This book is pretty far outside of my usual genres, and I just could not get interested in the characters and plot by the 40% mark of the book, so I've chosen to discontinue reading this. It should be reviewed by people who are familiar with sort of setting and plot. I've given the book a rating, but that really should be not be included in its reviews. I just don't know more than I did not connect with it.

Epic fantasy meets murder mystery in a book that will keep you up past your bedtime!

Din and Ana are a Sherlock-Holmes style duo with a twist: Ana is not just brilliant but also a socially inept recluse while Din has the magical power of perfect recall that makes him not just the reader's eyes, ears, and nose on the murder scenes but also the detective's. His magical powers also have a strange twist: he has difficulty reading and can't recall what he's seen on the page, but his body recalls the actions its gone through, giving him the physical skills he needs to survive in the military of a fantasy world under attack by titans from the sea.

The world-building and plotting are phenomenal, the characters are well-rounded and interesting, and I can't wait to read more of their adventures.

The story follows din who is an assistant to a brilliant eccentric woman named Ana who has very unusual ways of doing detective work. Set in a world where leviathans exist, humans are augmented and plants and mushrooms are used in an array of ways....a murder happens. And it's up to Din and Ana to find out who done it.
I loved this book soo much! The world building was phenomenal and the character dynamic between Ana and Din was soo good. The mystery woven within the plot was entertaining and I couldn't get enough of it. The bit of romance was sweet. And I'm looking forward to more from this beloved author.

This is my first book of Robert Jackson Bennet. I didn’t know what to expect starting the book, but oh boy! It’s good? The world building was simple but consistent. Not overwhelming, but you can picture it clearly. I love Ana and Din, and Miljin as well. The storytelling reminds me of the show Enola Holmes and the Sherlock Holmes movies. Very entertaining, and the suspense and intrigue gripping! This was a good read!

This was a interesting read. I love a good mystery and my interest was piqued with the initial murder with the plants and I enjoyed how it devolved into a russian nesting doll of mysteries. The writing is rich, flourished with vivid imagery and cool descriptions. There is a good amount of original worldbuilding. Ana's dry humor, shrewd intelligence and general apathetic predisposition is well paired with Din's steadfast and dutiful character. The contrasting personalities and odd comradery between master and assistant made them a unique and engaging crime solving duo. My only constructive feedback would be to cut back on the number of f-bombs as its jarring to read in a non-modern setting. Overall, this book is a sharp witty, page turner.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ARC!

This book is like a sci-fi Sherlock Holmes retelling. I enjoyed reading this as it's outside my normal genre. I plan on recommending this to my sci-fi living friend and seeing his take.

Honestly I give this a 3.5 stars. But again this is not my typical genre.

Murder. Imminent death, Conspiracy. And a whole lot of swearing. It is a mix of Clash of the Titans / Game of Thrones / Sherlock Holmes and it just wasn't my cup of tea. I really wanted to like this novel, but starting with a tree sprouting indoors and the victim with his severed jaw dangling was too graphic for me. I did enjoy Ana, the lead investigator, and she is the character that kept me plugging through this book! For that, I am giving it 3.5 stars rounded up!

Being quite familiar with fantasy books, I don't think this is for a first-time fantasy reader trying to get their feet wet. I had trouble picturing what the people looked like. I even had problems picturing the titans, and they were supposed to be super scary! I also did not like how often the "F-bomb" was dropped. The modern day swearing did not feel like it fit in with a dystopian book.

Thank you to Random House, Netgalley and RJB for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ARC!

Wow am I glad to have discovered this author. I can’t wait to read his other series.

Spellbinding puts it best.

I usually hate mysteries/crime novels and wasn’t sure about picking this one up. But the way this book takes that archetype and marries it to sci fi/fantasy brings me into the fold.

I loved the Sherlock Holmes meets Sci-fi vibes this story was able to capture.

The world building and creation was absolutely incredible and spellbinding. A main character with perfect memory and such an amazing eye for detail, allowed the story to flow without feeling bogged down. I was amazed at the ability Robert Bennett was able to translate with this character and story.

I deeply enjoyed the interaction and relationship of the main characters. It flowed organically without force or effort. The characters themselves were intriguing and I loved how different they truly were, while still being able to compromise.
Ana with her quirky nature and eccentric personality while her counterpart Din was balanced and very much sane.

This story also painted a lovely point in regards to the character’s strengths and weaknesses, it was nice being able to relate and watch them overcome.

This story was captivating and engaging. I wasn’t bored, I wanted to find out more and continue to read! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this prior to the release date.

Hard to think of a way to describe this one without giving too much away, so I'm going to ask you a few questions:
1) Do you like a good murder mystery / who-done-it?
2) Do you like fantasy?
3) Do you wish you could have both at the same time?

If your answer is yes to all three, then you need to check out The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. Truly the combination of salty-sweet for your literary diet; The Tainted Cup follows a Sherlock Holmes type narrative that is sure to delight!

This starts a new and exciting series from the author with one of the most imaginative stories and characters! This is a mystery yet so much more! It starts with a body found in a country mansion on this strange world. He dies by having a tree grow straight up and through him!
An inspector, Ana, is called upon but her "Engraver", called Din, is sent to the scene to assess the situation.
Din can view the whole situation, like smells, the feel of things, remember word for word the interviews, and all other visual details then report it all back to Ana.

These two characters and their roles are very strange and intriguing! Ana has bindings on her eyes but seems to see very well. I was fascinated with their jobs and their unique gifts.

So much happens in here! I am definitely going to buy the audio version when it comes out to listen to while I do things. I really loved it. I can't wait for the next book too!

Murder mystery in a fantasy setting, and that setting is great. The leviathans and the plant based "magic" made for an original and engrossing place to put a Holmesian detective story. Driving that story through Din's Watson was a good choice, especially since Din himself was much more than just an observer. The mystery was well done, with just enough clues planted along the way to make you think "oh that's important" but not give away how it all fits together, and its woven together at the end very well.

Beyond Din the characters aren't well developed or explored enough. Ana is surface level great and hilarious, but we don't get enough insight into where she's actually coming from other than having Holmesian deduction skills. Hopefully that gets explored more in future installments.

This is just a really good book. Robert Jackson Bennett created an extremely thorough fantasy world as the backdrop for a murder mystery/crime novel, and it is going to be a trilogy! The vibe here is an ... environmental steampunk vaguely-nautical situation that I really enjoy. The investigators have a Sherlock & Watson thing going on and the fantastic elements are interesting. I loved this, and will also be reading Foundryside/The Founders Trilogy ASAP.

This book was great! Thank you so much for reaching out and offering it to me! My husband and I read it together and really enjoyed!! Thank you NetGalley, Robert Jackson Bennett and Random House for the opportunity!

In a world where humans have been genetically modified and colossal Leviathans regularly attack the borders of humanity, a high ranking military officer is murdered. This is not an uncommon occurrence in Daretana; however, the method is highly unusual: the officer is found impaled by a tree that seems to have spontaneously grown from inside his body. Even in a world where contagion is rampant, this seems like an impossible way to die. This is when brilliant but eccentric investigator Ana Dolabra is called in to investigate along with her newly appointed assistant Dinios Kol.

This book was a wonderful and immersive experience. The world building was thoroughly explained, developed and very unique. I loved the elements of plants brought into every aspect of this society. I also loved the dystopian walled sections of the empire. Whenever there are walls in dystopian societies, interesting social classes form around them. The author used these divides to create a cut-throat, privileged, and scheming gentry class. The main characters are complex and fun to unravel more about as the book progresses. They are a great sci-fi reimagining of the Watson and Sherlock pair that feel familiar without feeling like a copy. The mystery in this book will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end when everything finally clicks. Mystery combined with the intense world building makes it so you are constantly putting part of the elaborate puzzle together. This was one of my favorite books of the year thus far and I cannot wait for the next installments!

The Tained Cup is a murder mystery set in an entirely original fantasy world. We have an eccentric investigator, Ana Dolabra, not unlike the beloved Sherlock Holmes. Her assistant investigator, Dinios "Din" Kol, is her eyes and ears quite literally since Ana is secluded and prefers to spend her days wearing a blindfold. Together they investigate a multi-layered crime involving a prestigious, wealthy, and well-connected family.

There were aspects of this novel that I found enjoyable. For the most part, this one is not for me. I'm definitely a lover of Sherlock Holmes and the wider remake world that encompasses that variety of investigator. That was what originally captured my attention in the synopsis; plus, I do love a good fantasy novel. However, the world where Ana and Din exist is complicated. It felt very otherworldly, but when F-bombs are being dropped here and there, it drags me back to the real world. How would a word like *fuck* exist in this fantasy world? It just didn't make sense to me - so in that regard, the world-building felt overly complex. Call them generals, clans, etc. Familiar words if you want to be so familiar as to you use the word *fuck* many many times throughout.

This one was fine, but just not for me.

First kudos to Bennet for the creative use of botany, which underpins the entire storyline. The empire is threatened by seaborn (e) titans. Concentric semicircle walls protect the population with the gentry occupying the safest section. Din and Engraver is paired as an assistant to Ana an investigator in a tiny backwater of the empire. They are drawn into an insidious plot to possibly destroy the empire. Din, with secrets, serves Ana who has greater secrets, the two end up with the daunting task of discovering who is threatening the empire.
Bennet’s creativity is captivating. The plot is important but I found myself looking forward to seeing what new graft or contagion might shift the storyline. The types of characters let alone the mystery of the titans made this difficult to put down.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

432 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group 0 Ballatine, Del Rey
Release Date: February. 6, 2024

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Mystery, Poison

Engineers are being poisoned. Signum Dionus Kol is an Engraver, someone who records everything. He is working as an apprentice to Ana, an investigator. The men are growing trees out of their bodies after being poisoned. There is a cover up. With the government. Now they have to find out if there is a contagious event happening and if so, how many are involved. This is all happening while the people are living in fear of the Leviathan coming which will destroy the city.

The story has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in first person point of view. While reading the book and seeing the world from Dionus’ viewpoint, you can feel his desperation in hiding his condition and being discovered. Ana’s character is bizarre but I really. Came to admire her. If you enjoy sci fi fantasy mysteries, you may enjoy reading this book.

This was fantastic and so much fun to read!! A fantasy murder mystery set in an interesting world that starts with a bang from the first chapter.

When a high ranking officer in Daretana’s greatest mansion turns up dead from what appears to be a spontaneous tree that erupted through his body, the Empire’s greatest detective, Ana Dolabra, and her assistant, Dinios Kol, take the job the solve the case. This was a fun reverse spin on the classic Sherlock Holmes and so well done! I loved the characters and they were well fleshed out along with the strong world building. This fantasy world and the magic system was entirely unique and I loved it. This plot stays interesting and the mystery keeps you engaged. Definitely worth the read for any fans of high fantasy with awesome dystopian like worlds and a great set of characters.

A young girl picks up a mysterious ball that is some sort of puzzle, she doesn’t throw it down a creepy well, so she is then forced to circle the globe many times since if she stays in any one place more than once she will die.

An interesting book, sometimes captivating, almost a “pager turner”. I DID want to find out what happened next and the “what” was interesting, the “why” never felt genuine. At one level it is the author’s rodeo so he/see can do whatever they want. The rules of this curse or gift are not defined for her or for us. Who or what is behind it is never revealed, unless it is a metaphor for how to live….maybe. Maybe not.

Competently written. Maybe a little cheesy is some parts, but maybe that is the story he wanted tell. A story will a little bit of soap opera dialog.

She kisses him—a thousand and one kisses by now—and pulls him to her. - Location 1619-1620

“Lionel, I want nothing more than to have you with me,” she says, prodding the ground with the end of her spear. “But you were put on this earth for a reason.” She looks up. “And I wasn’t.” - Location 1722

And there is sometimes it felt like the characters were just vehicles for the author to get out his worldly wisdom.

Silence between them. Whether it is the tone of her voice or the mood of the evening, she feels the prince has divined her meaning. “A lack of words,” he says, “is not a lack of insight.” “No,” she agrees. - Location 1917

Bottom line, entertaining but I don’t know that I will seek out the author’s next novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reading copy.