An excellent sequel! I love the world Robert Jackson Bennett has created for this series. There are touches of horror mixed in with the fantasy and the Watson and Sherlock Holmes vibes continue in the sequel with Din and Ana. I really enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about the Leviathans and Ana's back story. My only complaint is the pacing felt a little off in the middle but otherwise, can't wait for the next book!

The follow-up to Shadow of the Leviathan was just as bizarre as its predecessor. This was a dark and disturbing story that follows Din and Ana to a new mysterious murder they must unravel. The characterization and imagery are amazing. If you like dark fantasy (not romantasy), this one is for you!

I love Robert Jackson Bennett's body of work. There are only two of his books I have not read, but I love every one of those I have. In fact, if I look back, I've rated every one of those books as five-star reads. I feel no shame in saying that streak continues with A DROP OF CORRUPTION, book two in the Shadow of the Leviathan series.

I love Mr. Bennett's work because his stories are intelligent, well-crafted, and always unique. His worlds are fascinating in their foreignness and complexity. He builds those worlds seamlessly within the story, avoiding tedious paragraphs of nothing but exposition. The characters he creates are equally memorable, vibrant, and real, and his characters run the gamut from ordinary people to gods to inanimate objects.

Most importantly, he writes damn good stories. A DROP OF CORRUPTION is essentially a locked room murder mystery, done in his unique style. His version of Holmes, Ana Dolabra, is not just an eccentric this time around. She's almost monstrous at times, and I will say that her meals make for some of the most disturbing scenes in the entire novel. And that includes the extremely mutilated dead bodies Ana and Din are there to investigate.

As for the mystery, it is as intricate as you expect, but he never makes it impossible to understand. For as intelligent and clever as his stories are, Mr. Bennett excels at ensuring readers follow along with Ana's hypotheses and understand the complicated mechanics of the Empire and its various customs. He uses the mystery to answer questions about Ana's and Din's past as well as to flesh out the Empire, its past, and its current political issues.

By the end of A DROP OF CORRUPTION, you know Mr. Bennett is still leading his investigators down a certain path. The path is visible, but what is at the end remains a mystery. While we know more about Din's motivations and Ana's more unusual characteristics, there is still a lot that continues to be hidden from us, and that is half the fun of reading his stories. Mr. Bennett never rushes a story, but each scene builds upon the next much as a layer of bricks builds a wall, and his pacing is as careful and deliberate as a mason's is. The payoff is an overall story well worth the wait, with each book in the series providing enough entertainment and clues to keep you going. Fans of fantasy and Sherlock Holmes novels need to check out the Shadow of the Leviathan series and recognize the brilliance of Mr. Bennett for themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and DelRey for an E-Arc of this book

Drop of Corruption was somehow better than the already excellent Tainted Cup. Despite my already heavily laden TBR, this book has me considering the idea of adding Bennett’s other series to it, because I was enthralled by it from start to finish. I read it in a single sitting, and even though that was part of my readathon, I think I would have done so anyway.

The mystery within the novel is awesome. It’s a bog standard locked room mystery enhanced by virtue of the setting of these books, making it instantly dynamic. Bennett continues to capitalize on the incredibly interesting magic system that he built in the first book, by expanding it massively, both with the introduction of the Shroud, and new forms of mutations. I was able to guess about half the twists, but the other half were done so subtly I completely missed them.

He also paints a much more interesting political landscape than the first one, setting this story in a kingdom on the brink of being made into a vassal of the empire. The vibe that it has is so good, and I’m kind of sad to be leaving it behind in the next book.

If the last book was Ana’s book, this is Din’s book. I thought he was decent in the last book, but he was very much there to be a bit of a foil to Ana, who consistently took centre stage. Here, he is the focal point of the story’s emotional beats. Every single one is centered on him. He feels like a much more fleshed out character, with his background expanded upon, and his relationship with Ana being made much more two way than it was for most of the first book.

The continued decision to have the Leviathans just be part of the background remains one of my favourite elements of the books, with this book explicitly stating that the defense against them is less important than what Ana and Din do. I hope this decision continues throughout the series, since it makes the threat of them feel a lot more real, since naturally things would just have to go on even in spite of the existence of this larger than life threat.

Overall, this book was phenomenal. 5/5 stars no notes. I need the next book ASAP

9 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2025/04/09/a-drop-of-corruption-by-robert-jackson-bennett-review/

With the Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett became the latest author to foray into the fantasy law-keeper/mystery genre. Titanshade, Servant of the Underworld, Moon’s Artiface, Drakenfeld—while the author’s crime debut became just another of the entries into the rather new sub-genre, A Drop of Corruption may be the best yet. It takes us to a new corner of the Empire (technically beyond it), where leviathans do not strike, but are yet well-known. A place with its own quirks and culture, its own natives and kings.

The story starts a little slow (just like the first one did)—getting to know the culture and surroundings, meeting the new cast and reacquainting with the old—but soon enough we are back into the thick of things with the same thoroughly complex mysteries as before. And as before, Dinios Kol is there to guide us on this journey, all well dealing with his personal demons, warming to the investigating task, dealing with the … eccentricities of his Sherlockian master, Ana. Once everything gets rolling, I just lost myself in the story.

Very little ruins the immersion, and that only briefly. The world-building is vivid, and complex. Thorough. It took me much less time to adapt to the world than before, and the learning curve is much less pronounced in the second installment. It helps that, while Yarrowdale houses a different culture, history, setting, and language, the Empire remains the same. And Din, being of the Empire, is as much lost as we are. What I’m basically saying is: if you enjoyed the first—this is just more of the same. If you were on the fence before—honestly, I liked this one more. Easy to recommend this one, even at (what has become a pretty much standard) $14 an ebook.

This was a worthy follow up to the first book. I fell more and more in love with the characters. The mystery this time around was even more convoluted (in a good way). The author is getting more comfortable in his writing and world building and it shows. I like how this book felt like a story that built off the first but also can kind of serve as stand alone mystery.

Okay, this was great. Same quality, if not a little better than the first book in the series. It's another solid murder mystery with the characters we already know and love, and their interesting dynamic + dry humor, but this time the themes are different. This is very much a critique of autocracy, and the author's note makes it very clear if it wasn't already.

This is well written, the worldbuilding continued to be amazing, the characters are solid, and they continued growing on me, and the pacing of the mystery was great. A super entertaining read with a very timely message that hits hard without getting preachy. I really enjoyed this, 4.5 stars rounded up!

Yes I loved this! Kol and Ana are a fantastic pair. Fantasy mystery is such a great genre.
I was thoroughly entertained the entire time. I cruised through the book and got through it very quickly (much faster than I thought it would). There is never a dull moment and the pacing is solid as the mystery unravels and new questions arise. I would finally understand the clues seconds before the reveals so the reveals were both thought provoking and satisfying.
I like the small moments where we get to see Kol’s personality peak through duty and his politeness. I think it’s almost perfectly my sense of humor.
I also like the overall message the story was trying to tell, and the author’s note at the end really ties it all together. Excited for more mysteries and to return to this world.

In the second book of the Shadow of the Leviathan series, we again follow Ana and Din as they try to solve a mysterious murder that threatens to upend the Empire's tentative hold on Yarrowdale, as well as the Empire's source of magic.

I thoroughly enjoyed following Ana and Din on another adventure. The way they work together is nothing short of magical. I love seeing Ana work things out in the way she does, and seeing things the way she does. Some of her methods are very unorthodox and there was definitely a moment or two where I questioned my own sanity for holding Ana in such high regard (oysters, anyone?), but the way her character is written is so engrossing, and let's not leave Din out. He brings his own brand of entertainment. He and Ana work so well together, and I really love that.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, and had a somewhat easier time following it compared to The Tainted Cup. I also enjoyed trying to solve the different pieces of the puzzle myself or trying to suss out any breadcrumbs the author might have left for us. I thought the book flowed well, and it never felt like it had fluff in there just for a higher word count. Every word had its purpose.

I highly recommend this book, but first make sure to read The Tainted Cup.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of A Drop of Corruption. It took me forever to read this ARC and I it took about two chapters for me to kick myself for sitting on it for so long. This is one of the best books I have read, and is one of my favorites of all time. Din is my favorite messy neurodivergent bisexual and I like Ana even more than the inspiration for her character (Sherlock Holmes) - which is really saying something. While I liked the first book in this series, this second book stood out as my favorite by far. I loved the character development in this one, the villain was more insidious, and the Watson-Holmes dynamic between the two was pure literary gold. I think with a lot of the world building done in the first book, Jackson-Bennett could focus on the characters and their relationship more, and answer some more of the mysteries left from the last book which made it much more satisfying for me. Now I want to go back and re-read both so I can pick up more of the details that I might have missed.
The setting in this book is so visceral and I felt like I experienced this book more than read it. It crossed several genres that were perfectly represented all while being perfectly plotted with two delightfully flawed geniuses who meet their match in the perfect evil villain. I cannot overstate how good the writing was on this book. I would not recommend this book to everyone as not everyone deserves it, but this is hands down one of my best recs for thoughtful readers across multiple genres.

I think I liked the second novel much more than the first novel. There was more of a partnership between Ana and Din Kol. I also felt that Din Kol was coming more into himself. There was still some hesitation but it felt like he was more assertive, comfortable in his position.

The ending made me want to know so much more about Ana. I do hope at some point we meet members of Din’s family (please don’t follow the stereotype of them being in trouble or even Ana or Din). I feel that will make Din more relatable, but I also want to know more about Ana. These glimpses make these characters more realistic.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗽 was a book that took me by surprise with how much I enjoyed it, and I have been anxiously awaiting it’s sequel, 𝗔 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. The second installment of these series didn’t disappoint! While the first book has a heavy focus on introduce our detective duo, Ana and Din, and their pursuit of solving a mystery, this second story had more of a focus on the politics and corruption within the world. There a was still a mystery with twists and turns, which I appreciated, but I also was intrigued by the world itself and enjoyed learning more about it!

This is a high fantasy story, set in a very detailed world, but the grooming mysteries and banter between Ana and Din drives the pace and keeps me wanting more! Fans of Sherlock Holmes should definitely give this series a try!

Thank you, NetGalley and Del Rey for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this Arc! I started this long awaited journey in March but unfortunately life began life-ing and I had to put it down for a few months, but I am so glad to have finally been able to finish this adventure. This second installment mastered being different from the first book but yet still connected to it. Sometimes with mystery series it can feel very same-samey and repetitive but that was not the case here. I love exploring the different parts of the empire, meeting new characters and even delving into the nuance of the politics in Yarrowdale. I highly recommend this series!

Obsessed with these books. The chops it must take to write a twisty murder-mystery set wholly in an epic fantasy world with unique weapons, fantastical poisons, super-human abilities, and leviathans, all while continuing to give the reader twist endings continues to blow my mind.

Loved that we got to see more of the greater world in this book, Bennett did a great job of making the world feel lived in and expansive while still maintaining familiarity. There was substantially less plant-magic in this sequel, but this was balanced out with significant detail on the different alterations affecting various characters, which was so interesting to explore.

Din and Ana were crowned my new fave investigative duo in The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption only solidified their title. Safe to say this series is one of the best fantasy-mystery mash-ups out there at moment.

A locked room murder mystery is taken on by Ana and Din. It’s complex and interesting and hard to guess who did it or why. I’ll be waiting for the next installment. (Not a cliffhanger.) Definitely read The Tainted Cup first.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)

This was an intriguing, high-concept mystery set in a gritty fantasy world full of political tension, arcane science, and locked-room murder — so basically, right up my alley in theory. Ana Dolabra is a fascinating character: eccentric, brilliant, and totally unpredictable. The dynamic between her and Dinios Kol gave me slight Holmes-and-Watson energy (with a darker twist), which I enjoyed.

That said, I found myself more intrigued by the setup than fully pulled into the execution. The pacing dragged at times, and while the worldbuilding was impressive, it could also be dense and overwhelming. I also didn’t feel as emotionally connected to the stakes as I wanted to be, especially as things escalated toward the Shroud.

Still, this is a clever, ambitious mystery/fantasy hybrid with a unique voice, and I think readers who love cerebral puzzles, morally gray characters, and magic systems wrapped in bureaucracy will really enjoy it. I’m curious to see what comes next for Ana and Kol.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I'm a big fan of The Tainted Cup so I was so excited to get my hands on A Drop of Corruption! This second book in the Shadow of the Leviathan series did not disappoint! This book, as its predecessor does, blends fantasy and mystery in the best way possible. We follow Din once more as he helps his superior Ana to solve an impossible crime. This story really adds to the worldbuilding giving us more information on a new Canton and how /where magic is obtained from fallen Titans. I really thoroughly enjoyed this one. Readers who liked the first one and want to know more about the world and people that Robert Jackson Bennett introduced us to in The Tainted Cup. I can't wait to see where the next one takes us!

I loved being back in this world and I'm so attached to these characters. Both Ana and Din are so loveable in their own weird ways and the side characters in this story were really fleshed out. The story was compelling and I was keen to resolve the mystery however, I felt this book was a little too long and a lot of content felt like filler which could have been edited out. I will definitely still continue with the series though.

Din and Ana are back (!) and Jackson Bennett killed it again. The world creation? The plot?? The character development? all a chef’s kiss.

Highly recommend if you enjoy fantasy and highly recommend the first book if you haven’t read that one, though it’s not needed to pick this one up.

I continue to love the fantasy/mystery blend, especially with the duo Bennet has created here. Book two did not quite live up to book one - a difficult task for sure - but I still really enjoyed it. Bennett continued to develop the two main characters through this new mystery and hinted at the possible addition of recurring characters to the cast. I genuinely hope that Bennett continues this series for quite a while.