- Subgenre: High Fantasy
- Features: First Person POV, Government Corruption, Kaiju, Murder Mystery, Single POV
- Series Length: Trilogy (Incomplete)

What would Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes do in a world threatened by giant sea monsters, magically-altered humans, and weaponized plants? That's the premise of The Tainted Cup, which delivers detailed world-building with a classic murder-mystery plot.

I will break down this review into world-building, characters, and plot.

World-Building:

Bennett immediately drops readers into a world of magical alterations, inhuman threats, and detailed government systems. Our POV character, Dinios Kol, is a Sublime: a human magically enhanced for advanced cognitive function. In Din's case, he "engraves" memories into his mind, and can recall every experience perfectly. Human enhancements cover a range of abilities, including mathematical or spatial reasoning, enhanced senses, or physical strength and endurance. All at a price, of course.

The narrative introduces a lot of new terminology, including government divisions and rankings, types of human alterations, magical building materials, regional details, and so on. Even as an experienced fantasy reader, I found this a little overwhelming, and some readers may struggle to keep up. Overall, however, the world is detailed and fascinating.

Characters:

In The Tainted Cup, we follow Dinios Kol, and his brilliant, eccentric master, Ana Dolabra.

I greatly enjoy the contrast between them: Din, a young, by-the-book apprentice, and Ana - a vulgar, off-putting, and incomprehensible investigator, exiled to the dregs of the world. They provide a perfect foil for each other, and I found them both highly likable.

Plot:

Here's where I struggled: I prefer highly character-driven stories, and The Tainted Cup is mostly mystery-driven. Although I enjoyed the world and characters, I still slogged through the story. Don't take this as a criticism of the book, however: it's just not for me (at least for the moment). I think many people will greatly enjoy the mystery and delightfully detailed world.

Conclusion:

I liked this book, even if it wasn't fully for me! If you want to sink your teeth into a complex world and a grisly murder investigation, pick up The Tainted Cup.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC. The Tainted Cup published February 6th, 2024 and is available now!

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LURVEEEE THIS BOOK SO MUCH IT IS SO PRETTY AND DELICIOUS. gRACIAS POR COMPARTIR CONMIGO. (as per a friend's reaction to this book)

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is a fantasy novel that blends both the fantastical and mysterious. In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible. Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective. As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

I haven't read too many of Jackson Bennett's work, but I'm glad I got to read this one. It's magical and mysterious in all the right ways. Now if you'll excuse me I have an author's whole work list to read through.

In an opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupts from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of giant, ancient sea monsters give way to strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.

"I mean… the Empire spends endless amounts of blood and treasure defending a whole continent from sea beasts the size of small mountains. But it can’t save a canton from one damned plant?"

This book has:
✔ Sherlock and Watson-style detective team (with a Female lead)
✔ High fantasy with references to Greek Mythology
✔ Orphan Black vibes (highly altered people with unique powers and abilities)
✔ A satisfying conclusion (no frustrating cliffhangers here!)
✔ A diverse and inclusive cast of characters

Overall, I loved The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. As with all fantasy series, you’ll spend the first few chapters trying to acclimate yourself and learn the language, but once you’ve met the cast of characters this novel will have you hooked. I was certain I had everything figured out, only to find I was totally off-base, this mystery kept me guessing without becoming too convoluted to follow the plot. I came to love the crude but undeniable genius investigator Ana, and her earnest assistant Din, and I’m eagerly awaiting their next adventure.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ I truly enjoyed this novel! I can’t wait to read more books in Shadow of the Leviathan.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Ray for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book so much, but it just wasn't for me. Though I can't wait to buy it for my husband, as this is much more up his alley! I just could never quite grasp what was happening and the complicated world Bennett created, and unfortunately I lost interest after a while.

a wonderful mystery with twists and turns, murder and characters which are quirky, interesting and complex. I love Ana. this book captures you in the first chapter and is a real page turner and a must read!

The Tainted Cup is the story of Din, who is the apprentice to a master investigator named Ana Dolabra. Out in the remote wilds of the world, an imperial officer is found dead in the strangest way: a giant tree grows from him, seemingly out of nowhere. It is up to Ana and Din to find out what happened.

I really enjoyed this one. It had plenty of twists and turns that I didn't see coming, which kept me very enthralled in it until the very end. I loved the way the story came to light, and how tiny clues were uncovered and seeing Din and Ana put them together. This world has all kinds of special bodily upgrades used for various personal upgrades. For example, Din has photographic memory, that he uses to collect evidence for Ana. This ability is so trusted that his memory can be used as evidence in court. It's interesting seeing what abilities others have and how they use them.

I really liked Din as a character. He was easy to root for and I was always interested in his exploits. Most of all though, Ana Dolabra was my favorite character. She is hilariously foul mouthed and often inappropriate, and that is just the kind of character I latch onto.

This was an interesting mystery from beginning to end, and I'm looking forward to reading more into the series! I had 4.5/5 stars of fun with The Tainted Cup, and I can't wait for more!

What a romp! After being disappointed by so much of the fantasy I've picked up in the past few months this was such a fun read. World building - amazingly detailed and well thought out without reading like a textbook. Characters - likable, quirky, and well developed. Who knew I would live a high fantasy detective story so much. This is a world I'm looking forward to diving back into.

This book was a bit out there for me but I went into it with an open mind and I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoy the story and the characters. I recommend this book and I would read more from this author.

The Tainted Cup is a fantasy mystery that is the first book in the Shadow of Leviathan series.
We follow Ana Dolabra a detective and her assistant Dinios as they investigate a murder in a mansion. But this murder is different it’s set in a world where the blood of creatures called Leviathans can cause mutations and magic and a threat of a hidden enemy. The author did a great job describing the world and the people in it. This is a really original story filled with suspense and a magical world. Since this is the first in this series I believe we will learn more about the Leviathans in book 2 which I look forward to reading.

Set against the background of imminent disaster, "The Tainted Cup" is a fast paced mystery set in a high fantasy world that follows an unlikely set of detectives as they follow a path of corruption and intrigue to reveal the truth behind a series of murders and reveal some deeply unsettling truths.This book creatively borrows from a number of genres to produce an intriguing and captivating story. Thus the magical technology and heavy body modifications present throughout the book are reminiscent of cyberpunk and the impending attack from monsters identified as leviathans are reminiscent of both Kaiju movies and classic space opera. In fact, the discerning reader is likely to draw comparisons with a wide range of well known classics including, "The Dragon Riders of Pern", The Sherlock Holmes stories, "Dune", The Lord of the Rings" and many more. Yet, first and foremost this book is a creative and original book that builds on existing foundations to tell a new and compelling tale. This book is recommended for anyone who enjoys mysteries and suspense-thrillers and is looking for a change of scenery.


4.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, Net Gallery, for the advanced copy of this book. This was murder mystery part monster movie set in an alternate world. Very unique murder scene amid attacks from titans/kaiju.

THE TAINTED CUP by award-winning author Robert Jackson Bennett (Foundryside) is a LibraryReads selection for February. It is a very entertaining mix of mystery and fantasy. A military guest of a wealthy family has been killed and an eccentric investigator, Ana, and her new assistant, Din, seek to solve the murder and the puzzle of how it is connected to the threat on the territorial defenses after an alarming breach, for "it took every bit of cunning and planning to survive what came from the seas to the east each wet season." There is a sense of Holmes-Watson interplay here since Ana seems capable of truly intuitive analysis while Din, engineered to have a prodigious memory, is still learning and developing confidence. The world building is immersive and impressive, too. It will be fun to see more in this series. THE TAINTED CUP received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly ("Readers will be wowed.").

I’ve officially found my new autobuy author!

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is a wonderful sci-fi/mystery adventure that follow Ana, an investigator with the Iudex, the Empire’s arm of justice, and Din, her assistant. They follow the events of a mysterious murder to find a grand conspiracy that shakes the very foundation of what they believe to be truth and justice.

I’m not going to lie, I feel like I’ve been sleeping on this author: Mr. Gremlin absolutely loves the Foundryside series and always recommends it to me. The wit and humor in The Tainted Cup seems very emblematic of his style, per Mr. Gremlin, and it made the entire reading experience so enjoyable. You definitely have some dark instances (if you dislike body horror a la Annihilation, I’d proceed with caution), and the humor really cuts through the seriousness of it.

I also really appreciated the level of worldbuilding: you had enough where you could grasp the concept of the world around the characters but not so much that you were overwhelmed. Its a constant critique of mine for high science fiction books and I really loved how the worldbuilding was seamlessly tied into the plot.

The characters were also super well developed: you had a full idea of who they were and what they prioritized. I especially loved Ana’s feral disposition, which made the story all that more fun to read

No notes - this is perfect and I can’t wait for the next in the series!

I love a good murder mystery set in a fantasy world and this book delivers. Kol is an apprentice assistant investigator who has been modified to remember everything he sees and hears with the assistance of scents in little bottles. Ana, the investigator that he has been apprenticed to is rather quirky. He has been sent to his first murder scene and it is very unusual. The intricacies and details of the storyline are very good with little hints thrown in that make sense later. I definitely want to check out more of his books.

“Oh, you’ve always got to smile a little, Din… Even during, you know, the abysmally fucking awful times.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is my first five-star review of 2024. When I requested this book for review, I only went into it with a few details in mind: A murder mystery set in an original fantasy world. That doesn’t even begin to describe what Bennett has to offer.

The Tainted Cup was a story that had perfect timing for me. I was falling back into the murder mystery universe, complete with my Agatha Christie collection and movies of Hercule Poirot, and I was looking for something else to keep me anchored in the genre. This book supplied that and more.

It seems bizarre to describe this book as a blend of Attack on Titan, The Last of Us, Knives Out, and even Pacific Rim, but it’s a mixture that works, and it’s utterly delicious. If you’re looking for unique fantasy, killer plants, big monsters, and a fun murder mystery, The Tainted Cup is a must-buy.

This librarian is impressed! It was really enjoyable to read this! I went into this book anticipating it to be similar to Bennett's previous novel City of Stairs, basically to start as a murder mystery and end up as an epic fantasy. It rapidly became apparent that this was untrue. Instead, The Tainted Cup is a traditional murder mystery that takes inspiration from a fantastical world. This means that readers can expect a whole new level of suspense and a page-turner filled with tons of traps, twists, and dramatic revelations. All things considered, this captivating fantasy mystery features excellent world-building and strong characterization, despite a somewhat unlikeable main character. This fantasy world's contagions, sea monsters, sword fights, mind-body augmentation, and mysteries make for an exciting and enjoyable read. Wealth, power, greed, secrets, betrayal, retaliation, friendship, bureaucracy, and many other topics are among the themes. This book will appeal to those who like a murder investigation set in a fantastical setting. I give it five of five strong stars.

I leaped for the latest effort from Bennett, the start of a new series. What I liked? Intriguing world, and I adored the fact that the protagonist is dyslexic. High five, pal!

Alas, it turns out this is my least favorite type of fantasy, the forensic mystery, with a ton of grue both made up and not made up. Not the author's fault. This is the story he wants to tell, and he made the characters interesting enough to keep me going, though rather slowly, as I have to find the mood to follow a structure that doesn't appeal to me. (I only read mysteries if they are more comedy of manners and humorous than actual mysteries.)

Diversity, gay-sympathetic, interesting world...lots going for it. Especially if you're a fan of mysteries and forensic detecting.

Robert Jackson Bennett has done it again and delivered a superb fantasy novel that is unlike any other that I've read. I have previously read books by him and loved them and this one wasn't any different.

The storyline will pull you in and make you wish you could never stop reading once you start.

Fantasy readers will love this one!

I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was cute, inventive, kept my interest, and I will definitely recommend it to my followers. Also, the cover is just gorgeous.

This is an imaginative fantasy/sci-fi novel set in a vibrant world full of peril and people with astonishing abilities. The world felt very lived-in and gritty, which gave it an air of authenticity. I appreciated the sense that danger was everywhere due to possible contaminants and the monstrous leviathans which sometimes emerged from the sea. Yet, society has found ways to use these very dangers to their advantage.

I was intrigued by the way this society used science to enhance regular humans, especially since many of those enhancements have (less powerful) real-world equivalents. For example, Din essentially has an eidetic memory and Ana is basically a souped-up Sherlock Holmes, easily able to make connections other people miss. I really liked all the little details like Din using scent memory to help differentiate important information.

The mystery itself was complex, nuanced, and thought provoking. I found it very engaging. There were also a few hints at a larger story. I’m hoping more books will follow.