I didn’t think anything could top The Tainted Cup, but A Drop of Corruption blew me away.
.
This series is what happens when you take Sherlock & Watson, drop them into a wildly original fantasy world, and let the murder mysteries spiral into political conspiracies, magical secrets, and razor-sharp banter.
.
Ana Dolabra and Dinios Kol are back, and their dynamic somehow gets even better. Their relationship isn’t all warm fuzzies- it’s messy, honest, hilarious, and deeply human.
.
Ana is a force of nature (as usual), and Din’s journey in this one had my heart. If book one was a love letter to world-building, book two perfects the art of pacing and mystery.
.
Yes, the mystery has layers. Yes, the world-building is lush, botanical, and occasionally mind-bending. Yes, there’s a new cast of quirky side characters I already adore. But what really makes this book special? The way it peels back the darker layers of power, trust, and partnership while still being fun. And funny. And brilliant.
.
Fantasy mystery lovers- you NEED this series. I didn’t know I could love a magical procedural this much, and now I never want it to end. Give me 15 of these, please.

it is part of a series I believe this is the second book. Although I have no read the 1st im going to dive into that. I loved the flow of this book and the character development. The side characters are really interesting there's a lot of mystery but also made me laugh it was very multi layered. Kept me guessing on what was going on but also enjoyed guessing the outcome only to be totally wrong.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Net Galley for this ARC!

I’m not always big on murder mystery stories because my brain can’t handle the missing pieces patiently. However, Robert Jackson Bennett definitely knows how to write such an addictive story that’ll get you hooked up until the end. The world building is so refreshing, even from the first book, The Tainted Cup. Fantasy readers don’t always get well-built and well-structured fantasy elements these days. The pacing of the story is perfectly executed, the author did well in delivering the story, not rushing or draggy. It’s nice to see that fantasy authors are actually crafting yet not too greedy at giving the readers crumbs on every page. Getting back into the dynamics between the characters, Ana Dolabra and Dinios Kol are the most fun parts of the sequel. The characters are just so complex and layered. Halfway through the book, I thought it was going to be like any other sequels in the fantasy series, which are bound to either turn into a big mess or a great experience altogether, but Robert Jackson Bennett didn’t disappoint at all. A Drop of Corruption is such a fun combination of cozy thriller and fantasy story. Can’t wait to get into the third book! Thanks Netgalley and Random House / Del Rey for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey/Inklore for giving me an opportunity to read this fantastic eARC!

There is so much that could be said about A Drop of Corruption. Much like the first book, it delivers a wonderfully complex plot filled with political intrigue and scheming, eccentric characters, and masterful world-building. The intricacies and mystery of this book were woven so deep. It was truly a thrilling ride to get to the end of this whodunnit.

Ana Dolabra and Dinios Kol continue to be, what I consider, one of the most captivating and fun duos to be written. I have loved reading their interactions and watching their relationship develop throughout this story.

Oftentimes when I am reading books that are part of an unfinished series, I'm left with a sense of unfulfillment and longing for a sense of closure (which, I'm sure is quite normal and intended for the most part). The ending of A Drop of Corruption left me so sated and hyped. I cannot wait to continue this series!

Also, don't skip the author's note. Yes, Robert Jackson Bennett, may we come to live in such a worthier world, and soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and random house publishing group for an advance reader copy and exchange for an honest review!!

In the second installment of the Shadow of the Leviathan series, we are brought back into Yarrowdale with our favorite characters Ana and Din. A treasury officer has gone missing and it’s up to them to find out who has caused this disappearance. In their hunt to find answers, it’s not just a disappearance they’re solving, but a murder. As they continue to unravel more of this mystery, it comes to light that Ana may have met her match. Will this mystery be solved or will the fall of the empire be upon us?

Now that I’ve been in this world a little bit longer, and I understand the magic system a little bit more the story is quite enjoyable. I love Bennett’s wit and his character growth throughout the entire book. As more of this world is being opened up to us. We are introduced to more magic, more supernatural powers and more world. This world is extremely interesting to me and I’m trying to understand where Bennett intends to go with the world that he has created because the most interesting part of the story are the leviathans. The fact that they continue to be introduced in the story and a lot of the world revolves around them, but we don’t know anything about them is actually driving me crazy. I hope in the next installment we get more of an understanding of where these leviathan came from or a little bit of a better understanding of the history of this world so we understand more of what the end goal of the overarching plot is.

Overall, I ended up giving this a 4/5 stars and I can’t wait to see what Bennett has in store for us next.

A good follow up to the first adventure with these characters. The author is great at creating atmosphere and a sense of place, as well as characters that have depth and personality. It's a good mystery that takes plenty of twists and turns.

What a sequel!

Just like its predecessor, A Drop of Corruption swept me away with its detailed, unique worldbuilding. We dive more into the foundation of the Leviathans' blood and the resulting Apoth workings. There's also a political question raised, as the land that holds the Apoth manufactories is actually a sovereign country outside the Empire - Yarrow - that is set to be folded into the Empire shortly. Add in this book's central mystery - a locked room murder - the book is a whirlwind of politics, science, and secrets.

And what a whirlwind it was! The mystery is tight and winding, letting few hints through so a casual reader can just be along for the enjoyable ride while a seasoned mystery reader will get the satisfaction of guessing some twists. For me, every turn and reveal was a surprise! The complex mechanisms of the Empire added such a lush background to the mystery so that A Drop of Corruption is not just a mystery set in a fantasy world, but a true fantasy mystery.

For the characters, we see a more, well, pathetic side of Din in this installment. He is longing for a partner he has had previously, while being crushed by his father's debts, and all the while becoming disillusioned with his Iudex work. His emotional turmoil and restless actions created a tone in this story filled with pining - for everything Din wishes he had. However, maybe because of his detachment, he is much more humourous in this installment.

Ana, the mystery that she is, becomes clearer. The way certain reveals about her were presented were not my favorite, but we had been teased for so long about her unique traits that it was nice to get answers (answers that raise more questions, but still...).

I happened to have found a Reddit post shortly after reading where the author states that he knows why the Leviathans are coming out of the sea and what they are doing, etc. It's great to know that his world is fleshed out, but it also makes me crave some explanations. Please, Mr. Bennett - keep sharing this world with us, and please also share some of these fantasy elements with us in later books as well. :)

I would read 100 of these Ana and Din mysteries. I love the fantasy world background, Din's personal circumstances that cause him growth & reflection, and the twists and turns of solving the murders! I can't get enough!

This was an amazing sequel! The mystery in this one was so fun and I am in love with this world and characters!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and authors for the eARC.

Ana and Din are back, and Bennett makes their banter and investigative rhythm as sharp as ever. The locked-room setup in Yarrowdale opens into something much bigger—politics, conspiracies, and plenty of grim little surprises. I loved the way Ana’s eccentric brilliance plays off Din’s dry humor, though the pacing felt a touch slower than the first book. Still, the mix of mystery, wit, and world-building makes this a worthy and satisfying sequel.

Excellent sequel to "Tainted Cup." I love the quirky, yet whip-smart Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios is endlessly trusting and patient. Such a great detective relationship all in a crazy world where there is an Empire constantly battling unchecked magic, of sorts, and keeping an eye on the oceans for signs of Leviathon breaches. Robert Jackson Bennett is an expert at strange world-building, creating magic and making it all unsettling at the same time. Can't wait for the series to continue.

First, I love the cover for this.

The banter between Din and Ana is great, the high fantasy setting gives an element of an urban fantasy mystery too.
The mystery in both books has given a well crafted storyline and was satisfying to read.

Wow. Book 2 did not disappoint, with an unprecedented level of twists, turns, and dead ends. A Drop of Corruption upped the ante tenfold.

Right out the gate, we start with a gruesome mystery for Din and Ana to solve. And let me tell you, the level of detail and consideration to every piece is astounding.

The world is painted vividly, with immense detail and thought, from the landscape to the magic system to the social infrastructure. It's wildly fascinating and beautifully constructed.

If you're a lover of mysteries, puzzles, and fantastical magical universes, this is the read for you.

Big thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for the ARC via NetGalley! 💌

Still as incredible as the first one. I love this world, I love the characters, and the mystery is great. Please give me more of this world!

I loved getting to return to this world and see Din and Ana again! This mystery felt even twistier than the previous book, which was really fun. It kept me guessing all the way to the end.

The world is so layered and unique. It was fascinating to explore more of it and learn more about the science of their plants and leviathans.

I would say this book is at times more gruesome or disturbing than the previous one, just as a heads up. It's like a fantasy/sci-fi mystery with some horror elements.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the ARC.

Sherlock Holmes meets Attack on Titan with a splash of Annihilation ?!
I do still stand by this comparison that I made for book 1…

We follow Din, new assistant to a brilliant detective Ana, as they are tasked to investigate the disappearance of a high imperial official a day after their arrival, in a locked room in a building stories high…

This book is much more of a whirlwind in the mystery, with twists and turns. It does start off as a slow investigation, but quickly takes a turn that makes everything change and the stakes ever higher!

I loved learning more about Ana in this one, and I was mind blown with the ending of this book! I cannot wait for the sequel next year, and see the repercussions of this book on the world!

Book 2 of the Ana and Din series does not disappoint! We're thrown into a locked door mystery where a man is missing and there's no evidence of escape or foul play. So Ana and Din are called in to investigate and uncover much more than they expected.

The characters continue to grow and evolve, the world building continues to be top notch, and the mystery was quite complex. I also enjoyed the banter between Ana and Din. The writing style is quite descriptive so that you get the full picture in your mind without being bogged down. I'd definitely recommend to fans of fantasy and mystery, or both.

My appreciation to Del Rey, the author, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard. 

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol. 

I came away from The Tainted Cup impressed by the world-building and I found the mystery aspects enjoyable. And for the most part, that carries on in A Drop of Corruption. I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes in the Shroud as well as the crime scene in the jungle. Robert Jackson Bennett was able to entrench those scenes with strong visuals, which made for a fascinating read. Also, Ana continued to be humorous in the same way as Cumberbatch's Sherlock. Quirky genius with questionable vices. Love!

Unfortunately, some of the issues I found with the first book came along for the ride in the sequel. Again, Bennett used the word 'queer' in place of other, perfectly acceptable adjectives (i.e. strange, odd, unusual, weird). It goes without saying that words matter. And with the choice to have the MMC a bisexual character, there comes a responsibility to be aware of how to appropriately respresent this community. Furthermore, in The Tainted Cup we got fade-to-black type scenes with Din's male lover, which is fine except for the fact that we get far more graphic sex scenes when Din is with female partners in the sequel. It's giving unconscious homophobia.

Another problematic aspect cropped up with the choices the author made for the 'fictional' language Pithian. Some readers would be able to discern that Bennett very clearly used Urdu and Punjabi as a base for the Yarrow language. Bennett confirmed this in a reddit 'Ask Me Anything' thread. It's not unusual for authors to take existing dialects and adopt them for their fantasy worlds. When doing so, however, one needs to be concious of the way they represent these very real cultures. Residents of Yarrowdale are essentially described as dirty and savage. I feel that it wasn't the best choice to associate South Asian languages with peoples represented in this way as it enforces Western prejudices.

And that leads to my final qualm. Bennett spent a lot of time in the Author's Note talking about how 'kings are bad' and 'autocracy is stupid' but there was an entire point missed in this: Colonisation. It's all well and good to outright criticise where political structures are deficient in our society. But I would have been more convinced at this commentary had RJB said it was about colonisers. Malo's character arc reads so clearly as Din's moment to be a 'white savior', for example. Pairing that with the fact that problematic use of cultures we see in our world, it's not a good time.

As much as I love the world-building in the Shadow of the Leviathan series, I truly doubt I will read any more additions released in the future. I love the combination of sci-fi/fantasy and mystery! And I think Bennett has a good combination of the two genres in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. But there's too much subtext of misogny, homophobia, and racism that permeates the novels. It makes for a disappointing read.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Review TL;DR:
Rating: 2 / 5 stars
Strongest element: World-building.
Content warnings: Murder, body horror, vomit, sexual content, slavery, blood, injury, death, racism, misogny, animal death, mass murder.
Genre: Science fiction/Fantasy, Mystery

This was a highly anticipated sequel in the Shadow of the Leviathan series for me. I really enjoyed the first book and this follow up was no different. In this second book, we once again find our detective, Ana, and her assistant, Din being called upon to help solve the disappearance of a government official. What begins as a simple missing person case soon explodes into a full blown murder mystery and a plot to take down the magical energy source that fuels the Empire.

The relationship and banter between Ana and Din is top tier entertainment yet again. Ana is equal parts quirky and prickly with a sense of humor to boot. Thankfully this story provides us more of Din’s story including a look into his life prior to meeting Ana. I also really enjoyed getting to dive deeper into the heart of the magic system in this world which is harvested from Titans at a highly secured power plant like compound. This magic system is really unique and the world building is detailed and robust.

I cannot wait to continue this series! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for my copy; all opinions are my own. A Drop of Corruption is out now!

For some reason this series works better for me in print, but I was so glad to get the chance to read this early! I think the fantasy/mystery mash up is on point and I look forward to reading more.

Book 2 of the Shadow of the Leviathan. A long adventure into the fantasy land of Yarrowdale. Can be read as a standalone. The dreaded creatures that come out of the sea in the wet season are Levisthans. Huge monsters that the Empire has finally learned how to kill and retrieve blood and altering substances from.
Another crime sets Din to remembering and studying the crime scene to give info to Ana to solve the crime. The most horrifying altered deaths are happening. The people of this Empire has altered themselves to fit their positions in life, some changes will cause further side effects on their futures.