Will I love A Master of Djinn?

As with Black Sun, I loved the re-imagining of history from a fantasy perspective. In this case, the author imagines an early 20th century middle east that was not successfully colonized by western countries.

Agent of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, Fatma el-Sha'arawi is the spectacularly well-dressed protagonist tasked with saving the world (again) in an alternate 1912 Cairo. This award-winning novel awed me with its detail and invention. What I loved most was the way the world building relegated the British Empire to relative unimportance. Come to think of it, I loved the Ministry library almost as much.

This alternate universe set in Cairo had everything I was looking for at the time—a fast-paced reimagining of Middle Eastern history and folklore with a compelling female protagonist. But above all, it’s fun. The story starts strong and maintains an exciting, gripping pace throughout as Agent Fatma investigates the murder of a secret brotherhood in a world populated by magical beings. It’s such a fascinating and richly developed universe that I immediately wanted another book set in this world after turning the final page. And luckily, there are more!

Fatma el-Sha’arawi of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities is on the case when a mysterious dark figure causes a mass murder. Could it truly be the same person who once brought the Djinn into the world or is there something more afoot? Full of wonderful characters in a fully developed world of Arabic Mythology and steam-powered glory set in an alternate Cairo.