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lbelow's review
adventurous
lighthearted
4.0
This started off a bit slow. I even book the book down for a few weeks, but as soon as I crossed the 30% mark, I couldn't stop turning the pages. It became such a fun adventure that left me guessing at the motives and plans of the major characters, which despite Moku's best efforts never became transparent. All the while was a multilayered revolution that had me on the edge of my seat!
The one thing that really REALLY did not make sense to me was the last page.Nothing about Moku and Bador's reactions indicated anything remotely romantic and turning them into a romantic couple with the "I love you"s in the end feels like it devalues the bond they DID form.
The one thing that really REALLY did not make sense to me was the last page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Deadnaming, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content and Murder
devynreadsnovels's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Classism, Death of parent, Genocide, Slavery, Violence, War, Death, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and Sexual content
laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Death
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