Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

A Master of Djinn - P. Djèlí Clark

March 3, 2022.
Requested by Soo.

Interested. Read a couple of the short stories last year, and have been wanting to pick up the novel.

Yay! Join us. =)

@Melissa--there's short stories? Should they be read first?

Yep, three short stories set in the same universe. They are numbered as #0.1, #0.2 and #0.3 on the Goodreads series page, and were published first, so I thought I might as well read them first to get a taste of Clark's writing, since I haven't read his other works yet. I don't think any of them are necessary, but A Dead Djinn in Cairo features the same protagonist, so it might be a nice introduction.

Cool! I'll have to look in to those! Thank you!

I've been wanting to read this! I'm in.

Now's your chance to get the short stories cheap on audio... Audible is having a sitewide sale... the first short story is 94 cents... the second, longer one, is $4.20...

Just went to read the short stories.. Two available at my library and The Angel of Khan el-Khalili is on Levar Burton's podcast and available to read on Tor.com!
Excited to read the novel :)

I'll be reading the short stories before the main book... probably at work this week?... not sure on exactly when I'll start, yet...

I know it's March 2nd, but I'm going to start the book tonight!

DDU 0.1 -- A Dead Djinn in Cairo -- 100 minute audiobook short story -- not much time for events to transpire here, beyond finding things happening, but in general, it's just great to be reading/listening to something with unique mythology...

Over the past decade, I've read 1000+ Urban Fantasy / PNR (mostly in 2013-2015), and most uses Greek mythology and some other stuff, so finding new inspiration in the genre is great...

And Fatma is an interesting MC for 1912...

DDU 0.1 Plot Summary for those who can't / don't want to read it: (view spoiler)[Exsanguinated Djinn (seems to be self-inflicted), has an angel weapon/artifact as a bookmark... Fatma seeks out the Builder for info... sent to a museum/mausoleum and finds ghouls eating a dead angel... ghoul speaks, which is unusual, says Rising...

Fatma's special watch is stolen by a pickpocket, lured into alley, attacked by woman with claws, watch returned, told to visit a store for priestesses who tell fortune...

Fatma goes there and talks to the pickpocket more, learns that someone became obsessed with her at a brothel, and started telling her things... which leads to an old Djinn prophecy that requires a willing Djinn sacrifice, the slaughter of an angel, and the tools of the Builder to free the Djinn Gods into this world...

Something to do with the Clock of Worlds and Overlapping Spheres of Alchemy... a complicated thing that's been hard to replicate, that's required to open the door for the Gods to get in... sounds like Infinite Parallel World theory from sci-fi... hard to find the right one...

Fatma and the pickpocket/brothel (Siti/city) person rush across town in a carraige back to the Builder's place, having to deal with guardian mechanical jackals / angels...

The Builder/maker/angel is using the Djinn blood and the angel flesh consumed by the ghouls to power the Clock of Worlds...

The Builder/Maker sounds crazy... keeps talking of He/Him (Angel God)... using the Dark Gods of the Djinn to wipe the world clear, to rebuild better / begin anew... Siti claims the Angel God isn't real... higher ups made him up, and lower angels grew to believe... this doesn't cause the Builder to pause for long...

He goes through with his twisted plan, and stabs himself in the neck, heart and chest... and the hole in reality appeared... gray tendrils/tentacles start pouring through, grabbing the sacrifices and desiccating and consuming them in seconds...

Now Fatma and Siti need to close the hole to save the world... they settle on destroying the Clock of Worlds... Fatma climbed inside and jammed the pendulum that kept the Clock of Worlds metronome precise, with her treasured watch that was pickpocketed earlier in the story...

The hole became unstable and almost grew bigger before collapsing like a rubber band... the building collapsed... Siti dug Fatma out of the rubble and gave her back the watch, scratched but still functional...

They find a severed tentacle in the rubble... luckily dead... Siti asks Fatma out to dinner (more like an open invitation unanswered), and disappears before the cops show up... if they end up together, I'm sure Fatma's habit of dressing like a man will help in 1912 Egypt... Siti has a habit of calling Fatma a boy throughout the story, for her dressing habits... (hide spoiler)]

I actually ended up really liking this... it managed to fit a lot into very little space... usually I'm pretty harsh about short stories...

The short story kinda reminded me of (view spoiler)[Captain Carter, the What If? story on Disney+ where Carter uses the supersoldier serum and changes the events of Captain America... in the changed ending, the Nazis nearly unleash tentacle monsters upon the world... (hide spoiler)]

Timelord Iain wrote: "DDU 0.1 Plot Summary for those who can't / don't want to read it: Exsanguinated Djinn (seems to be self-inflicted), has an angel weapon/artifact as a bookmark... Fatma seeks out the Builder for inf..."

Hmm.. I must have been spacing for a lot of that story because I'm not remembering much of it.. So thanks for summarizing Iain! :)

Emily wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "DDU 0.1 Plot Summary for those who can't / don't want to read it: Exsanguinated Djinn (seems to be self-inflicted), has an angel weapon/artifact as a bookmark... Fatma seeks o..."

I rewound a fair bit, and wrote everything down as I was going along...

I had to do some googling early into the 2nd story... I was like "what is Muhammed Ali doing in 1912?"... should have known it's a common name in history... littered with famous ones...

2nd story seems to be about a different character, in the same world... haven't read much, so far... but it's a 15 year old girl, seeking the the Angel of Khan el-Khalilli in a vendor's basement...

Talks some more about the backstory... djinn seem to have appeared around the 1860s, with angels shortly after... angels wear metal suits to hide their bodies... (I wonder if it's because they glow?... I think that's common in biblical angel mythology?)

I'm not the biggest fan of the LeVar Burton reading of the book, so far... mostly because of the effects... sometimes for atmosphere, the dialogue only comes out of one ear... good thing I'm not reading this at work, then, because I only have one earbud in at work, and would be missing story...

On Chapter 5 so far of the novel. This is fun! I didn't read the short stories, just jumped right into the book. I like the author's easy writing style; how he provides very "mundane" scenes (like climbing a set of stairs, or sipping coffee in a 24/7 cafe) that drop the reader right into his Cairo steampunk world without making an obvious info dump.

I just finished Chapter 5 myself. Do we know what type of being (view spoiler)[Siti (hide spoiler)] is?

I really like this author but did not read DDU 0.2 and it's been awhile since I read the other 2 short stories. I love the Egyptian mythology of this book. It is nice to not have a European fantasy for once. I also love mysteries so this is right up my alley.

Timelord Iain wrote: "The short story kinda reminded me of [spoilers removed]"

Sprinkling through the short stories before I pick up the main book.

re: Dead Djinn in Cairo--I really enjoyed it! Fatima is a fun character. (view spoiler)[I was getting Agatha Christie Poirot vibes from how much she notices and her style of dress, plus charisma, setting etc, and then a toss of Cthulu in the end. (hide spoiler)]

I also really like the unique world setting. Only read a few other books with Middle Eastern mythology inspirations and have enjoyed each. Looking forward to the next one!

A Master of Djinn

Chapter 20 (view spoiler)[So Siti is a half-Djinn! Fatma certainly did not see that coming. I am still not sure what "the impostor" is wanting to prove with all the chaos he is causing.

I really like the 2 Mahmouds. (hide spoiler)]

The Angel of Khan El-Khalili felt like a parable or something, that just happened to be set in the DDU...

(view spoiler)[15 year old girl seeks out angel for a miracle... angel demands three Truths in payment... more like deep dark confessions... first 2 are small, about lying and stealing... then the angel ferrets out that the girl is responsible for the factory fire that got her sister burned up (altho bad working conditions and locked doors didn't help)... in the end, the girl claims that forced/painful truthtelling doesn't fix everything, angel is satisfied, and gives her a grindable seed that will heal sister... The End... (hide spoiler)]

Timelord Iain wrote: "The Angel of Khan El-Khalili felt like a parable or something, that just happened to be set in the DDU...

[spoilers removed]"

Similar feelings. And told in second person too. I didn't feel that the abnormal POV added anything to the story, but describing as a parable feels like a good explanation.

Also, it made me a lot more curious about the world and especially (view spoiler)[what is up with the angels? They seem awfully...sneaky...so far in the minis. (hide spoiler)]

Moving on to The Haunting of Tram Car 015 in a bit. Then to the book itself!

Oh! There was one part that caught me in the Angel short story though--(view spoiler)[when the Angel asks the girl if she's looking for a husband or to be made pretty, and the girl thinks "it's 1912, not 1812!" and how girls nowadays want to become barristers or millionaires. I like that version of 1912. (hide spoiler)]

I was also fairly disappointed by the truths. (view spoiler)[I was expecting the last truth to be some sort of big self-revelation, but they were all just "oops I did this" confessions. (hide spoiler)]

Started the novel today. Through Chapter 6
Strong opening with (view spoiler)[that group being wiped out by Al Jahiz (or something claiming to be him) very mysterious.
Liking Fatima and Siti's relationship. Pretty sure Siti is human?

I'm glad Fatima accepted her young partner. The director telling the story of his wife hiding all the sweets made me chuckle a little (hide spoiler)]

A Master of Djinn

Chapter 21: Aha! (view spoiler)[ So now we know that there is possibly a ring able to control djinn. I am curious to see if the impostor actually has it. Very interesting about how the account of the ring of Sulayman is able to be forgotten. Also interesting how an angel seems to be taking Rami away from the shop. (hide spoiler)]

RachelG. wrote: "I just finished Chapter 5 myself. Do we know what type of being [spoilers removed] is?

I really like this author but did not read DDU 0.2 and it's been awhile since I read the other 2 short storie..."

I love the Egyptian setting as well! S. A. Chakraborty's "City of Brass" series is one of my favorites so I was extra excited to see she did a review of Clark's book on the hardcover version I have. He's in good company!!!

I loved The Daevabad series as well! Also reading An Ember in the Ashes series in a BR with Em Lost in Books right now--so it's cool to see more series with djinn and efrits and other bits of mythology in a similar setting.

Middle Eastern? Arab? North African? What is the best description for this mythology and setting? (not just Cairo)

Nirkatze's Picture Dictionary

ahwa: a traditional Egyptian coffee shop where folks come to meet friends, drink tea, smoke shisha and watch the world go by.
Source (Ch 2): (view spoiler)[ Some more traditional ahwa still didn’t cater to women, especially where hookahs were smoked, which was most. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

Bewab also bawab: a person who watches the entrance of the house or building where they work and performs errands and tasks for residents, essentially combining the function of a doorman with that of a building superintendent and errand boy.
Source (Ch 4): (view spoiler)[ Every apartment in downtown Cairo had its own bewab—porters, doormen, and general watchers of all things. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

bo'somat: crunchy breadsticks with sesame seeds on top.
Source (Ch 15): (view spoiler)[ Spilled cups of tea and a half-eaten bo’somat indicated people had been taken off guard. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

bur'a: a long rectangular face veil either of white cotton or open weave
Source (Ch 13): (view spoiler)[ Their faces were hidden behind matching bur’a, though their heads were strangely uncovered. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

cognac brogues: a type of shoe
Source (Ch 7): (view spoiler)[ Fatma winced as they stepped onto the dirt roadway, dust settling on her cognac brogues. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

darbuka: a hand-held drum.
Source (Ch 7): (view spoiler)[ The sudden roll of a snare sizzled the air, joined by the faster pace of palms hitting darbukas. (hide spoiler)]
Youtube of three drummers--two playing darbuka: (www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKVTVvpC6nw)
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

ful: a stew of cooked fava beans served with olive oil, cumin, and more.
Source (Ch 5): (view spoiler)[ Eyeing a bowl of ful reminded her she was also hungry. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

gallabiyah (or jalabiya): is a loose, formless, ankle-length garment, almost like a stiff T-shirt dress. Seems to be non-gender specific.
Source (Ch 3): (view spoiler)[ It was opened by a tall older man in a white gallabiyah. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

hydrotherapy--like the name says. But it was apparently used forcibly on mental patients in the early 1900s.
Source (Ch 9). (view spoiler)[“You’ve interrupted my hydrotherapy,” Madame Nabila grumbled. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

janbiya: A medium-sized curved knife, with a sharply curved sheath.
Source (Ch 4): (view spoiler)[ Fatma tensed, spinning on her heels and reaching instinctively for the janbiya at her waist—only to find the blade wasn’t there. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

kaftan: a long coatlike garment, usually worn with a belt and made of rich fabric.
Source (Ch 2): (view spoiler)[ Three sitting at a far-off table in the dim room were unmistakably Forty Leopards, in garish bright red kaftans and hijabs, with blue Turkish trousers. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

kaskara: a type of traditional sword, which is characteristic of Sudan, Chad, and Eritrea. The blade of the kaskara was usually about a yard long, double edged and with a spatulate tip.
Source (Ch 25): (view spoiler)[ “Your father built this entire estate after al-Jahiz and the so-called Orient. This sword, it’s Soudanese, I think?” She turned to Hadia, offering it.

The woman accepted the weapon without question, looking it over. “It’s a kaskara. Soudanese, or maybe Bagirmi.” (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

khalat: a loose, long-sleeved outer silk or cotton robe worn both by men and women.
Source (Ch 8): (view spoiler)[ And you dressed it in long-sleeved indigo blue robes embroidered with lilacs: what she thought was a khalat. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

mashrabiya: a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework located on the upper floors of a building, sometimes enhanced with stained glass.
Source (Ch 3): (view spoiler)[ Colorful carpets lined the walls like tapestries—a Tabriz of red florals, some burgundy Anatolians, a green Bokhara with yellow prints, all alongside delicate lattice mashrabiyas. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

masjid: Arabic word for mosque.
Source (Ch 5): (view spoiler)[ On either side loomed masjid and architecture spanning Cairo’s ages—from the Fatimids to the Ottomans. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

milaya lef also melaya leff: two lengths of black cotton fabric sewn along the long edge then wrapped about the body over normal clothing. It is held under the armpits at one end with the other end draped over the arm. This exposed end was sometimes a special piece with additional shaping and texture. The milaya could also go over the head forming a veil.
Source (Ch 13): (view spoiler)[ Seated on the modish moss-green divan were three women, each dressed in a black sebleh and wrapped in a milaya lef. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

mish: a traditional Egyptian cheese that is made by fermenting salty cheese for several months or years.
Source (Ch 5): (view spoiler)[ Fresh-baked kabed, stuffed with what looked like mish. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

mulukhiya: a traditional Middle Eastern dish made with jews mallow/nalta leaves and chicken.
Source (Ch 23): (view spoiler)[ In short order, the two were serving rounds of baladi bread along with bowls of chicken and mulukhiya—the latter filling the air with the fragrant scent of fried garlic and coriander. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ [image error] (hide spoiler)]

oud: a lute-like instrument.
Source (Ch 7): (view spoiler)[ The Electric Oud blinked in green alchemical bulbs, while a red silhouette of a cabaret dancer flashed above another. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

tarboosh: a flat-topped circular hat with a tassel, like a fez.
Source (Ch 1): (view spoiler)[ Between tactile metal fingers, each automaton held white gloves, black robes, and a matching black tarboosh with a gold tassel. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

thoub (or thobe): a women's head-to-toe wrapped dress-like garment.
Source (Tram 015): (view spoiler)[ That was no surprise, as the woman was Soudanese, obvious by the indigo thoub that wrapped her from ankle to head. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]


tshalvar: thin cotton baggy pants tied below the knee and falling to the ankle.
Source (Ch 23): (view spoiler)[ In bright red kaftans that ended at their knees, over baggy tshalvar. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

ulama: the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam, including Islamic doctrine and law.
Source (Ch 5): (view spoiler)[ The ulama was equally skeptical, insisting true angels had no free will. (hide spoiler)] No photo.

velocipede: a lightweight wheeled vehicle propelled by the rider.
Source (Ch 25): (view spoiler)[ Not a car. Some kind of motorized velocipede. (hide spoiler)]. Image below is of a 1912 Harley Davidson.
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

wallahi: "I swear to Allah."
Source (Ch 2): (view spoiler)[ “What I want to know is what’s so special about it? Saeed and I find lots of junk. Every day, wallahi. Everything people throw into the Nile comes up again. We sell them to rich people like you. But no one’s ever offered so much, wallahi. I’ve heard other things—” (hide spoiler)] No picture.

wesekh: A collar-style necklace.
Source (Ch 3): (view spoiler)[ A broad collar of colorful stones circled her neck hanging down to her chest. A wesekh—jewelry fallen out of fashion some two thousand years past. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

Just going to update this post every time I find a word I want to know. I hope this is useful to y'all too!

I would love to read more non-European mythology. I will check out the titles you mentioned Rlygirl and Nirkatze.

I have almost finished this book and am really enjoying it. I plan to read on in the series as they are available.

End of book (A Master of Djinn) thoughts - (view spoiler)[I was pretty sure Abigail was the impostor early on in the book. I had totally forgot about Ahmad and was excited to see him show up in order to bite the ring from Abigail's finger. Luckily our heroes have lived to fight another day. (hide spoiler)]

Trying to carry Timelord Iain's torch and give a Haunting of Tram Car 015 summary for those who need a refresh and/or aren't planning on reading:

(view spoiler)[Chapter 1: Veteran Agent Hamed and Rookie Agent Onsi of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities are called to investigate a reported haunting of a tram car. Upon investigating the scene, they find evidence of the presence of a spectral entity, which reacts violently when confronted.

“I think,” Hamed heard Onsi put in from where they lay in a heap, “we may confirm that Tram 015 is indeed haunted.”

Chapter 2: Agents Hamed & Onsi return to the office of the Superintendent of Tram Safety to discuss the nature of the haunting and the plans to eradicate the problem. The plan, unfortunately, is rather expensive, forcing the Agents to consider other options. The Agents head to lunch at a café, pass a suffragette rally, and are given a good idea by the waitress (Siti/Abla from Fatma stories): hire a sheikha for a Zar ritual.

Chapter 3. The Agents go to meet the sheikha, who happens to have an office next to the suffragette headquarters. At the end, after much discussion, she agrees to the job.

Chapter 4. The Zar is performed, but things do not go as planned. Agent Hamed worries they are back to square one, but Agent Onsi picks up a clue--the creature (not a djinn after all)--spoke Armenian. Hamed puts together that the Superintendent is involved, and it turns out he was running an Armenian candy smuggling ring, and accidentally smuggled in an Armenian spirit. The Agents happily present the Superintendent with the bill for the failed Zar.

Chapter 5. The Agents continue following up on the Armenian lead to try to identify the spirit. The same girl at the café gives them some more advice, and they meet with an doll maker, who is also known for telling Armenian folk tales. She tells them of the alk, spirits that attack women and steal babies.

Then it's back to the cafe to brainstorm how to get rid of it. “A baby-eating Armenian spirit is haunting a Cairo tram,” Abla repeated. “Well, I have to admit, I didn’t see that coming.”

Chapter 6. The plan involves Agents Hamed and Onsi dressing up as pregnant woman to entice the spirit to materialize. The plan fails again, ending with the tram crashed and the al spirit leaving--but only to head to a nearby suffragette rally. The Agents pursue but are unable to get close enough in time. The crowd of women rally around the al's target and manage to herd her back to the Agents, who succeed in capturing her--just as the news of the women's suffrage bill's success is announced to the crowd.

Epilogue. Agent Hamed stays in to do the paperwork, and sends Onsi off to enjoy his evening. He writes a stellar review of the rookie's work, and takes a look at the day's paper--while the "Egypt's Ladies get the Vote!" takes up the main page, a small picture of the Agents flanking the captured al is included on page 4. A knock on the door--famous Special Agent Fatma el-Sha'arawi stops by to share cake and stories. (hide spoiler)]

I really enjoyed this story. A bit of a buddy-cop/rookie story, with a side of women's suffrage. It expands the world a bit more, and Agent el-Sha'arawi makes a cameo appearance near the end.

Nirkatze wrote: "Trying to carry Timelord Iain's torch and give a Haunting of Tram Car 015 summary for those who need a refresh and/or aren't planning on reading:

Chapter 1: Veteran Agent Hamed and Rookie Agent On..."

Yeah liked that one a lot as well! I need to check out those other series mentioned above too, because I'm really appreciating the non-European style fantasy elements and Daevabad series has been on my TBR for a bit.

For more featuring jinn & Middle Eastern mythology:
Daevabad starting with The City of Brass
An Ember in the Ashes
Rebel of the Sands
The Wrath and the Dawn
I haven't read We Hunt the Flame, The Girl of Fire and Thorns or The Golem and the Djinni yet, but they're on my TBR.
Lots of recent YA on this list. I enjoyed all of the ones above--3-5 stars. I'm a pretty easy-to-please reader though.

Almost throw in The Killing Moon--but that's more Egyptian mythology straight up.

Nirkatze wrote: "For more featuring jinn & Middle Eastern mythology:
Daevabad starting with The City of Brass
An Ember in the Ashes
Rebel of the Sands
[book:The Wrath..."
I loved the Golem and the Djinni! There's a sequel out now too I'm looking forward to reading.. eventually lol

I'd be down for a BR in a month or two! :) Gotta read #1 first though.

Might need a month... or 6 lol

Through Chapter 12 (view spoiler)[
-Al-Jahiz-- imposter? Yeah that's what I'm thinking.. but I wonder where he sprang up from? I thought at first he was the Djinn/Ifrit, but he went and RODE OFF on one. kinda badass tbh haha
But the action sequences are pretty good.
-Super glad Siti seems to have access to some kind of magic and was able to heal herself.
-I really appreciated the scene between Fatima and Hatia. Hatia standing up for herself and Fatma realizing she hasn't been treating Hatia the way she would have wanted to be treated herself/realizing her mistakes.. (hide spoiler)]

I'm building a picture dictionary in message 27 if anyone wants to know! :)

Finally started the book itself last night.

Chapter 1. (view spoiler)[Wow. Arrogant pompous Brits. "Racialists"--seeing this level of narcissism...ugh! Definitely made me less sad for the folks at the end of the chapter.

And Moustafa is definitely pulling Dalton's leg with the mummies. Good for you Moustafa! I hope he survived...

Lots of talk of the German kaiser, Russian tsar, and Ottoman sultan... With the setting in 1912 I've been wondering if we were going to see WWI--plus the discussion of how much more destructive a war would be with magical technology added in!

After reading 3 short stories with lots of sarcastic "Thank you al-Jahiz", it's cool to see that the full-length book is going to explore this catalyst of the world more. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 2. (view spoiler)[So, wearing a suit with a bowler hat is a disguise? How many women in Cairo go around wearing fashionable suits with bowler hats? It doesn't matter if you swapped from British to American style suit--I doubt this is the kind of place where folks would notice the difference. Fatma, you are lucky these are also not the kind of kids who read the newspaper, or you'd be caught out, I swear.

Hey! The bottle's stopper has Chinese on it! That's a nice nod to the origins of Aladdin--which was originally set in China.

Love the "die of old age" trick--I've seen that in other books before. Off the top of my head: Dealing with Dragons. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3. (view spoiler)[New partner! Ooh, this'll be fun! I like buddy cop stories, and stories where a grumpy "I work alone" veteran officer is paired with a rookie. This was one of the aspects I enjoyed about Tram 015 (hide spoiler)]

Lots of nods to the short stories up through Chapter 5. (view spoiler)[
The Angel of Khan el-Khalili summarized in this quote: (view spoiler)[Do you know, there’s supposedly an angel somewhere down here? They say she grants miracles. (hide spoiler)]

A Master of Djinn summary in this quote: (view spoiler)[The case where they’d met this past summer had involved an angel named Maker, who went very, very wrong. (hide spoiler)]

The Café from The Haunting of Tram Car 015 shows up again too.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5 Religion. (view spoiler)[interesting how the old religion is becoming the new, and the new is now old.

I also didn't know that Hathor and Sekhmet were connected so deeply.

Fatma thinks the Old Religion adherents should keep hiding "as long as it takes... until people accept you." I'm on Siti's side--religion should be about being there for people who need it, and public opinion can go shove it.

Cute that this was their first argument. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5 Fools & Ifrit. (view spoiler)[quote: “Who would be fool enough to try to bargain with an Ifrit?” Siti muttered.

Someone playing at forces he didn’t understand, Fatma thought. One of the greatest problems in their age.

This was the theme in Fatma's first chapter too--the world in the books, people have stories of the supernatural forces, but they don't match up to the new reality--or are even accurate for the old reality. People think they know what they are doing and get in trouble. But is the "al-Jahiz" another playing at forces he doesn't understand, or is it Fatma? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6. The Haunting of Tram Car 015 nostalgia. (view spoiler)[Hey! It's Agents Hamed and Onsi! *waves* (hide spoiler)]

Ayah: verses of the Quran. (view spoiler)[“And God created Jinn from fire free of smoke.”--didn't realize Jinn actually showed up in the Quran! Verse 55:55. Angels were made from light, and men from clay--in the same chapter. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 7

Neon lights--were developed by Georges Claude in 1910. (view spoiler)[So I'm imagining the establishments with glaring signage as neon! Especially with The Electric Oud blinked in green alchemical bulbs, while a red silhouette of a cabaret dancer flashed above another. (hide spoiler)]

Sarsaparilla--one of the potential ingredients in Root Beer, along with sassafras and other roots. Sarsaparilla is also made straight-up into a soft-drink. (view spoiler)[I imagine the drink Fatma orders: Sarsaparilla with mint leaves and tea is the soft-drink. It sounds delicious! (hide spoiler)]

Music. (view spoiler)[Benny & the boys are from New Orleans--with trumpets! Must be early jazz! I found this youtube of an "Egyptian Jazz" album, really cool! Listening to it now while reading. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Wa0...) and this youtube audio of a darbuka with saxophone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvrIW...). (hide spoiler)]

Transmogrification. (view spoiler)[Siti's definitely showing signs of the lion--her roars, her claws, her willingness to fight. (hide spoiler)]

Racism. (view spoiler)[Benny & co talk of Jim Crow, and comparing racism in America and in Egypt--both fascinating and horrifying. I looked up the "paper bag test" and found this article (https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jim... can't believe it lasted so long! (hide spoiler)]

Fight. (view spoiler)[Fatma notices a fine mist of black, like particles of sand when she stabs the man. That sounds like smoke, ash, charcoal etc. I wonder if this is the ifrit? (hide spoiler)]

I'm loving the combination of Egyptian culture, old and new religions, mythology, and period piece/history. Like the tidbit about (view spoiler)[ Mali emperor, who’d passed through Egypt on hajj, dispensing enough gold to ruin local markets (hide spoiler)]--I know so little about African or Middle Eastern history and culture. I love getting tidbits--and the desire to research more--out of a good fantasy book.

Chapter 8.

Did not know that Friday was the weekly holy day in Islam! Learning a lot from this book.

Fashion. (view spoiler)[Is she trying to match her Hijab to Fatma's suits? That would be pretty funny.

And Fatma & Hadia wondering why al-Jahiz attacked Fatma at the gathering--Fatma says “Maybe I stood out.”--ya think? lol (hide spoiler)]

Rlygirl wrote: "On Chapter 5 so far of the novel. This is fun! I didn't read the short stories, just jumped right into the book. I like the author's easy writing style; how he provides very "mundane" scenes (like ..."

Totally agree about the "mundane" scenes--very immersive environment/atmosphere. I love looking up pictures for all the clothing and architectural vocabulary.

Chapter 10. Witness (view spoiler)[The Bearer of Witness that Fatma & co see on the stage says: “. . . and I saw with my own eyes, the wonders performed! He called upon those made of smokeless fire and destroyed the foreigners! I had once helped them carry out their theft and desecrations! But he has guided me proper! He has returned so that we may all see and know the truth! He has returned so that he may teach us, as he did before!”

I bet this is Moustafa, the one who tricked crazy Dalton into running down bogus mummy leads. If so, glad he survived! Also, he's a witness to more than miracles. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10. Forty Leopards. (view spoiler)[There were a few ladies mentioned in Chapter 2, but this is the first straight up description. A group of lady thieves! Pretty fun! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10 truncheons (view spoiler)[They have tasers! About 60 years early, honestly. The first taser was invented in 1970, and was actually named after a science fiction book: Thomas A Swift and his Electric Rifle. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10-11 Fight. (view spoiler)[So the doppleganger boys are some kind of ghul? What is the connection to black ash?

The (imposter?) al-Jahiz says his sword was forged by a djinn. In Chapter 1, he points the sword and the folks catch on fire. In this chapter, it looks like he summons an Ifrit and rides off on him. Is it all just sorcery, is maybe the al-Jahiz person actually a djinn himself? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 12--hah! (view spoiler)[Totally was Moustafa! Glad he's alive, shame he's drinking the koolaid. (hide spoiler)]

Anyone else have a typo in 2nd paragraph of chapter 12? (view spoiler)[ She’d spent Monday morning in a meetings with Amir, Ministry brass, and representatives from the bureaucracy administering Cairo’s many districts—all demanding reports on what the papers were already calling the Battle of el-Arafa. (hide spoiler)]

Emily wrote: "Through Chapter 12 [spoilers removed]"

Yeah, I was thinking similar things--re: imposter. (view spoiler)[Though I'm wondering if I'm taking the imposter route because that's what Fatma thinks. What if it is al-Jahiz? What implications would that have? It all comes back to motive--why kill that circle of men? Why rouse the populace? There's got to be some bigger picture. (hide spoiler)]

re: healing (view spoiler)[I'm pretty sure she healed Fatma's ribs from the first fight too. I wonder at how fast the adherents of the old gods seem to be changing--like Ahmad. How will the old gods and the idolaters play into the new world? (hide spoiler)]

re: Hadia & Fatma (view spoiler)[I'm glad they were able to have that chat! I'm glad Fatma realized what she was doing--ad that Hadia did too. It takes guts to admit you've been wrong. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13. (view spoiler)[I'm starting to not trust Abigail's story. Maybe her insane bad knowledge is a cover. No one can really be that ignorant and stupid, can they?

And she's taken up fencing. How did she really hurt her hand? Maybe Alexander will be next, and she'll run the company. Probably not, but it was an entertaining thought.

What was Alexander doing in Cairo a day before he supposedly arrived?

What is up with the shipment of steel that went missing?

And Alexander wants to demolish the estate and all the artifacts in it! Sacrilege! History thief!

Alexander comes out of the whole thing looking stinky. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 14 Siwa (view spoiler)[Keeping this quote for reference:

“Ethiope! A cursed land indeed! The blackamoors from there are in his keep! Broad in the nose they are and flat in ear! Fifty thousand and more in his company!”
...
“Have the bards who preceded me left any theme unsung? What, therefore, shall be my subject? When the gods deal defeat to a person, they first take his mind away, so that he sees things wrongly! Nothing can be revoked or said in vain nor unfulfilled if I should nod my head!”

And cutting at his own tongue! Maybe some spell on an oath not to talk? To cut out his own tongue if he says anything? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15 spectral goggles (view spoiler)[sound like night-vision goggles. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15 Zagros. (view spoiler)[How dare you evil gold mask guy! Slaver! Give our grumpy-gentle-giant librarian back! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15 plans and pieces. (view spoiler)[If the gold-mask man was the real al-Jahiz, surely he wouldn't need the plans for the Clock of Worlds? Al-Jahiz was known for tearing open the barrier between worlds the first time. Why would he need someone else's plans? (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze wrote: "Chapter 13. ."

(view spoiler)[ I'm not trusting Abigail or Alexander at this point, especially after the meeting with the Djinn that cut off his own tongue...

Something fishy is indeed up. (hide spoiler)]

Re 15/Al-jahiz (view spoiler)[Yeah stuff like that has me leaning away toward him being real al-jahiz... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 17 dignitaries. (view spoiler)[The Kaiser himself came! And with a goblin!

Mentions the 1884 Berlin conference that split up Africa for colonization between European nations (real world)--that's around the same time as al-Jahiz's portal into the Kaf... 40 years ago, so no wait, 1872 ish. Interesting interpretation of events.

Still 2 years away from Franz Ferdinand, 5 to the Russian revolution. They mention an advisor to the late Chinese Empress (must be Cixi d1908), but China became a Republic that year in 1912--though not an overly stable one. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 18 imposter. (view spoiler)[Abigail faints again--connection?

The German & French representatives seem to be asking the questions the imposter wants asked.

Is he trying to foment war? That would probably increase the stock of AW's industries. The missing steel shipment? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 18 Siti (view spoiler)[I'm guessing that Siti's absent father was a Djinn then. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 18 ripple (view spoiler)[So the al-Jahiz face is an illusion. Maybe The Old Man Alastair found something in his searching for al-Jahiz's belongings that would allow control over the djinn. Maybe his son or daughter found it and are using it. (hide spoiler)]