ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions my own.

Cairo, 1912. The perfect setting for two detectives from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities aiming to solve the mystery of a haunted tram car. There are djinns, ghouls, and other magical creatures in between.

Reading about Cairo was love at first sight. Clark’s writing was teeming with culture and diversity, making it such an immersive and atmospheric story. On top of this, Clark writes an alternate history at a time when colonialism has ended in Egypt and explores themes of misogyny, gender, feminism, and empowerment. I don’t know how he managed to write all of this in 144 pages, but it all worked out well.

I also loved the dynamic between Agents Hamed and Onsi and could only hope to read more of their adventures! This is definitely a world I would come back to again and I hope more readers visit it.