This book was exceptional! What a great story! It totally kept my attention from start to finish even though it was heavy on the world building, and technical when it came to explaining how things functioned in this original fantasy world.

The plot was so well developed and thought through! I love the unique setting with the massive leviathan monsters that are kind of looming over the entire book as a potential threat. The gigantic layered walls built to keep them out and a military society built constantly fight them off is very reminiscent of Attack of the Titans and I'm not mad about it.

The murder mystery element was amazing as well. No random tidbits thrown out throughout the book are wasted and every character we meet has a purpose.

Din and Ana were such great characters, and were the perfect duo; very reminiscent of Holmes and Watson. I love how brilliant and chaotic Ana is, and how she held all of her deductions close to herself to surprise both the reader and the other book characters when the time was right. Din on the other hand is straight-laced and proper but is willing to step outside of this box when necessary for his ambition and the greater good.

I'm really hoping that future books would give us more background information and insight into Ana character. There is so much more that can be explored in the plot and I cant wait to see where this series goes!

I'm so impressed with this book and would recommend it to anyone what wants to read a solid murder mystery set in a fantasy world with great characters, unique setting, and captivating plot.

Thank you to Del Ray and NetGalley for an eArc of this title in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!

Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Divine Cities trilogy is one of my favorite fantasy series, also featuring a mystery in order to ease you into the worldbuilding. The Tainted Cup sounded like a similar premise. To start with: I LOVED Din as a character and the queer and learning disability representation present in his story. I also LOVED the worldbuilding of this fantasy setting. The exploration of augmentation magic and its pitfalls and advantages, the incorporation of plant life in the architecture and the central mystery, and the looming threat of enormous leviathans destroying life and property always in the background.

What fell short for me was the mystery part of this novel’s genre. Din does all the work: investigating crime scenes, interviewing suspects and witnesses, and then with the help of his memory augmentation, reports all to his blindfolded employer who in turn waxes poetic in monologues where she reveals twists and catches the culprits. This might be satisfying if it were the climax of the mystery part of the story, but it happens multiple times. I can’t help but feel like I would rather this be a high fantasy story instead of a fantasy mystery.

And while this is the start of a series and undoubtedly the leviathans will play a larger part in the next installments, their inclusion in this story felt really underdeveloped (the series is called “Shadow of the Leviathan” and for this to feature the leviathans so little, that felt weird) The romance felt a bit tacked on as well.

Overall, I love this fantasy world and really rooted for Din as a character, but the mystery itself left something to be desired.

Many have attributed this new book to Knives Out if it were set in a fantasy world and I have to say I agree! This new murder mystery is bold, fun, and keeps you up late into the night. RJB has created something that people will come back to for years to come, and that’s due to his wit, his accessible writing, and the depth he has given this world and these characters. I eagerly await what book two holds for our characters.

Robert Jackson Bennett, Quill to Live favorite, is back with a brand new series about a pair of detectives in a world threatened by enormous sea monsters. The Tainted Cup is the first book of the Shadow of the Leviathan series and it is overflowing with dark, damp, leafy mysteries. These shadowy secrets contrast perfectly with the vibrant warm cast, all of which have full rich personalities that shine like beacons in this terrifying and stressful world. To top it all off, the beating heart of this story is a murder mystery in the style of Holmes and Watson. All of Bennett’s stories have featured delightful mysteries, but The Tainted Cup finally takes them and puts them on center stage.

So what is The Tainted Cup about? Well for one, a horrifying murder in an opulent mansion. With seemingly no warning, a high Imperial officer lies dead when a tree spontaneously erupts from his body. This is greatly surprising to everyone, but not as surprising as it could be. This world is one of alchemy and biomancy, where people from many walks of life get grafts to alter their bodies for jobs, combat, and pleasure. Grafts fundamentally change your biology, granting you things like super strength, eidetic memory, or academic aptitudes. But, even knowing all that, a tree exploding out of someone is a mystery. It likely is a deadly contagion; alchemy gone rogue or the blood of the Leviathans working strange magical changes. Oh did I not mention the Leviathans?

Society at large in this world is structured around fighting an endless stream of gigantic sea Leviathans. One season a year, they try to push their way up into the central area of the Empire, and each year the army and engineers of the empire repel them. But, every year the Leviathans seem to get bigger and harder to repel – thus the grafts of the Empire must get stronger to combat them. Anyway back to the mystery: called in to investigate is the brilliant and eccentric Ana Dolabra. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically grafted to possess a perfect memory. Due to some complications on Ana’s part, most of the sleuthing is done by Din and most of the solving is done by Ana. It’s a pairing that works incredibly well in the format of the story, as we spend all of our time in the fabulous mind of Din as he feeds information to Ana who slowly pieces together what happened.

As always with Bennett’s work, the characters are a great time. The setting is so bleak and upsetting that they really stand out against the dark. Din and Ana have great chemistry and their back-and-forth dialogue is witty and fun. The myriad of support/suspects are all dramatic and interesting, each possessing secrets that must be uncovered. Each character has their own little quirks and personalities, but they all feel like they contain a heaviness that just pervades the story. These are people who live in constant fear of immediate violent death at the hands of forces they can barely fight or control and it shows in the traumas and coping mechanisms of the people who inhabit this world. Some have vices that are disastrous toward just themselves, and others (like the rich) have crutches that are a problem for everyone. But, it wouldn’t be a Bennett novel if the rich weren’t being super problematic and I am here for it.

Speaking of great pervasive ideas in The Tainted Cup, the themes are absolutely on point. There are a number of central ideas in this story and they all feel like they pop out with clever insights through attention to detail on Bennett’s part. The biggest theme is around cause and effect, or how changes in an ecosystem have larger magnified effects. Grafts change your biology and can cause huge unexpected changes in the body. Biologically modified flora and fauna in the series are carefully studied before they are introduced to the wild. This is because previous less controlled experiments and changes to the world reaped horrifying results and untold deaths. The Leviathans themselves represent enormous mobile ecological disasters. Killing one saves the Empire from being run over, but even in death the Leviathans decompose and release alchemical agents that alter the land in wild ways. The Empire has entire military divisions for the study of ecological and alchemical change. There is a real scientific vibe throughout every one of the characters involved.

The mystery itself is enjoyable, but I think it could have been slightly grander given the focus of the book on investigation. A large portion of the book is devoted to establishing how people live under the Leviathans and it pulls the focus away from the case a bit. Yet, this presented more time for character introspection which was the best part of the book. Given that this is clearly supposed to be a mystery series I was hoping for who-dun-it to be slightly more interesting, but it’s still pretty great so I have very little to complain about. The Tainted Cup itself is a very well-contained story but is clearly planting seeds for a larger series spanning mystery. Although the first book stands well on its own, it does feel a bit like the tip of an iceberg and it left me wanting to read the next installment immediately.

As always, the Bennett trademarks are here. 1) a wonderful world that blends fantasy and modern society to create a place that feels like I could live without it being urban fantasy. 2) Deeply visceral action and a nice helping of horror mix into the story to make the entire experience of reading the book feel constantly edge-of-the-seat. 3) Characters you adore will shatter your heart at an unspecified future point in the story. 4) It is full of smart commentary on current society–generally reflecting worker class dissatisfaction with how the elite rip all the resources from the world and leave our children a burning husk to live on. So, great times all around.

The result of all of this is another banger of a first book in a series that will likely rate among my favorites. It is a safe bet that The Tainted Cup will be one of the best books this year and I wholeheartedly recommend it. I have only known Din and Ana for about a week and if anything bad happens to them I will be sending a very strongly worded letter to Bennett. Anyway, read this book, it won’t disappoint.

Rating: The Tainted Cup – 9.5/10
-Andrew

4.5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent reading The Tainted Cup. Fantasy and mystery (especially Holmes & Watson-style mysteries) are my favorite genres, and this book is the perfect blend of the two.

The fantasy elements (I think this really leans more towards sci-fantasy) are relevant to the mystery without overpowering it, well-explained, and fascinating – I loved the premise of technology based in the alteration of organic matter. and the various kinds of abilities that the characters had acquired through alterations. I also felt like the way that the different abilities interwove with the imperial structure and bureaucracy of Khanum made sense and made for a compelling world that felt believable.

The mystery was equally strong, and didn't take a backseat to the fantasy worldbuilding. I appreciated the way the clues were laid out, and that there were continuously new clues throughout; it felt like I was trying to solve the mystery right alongside Din, which is my favorite vibe for a mystery. I think the solution was satisfying and I liked the way everything wrapped up.

Speaking of Din, I thought he was a great protagonist to follow: straight-laced, stoic, and competent, while also anxious and insecure. He was relatable and so easy to root for. I also particularly loved his relationship with his employer, Ana Dolabra. They have very different personalities, and it was clear that although their relationship was complex and sometimes difficult, there was a genuine sense of care and companionship there as well. Din also formed new relationships with some of the side characters that I think influenced the story in interesting ways.

I do have a few small quibbles with this book that I want to mention. First, there were a few moments of over-explanation, where I think the descriptions got a little too into the weeds. This was pretty minimal, though, and didn't take me out of the story too much. Second, I think the books themes are about as subtle as a brick to the face; if you don't like your messages super blatant, this may not be the book for you. However, I really liked the books themes, and especially its conversations about justice and power, so again, this didn't really take away from my enjoyment. Lastly – and perhaps the one thing that did take away from my enjoyment – I think a few of the character relationships outside of Din & Ana were a little underdeveloped. I loved the progression of Din's relationship with Miljin; however, I think that Din's relationship with Strovi was underdeveloped, given where it leaves off at the end of this book. I think I would've found it more believable if the characters had spent more time together, beyond a single evening of investigation and a handful of short conversations. I think that would've made the ending more impactful. Likewise, I would've liked to know more about Uhad, Kalista, and Nusis (and especially Uhad's relationship with Ana) as I feel like that would've made the last few chapters more gut-wrenching.

Those criticisms aside, though, I loved this book, and I absolutely will be continuing on with future books in the series. I would highly recommend this to mystery lovers wanting to get into fantasy, and fantasy lovers who like a unique magic/technology system.

This was my first read from Robert Jackson Bennett, but it certainly won't be my last. I loved this book so much. This was heavy on the mystery and set in a wonderful fantasy setting. Din and Ana have a Holmes/Watson kind of relationship - Ana is super eccentric and Din is a newly appointed assistant investigator. A mysterious murder unravels even more secrets and conspiracies. I enjoyed this thoroughly

The Tainted Cup is a murder mystery set in a unique fantasy world. It features an unlikely duo made up of an eccentric detective, Ana, who doesn’t like to leave her home and a young assistant, Din, who has never worked a murder case. We follow Ana and Din as they try to search for the truth and all while they hope the city's walls protect them from the real threat, the leviathans. The Tainted Cup is perfect for those that enjoyed Mark Gatiss’ Sherlock and Attack on Titan.

-4 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC provided by the publisher—Del Rey Books—in exchange for an honest review.

Bennett has written something here that is absolutely impossible to put down. The world in The Tainted Cup is a harsh one with biologically enhanced humans fighting off massive kaiju-like creatures to ensure humanity's survival. A little Attack on Titan with it's structure of walls and the corruption that can effect government and officials running the inner and outer walls. That is where a lot of the comparisons stop as Bennett builds a world shaped by altered plants, keys that open poisonous doors, and all all types of nearly magical "corruptions" that the blood of these towering monsters can cause. This is a stunning backdrop for a murder mystery where our photographic-memory-enhanced Assistant Detective point-of-view character, Dinios Kol, works with his boss and eccentric investigator Ana Dolabra to solve the murder of an Engineer in a small part of the empire.

I found Bennett's writing very funny and enjoyed his usage of vocabulary immensely (this is about the use of the word "fuck," which is deployed frequently to my personal delight). The actual way he builds the mystery works well and the world building reveals are the beautiful buds on a twisted and wonderful tree. This is an easy book to recommend.

This was, unfortunately, not my vibe. It's like…a fantasy fused with a murder mystery which could have been a fun mash-up…but the execution of it just didn’t work for me. The concept was interesting but the writing style was so mechanical. It felt like it was trying to be pretentious but also casually crude…it was weird. The dialogue was stiff and unnatural, the characters were one dimensional. Kol was pretty much devoid of personality, while Ana just seemed fake and forced. She reminded me of a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Captain Amelia from Treasure Planet…but in all of the annoying ways without any of the charm. I really struggled to get through this and definitely won't be wanting to read it again.

My rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice level: 0 🌶️

Read if you like:
▫️gender-swapped Sherlock Holmes
▫️murder mystery
▫️sass and deadpan humor
▫️wholly original universe

This book was out of my usual genres, but was so good! Ana is just as eccentric and strange as Sherlock Holmes, but she is also delightfully snarky and has some great one liners. Din is a rule-follower and grudgingly puts up with Ana’s nonsense, but comments on her shenanigans with his dry wit. I loved their relationship.

My favorite part of the book was the world itself. Between the dystopian society, the enhancements that humans can undergo, the imaginative use of plants, and the threat of leviathans, I was fully immersed in the background of this book. The author truly brought it to life and created a vivid world that was well thought out and imaginative.

The world building was detailed, the characters were compelling, and the murder mystery had the right amount of twists to keep me engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, fast-paced science-fi fantasy read.

ARC: Thank you to Del Rey, NetGalley, and Robert Jackson Bennett for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett was flipping fantastic. It's so fun to read a whole new world by Jackson Bennett and I'm happy that I was given the opportunity to read it. As always, the characters are flushed out and three dimensional. The storyline was original and kept me entertained and intrigued the entire time reading it. Robert Jackson Bennett has a way of writing creating characters and worlds that you can't help but love. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a great fantasy read.

The people of the Empire engage in magic of a sort: genetic enhancements give people superhuman abilities ranging from impossible strength to eidetic memory. One such person is Dinios Kol, an engraver — so named because he can "engrave" anything he sees or hears into his memory permanently. Now he's serving as the new assistant to Ana Dolabra, a brilliant but eccentric investigator who insists on wearing a blindfold at nearly all times and refuses to leave her home.

Their first case together in distant Daretana is a grisly murder: a nobleman killed after a tree has grown out of him. As Ana begins to put the pieces together with Din's help, the bodies continue to stack up. Worse still, there are leviathians at the walls, threatening the Empire and its people once again. And the walls are weakening... suspiciously so. Under Ana's tutelage, Din helps to solve a mystery that twists and turns through the Empire's upper eschelons — and learns more about his own abilities as well.

The Tainted Cup is a must-read if you're looking for Sherlock Holmes-style fiction that isn't yet another straightforward Holmesian detective. Ana and Din build on the Holmes and Watson relationship in their own way, adding a brilliant layer of fantasy worldbuilding. Moreover, the story's revelations about Ana and Din are just as rewarding as the mystery itself. While the book wraps satisfyingly, I would love nothing more than further adventures with this pair.

This is a story of murder, power, and revenge. It’s a genre mashup of fantasy, murder mystery, steampunk, with epic world building. The Tainted Cup is the first in Robot Jackson Bennett’s new series Shadow of the Leviathan. I was instantly hooked in this moody, atmospheric, fast paced read.

When a high ranking official is killed at a wealthy family’s country estate Investigator Ana Dolabra sends her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Koi is an engraver, genetically enhanced to map and remember every aspect of a location. The relationship between Ana and Din has Sherlock and Holmes vibes, playing off one another extremely well. As they gather information we become aware of social hierarchy, alliances, betrayal, all while their world is being threatened. I loved Din’s evolution, how he navigated the changing landscape.

This is a fantasy book for non fantasy readers in the way Addie Larue is. While there’s no doubt it’s fantasy, at the heart it’s about the mystery, the journey of this new assistant Din in a world that is quickly shifting. I recommend for those that love murder mysteries that have an extra element, and those that looking for dystopian fantasy. The series is scheduled to have three books.

I received an early copy from the publisher @delreybooks @randomhouse via @netgalley

I’ve never read this author before, but I’ll certainly be looking for his books in the future. A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this first of a new series introducing Detective Ana Dolabra and her magically altered assistant Dinios Kol. Both fantasy and mystery readers alike will love this unique setting and plot. Although “The Tainted Cup” is labeled as “Book 1,” this is a complete story. Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

The Tainted Cup
by Robert Jackson Bennett
Shadow of the Leviathan #1
Fantasy Mystery
NetGalley ARC
Random House
Pub Date: Feb 6, 2024
16+


Din is an engraver, magically altered to have a perfect memory, and with the use of scent, it's even more perfect. He is the assistant to Ana Dolabra, a brilliant investigator with major eccentricities, including, even though she's not blind, keeping herself blindfolded most of the time, and even more rarely, leaving her home.

Called to investigate the strange death of a high officer, Din discovers a tree had grown out of the man's body. Ana, upon hearing Din's perfect recounting of the death, recognizes the symptoms as one of the many contagions caused by the blood of the Leviathans.

An event identical to the officer's death occurs at the wall that protects the city and the kingdom from the massive Leviathans, allowing one of the monsters to breach the wall, but it's luckily killed before it reached the city. Din and Ana are ordered there, to investigate.


I liked the idea of this book and I was curious as I read. Monsters from the sea trying to come ashore, destroying everything that gets in their way. But their blood has magical properties that can distort and corrupt what it touches and the people have learned to use it, both for good and bad.

But fifty pages in, I was losing interest because there's no real backstory about the monsters, what they are, and it's only skirted over that the people had learned to use their blood. Also, I wasn't entirely sure what these people were: humans, creatures, aliens, robots... More of these details would have given me a reason to relate to these people, instead, I didn't.

I liked Din, Ana not so much. She came across as too smart and loved to rub other's noses in that fact. But that said, I pretty much figured out what was going on early in the story. As Din did all of the investigating, the pieces fell into place. Yes, Din did all of the leg work while Ana sat in a room.

There is some violence and gore but it's suitable for readers 16 and older who like fantasy and a little Sherlock Holmes and Watson mysteries.

Will I look for the next book in the series? Maybe. I guess it will depend on the blurb.

3 Stars

“Perhaps it is a wise thing, to prepare for death every day, just as the Empire prepares for death every wet season.”
———
I inhaled two books by Robert Jackson Bennett over the last week and a half, and both were excellent. I think I can call myself a fan now.
———
“Oh, people love the Legion, with their swords and their walls and their bombards. But though they receive no worship, it’s the maintenance folk who keep the Empire going. Someone, after all, must do the undignified labor to keep the grand works of our era from tumbling down.”
———
The setting is wonderful - a vast Empire where graft alterations of people for specific tasks and traits is common, and the borders of which are guarded by the colossal sea walls that are attacked every season by even more colossal Leviathans, and strange outwardly contagions abound, and where there’s a delicate interplay between politics and plain survival in the place that seems precariously perched on the edge of utter catastrophes all the time. And in this delightfully complex and well-realized setting we have a fascinating murder mystery that - of course - is only a part of grander scale events as our narrator Din, an apprentice assistant to an eccentric and brilliant investigator Ana, starts on his first murder case — that of an Empire official gruesomely murdered by a huge plant erupting from his body.

It’s very clever and addictingly interesting, and develops this world so well that I felt completely engrossed and absorbed in it. The plot moves along snappily without ever sagging, and the point is not the whodunit (that Bennett leaves enough clues to figure out) but the details of the plot and the complex picture of the world they build puzzle piece by puzzle piece. And I loved the interplay between our protagonists built on the contrasts that are wonderfully complementary - a pragmatic and level-headed apprentice youngster and a brilliant and cynical mad genius a few steps ahead of everyone, but never irritatingly so.
———
“For the Empire is huge. Complex. Often unwieldy and slow. And in many places, weak. A massive colossus, stretching out across the cantons, one in whose shadow we all live … and yet it is prone to wounds, infections, fevers, and ill humors. But its strangest feature is that the more its citizens feel it is broken, the more broken it actually becomes.”
———
This is a book that would be so much fun to reread for the sake of the details that will now stand out more as I know the plot resolution.

Fantastically delightful. 5 stars.

——————

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine, Del Rey for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an ARC of The Tainted Cup.

This is my first completed RJB read, and I will definitely be going back to finish Foundryside!

The Tainted Cup is such a fantastic introduction to fantasy for those that enjoy mysteries. Placed in an Empire that faces the threat of creatures the size of mountains, Leviathans, each year with only walls and bombs to keep them at bay, a truly horrific murder occurs at a home of one of the Empire's most wealthy, and notorious, clans.

This is a classic "whodunnit" full of twists and turns, along with queer and disability representation! The world is so interesting, I would read a field guide just on the different plants!

I tend to avoid books written by men (sorry!), but I can't deny that RJB knows how to write an amazing story that completely brings you into a new world.

Thank you to NetGalley, Robert Jackson Bennett, and Del Rey Publishing for my advanced copy of The Tainted Cup!

This was my first book by RBJ--I can call him that now because he immediately jumped into my top author categories. I can't believe I haven't read any of his other books yet. They have moved up on my TBR after reading this one.

I always try to be patient when starting new books, especially fantasy, because the beginnings can be dense and the world-building can seem overwhelming to start. Not this book. We are dropped into the life of Din, an assistant detective, investigating a murder scene. Although the first few chapters were interesting enough as is, my true joy came from the introduction of lead detective Ana. She is eclectic, hilarious, potty-mouthed, and intelligent. What more could we want? Ana seemed almost akin to Sherlock Holmes and I could not get enough scenes with her. Easily my favorite character in this book, and I hope we see more of her in the future.

As a fan of both fantasy and thriller/mystery books, this had it all. I would say that new readers of fantasy would absolutely enjoy this book, as it has such a strong mystery plot as well. There are definitely parts where the fantasy side comes out and we get difficult names to pronounce, introductions to factions of people, or new locations, but it does not overwhelm the reader or hinder the plot whatsoever. This was highly consumable and I tore through it.

RBJ has created an epic murder mystery fantasy that is guaranteed to bring something new to readers. I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of the Shadow of the Leviathan series.

What an escape from reality!

When I read this was a mix of fantasy and partner detective storyline, I knew I had to read this one! The cover art alone is enough to get you involved.

This book is a slow building mystery with such fantastic world building that you’re completely taken away from your everyday life and fully immersed in this story. The nuance and care that went into all the details made this such a memorable book that I’m likely to revisit in the future.

The characters are quirky and mysterious, yet relatable and you really want to understand what is happening in their minds. By using the fantasy/sci-fi genres, it really brings in a multi-layered complexity to the tale. I was so interested in learning about augmentations to the point that I wondered, were I in a similar situation where that was possible, what I would choose.

Going into the book, it was my first book from this author and I was unaware of this being the start of a new series, but was excited to find out I would be able to return to this wonderful, scary, intimidating and cool other world.

Thank you to the author, Robert Jackson Bennett, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for this eARC of The Tainted Cup in exchange for my review!

What a fantastic blend of fantasy and mystery! The story immerses you immediately, without a lot of world building, in a place that feels really unique. The murders are like nothing I've read before either! My absolute favorite things about this book are the two main characters: Anagosa Dolabra is the investigator who prefers to stay at home and wears a blind fold, Dinios Kol who is her very new assistant, tasked with bringing back every detail of the crime scenes and interviewing all the pertinent people. As the mysteries increase, the duo leaves home and heads toward the sea wall where dangers loom from many directions and causes.
This was my first book by this author and I know it won't be my last. Thankfully, this is the first book of a new series! I look forward to future adventures with Ana and Din. Highly recommend.