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.

The book starts with Din investigating a murder where the victim was killed by some type of grass that sprouted within him, in consequence his body was mutilated. This fact makes the story very peculiar and got my attention pretty quickly. The mix of mystery and magic in this book was very unique, there are giant monsters that are trying to penetrate their cities and attack them ( I don’t know why but every time this detail was talked about in the book I couldn’t stop thinking about the anime attack of titans).

The logistics about this book are very well thought through, I really don’t know how Ana could solve anything as she did, her smile was very creepy though. I enjoyed Din character the most imagine been able to remember every detail of every second of what you saw kind of cool. But alas I felt that this book dragged at some parts that made loose my attention in the story and I felt that the world building needed a lil more work.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett was suggested to me by NetGalley as a book that I might be interested in reading due to the previous books on my shelf.

The book sat on my NetGalley shelf as I finished other projects, but softly kept calling my name. Beckoning to me. (Yes, the spirit of a book calls to me…always has…a long story.) NetGalley, you can read my mind.

The Tainted Cup is a fantasy world filled with intrigue, fantastical upgrades, grafts and suffusions to a person’s body in the name of progress. Unfortunately, with progress also comes the constant feeling of fear, evil, and death. The story is told in first person by Signum Dinios Kol, assistant to the investigator and a Sublime.

Din has received suffusions and grafts beyond the normal suffusions offered to the populace. They render him able to remember all that he sees and hears with a sniff of a glass tube. Din is an Engraver. In the canton of Dartana, Din is sent to investigate the murder of an Engineer, Commander Taqtasa Blas.

This is a bizarre murder. So odd that it leads Din and his boss, Investigator Immunis Anagosa Dolabra or Ana, into a frenzied and dangerous mission to find out the identity of the killer.

The Tainted Cup was a quick read once I became familiar with the vernacular. The language slowed me down a bit at first, but then the adventure pulled me along. The writing was so emotive, that I felt like I was part of the story.

This murder was ingenious and I enjoyed how the various grafts and suffusions changed the course of interaction between characters, as well as, changing the characters themselves. The use of science/surgery/vaccines in creating Din’s world is a beautiful touch. After reading about murders by knife, gun or rope it was refreshing.

I enjoyed Din’s character. He was honest, kind and not afraid to be afraid. Fear didn’t stop him from performing his duties. He was an honorable Engraver. There is no getting around an Engraver. Engravers remember everything they witness, making them a useful tool to have when investigating a murder.

My favorite character, however, was Ana. Her sense of humor and straight talk made me very fond of her from the moment she was introduced. Ana was unique and had odd methods of deciphering the data that actually made sense. Ana was not afraid of anyone, and most were afraid of her. She was deadly, but fun.

I began to put myself into the story. What type of Sublime would I have chosen? Would I have chosen to be a Sublime at all? Yes! I would love to be an Engraver or an Investigator like Ana.

I am so happy that NetGalley suggested this title, and that it whispered to me from my shelf. The Tainted Cup was a book I didn’t realize I was missing, until I began reading. I can’t wait to read book two. Hurry, please!

Thanks bet galley for this book. I really enjoyed the plot. Wanted a bit more from the characters. Excited to see more from this author.

Wow! Two of my favorite things in one book--a murder mystery (plural, actually) and a fully conceived fantasy world unlike any I've ever read. There were also great characters--imperfect and absolutely fascinating. And monsters. And people enhanced (or not) in many different ways. And like most readers, I love Ana Dolabra, the eccentric but brilliant investigator, and her assistant, Dinios Kol, who can't seem to fathom just how amazing he is. And, because it's a fantasy world, there are also sword fights and a drop of romance. What's not to love? I already can't wait for #2 and the first hasn't even been published yet! I will definitely be buying a hard copy of "The Tainted Cup" when it is published next year.

Review of Uncorrected eBook File

When Engineer Commander Taqtasa Blas dies in the Haza estate house in the Daretana Canton of the Empire of Khanum, Iudex Investigator Immunis Anagosa Dolabra, assisted by engraver Signum Dinios Kol, investigates. It is obvious that the high Imperial officer was murdered in a most inventive . . . and gruesome . . . manner.

With the approaching wet season bringing the threat of the great leviathans approaching the Empire’s coast, the Engineers guard the sea walls in hopes of avoiding any breaching that would allow the titans to break through. But, no matter how close the wet season, the crime must be investigated, the perpetrators identified.

As Ana and Din seek answers, they find hints of a threat to the Empire. Can they find the murderer and put a stop to the scheme that threatens both the Empire and its people?

=========

Strong world-building and interesting characters are highlights of this inventive fantasy tale. The mystery of the murder, the ingenious contagions, the stunning manner of the murder all speak to a narrative filled with delightful surprises. Ana’s eccentricities, Din’s uneasiness, and magical self-alteration and plant-based enhancement all combine to create an exciting glimpse into a unique fantasy world.

Ana and Din, each with their unique abilities, make a formidable team, superbly qualified to investigate the crime. Readers who enjoy fantasy are sure to find the narrative intriguing, although they are likely to wish the unfolding narrative gave more insight into the magic of the realm and of the leviathans that threaten the Empire.

However, the oft-repeated use of an offensive expletive [amazingly, the author has found half a dozen iterations of it to slide into the narrative] is both off-putting and insulting. It detracts from the telling of the tale and lowers the rating for this book.

I received a free copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#TheTaintedCup #NetGalley

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this one. Unfortunately, it didn't hook me right away and I'm not very interested in seeing if the book picks up. I may return to this one at a later date. DNF at chapter 4

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book. It was really well written and it just had you trying to solve the mystery. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

Robert Jackson Bennett's works are an acquired taste, I believe. And this novel is quite tasty, indeed.

To call this a murder mystery, while accurate, does this story a huge disservice. The author creates a fantasy world that is incredibly complex and at the same time, immensely relatable. The cast of characters are all fascinating, but especially the main characters; Ana, the quirky, hugely talented investigator, assigned to a horrific murder case and her young assistant Din, an enigma who doesn't believe he is as capable as his boss believes he is. In this world, people are enhanced, or augmented, with specific powers for the job they do. Soldiers are imbued with extra strength, medical personnel can work wonders with herbs and elixirs, and Din is an engraver, who can remember every detail of a crime scene and every word spoken by the suspects.

The mystery is a great tale by itself, with twists and turns and red herrings aplenty. But what makes this stand out is the world created by Mr. Bennet, a fantasy land that seems eerily familiar; a society run by an Empire, with rich people conniving to stay that way, and poor people doing all the hard work to keep the Empire running. Oh, and colossal sea creatures routinely clamber out of the ocean depths to attack the outer lands of the Empire.

This was absolutely unputdownable, for me. I will be eagerly awaiting to see what's next for Ana and Din.

Incredible!! THE TAINTED CUP drops the reader right into the thick of things. I will admit to being confused in the very beginning however it didn’t take long for me to become fully invested in the investigations.

I have always had a great fondness for Sherlock Holmes style mysteries but find myself disappointed all too often as they can get stale. That is not a worry with this book as it is set on a unique world peopled with interesting characters.

Inspector Ana Dolabra has some definite eccentricities with her unorthodox brilliance, blindfolds and her self imposed isolations while her apprentice Dinios Kol is kept busy trying to curb some of her more unsocial tendencies. This is a new pairing for both yet they tend to compliment the other. They are intriguing and leave me wanting to know even more. The secondary characters are just as well fleshed out and really contribute to the plot.

And then there is the mystery itself. Parts of it seem rather simple to figure out. That is until a new twist changes everything. I will admit that my jaw dropped when the identity to the last villein was revealed.

I would recommend THE TAINTED CUP to any reader who enjoys a good mystery mixed with the science fiction of a new world. The twists and turns will keep you on edge of your seat until the very end and leave you wanting more.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

4.5 stars - I loved the world building, the mystery at every turn, the evolution of people, and the building suspense of danger everywhere. Din is a character that was rigid, naive, and emotionless at first but then you are pulled through the whirlwind of such an intense case of murders alongside him that you feel so connected with him.

The leviathan is a mysterious presence like an impending doom and I hope this continues as a series so that we may learn more about them and the empire. This story is about murder and the Hazas family to begin with and I can’t wait for Din and Ana to unravel more.

I am a big fan of RJB’s other books and this one was no different. I enjoyed the first person POV and the strange new world the author created. I picked it up to read before bed, but found myself sucked in and reading avidly for over 100 pages before I knew what happened.

If I were to mention anything amiss about this book…and this isn’t really a negative, but it is worth noting…it would be that at times this had the air of Attack on Titan alternate universe fanfiction and I have to wonder if Mr. Bennett is indeed an anime fan.

I won’t say any more on it until after the book is published, but there were many, many similarities between the world building in this book and the world of AoT (including…titans) and I found myself simultaneously enjoying the story while also scratching my head and yelling to my husband “look! Another AoT tidbit!”

All in all this is a solid new book by an author that I really enjoy, I fully intend to preorder it and will be looking out for future books!

3.5 stars

I can accept many things in a fantasy book, but for some reason I just cannot accept repeated use of modern curse words in a book full of magic and monsters. There's just something so off putting about using variations of "f*ck" 50+ times in a book where the main character has special powers to memorize everything they can see and hear and is investigating murders committed through some kind of disturbing plant magic. One of these things is not like the others.

As for the plot, I really liked the mixture of a mystery/detective novel in a fantasy setting. Some of the things I was able to put together on my own, but a good chunk of it was a fun surprise reveal at the end.

As for character development, there are a lot of secondary characters that were mostly well developed and the main character Din definitely seemed like a real person, albeit one with magical abilities. However I had a very hard time with Ana, who seemed very anachronistic (mainly due to her aforementioned cursing) but I do think she was purposefully kept as an "unknowable" character because her background is going to be revealed more in future books.

I will say there is a very small dash of romance in this book - but the love interest was barely given any page time. This was also fade to black too so don't get your hopes up there either.

Overall I found the world building, fantasy elements, and the mystery/plot to be very enjoyable. If the author just cuts back on the cursing I would be willing to pick up the second book whenever it comes out.

I was given an ARC via Netgalley but this did not impact my rating or review. This book is set to be published on February 6, 2024.

DNF 25% in.

This follows the trend of the witty, arbitrarily restricted genius of several recent popular iterations of Sherlock Holmes, but with a danger that feels at once too remote and too specific to make a lot of sense to me. I can tell it's aiming for a thing that I don't like, and so I'm not going to finish it. I like banter, I like witty dialogue, but I think I'm finally at a point in my life where I don't like someone explaining to me how smart they are with information I literally had no access to until this moment. The biggest factor in this DNF is I'd started to feel like I wasn't allowed to finish other books until I struggled through this one, and I don't like books that make me feel like I can't or shouldn't read other books. I'm definitely bothered by one character's personality quirk of wearing a blindfold at all times, and treating a refusal to leave her home as an affectation that exists to annoy other people. The narrative calls attention to it but refuses to explain. I don't enjoy being told repeatedly that I don't need to know something, or at least don't get to have it revealed at this time. It doesn't feel mysterious or interesting, just irritating and petty.

I was IMMERSED in this murder mystery — it’s so good! Set in a dystopian world with the plot leaning heavily on the mysterious magic of plant life. There are some (fictional) scientific-type explanations throughout, but the writing style lends the information to be easily digestible. The two main characters, Dinios and Ana, had a very charming “Watson & Sherlock” dynamic, yet it still felt natural and original. The characterization was wonderful — unhinged and brilliant in all the best ways — I’m so in love with Din & Ana lol… There are some morbid scenes — I mean, the first chapters describe a tree sprouting from a man. The world building, humor and wit were all done so well. This is my first book by RJBennett, and I’m hooked.

‘In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.’

A first for me by RJB!
A Tainted Cup; so very quirky, as was our investigative duo, Ana & Din. Quite the odd pairing. But so fun to read. Like a big, classic game of Clue.
Looking forward to the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 2.6.2024.

🌟 My favorite from the second half of the year. By far.
🌿A mystery set in a fantasy setting, that kicks off with a mystifying murder, gives the reader an interesting look into Robert Jackson Bennett’s new fantasy series. And boy let me tell you, you’re gonna be hooked from page one.
We are introduced quickly to our cast of characters, Ana, the quirky and baffling detective, Din, her forever frustrated assistant, and our suspects who range from the servants in the house where the death happened to the untouchable owners of the house, who just so happen to be from one of the foremost families in the Empire.
🍵 While there were moments that took longer to understand, the more scientific explanations to be specific, the writing was so enriching that I couldn’t put it down. Bennett created a new world for us to just fall into, it was so enthralling and atmospheric. And that was just the setting and environment.
The characters are another story. I fell in love with how Bennett presented our main characters, Din and Ana. The Sherlock and Watson influence was clearly there, however, they very quickly established their own dynamic. I grew very protective of them and was rooting for them, screaming for them, and cheering for them along the way. I was also impressed with the secondary characters and how Bennett made it so they left an impact on me by only being on the pages for a short period of time.
🔍This new fantasy series leaves nothing to be desired. He ticks all the boxes and then some provided a fantastic and worthwhile book to sink your teeth into. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy and to read what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

So interested in this book but I'm finding this is the kind of book I'm unable to fully absorb with an ereader so I'll have to purchase a physical copy. This is a me problem lol.

A compelling whodunnit with wonderfully realized characters and an engaging storyline in a refreshing new fantasy setting that reminded me a little of Daniel Abraham's "Long Price Quartet." Robert Jackson Bennett is one of my favorite authors at the moment and this is an exceptional addition to his corpus.

I loved this. The characters were so well written and the world building is incredible. I love a good murder mystery and this may be one of the best ones yet.