The Dead Cat Tail Assassins shot to the top of my most anticipated reads of 2024 after reading P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout, which is one of my favorite SFF novellas of all time. Clark’s writing is among the best in the SFF community, and his world-building in Ring Shout is immensely captivating. I went into the story almost entirely blind! I knew it wasn’t actually about cats, and I knew it was about undead assassins. That’s all you need to know to jump into this fast-paced novella!

Amazon / Goodreads

Synopsis:

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.

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 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 is a mishmash of genres, but that worked pretty well for me! Combine a fantasy setting, a little time travel, a dash of steampunk, and a whole lot of fighting, and you have The Dead Cat Tail Assassins. The main character, Eveen, is straightforward, no-nonsense, and tough as nails. I admired her, even if I feared her a bit. Eveen is an assassin, and a really good one at that. But when an assassination Eveen is hired to do brings up memories she shouldn’t remember and a past better left dead, things get complicated.

For a good 60% of the story, I was completely confused. Most of that likely came from the novella not being what I anticipated. The story was fast-paced, full of action, and had great characters – I was left scratching my head as to where it was all leading. The twist… the twist was not what I expected. And I’m usually really good at expecting twists! I liked the story overall, and I adore P. Djèlí Clark’s writing, but this wasn’t my favorite novella. Definitely try it out if action is more your forte!

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to Tordotcom for providing me with an arc! All the above thoughts are my own.