Thanks to Del Rey Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I love coming across a unique and fun story, and this tale absolutely hits the mark!! 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.

I enjoy murder mysteries, and this is an intricately plotted one that definitely had me in the dark until the end. Add in a fascinating world of creepy plants, physically altered people and political machinations.......I am hooked and can't wait for more with Din and Ana!!!

The Tainted Cup is a truly excellent introduction to a new mystery series by Robert Jackson Bennett. As someone who loves a cozy mystery, I will say this initial introduction has everything you could want-an engaging protagonist, a compelling mystery, and a host of additional characters who are quirky, surprising, and well-defined.

As a fantasy book, I think people who really love the genre of fantasy will be intrigued, but perhaps ultimately unsatisfied. The world-building is unique, but not as well defined as someone coming into this story from his last publications-The Founders Trilogy. It is not a traditional fantasy series; the main thrust of the novel is to plot and solve the mystery-not to explain or provide context to the world. Despite that I still recommend it highly for fans of the genre as the magical elements and constructs are new and provide endless imaginative corners to explore.

This book sets up a sequel and additional lines of exploration in the world. I look forward to what will come as the over-arching world-based mystery is compelling.

One thing that I really love about this series is how it sets up interesting questions about what we do to maintain infrastructure and the societies in which we live. It is a grand fantastical ponderance on maintenance and the maintainers. It is the natural answer to the question and problem posed by the Op Ed | Let’s Get Excited About Maintenance! I recommend you read the article as a companion piece; they work together in exciting ways.

I do not want to spoil anything because this is such a good book, but read it, you will not be disappointed. Thank you to the publishers for early access to The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. #TheTaintedCup #NetGalley

I won't lie, I was CONFUSED the first few chapters of this book. I maybe should have jotted down some notes because all the different names/ranks of characters were really hard for me to keep track of for awhile. However, I ended up really enjoying this! Ana was my favorite, she had me cackling so many times. I want to be like her when I grow up! Hah.
I thought the murder mystery fantasy was unique for sure. Was definitely different from any of my other recent reads.

Commander Blas has been murdered in a most unusual manner: a tree spontaneously and explosively grew inside (and through) him. But it's not the local investigator who shows up to the crime scene, but her assistant, Dinios Kol. Ana Dolabra, his master, is a curious woman who never leaves her home unless she has to, yet she is renowned for solving all manner of cases without ever visiting the crime scene. That's in part to the aid of Kol, who has been magically altered to remember every single thing he ever experiences, from a conversation to a splatter of blood in the corner. Together, the two work to uncover what happened to Blas, only to find themselves untangling a conspiracy that may threaten the whole of the empire.

THE TAINTED CUP is a comfortingly familiar murder mystery that exists in a strange, eerie, even macabre world. The murder itself goes through the usual twists and turns, starting as something seemingly simple (even if it is bizarre), and gradually expanding into a string of murders on a much grander scale. I do feel at times that the author was leaning a little too much on the Watson/Holmes archetypes, down to the Holmes-like character of Ana craving drugs when she doesn't have an interesting case to engage with. The initial mystery itself was solved so quickly it left me surprised, but it soon becomes clear that that was merely the opening act, a way of introducing the reader to the world and to how Dinios and Ana work. As the story progressed, Dinios and Ana began to stand on their own, and I fell into a rhythm with the book.

The real stand out in THE TAINTED CUP is the world itself. This is a country that lives in constant fear of the "wet season," the time of year when enormous creatures called leviathans arise from the ocean and begin a rampage inland. All the machinations of the empire go towards defending and maintaining huge walls to try and delay the leviathans long enough for them to be killed. This particular mystery happens as the wet season is beginning, so our heroes are attempting to solve the crime as the weight of an impending leviathan attack hangs overhead, knowing that at any moment, a monster could appear and wreak havoc.

But that isn't the eeriest part of all. That honor belongs to both the plants of this world and the grotesque alchemy they allow. The author has created all manner of strange plants that have their uses, from providing natural air cooling to building materials. More importantly, many people of this world alter themselves, gaining abilities like a perfect memory, great strength, a prodigious mind for calculations, but always at some kind of cost, like a shorter life span. What's more, people also live in fear of contagion, of some plant or experiment that has gone wrong and will unleash death on anyone who comes into contact with it until it is contained. In short, this is a world with a casual acceptance of looming terror around every corner, where short term gain is accepted against long term tradeoffs, all in the service of the empire that leads the effort to keep the monster at bay.

You'll come to THE TAINTED CUP for the mystery, but it is the world that you'll remember long after the story is done. I find myself thinking about it constantly, with its oppressive, gloomy atmosphere and curious plants. There are more mysteries to come in the empire of Khanum and I'll be back to read them, if only to explore more of the strange secrets hiding in the empire's corners.

Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Intriguing new mystery series! I enjoyed the characters, world and contagions! It is amazing to me how an author can write a completely fictionalized story, where do these ideas stem from. Thank goodness Robert Jackson Bennett has the skills to make this come to fruition, so I can actually leave reality behind. I am anticipating the next books in this series that I already marked them on Goodreads.

A fresh fun murder mystery in a fantasy world. Fantasy isn't my usual genre but mystery is so I really appreciated the careful and thoughtful worldbuilding that made it easy to visualize the state of play. The characters are good, the mystery just twisty enough (and I love the trees) and it actually became a page turner for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This was so entertaining! A fantasy mystery with absolutely amazing world building and an unforgettable cast of characters. I loved Ana and Din’s banter and quirky relationship; he is the yin to her yang.

I thought the author did such a great job with the world building. It was so smooth and casual and felt so natural. A lot of times I feel like fantasy authors are bombarding me with info in order to create a unique world but, in this story, it just unfolded in a very “show, don’t tell” way. I was so impressed.

The mystery itself shouldn’t have interested me as much as it did. It’s a testament to the characters that I was invested in a the murders of characters that I didn’t really care about.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I was hoping Din would get more of a romance but maybe that will get picked up in the next book? That part of the story ended so abruptly. I also want to learn more about the leviathans!

A whimsical ride. I truly had no expectations going into this read, but I left pleasantly surprised. I thought it was fantastic that they ended up answering all the questions that came up throughout the plot, but it didn't feel like an unnecessary info dump.

This book was really fun! This book did a really good job of answering the questions from this book, but leaving enough unanswered to continue the series. I loved the Holmes-and-Watson vibes, especially since the Holmes character, Ana, was perfectly neurotic, smug, and knowledgable. I loved how often the Watson character, Dinios, would be frustrated and awed by her in equal measure.

In addition to enjoyable characters and mystery, I liked the fantasy world that was created. Learning about this world was a nice layer added to the mystery of the plot.

This was an utterly unique and enthralling ride!

I went into this novel with little exception but I devoured this. Murder mystery set in a fantasy world? I wasn't sure how this would work out but it was amazing! The magic system is fun and unique. The character dynamics intriguing and so well done. I can't say enough good things about this book!

I am now desperately waiting for the next one!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

The author does a great job of world building and introducing us to that world. They did a great job of giving enough information that everything (mostly) made sense but also not spoon feeding it to us.

This universe has giant leviathan monsters who live in the sea but are not confined to the sea. Their blood has magical properties that humans have been able to harness to modify features of themselves. For example, our main character Din is an engraver. He remembers everything that he sees or hears. Others have calculator-level mathematical abilities or insane physical strength. Within the boundaries of this universe, it all made sense and was logical and well thought out by the author, which I so appreciate.

Din is an assistant investigator to Ana who is pretty crazy/eccentric. She was a very fun character that seemed partially based on Sherlock Holmes. They're investigating a series of murders where trees are sprouting out of people's bodies.

Again, the author did a great job of providing the clues for who dun it, but it wasn't too obvious. I figured out some parts, but missed others. When I looked back, I saw how the clues were there. It was interesting enough to keep me guessing, without being a case where the author gives you clues to one thing, but surprise! it's actually this different thing even though nothing supports it. It was very well done.

The book could have benefited for a little tightening up of the narrative. It seemed slow at parts, especially in the beginning, and I don't think it needed to be over 400 pages. I also was a little confused about how the "grafts" for special abilities actually worked - are they patches that you apply to your skin? To your brain? Is it something you take? An injection? It didn't impact the story but was a little unclear.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.

The Tainted Cup was such a fun and fantastical read. It was unique. I haven't read anything quite like it. The author did a great job of seamlessly blending various genres that I don't often see paired together.

The characters were top-notch. They were fun and quirky and you couldn't help but root for them throughout the story. I especially loved the character of Ana. While 2024 just started, I have no doubt that Ana Dolabra will make the list of my top literary characters for the year. I love sarcasm. I love spunk. I love attitude. Ana had all of it in spades. While the whole book was great, she was the highlight for me!

I really enjoyed the mystery and how it unraveled through the book. There were plenty of twists and turns and I never knew quite what to expect or how the different murders all came together. It was well executed, fun, and kept me invested right up to the end.

Lastly, the book was fast-paced. There was never a dull moment, which made it easy to cruise through it and get lost in the pages.

The only thing I'd love to see for future installments is a little bit more world building. I want to know more about the Leviathans and their background.

After this delight of a book, I'm going to have to dive into RBJ's backlist of books! This was a fun read that I would definitely recommend. I think it's great for fans of blended genres, Knives Out, Sherlock Holmes, quirky characters, and unique reads!

I know RJB is a favorite fantasy author for a lot of people, but The Tainted Cup is the first book by this author that I've read. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about a murder mystery set in a fantasy world, but I found that I actually really loved it! Dinios and Ana are such eccentric characters to follow, I never knew what they would do next.

Right away you're plunged into a fantasy world that feels particularly alien. Dinios arrives at a manor house to investigate the murder of a high ranking officer who died quite horribly, and things start to unravel from there. What begins as a simple mystery becomes more complicated as the book goes on. I'm fairly certain this is slated to become a series, and I'm excited to see where Dinios and Ana will go next!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I tried to give this book a fair chance but it was not for me. I DNF’ed around 30%. I couldn’t connect with the characters or the story. Obviously my personal experience does not mean others will challenge to connect with this novel. From other reviews I have seen, I am one of very few that didn’t care for the book.

When a high ranking is officer is killed after a tree mysteriously grows out of his body while staying at an influential family's mansion, investigator Ana Dolabra and her engraver assistant (altered to remember everything he encounters) Dinios Kol are called in to investigate, but neither could ever imagine what their investigation is about to reveal.

This fantasy Sherlock Holmes style murder mystery was quite fun. I liked the characters of Dinios and Ana and their chemistry. He's very patient with his boss's eccentricities and loyal to a fault. The world building was easy to follow and their was lots of tension between the investigation and the danger of the leviathan breaking through the sea wall and killing the citizens and destroying the different cities. The only criticism I have is it is a little slow in some places toward the beginning. I hope this turns into a series, as I'd like to read more about the adventures of our main characters! Recommend for fans of murder mystery and fantasy.

Thank you to Ballentine, Del Rey, author Robert Jackson Bennett, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

And now for something completely different. This is an intriguing murder mystery similar to a Sherlock Holmes novel set amidst a sci-fi fantasy novel. The world building is very unusual with people modified for a variety of reasons, including perfect recall. The empire's primary focus is holding back the leviathans that break through the sea walls and terrorize the population by destroying homes and killing people. When a high level official is found murdered, in a very unusual manner, an investigator and her assistant are called upon to uncover the truth of what happened. However, the truth is much larger than anyone could imagine. The characters are so unique. The investigator is very eccentric and prefers to stay blindfolded. Meanwhile, her very patient assistant, with perfect recall, has plenty of secrets of his own but is very honest and loyal. Together, they are quite remarkable. There are quite a few surprises as this mystery gets larger before it gets solved. While this book stands on its own, I could easily see these characters returning in another novel, and if so, I will be reading it. I would love to see more of them.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy. My opinion is my own.

This was incredibly difficult for me to get into. The world building was just super slow and the characters didn’t feel compelling or interesting to me. I wanted to like it because the concept was really fun. Maybe I will try it again in a few months and update this review.

Review Copy

THE TAINTED CUP is the first book in a new series by Robert Jackson Bennett. It's a Sherlock Holes style mystery set in a fantasy empire. What that generally means is that there are a lot of made up words. When I read fantasy, that's the one thing that sucks the fun of the book right out for me. Just call a wolf a wolf, 0k? No need to come up with a nsill7y name for us to remember.

That's why I dropped a star. This was a pretty enjoyable book otherwise. I would recommend it to any regular readers of fantasy stories. And if you're a newby looking to try out something new? Why not try a sample first? I(t was a pretty decent mystery. No complaints there!

This book was so good! If you like a classic Sherlock Holmes murder mystery with fun fantasy elements, this will be your new favorite!

Thank you Del Rey and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I really loved Robert Jackson Bennett’s Founders trilogy, so I was excited about this from the start, but the promise of botanical body horror really sealed the deal (assuming you, too, consider trees exploding out of chest cavities to be botanical body horror). I also love weird flora and fauna, so I had a great deal of fun with the world Bennett has crafted.

I really enjoyed the overall feel of the world—it felt very lush and vibrant and also a little anxiety-inducing. The botanical aspects (especially the fungus!!!) were lovely, and on some level I felt like how I’d imagine I’d feel if I lived in the world of Pacific Rim (so, you know: it was very beautiful and also I felt under constant threat!!! perfect, no notes!!!!!). I thought the body modifications in the society were interesting and presented neat challenges/advantages and it was neat to see Din interact with his new environment throughout the novel.

I’m not necessarily the first to reach for a murder mystery, but I’m not opposed to them. I am not the type of reader to puzzle things out as I read (and I am not a plot driven reader; I am, primarily, a vibes reader with a sprinkle of character driven), and so I’m not going to be the best at picking up clues, though I do think Bennett does a very good job at laying the foundation of the mystery. I really liked Din as a point of view character and I found all of the secondary characters to be compelling; I liked Ana and am also quite glad we don’t get this story from inside her head. The pacing was also quite good; there were times where some chapters were a smidgen too long for my liking, but I ultimately found it easy to keep a steady reading pace.

This first book wraps up nicely/doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, which I appreciate, but I’m definitely eager to see more of this world that Bennett has created—I’m curious about the Leviathans and the ultimate fate of the Empire. Overall, I had a great time with this and will most likely end up loving this one more than the Founders trilogy (especially because my biggest pet peeve in Bennett’s previous trilogy was the use of made up swear words, please just let people say “fuck”). Definitely recommend this, and as always what a joy it is to read Robert Jackson Bennett.