halfamoon | Day 4: Books, the women in A Dead Djinn in Cairo

Reccing P. Djèlí Clark's 12k word-long short story, A Dead Djinn in Cairo, which you can read for free on Tor/Reactormag here!

Synopsis: Egypt, 1912. In an alternate Cairo infused with the otherworldly, the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities investigate disturbances between the mortal and the (possibly) divine. What starts off as an odd suicide case for Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi leads her through the city’s underbelly as she encounters rampaging ghouls, saucy assassins, clockwork angels, and a plot that could unravel time itself.

In hindsight, I think octahedrite first recommended this on her journal a few years ago. But the lead character, Fatma el-Sha’arawi, made such an impression on me that she's fresh in my memory. She's a little vain, extremely capable, and exudes so much action. She reminds me of Ann Lister from Gentleman Jack. The supporting cast were written well, too, including Siti (hot af, you can find out about her from the story; I won't spoil!) I was genuinely surprised by the strength of the female characters and the implied queerness at the end.

Come be feral at this description of Fatma with me:

Today she’d chosen a light gray suit, complete with a matching vest, chartreuse tie, and a red-on-white pinstriped shirt. She had picked it up in the English District, and had it specially tailored to fit her small frame. The accompanying walking cane—a sturdy length of black steel capped by a silver pommel, a lion’s head—was admittedly a bit much. But it added a flair of extravagance to the ensemble. And her father always said if people were going to stare, you should give them a show.