I received this advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This novel is interesting, but it didn't really engage me in the plot or characters. I found the story interesting but not very captivating, and the immediate storyline was not as individually motivating -- which made it hard to stick with the book. Recommended for sci-fi fans!

DNF @34%

I was really excited for this one based on the Aladdin retelling premise but unfortunately this one was just not for me. This was told from the POV of a bot who was observing our two main characters and unfortunately that narration style just had me feeling entirely detached from the story and characters and I just had no motivation to want to keep reading about them.

A retelling of the Aladdin story, complete with wish-granting Jinn, set in a cyberpunk world inspired by southeast Asia sounded like a brilliant idea. The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport isn't a perfect book by any stretch, but it gets some things right and they're a lot of fun.

From the first paragraph of Jinn-Bot, the reader is thrown into the world of Shantiport. Slang and details about the world are presented as commonplace, plunging the reader into the deep end immersion of this cyberpunk fantasy. I was reminded of the same kind of helpless immersion I felt in Neal Stephenson's Snowcrash.

The main characters, siblings named Lina and Bador, are followed throughout the story by Moku, a chronicling robot. Moku, whose job it is to assemble as comprehensive a profile as possible of the people it follows, dumps a lot of info for the reader. There are entertaining moments of people being observed through the eyes of a robot, reminding me a bit of Martha Wells's Murderbot series. Unfortunately, in the case of Jinn-Bot, this recurring trope in the book felt like a lot of telling and not much showing.

Bador and Lina each have interesting plotlines but I felt as though they might have been better served each with an independent novella rather than trying to mix the two into a novel. They didn't seem to intersect or engage with one another as holistically as I would have liked for a single book.

The writing engages with themes of political revolution, colonization, and oligarchy against a backdrop of a dystopian, cyberpunk city. It takes off at high speed and doesn't slow down often or for long. I found the ride through Shantiport, Lina's scheming, Bador's ambition, and the worldbuilding a lot of fun. The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport doesn't completely miss the mark—I look forward to reading more of Samit Basu's writing—but there's definitely room for improvement, too.

Thanks to tordotcom and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Samit Basu’s The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport is simultaneously a fun and frothy space romp and a thoughtful examination of colonialism and environmental collapse. It is both achingly earnest and bitingly satirical. Much like the city of Shanitport in which it's set, this story is a chaotic hodgepodge with an inexplicable, undeniable charm.

Shantiport was once a glimmering jewel of a city, part of a galactic empire. Now the city is collapsing, in chaos thanks to the competing rule of oligarchs, clans, and crime lords. Word on the street is that Shantiport is doomed – and the end is nigh. Most people - and bots - with enough smarts and enough cash should jet out of there to greener pastures. Not everyone agrees though. Raised by would-be revolutionaries who tried to overthrow the city’s corrupt rulers, Lina and Bador have been raised to care for Shanitport and its people at any cost. They’re not about to abandon their home…right?

Lina was groomed to be the perfect revolutionary, trained in ethics, politics, charm, and deception. Bador is a monkey-bot built and programmed to protect and watch over Lina – but he’s outgrown his programming. Yeah, he loves his sister, but she’s also a secretive pain in his ass. Bador’s fully sentient and has his own agenda(s). Namely, becoming a space hero and achieving total bot liberation – in that order. The siblings are struggling to work together on their family’s shadowy plans for revolution when they stumble onto Moku, a mysterious bot whose function seems to be capturing footage and recording stories, but not even Moku knows what he’s fully capable of.

The action in The Jinn of Shantiport centres on this unlikely trio as they each try to incite revolution using their own methods and for their own ends. Helping them along is a space hero from another world and a Jinn-bot, ancient tech that grants the holder three wishes (in free trial mode, naturally). While fomenting revolution is the central plot, there are several episodic adventures throughout that have a “side quest” feel to them. Seducing Not-Princes, competing in underground Bot Battles, and spying on the oligarch who may or may not have had their father killed all occupy Lina and Bador’s time. These characters delighted me (especially Bador), but the real star of the show is Moku. As an outsider to Shantiport, his narrative voice is perfect for representing the absurdities and contrasts of its people and culture. I loved his deadpan wit, his big heart, and his love of a damn good story.

As much as I loved this story, it’s not without its flaws. Narratively and thematically, there’s a lot going on at once – while this is clearly intentional, some readers may find it overwhelming. There’s hardly a moment to breathe throughout the story, and the whole thing is bursting with originality, with ideas, and with jokes. If a little bit of chaos puts you off, you should avoid Shantiport – and its stories – but those who can see the beauty in it are in for a treat. Personally, I loved it. I have a few quibbles about characterization (Lina felt a little flat and I didn’t care for her romance) but I was still completely swept away. Colourful, full of life and hope, The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport is a new favourite of the year. Highly recommended.

This scifi/fantasy novel will appeal to those who enjoy an adventurous romp with lots of action. Set in a world that was once a gateway to the universe but is now a sad, rundown version of itself that is rumoured to end soon. It is currently ruled by a powerful clan known as the Tiger clan, aided by a corrupt and wealthy oligarch, Shakun Antim and Paneera, an underworld character who owns a stable of violent bots made for fighting and. The population is a mix of humans and bots – both good and evil.

Lina is a human tour guide who loves her city and wants to see it regain its former glory while Bador, her brother is a bot with the appearance of a monkey. He wants nothing more than to escape Shantiport, become a space hero and travel the universe. Together they find Moku, an alien bot and narrator of the novel, hidden by their father who disappeared, along with a magic ring and an old lamp. In this retelling of the Aladdin story, Lina and her mother try to use their wishes to bring Shantiport back to be the city it way it once was, but instead start an unexpected chain reaction that leads to chaos.

I very much enjoyed the main characters, the humour and the world building in this novel, although I would have liked a bit more detail on how their system of ruling worked – that was all a bit hazy. There was an Indian flavour to the setting, the food and the city – perhaps based on somewhere like Calcutta – and there may have been cultural nuances I missed that others will pick up. For me the plot seemed a bit of a mess, lacking structure and all over the place with a lot of action that seemed pointless. At one stage a handsome, enigmatic space hero called Tanai appeared looking for his stolen staff and my interest immediately perked up but alas that didn’t really go anywhere - such a disappointment. So overall, it was a fun mash up of genres but maybe not for me.

The Jinbot of Shantiport is a sci-fi retelling of Aladdin told from the point of view of a drone observer. I wanted to love it, but I couldn’t.

This is a story about robots fighting robots. It is about political regime change and societal good. Is is adult sci-fi with characters that read like middle schoolers and a plot that is missing important elements.

No character is likable. I have a hard time thinking of the main characters as adults because they continually acted like 12 year olds. The mother is horrible, nothing about her is likable. She manipulates her children and even does a bad job at that. And we never get a satisfying connection or any finality with any of them.

It took me a bit to realize why exactly I wasn’t connecting with the story. Yes, we have the POV of a drone who often just dumps info and tells instead of bringing the reader into the scene. But it was more than that. There are spaces of sentences with no verbs. The verbs are just missing from sentences. Then other sentences are missing verbs and nouns. The writing itself is designed to exclude the reader, much to the disservice of the story.

I think there are people who will love this book. Specifically, people who love the idea of robot battles for robot battle sake. But for me it let me down in too many areas.

From the first chapter, I was hooked.

"He looks directly at me."

Phenomenal.

The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport had me hooked from the start and didn't let me go until I physically threw it across the room. We follow Lina and her brother Bador as they traverse the thrumming streets of Shantiport. The world was beautiful, Basu painting a vivid picture of Shantiport and its inhabitants. The storytelling is exceptional. The characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their own unique qualities and motivations. I adored Lina’s calm anger and Bador’s charming boldness. So captivating, so appealing with both fantasy and science fiction elements, I loved every second of their story.

Book Summary:

Shantiport has been fighting for its life for years. Lina and her family are painfully aware of this fact. Yet their ability to act has been limited, thanks to the level of security they've been placed under.

All that changes when Bador, a small monkey bot, digs up a unique artifact. A bot, really. Together, these three will stand up and fight for Shantiport, and they may just change the world in the process.

My Review:

Ahhh! I cannot express how much I loved The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport. I think I fell in love with it in the first chapter. And I stayed in love through to the end. This was such a fun book to read, with unique and compelling characters.

I mean it, too. This book has three primary characters: our primary perspective (a unique bot who only wants to record for his masters), Lina, and Bador. And boy, these characters could not be more different from one another if they tried. Frankly, I loved those differences. I also love that my feelings for them evolved and changed over time. Much like the situation within the city (though perhaps in reverse order?).

Samit Basu did a brilliant job creating a rich and disturbing world. This world is where surveillance is king, bots are becoming more sentient by the day, and the world is possibly on the brink of death. It's a lot, and I loved hearing every little detail.

There's a lot to love about The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport, from the characters to the Aladdin references and everything in between. I won't say that this book is perfect for MurderBot fans (as it is a very different world), but it made that little part of my heart sing happy. So take what you will from that.

Highlights:
Science Fiction
Dystopian Science Fiction
Bot Rights
Aladdin References

Trigger Warnings:
Classism/Oppression
Dying Planet

The Pros: Excellent world-building in a fantastic cyberpunk setting. Lina, Bador, and Moku are engaging characters with realistic motives, flaws, and growth.

The Cons: The plot was a bit convoluted. There were plot points that didn't really seem to contribute to anything and made the narrative congested.

Even with the convoluted plot, it was still an enjoyable story, so the needless bits didn't distract from it as a whole. Highly recommended for sci-fi/fantasy readers!

3.5 stars rounded up. I struggled a bit with the writing style and with just how much is packed into this story, but I was ultimately charmed by the characters and the uniqueness of the world. We follow the perspective of a technically-advanced story bot named Moku with mysterious origins. He is a highly unreliable narrator, but is quite sweet and emotionally invested of the well-being of the adventurous siblings he follows. The author mentions Martha Wells as one source of inspiration, and I definitely see that influence in our bot-characters' personalities and their relationships with humans. I would absolutely love to see an anime adaptation of this book- the energy and details of the epic bot fights are perfect for the way that anime often depicts movement and building physical tension. I don't think the writing style is going to work for everyone, but it's super creative and if the premise intrigues you, I highly recommend giving it a shot.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-arc for review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 rounded up. This book is has such an exciting premise I was very excited to pick it up. The characters are interesting and well-defined, the worldbuilding and aesthetics of the world made sense to me and I felt like I could imagine exactly what was going on. Sadly, I didn't totally vibe with the plot. There are many many things going on and they're all very different, it's lots of chaos and lots of things happening on one hand and lots of stopping and dialoguing on the other hand, so the pacing also felt off. But, I'd definitely still recommend this book especially if that's what you' enjoy. Overall it's a fun and adventurous read! For my own subjective experience, maybe I would have preferred this in a novella format instead, or over several books. A huge thank you to Tor for providing me an eARC of this review in exchange for my thoughts!

A worthwhile read for fans of Murderbot and other contemporary sci-fi stories. It was well written but not what I was expecting. It's possible that future installments will develop the characters and world more.

Sadly gonna have to DNF this one - the worldbuilding and the characters seem to be very well done, but I'm just not vibing with the humour at all. Sadly that can make or break a book for me! Otherwise, I found the world to be vibrant and interesting - might give it another go in a few months.

The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport was so fun and so unique. I was immediately intrigued by the premise of Aladdin in space and it did not disappoint.

I loved reading about the world of Shantiport from the politics to the technology to the people who inhabited it. I grew to adore all of the heroes in the book and there were also plenty of characters that I loved to hate.

I think where this book really shined was the storytelling mechanism (which I don't even want to say too much about because it's a really fun reveal in chapter one). It was so creative and made me constantly think about what gets included in stories, how that is portrayed by the storyteller, and how storytellers themselves become a part of stories.

The book also had a lot of excellent conversations about politics and methods of political change. However there were a few moments I thought the book got a little bogged down in political strategy talks or debates about the merits and drawbacks of incrementalism, and I thought it hurt the pacing a little bit.

3.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was a wild ride from start to finish. I’m not entirely sure I was able to hang on at some parts but we all made it safely to our destination. It is spun as an Aladdin retelling; maybe it’s been a few years since I’ve seen the Disney version but I had no idea what was about to happen.

It’s hard to discuss this without spoiling the plot, but this book was what I needed. It was funny, full of action, and my heart leapt with joy at the end. Bador is the best character in this book and I refuse to hear otherwise. The narrator, Moku, is a close second.

There were instances where the plot points just kind of wrapped up in an unsatisfying way and I’m still a little confused about one person’s loyalty, but maybe once more people read this book and talk about it it’ll make more sense. Also I would have liked a physical version of this book in the hopes a map was included? Reading an eARC was fine for story purposes but I had a hard time seeing the world. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for a map. Let me live my life.

Absolutely recommending this book if you like:
-Aladdin retelling
-Tales with Jinns and wishes
-Chaotic violence loving monkeys


Thank you @netgalley and @tordotcompub for the ARC!

I really didn't vibe with this one. This is a cyberpunk esk scifi novel that's written from a robotic monkey that isn't really a major part in some of the scenes and it threw me off. The writing just wasn't something I was going to enjoy. The concept is pretty cool and the Aladdin story is ever present if you know what your looking for. Just not for me. Thanks Netgalley for an ARC.

It's taken me over a week to write a review because I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I absolutely loved the world building and the main characters: Moku, Bador, and Lina. On the other hand, the main plotline and subplots were such a mess to the point where I wasn't sure what the message was supposed to be about. Multiple plotlines take finesse, and I don't think the author stuck the landing here.

I'll start off with the things I loved.

The world building was excellent! (Although I did wish it would've extended beyond the city/district of Shantiport itself, but that's just me being nitpicky.) You can definitely feel the cyberpunk/Blade Runner vibes. There are descriptions of various parts of Shantiport, with places that are rundown and flooded, and places that read more working class, or middle class, or 1%. Bots and AI are so well integrated into this society that you can't even imagine this world without them.

This is cyberpunk at its finest.

I loved seeing Shantiport through Moku's eyes, who was a generic sort of bot character at first, who then developed a personality and started seeing people and events subjectively instead of objectively. Moku goes through a whole hero's journey sort of arc and it was really cool to read and experience.

And via Moku, it was cool to read about the other two main characters: Lina and Bador. They're total polar opposites so their POVs provide huge contrasts to what they personally deem as important vs. not important. Bador believes in bot's rights and his own personhood. Lina wants what's best for Shantiport and she'll pretty much do anything for it.

So, for the negatives...

The plot was a total mess. We have Bador doing his thing, trying to get famous by battling bots/mechas in some citywide tournament where Shantiport itself is the battleground/backdrop. Then, there's Lina doing her own thing, which is...

Honestly, I wasn't quite sure what Lina was doing. Something about a revolution? Then halfway through, she fell in love with the Not-prince. This was such a weird romance that made no sense and had no chemistry. We're told that they find each other attractive, but the whole relationship felt very wooden, like I was reading a script of what instalove is supposed to be like.

The entire revolution plotline made absolutely ZERO sense. We have an all-powerful jinn-bot AI alien tech that's capable of toppling entire governments and establishing new ones, but this wasn't really explained. Absolute chaos ensues and that's pretty much the entire book.

Interwoven between the revolution plotline was another convoluted plotline about Lina's family. Her parents are old revolutionaries and a figure from their past plays a huge role in Shantiport politics. It all felt like the book was trying too hard to do too much all at once, so it was very hard to understand how everything was interrelated.

Or maybe I'm just a dumbass. Idk.

Also, what was the point of Tanai's character? Don't get me wrong, the dude was cool af and I'd love to read an entire novel about his life story, but ultimately it was another random plotline that definitely didn't fit in with the larger context at all. If his character and subplot were taken out, the story would've been fine.

The one thing I really disliked about this book was Lina and Bador's mother, and their interactions. The dialogue between all three felt very unnatural, like if you asked a chatbot to write dialogue between adult children and their mother. No one talks like that. It was so weird to read.

Anyway, the takeaway I got from this was that revolutions are messy, so let's not bother with them. The people in power are still in power and any hints of a democracy doesn't even exist anymore.

So, what the hell was the point?

Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for this arc.

Drowning city of Shantiport - the story follows Lina, a daughter of failed revolutionaries; Bador, her monkey-bot brother who dreams of exploring the universe and Moku, a story-bot with strange technology; and this is about their quest to save the city.

In this cyberpunk fantasy, the worldbuilding is weird in the best way, innovative and embedded with all kind of bots (animal-, sex-, cleaner-, gangster-,...). Basu uses elements of a doomed world to tackle on systemic problems such as corruption, oligarchy, oppression, privilege and injustice. Moku, who analyzes human interactions and feelings, is a charming and the most compelling character. Despite being dry at times, the monologue parts increment depth to Moku's character and its spirit is the standout of this novel. Basu crafts calibrated characters, giving Lina and Bardo, unpredictable x more 'controlled'. One aspect that I really enjoyed is the rift between the siblings, which adds dynamism and humor to the narrative.

The plot line is chaotic, almost feeling like all over the place (in 'a good way'), with its exciting reveals and cinematic battles. The story centers around the subject matter of power - the way power can affect one, making one let go of some values; the greater good x personal desire; and in a volatile reality where people rise and fall, be wary of what you wish. When it comes to AI, Basu covers bot rights and equality; and questions us: what it means to be human?

Hilarious at times, philosophical at times, I think the pacing could have been more balanced. The romance felt natural yet I yearned for further development. Lastly, the open ending allows room for a possible sequel (or I would love a spin-off with the space hero Tanai).

THE JINN-BOT OF SHANTIPORT is an inventive reimagining of Aladdin. If you're looking for an exuberant South-Asian SFF with heist and revenge, this book is for you. I found it very entertaining.

Genre: science fiction

Lina (a human) lives in a world rife with political corruption and warring powers. Her brother Bador, (a bot that looks like a monkey) is bold and a little snarky. They’ve attached another bot, Moku, the narrator, who also has a mind and ambitions of his own, trying to control parts of the story. The trio is out on a dangerous adventure under pressure from a powerful enemy. There’s one thing that haunts them, the slogan “Aladin lives”, referencing a folk hero and underground rebellion. In a tale of star-crossed lovers and a fight for the rights of humanity and bots, Lina, Bador, and Moku race to save Shantiport, while traitor Antim seems to have the power of a Jinn granting him wishes towards success.

This was really clever, with many layers of SF thought from bot-rights to political maneuvering to people's rights mixed with the rich fantasy of a multicultural Aladdin (and the author remarks about how multicultural the original he knew from Kolkata was). I’ve often admired Samit Basu’s worldbuilding, as he draws from familiar South Asian marketplace and cityscape settings but then makes them his own. He never specifically lays out the setting, and yet while reading I always had a strong sense of the world of Shantiport.

The bot Moku is our narrator throughout the novel, which is a really interesting choice. At times, I loved it, and at times I found it much harder to follow the plot. An unreliable narrator - especially one telling a story in present tense - reveals only glimpses of ongoing action and plot development. In a book this long, I found that frustrating at times.

This romance reader obviously loves a marriage of convenience story, and I laughed at Moku’s voyeurism and Bador’s innate desire to express himself sexually (despite being a bot without the proper organs). Moments like this kept me engaged in the novel, even when I sometimes lost the overarching plot threads.

If this becomes available on audiobook, I’ll likely go back for a reread. This richly reimagined tale of Aladdin complete with bots’ rights is right up my alley, and I was disappointed that parts of it fell short for me.

Thank you to Tor Publishing for an Arc in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the Aladdin retelling with the addition of other lore but felt too conversation heavy when the action was starting, it was put to a halt by the long conversations that were not always needed.