Aladdin in space with her robot monkey brother. The book was as fun as that sentence. Despite the heavier topics (colonialism, civil rights…), Jinn-bot was entertaining and sometimes laugh out loud funny. There were areas bogged down by info-dumping but that ultimately didn’t take away too much from the story. My favorite parts were when everything would fly off the rails and reveals would lead to deeper reveals.

Cyberpunk Calcutta-ish setting with a world-building that uses the Bengali bilingual puns, and a chaotic Bengali family at the heart of it...I couldn't love this more! In the author's last work, I was also blown away by his world-building but the characters felt flat and lost in a general self-indulgent infodump, with very little plot movement. But this one is not only wall to wall action and romp, but there's so much texture to the characters and their humor and the world they inhabit. Perhaps, I find it relatable and easily evocative because of the clear inspiration of my hometown of Calcutta, its comforting sluggishness and resilience in the face of decay and abandonment. For readers at large without context, this may seem a bit of a hot mess of genre elements, but this is a flavor of a city where all seemingly disparate elements percolate for centuries and it holds your heartstrings forever.
E-arc from NetGalley, but I'll probably re-read as an audiobook when the title releases.

This book presents a fresh and unique perspective of the story of Aladin, and the first few chapters had me absolutely hooked. As I progressed through the story, my interest waned a bit, and by the end I felt like the vibes and the idea of the book were better than the book itself. The potential of what it could be outshined what it was, but that’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable.

The main three characters we get to know are pretty interesting, and Moku is definitely the star as the narrator. There were so many funny moments of Moku’s reactions to Lina and Bador, and those lighter moments really made the story shine. I also really liked that we got to see both Lina and Bador’s character development through Moku’s view and how Moku also develops over the story and begins to fight against programming.

The challenges with this book come with the politics of the story. There were massive info dumps, and I never quite understood what anyone’s motives or goals were. The investment was never quite there, and I wanted things to go further, rather than lingering at the surface. The other major struggle I had with this book was that most of this information and key plot points are conveyed through massive paragraphs of dialogue. There would be pages straight of one character monologuing, and it began to feel a bit like a lecture instead of an immersive experience.

Overall, I was invested and did really enjoy the main characters, but the plot itself did not hold my interest. 3.5⭐️

I really enjoyed this. I liked the world-building and characters a lot and I thought that they were really compelling. This was paced excellently and I enjoyed the way the plot unfolded. I do think that some of the plot events themselves felt--not rushed, per say-- but I think they hit their climax and resolution pretty quickly which was sometimes a little bit weird. Overall, though, really enjoyed this!

An interesting environment, a compellingly unique POV, and a plot that increasingly tightens and heightens tension make this an entertaining read.

The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport is an exhilarating, fast-paced thrill ride that will have readers hooked from the very first page. Basu's skillful world-building and character development bring this vibrant story to life in a cinematic yet personal way. Whenever I had to reluctantly set the book down, thoughts of this captivating world and the witty Bador kept me eagerly anticipating what would happen next. For fans of Martha Wells and Becky Chambers, this novel raises thought-provoking questions about bot rights and community, reminiscent of All Systems Red and the Wayfarer's series. Bador and Lina, the unsung heroes of Shantiport, embark on a quest involving alien technology and their father's legacy, bringing together various threads to save their city. Will the world meet its end? Who is the enigmatic space hero Tanai, and what is his true mission? And could one of the siblings end up with a not-so-royal suitor? Basu's writing flows effortlessly, creating an enthralling martial arts action sequence in my mind, while the characters become some of my all-time favorites. I highly recommend this book for Reader's Advisory and library displays. It was an absolute pleasure to read.

I was very impressed with the world building and characters within this book! It was well written and paced to keep things developing without feeling like it was slow. My one issue would be a few things that happened or were settled too quickly, probably because of the chosen narrator. There’s some funny parts thanks to that narration though, and overall I think it was a good choice. 4.5 stars, rounded to 5 for Goodreads since it does deliver on everything it promises.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

A brand-new, rollicking space adventure with heart that reads like a mash-up of Aladdin and Murderbot by international bestseller Samit Basu.

A perfect adventure story for fans of sci-fi and monkey robots. Definitely recommend!

I want to frame this cover and hang it on my wall. Gorgeous!

The book was easy and flows well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport

A jawdropping rollercoaster ride from start to finish, _The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport_ is a high-octane romp through an isolated city on the brink of collapse in search of a piece of alien tech that could destroy—or save—the planet.

*The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport* has everything you could want in a sci-fi retelling of *Aladdin*. We get star-crossed lovers, buried treasures beautiful strangers from beyond the stars, and a parade the likes of which the city has never seen. Oh, and a scenery-destroying battle between a mech, a synthetic garbage kaiju, and a monkey-bot. If that’s your thing.

*Shantiport* is just so much *fun*, is what I’m getting at here

The story follows Bador, a little monkey-bot with big dreams, and his human sister Lina as they hunt for the titular jinn-bot and upend the city in the process. Bador is full of terrible, impulsive plans and is constantly frustrated by his human family’s unwillingness to give him enough information to make better ones, while Lina’s conviction that she knows the way forward is continuously tested. Moku, a story-bot they charge with recording their exploits, quickly finds himself unwilling to simply bob along in the wake of the siblings, and grows by leaps and bounds out of his initial programming to help them in any way he can.

I loved Shantiport (the city) at once. It’s a city on the edge, where a trade embargo has let criminal factions amass huge amounts of power while the Tiger Clan, the ostensible rulers, are more concerned with planning their own exodus before a rumored doom falls upon them. It’s populated by sentient robots of all shapes and sizes alongside variously augmented humans, and feels real and vibrant and _city sized_ from the very beginning.

The plot takes a number of twists and turns that are both shocking in the moment and obvious in hindsight, and ultimately left off with a good balance of satisfying conclusions and unanswered questions. There’s so much more I want to know about this universe, with its rumors of far-off utopias, galactic trading guilds, and wandering space heroes, but the ending still felt solid.

I would have liked to see a little more development of the characters and their relationships, as the romantic subplot fell a little flat for me, but if what you want is a plot-forward, fast paced adventure, _The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport_ will not disappoint.

Quite good. This has an engaging plot and complex characters, and the author writes well. I look forward to Basu's future work. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the free copy for review!!

I absolutely adored everything about this book. Shantiport is a believable future colony world with all of the problems that come from absolute power and shady money being bedfellows. As much as it speaks about the city and people of Shantiport, they remain elusive outside of specific areas needed to advance the narrative, giving us much the same experience as any tourist on one of Lina's tours. The book offers no easy answer to correcting the society's problems, instead offering commentary on our own and the steps we too must take to correct them. Ultimately, this story is one of growth, positive change, and the cost of generational expectations. Linda, Bador, and Maku are brilliant characters, perfectly flawed and complex enough to feel real. Basu's spectacular writing had me both cackling and entranced, ultimately leaving me satisfied and hopeful. This story is one of a far off place in a future we will never see. But it reminds us that Aladin does live in the here and now, in all of us. I'll absolutely be recommending this as one of the best titles to curl up with this fall!

The Jinn-bot of Shantiport follows three central characters: Lina, daughter of Shantiport revolutionaries raised with ideas of overthrowing the status quo, Bador, her brother, a monkey-bot who dreams of getting to leave Shantiport, and Moku, a strange technology tasked with recording and telling the stories of those it serves. The plot (broadly, so as to avoid spoilers) builds from the presumption that Shantiport is facing destruction, and the characters set out to save it, tangling with clans and oligarchic leaders along the way.

I liked a lot about this book. Shantiport, with its range of neighbourhoods, is believable as a city. There are some interesting conversations about bot rights and the possibility of human/bot equality which have an added dimension here given Lina and Bador’s relationship. Political, social, and economic dynamics in this world are quite fully realized while never feeling info-dumpy, and the adventure at the heart of the plot moves along at a good pace and feels exciting.

A few things didn’t quite work for me. Moku being the narrator means that some parts of the book feel rather… detached? and the humour didn’t quite work for me, though it is there. A few very significant reveals/developments felt very abrupt and a bit glossed over, with the action moving on too quickly. Overall, though, I enjoyed this and will happily look forward to reading more from Samit Basu.

*Content warnings:* violence, death, murder

*Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing / Tordotcom for providing an ARC in exchange for this review*.

'The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport' is a multi-layered novel about trying to save a city in a sci-fi setting with a folk tales tone. Samit Basu brings together a fast paced story with many twists, artificial intelligence with the concept of bot- rights and bright introspective characters trying to do the right thing with his usual witty writing.

The novel is from the perspective of a newly dug up story teller bot whose function is to follow and record a person's story. We see the jinn-bot try to understand the lead characters and people in general as the story progresses; when the characters seem one-dimensional sometimes, it's probably the bot still trying to characterize the people. And indeed, Basu tries to reason the focus on particular aspects of the leads towards the end.

The world-building, along with the writing really support the story's quest; the folk-tale aspects lacing the world liven up the more serious politics of people trying to change the way the cities are ruled. Basu's writing balances action and philosophy in the novel and it was great to see everyone reason through the best course of action.

The rating is 4 1/2 stars and rounded up to 5 as the book on the whole delivers what is promised.
[One star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the characters; 3/4 star for the story arc; One star for the writing; One star for the world-building - Four and a half stars on the whole.]

Thanks to NetGalley, Samit Basu and Tor publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This has got to be one of the most unique books I've read. I was instantly compelled by the concept of a jinn sci fi novel, and my expectations were absolutely exceeded. Not only is this take on sci fi so modern and different than others I've read, the blending of Aladdin elements into this story adds such a fantastic twist to the world and its characters. I love the humour, the action, the questions it's asking about bots and humanity, and that underlying feeling of reading a fairytale.

This is such a creative way to tell a story. it purposefully uses the bot and human dynamic to determine how much of the characters we as the reader get to see. Most third person narratives still allow us to see inside a character’s mind, but since Moku is technically telling the story from a first person perspective, we see most of it from this distant third party who has minimal understanding of what’s going on inside anyone’s head except Bador, since he’s the only bot and periodically allows Moku directly into his head. It’s such selective intimacy with the characters, and allows you to feel how Moku feels as both invested in these people without actually knowing a whole lot about what makes them tick. It can be a little frustrating at times, but is such a refreshing narrative style that it’s ultimately very enjoyable to see how everything plays out without a single idea where anyone wants to go.

I think this distance in the narrative might have lead to the pacing feeling very rushed through certain times. I found myself frantically trying to keep up with the characters as they bounced from plot point to plot point without much time to process why things were happening at lightning speed. It pulled me away from the story at times, but I can see how it serves the narrative style.

Overall this is such a cool book, and I think avid sci fi fans would get such a kick out of seeing this genre from such a new angle. Thank you so much to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Samit Basu's "The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport" takes readers on an electrifying adventure through a futuristic city where jinns and robots collide. Basu seamlessly blends elements of technology and magic, creating a dynamic urban fantasy world that brims with excitement. The fusion of jinns and robots adds a unique flavor to the story, immersing readers in a thrilling quest filled with twists and turns. The city of Shantiport comes alive with its vibrant streets and bustling atmosphere. The characters, from jinns to humans, are diverse and compelling, each with their own motivations and secrets. "The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport" is an action-packed ride, filled with pulse-pounding moments and unexpected humor. Basu's witty writing style adds a touch of whimsy to the narrative, making it a delightful and entertaining read. Basu skillfully weaves together cultural influences and mythology, creating a rich tapestry of storytelling that captivates the reader's imagination. The exploration of themes like identity and power adds depth to the narrative. "The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport" is a spellbinding blend of science fiction and fantasy, offering an unforgettable adventure that will leave readers yearning for more.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

This is a fun sci-fi story with a wonderfully unique and fleshed out world. While it tackles common sci-fi themes, particularly when it comes to AI and bots and their rights and personhood, the influence taken from Aladdin makes for an interesting setting to view such themes in. The plot is hard to discuss without giving too much away, but while I did enjoy the build-up, I felt the end itself was a bit flat and there were some point where I didn't really get the purpose of what was going on. The characters were fun, but vague at times and not always engaging. Some, like Lina, felt like it was trying too hard to be mysterious without really giving any hint to what she really is like. Overall, a fun story with great worldbuilding, but i'm not sure the plot and characters always stood up to that.

I really wanted to like this book, but it never really jelled for me. There are some interesting ideas behind this story, but the characters felt flat. The narrator is an outsider, which can help in a fantastic setting, but that narrator spends 50% of the book as an observer which made it harder for me as a reader to connect to the characters and their motivations. There's some interesting action scenes, but when we finally meet the title character at the halfway point, everything stops and we get pages and pages of lecture and theory. Interesting enough, but it left me bored.

Hear me out: You need to read The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport, even if you are not a Sci-Fi fan. While I normally stay away from the genre, I was so intrigued by the story of a young daughter of failed revolutionaries and her robot monkey brother trying to find some ancient technology to save their crumbling city, I knew I had to try it. I am so glad I did. This was so fun, the plot was a roller coaster of twists and turns in the best way. There was also some romance which I didn’t expect but really enjoyed! The Sci-Fi aspect didn’t feel intimidating but instead fresh, and the comparison to Aladdin is definitely true. In addition, Samit Basu expertly was able to weave a fun action story with themes such as colonialism and economic disparity in an immensely compelling way.

ARC provided by NetGalley.