The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport Paperback – December 10, 2024

It starts from there and *gleefully* launches into a glorious mishmash of family secrets, prize-fighting robots and kaiju, legacies and political upheaval in a crumbling spaceport slowly sinking on a backwater planet. With sufficiently-advanced technology that can grant wishes (three for the trial period, but unlimited wishes can be unlocked).

Weird. Witty. Hilarious. Social issues. Loveable characters. Verbose.My favorite character was Moku. He was able to override his user functions and experience a sliver of personhood.

Very uneven book that felt as if a lot plot threads were left hanging fora sequel

The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu is described as an exuberant new sci-fi adventure with heart that reads like a mash-up of “Aladdin” and Murderbot—with gloriously chaotic results. I was so excited to start this book and have to say, it was a true joy.From the opening, Basu hits the reader with the world and doesn’t stop. For as slow paced as the action in the beginning, the world and the city of Shantiport is sprawling, chaotic and non-stop, a cyberpunk city teeming with people that feels as big as it is. And I absolutely adored the fierceness for which Lina loved Shantiport.The primary character is really Lina, a headstrong young woman with a mission she is nearly single-mindedly focused on, and Bador, her monkey-bot brother in the midst of what feels like a teenage rebellion, as he feels that his family doesn’t share enough with him or take his big ideas seriously. The POV character is actually Moku, a story-bot, and I loved watching Moku grow from his beginning as a story-bot with his memory wiped clean. Bador’s emotions are palpable on the page, while Lina–in line with her character–is hard for Moku to read, all the way to the end.The story has slow moments but also lots of action. How can it not when it’s “a galaxy with magic lamps and space empires and alien artifacts”? Overall, I found The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport to be a fantastic story with an intriguing world that grabbed me and wouldn’t let me stop reading.Favorite quotes–because I had at least two!:“I have this in many worlds–people who believe some aspect of their nature, or their person, justified their exclusion. You exist, and you deserve to belong.”“Actually, I create a thread of hope out of nothing, and pull on it.”Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC so I could share my honest review.

Fresh take on the genie-in-a-lamp-three-wishes tale.None of the other Aladdin-type stories I have read ever seemed to give any consideration of the consequences of the wishes. Especially when sweeping changes have been wished. This book does.Not really my cup of tea but I did finish the book.

The writing is trying so hard to be "fun" and "quirky" it doesn't feel like the story has any weight. It's cheeseball YA popcorn scifi that's feels like it's riffing off of a Marvel movie.

This was a delightful, crazy, action-filled roller coaster of a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Excellent world building, you can almost smell the city's dirty, soggy air; excellent original characters that are likeable but pleasantly flawed; many unexpected plot twists, and some pointed commentary on the nature of privilege and personal responsibility. What more can you ask for?4.5 stars rounded up.

Great characters with very well defined personalities. Really very funny in light moments. Some serious topics alluded to, but in the end this is just a very enjoyable romp.