A review by fictionalcass
The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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⭐️