A new world, plots unveiled, a TREAT!

Wow! A mysterious fantasy that just became more complex and intriguing the further I read.
Anna Dolabra, an eccentric imperial investigator is assigned to uncover the truth behind the death of an imperial engineer by contagion of a tree. (Truly horrible and bizarre, as are many things in this fantastical, almost mythological world).
We see most of the action through Anna’s newly genetically altered assistant, Dinios Kol. Kol is unsure of his actions, and only slightly bewildered by his superior’s ways such as seeing the crime scene through Kol’s reports, whilst constantly wearing a blindfold.
All this in an Empire sporting improbably altered beings, holding at bay leviathans whose blood infects, and contagions that have had whole regions and their peoples destroyed, the country side razed and closed off.
Off course there’s plots within plots but who is behind the contagions that are so selective? Most importantly what are they hiding?
I loved this tale combining two of my favorite genres, mystery and fantasy.

A Penguin Random House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This was such a fun read from the beginning, but after I hit the 50% mark, I was staying up at night and saying, "Just one more chapter." The reveals, the characters, the abilities, the world, everything was so interesting, and I can't wait to find out more. My only criticism really is that I wanted more world buidling but since this is the first in a series, I'm sure we'll get that in the next one.

I heard about this book somewhat randomly, and I'm incredibly grateful I did, because this is everything I LOVE. I love a good mystery that plays fair with the audience, I love an interesting sci-fantasy with some complex worldbuilding that is somehow not overwhelming, I love competent characters who get stuff done... this was everything I could have hoped for. I picked it up because I saw it described as a Holmes-Watson dynamic merged with an Attack on Titan kind of world... I don't know Attack on Titan, so I can't comment on that, but I would argue this is more Nero Wolfe meets Pacific Rim (sans mechs), and it was delightful.

This was a really fun read, with a lot of different bits of mystery woven in, but the author played fair - I was able to solve each bit of the mystery, but not so early that I was bored or frustrated. I was intrigued by how it all came together, and how the different aspects intersected. I also liked at how the mystery hinted at more of the world that we didn't get to see in this book (but which feels like we'll definitely see in the rest of the series, based on the ending). I think any mystery well-done is impressive in and of itself, but to have a mystery in a sci-fantasy setting, where you have to teach the reader everything about the world while also making a mystery make sense? That's amazingly impressive. I think the author did a phenomenal job.

Ana is an interesting main investigator, but I knew that I would love her. I have a weakness for eccentric genius detectives. I appreciated that she was clearly a powerful character who could command a scene, and when she was the focus of the book, she was a character I couldn't take my eyes off of. But the real surprise for me was Din. Oftentimes, when you read a mystery with an eccentric genius detective, their "sidekick" is... let's say underwritten, rather than uninteresting, as John Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories remains a favourite of all time. But they aren't the focus, just the POV, and so they just don't have as much as an impact. But Din was an AMAZING character. I loved him so much. He was capable and competent and cunning and clever, and absolutely fascinating in his own right. And the author KNEW that (they sometimes don't!), so we didn't just get the Ana show all the time, but instead got a truly balanced book between two really interesting characters and an interesting mystery and an interesting world. Further, the secondary characters are fleshed out as well, and I really liked several of them and hope we'll see them again.

I am intrigued by the themes of this book, with its focus on civil servants and what keeps an empire running. It's not a theme I've ever really seen before, especially in a fantasy book (though it sometimes comes up in sci-fi, and I really would classify this more as sci-fantasy than one or the other). I'm desperately curious to meet some more of the power brokers in future books to see how those themes are either explored or shift.

I'm really looking forward to the second book, because I think we'll get to see and understand more of the world and learn some more about the mysteries that are remaining. I'm very impressed by this book, and will absolutely be picking up a finished copy when it comes out. Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC; all opinions are my own.

As a person who is a newbie to this particular brand of sci-fi+fantasy, I cannot emphasize enough how excited I was when the publisher reached out to me. This book immediately set up a Knives Out-esque narrative style, then hit heavy with the Sherlock and Watson dynamic between Dinios and Ana. While the pacing dig snag a bit at times, it always recovered quickly and the plot progression more than made up for any slow moments. I also have to say how much love I have for the disability representation!

One thing I want to particularly highlight is how grateful I was for a map being provided!

This was my first RJB title and I’m hopeful to get my hands on more.

Thank you to Netgalley, Del Rey books, Random House and Kathleen for this early edition.

This was a good one. I greatly enjoyed the Sherlock/Watson dynamic we get with our two main characters: Ana (Sherlock) and Din (Watson). The world created has a pretty strait mannered society that minds social structures and expectations fairly wholly. Ana is our neurodivergent exception. She’s brash, insensitive, quirky, foul mouthed, and doesn’t give a shit about etiquette. I like her. Din is gets the most character development. He starts as an apprentice who is timid, unsure and green in most every way. (Gotta read the book so see how he does.) I enjoyed him as well. The mystery they work together on is elaborate and evolves nicely. It for sure has the classic Sherlock info dump to wrap it up. I think enough clues are dropped to keep the reader on track but nicely veers enough that some aspects aren’t easy to link.

We get a fantasy world where the entire society is set up to withstand massive titan creatures that come ashore and obliterate anything in its path. Descriptions of these titans are vague as: 1. Most people don’t see them alive. 2. Their features vary from one to another. 3. I think the knowledge of them will evolve throughout the series and details are intentionally withheld. I picture them as a massive alligator/blob-fish mashup. I’m excited to see how the perspectives of titans evolves (if I’m right 😉).

One of my silly pleasures from reading fantasy books are all of the unique ways to swear that they have. “Titan’s taint” was a particular favorite of mine from this story. 10 points for creativity!

4.5 ⭐️
eARC - thank you netgalley and Random House

Wow, this was an unexpected treat! I was very excited to be offered The Tainted Cup by the publisher – my first of many, I hope. Usually, I am solicited by the authors themselves, which is equally fantastic. The Tainted Cup is outside of my usual historical mystery/romance genres, and in the related fantastical mystery (mysterious fantasy?) genre. This made me skeptical, at first, as I am not a big fantasy person. I have very little bandwidth for invented worlds as I couldn’t even begin to conceptualize one. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I found the world-building well-done, plot excellent, and characters endearing. I give this novel four stars – I felt five would have been a little unfair as this is the only mysterious fantasy that I’ve read and have little to compare it to.

In Daretana, the backwaters of the empire, a high-ranking official is found dead with a plant sprouted from his chest. Asked to investigate are Ana Dolabra, banished to the region for unknown reasons, and Dinios Kol, her apprentice – who, up to this point, has only investigated fraudulent tax documents. After they tidy up the investigation as much as they can and send off their report to the governing body, they’re surprised to find the government on their doorstep. As Ana and Din get drawn deeper into the investigation and its many ramifications, they realize they’ll have to tread incredibly carefully to find the culprit and come away with their lives.

Disclaimer: I have a hard time with fantasy as a genre because my imagination is very limited – I can accept fictional characters in real settings, but that’s the biggest stretch I can reach, usually. My father read the Lord of the Rings series to me when I was little (it is a foundational part of my childhood) and I thought that the Balrog (big, fiery demon) was a ball on a string (ball). So, that tells you what you need to know about my imagination, I think. It is why I 100% struggle with fantasy books. I just can’t conceptualize.

Disclaimer 2: I will be using some words in this review that will only make sense in the context of this book.

As I said in my first paragraph, I was not looking forward to reading this book but thought I’d give it a go because the mystery sounded good and it was a solicited review. As I’ve also stated, I was incredibly wrong. I probably conceptualized and pictured 40% of Bennett’s intended world but boy, was it a good one. I was very engaged in the strange plants, creatures, gifts, etc. The characters were well done and I was impressed with how their gifts shaped all of their personalities and purposes.

Din is an engraver, which means he remembers everything. He’s a valuable tool for an investigator and discovers along the way that he’s not so bad at interpreting information, himself. He’s as honest as the day is long and has a great sense of integrity and honor. This makes it a little difficult for him to function in the workings of the Empire as, like most governments, corruption is rampant. Ana is an excellent counterbalance for him, as her world is almost a completely grey area, she has no issues bending the truth, and gives very few explanations. Together, Din and Ana make an unusual but very effective team.

Din and Ana make their way through a multilayered and convoluted plot. There were some well-done red herrings, quite a few surprises, and nice reveals. There is an element of added danger, too, as a leviathan may be about to breach the sea wall. So, aside from the internal turmoil of the case and the threats posed within that, there’s also the greater threat to Ana and Din’s entire world. It’s quite enthralling!

The case itself takes us from the backwoods of the provinces to the world of the gentry. It introduces a variety of characters, all moderately suspicious, and world-builds very thoroughly for a book that’s only 400 pages. I so enjoyed the world-building; Bennett is a wonderful writer in that he can convey a lot without having to write very much. I see books where the world is described separately from the events taking place within it, which can get tedious. Bennett weaves his descriptions among the dialogue and action, which produces an eloquent and engaging novel.

All in all, there was a lot that was appealing about this novel. My only question is why, in this world, are they still using carriages, horses, and swords? It’s probably more of an evolutionary question that Bennett can answer, but the modifications in this world made me wonder why there aren’t more efficient transportation methods or personal weaponry. It’s just a query and something I felt was a juxtaposition. Regardless, I really liked The Tainted Cup and would have read the second one immediately if it was available. If you’re up for a mystery whether you like fantasy or not, give this a try!

I certainly gobbled up this book! It is reminiscent of a Sherlock and Watson murder mystery with a original twist that keeps it fresh and the characters so interesting! Din is an engraver with a unique ability. He pairs well with the super genius that is Ana and it is nicely twisty how the murders are solved. This is also a very interesting and scary world that they live in. Those leviathans give me the creeps, especially thinking on the sizes they are. The way the people upgrade themselves with the grafts and augments are cool too. I really want to read more about this world! And of course Ana and Din. There is so much more to discover and I can’t wait!

I really do enjoy entering the worlds that this author creates!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advance copy of this book to read and review.

This was fabulous! I hadn't read RJB since the Divine Cities trilogy, which I thought was great. Although this book is quite different from that series, I was wowed in much the same way by the author's imagination and originality.

The setting for this mystery was so unusual, I kept wondering if it was supposed to be Earth far, far into the future or another planet or something else. I still don't know, and I'm hoping more is revealed in the next book.

It's definitely the immersion method of world-building, but the author did an excellent job providing context for the vocabulary, architecture, culture, terrain, and science of his world. I felt kind of dazzled by it all but never lost.

I really liked Din and Ana, and I was happy with the tone of Din's first-person narration and the rhythm of the dialogue. The different types of Sublimes were cool, and I liked how Din's augmented abilities worked, as well as his workarounds for his trouble reading.

I was impressed by everything about this one, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

I cannot adequately describe how good this book is, however, I will try. It’s phenomenal. It’s a well-thought-out, fleshed-out, knock-out of a book.

The mystery is delicious, and Bennett is a mastermind at providing just enough information, enough to make you think you’ve worked some of it out, then more is revealed, and I was left dumbfounded at how everything was put together. Some parts of the mystery I figured out, most left me taken aback.

The Tainted Cup follows a Holmes and Watson-style duo - Ana Dolabra, an eccentric but brilliant detective, and her apprentice, Dinios Kol, a young man who remembers everything he sees.

The Tainted Cup is a murder mystery set in a fantasy world. However, the world itself is approachable, and the mystery murder plot was easy enough to follow, while also being the right mix of complex and intriguing. This makes Bennett’s novel the perfect read for those who are comfortable with fantasy and looking to dip their toes into murder mysteries, or the mystery fanatics that are unsure about fantasy. The Tainted Cup is a rare book that is accessible to almost anyone.

If you are worried about this novel being the first in a series and being left with a cliffhanger - worry not, for this novel wraps up this mystery perfectly and sets up our detective duo for more adventures.

This was such a delight to read, I highly recommend picking up this book!


Thank you to Robert Jackson Bennett, Random House Publishing – Ballantine, Del Rey, and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you are drawn to fantastical novels with vivid scenery that fills the page, compelling characters with dark secrets, and lyrical storytelling about out of this world creatures, you will like The Tainted Cup. If you prefer spine tingling, multi layered murder mysteries with head spinning twists, you will enjoy The Tainted Cup. But if you want an engaging and entertaining novel that combines both fantasy and suspense, you will love The Tainted Cup. Tasked with finding the person behind the gruesome death of Commander Blas, a high ranking engineer in the fabled Empire of Khanum, are lead investigator Ana Dolabra, and her assistant Din Kol. Ana's unconventional methods-she refuses to leave her house ("too much stimulation drives a person mad," says Ana), and spends most of her time blindfolded, including during interrogations ("best to keep the senses limited")- Ana has been banished to a remote corner of the empire. Din is an "engraver"-he is able to remember everything he has seen, heard, or touched by unlocking his memories through scent, an extremely useful skill since Ana rarely sees crime scenes first hand. But don't be fooled by this quirky pair-while her coworkers and superiors think Ana is crazy, she has more in common with the fox than they know. Despite Ana and Din's sleuthing, the murders continue. The plot also features mythical sea creatures determined to destroy the land. Robert Bennett is an esteemed (and supremely talented) writer, and his imagination overflows in The Tainted Cup. The only drawback to The Tainted Cup is an overindulgence of colorful language, but this is a small distraction from an otherwise riveting and ingenious work.

An offbeat historical fantasy mixed with a Sherlock Holmes style murder mystery isn’t something I’d normally gravitate to, but I’m so glad I picked this up because I really enjoyed it!

I loved the world building and creativity in this, but it did take me a lot of time to wrap my head around it. I was happy to have the digital copy so I could search in the kindle to try to remember what terms meant or who people were. I started this on audio but found it too complicated to follow in that format and did the majority of this with the ebook.

My world building cheat sheet: There are titans (also called leviathans) that attack the Empire lands during the wet season and they have built walls to protect the 3 rings of the Empire. There are augmentations people get for magically enhanced abilities, as well as augmentations used on objects/plants/animals. There are also military rankings and organizational divisions along with character names to track. Maybe now you can see why I struggled a bit here. All that being said though, it was worth the struggle to grasp it! I love when an author has a new idea and unique concept that feels like nothing I’ve ever read before.

It took me awhile to warm up to the two MCs, Din and Ana. Din is an uptight rule follower who shows little to no emotion while Ana is a very eccentric woman who came off a bit cartoonish with all her maniacal grinning, F-bombs and over the top antics. The writing style is formal in dialog with sir and ma’am used a LOT (408 ma’am and 185 sir uses). Even if it’s realistic due to the military style reporting, it became very repetitive along with some other over used words that stood out.

The murder mystery itself was unique in the ways that characters died, but the villains were fairly easy to identify and predict. I wish the reveals would have been more than just one person reveals all, but I appreciate the complexity to the various aspects of the mystery. I can’t say more than that about it without giving anything away!

I went into this mostly blind based on a recommendation from a friend and I’m really happy I read it! I always love a creative plot and this definitely fits the bill, so in spite of some issues I had, I’d still recommend this for sure! I’m excited to see it’s the first in a series and will definitely plan to continue reading the series. Thanks Del Rey and NetGalley for the DRC!

I really mean it when I say that this has become one of my favorite books. I don't know if I'm more excited that it is part one of a trilogy or disappointed that I now have to wait a while for the next one!

The Tainted Cup is a fantasy murder mystery. The book starts with an investigation of a high-ranking official's death. The death, however, is quite unusual: a tree has burst from his body. What follows is a Holmes and Watson like story, with "Watson" as the main character. Din has been altered to have a perfect memory and his job is to report back to Ana, a brilliant investigator tasked to solve the murder. All of this is happening in an Empire that is at the same time being threatened by Leviathan creatures.

This was a really fun read, and honestly just such a creative story with magically augmented humans, amazing world-building, and an intriguing mystery. Without giving anything away, there were some moments where I was like, who thinks of this?! I mean this in the best way possible. I personally thought that this book was really well done and really enjoyed my time with it.

This would be a really good entry into fantasy for someone that enjoys a good mystery and wants to read more fantasy.

Thanks so much to Del Rey, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for my digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first in a series, The Tainted Cup is a delicious murder mystery set in a fantasy world full of terrific characters. The story engages you right from the first chapter where you are introduced to the murder victim and the main character, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver; with the use of scents, he is able to remember scenes and conversations in perfect clarity later. He is the perfect assistant to lead investigator Ana Dolabra, a brilliant but incredibly quirky individual who refuses to leave her house. The world created here is built around a society which is forced to try and prevent huge sea creatures from coming ashore and wreaking havoc. As Din and Ana work their murder case, they find themselves unraveling long held secrets which put many people in danger, including themselves.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this e-arc.*

An unusual story.
This is not one of the typical type of books I read, but I did enjoy the combination of mystery and fantasy.
Our main character, a bit of un underdog at the start, blossomed into a full investigator under the guidance of his new eccentric boss.
A woman who likes to blindfold herself to heighten her senses of observations. Dinios, our main character, is an engraver magically altered to obtain the perfect photographic memory. Good to have in an investigation. And it all starts with a body of a man killed by a fast-growing tree sprouting from inside his body.
This is a fast and interesting read, so much is going on that it will keep you engaged through the whole storyline. The soldiers are trying to safeguard the town from the sea monsters. The wealthy society that will stop at nothing to increase their wealth, and schemes that go all the way to the imperial family.
Even if you do not read fantasy stories you might give this one a try.

RJB has concocted an interesting fantasy world in which to tell a tale of murder and mystery. The main characters are very interesting and play well together. The plot is a little twisty - enough to keep you interested - though fairly straight forward. The world building is done well and is a great backdrop for this story.

Five stars for “The Tainted Cup.” It is unusual for me to get two five star books back to back, but here we are. I’m not mad about it. My thanks to the author and Del Rey publishing for this ARC. All opinions are mine and offered freely.

#TheTaintedCup #RobertJacksonBennett #Netgalley #fivestarread #kindlesallthewaydown

The premise of this book was really interesting, unfortunately it just didn’t capture my attention as I’d hoped. I’ve heard this book compared to both House and Sherlock Holmes, but in a fantasy setting, and I feel that this is 100% accurate.

A spin on the classic, Sherlock and Watson meets magic in a well-written story. I'm looking forward to the next book in a new series.

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

Ana is brilliant, but eccentric, easily bored, and often incites outrage in others. She insists on wearing a blindfold most of the time and doesn’t often leave her home. She also actively seeks knowledge in between cases, disregards politeness, and makes unusual but often accurate conclusions. Dinios has secrets, has a dull demeanor at times, doesn’t come across as friendly, and is somewhat baffled by Ana’s actions and deductions. Their interactions enlivened the story. However, don’t be fooled by your initial opinion of him. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but they are introduced gradually and that helped. A list of ranks is provided, but a character list would have also helped.

The story immediately grabbed my attention with a riveting mystery and quirky characters. One question came to mind quickly. If Ana is such a brilliant investigator, why was she assigned to the small community of Daretana? The plot is complex, twisty, and multi-layered. The world-building is well-developed as readers learn more about it throughout the novel. While there are a few slow spots, I was rewarded by an enjoyable read as I persevered through them. I also wanted a little more suspense throughout the book. The ending of the book includes the highest level of action in the book and then sets the stage for book two. What will their next case entail?

Overall, this engrossing fantasy mystery has good characterization, even with a main character that wasn’t always likeable, and great world-building. The mix of mind and physical enhancements combined with sea monsters, sword fighting, contagions, and mysteries in this fantasy world made for an entertaining and fun read. Themes include wealth, power, greed, murder, secrets, revenge, betrayal, friendship, bureaucracy, and much more. Readers who enjoy a murder investigation set in a fantasy world will likely enjoy this novel. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey and Robert Jackson Bennett provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for February 06, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. This book is fantastic. The world building and writing are creative and immersive. I couldn't put this book down. I loved it so much. The story sucked you in and you just wanted to know how everything is going to tie up. This is the first time I've read anything by this author, and I'm quite enthusiastic to read more. I cannot wait for the next book in this series and I will recommend this to everyone I know who reads. One of the most original and best books I've read in a while.

Robert Jackson Bennett takes the classic pairing of irritable genius detective and neophyte assistant and transplants it to a wild fantasy setting in The Tainted Cup. Sometimes when I read a book, I get the feeling that the author knocked their own socks off while writing it. The world Bennett has created here is a feat of worldbuilding. The scenes exude a sense of history and the descriptions bring everything to vibrant life in my mind’s eye. This book is a fun ride, even if some characters aren’t as fully realized as the settings.

Our narrator is Dinios Kol, a man whose mind has been altered so that he can remember everything. This makes him the perfect assistant for the wing of the empire’s government that handles policing and law but, like all other engravers, he has to finish his apprenticeship before he can officially join the Iudex. Once he’s done that, he can finally start earning enough money to relocate his family from the dangerous outskirts of the empire to the safer heartland. The woman he is currently assigned to—an irascible genius who rarely leaves her quarters and often wears a blindfold to block outside stimulation—might make that task difficult. Ana Dolabra has even fewer social graces than Dinios. Because Ana refuses to actually visit crime scenes, all of the legwork falls on Dinios.

Dinios’s first official crime scene is utterly bizarre. The victim has been poisoned with something that caused a tree to violently grow out of his chest, killing him nearly instantly. There are a few longshot suspects but it quickly becomes clear that something larger is afoot, to paraphrase another fictional detective who clearly inspired Ana. Much of the book shows Dinios investigating and then reporting his impressions and findings to Ana. I was thankful that Dinios was our narrator. Exploring the world through his eyes is much more interesting than staying with Ana while she ratiocinates—although I was entertained by her delightfully rude questioning of various witnesses and suspects. Ana’s ability to make stunning intuitive leaps allows the investigation to rapidly progress even though there are only the few clues Dinios’s eagle-eye found to really go on. Thankfully, Ana is trusted enough by the people running the show that no one tells her to stop investigating. She and Dinios have almost complete carte blanche to follow the trail wherever it goes, at least until they run up against a spectacularly wealthy and well-connected aristocratic family.

The Tainted Cup gallops along through crime scenes and interrogations and stunning revelations. Victims and accomplices pile up. The plot twists and turns all over the place, keeping me guessing even while I was inhaling the amazing descriptions of a world where chemistry and botany have been developed to the point where humans can be altered mentally or mentally for all kinds of purposes. I’m glad that this book is a series launch. I can’t wait to dive into Dinios’s next adventure because I just can’t get enough of the world Bennett has created here.