's the thing about P. Djeli Clark's Fatma el-Sha'arawi series:

the premise as i was aware of it was more than enough to get me to read it: "Steampunk magic detectives (and also I hear there will be lesbians!) in Egypt" thats a lot. like....sold. but you ALSO get: -Alternate History: European colonialism stopped DEAD in the late 1800s all over the continent of Africa (and it is implied in the rest of the world at least to a degree) and Egypt is one of the world's major super powers! -Christmas has come early (and by christmas i mean the industrial revolution and women's suffrage) for Egypt (and again, it's implied in other places but not in England) -oh and also religious tolerance is one of those metaphorical christmas presents (and the utterly delightful and thoroughly likable protagonists of the first two stories represent that religious diversity)

-you get to see some boys nerding out over their high profile female coworker rather than being bitter or resentful

-"wait we're really having a discussion about AI sentience in the middle of this story???"

-also beautiful descriptions of food and interior design

Literally just....surprise after delightful surprise (also if you are an audiobook person the narrators are lovely, highly recommend those too)

start here for FREE with the short story A Dead Djinn In Cairo then proceed to The Haunting of Tram Car 015 which is not free but imo very reasonably priced and then wait excitedly for A Master of Djinn which comes out in may but theres an extended preview to keep you company!

[tinynavajoreads]

Currently reading: A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark.

A steampunk mystery set in Cairo. Djinns, beings of great wonder, live alongside humans in Egypt at the turn of the 19-20 century. Fatma el-Sha'arawi is set to find out what happened to a group of people whose bodies were burned but their clothes were not, all while trying not to let panic spread throughout the city.

I'm loving Fatma and all the rest of the characters so far! I love steampunk, but most of it is set in London or France even. So, to have one set in Cairo is exciting and new and I can't wait to keep reading it.

[housewarningparty]

A Master of Djinn by P Djèlí Clark is on sale on the US kindle store for like $2 today (05/01/22) which is a STEAL. It's a Fantasy/Mystery story set in an alternate history version of 1920s Cairo, where magic was discovered and mythical creatures like djinn, ghouls, and angels (or things calling themselves angels) exist.

It follows Fatma el-Sha'arawi a dapper butch supernatural detective investigating the mysterious death of a rich Englishman who was part of a secret brotherhood dedicated to gaining power through arcane study. You want a fun mystery? It's here. You want snappy dialogue and brisk action scenes? Here! Girls kissing? Here! A guy who is turning into a crocodile? HERE, BABEY

There is a prequel novella to this story that's available to read free online right now, if you want a taste of what you're in for! Read A Dead Djinn in Cairo and then buy A Master of Djinn!

[whilereadingandwalking]

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark is a funny, suspenseful steampunk-fantasy mystery novel. A mysterious figure in a mask causing havoc in Cairo claims to be al-Jahiz, the man who opened up the veil between magical and mundane realms half a century ago. When a secret brotherhood dedicated to al-Jahiz is murdered using mysterious magic, officials are worried. But there's good news: the youngest woman working at the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, the bold, dapper Fatma el-Sha'arawi, is on the case, along with her new rookie partner Hadia and her lover Siti.

I had an absolute blast reading this novel. While not required, I do recommend that readers begin by reading short story "A Dead Djinn in Cairo," which features Fatma and which is referenced several times throughout the book, and as a bonus, novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015—neither are necessary but reading them will add even more depth and fun to this novel. Clark's world-building is rich: the magic, folklore, and history involved in this novel is intricately woven and fascinating throughout, and really enriches the mystery and action of the plot. His characters are vivid, and the queer romance is well-done, full of chemistry, and important to the story. I guessed some of the mystery's twists early in the novel, but it never disappointed, and the way he used the djinn, the clockwork agents, the ancient "idolators," all made tropes and twists feel completely new and refreshed. It's sharp and dry, and the whole thing builds to an inferno of a climax that left me reeling. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. A Master of Djinn is out from Tordotcom on May 11. 

[booksociety]

Book Society presents its October reading event! The chosen theme is Momento Mori and we have decided not to have a group book of the month for this shortened event. We invite you to join us in preparing for the spooky season by reading books with prominent theme(s) of death, afterlife, ghosts, necromancy, zombies, etc. This event is open to everyone, not just our members.

✧ how to participate:

optional: reblog this post; check out our network and members

read (or reread) a book of your choice that fits this month’s theme; there is no group botm

share what book you’ve chosen, thoughts, reactions, and/or creations

use the tag #booksociety in your posts, and include “@booksociety​’s Momento Mori Event: [insert book title here]” in the description of your creations

the event starts on 9 October and ends on 31 October

✧ reading recommendations (under the cut):

☠️ death

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (young adult, horror, fabulism; 237 pages)

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (young adult, contemporary; 484 pages)

Death Note, Volume 1: Boredom (Death Note #1) by Tsugumi Ohba (manga, fantasy, horror, mystery; 195 pages)

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (new adult, fantasy, historical; 338 pages)

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers (young adult, fantasy, historical; 549 pages)

If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman (young adult, contemporary; 201 pages)

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (adult, horror, gothic, mystery; 301 pages; CW & TW: incest, attempted rape, gore/body horror, human sacrifice, murder, death, racism, fetishization, eugenics)

Mort (Death #1; Discworld #4) by Terry Pratchett (fantasy, humour; 243 pages)

Scythe (Arc of Scythe #1) by Neal Shusterman (young adult, dystopian; 435 pages)

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman (young adult, contemporary, lgbtq+; 375 pages; CW: grief, depression, car accident, internalized aphobia, sibling death, panic attacks)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (young adult, historical fiction; 552 pages)

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (historical, literary fiction; 368 pages)

The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen #1) by Roshani Chokshi (young adult, fantasy, retelling; 342 pages)

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (young adult, romance, lgbt+; 373 pages)

👻 ghosts & afterlife

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol (comic, young adult, fantasy; 224 pages)

Beloved by Toni Morrison (classic, historical, fabulism; 324 pages)

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (young adult, fantasy, lgbt+; 352 pages)

Century by Sarah Singleton (middle grade, gothic, horror, mystery, paranormal; 224 pages)

City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake #1) by Victoria Schwab (middle grade, fantasy, paranormal; 272 pages)

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix (horror, humour; 248 pages)

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig (young adult, fantasy, horror, retelling; 403 pages)

Leaving Time (Leaving Time #1) by Jodi Picoult (contemporary, drama; 398 pages)

Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo (adult, paranormal, mystery, contemporary; 459 pages; heavy CW & TW list)

Prelude for Lost Souls by Helene Dunbar (young adult, fantasy, lgbtq+; 384 pages)

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand (young adult, fantasy, retelling; 400 pages)

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan (young adult, contemporary, fabulism; 480 pages)

The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1) by Samantha Shannon (young adult, sci-fi, paranormal, dystopian; 466 pages)

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo (historical, paranormal; 368 pages)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (middle grade, horror, paranormal; 307 pages)

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 (Fatma el-Sha'arawi) by P. Djèlí Clark (novella, fantasy, steampunk; 130 pages)

The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons (adult, romance, contemporary, paranormal; 296 pages)

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd (historical fiction, gothic, mystery; 369 pages)

Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour (new adult, contemporary, paranormal; 272 pages; CW: emotional abuse, a character’s ears are pierced without consent)

💀 necromancy

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (young adult, contemporary, mystery, lgbt+; 368 pages)

Forest of Souls (Shamanborn #1) by Lori M. Lee (young adult, fantasy; 400 pages)

Gideon the Ninth (Locked Tomb #1) by Tamsyn Muir (sci-fi, fantasy, lgbt+; 448 pages)

Sabriel (Abhorsen #1) by Garth Nix (young adult, fantasy; 367 pages)

Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy (new adult, sci-fi, dieselpunk, paranormal romance; 350 pages)

The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) by Rin Chupeco (young adult, fantasy; 432 pages)

🧟 zombies

Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles #1) by Gena Showalter (young adult, paranormal, retelling; 404 pages)

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel (young adult, steampunk, paranormal romance, horror; 470 pages)

Dread Nation (Dread Nation #1) by Justina Ireland (young adult, historical, fantasy, horror; 455 pages)

Feed (Newsflesh #1) by Mira Grant (sci-fi, horror, dystopian; 599 pages)

Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons (young adult, horror, contemporary; 432 pages)

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones (young adult, fantasy, horror; 352 pages)

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson (young adult, contemporary; 305 pages)

Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies #1) by Isaac Marion (adult, romance, horror, apocalyptic; 240 pages)