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Djinn & Tonic
What if a genie didn't have powers? What if you wished for a billion dollars and your genie started planning a heist?
Welcome to Remmy's crap work for ungrateful wishers. Her only reward? More wishes, more work. She and her djinn friends have been stuck in 20-something human bodies since Biblical times and—other than a few neat parlor tricks—they can't snap their fingers and make your wish come true. What they do have is a few thousand years of experience making the impossible possible.
When Remmy's newest lamp-rubber turns out to be the loathsome owner of a Fortune 500 company with dirty dealings, Remmy finds herself unwillingly descending into a murder mystery that crosses borders, oceans, and every line of human decency.
Welcome to Remmy's crap work for ungrateful wishers. Her only reward? More wishes, more work. She and her djinn friends have been stuck in 20-something human bodies since Biblical times and—other than a few neat parlor tricks—they can't snap their fingers and make your wish come true. What they do have is a few thousand years of experience making the impossible possible.
When Remmy's newest lamp-rubber turns out to be the loathsome owner of a Fortune 500 company with dirty dealings, Remmy finds herself unwillingly descending into a murder mystery that crosses borders, oceans, and every line of human decency.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 26, 2025
3 people are currently reading
About the author
B.C. Johnson
12 books59 followersB.C. Johnson lives in Southern California with his beautiful wife Gina, his fluffy/angry Corgi-mix Luna, and his destructive Viking sons Dash and Wyatt. He writes about snarky characters being snarky while supernatural things try to eat them. When he’s not playing video games, watching Marvel movies, or just generally being a ninth-level dork, he’s thinking about doing all that stuff. All of his books, blogs, essays, and manifestos can be read at bc-johnson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 21, 2025
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Original, funny, twisty, cinematic.
Cons: A tad chaotic and a bit heavy on the snarkiness. The sex scenes (see below) may not sit well with everyone.
WARNING! Blood and gore, violence (not of the sexual kind), torture, guns, burns, drowning. Contains two graphic sex scenes (F/M and F/F).
Will appeal to: Those who enjoy a mixture of thriller and urban fantasy with plenty of action. Those who can get behind a kickass but dysfunctional heroine.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. I've been a fan of Mr. Johnson since I started his Deadgirl series in 2013, and I've proof/beta-read some of his books. I swear, though, that I'm going to be as honest about this book as I usually strive to be in my reviews. I wouldn't be of any service neither to the author nor to you potential readers if I didn't. Here goes....
DJINN-IUS IDEA
After bringing the wonderful and epic Deadgirl series to completion, B.C. Johnson swings towards adult lit, but doesn't betray his signature penchant for supernatural mayhem and snarkiness. First thing first - Djinn & Tonic is one of the most original stories I've ever read. Think hard-boiled detective novel without the actual detective and with a band of used-up genies instead. They only retain a small fraction of their original power (that they have to conserve as best as they can, because in human form, they don't have access to its source anymore), but are bound to make their summoners' wishes happen, so they have to resort to unconventional methods (well, unconventional for a bunch of genies, that is...though, now that I think of it...unconventional at any rate). There's also a backstory - albeit small - of how they found themselves in this predicament, and it left me wanting more. D&T is a treasure trove of comic moments and funny banter/inner monologue, plus it has an eldritch, unhinged heroine full of very human flaws and with a more tender core than you might expect, all things considered (but shh, don't tell her 😉). "What would you do if you were an ancient being shoved into a human body since before Christian era and your powers were dwindling, but you were forced to act as if you still had them, or pay a steep price" wasn't on my bingo card for sure, but that's B.C. Johnson for you - and as usual, the result is a rich, engaging story you haven't read the like before. [...]
Whole review here.
Pros: Original, funny, twisty, cinematic.
Cons: A tad chaotic and a bit heavy on the snarkiness. The sex scenes (see below) may not sit well with everyone.
WARNING! Blood and gore, violence (not of the sexual kind), torture, guns, burns, drowning. Contains two graphic sex scenes (F/M and F/F).
Will appeal to: Those who enjoy a mixture of thriller and urban fantasy with plenty of action. Those who can get behind a kickass but dysfunctional heroine.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. I've been a fan of Mr. Johnson since I started his Deadgirl series in 2013, and I've proof/beta-read some of his books. I swear, though, that I'm going to be as honest about this book as I usually strive to be in my reviews. I wouldn't be of any service neither to the author nor to you potential readers if I didn't. Here goes....
DJINN-IUS IDEA
After bringing the wonderful and epic Deadgirl series to completion, B.C. Johnson swings towards adult lit, but doesn't betray his signature penchant for supernatural mayhem and snarkiness. First thing first - Djinn & Tonic is one of the most original stories I've ever read. Think hard-boiled detective novel without the actual detective and with a band of used-up genies instead. They only retain a small fraction of their original power (that they have to conserve as best as they can, because in human form, they don't have access to its source anymore), but are bound to make their summoners' wishes happen, so they have to resort to unconventional methods (well, unconventional for a bunch of genies, that is...though, now that I think of it...unconventional at any rate). There's also a backstory - albeit small - of how they found themselves in this predicament, and it left me wanting more. D&T is a treasure trove of comic moments and funny banter/inner monologue, plus it has an eldritch, unhinged heroine full of very human flaws and with a more tender core than you might expect, all things considered (but shh, don't tell her 😉). "What would you do if you were an ancient being shoved into a human body since before Christian era and your powers were dwindling, but you were forced to act as if you still had them, or pay a steep price" wasn't on my bingo card for sure, but that's B.C. Johnson for you - and as usual, the result is a rich, engaging story you haven't read the like before. [...]
Whole review here.
July 5, 2025
I found this book so refreshing and unique! It combines urban fantasy and magical realism in a fun, edgy way. Though the main characters are ancient genies, there is a vibe of "having a crappy job in your 20s" that many of us can relate to. They no longer have powers, but they are still bound to make wishes come true if someone finds them. This presents a significant challenge. The camaraderie and character development comes through in the snappy dialogue.
It's also very well paced and suspenseful. There's mystery and light crime with action-packed scenes.
If you like Francesca Lia Black but wish it had more action, I'd highly recommend.
If you like Lev Grossman but wish it was more modern, I'd highly recommend.
If you like V.E. Schwab but wish it was edgier, I'd highly recommend.
Can't wait to see more from BC Johnson!
It's also very well paced and suspenseful. There's mystery and light crime with action-packed scenes.
If you like Francesca Lia Black but wish it had more action, I'd highly recommend.
If you like Lev Grossman but wish it was more modern, I'd highly recommend.
If you like V.E. Schwab but wish it was edgier, I'd highly recommend.
Can't wait to see more from BC Johnson!
September 18, 2025
I received a free copy of this book for purposes of writing an honest review. Some spoilers may be present.
The story follows Remmy, a 3000-year-old djinn who's working her most recent Lamp (aka, the lucky winner of three wishes). Should be easy for a djinn. Unfortunately, after several millenia of granting wishes, Remmy (and her fellow djinn) have run out of magic. But wishes must be fulfilled, even if that involves doing it manually, without the aid of magic. Remmy's most recent lamp wants her to track down the person who's made two attempts on his life.
What I Liked:
- The main characters are so fun. Remmy's got a great, distinctive voice, and the rest of the djinn are equally memorable and enjoyable. The story really shines brightest in the scenes where these characters are all working together. I'd love to read more of that.
- There's a solid feeling that what we learn about the djinn, and the way they work in the world, is just the tip of the iceberg.
- Despite my issues with the plot and flow of the story (more on that in second), this is a very readable book that keeps you turning pages. Several nights I stayed up reading later than I intended to, because I wasn't ready to put it down.
-Love the diversity of all kinds--race, identity, body type, etc. It's nice to see a large cast where not all of the characters are the same.
What Didn't Work For Me:
- First, content warnings (SPOILERS): there are a few discussions of rape, sexual assault, sexual slavery, and incest. None of this is depicted on the page or described explicitly (though there are quite a few consensual explicit sex scenes), but it's too prominent for me to call it passing mentions. The twist at the end brings up potential incest and CSA.
-Also notable, the twist involves a therapist leaking incredibly personal information about a character. That information is intentionally revealed and weaponized (by one of the good guys) while that character is present and visibly distressed, asking them to stop. This didn't feel good to read, especially since it doesn't feel like the narrative considers it morally gray.
- The plot, while fast-paced, seemed to jump all over the place. About halfway through, the plot seemed to change entirely. The threads tied back together at the end, but with important characters disappearing regularly and new important characters being brought in 70% of the way through the book, it was a little tiring trying to keep up with the current objective at any given time. This also made it hard to get attached or care about any characters besides the djinn crew.
- On a similar note, the story regularly jumps from one scene to another scene that seems completely unrelated, with no indication of timeline, location, or who the new characters are. It's jarring, even though you do eventually get answers. This contributes to the overall disconnected feel of the plot.
- The humor was hit or miss. There are definitely a lot of laughs, but some of the jokes just didn't land for me. That's definitely a matter of personal taste, though.
- There's a sense of deeper lore here with the djinn, which is great. I would have loved to get more specifics of that, especially how/if it relates to actual djinn lore that's present in real-life cultures.
- There's quite a few typos throughout, getting more frequent toward the end. Not enough to be distracting, but enough to notice.
Overall, this book was an entertaining read, though it definitely starts stronger than it ends.
The story follows Remmy, a 3000-year-old djinn who's working her most recent Lamp (aka, the lucky winner of three wishes). Should be easy for a djinn. Unfortunately, after several millenia of granting wishes, Remmy (and her fellow djinn) have run out of magic. But wishes must be fulfilled, even if that involves doing it manually, without the aid of magic. Remmy's most recent lamp wants her to track down the person who's made two attempts on his life.
What I Liked:
- The main characters are so fun. Remmy's got a great, distinctive voice, and the rest of the djinn are equally memorable and enjoyable. The story really shines brightest in the scenes where these characters are all working together. I'd love to read more of that.
- There's a solid feeling that what we learn about the djinn, and the way they work in the world, is just the tip of the iceberg.
- Despite my issues with the plot and flow of the story (more on that in second), this is a very readable book that keeps you turning pages. Several nights I stayed up reading later than I intended to, because I wasn't ready to put it down.
-Love the diversity of all kinds--race, identity, body type, etc. It's nice to see a large cast where not all of the characters are the same.
What Didn't Work For Me:
- First, content warnings (SPOILERS): there are a few discussions of rape, sexual assault, sexual slavery, and incest. None of this is depicted on the page or described explicitly (though there are quite a few consensual explicit sex scenes), but it's too prominent for me to call it passing mentions. The twist at the end brings up potential incest and CSA.
-Also notable, the twist involves a therapist leaking incredibly personal information about a character. That information is intentionally revealed and weaponized (by one of the good guys) while that character is present and visibly distressed, asking them to stop. This didn't feel good to read, especially since it doesn't feel like the narrative considers it morally gray.
- The plot, while fast-paced, seemed to jump all over the place. About halfway through, the plot seemed to change entirely. The threads tied back together at the end, but with important characters disappearing regularly and new important characters being brought in 70% of the way through the book, it was a little tiring trying to keep up with the current objective at any given time. This also made it hard to get attached or care about any characters besides the djinn crew.
- On a similar note, the story regularly jumps from one scene to another scene that seems completely unrelated, with no indication of timeline, location, or who the new characters are. It's jarring, even though you do eventually get answers. This contributes to the overall disconnected feel of the plot.
- The humor was hit or miss. There are definitely a lot of laughs, but some of the jokes just didn't land for me. That's definitely a matter of personal taste, though.
- There's a sense of deeper lore here with the djinn, which is great. I would have loved to get more specifics of that, especially how/if it relates to actual djinn lore that's present in real-life cultures.
- There's quite a few typos throughout, getting more frequent toward the end. Not enough to be distracting, but enough to notice.
Overall, this book was an entertaining read, though it definitely starts stronger than it ends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2025
This was a strong concept and enjoyed the use of djinn, it had that urban fantasy element that I was looking for and was engaged with what was happening. I enjoyed this as a element that I wanted and am excited to read more in this universe. The characters had that overall feel that I was wanting and enjoyed the concept. B.C. Johnson wrote this well and was engaged from the first page.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews