Released from a prison of stone and ice by the ravages of climate change, the Djinn Melek Ahmar awakens, cranky, hungry, and aghast to find the world of Humes has changed in ways both disturbing and, frankly, boring. The nearby city of Kathmandu has been turned into a seeming utopia where no one wants for or needs anything under the watch of its benevolent AI Karma. Fortunately Melek Ahmar, Lord of Tuesday, encounters a guide–an outcast Gurkha with a sharp knife and a sharper need for vengeance. Together they set off into the city with conquest (as well as drinking and fornicating) on their minds. Thus the stage is set of a clash of powers ancient and modern, with the indolent Humes set to be crushed in between....

A fun and snappy read at 165 pages, with short chapters perfect for commuting or otherwise snacking on in short bursts of downtime, The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Bangladeshi author Saad Z. Hossain (Escape from Baghdad! and Djinn City) is well worth your time and attention. Despite the inevitability of the major confrontation the story is filled with surprises and the finale unfolds with unexpected results and a worthy O. Henry ending. It's funny and irreverent, with a quick pace just short of frantic broken up by small character moments that make you smile.


References

I borrowed it from the Toronto Public Library and just finished it. I will now buy my own copy, and another to give away.
You can view the cover here, look for the goat who makes an early through literally short-lived appearance.
The launch notice at Tor books (of course)

Mostly I came here to node this for Jet-Poop but I miss you all.