Samit Basu doesn’t lack humour and imagination, which make this story very enjoyable. His previous books have mixed cultural and political elements of Indian life with fantasy and science fiction, enriching old westerner tropes and bringing new life to genres that have for too long been only explored by white dudes.

The heart of the story is the question: if you were living in a world menaced by sea rise and dominated by ultra rich factions, and if you found a magic lamp with a genie, what would you ask them? Of course you’d have first to find said magic lamp, and fight your way to keep it when the whole power structure wants it too. Luckily in this scenario you’d be a mischievous monkey robot with delusions of grandeur…