The Tainted Cup is a mystery, a fantasy, and political intrigue all rolled into one entertaining story. Dinios Kol is an engraver, physically altered to engrave his observations into his memory, using various scents to recall what he has seen and heard. As the apprentice assistant to Inspector Ana Dolabra he is called in to inspect his first death. Commander Bas died when a tree sprouted from his body. When Din reports back to Dolabra she recognizes this as a contagious spore that had previously spread and eventually destroyed a city. Living in the outer rim of the empire, there is a constant threat of a breach in the sea wall protecting them from the leviathans. When a large breach does occur, Dolabra and Din are called on to investigate. The breach was caused when several engineers working on the wall died in the same manner as Bas. There has been ten similar deaths of people who had been secretly meeting with Bas for an unknown reason. With the empire in danger, Dolabra and Din need to find the mastermind behind the threat.

Robert Jackson Bennett’s story has an air of menace but is also infused with humor. Dolabra is the most intelligent investigator in the empire. Conflicts in her past have resulted in her post in the outer rim. She is an intimidating character who prefers to be blindfolded as she works. Din has secrets of his own. He has trouble reading and failed most of his exams, yet his ability as an engraver makes him invaluable. He is Watson to Dolabra’s Sherlock and they make a wonderful team. This is the first book in the Shadows of the Leviathan series. While the characters and the setting are well developed, there is so much left to explore that it will leave you looking forward to future stories. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for providing this book for my review.

The Tainted Cup is my first book by Robert Jackson Bennett. I own his Founders Trilogy, but I haven’t read it yet. I am really excited to do so now. I went into this book pretty blind, and I’m glad I did. It’s a murder mystery with a whole unique fantasy world!

The world-building in this book was easy to follow. Considering it’s a unique world, I was surprised I didn’t get lost. It might be my heavy fantasy background. There are leviathans trying to break down the walls and take the cities. They have learned to use the leviathans blood to make all kinds of enhancements. It’s a really cool aspect of the story and where the murder mystery comes in. There are two different stories going on- the leviathans and the murder mystery. I think Bennett did a fabulous job working both of them together. I never had issues with the pacing, and read this one rather quickly.

My favorite thing about this book are the characters, Ana in particular. She refuses to leave her home and always has a blind fold. Yet, she sees and knows things that are almost impossible. Is she mad, or is she just a genius? The way her mind worked throughout the book was so fascinating, and this could be my psychology background talking. She was also very witty and helped break up of the tenser moments. Din is her apprentice in training, and I loved their relationship. His story was interesting, and I was happy with his character growth in the book.

I don’t want to talk about the murder mystery too much. I refuse to spoil anything, but I want to say that it was great! I’m pretty good at figuring these out, and there were things that surprised me! I love how we get a wrap up at the end. If there are future books (I hope so), it they would be a different case.

I had such a great time with this book, and I cannot wait to read more by Bennett! The heavy fantasy world really made the murder mystery a bit more fun. I really hope to see Ana again and her antics. If you are fan of either genre, you would enjoy this!

Many thanks to Del Rey and Netgalley for an e-arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Tainted Cup is my first read by Robert Jackson Bennett and it felt like a good choice. I wasn't sure what to expect since I knew a mystery was at the heart of the story and yet it was a fantasy. So often I feel that the mystery gets buried in service to the fantasy element. Not with The Tainted Cup. It felt like a solid mystery built in a fantasy world.

The book opens with the inspector's assistant (Din) going to inspect the crime scene where a dead body of an Imperial officer has been found. Din has been altered (the magic system here is very cool) so he can remember everything perfectly, so he's able to report back to the inspector (Ana-one of my favorite characters) without her ever stepping foot in the scene. (In fact, she spends a lot of the time blindfolded both at home and elsewhere, so that she's better able to receive the information versus being distracted by outside stimuli.)

The book takes place in a world surrounded by a series of walls protecting the empire from the sea--a sea full of leviathans that wreak havoc on the nation. No place is more dangerous than those in the outer rings, where our book takes place.

I think this book will appeal to people who love a good mystery. Also fans of fantasy. And if you're a mystery lover who'd like to dip your toes into fantasy, this would be a great start!

Pros:
- wonderful worldbuilding (bonus points for tons of in-world references!)
- interesting complex characters
- an intriguing Watson/Holmes dynamic

Cons:
- a slow start; it took me a bit to get invested
- a lot of characters were introduced very quickly in the first chapter that I had to really focus to keep them straight (although this could be a me thing)

Overall, this was an enjoyable book with characters that were intriguing. I'm interested to see if any other books take place in this world. Many thanks to the publisher for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Despite friends telling me I should read his work, The Tainted Cup is actually the first book I’ve read by Robert Jackson Bennett. And I have to say it was not exactly what I expected. This is as much of a mystery as it is a fantasy, perhaps even more so. Or perhaps I should say it’s a mystery set within a fantasy world. While there is something odd about his style (don’t ask me to elaborate further because I honestly can’t really explain it any better than that, lol) I have to admit that from the opening, where we are first introduced to Dinios Kol—new assistant to investigator Anagosa Dolabra, with the start of the investigation into a murder in which a person has been killed by having a tree grow right through them, I was intrigued. The book features quite the eclectic cast of characters as well as a well thought out mystery (though a few things are telegraphed). While I read a lot of mysteries as well as fantasy novels, reading the blending of the two, especially with it being more heavily weighted to the mystery side, was quite a fresh experience. I’ll be interested seeing where Mr Bennett takes the series. I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Tainted Cup.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2B0O1UMPUHNS9/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

There is a TikTok sound that I keep hearing that goes something like "What book did you know 20 pages in was going to be 5 stars" and this book fits that perfectly.

I requested this ARC because this book was on a goodreads most anticipated releases of 2024 list. I had heard of Foundryside but never read anything by Robert Jackson Bennett. I also didn't bother reading a synopsis so I had no read idea what this book was about going into it other than it was Fantasy.

This ended up being a Sherlock Holmes-esque murder mystery set in a dark Fantasy world. Our prospective character is Dinios, an apprentice investigator whose magical abilities give him a photographic memory. He works for Ana, who is the perfect amount of weird and bitchy (easily my favorite character). The investigation starts with a man who died because a tree explode out of his lungs (I'm sold on this fantasy world already).

The world building and magic system are unique and well done, the characters are intriguing, and although I've never been interested in a murder mystery in my life, I was quickly sold on this one. Give me a well written unlikeable female character and a sprinkle of a gay romance and apparently I'm sold.

I recommend this to readers who want a cross over between fantasy and murder mystery or those loving one and looking to explore the other.

Complex fantasy world meets Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot? Count me in! This book was not oversold in this description, it was absolutely an intriquing mystery where every little detail matters along the lines of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot set in a unique and fascinating fantasy setting that I could not get enough of.

Din is an apprentice to an eccentric, but extraordinary investigator, Anna, who has been banished to the furthest reaches of the empire where the greatest crime seems to pay fraud until one day there is a shocking murder of a high-ranking officer. It is soon clear that there is much more going on with this crime when more murders lead to a dangerous breach that threatens the entire empire and the lives of all who live within its walls.

I loved every moment of this book. I grew up reading every Agatha Christie I could get my hands on, and this perfectly captured a Christie style mystery in the best possible way. The devil is definitely in the details with this one and while I did catch a few of them, I certainly missed more clue than I caught, which is exactly what I want in a mystery such as this.

I would have liked more world building in the beginning of the book as I was a little lost on the fantasy aspect of the story for the first half of the book. However, it did all come together and start ultimately the world did make sense. The confusion I had with the world did not take away from the mystery, so I was still completely engrossed in the story even though I was a bit confused.

I am thrilled that this will be a series and I will be waiting anxiously for the next book in the series because I can already tell this is a series I will not be able to get enough of.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily.

This was super fun. Definitely fits true for if Knives Out was a fantasy. I've never read Robert Jackson Bennett before, and this was a great introduction. I really enjoyed that it was high fantasy with great world building and detail, but also easy to consume and a really fun ride. I didn't love that this book went with the looming villain vs present villain, as it did make the stakes feel a bit lower. However, the crime fighting detective aspects definitely made up for it and I don't think I've ever read a similar book which is really cool. The characters were interesting and complex, the pacing was fine. Not as quick as is my preference, but again, very consumable and kept me wanting to turn the page.

This novel is amazing and engaging. Every part of it is meticulously crafted and done very well. The fantasy and world building are excellent. The murder mystery and reveal is astonishing. The characters relationships and dynamics are refreshing. I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down!

The Tainted Cup is a sci-fi novel mixed with a good old fashioned mystery. I'm not a huge sci-fi fan but never felt like it was going to much in that direction. It's a great mystery and th writing is very visual that you can almost feel yourself jumping into the pages. The story revolves around a man found dead and Din an his boss Ana try to figure out is poisoning people with a plant that makes trees grow out of people. I never felt bored reading this book and recently found out that's only part one in a series. I highly recommend people who are not used to reading sci-fi give it a chance. I had no idea it was sci-fi when I started reading it and felt like maybe I should read more sci-fi. I won't give much more away because that wouldn't be nice in solving the mystery. Thank you to #netgalley and #randonhouse for the arc. Can't wait for the nect book in the series!

I love fantasy and murder mysteries so this was right up my alley! This book has such an interesting and unique world, political intrigue, and excellent main characters.

Ana and Din make quite the investigative duo. Din is an engraver, which in this world means he has been enhanced to have perfect recall. He starts out a little stiff and by the book. He is Ana's apprentice and trying to make a good impression. He also has a reading and writing disability, and I liked how it was portrayed and handled. Now I've seen Ana compared to Dr. House from the TV show and that's a decent comparison. But I'd liken her more to Edna from the Incredibles - whip smart, incredibly blunt, and about 10 steps ahead of everyone. She comes off a little unhinged in the absolute best way.

And the plot.. what started out like a simple murder mystery grew into a complicated web of interconnected crimes. I thought the author laid out just enough for the reader to be able to guess some things and for the reveals to be believable.

I really enjoyed the world set up in this book and am looking forward to more books set in it. It took me a little while to grasp, but overall it's very interesting and I'm eager for more.

I think my only complaint is it felt a little slow in the beginning. But I was also purposely reading slow trying to decipher the world. So may have just been the way I was reading. I probably could have charged forward a bit faster without losing any comprehension. But I love to pick apart a mystery and see if I can solve it before the reveal, so I was going quite slow and even rereading bits.

So overall, I think this was a really strong start to the series. Also, everything from the mystery does get wrapped up, so you could read this as a standalone. I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy and/or mystery.

Thanks to the author, Del Rey books, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley for my advance copy of The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett.

Happy release day! The Tainted Cup is out now and I would highly recommend it for those who enjoy a good Holmes/Watson dynamic knee deep in a high fantasy world.

This book has a fantastic mystery and an immersive world. The humor and wit is dry, but I find that enjoyable. I loved the dynamic between the two main characters Din and Ana. I love that there is no romantic relationship between them just like in the TV show Elementary. You can tell they care for each other in their own unique ways and I really enjoyed the quips that came from that.

Din has been magically altered to be an engraver, so anything he sees he remembers and can recount exactly as it was which comes in handy when trees are sprouting from people and killing them in the process. And Ana, can solve a crime without ever leaving her room which is helpful because of some of her own unique quirks, but she needs Din's help to do solve this one!

The only things I found I didn't care for in this book are what I consider to be unnecessary swearing and a miniscule romantic relationship that felt like it was just tossed in there to check a box (not all books need romance!). Though there were some cute aspects of it that brought a smile to my face it did not add to the story in any way especially in relation to how the characters behaved the rest of the story and with how the book ended, but it is the first in a series so maybe the author will find a way to make it have more significance, though I honestly don't think it needs it. I personally feel this story and the dynamic between all the characters is strong enough on it's own without any sort of romance arc.
The swearing felt misplaced considering the world and who the characters are and how they behave, but others might not have any issue with it.

I will definitely be reading the rest of this series and can't wait to find out what happens next!

Do you a fantasy whodunnit with incredible world building, a magic system that is somehow deeply grounded and wildly fantastical, oh and with giant sea monsters? Of course you do. This is the right book for you. This is engaging, clever, and just so much fun. The mysteries are well layered, so you get answers in bits and pieces throughout. The world building is genuinely fantastic. And the characters are so incredibly well done that you'll want to grab drinks with some and punch others. This is going to be one of the books people are talking about.

From the author of the series: The Founders trilogy and Divine Cities comes a great murder mystery fantasy.

I'm already addicted to this series its characters, and world. A murder mystery novel with the classical vibes of the great murder mystery novels but with fantastic worldbuilding, different races, augmented characters, leviathans that at a specific time of the year rampage from the ocean and may destroy entire cities, trees that sprout from the victims' bodies... in and fantasy imperial society.

No change in point of view, the novel is always told through the eyes of Dinios Kol an Investigator's helper who has the mission to go baAck and forth between crime scenes, witnesses, and his boss to deliver all the clues he gathers. He is a shy and young Watson to our super amazing Sherlock... Ana Dolabra.
Each character has their own set of awesome abilities and qualities almost superhuman that bring more into the worldbuilding. Mysterious and intelligent Ana has a (short) bad temper, a potty mouth, and an eccentric personality (I love her) but makes a good balance with the shy young Din who also has secrets of his own.

A medium pace read, great for this type of novel. The first chapters are a sample of the whole novel, as the quick resolution of one crime opens the true story of solving the case of this first book. As well as this first book is a sample and world/mood setting for the larger political/intrigue story of this fantasy world.

It's very well written, compelling, with complex characters and explanations of the crimes. It doesn't have romance or random plot twists just for the sake of shocking the reader, which makes it a perfectly well-balanced fantasy murder mystery. Also, it is not completely predictable.

This book will please fantasy and mystery readers who enjoy a well-done modernization of the great classic format. And as a gamer myself, will please gamers who love mystery/fantasy/cyber story-driven games like the classic Gabriel Knight series or more modern games like Detroit.

I can't wait for the next case to unveil more of this fantasy world.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this eARC.

The Tainted Cup isn't a bad book by any means but it just wasn't for me. It never held my attention very well and I struggled to get through it. This book's strength is its characters but I didn't find Ana and Din super compelling. I think a lot of people will love this book though, especially if they like mysteries.

A delightful whodunnit mystery and high fantasy mash-up featuring an eccentric duo investigating a bizarre death by plant — as in a spontaneous tree erupted from the body of the deceased. 🤯 😳

This was the most fun that I’ve had reading in months. I was completely captivated from the start by RJB’s imaginative storytelling and immersive world. I adored the characters and portrayal of neurodivergence as a kind of superpower. The pacing was excellent, and I loved the choice to tell the story through Dinios Kol’s POV. I cannot recommend this book enough!!
𝘔𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 5⭐️

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
🌿 Attack on Titan meets Sherlock
🌿 neurodivergent “superpowers”
🌿 imaginative world building
🌿 murder mystery
🌿 political intrigue

P.S. I do not re-read books. In fact, the only books I’ve read more than once were that series about the boy who lived. Immediately after finishing The Tainted Cup, I wanted to start it over again. 𝘠𝘦𝘴… 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥!!

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is a revelation. When I picked up this book and started reading it I wondered what I had done. I don’t read fantasy or science fiction and this book has serious elements of both. What I do read, often, is mystery, and this turned out to be an excellent mystery which ended in conspiracy. The names were different. At one point someone referred to themselves as human. Is this the future? Not sure. Doesn’t matter. It was an excellent read, exiting, compelling and serious. Life is different wherever this is but greed and power are the same no matter where they exist and when people want these things so badly that they are willing to kill for the, they must be stopped.

The characters were well-written, if different. It was not always easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys even on a different world. Ana was the investigator. She wore a covering over her eyes most of the time so she could enhance her other senses. Din was her eyes and ears. He could remember every detail after sniffing one of his bottle and associating this situation with that smell. He could not read or write well, even here there appeared to be dyslexia, but he was smart and could think on his own. There were a plethora of other characters, some as well-delineated, some not. The plot was excellent and would be in any setting, fantasy or New York City. The book was well-written, making a very different situation understandable to a reader that is not used to thy type of book. I liked it. It shook me out of the lethargy of always reading the same authors. Thanks for a terrific book.

I was invited to read The Tainted Cup by Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #RobertJacksonBennett #TheTaintedCup

Happy pub day to this guy! Many thanks to the publisher and author for inviting me to read this early.

If I hadn't gotten an email from the publisher's marketing offering this arc, this book probably wouldn't have even crossed my path for a while, if it did at all. There's no real guarantee that I'd have picked it up on my own but it was so good? I had so much fun reading this?

The world and systems within it were super intricate and interesting but not in a way that felt inaccessible. Obviously I did not know what any of these things were as they are creations for the story but it almost felt like I DID know. The systems were so easy to follow and understand despite how much information was being presented at any given time.

I appreciated how easy the dialogue was as well. One of the things I sometimes struggle with in fantasy or scifi is how dense the language can be and how stuffy dialogue gets. I understand the reasoning for it but it doesn't mesh well with how I like to read. So I appreciated that the manner of speaking was lighter and even more "modern" even though I can also understand how it might take readers with other preferences out of the story. I liked the banter. I thought they were funny as hell.

Some of the descriptions in this leaned much further into horror than I would have anticipated! It was GNARLY at times and that combined with the eldritch descriptions of the leviathans made for some mental images that I'm still thinking about.

Overall the characters were fun, the mystery and the world were both incredibly compelling, and I'm so pleased I got to read this.

A high-powered mashup of detective fiction in a gorgeously detailed fantasy/sci fi setting. Dinios Kol is a near destitute apprentice engraver, one who has recently been augmented to have a perfect incorruptible memory, useful in aiding investigators at crime scenes. His new fearsome boss, Ana Dolabra, is known for her eccentricities, her flouting of propriety, and her penchant for pushing the boundaries, beyond the boundaries, and getting into trouble with those at the top. She also loathes almost all social interactions and prefers to wear a blindfold to limit stimuli. Din must go out and be an extension of all her senses and report back to her. This is especially challenging for his first case, a odd and grotesque poisoning, causing an imperial captain to spontaneously sprout a impossibly fast growing tree, which shreds him from within. This is just the beginning of an oddly targeted outbreak of these deadly plant contagions, and it’s coming during wet season, which for this canton at the outpost of the empire, is when the gargantuan leviathans attempt to breach the seawalls and obliterate all traces of civilization. It is an end of days’ time, when all levels of society must work together to reinforce the barricades with no certainty of success. And any success is also pinned on the work and estates of the uber rich, who favor patronage and move in highly restrictive circles so elevated to be incomprehensible to Din. As more seemingly random residents are dying, Din and Ana begin to unwind a pattern that hints at a systemic danger as great as the leviathans. The city’s days seen numbered as are Din’s, as he strains to keep the secrets that could ruin him from Ana’s penetrating brainpower. Robert Jackson Bennett creates another fully realized world that steams with atmosphere and suspense. He peels back a complex societal diorama with inexperienced but good-hearted Din as our guide, and as the perfect foil for Ana, whose deductive leaps can be unsettlingly predatory. While Bennett never shortchanges the supporting characters, he also favors a slow building burn for the dénouement. And what a satisfying detonation it triggers. My thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey

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

As the great Alfred Hitchcock once said, "One must never set up a murder. They must unfold naturally, as in life." I believe the same applies to great reads. They are not meticulously planned conquests of our "to be read" piles, but rather serendipitous discoveries. A captivating cover or an intriguing blurb sparks our curiosity, leading us to delve into its pages. This is exactly what happened to me when I decided to pick up "The Tainted Cup" by Robert Jackson Bennett.

Seeing as this was my first time reading anything by Bennett, and I selected The Tainted Cup on Netgalley based solely on the cover, I really didn't know what to expect. If I am being completely honest, I went in expecting an epic fantasy series, given my familiarity with his Foundryside series; instead, I found myself with a murder mystery that was as fun to read as it is to play a good old game of Clue, with friends.

The story hinges on two main characters with the first being Ana Dolabra, a veteran investigator known for her sharp wit and biting sarcasm that could make even the gruffest sailors blush. Combine that with her distinct quirks, and readers will quickly fall in love with her character.

“I have never liked the company of too many people, Din. I have always preferred patterns and the consumption of information to socializing. I have preferred and will always prefer staying in my residence and will avoid stimulation at all costs. This is simply who I am.”

Joining Ana is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din possesses a remarkable ability known as "engraving." This magical talent allows him to combine scents with memories, granting him the power to relive any experience at will.

In Bennett's world, the Empire, financial status starkly determines your living situation, mirroring our own. The closer you live to the sea walls, the poorer you are, and the higher your risk of being ravaged by leviathan attacks during the dreaded wet season.

Though the threat of leviathan attacks loomed throughout the story, it wasn't what truly captivated me. As a character-driven reader (you likely noticed from my past reviews), I was enthralled by how each character we met unfolded like an onion. Layer by layer, their true motivations and roles in the larger narrative were revealed.

Beyond the outstanding character development, Bennett unleashes a truly unique magic system inspired by the intricate wonders of botany. Whether he has a green thumb in reality or not, the way he seamlessly integrates plant life into the narrative's core was fascinating.

The Tainted Cup, a murder mystery teeming with lies, political entanglements, vendettas, and good old-fashioned greed, hooked me from start to finish. I can't wait to devour book two of the Shadow of the Leviathan Series! I'm eager to see what adventures await Ana and Din in the Empire.

In a world of giant monsters, enhanced humans, and organic contagions that wipe out entire communities; Dinos Kol is just trying to live paycheck to paycheck working for the eccentric detective Ana Dolabra. The latest unexplained death leads Kol into politics, conspiracy and a little bit of adventure - - all that while simultaneously trying to save the empire from titan sized creatures from the sea. Will Kol rise to the challenge?

This was a fun murder mystery in a well thought out fantasy setting. I feel like we only scraped the edge of the world building the author has done for this series and I am excited to see more of the empire through Kol and Dolabra’s oddly matched detective work. As each new piece of the puzzle was revealed we learned more about the players in the story. The growth of characters supported each story thread perfectly for a fantastically well woven mystery. I loved the quirks and antics of Dolabra! 5 stars.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group/Del Rey and NetGalley for sending this digital Advanced Reader’s Copy for review consideration. All opinions are my own.