I loved, American Elsewhere, and so I had very high hopes for this book. I think after an initial slow start it met my expectations. It was quite different and I enjoyed reading it.

I’d give The Tainted Cup 10 stars if I could! I am not a huge sci-fi or fantasy reader but this book was phenomenal: part fantasy, part mystery, part cosmic and body horror. The world building is amazing. Ana and Din are 2 characters I love and cannot wait to read what happens next. I am a huge mystery reader and if you are eager for an unusual mystery that is well written and keeps you guessing look no further than The Tainted Cup. If you don’t like to read fantasies because if the difficult to pronounce names I highly recommend the audiobook, the narrator is fantastic.

I loved this so much I’m buying a hardcover because I will have to have it for my collection and will have to re-read this one when book 2 comes out.

Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"But I have always rather thought the Empire was wrought in the image of that which it was made to fight."

"A...A titan, ma'am?"

"Oh, yes. For the empire is huge. Complex. Often unwieldy and slow. And in many places, weak. A massive colossus, stretching out across the cantons, one in whose shadow we all live...and yet it is prone to wounds, infections, fevers, and ill humors. But its strangest feature is that the more its citizens feel it is broken, the more broken it actually becomes."

Robert Jackson Bennett, you mad genius!!! Considering Bennett's previous work Foundryside is one of my all time favorite books, this definitely had a lot of hype to live up to. And let me tell you it absolutely DELIVERED.

➺ The plot: the Leviathans wake

A murder of a high ranking general has shaken the Cantos of Daretana. Complicating matters is the manner in which General Blas was killed - with the inhaled spores of a plant that mutilates its host with a gruesome botanical eruption from the body. The brilliant but eccentric Iudex investigator Ana and her newly minted assistant are tasked with discovering the truth, but the more secrets they unearth, the more entangled they become in the Empire's web of secrets.

The Tainted Cup was simply incredible - that rare perfect blend of both an engrossing mystery with a (Bennett's signature) wildly imaginative fantasy world. Somehow the author managed to replicate that feeling of those old fashioned who-dun-its so well here. You can really see where the comparisons with both classics like Agatha Christie and newer greats like Knives Out come from. For me though, The Tainted Cup immediately brought to mind something else. This is an extremely niche reference lol but a lot of this book reminded me of the old Chinese Judge Pao series with its tackling via the law of the abuse of social power and imperial corruption as well as its emphasis on the ordinary working man as the real heroes of the realm. All of the wild twists and turns will keep you up at night. It's definitely something worth unraveling on your own, so I really won't expand any further on the plot.

➺ The setting: a biopunk dystopian rotting from within

As with all of Bennett's books, the world that the author has crafted here is wholly unique and really superb. In this case, the worldbuilding is suffused with a lot of "biological" oddities. Lands built on the carcasses of giants, enigmatic leviathians held back by a grand sea wall, a variety of contagions and body horrors, humans who receive augmentations which mutate their appearances but give them superhuman abilities that negatively impact their health in the long-term. Love a good magic system where its continued use has devastating consequences on the body. There's so many tidbits of fascinating lore that Bennett just casually sprinkles into the murder mystery plot but that work so well to establish the atmosphere of the world these characters reside in. And it somehow never feels like infodump. I won't spoil the revelation of the leviathans at the end, but that singular description was so haunting and I am positively vibrating with all the possibilities of their origin and where the author will go with this wild premise. Honestly, I could go on and on about how absolutely fascinating the world in The Tainted Cup is but it's best to just be thrown into the middle of it all and experience it yourself.

All that to say, Bennett really knows his craft. However, one thing that I really like about this author's writing is that, even with the amazing plot and setting, there is always a surprising amount of heart in his books. Some of the musings on injustice, corruption, revenge, and the displacement of populations were particularly poignant (if sometimes fleeting). The relationships between the characters, especially between our two leads, also really helped to make this book special.

➺ The characters: a Holmes-and-Watson dynamic duo

Dinios Kol is our resident long suffering protagonist and POV character. A newly graduated apprentice whose augmentation gives him the abilities of an Engraver. Essentially, Dinios is an eidetic with a near-perfect memory. Needless to say, this is wildly useful in the investigation of murders and whatnot. Dinios at first comes across as a bit of a doormat (albeit an endearing one), but his character development was so on point and he's just an all-around easy guy to root for. Ana Dolabra is the other part of our duo - a snarky genius, lead investigator in General Blas' murder, and all-around badass bitch. I loved her. She's the Benoit Blanc, the Hercule Poirot, the Miss Marple etc of this story. Although Ana did come across as a bit too perfect at times, I am super looking forward to unraveling all of her secret depths in future books. Really the only thing about The Tainted Cup that prevented it from being a favorite is the lack of backstory development and emotional growth in some of the characters, but like I said previously I'm sure there will be plenty of room for all that in future installments. Also, I don't know if this was even intentional, but the parallels between Ana wearing a blindfold and lady justice being blind is just peak symbolism imo ahhhhh

The Tainted Cup is an incredible triumph - a book that transcends genres by skillfully weaving together both mystery and fantasy without sacrificing either. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. Cannot wait to see what else Robert Jackson Bennett has in store for us with this series. If he manages to even only slightly develop on what he has accomplished here, I have a strong feeling that this will become a new favorite of mine.

I don't usually read fantasy books, but I read this one. It dealt with a murder and the investigators were great. Ana was Sherlock Holmes to Kol's Watson. That's what it felt like to me.

A Engineer is killed in a surprising way at the Haza's house in the Canton of Talagrey. Kol, a new apprentice investigator, is sent to the house to investigate by Ana, his superior. She wants him to read the scene and report back to her. He is an engraver, so what ever he hears and sees, he can tell Ana word for word. There's more to this one murder than what it seems.

I enjoyed Kol's interactions with Ana. Ana was quite the character. The way she deduced things in the case was fabulous. Their chemistry is really good. I know there will be more in this series to come.

Published February 6, 2024

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group and Robert Jackson Bennett for the E-ARC of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 😊

#netgalley #randomhousepublishinggroup #robertjacksonbennett #thetaintedcup #readaway2024 #ARC

This was a great into to fantasy for me! Set in a magical world, with fantastic character, the mystery component kept me grounded and allowed me to suspend belief just enough to enjoy the story overall. There were some parts that seemed just a bit too long, but overall this was a great read that had me laughing out loud and guessing until the end.

This was a well-written and unique fantasy mystery, with a Sherlock and Holmes dynamic. I was engrossed in this fantastical, strange world that felt real and lived in. The initial mystery hooked me and kept me locked in, while the descriptions of the world allowed me to fully sink into the story. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves epic fantasy and mystery with interesting and complex characters.

The Tainted Cup
By Robert Jackson Bennett

This book is a cross between a fantasy and a murder mystery. In fact there are several murders involved here – and multiple murderers. The motivations for these crimes are many and diverse.

Signum Dinios Kol is an apprentice assistant investigator, working for Immunis Anagosa Dolabra, Iudex Investigator for the Daretana Canton of the Empire of Khanum. As the story begins, he is investigating the terrible death of one Commander Blas, poisoned by a contagion called dappleglass.

But this is just the beginning of the action. The Investigator and her apprentice head to the capital of the Canton at Talagray just as the wet season and the annual invasion of the leviathans are due to commence. Here we find that there have in fact been more deaths caused by a weaponized version of dappleglass – and eventually more murders caused by other means, but somehow all related. It is an intricate plot line, but fun to follow.

I enjoyed this book greatly. I liked all of the main characters and the twists in the action kept me interested. This book is the first in a series. I look forward to reading the subsequent books in the Shadow of the Leviathan series.

The Tainted Cup was such a unique story. It has this strange blend of Sherlock Holmes and H.P. Lovecraft, full of Eldritch-style horrors and intricate world building.

The story itself is so fascinating and complex. If you aren’t paying complete attention you will miss so many important details and I loved every minute of it. I found myself having to go back and reread passages as I tried to piece together the puzzle unfolding before Ana and Din were able to. (Spoiler: I was not successful, haha). However, it kept me engaged and wondering what was going to happen and how our investigators were going to get out of the scrapes they found themselves in.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first Robert Jackson Bennett and I am looking forward to picking up some of his backlist while waiting for the next installment in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing - Ballantine/Del Rey, and Robert Jackson Bennett for an e-arc of The Tainted Cup in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have read and enjoyed Robert Jackson Bennett's work before, and The Tainted Cup certainly did not disappoint.

The plot revolves around Dinos Kol, the Watson to his boss Ana Dolbara's Holmes and their investigation of the death of an Imperial Officer, apparently killed instantly when a tree erupts, fully grown, from his body. In a world where people are magically altered for certain skills and Leviathans haunt the coasts, this death is a mystery that unravels a wider conspiracy that threatens the very Empire.

Jackson Bennett weaves a tight plot, with threads pulled at surprising intervals to unravel the whole tapestry for a satisfying conclusion that leaves the reader excited for more.

I look forward to future books in this series. Rating 4.5/5
Disclosure: I received an advanced reader's e-reader copy of this book from NetGalley, courtesy of Hachette, in exchange for an honest review.

I've never read anything else by this author so going into this I wasn't sure what to expect. I was happy to find that the story and the author's writing style pulled me in immediately. I love both fantasy and mystery so it's always wonderful when a book that combines the genres hits the right notes with me. I enjoyed getting to know the main character Din, and the very eccentric investigator, Ana, whom he works with. There was an interesting combination of things in this book. Plant spores, body augmentation, and huge leviathan creatures, along with the Sherlock Holmes type characters. It all made for an intriguing world that was easy to immerse myself in, and I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series.

This is the first book in a series, but it stands on it's own just fine as the mystery is wrapped up nicely. If you like fantasy and mystery blended together then I recommend this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

I'm not usually a fan of murder mysteries. The path to the resolution of "whodunit" usually doesn't seem to make sense to me, like the perpetrators were decided on at the end of the story (ala Agatha Christie). The author here, though, made sure to drop the crumbs in the right places so that when the criminal was exposed, it felt like pieces falling into place. The author also excels at world building, and this novel was a very interesting and well fleshed-out world indeed.

I think this is either a book you will love or hate. I had a hard time with it, just because it was almost like it was overstimulating--SO much was going on at once with the world-building and background that it really required all of my focus to keep up with the action and try to decipher what was important information and what was just through-away information to create the setting and atmosphere. Definitely not something to read when you might be easily distracted. For the same reason, it was hard to tell when the action was important to the plot or incidental events. I got tired of attempting to file everything away and keep track of everything. There is definitely an audience for this book. But I just didn't have enough energy to put into deciding if I needed to analyze whatever person or event or location or object was being discussed, or if I could just sit back and enjoy the book.

This was such a fun mystery! Great characters! Definitely perfect for fans of Sherlock holmes!! Had so much fun and went by fast.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Published: February 6, 2024
Del Rey
Pages: 410
Genre: Traditional Detective Mysteries
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

There were many moving parts within this book, but the chaos was well coordinated. The imagery was beautiful, and the scenes were all well-set.

I loved the use of humor and the development of the characters. Though, there were a lot of characters to keep track of. I enjoyed the easy flow of the writing style and enjoyed the mystery element.

I did appreciate the diversity across the cast of characters. And all characters had solid development, even as minor side characters. I have never read this author before, but I enjoyed his style.

This was my first experience with Mark's books and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. As a character-driven reader, The Tainted Cup hit all my marks when it came to getting to know our two leads. The cast's characterization was dynamic and even side characters were fleshed out and well defined. What I enjoyed most about this story was the overarching plot of the murder mystery. Mark's plotting and pacing I believed to have worked well for my enjoyment and never did I feel like the story dragged. I look so forward to reading the next book in this series and can't wait to see more of the world unfold.

The Tainted Cup is a fantasy and mystery that I did not like. The things I did not like about this book was the fantasy world and the book overall was confusing for me. I just struggled to read this book and I wished I enjoyed it like other readers did. I would still suggest this book to any fantasy reader especially since this was just not for me. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this book in exchange of my honest review of The Tainted Cup.

Robert Jackson Bennett is in absolutely top form with this start to a new series. I confess that I found the first chapter a difficult entry point; I wasn't sure if I was going to like Din and the writing didn't feel quite as smooth as usual. But the more I learned about the world, the more I wanted to know. It's truly a horrifying place, with deadly funguses, giant insects, leviathans that periodically leave the sea and try to destroy humanity.

It's very biopunk. The people who live in this world have learned to alter it and alter themselves to survive. Those who have been altered usually have grey skin. They can engineer themselves lightning reflexes, perfect recall, superhuman charm. Din himself is an Engraver who assists his boss by examining crime scenes and then describing in excruciating detail everything that he observed (even if he didn't realize everything at the time). Ana, his scary and wicked smart boss, then puts the pieces together to solve big picture crimes or puzzles.

Despite inhuman alterations, I found the characters in this book utterly human and fascinating. Bennett has a dry sense of humor about the bureaucracy that infiltrates all large human endeavors and understands how work gets done in the cracks. This is a terrible place that I would never want to live in, but the characters must (I wonder if this is their native planet??) and they have found many creative ways to survive. There is a mystery but I can't say that I was overly reminded of Holmes/Watson. The mystery drives the plot forward but it's the people in this book that I really want to solve.

This was such an intriguing mix of murder mystery, eco terrorism and VanderMeer-esque ecological anomalies. Plus beasts! Basically I’m here to say it had it all and I loved every minute. Hope there is a book 2 so we get to see how Ana and Dinios’ partnership flourishes.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an ARC in return for my honest review.

I was so excited to read this book (especially when I saw the physical copy) that I went out and bought it on release day. Unfortunately I DNF'ed this book mainly because of the amount of unnecessary language, particular the overuse of the f word. I own Foundryside (which I haven't read) mainly because of the review Brandon Sanderson wrote on Goodreads. I will still give that one a try but I can't deny I was incredibly disappointed in this book. Not only was the swearing an issue but the plot overall just seemed lacking and slow.