When I was in college and didn’t have much money, I used to select fantasy novels based on their page count. I figured that I got more for my money with more pages. But more pages doesn’t mean better quality. The science fiction and fantasy (SFF) genre has generated some large books of late, but Tor.com has also begun bringing back the novella and the novellette. These shorter works may have fewer pages, but they are filled with quality. One good example of their high quality stories is The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark. This short novel features action, wonderful world-building, and characters that are fun, funny, and badass. Clark made sure that the reader gets the most bang for their buck.
TL;DR
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark is a wonderful, action-packed book. Follow Eveen as she tries to unravel what is happening to her in this engrossing world. Highly recommended.
From the Publisher
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.
Nor do they have tails.
But they are most assuredly dead.
Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.
A Most Anticipated Book of 2024 According to Bookish, She Reads, Civilian Reader, and FanFiAddict
Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins—resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories—have only three unbreakable vows.
First, the contract must be just. That’s above Eveen’s pay grade.
Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen’s a professional. She’s never missed her mark.
The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A final death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen’s newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn’t supposed to remember and a vow she can’t forget.
Review: The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark
Eveen the Eviscerator is dead. She is also a highly skilled assassin. Both of these things happen to be true. Eveen owes a portion of her afterlife to the Goddess of assassins. As such, she belongs to the Dead Cat Tail Assassin guild where she takes contracts with divine rules. If she accepts a contract and fails to carry it out, The retribution shall be at the hands of the Goddess herself and extended to her guild. So, of course, the story begins with Eveen accepting a contract that she can’t fulfill. As a functional zombie, she has no memory of her life. Her existence prior to her death is supposed to be lost to her. So, how come her latest target elicits memories Eveen shouldn’t have? She needs to figure out what’s happening to her before her failure destroys her and every one of her guild-mates.
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark is a fast paced, third person adventure. The novel is short and action-packed. It’s in an interesting world of gods, zombies, and magic. Clark has created a world that begs for exploration. Highly recommended.
Eveen
Eveen is wonderful. She fits as an assassin because she’s insubordinate and strong willed. I loved reading about her. Her catchphrase is amazing, and I hope we get to see her again.
She wasn’t what I expected prior to reading, and I’m grateful for that. I was expecting a high fantasy-esque type assassin. She was not that. Her voice was wonderful; it was modern and appropriately full of snide.
The Central Mystery
The reason that Eveen couldn’t continue with the contract was easily discovered if read closely. I knew early on what had happened, and I continued to read for confirmation. Regardless, I liked the mystery, and I found that how Clark wrapped up the novel fit well.
As a reviewer, I go back and forth on the effectiveness of the mystery. On the one hand, it’s just there to move the story along and give a reason for these wonderful characters to act. On the other, it’s one that readers steeped in the SFF genre will pick up on. In the end, I settled on it being effective because this isn’t a mystery story. It’s an adventure story set off by the mystery itself.
World Building
As an SFF fan, I love intriguing worlds. The creativity, the weirdness, the unexpected differences make a for a background that keeps me immersed in a story. Clark has created a world that I want to know more about. The gods, the guilds, all of it. I want to experience more of Eveen’s world because Clark filled it with interesting concepts. The books has a festival with costumes, a university, and a magical ecological disaster. One of my favorite example is that the goddess of assassins is also the goddess of chefs. It’s beautiful.
The Dead Cat Tail Assassin’s guild might be my favorite non-Eveen aspect. It’s leader, Baseema, is a woman with a scary past, and that comes across in the novel. I appreciated her and the Banari man that she was entertaining. Luckily, the reader gets to see more of the guild as Baseema sends assassins after Eveen. Remember, her choice affects the entire guild, and thus they have to protect themselves. With each assassin that Eveen faces off against, readers get to see the diversity of Clark’s imagination. Each assassin felt unique and like level bosses in a video game. It would be neat to see more of them, and it makes me wonder if there are other assassins guilds.
Conclusion
P. Djèlí Clark’s The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a wonderful, fast-paced, short novel that delights. This fascinating world is only surpassed by a main character that is as fun as she is deadly. I don’t know if Clark plans to return to this world or to Eveen, but I sure hope so. In a time of door-stopper series, this slim, action-packed joy is exactly the SFF genre needs.
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark is available from Tor.com on August 6th, 2024.
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