whew, what a ride! the tainted cup, i can say, is honestly one of the more original fantasies i’ve read in a long time, and that’s saying something. plus there is a murder mystery element — what more could a girl want??? forewarning: if you’re looking for romance, it plays a very, very minor part in the story, and honestly could have been taken out altogether. BUT it being included didn’t bother me at all because i was so captivated and drawn in by the characters, the twists and turns, and the incredibly interesting “magic” system… if that sounds like your cup of tea in any fashion then 10/10 would recommend! i absolutely cannot wait for the next one to come out!!

If you find yourself in a situation where you absolutely love high fantasy and want to scratch a mystery book itch, pick this book up stat.  The Tainted Cup took me by complete surprise.  I rarely—very rarely—read mysteries.  I find them very dull, as I can usually guess what’s going on, and the general setting and plot usually don’t cater to my taste because, well, I like fantasy books.  Bennett’s impeccable world and character building propelled me by force through this plot.  About halfway through, I didn’t care about the mystery—I just wanted to keep reading.  I’d say, for readers who hate fantasy but love mystery, or alternately hate mystery but love fantasy—this book is a great mesh of the two that proves a great crossover to whet the appetite for readers of both preferences.

To best understand the world building here, I’d have to frame the reference with some popular movies.  Pacific Rim (minus the mechs) and Moby Dick come to mind most, other than the obvious Sherlock Holmes.  Behemoth leviathans surge from the sea during wet seasons and plague the Empire.  Instead of moving farther inland, past the reach of the leviathans, the Empire stays right on the coast and builds walls to keep them out, chasing them to the sea and killing them to repel them each year.  It is in the midst of this chaos, on the brink of a wet season, that Dolabra and Kol begin their investigation into the murder of a well-connected officer.  

Kol possesses a magical alteration, as do most of the rest of the citizens and officers of the Empire.  This form of magic system, or I’d say genetic manipulation, spins the typical magic-grouping/ability-grouping systems I’ve seen in books before on its head a bit.  Though it’s reminiscent to me of the different factions in Divergent and the Grisha from Shadow and Bone, different MOS’s in the Empire form around what the members can do after they’ve been altered.  Bennett did a great job here making the magic system (or manipulation system) relevant to the story and not just a gimmicky, useless bit of fluff to bait readers.  

Within these parameters, the story in The Tainted Cup comes to life.  Bennett’s storytelling shines with brilliance.  I could not put the book down, especially past the halfway mark.  Kol and Dolabra made a perfect pair, and I absolutely cannot wait to read the future installments in this series.  

The drawbacks are few for me here, though the one or two there are resound significantly.  If a fantasy world goes so far as to create different place names, different names for months, different ways bodies work, and so on, it should stand to reason that the foul language in the new fantasy world should also be world-specific.  Dolabra and a few other characters use quite a lot of explicatives in the book, and they really do jar one out of the fantasy world.  Additionally, though the concept of leviathan creatures that come out every wet season to harass the land-dwellers is pretty fascinating, I didn’t really comprehend the reasoning for the folks living right on the coast and struggling to keep these beasts at bay every year with less and less effectiveness to continue to live where they live.  It would make sense to just not live right where there is constant, large-scale destruction.  The logic doesn’t really connect with me.  Perhaps the latter will be explained a bit better in future installments to the series.

My thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for the eARC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

Another character with a three-letter name that I would die for. Perfect.

Just such a solid read. While I wasn’t expecting there to be such detailed world-building in something I had just assumed would be a mystery, I’m glad I got a chance to read. The characters were so compelling, the mystery had the perfect amount of twists to keep you engaged and the world was appropriately complex. I will admit, I had to take notes to keep some of the lingo straight, but the worldbuilding is not overwhelming.

Such a fun time, I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this world.

4.5 stars

I loved this! It was not at all what I was expecting, having read and loved his Founders Trilogy. Although the story is definitely fantasy, it's a wonderful blend of mystery and fantasy.

At the beginning we are introduced to Signum Dinios Kol, an assistant to an Iudex (imperial administration for justice) investigator, and, you quickly learn, her eyes and ears. He is called to the scene of a grisly death, that of a prominent engineering officer, which also takes place in a ridiculously fancy house of a prominent family (basically the family that controls a large portion of the wealth in the empire.

There are a LOT of characters, but I knew that going in, and the author does a really good job of rolling them out slowly so that you're not overwhelmed. Still, as each character was introduced, I jotted down their name and basic info, and how they were connected with the case, and it really helped.

Without going into detail about this world (it's so much better for things to be introduced organically), you quickly learn that there are lot of politics that govern how this world functions, one of the reason the cities are arranged the way they are is because of the regular encroachment of huge leviathan monsters, and much day-to-day living centers around this survival.

Ana (Anagrosa Dolabra), the Iudex investigator, is wonderfully eccentric, and Kol and Ana act as foils to each other. Each of the characters have something to hide, including Ana and Kol, and it's so much fun trying to figure out the mystery as Kol unravels each clue. Naturally, Ana seems to be a step ahead of everyone, but either way, I love this duo so much and I am so glad this is a trilogy! Of course, now I have to wait patiently while the author writes two more books!

Either way, I found this to be a strong start to a new series with really interesting characters. While the murder is serious and gruesome, there are moments of humor sprinkled throughout, as well as sweet moments. There was even a little bit of romance thrown in, although that was a VERY minor part of the book (okay, it really only happened at the end, but I was kind of hoping for it). I was able to follow the mystery and while I made some correct predictions, I was kept guessing until the end. It was very well done.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publishers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After falling in love with The Founders Trilogy, I've been itching for another book written by Robert. Luckily, I came across The Tainted Cup on NetGalley and basically screamed for joy when I got accepted to read this one early. It didn't take long for me to find a buddy to devour this adventure with either.

From the very beginning, I fell in love with Ana and Din. They were such a fun duo to follow, and they both gave me Sherlock vibes. In their own way, made it work and it's safe to say that I also got some Watson here and there.

The overall mystery had so many twists and turns that it was hard to keep up with all the suspects piling up. I'm not even sure how Ana was able to pull it all out until the second she basically solved it. Which, wow - each little reveal was a bit mind blowing and definitely kept the pages turning.

In the end, I had so much fun reading this book and getting to know all the characters. I am so excited for the next book to be written because I definitely need more adventures with these two. Seriously, I need more and would like another one now

Thanks to Random House/Del Ray for an ARC of The Tainted Cup in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a solid 4 stars. The plot itself kept me engaged throughout the entire thing, and I was unable to put it down. I definitely get the Sherlock and Watson vibes between Ana and Din. Ana has become one of my favorite characters I've read and I'm super excited to get to know more about her. I found myself very intrigued with the use of body modifications as the sort of "magic", it definitely isn't something I would have thought of before. My complaints are solely with the writing. Certain words I felt were far overused (I won't list incase others will see this and look for it, and possibly ruin their enjoyment.) Also, The constant pauses in sentences like "I..
I thought" or "But... But" drove me absolutely insane. A few is fine but it seemed like it was at least once on every page. Some things felt repetitive like mentioning that Din was tall several times. And the "Romance" even though it was virtually nonexistent, felt very forced and almost like an after thought. That all being said I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to the sequels.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballentine Publishing for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ana and Din are Bennett’s take on the Holmes/Watson relationship with Ana in Sherlock’s role and Din’s in Watson’s and it’s a pairing that works really, really well. Din, Ana’s new assistant, is an engraver, meaning he’s been altered to remember everything, much like Sherlock’s own mind. But he lacks the ability, and the knowledge, to put what he sees together. (Not like Sherlock) That’s Ada’s job. She takes his detailed reports and, at a rapid speed, can see patterns and connections that evade everyone else. Ada knows how to push Din’s buttons and takes great delight in doing so. She’s a strong character, but also morally grey at times in her pursuit of justice.
Din is an engraver, but also someone who has much to learn about himself. He remembers everything he sees and hears. As the story plays out, it becomes clear he’s more than an engraver. And that he harbors a secret that could cost him everything.
The murder mystery is well-written. The initial murder sets off a chain reaction with horrific unintended consequences. Even though the murders may be solved, what they set in motion may be impossible to stop.
It took me a bit to get into this book, but once I settled in, I had trouble putting it down. The ending was satisfying.
4/5 stars.

In the biggest mansion in Daretana, a high imperial officer is found dead....a tree erupted from his body. 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 ever stepping outside the walls of her home. Assisting her is 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.

This is the first book in a new series. I had never read anything by this author before, but after reading so many glowing reviews on all of his other books, and the intriguing premise of this one, I decided to give it a try. I am glad I did. The mystery kept me guessing, as Ana Dolabra's method of deduction gave me whiplash trying to keep up, and I will admit I did have a hard time keeping all of the names straight because there were so many. Ana Dolabra was absolutely delightful, and I really enjoyed Din's character as well. If you enjoy mysteries, fantasy, ,or a mash-up of the two, then you should definitely check this out.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett seems to be very lyrical and written beautifully and has well developed characters, but I just couldn’t get into it. I really enjoy mysteries and fantasy, epic fantasy too, but there was just too much world building right away, and I guess I wanted to be eased more into it.

I have seen lots of wonderful reviews for The Tainted Cup, some likening it to the Knives Out movies, which I really enjoyed, so I may go back and try to read it again, and maybe I’ll be in a different mindset and really enjoy it.

I also read that the suspense really starts up around the halfway mark, so perhaps if I had continued I would have been able to finish it, and even have really loved it. But I just couldn’t push through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for the eARC of The Tainted Cup.

This is my first 5 star read if 2024!

When I started reading this book, I was worried that the world would be difficult to follow. The book starts us off with apprentice investigator Din looking into a gruesome murder. Someone had poisoned a high official that then sprouted a tree from within that official! Thus begins the plot of unraveling what happened to this official, which then opens up this world into a greater society. The store is brimming with politics all the while the society is also fighting a Leviathan that terrorizes the towns every wet season.

I really loved the world building and how people can take on grafts to adjust their powers or enhance their senses. Din as a character begins as an innocent apprentice, but he is an engraver - he records and engraves everything he sees. And he sees everything. It was great investigating through his eyes. At first I too as the reader saw what he saw and did not think much of it. But when he brought it back to his superior, Ana, she really played a pivotal role in deciphering and piecing together what seemed small or inconsequential in Din’s eyes to be part of the bigger picture.

I found Ana hilarious. She was crass and a little odd, but she was smart and clever. She also let Din be Din without judgement, she even helped him grow as a character- mainly his confidences. I also liked all the side characters like Milijin and Nusis. They added different layers of the empire and helped with building the world.

This was an exciting read and I couldn’t put it down. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series!

I love fantasy and mystery, and when I saw that this story combined both in a Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson style, I was eager to devour!

The tale opens with a bang - a body has been found with a tree exploded through it. We are introduced to this new world with interesting characters. Din, an assistant to a brilliant investigator, Ana, who has arrived to investigate the scene. Ana hardly ever leaves her home, so Din is responsible for gathering the evidence. I felt that their relationship was reminiscent of Holmes and Watson, but they didn't quite have the same quirkiness or delivery of deductions.

This fantastical world also contains many evils, not excluding monsters. Slow at first, the mystery finally takes off surprisingly with magic and cleverness. This being the first book in a series, it will be exciting to see what else Robert Jackson Bennett has in store.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Than you NetGalles and Random House Publishing Group - Bellantine, Del Rey for this ARC copy of The Tainted Cup!

I will start off saying that this book surprised me in so many ways, I honestly didn't know what to think going in but I was pleasantly surprised by everything about this story.

The first part of the book was a lot to absorb and I was not sure how I was going to feel about this unique world that was being constructed before my eyes. It took a little while to really get used to all the new words and some of the world building aspects so if this happens to you don't worry, it gets so much better. It was also necessary to set a foundation to one of the most interesting magic systems that I have experienced in a long time. The world is heavily build on fantasy aspects and magic known as grafting and contagions, and there are so many unique descriptions of characters that you really are able to get a sense of the world around you.

The characters are unique, and realistic. They have strengths, flaws, relatable worries, and a certain level of intrigue that makes you really feel like the author put a lot of work into creating solid characters that will have strong growth throughout the entire series. Even the minor characters are handled with care and precision.

I think this was a great start to a series and I can not wait to see where this world takes us as the series progresses.

Man. If anyone was looking for a female version of Nero Wolfe set in the high fantasy equivalent of a biopunk world (and who wouldn't be?), this fits the bill.

Seriously, this is both a really good fantasy novel AND a good, classically structured mystery. Plenty of fantasy books have a mystery inherent to the plot, but very few use the traditional detective novel structure at all, let alone this well.

I won't recap the stuff you can read on the book jacket. But the world itself here is amazing. You've got a fantasy kingdom besieged periodically by huge sea creatures -- think larger than Kaiju, maybe on an Evangelion scale -- whose corpses in turn yield materials that can change people. So they've used those matierals to create super-strong soldiers, and incredible mathematicians, and people who can remember everything and are perfect witnesses. It's pretty much biopunk in a fantasy context.

And then we've got a brilliant and quirky detective who stays (mostly) isolated and a sidekick who does the gruntwork, but while I do make the Nero Wolfe comparison, this story only starts there, and moves out on its own.

I can't praise this enough. Bennett's always such a good worldbuilder, and the story here is just a delight. Cannot wait for more of these.

The First one of the Shadow of the Leviathan series. I don’t usually read Fantasy books, but I picked up this one because the mystery sounded so interesting. I would highly recommend this book and Bennett’s attempt to combine high fantasy with a mystery hit the mark. Ana and Din were well developed and complex characters that brought the story alive. The Tainted Cup was a page turner with plenty of action, twists and puzzles that kept you guessing until the end. A high Imperial officer is found dead by the servants. Ana Dolabra, an investigator is assigned to find out who killed him. She sends her assistant Dinios Kol who is an engraver, that is magically altered to be able to never forget something he sees or hears. As the investigation continues it becomes bigger and more dangerous for both Ana and Dinios. You need to pick up this book and enter this fantasy world and try to solve the mystery on who is killing the Imperial Engineers. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Robert Jackson Bennetts stories always contain great world building and The Tainted Cup is no exception. They are intricate (cites divided by walls to stop invading leviathans or contagions that spontaneously explode in bodies) yet so understandable that you can nod along as if it is perfectly reasonable.
The beauty of this book is not only the fantasy element but the author has managed to add a wonderful murder mystery as the central plot. A brilliant eccentric detective Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol.
These two are the perfect complement like Sherlock and Watson, they ferret out clues and make glowing deductions. Watching them solve this mystery was such fun. Can’t wait for further adventures Thanks to Netgalley and Del Ray books.

Maybe a 3.5? The worldbuilding was fascinating, but for me the friction between the contemporary approach to (e.g.) swearing and gender roles and the historical fantasy approach to (e.g.) environment and caste kept the story from flowing. The author did a good job with pacing, the narrative kept up even when there were lulls in "action". Holmes & Watson iterations are tricky, too, so tuned-in readers might not be as surprised by some of the twists as intended - not because of lack of intrigue but because they've been alerted by the context to look for specific hints.

Narrated by Andrew Fallaize, The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett blends fantasy with a murder-mystery detective case that pulled me in and never let go. The first in the Shadow of the Leviathan series, I cannot wait for more adventures with Ana Dolabra and Dinios “Din” Kol. You’ll want to add this first in trilogy to your audio library.

The blurbs “A Holmes and Watson-style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist,” drew me and had me downloading The Tainted Cup. I was not disappointed! From the world to the characters, Bennett pulled me in and never let go.

The story takes place in an alternate world filled with magic and enhanced humans. When a high imperial officer ends up dead in the Empire, Ana Dolabra, an eccentric detective with an excellent solve record, is assigned to the case. Dinios “Din” Kol, a magically altered assistant, goes out and meticulously investigates the crime scene before reporting back to Ana.

I will leave you to learn more about Ana and Din. I enjoyed both of them and thought they made the perfect team. Ana is very much like Sherlock and Din, her Watson. We learn much about Ana and Din through Din’s observations. I enjoyed his voice and thought process as we found ourselves in dangerous situations.

The world is interesting from the walled off areas of the Empire to the Leviathan, who both enhance them and pose a threat. Power plays and twists kept me on edge. The story felt tight and flowed well with smooth world-building. Suspense, fear of discovery and attempts at stopping them were well done.

While the murder-mystery case was solved, there is much to learn! I look forward to more cases with this duo. I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Andrew Fallaize. He did such a great job of capturing the voice of Din, Ana, and other characters. I hope he continues with the series.

If you are looking for a thrilling mystery and adventurous fantasy, you’ll want to grab The Tainted Cup.

What is an element of a story, whose addition you really weren't expecting? Hypothetically kaiju in a murder mystery, hypothetically of course. Such a concept is something people, who are aware of my tastes, know I might just mark the hell out on and be super into.

"The Tainted Cup" is a new series by Robert Jackson Bennett (out February 6th, 2024 thank you Netgalley). How do you feel about murder? It's not great. Especially when folks are getting Capitan Planet-ed, someone has to get this reference or I'll feel old. Enter the investigator, well their assistant, with perfect recall, Dinios Kol. Aid to Ana Dolabra, a brilliant and eccentric solver of cases, all without leaving her home in a backwater part of the empire. But when engineers on the wall start turning into trees she and Dinios are called in due to their familiarity with the method of murder. Sort of need those engineers to keep the GIANT MONSTERS FROM THE DEEP out of the neighborhood.

Reasons to read:
-Eccentric pro who has seen it all and the long suffering assistant dynamic? Yes please
-Got some Pacific Rim in my mystery and I'm all about that
-Once again, beware worms
-Tree-d
-Excited for another one of Bennett's worlds, the details are always good

Cons:
-I'm gonna need a big creature fight at some point in the the series

This was my first time reading Robert Jackson Bennett and I don't think it'll be my last time. What a ride! I was so impressed with how deeply thought out this world was. Everything from the monsters, to the food, to even the races of people within this world are entirely made up and so intricate you can just imagine it to be a real life society. As a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, I was definitely intrigued by this one!

The story itself felt like I was watching a movie, but with depth. You had this murder mystery that they were solving with a Holmes/Watson-style relationship between two of the main characters. But on top of that was this complex story of a world fighing to stay alive against the giant leviathans that threaten the borders of their land constantly. And of course, this book features that threat very prominently creating a level of suspense beyond knowing who the killer is.

The story is told through the perspective of Dinios Kol (aka Din) who is the Watson of this Sherlock/Watson outfit. He's an engraver, who was modified with the ability to remember everything down to the very details of a situation, a piece of evidence, a person's account of the situation. Of course, this is due to the modifications he receives (there's little worms swimming in his brain giving him this ability), which is such a cool feature and almost makes this story feel like science fiction. Of course, Din is new to the job so everything around him is a new experience and seeing it unfold from his perspective really gives the reader this sense that you're along for the ride and nothing is being left out.

The murder was also something out of science fiction where people were being poisoned by a mysterious spore that would basically grow a tree inside your body. It's pretty gruesome and I loved the clues and evidence that Din would uncover throughout the story to reveal an even bigger plot that obviously threatens the lives of thousands of people all while worrying over this leviathan coming to destroy life as it is. It's wild!

While I wasn't wholly impressed with the way things turned out in the end or how Ana came to the deductions that she came to (it felt like she was trying to be Sherlock, but didn't have that magic Sherlock usually has), I loved getting to know Din and Ana and the rest of the characters introduced here. The world itself is vast and while we only get a small piece of it in this book, it's enough to keep you wondering what will happen in the next book. Perhaps the murder will be a bit more of a surprise, but I know that it will be immersed in a world completely unique and can only be created by a master of world-building.

I really enjoyed this book. It is good murder mystery set in a fantasy world. The world building was great. The characters are likable and quirky. The story is told from the POV of Din, the assistant apprentice to Ana. The mystery isn’t easy to figure out and there are a lot of twists and turns. This book did not feel like 432 pages and was hard to put down. I can’t wait for the next book to come out! I want to learn more about the Empire and the leviathan and I am excited to read about Din and Ana’s next adventure.