This was an entertaining and very well-paced read. The magic system employed in the story is subtle enough that I feel that non-fantasy readers would be inclined to enjoy it as well. The fantasy elements are also very well integrated, and I appreciated that the plot was not bogged down by a lot of world building. I absolutely adored the dry humor of the characters and laughed out loud multiple times. This was hard to put down one I got about 30% in. I didn’t realize this would be the start of a series, so I’m interested in where Bennett is going to take this next!

First - thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book in exchange for a fair review.

Second - hot diggity this is a fun book. It is very Sherlock Holmesy but it also feels very much like Jeff Vandermeer's Shriek series. Eldritch beasts? check. Murder and conspiracy? Check. Body modification? Check. Compelling characters? Check.

Run to go get this book. RJB doesn't write poor books.

I really wanted to enjoy The Tainted Cup, but I sadly wasn't able to get into this story. The world building was good. The characters were okay. I really couldn't get into the characters. The storyline/premise was interesting but couldn't hold my interest. I'm not sure if it was the time period of the story or the writing style. However, I'm sure others may enjoy this book.

The Tainted Cup is a whirlwind murder mystery set in a unique dystopian world. The story follows an investigative assistant and engraver, Din, to an eclectic investigator, Ana, as they try to solve a perplexing murder (an officer killed by a tree sprouting through his body) in a world unique anything I've read before -- there's a magic system, giant walls, and sea beasts (Leviathans) trying to break through and destroy the Empire every wet season. The Empire is unique in that several folks have been augmented with heightened senses, making them especially useful as public servants. Engravers like Din are able to remember every detail of any moment, recalling memories in vivid detail using scents, which make them great investigative assistants. As Din and Ana dive deeper into the mystery murder, Din acting as Ana's eyes and ears on the scene, they realize they're in the middle of a plot more tangled and corrupt than they could've imagined. They're on a race against the clock to solve the case before the walls around them literally come crashing down.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. The plot was interesting to follow and I became more and more engaged as the layers of corruption continued to be uncovered as Ana and Din got closer to the root of the mysterious murders. Though I enjoyed the book, I did have a hard time getting bought into the world at the beginning. I would've loved a bit more context, but stuck it out to see how the story unfolded. Complex fantasy minus the romance bridges on a new genre for me personally, but didn't find that as too much of a barrier and think this is a good "starter" and I'd be interested to see where this story continues to go.

Thank you to Robert Jackson Bennett and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this read! I thought the fantastical elements were unique, and the plot was twisty enough to keep me engaged throughout the entire book. I liked that the protagonist Din, appeared to be both dyslexic and dysgraphic. I haven't often come across MCs with these. But I felt the real standout in the story was Ana!! Aside from being an amazing investigator, she's quirky, brilliant, and she's not afraid to tell it like it is. Ana never held back when she had something to say, and I loved her for it. The end of this one definitely left it open for a sequel, and if one is released, I look forward to reading it.

First, apologies to the author: I like fantasy and I'd not heard of him before. Second: thanks to NetGalley for introducing him to me.

This was a little hard for me to get into. It felt as if I was thrown into a pre-existing canon and I was expected to know what was going on. Yes, many fantasies are crafted in unfamiliar settings, but the neologisms took a bit to get used. That's on me. Still, once I did, I found this quite engaging. I liked the murder mystery plot, the characters (once I got to know them), and yes, the setting. I look forward to the next in the series.

I am retired military and a couple of exchanges resonated:
“Yes. It’s all politics. Ancient rules and rites. To be eligible for a seat in the Senate of the Sanctum, you’ve got to serve at least two terms on watch at the sea walls. Can’t manage the Empire if you’ve never faced what it exists to fight.”

“Sounds unfair, maybe, but I’m not so sure.” He snorted and spat. “Might be the only way the gentry learns what fear is, to live in the shadow of the sea walls.”

And, I liked this:
"Civilization is often a task that is only barely managed."

Recommended for those who are looking for a good story, well told, and a new universe.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
I don't consider Science Fiction one of my go-to genres, but the reviews on this were pretty convincing that his writing is appealing to lots of people so thought I'd give it a try. I'm very glad I did because it was super entertaining and kept me wanting to read more. I am now eager for more in this series to come out.

What a fun read! There is so much to love in this book, from the quirky detectives to the looming threat of the leviathans and the curious modifications of the characters, there is never a dull moment and I loved every minute.

The Tainted Cup begins with the mysterious death of an Imperial officer. Upon arriving at the scene, Din (assistant investigator) discovers the death was caused by a curious contagion that caused a large plant to spontaneously sprout from the officers chest. After consulting with lead investigator Ana they conclude he was murdered - purposely infected with intent to kill. The question is why. Then, several other people in the vicinity die in the same manner, crushing a portion of the protective wall which allows a giant leviathan to enter threatening the security of the entire empire.

As Din and Ana dig deeper to find the killer they discover everything is not as it seems within the empire, and those at the top might be willing to employ nefarious methods to stay on the top.

I fell in love with Din and Ana and all their quirks and I adore their working partnership. I am looking forward to reading more of their adventures!

7Connie Y.
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The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan, #1)
by Robert Jackson Bennett (Goodreads Author)
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The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett moves very slowly the first third of the book, but I am glad I didn't give up on it. The biggest problem is the fantasy aspect of the book. The author does not do a very good job explaining the "new world". Even at the end of the book, I had not picked up on much of the vocabulary or the details of how the fantasy world worked. However, the mystery part of the story was good enough to finally grab my attention and focus on so the fantasy aspect became just a minor annoyance. Also, I wish the author had done a better job of character development so I could care more about the major players in the book. I really liked the eccentric Sherlock Holmes and Watson-like characters, Ana and Din, but ultimately didn't understand them much more than the fantasy world in which they lived. The Tainted Cup was on the cusp of being a great book, by virtue of the mystery itself, but in the end, it didn't quite make it in my opinion.

This magical detective story is so awesome. I could not stop reading it. I'm still thinking about this book a couple of days later.
I just reviewed The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. #TheTaintedCup #NetGalley
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Signum Dinios Kol is an engraver and apprentice assistant to Immunis Anagosa Dolabra, Iudex Investigator of the Daretanan Canton. This one sentence tells you, into science-fiction land we go. Although, I rarely read science fiction, I was intrigued after reading the synopsis of this book. A murder of the most bizarre kind, schemes and plots to hide the true meaning of the murder and what does the imminent breach of the sea wall have to do with murder? The story has lots of details, interesting plot pivots and turns, as a reader you are not sure who to trust. Din and Ana make a good team and I enjoyed their dialogue. The murder mystery is very detailed and has lots of layers, so no skimming here. Overall, I enjoyed this book, I thought the author did a fine job of describing the setting, the murder mystery was not easy to solve and the secondary characters added to the story. Enjoy!

Imperial fantasy meets Nero Wolfe: A young man with a secret that could destroy him is assigned as the assistant to a disgraced investigator; she stays in her rooms, dealing with her enhanced perceptions, and he goes out and asks the questions. He’s been modified to be able to remember everything he sees, hears, etc., one of the many modifications available to aid the Empire or its powerful gentry. When an Engineer—one of those responsible for keeping out the great leviathans that constantly threaten total destruction—is murdered on a local estate, they’re swept up in much larger conspiracies, with a threat to the very walls that protect against leviathans. It’s well-done, and I appreciated Bennett’s author’s note, which explained that writing a murder mystery is above all about logistics: is everybody in the right place for the setup to work and the clues to come out at the right times? “You essentially become the Jeff Bezos of killing dudes you just made up.” A worthy followup to his previous trilogy; I look forward to more.

The Tainted Cup
Robert Jackson Bennett

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!

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this exciting and fantastic book! It is amazing!

This was such an entertaining read!

Going in, I was expecting this book to be in the same vein as Bennett's earlier work City of Stairs, opening with a murder mystery that eventually leads to a fantasy epic. Turned out very quickly that this was not the case. The Tainted Cup is rather the opposite, a proper murder mystery that borrows a fantasy setting, which means we're in for a completely different set of surprises -- a page-turner with lots of puzzles, traps, big twists, and dramatic reveals.

Thanks to the fast-paced plot, this book was a surprisingly quick read for me despite its length. The writing is pretty "light" as far as fantasies go, without too much worldbuilding to slow things down, and once the suspense started to pick up around the 50% mark, it was hard to put the book down. Some of the mystery puzzles were quite clever as well, and my favorite was the search for the paper miller around the middle of the book, which gave me a big "ah-ha" moment.

I did see some of the final reveals coming relatively early though, and I wished more clues could be better hidden and more mind-blowing (or maybe I'm just spoiled by all the detective tv shows that shaped my taste differently). But overall the puzzles and twists were fun, as were the character interactions. I even laughed out loud a couple of times from all the dry humor.

I'm curious to see where Bennett plans to take this series next. In this first installment, the fantasy side of the story mostly functions as a backdrop of the plot (magical animals and plants, people with augmented abilities, etc.), and we only get to glimpse a leviathan from afar for about one page. But as Din and Ana's adventure continues and future investigations ensue, I'm sure there will be more to learn about their world, as well as their own backstories.

Thank you RandomHouse and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I love murder-mysteries, I love fantasy, so obviously I’m going to love a fantasy murder-mystery. This was a fun and witty read, reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s Pirot, but taking place in a completely unique world. Din and Ana, an unlikely duo of government investigators, chase the tracks of an unknown killer across the empire, all while dealing with invading leviathans, deadly contagions, and other augmented humans. The world building is unique, but it does come together to make a fascinating backdrop and interesting factor in the solving of the mystery. I loved the dynamic between the two and the relationship we see develop as danger develops and stakes begin to rise. Not to mention the banter between the two. There is a very small romance subplot (not between Din and Ana) that had me kicking my feet and giggling. I will admit that I previously tried one of Bennett’s books; Foundryside, and while interesting I couldn’t really get into it due to the pacing and ultimately left it unfinished (although after this I may give it another try) . This book does not have an issue with pacing, with each moment building to the next. I really hope we see more of these characters and this world because this was a good read, and I think there’s a lot of potential here.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This was a great fantasy book. It was a fun and exciting read.

Loved this fantasy world that was really well developed. I’m really hoping for a second adventure with Din and Ana.

This book is such a fabulous ride. This steampunk-y "Sherlock Holmes set in 'feudal Japan meets Roman legions'" has great character development and world building throughout. I am new to the Fantasy genre and sometimes get lost in all the world building, but the unexpected twists and the well-written crime/mystery kept me turning the pages. And I loved seeing Holmes, Watson, and even Moriarty characterizations in this new world. The entire time I was reading, I knew that I needed to share with my husband, who is the Fantasy and Science Fiction reader in the household. He read this in 2 days and loved it and can't wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks to #PenguinRandomHouse #Ballantine #DelRey #TheTaintedCup for gifting me this ARC and getting it on my radar.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. This book is outside my typical genre but it made me want to seek out more of its kind. It has fantasy laced with old school mystery vibes.

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am so glad that I gave this book a chance despite not having read anything by this author before! The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is what would happen if Sherlock and Watson took place in a world with magic. The story revolves around Din, who has recently taken up a new job as the assistant to an eccentric detective named Ana. When someone is murdered by a tree sprouting spontaneously from his body, it's up to Ana, with Din's help, to find the murderer. As the stakes get higher, and the investigation gets deadlier, it becomes clear that this isn't just a run-of-the-mill murder. Will Din and Ana be able to solve the case?

Here is a humorous excerpt from Chapter 1:

"I cleared my throat in what I hoped was an authoritative manner, and said, "Signum Dinios Kol, assistant to the investigator. I'm here about the body."
The princeps blinked, then looked me up and down. Being as I was nearly a head taller than him, it took him a moment. "I see, sir," he said. He gave me a short bow - a quarter of a full bow, maybe a third - but then did not move.
"You do have a body, yes?" I asked.

Overall, The Tainted Cup is amazing and innovative blend of mystery and fantasy that will appeal to fans of Magic for Liars or Howl's Moving Castle. One highlight of this book is how it effectively combined the genres of murder mystery with fantasy. Another highlight of this book is how funny it is. There were lots of moments of humor, especially the interactions between Din and Ana.

One final highlight is just how much fun this is to read! I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book. One thing I need to mention is that the book is told from Din's perspective, not Ana's, which wasn't really clear from the synopsis. Anyway, I will definitely be tracking down the author's previous books and will read anything that he writes in the future. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of fantasy or detective stories in general, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in February!