The thirty minutes I spent with this short story were well-worth it and I think you should read it, too! 

As my family is originally from Egypt, growing up I found myself avoiding most media that is set in Egypt due to how wildly inaccurate most have been. But towards the end of 2024, I found myself really itching to read stories that include djinns with their various representations across all cultures. That's when I originally came across this book. A dead djinn? In Cairo? In the 1910s!? I couldn't resist.

The short story covers a suicide case being investigated by Fatma El-Sha'arawi, a Special Investigator reporting for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. Fatma is a strong, intelligent, urbane young Sai'idi woman that insists on dressing in a fashionable suit and her beloved bowler hat. In less than fifty pages, you go through an epic adventure and get introduced to a rich universe that brings to light the vibrant, and terrifying, lore of djinns, ghuls and ifrits.

Oh. My. God. The attention to detail is phenomenal here! While the short story takes place in an alternate steam-punkish universe, the story features many real-life locations that exist even today: Khan El-Khalili, Al-Gezira, Azbakiyya and more. And does so respectfully and beautifully in prose that will transfer you across time and place.

The story is very well-paced, very atmospheric and engaging that I didn't want it to end. And you can read it for free on Tor.com or purchase it on Amazon and it will be delivered to you DRM-free! My understanding is the series contains one more short story, a novella and a novel. And I don't know about you, but I'll be devouring them all.