The Angel of Khan el-Khalili

Dead Djinn Universe #0.2

by P. Djèlí Clark

A girl visits a bazaar in Cairo, seeking a favor from a mysterious angelic being.

This story first appeared in the anthology Clockwork Cairo: Steampunk Tales of Egypt.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Steampunk, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Historical

32 pages, ebook

First published June 1, 2017

About the author

Phenderson Djèlí Clark.

Phenderson Djéli Clark is the author of the novel A Master of Djinn, and the award-winning and Hugo, Nebula, and Sturgeon nominated author of the novellas Ring Shout, The Black God’s Drums and The Haunting of Tram Car 015. His short stories have appeared in online venues such as Tor.com, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and in print anthologies including, Griots and Hidden Youth. You can find him on Twitter at @pdjeliclark and his blog The Disgruntled Haradrim.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mini-review

An impressive short story. I’m even more excited to read A Master of Djinn.

I’ll keep this one brief. It’s a short story, after all. The Angel of Khan el-Kalili is a short story in Clark’s Dead Djinn Universe; it is a prequel to the main novel, A Master of Djinn. I am frankly impressed; this short story about a girl asking an angel for a miracle was packed with so much emotion. To make things even crazier, the author has the bravery to write the short story in second-person POV, which super often just doesn’t click with me. But it did here. Similar to A Dead Djinn in Cairo, you can read it for free here: https://www.tor.com/2021/04/28/the-an...

"The Angel of Khan el-Khalili is a towering giant. Even bowed as she is, her head near brushes the ceiling. Her body is wrought of iron and brass: a living statue in the form of a lithe woman constructed of clockwork machinery that hums and moves to its own metronomic rhythm. Shimmering silver wings lay folded on her back, a bundle of metallic feathers inscribed with turquoise script that shifts and writhes before your eyes. She sits amid a bed of brocaded cushions on a mammoth moss-green divan, chin propped upon a fist in a thinker’s repose. A draping skirt of gold conceals her legs and feet, falling in cascades to flow upon the ground below. You crane your neck to gape up at her, too taken at first to speak and lost in her terrible beauty."

Not gonna lie, after these two, I’m starting to understand why many readers love A Master of Djinn and Clark’s Dead Djinn Universe. Clark’s prose is impactful, and the world-building he implemented into his series is so fascinating. Now I’m off to read the novella: The Haunting of Tram Car 015, then I’m all set to read A Master of Djinn.

Picture: The Angel of Khan el-Kalili by Kevin Hong.



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[carol. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She studies you for a moment, then replies: 'Many claim to seek my wisdom. But in truth, it is my favors they hope to attain.' Her tone is not harsh or even scolding. Still, you feel your face heat up again. It is not a comfortable thing to hear that you are transparent. But you believe that gaze could strip any soul bare. 'Forgive me, Seeker,' you try again. 'I mean to say, I’ve come to ask a favor.'

A powerful little morality tale set in Clark's Clockwork universe. A young woman who works in a dress factor comes seeking help for her sister. Told in second person, the reading doesn't flow as smoothly as I am used to from Clark. While I don't remember reading much about the angels, they come up in his latest work, A Master of Djinn, and it was nice to get some more insight.
https://www.tor.com/2021/04/28/the-an...

Three-and-a-half automatons, rounding up.

[Warda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a short but captivating story.
The writing is gorgeous and I don’t get how the author managed to write an almost complete story when it’s barely even a story.

[Zala · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second person pov put me off at first, but I ended up really enjoying this one (I'm weak for this type of story that pulls at your heartstrings).

[Khalid Abdul-Mumin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did…you take from me? you whisper.
“Only a bit of your soul,” Seeker replies. Why do you look so? Truth, after all, resides in the soul.

An awesome short story set in the the same magical universe as that of A Dead Djinn in Cairo, wherein this one follows a girl making a somewhat 'faustian' bargain with an angel that deals with and trades in the seeking of 'truth' in order to save her dying sister.

You mortals are such frail things. Motes floating among more worlds than you can possibly imagine. Yet your souls hold the weight of stars. If you only knew… She trails off, as if having spoken too much.

An extremely well written (if a bit too short) piece in which the author wields his spectacular ability to completely transport the reader along for the ride. A good read that comes highly Recommended.

2022 Read

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesterday was my first day to go to the office, after more than a year working from home. I guess the thrill of it dizzied me that I had forgotten my kindle at home. Damn, what to do in those 30 minutes subway ride? So I looked up on tor.com and found this one. Good thing I did, because I had Clark under radar for some time, and was curious about his writing. I was entranced from the first words and that from a story written in second person, which is not exactly my thing. Superb writing, great story, an amazing combination between fantasy, magical realism and steampunk. Can't wait to read the main series.

It can be read here: https://www.tor.com/2021/04/28/the-an...

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story (first published in 2017) is set in the same world as Clark’s A Dead Djinn in Cairo, though there isn’t any other connection to that novelette. It is weakly connected to The Haunting of Tram Car 015, I think. But I’ll have to read that one again to be sure.

Anyways, it is the story of a girl that is trying to save her dying sister. But mere wishes granted by a djinn won’t do. It will need a miracle. So that’s what she’s asking for, from an angel who calls herself Seeker. Seeker, however, is seeking truth. And Aliaa will be given three chances to give the angel exactly that. But truth can be painful.

“You mortals are such frail things. Motes floating among more worlds than you can possibly imagine. Yet your souls hold the weight of stars. If you only knew…”

I don’t often read stories that are written in second person and I’m not sure I’m a fan. But it worked well for me here. I could almost feel Aliaa’s pain.

The story is pretty straightforward and wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I thought that there would be some connection to the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities. But that wasn’t the case. What I did foresee was the ending, however. But it didn’t mar my enjoyment. It might not be one of Clark’s best. Still, I liked it.

3.5 stars

Can be read for free here: https://www.tor.com/2021/04/28/the-an...

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Speak your truth. Allow my embrace."

While the crux of the plot won't likely knock anyone's socks off, the chilling emotional intensity that Clark achieves, as well as the marvelously realized setting in his fantasy steampunk Cairo, are masterful. His prose is in top form, affecting and evocative.

"I search for truth. I am drawn to it. Do you think your small mortal soul can conceal itself from me? Do you think I cannot see what you keep secreted in its innermost chambers"

"You mortals are such frail things. Motes floating among more worlds than you can possibly imagine. Yet your souls hold the weight of stars. If you only knew..."

[Daye · Rating 5 out of 5]

a 32-page short story that holds more emotional depth than some full-length novels

[Marcos GM · Rating 5 out of 5]

[ENG/ESP]

For Aisha, you remind yourself. This is for Aisha.

After finishing the story of The curse of the tram 015 that I got from the library, I was left wanting more, and thanks to Elena Rodríguez I was able to approach this other story, much shorter but set in the same universe. And what a hit, I liked everything about it.

The story is simple, a girl seeks help from a superior being for her sister. In what seems like a Mephistophelian pact, she agrees to pay a price for what many consider a miracle:

It would take a miracle, he'd said gravely. So, you'd come looking for me

The setting has fascinated me, but the best has been the angel herself. I couldn't stop thinking about the one that appears in Hellboy 2, courtesy of Guillermo del Toro, although this one is not organic but mechanical. Tall as a column, 4 arms and mechanical wings, but very elegant. A spectacular being. A being that agrees to help those who seek her in exchange for a price, in this case she seeks truth, and her name is Seeker.

"I search for truth", she explains. "I seek it out. This is my purpose. The reason of my creation."

The ending has also impacted me, although not because of its artifice, as is usual, but because of how it was developed. A short but fantastic story. Also as an auction, the wonderful cover that it has (which by the way is not as faithful to the description as it could be)




------------------------------


For Aisha, you remind yourself. This is for Aisha.

Tras acabar el relato de La maldición del tranvía 015 que saqué de la biblioteca, me he quedado con ganas de más, y gracias a Elena Rodríguez me he podido acercar a este otro relato, mucho más corto pero ambientado en el mismo universo. Y menudo exitazo, me ha gustado todo de él.

La historia es sencilla, una chica busca ayuda de un ser superior para su hermana. En lo que parece un pacto mefistofélico, acepta pagar un precio por lo que muchos consideran un milagro:

It would take a miracle, he'd said gravely. So, you'd come looking for me

La ambientación me ha fascinado, pero lo que más ha sido el propio ángel. No he podido dejar de pensar en el que aparece en Hellboy 2, cortesía de Guillermo del Toro, aunque este no es orgánico sino mecánico. Alto como una columna, 4 brazos y alas mecánicas, pero muy elegante. Un ser espectacular. Un ser que acepta ayudar a los que le buscan a cambio de un precio, en este caso busca verdad, y su nombre es Seeker (buscador)

"I search for truth", she explains. "I seek it out. This is my purpose. The reason of my creation."

El final me ha impactado también, aunque no por sus artificios como suele ser habitual sino por cómo se ha desarrollado. Una historia corta pero fantástica. Además como remate, la maravillosa portada que tiene (que por cierto no es todo lo fiel a la descripción como podría)

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded to 4

[Jeraviz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relato de 20 páginas que podéis encontrar en inglés en Tor.com. Es una pincelada de la ucronía que ha inventado P. Djeli Clark y que ahonda un pelín más en la figura de los ángeles.

En los tres relatos que anteceden a la novela larga el autor ha demostrado que escribe bien y crea tramas muy interesantes, a ver qué tal la novela.

[Fiona Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to find the Angel of Khan el-Khalili, you have to make your way to the market at night. Not when the sun goes down, and Cairo’s masses spill out into the opening shops, where soot-smudged factory workers and well-groomed ministerial clerks mingle at open-air coffeehouses to debate local politics. Not even after the first stars have appeared and, beneath the glare of gaslight, hawkers practice their best chat-up lines to seduce idle wanderers to their stalls—where everything from counterfeit medieval antiques to driveshafts for automated wheel carriages are up for sale. No, to find the Angel of Khan el-Khalili means going to the market late at night, when most of the city have long retired to their beds, leaving the souk to the curious, the adventurous, and the desperate—like you.

Very different tone to A Dead Djinn in Cairo, but beautifully descriptive in the first part, and satisfyingly complete and self-contained for a short.

[Hamad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 Stars

I did not know this was written in second person POV but it wasn't weird (I remember it took me a while to get used to it in The Fifth Season and The Night Circus). It is a short story but it is a good one filled with emotions. Give it a chance guys!

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A TOR.com short story, free at this link

Set in Cairo, in 1912, but with a steampunk overlay - mechanised automatons being repaired by the boiler eunuch mender in the opened scene; or the titular angel with a mechanised body.

But angels are another matter. They are rarer things, ethereal beings who shroud their bodies behind contraptions of mechanical grandeur and hold themselves apart from mortals and djinn alike."

Written in the second person, the reader takes the part of Aliia, sister to a dying Aisha, who was injured in a fire in the garment factory in which they both work. Aliia visits the angel to obtain a miracle, but there is, of course, a cost.

Enjoyable atmosphere, well conjured of Cairo's souks and its mystical nights. Author P. Djèlí Clark has however tripped on detail - locating looms in his garment factory, which produces clothes, not fabric. A small detail perhaps, but an annoyance in the scheme of things.

To offset this, the opening sequence was very good, reproduced here:

If you want to find the Angel of Khan el-Khalili, you have to make your way to the market at night. Not when the sun goes down, and Cairo’s masses spill out into the opening shops, where soot-smudged factory workers and well-groomed ministerial clerks mingle at open-air coffeehouses to debate local politics. Not even after the first stars have appeared and, beneath the glare of gaslight, hawkers practice their best chat-up lines to seduce idle wanderers to their stalls—where everything from counterfeit medieval antiques to driveshafts for automated wheel carriages are up for sale. No, to find the Angel of Khan el-Khalili means going to the market late at night, when most of the city have long retired to their beds, leaving the souk to the curious, the adventurous, and the desperate...

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4****

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real Rating: 3.5* of five

This meditation on the price of Truth and the unlikelihood of Honesty being its own reward is told in the second person. This is, I need not tell anyone of my acquaintance, a Literary Original Sin and usually causes me to slam covers and jab power buttons with disgust and outrage.

Author Clark, somehow, is immune to this inflexible rule being applied to him. In fact, these behaviors didn't so much as occur to me. After reading the very, very moreish A Dead Djinn in Cairo, and realizing that I would get some more background on the Angels introduced in that novelette I simply soldiered on into this short story.

The whole review is at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.

[Kon R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Tor for the freebie! You too can enjoy this story here: https://www.tor.com/2021/04/28/the-an...

Having read all the short stories in the series, this one is the most unique. It starts off mysterious as the rest, but you soon realize this isn't the typical story of trying to stop a dangerous entity. This is instead a story of guilt and redemption. It is artfully written, incorporating the same awe inspiring world we've come to love. This time around we learn about the similarities and differences between Djinn and Angels. All I have left to do is tackle the first full length entry in the series. These appetizers have been effective at building my hunger for it.

[Nicholas Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating little story within the Dead Djinn series. Aliaa goes searching for an angel to save her sister Aisha, looking for a miracle. What the angel wants in return is some that may be, literally, too soul crushing for Aliaa.

I do not know if Aliaa appears in other Dead Djinn works, but I would love to see more of her. She's clearly a driven girl and despite all her ambivalent feelings towards the angel and her philosophy, she is very much struck by what happened. That being said, I would like to have seen a little bit more of her personality. This isn't a character-driven story, more a concept-driven.

The themes of guilt, confession, and atonement are so interestingly discussed here and I would love to see P. Djèlí Clark expand upon it. The only thing I really disliked here is that I feel that the story ends abruptly. Other than that, a lovely story.

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
« To find the Angel of Khan el-Khalili means going to the market late at night, when most of the city have long retired to their beds, leaving the souk to the curious, the adventurous, and the desperate-like you ».

Segundo relato de los tres que conforman el universo de Dead Djinn Universe antes de la primera novela. Este ha sido un relato mucho más corto que su predecesor y cuenta con otros personajes y un lugar completamente diferente.

« Many claim to seek my wisdom. But in truth, it is my favors they hope to attain »

Me lo he tenido que leer en su idioma original, inglés porqueno se encuentra traducido al español, me supongo que es por sus pocas páginas y porque no aporta nada al universo, no lo sé. En cuanto al nivel de idioma yo lo encuadro en un B2. Me ha costado un poco leerlo sobre todo por el vocabulario utilizado perteneciente a la época y del steampunk, pero si haces empeño te lo puedes leer bien sin problema, yo pensé que me costaría más un par de días en leerlo pero en verdad me lo leí en hora y media.

« You mortals are such frail things. Motes floating among more worlds than you can possibly imagine. Yet your souls hold the weight of stars. If you only knew… ».

Eso sí, lo siento le pongo 3.5 porque la historia me ha parecido muy corta y se me quedé con muchas ganas de saber que ocurría con los personajes. Espero que salgan en la novela como tal porque me parecen sumamente interesantes. A por el siguiente.

“Farewell then, my daughter. If ever you find your soul in need of unburdening, I might welcome....savoring...your essence again”.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading all the prequels before reading A Master of Djinn so I feel like this one is a mystery as of yet, but a girl goes to ask a miracle from an angel. Why she's there and what she has to exchange is what the story is about. I'm not sure how it fits into the broader world except to emphasize the industrial nature of the worldbuilding and the prominence of the angels.

[Jayadev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but still packing an emotional punch.
The second person POV actually works really well here. (Coming from someone who really hates that form of writing)

[Fadwa]

I'm not sure how this relates to the rest of the stories as the main book, but that's actually not a bad thing, it's just making me more curious as to how everything ties together. It was still an enjoyable story!

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reveal went so hard - this was unbelievably well rounded for such a short story and was just beautifully written.

"Truth, after all, resides in the soul.”

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hidden truths and bargaining with angels.

I've taken another trip into P. Djèlí Clark magical Cairo :) The writing and the setting are gorgeous. There is a lot of emotion packed into 30 pages. I liked the second person narration and the fairy tale feel. I think I would have liked to read a longer story with more detail and more depth to the characters, but it is a minor complaint. I am very curious to see what the rest of the series is going to be like.

[Pyroclastic Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
This novella is shorter than A Dead Djinn in Cairo but just as impressive. I can appreciate the second-person point of view, as it helps me become more entrenched in the short story. The angels are so peculiar, and I cannot help but look forward to continuing in this world by reading The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and The Master of Djinn. Both are being added to my 2025 list to read immediately.

[Machiavelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Clark, but definitely not my last. Such a rich and captivating story for something so short! The character and plot work are seriously impressive—tight, vivid, and totally immersive. I’m hooked and can’t wait to dive deeper into this world.

[Carrot :3 (on a hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world, yet again, was super interesting. The second person narration actually worked in this short. The plot was okay but I was expecting much more from this world and its creatures.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

“They are not angels. All angels are in Heaven with God.”

This reads like a tale, a sort of old Grimm one but modernised with a cool steampunk (not) Angel. I think in a way I preferred it to the first novella, just for its uniqueness which was also translated in its second person point of view. I don’t usually like it but in this case, it really worked its magic and I felt like I was in front of Seeker myself. I love how it keeps the mystery around these (not) Angels, I really want to learn more about them!

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taking place in Khan el-Khalili, the big bazaar in the heart of Cairo. Our main character is looking for an angel and a miracle... Forgiveness and retribution are the theme in this one.

The story is narrated in second-person, which I find really hard to like as a reader.

Straight forward story, not much in terms of plot, more of a small character study. It was ok.

Can be read for free here: https://www.tor.com/2021/04/28/the-an...

[Paul Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent tale in his Cairo setting, in an early 20th Century where magic, spirituality and steampunk are intertwined. Wonderfully evocative, beautifully written and thoughtful.


Read it here:

https://www.tor.com/2021/04/28/the-an...