As my first foray into fantasy/science fiction, the world building was a little much but the dynamic between the two main characters was hilarious and kept the slow parts interesting.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

What a book!! This was definitely a murder mystery novel first, and a fantasy novel second. But the fantasy (kinda scifi?) aspect was absolutely amazing and I want MORE of the super cool world filled with plant magic/science. I loved the main characters, they were so fun and interesting and I felt fully engaged in this book the entire time. 4.5 rounded up!

🌈Queer rep: Bi main male character, secondary FF couple.

I enjoyed this. The characters are interesting and the world is unique. If you're fan of fantasy and whodunit, you should definitely give this one a try!

I really enjoyed this intriguing fantasy! The magic system was unique and easy to understand. I'd definitely like to learn more of the background between engravers, twitches, and apoths. The overall mystery reminded me of Sherlock Holmes with the many quirky characters - very entertaining!

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader's copy (that I neglected to read "in advance") in exchange for my honest review!

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett blends fantasy with a mystery. When a high Imperial officer is found dead in his home in Daretana, investigator Ana Dolabra is called in to determine how this happened and who killed him. It’s not every day a tree erupts from a body even in an empire where contagions are plentiful and the blood of Leviathans corrupts the land. Was this an accidental contagion or was Commander Taqtasa Blas assassinated? Ana is assisted by her new apprentice assistant, Dinios Kol, an engraver magically altered to possess a perfect memory. However, the case is even bigger that the death of one officer. The safety of the Empire is at stake.

If you’re a fan of the unique dynamic of Sherlock and Watson, the eccentric flare of Benoit Blanc in Knives Out (2019), and/or like your fantasy with more than a dash of murder, mystery, and existential threat—this is for you. Heck, if you’re just a fan of a good time, you do not wanna miss this book! Read it for yourself, and let it bedazzle your brain.

Bennett consistently writes great cross-genre stories, and "The Tainted Cup" once again lives up to that reputation while taking the actual plot in a completely different direction. A mystery duo that's one part Holmes and Watson and two parts Hannibal Lecter and Clarisse Starling makes for a good start, and Bennett's setting deftly merges political intrigue with biopunk kaiju straight out of Pacific Rim. Plot-wise, the novel follows a classic mystery structure, with an opening murder drawing the protagonists into a rapidly escalating situation as they uncover crime after crime and try to keep up with the mysterious perpetrators. Bennett writes a pacy, compelling investigation--I'm reminded more of his Divine Cities books than his Founders trilogy here, which is a positive since I liked the former more! While I found the book a little slow in the middle, with the line between worldbuilding details and relevant events blurring to the point that it made the side characters a little tricky to keep straight, the setting was so well-described that I found myself much more satisfied once I went along for the ride rather than trying to piece together every clue one step before the characters did. I found one of the threats introduced near the end of the book to be a bit underdeveloped, though fortunately the story was still able to use it to pay off earlier details about the characters rather than as a deus ex machina (I'm remaining a bit vague here to avoid any spoilers, but for those who have read the book, the threat I'm referring to moves very fast). The setup for a sequel is to be expected and wasn't done in an unwelcome or incomplete way, though given that the book is pitched as a standalone I did find it "morally frustrating." Still, I'm happy to read any further adventures in this world and look forward to seeing which genres come to the fore in Bennett's next project.

It's like Sherlock Holmes but in a fantasy world, or like a magical Knives Out with plants.
I found this fantasy world-building murder mystery entertaining. The world Bennett paints is quite interesting and I loved the various characters. Ana Dolabra is an eccentric investigator who chooses to wear a blindfold, and Din, our narrator is her assistant "engraver" acting as her eyes and ears. Magical world building with a bit of political intrigue.

I haven't read Robert Jackson Bennett before but I'm interested is reading more of his works!

The Tainted Cup is such an intriguing premise and, for the most part, lives up to what it promises.

The book starts with a death in a weird way in incredibly wealthy familys home but expands I like that as you read, you’re given clues through worldbuilding and rewarded for learning about this world, which felt fun and makes the reader more invested.

I felt the beginning of the book was slow to start but it picks up the more you get into it.

Rating: 4.5/5

This book was absolutely wonderful and I enjoyed every second of it. The biggest draw for me was the incredible worldbuilding. Everything is so thought out and just wholly unique. One of my favorite things in fantasy is weird worlds, and this book definitely falls in that category! I get indescribable joy from reading about these worlds that are unlike anything I've read about before. In this book, there are things like the strange genetic modifications undertaken by society, the plant-like architecture, and the towering walls to hold out leviathans. It's just so perfectly done and I felt completely immersed and interested in this beautiful world.

I also found Din to be a loveable main character. Similar to my previous point, I thoroughly enjoy main characters who have a distinct personality. Din is stoic, reserved, innocent, and intelligent. These traits work excellently with and in the story, and I absolutely adored him. Other than Ana, no other characters stuck out to me, but I didn't mind this. They felt more like simplified characters to play a certain role, and I enjoyed that.

I do have one critique. For a murder mystery novel, I expect to be fully invested and unable to tear my eyes away until I can get answers. However it took me until I was around 50% into the book to feel that irresistible urge to keep reading. In fact, before then I found I really only felt like reading a chapter or two at a time, which is very abnormal for me. It is worth noting I never found the book boring, it was more that after a chapter or two I'd feel I got what I wanted for the day. I assume this is something to be contributed to the stakes not feeling high enough or perhaps something off with the pacing.

The story revolves around Din, a character sent on a mission by his boss, Ana, to investigate a peculiar murder. The murder is not your typical crime scene, as a tree sprouts from inside the victim's body and ruptures outwards. This unique premise of mystery, fantasy, and suspense initially piqued my interest, but unfortunately, the book failed to hold my interest. I found the characters unappealing and the plot too meandering.

Although my experience differs from most readers, I still recommend this book to fans of the genre because of its imaginative premise and potential for enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Robert Jackson Bennett for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review

QUOTE: ““I think you need reminding of what the Empire is even for.” I cocked an eyebrow at her, puzzled. “It’s not all this!” she said. She waved her hand at the shuttered window. “It’s not all walls and death and plotting! Nor is it dreary dispensations and bureaucracy! We do these ugly, dull things for a reason—to make a space where folk can live, celebrate, and know joy and love..”

A bit slow in the beginning but after the first few chapters, I fell in love with the characters. For me I think they were my favorite part of the book. However the world Bennett has created is extremely interesting too and I hope to read more of it. I also enjoyed the commentary about “empire” which to me equates to our government systems.

I was not sure what I was getting when I started this book, the only thing I knew about it was that it seemed that almost everyone that read it fell in love with it. Well, you can add me to that list. The story is like no other in many ways and a most exceptional "whodunnit" in others. The story mixes small plots concerning individuals with larger plots concerning the survival of many thousands of people. The story of Ana's assistant Din was one of the most interesting things that as we went along it revealed itself more and more to his amazement since he had talents, he knew nothing about. I could talk all day long about this book but the world and the characters and the way you canst suspicion on almost everyone than Ana blows it all away with observations that the author actually told us about in the story but most readers (like me) missed the clues and when revealed it was "Damn, I missed that and it was obvious" . So without writing a book myself I will just say this is more than deserving the high marks almost everyone is giving it and I can't wait to see what lies ahead in the future for these 2 and 5 Stars is not enough.

THE TAINTED CUP
Robert Jackson Bennett

We read THE TAINTED CUP with my Under the Radar Books Amazon Book Club. It was between this and a historical fiction pick. I’m glad we read this one.

THE TAINTED CUP stars Din in the imaginary world of Daretana. In this world Din is an engraver, someone who is magically anointed with the gift of a picture-perfect memory. Din uses this magic ability to serve as the eyes and ears on the ground for Ana who is unable to leave her home but still investigates murders with an exceptional solve rate.

This is my first Robert Jackson Bennett book. This is not the first book written by Bennett and you can tell. THE TAINTED CUP has such a unique story you can tell it was written by someone who had the authority to write with such freedom and of course, you can tell by the carriage of the story.

Such a unique story. Using parts of my brain to construct a world that I don’t normally use. Solving the mystery was as much fun as imagining an apple tree erupting from a character’s body. It is so much fun to read fantasy because fantasy and magic allow those problems normally encountered by us mortals to be solved. Suddenly I have a near-perfect memory, can defy gravity, and employ superhuman strength.

I loved the relationship between Din and Ana. It provided a unique and modern viewpoint on the relationship between the two characters. Molded after the relationship between literary giants Holmes and Watson but modernized. Somehow keeping the antiquity of Baker Street and introducing magic mushrooms, fantastical hierarchies, and quirky characters, allowed me to see things from a new readerly perspective.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for the advanced copy! It was a pleasure to read and review!

THE TAINTED CUP...⭐⭐⭐

This was my first RJB book and I've heard so many good things about his work! I loved the mystery in a fantasy setting with a unique magic system. The writing style is different from what I usually read in the fantasy genre, and most of the time I enjoyed its modern feel, but there were some times when the language didn't quite fit in the world for me. Which I think is definitely a preference/me issue and not an actual critique of the author's style.

Absolutely adored this book! The characters have amazing wit and charisma. The muder mystery fantasy was absolutely fantastic. It kept me interested from the first page to the last. I cannot wait to learn more about these characters and this world in the coming books! So well written, and amazing world building.

This is a tricky one to review. A mystery-fantasy that was funny, gripping and a lot of fun.
The world building was fabulous, intriguing and unlike anything I have read before. I found the first quarter of the book to be brilliant, although as the mystery developed I did lose track of some characters and other elements.
The star of the book has to be Ana. An absolutely superbly written character, she had me laughing constantly at her quirkiness and intelligence.
I am really excited to continue this series and will definitely read more from Robert Jackson Bennett.

3.5 stars

This is the first book in a new fantasy series by Robert Jackson Bennett. This book was good but I am not a HUGE fantasy reader but I find that RJB is a good author for those who are trying to get into fantasy. The way he writes is very accessible and super immersive but not so much so that you feel like you are kinda drowning in the story.

The magic system in this book is well integrated and very quiet though it plays a major part in the series so far. I am not sure if the rest of the books are going to feel the same as this one it kind of felt like I was reading a stand alone story within this world. Im hoping that there is going to be a more connected plot line that flows through the rest of the books though i suppose time will tell.

I enjoyed the two main characters Din and Ana as well as the setting.

I look forward to the next book in the series though..

Thank you Random house and netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did not get a chance to give this a full review before the publishing date in February but I gave it 4 stars

To give you an idea of how wrong I was in this murder mystery: my main suspect turned out to be the love interest...and I have seen multiple reviews praising him for being the greenest of flags.

I've really been getting into fantasy murder mysteries lately, so The Tainted Cup has been on my TBR for a little while. I didn't particularly enjoy Foundryside by the same author, so I was a little hesitant until I read the first chapter and was immediately intrigued.
Din is an engraver who can remember everything he sees and recall it whenever he wants, and he is working as an assistant to a very eccentric investigator - Ana - when a new murder case arises. It is quickly complicated by politics, and I'm going to be honest and say I didn't completely follow everything, but I understood enough to get the gist of all of the political motivations. Do I think you can accurately predict the murderers? Probably not. I did manage to sort of call a plot twist, but it was based entirely on vibes, and I only saw it about 2 chapters before the reveal. That being said, I did really enjoy just watching puzzle pieces fall into place and there was a bit of action too.
I think the highlight of this, though, is the dynamics between Din and Ana. I didn't realize how fun the eccentric mentor and cinnamon roll assistant could be until I saw the banter and the relationship between these two. Din reminded me a lot of Richa from Empire of Exiles, and Ana is just Ana. I didn't really love any of the side characters, mostly because I was paranoid that they all wanted to kill Din...but now that I know that most of these characters were innocent, book two will hopefully improve my opinion of them.
The Tainted Cup is an extremely twisty fantasy murder mystery with politics, spy antics, danger, and some amazing character dynamics.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

4.25/5