A Dead Djinn in Cairo

Definitely a solid 4.5.

I've always heard that the short stories by Tor.com are awesome but never got around to reading any before. But as I'm waiting for the nebula nominated The Haunting of Tram Car 015 to arrive from the library, I decided to try this short in the meantime. And it was just wow.

Clocking at just about 40 pages, I was only expecting a fun murder mystery being solved by a female investigator but I didn't expect the author to capture the atmosphere of a steampunk, paranormal early twentieth century Cairo so beautifully. In so few words, we get a brief history of the world and all it's magical inhabitants, experience the slightly sexist culture, look at the various forms of innovative transportation available and also follow a badass woman solve some gruesome suicides/murders through her sharp intellect and observational skills. I was completely mesmerized while listening to the audiobook, and I would be remiss not to mention the stunning job done by the narrator and kept wishing that the story would go on.

Finally, all I want to say is that if you enjoy short stories, you cannot miss this one. It has everything you need in an urban fantasy packaged into just a few pages and I promise you, it'll instantly impress you. Also, it's free!!! So what are you waiting for - read it or listen to it (listening is a way better option here) and be ready to be captivated. And now I'm doubly excited because we have a full length novel coming up in 2021 featuring our badass investigator Fatma called A Master of Djinn and I can't wait to read it as soon as possible.