A fantastic new fantasy novella: assassins, gods, mystery… excellent

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

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.

Any new book from P. Djèlí Clark is something to be thankful for. Ever since I read The Haunting of Tram Car 015, I’ve kept my eyes open for each new book from him. The premise for this new novella caught my attention, and I’m happy to report that it exceeded my high expectations. A dark, intriguing new fantasy world, with a solid mystery at its heart.

The novella is told from the perspective of Eveen: an undead assassin who, in addition to being a generally excellent protagonist, is a great guide to this strange and dark world. Through her eyes, we learn quite a bit about the politics, underworld, and day-to-day life of Tal Abisi. This world contains many features of some of the best dark fantasy (assassins, indifferent or brutal gods, undead creatures, other dangerous creatures, and conspiracies), but Clark very much makes it his own. Eveen is one of the best assassins for hire in the city, so she’s a little surprised when she’s given what appears to be a rather basic contract. However, the job goes a little bit sideways when Eveen comes face-to-face with her target… [It’s difficult to discuss the plot at any length without spoiling some of the twists and reveals. So, I’ll leave it there.]

As characters in the book will observe, the “Dead Cat Tail Assassins” is a very strange name for a group of assassins that have nothing in common with cats, nor do they have tails. But, it is memorable, so there’s that. As the synopsis notes, though, they are dead — so, two out of four? That the assassins are undead is a fantastic twist on the fantasy assassin trope (and, to my knowledge, original): that their role and profession is the result of a deal they have made with their god. It also comes with an interesting string attached: they lose their memories entirely. It’s an interesting twist on limbo, I suppose — one that can be renegotiated (though apparently, only upwards). This deal grants you preternatural strength, resilience, and a degree of invulnerability (or, at least, the ability to heal), but no knowledge of who you were. Makes for an interesting thought-experiment about personhood and self. As you can no doubt guess, this becomes important to the story…

The story moves at a good clip, but never feels rushed or hurried. Sure, I was left wanting more at the end of the book, but I think the novella is the perfect length and very well-composed and constructed. I just think the setting, mythology, and characters have a lot of great potential for more stories. (Please?) Clark’s prose is excellent, as I’ve come to expect, and I was easily and quickly swept up by the story.

I think a lot of fantasy fans are going to love this — especially if you like your fiction with a darker edge and aesthetic. Very highly recommended.

*

P. Djèlí Clark’s The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is due to be published by TorDotCom in North America and in the UK, on April 23rd.

Also on CR: Interview with P. Djèlí Clark (2018); Reviews of The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and Ring Shout

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Review copy received via Edelweiss