Clark introduces us to a vibrant alternate history of Cairo characterized by automatons, tram cars, and delicious descriptions of food. Each character is vibrant with Hamed representing your classic grizzled detective and Onsi, your bright eyed newbie; though their roles are buddycop staples, Clark manages to flesh out each one in a unique way.

The different kinds of magic and creatures in the story added a lot of depth without coming across as confusing or like an info dump. I'm impressed with the amount of world building Clark was able to include in such a short story. All in all it's a masterfully crafted book; I look forward to reading more from this universe.