Read both, and jump on the full novel when it comes out.Įnjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He’s the protagonist of the Toags, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.Dexter Gabriel (born 1971), better known by his pen name Phenderson Djèlí Clark, is an American speculative fiction writer and historian, who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at the University of Connecticut. Highly recommended reads! Both this novelette and other other novella won many accolades, and they are well-deserved. He was (cynically) happy to see that the combination didn’t end up in disaster. Felix’s Reviewįelix had his own clashes with official government agencies trying to control magic and with well-meaning women who meddle in darker arts. My only quibble is that it’s a very short novelette! I want more - which luckily is due to come next year. A perfect blend, and a strong author-voice to carry them through. The world-building it top-notch original, with an excellent mix of alternate-history, mad-science, and magic. I love Djèlí Clark’s prose, very clean, flowing, and engaging. This story has some slightly more other-worldly, darker overtones, with grander conspiracies rather than a more “local” haunting. The story itself focuses on agents of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities - this time dealing with an apparent suicide of a djinn. In short, it’s a Steampunk-ish world, where in the early 20th century Egypt – after releasing magic in the mid 19th century – has risen to a world power and ousted Britain from interfering in its affairs. The stories are short and interesting enough for this not to be repetitive, and essentially – since they involve two different cases with different agents, it doesn’t matter which you read first. This story establishes the world, but many of the same elements as from Tram Car 015 are explained in either story.

I previously enjoyed Djèlí Clark’s “ The Haunting of Tram Car 015“, so was looking forward to more stories set in the same world.

A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark