A Master of Djinn

A Master of Djinn employs a soft magic system—a term describing fantasy stories where the rules for magic are not well defined, leaving the author with plenty of freedom for its use in the story. However, Clark does center the magic heavily around the idea of illusions. Even outside the magic, characters use illusions and expectations to their own gain. When Abigail first appears, she speaks in “broken” Arabic, betting on Fatma’s assumptions that an Englishwomen will speak the language poorly; Abigail’s fluency is later revealed to be advanced. In short, the novel employs illusions and expectations as an allegory for how much of society functions, including corruption and social injustice as well as how citizens survive both those forces.

On the one hand, illusions and manipulating expectations assist the powerful with staying in power, perpetuating unjust systems. Abigail, as the impostor (an illusion himself), creates chaos by presenting a further illusion: pretending to be fomenting social change on behalf of a poor population. In fact, Abigail is using this distraction to take revenge on her father and steal the djinn from Egypt, with the intention of making England “great again.” That Abigail is a white woman masquerading as a Black man also draws parallels with racial and cultural appropriation. She seems to delight in deception, remarking that “[t]he trick is knowing what people want to hear. Maybe it’s an appeal to their fears, their prejudices, their hunger, the natural distrust between empires” (328). The novel offers other examples too. The newspapers, under the pressure of the wealthy al-Mansur family, initially make Lord Worthington’s death sound like “at best an accident” (114), mentioning “[n]othing about a secret brotherhood” (114). Alexander later agrees to talk to the two agents, rather than the police, which “just makes it [his father’s death] look a bit spooky” versus like “criminal mischief” (159).

On the other hand, implementing illusions and playing with expectations are also mechanisms of survival for those who are subjugated under unjust systems. Illusions seep into Fatma’s relationship with Siti, with Siti hiding her djinn side and both women keeping the true nature of their relationship hidden for fear of social repercussions. Both Zagros and Siwa create illusions—either magical or social—in response to the stereotypes and prejudices they face, Zagros for his diverse heritage, and Siwa for his gambling addiction. Fatma, well aware that women are rare in her line of work, dresses in traditionally masculine clothing.

Considered in its entirety, the novel suggests that the assumptions and stereotypes that people hold have almost magical properties. These expectations, when manipulated, create a handhold for others to build illusions, sometimes ones grand enough to influence entire societies. Clark implies that these illusions can be broken if one is aware of the spell; nonetheless, as a historian, Clark also seems to appreciate that illusions are integral to society and that even the best of humanity acts on them sometimes. Even Fatma is manipulated by the angels, believing their “far-fetched” story about “thieves breaking into one of their vaults” (297), and by Abigail, failing to recognize another women’s potential until it’s nearly too late.