Once again, another excellent book from Robert Jackson Bennett. Probably his most direct sequel across the three series I've read, even if it picks up some time after the first. Wonderful continuing character development for Din (bisexual disaster, debt ridden king) and reveals as to just what the hell is going on with Ana. Bennett is truly a wonder at working his themes into the story in clear, yet not ham-handed ways. Highly recommend.

I am so impressed with this series! The first book was good but this one was even better. Dinios Kol and Ana are such an incongruous duo but they just work. And I loved Malo and hope she appears in future books (along with Kol’s love interest; I just want him to be happy).

This was a long book. There’s not other way to say it. At times, it felt a little too long and detailed but I know it was probably all necessary to unravel the plot in the perfect way the author wanted. I don’t know if there are any readers who manage to guess his twists and turns but it’s certainly not me!

I think that anyone wondering whether the fantasy genre is for them would do well starting with this series. The world building is interesting but not too complex and the author doesn’t introduce so many characters that you’re constantly confused. I could follow the plot and keep track of the characters but the story still held my attention from start to finish.

This is a great read, well paced, full of twists and turns. Clues cleverly hidden amongst the text, clues this reader missed totally. The world is exceptionally well crafted and is easy to live in.
The story arc has echoes of noir detective tales of the fifties with a touch of Sherlock Holmes thrown in for good measure.
A grown up read, much better craftsmanship than most other arcane detectives. As like with foundryside the author weaves a unique world that is unlike any other i ever read.

Mr. Bennet, you did it again. Oh, how masterful this book is! Din and Ana find themselves, yet again, solving a murder mystery. Their enemy now: logic and prediction. The probability that they can solve it decreases the more information they gather.
It was an amazing journey. Bennet has a way of describing the world as a separate character. This is special because it is so unique. I highly recommend this series, as it is one of my favourites.

The first was one of my favorites, if not my favorite book of last year, so I was very excited for the sequel. I can happily report that it did not disappoint. Ana and Din are investigating a new mystery with the disappearance and murder of a Treasury officer, but it quickly becomes a much bigger plot than just one murder. The plot was more straightforward, and I was able to guess more of it than the first book. I’m enjoying new character, though I miss some of the old ones. However, now, I want both secondary supporting characters in the next book. The sense of place is strong but there is never an info drop and pacing is strong throughout. Overall, the story and characters were so good that I still gave it five stars. I am just sad that it will be another year or more until I get a third one. About the only person I would not suggest this to if you are incredibly squeamish on body modifications. Also, you really should read the first one for the characters, though the mystery stands alone.

A drop of Corruption both makes for a wonder sequel and stands well as its own mystery. This installment was not quite as twisty as its predecessor but it still had everything I needed to leave me craving a book three.
-slowing building tension in a perfectly paced plot
-believable dialogue
-excellent use of reference for readers who enjoyed book one.
I highly recommend readers who love the tainted cup add this gem to their TBR imminently.

Thank you Del Rey Books and Random House Publishing for an early digital copy of A DROP OF CORRUPTION by Robert Jackson Bennett in exchange for my honest review!

A DROP OF CORRUPTION is what sequel dreams are made of. In this follow up to The Tainted Cup, Bennett manages to raise the stakes, expand the world, intimidate us with a formidable antagonist, and deepen our attachment to Ana and Din. I thought the pacing of this mystery was very well done where I was turning page after page after page. I also enjoyed feeling like I had a better grasp and understanding of this world and Din's role as an engraver, too. I cannot wait to see where things progress to next in this series!

Rating: 4.5/5

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

A Drop of Corruption is the second Shadow of the Leviathan installment, which follows Ana and Din as the investigate the disappearance and murder of a Treasury officer.

Shadow of the Leviathan is quickly becoming a favorite mystery series for me (and for several of my friends who have picked it up!). While A Drop of Corruption is much more of a straightforward mystery than the series' first book, it still had me on the edge of my seat, and I loved the way the mystery ultimately played out. Personally, I like a mystery that I can only halfway solve, and this was one such mystery -- I clocked the culprit pretty quickly, but there were still plenty of unpredictable twists surrounding the circumstances of the crime that kept me engaged for the whole book.

I also quite enjoyed getting to see more of the world that we were introduced to in book 1, and while the characters didn't see quite as much development, what we did learn about them has me asking so many questions, I'm already itching for book 3. An extra pleasant surprise was an addition to the cast who quickly became a major reason I kept reading, and I hope to see her more in future installments.

Overall, this was a great time! It was an excellent successor to The Tainted Cup, and left me ready to pick up as many books in this series as Robert Jackson Bennett desires to write.

A Drop of Corruption was easily one of my most anticipated reads this year. And it completely surpassed my expectations. Another horrible and inexplicable crime has occurred in the Empire, meaning that Din and Ana are summoned once again to solve it. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and the exploration of another part of the Shadow of the Leviathan world. I loved the addition of Malo and really hope that she makes an appearance in later stories. I eagerly await the next book in the series and will happily be recommending both The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption to anyone looking for a fantastical mystery intertwined with a dash of eldritch horror. Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the advanced copy!

I just have so much fun with this series. I really liked the first one. But this one just kicked up a notch.

This story starts with Din and Ana going to another place in the Empire to investigate the disappearance of a high-ranking officer. By investigating this case, the book openned up more of the world. The lore behind Yarrowdale was just so interesting - the magic/coding system in that area of the world was just so cool - I really enjoyed the addition of a particular character - shel melded so well within the dynamic between Ana and Din and I really liked her alterations and what they brought to the table. By bringing Yarrowdale into the mix, the author was able to showcase a different point of view when it comes to the Empire and valid criticisms regarding the typw of government that is so prevalent in the fantasy genre.

The author is able to deepen his world building so much while telling the story - his world building is seamless. And it`s just such a cool world and magic system - he keeps using a semblance of coding in his magic systems that I really enjoy. In this world, the coding is king of genetic manipulation to give or deepen attributes of the individual.

The big villain of the mystery is just so well crafted. He is a blend of the magic system in an extreme version and Ana`s intelligence. It was so fun seeing Ana trying to catch someone that was truly her rival. The twists and turns of the book are well built because they are not obvious but there are bread crumbs that lead to them.

The ending made me really interested on the next sequel. It`s going to bring a lot of repercussions for the rest of the story.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Another brilliant book in the Ana and Din Mystery series from Robert Jackson Bennett. If you liked the first one, you will love this one too - there is more character exposition, and another great mystery unravelled by the brilliant Ana, with meaningful help from Din. This book spent less time building up the world than the first one, as you might expect, but still added more details to make for a richer reading experience.

I felt like I had figured out the mystery a bit early, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the work (because I wanted to see how it would all be revealed and way.)

Din was a bit more romanticially inclined this round, with some potentially silly outcomes, that I thought were quite well executed.

Robert Jackson Bennett is going to continue to be a regular must buy authour - if you like his other books, this one will likely appeal. Similar writing style, each with a completely different universe to explore.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett is a first person-POV fantasy mystery continuation of The Tainted Cup. Din and Ana are back to find out what happened to a Treasury officer who disappeared from thin air. But nothing is going to come easy as they delve into international politics, interact with some of the most intelligent minds in the Empire, and this disappearance becomes a murder.

Much like the first book, what really appeals to me is the worldbuilding. The leviathans and the giant wall aren’t given as much space this time but they are mentioned and the Empire’s efforts to maintain them are explored. Poison comes up as does a new character, Malo, who is attracted to things that are decomposing, furthering the biopunk elements from the last book. As a continuation, the worldbuilding does feel fairly consistent and given Robert Jackson Bennett’s career, I expect it to remain consistent no matter how many books end up being in the series.

Din is a bit more romantically inclined this go around. He has several romantic liaisons throughout the book, though nothing really sticks as he doesn’t appear to be interested in really having a long-term relationship at this point in time. There’s nothing explicit on the page and it’s all fairly short, which will appeal to a reader who isn't interested in a ton of romance in their fantasy. While I’d like for Din to further develop a relationship with someone over time, I also understand that the main focus is his dynamic with Ana and it should remain the focus.

Ana is a more extreme version of Sherlock Holmes based on what I have seen from several films and not the classic stories. She is more interested in solving a mystery than in seeking justice, but she also fully recognizes the importance of justice within the system and how necessary it is to maintain it. She pushes any boundary she can to find the answers she wants and I imagine she’s made more than a few enemies over the course of her life. What makes her interesting as a character is not only her eccentricities but how deeply aware she seems to be of everything and yet she’s waiting for other people to figure it out, like she doesn’t want to just have the answers but to have someone to share them with.

I would recommend this to fans of The Tainted Cup and readers looking for a fantasy mystery with a Sherlock-Watson dynamic

Thanks to Del Rey for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What an utter disappointment! The mystery plot was convoluted & boring, repetitive writing style, very little character development between Din and Ana, and hollow & dull thematic work on autocracies (which RJB decided to talk a lot about in the Author's Note). Also, I hated that no one stopped him from writing "queerly" as a synonym for "strange, unnatural" EIGHT TIMES!

I truly struggled on how to write a review for something I was anticipating for months only to be very disappointed and angry at. I will not continue this series and no longer will read anything by RJB in the future.

A wonderful addition to a captivating and original series. The characters and the world were both fleshed out in ways that weren't wholly expected. The new lore was a plausible addition to the overall weave of the story universe. Bennett expanded on the themes of the perils of altering natures (both plant and animal) and the prices paid for the empire to achieve their aims. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment!

**4.5-stars rounded up**

A Drop of Corruption is the highly-anticipated follow-up to The Tainted Cup, which published in early-2024. I have been excited about this release since I turned the final page of that book. This may seem dramatic, but its really not. I fell in love with the perfect blend of Mystery and SFF-elements that RJB delivered and wanted more. Each book has its own mystery, and this one was just as, if not more, compelling than the first.

In Yarrowdale, an area at the edge of the Empire, an impossible crime has taken place. A Treasury Officer has disappeared from his locked room, that was in a building with guards at all of the entrances and exits. In order to get to the bottom of it, and hopefully locate the missing officer, the Empire calls upon its most brilliant investigator, Ana Dolabra, who brings along her charming assistant, Dinios Kol.

It doesn't take long for Ana to work out that it's not just a disappearance they're investigating, but a murder. How did it happen though? The doors and windows were locked from the inside. It's a real puzzle. A true locked room mystery.

As they dig further in, it becomes clear that the killer is actually targeting a high-security area known as the Shroud. It's there that the Empire's finest minds are trying to find a way to harness the magic found in the blood of fallen Titans. If the Shroud were to fall, or be destroyed, it could mean the end of the Empire. What sort of madman would wish that sort of devastation on their world, and why?

I'm completely in love with this series. When I first picked this up, I was so happy to be reunited with Din and Ana, I was practically giddy. It felt like seeing old friends after a long-time apart. I loved how RJB really leaned into the world in this one, and built it out further than before. I feel like I walk away with a deeper understanding of the Empire, and the way it functions, which is something I was hoping for going in.

RJB excels at meshing a completely intriguing mystery with a lush Fantasy environment. Even the way the detectives go about solving the various crimes are so out of our world; it's fascinating to read. For example, the details Ana is able to glean just by eating assorted foods.

We also got a new character, Malo, who assisted Ana and Din during their time in Yarrowdale and beyond. I absolutely adored her, and hope she'll be sticking with the series for a long time to come. Could our dynamic duo be turning into a tantalizing trio? I hope so!!

Another aspect I was impressed by was the pace. This story never takes a break. It is pedal to the floor the whole way through. There is something happening at every moment, with so many details being uncovered. I would love to read this again before the next book is released. I feel like maybe I would pick up even more the second time through. This time I was flying, because I needed answers, but I feel like if I read it again, I could make it a more leisurely read, focusing on the finer details.

I can't recommend this series enough. If the thought of a high-concept-SFF Mystery tickles your fancy, and for some reason you haven't started this series yet, you need to drop everything, run to your local library, or bookshop, and get yourself some copies. It's that good. Don't wait.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm so excited to see what mystery we get to solve next. Ana and Din are the absolute best detective duo in SFF!!

4 out of 5

A Drop Of Corruption was slightly boring compared to The Tainted Cup but was still an enjoyable Sherlock Holmes retellings.

Robert Jackson Bennett returns to an Earth beset by leviathans, Humans have learned to modify the blood of these huge creatures to create chemicals that give people extra talents like perfect memory, or better senses. In the kingdom of Yarrowdale, the Empire has created a huge living shroud that every year they capture a leviathan and bring its blood to be processed. Within ten years the Kingdom is going to be absorbed by the Empire according to treaty. The strange Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol come to this squalid country because a treasury agent was kidnapped and murdered out of a locked room at the top of an aging hotel. A Drop of Corruption (hard from Del Rey) is at the heart of the puzzle and the corruption reaches from the chemists working on the Shroud to the rulers of Yarrowdale. A great act of terror is planned and only Ana and Din can stop it. This is the best book so far this year and I would be disappointed if it doesn’t get an award nomination. Wow!

Every time I hear about this series being talked about, I nod along with enthusiasm. This is a testament to how far the fantasy genre as a whole has come and how amazing minds have innovated and experimented with their personal brands of brewing genre blends.
I can't help but imagine if Holmes came across this one he would enjoy it thoroughly, and admit it begrudgingly .
The book is clever, in places it is teetering on the edge of being arrogant but it does serve its purpose.
We readers are always a tad sceptical that the seconds in our favourite series may just fall victim to the "second book syndrome." Not this one. It keeps pace with book 1 , goes toe to toe in world expansion and ups the mystery antics quite a bit.
What truly catches my attention here is that the whole series under its cover of a great , satisfying mystery that you one needs to pick up on a particularly rainy afternoon it is a commentary on autocratic rule– in a genre known for guilded empires , grand political mysteries and sinister magic Ana's eccentricity has truly stolen my heart .

A Drop of Corruption is a fantastic sequel to The Tainted Cup that has cemented this series as one of my favourite ongoing fantasy series. Once again RJB creates an intriguing mystery that our Sherlock and Watson duo - Ana and Din - again go about solving with all the eccentricity and excitement we saw in The Tainted Cup.

While I slightly preferred the mystery solved in The Tainted Cup, RJB did a fantastic job expanding the world with this sequel and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ana and Dinios are back in action investigating a disappearance. The disappearance turns into a murder mystery, with even higher stakes than ever. The world building was great, and there was plenty of action and suspense. Ana continued to be a quirky character, who really relied on Din and his abilities. It may be because I read this one right after finishing The Tainted Cup, but it felt a little bit repetitive, drawn out, and predictable. It was well paced and really interesting, I just wasn't quite as invested in this one.

Many thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC!