This book is second in the Ana and Din series. Would highly recommend reading the first before starting A Drop of Corruption as it helps you understand the two main characters' backgrounds. It's a great mix of fantasy and mystery, with the two similar to Sherlock and Watson.

“The ocean cannot tell the difference between a rich man and a poor one, nor one full of happiness, or despair. To those waves, all are so terribly small.”

the tainted cup was my favorite publication of 2024, so i was beyond elated when this book showed up on my doorstep in 2025! and opening this book, and instantly being back with din and ana, just reminded me how beloved this book series already is to me and how it is probably my most anticipated current ongoing series. i know, right? a lot of praise, but it really is from my heart.

the very basic premise of what this series is doing is that it is a genre blend of fantasy and mystery, where we follow two character, din and ana, who are very coded as sherlock and watson, while they try to solve murder mysteries in what very much feels like an attack on titan world, filled with walls and leviathans that attack those walls. yet, also in this world, people have medical augmentations that allow them to enhance themselves, with abilities to do things better, but at a cost. and in this second installment, we really get to see that cost with classes in this world.

in this book, din and ana are visiting a town in the middle of trade negotiations, called yarrowdale, which is a port town, and it feels a little extra scary when the wet season is approaching and when leviathans attack walls in this world! but this town hasn’t experienced an attack in living memory, and they also have something called the shroud, which is a leviathan graveyard with a lot of mystery behind it. and maybe some more mystery will be added to it, because this story starts with dinios kol, an altered mind rememberer, traveling to this town to meet an officer and to see what is left of a body. and one moldy tower room later, ana dolabra comes to hopefully solve another case with din, and in a new city, where body parts are continuing to be found.

this series really feels like a breath of fresh air for both of its blended genres and it really feels like magic to read. din and ana’s relationship really just means the whole world to me, and seeing them both trust more, listen more, and even love more is just so beautiful. am i crying over a scarf? yes!! also, malo is such an amazing side character, who i was feeling all the emotions constantly for. i really hope we get to see them again in more stories. but yeah, the characters, the story, the writing, the messages, the mystery, it’s really all so top notch and i just really recommend this series to everyone who has even somewhat similar reading tastes to me.

other random things i loved about this story: din is for sure pan or bi and we just really love to see it, always. i also always will love an unsettling castle setting. i was obsessed with how we got more backstory in this second installment, and seeing more of these character’s pasts and how they are choosing to live in the present. i love the constant theme of patterns and how they are all around us, for better or worse, if we really begin to look. i love that this book looked at debt and the systems that want to keep people down and at the mercy of their leaders. and i very much love to appreciate the discussions around the corruption of government and how those in power are more than willing to treat the citizens they view as lesser, regardless of any and all costs.

i truly love everything about this series, but i do feel like no one, and i mean no one, is writing author notes the way robert jackon bennet is writing author notes. both books in this series have heavily discussed classism, capitalism, and which groups of people thrive, and die, because of these things. But this author’s note, the final thing the reader is left with upon closing this book, really emphasizes how fantasy stories have treated autocracies. how such a majority of stories are written about one true heir, who is divine, and righteous, and deserving of taking over and ruling the land, and knowing what is best for all people. and how that romanticization is never the real world reality. it was just really powerful to me and i really applaud what this author is saying to his readers, both in his storytelling and with his voice, especially in 2025.

“This work can never satisfy, Din, for it can never finish. The dead cannot be restored. Vice and bribery will never be totally banished from the cantons. And the drop of corruption that lies within every society shall always persist. The duty of the Iudex is not to boldly vanquish it but to manage it. We keep the stain from spreading, yes, but it is never gone. Yet this job is perhaps the most important in all the Iyalets, for without it, well … The Empire would come to look much like Yarrow, where the powerful and the cruel prevail without check. And tell me—does that realm look capable of fighting off a leviathan?”

trigger + content warnings: death, vomit, blood, kidnapping, fungus + mold depictions, medical debt, loss of parents in past, colonization, slavery / captivity, classism, contagion, illness, poison, bugs / insects, gore, smoking, drinking, animal deaths, forced medical treatments, medical experimentation, talk of suicide ideation, a character who feels a little agoraphobic, and a little sexual content

Robert Jackson Bennett (https://www.robertjacksonbennett.com) is the author of nearly 10 novels. A Drop of Corruption was published early last April and is the second volume in his Leviathan series. It is the 33rd book I completed reading in 2025.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence and mature language, I categorize this novel as R.

Ana Dolabra and her assistant, Dinios Kol, have been called again by the Empire to solve a mystery. This assignment has taken them to Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire, where a Treasury officer has disappeared. Dolabra is brilliant, but even the kindest personality assessment paints her as quirky and eccentric. Kol follows her direction and uses his ability as an engraver to remember everything he sees and hears.

Immunis Mineti Sujedo had come to Yarrowdale with a team from the Imperial Treasury. The team was there to continue discussions with the King of Yarrowdale regarding it becoming a part of the Empire. Yarrowdale had become important to the Empire when the Shroud was placed in the adjacent harbor. The Shroud was used by the Apoths to extract chemicals vital to the Empire from the blood of Leviathans.

Sujedo had disappeared from what appeared to be a locked and guarded room. The missing person case turned into a case of homicide when remains were found. As the investigation proceeds, they find evidence that Sujedo was involved in a theft from the Royal Treasury.

Kol finds himself dispatched by Dolabra into the jungles around Yarrowdale, looking for smugglers. She also sends him to the Shroud itself. He collects a lot of data for Dolabra, and she repeatedly sends him into danger in pursuit of justice.

Before long, their investigation is complicated by the death of the King of Yarrowdale, then another of the Treasury team. At the same time, there is intrigue and betrayal at the royal court. At first, these deaths are thought to be unrelated, but Dolabra and Kol soon find a link. Political agendas are being pursued by both the Empire and Yarrowdale. The investigators must dig through the political muck to arrive at the truth.

I enjoyed the 12 hours I spent reading this 458-page fantasy. I have had the opportunity to read three other novels by Mr. Bennett, which were all enjoyable. Those were Foundryside, Shorefall, and The Tainted Cup. The chosen cover art is simple, but I like it. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

(Content warnings: graphic body horror, gore, death, murder, blood; moderate violence, slavery, colonisation, medical content)

I think the books in this series might be as close to perfect speculative murder mysteries as they come. In pulls you in quick and it doesn't let go: a compelling mystery with crazy twists and turns that never feel unearned, characters that are just plain fun to follow, and a world unlike any other. I remember one of my minor complaints about the first book was that Ana, while very entertaining, felt a little flat as a character; here, we are granted glimpses into her past and why she is the way she is that are so much crazier than I could've imagined. I had enormous fun from start to finish.

Ana Dolabra is a a brilliant investigator, and her assistant Dinios Kol are sent to the edge of the Empire to investigate an impossible crime. A Treasury officer has disappeared without a trace from a locked room. Ana detects that they’re investigating a murder, done by an adversary who moves like a ghost. Worst, the killer is targeting a high-security compound, the Shroud, where the Empire’s greatest minds dissect fallen Titans and extract their magical blood.

The character’s development was fantastic. I didn’t expect to find bits and pieces of information about them and their past. It made this novel more interesting to me. It is installment in Bennett’s “Shadow of the Leviathan”series—following “The Tainted Cup “. This novel is Things are not what they seem in a place where leviathans roam the land and plots against the empire flourish. It is part fantasy and part procedural, the second installment in Bennett’s Shadow of the Leviathan series—following “The Tainted Cup.” It is engaging to read. I hope that there will be a third book It is a wonderful imaginative novel.

Sometimes it takes me a bit to get used to a new world. Such was with The Tainted Cup. This time, I was ready. Rich story, more depth, we learn more of Din and of oh so peculiar-in-her-ways Ana (I think of her as a bit of Elsbeth, except a lot more coarse and … much better written.) Well crafted, well written. This could be devoured in one sitting (if I didn’t have so many other books pulling at me!) Thanks to the author/publisher for affording me a review copy through NetGalley. I look forward to the next in the series!

I adored the setting and character dynamics between Ana and Dinios in The Tainted Cup, so I went into this sequel with high expectations. And let me tell you, Book 2 in the Shadow of the Leviathan series did not disappoint!

We explore a new part of the world, Yarrowdale, at the edge of the Empire’s reach. At first our Sherlock and Watson-like duo think they are investigating a disappearance but quickly learn it’s a murder. The stakes are higher than ever before because the killer’s target is the Shroud. And if the Shroud falls, so does the power of the Empire which is fueled by the Shroud’s magic.

In The Tainted Cup, we learned about the Shroud, a place where fallen leviathans are dissected, and their blood is harnessed for the magic it contains that powers this world. I loved how in this sequel we get to look inside the secretive Shroud and catch a tiny glimpse of its mysteries!

I love how Bennett is able to balance the fantasy and mystery elements of this series as well as crafting complex characters. All three story elements remain strong and intriguing. And the politics of this story were so fascinating! We learn more about the Empire, how it functions and what holds it together.

And what we learn about Ana at the end? I’m so ready for book 3!

If you love a fantasy mystery with incredible worldbuilding, you need to pick up this series.


*Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the digital arc.

Dinios Kol is back to solve another murder mystery alongside his hilarious boss/ward Ana Dolabra. Now miles away from the battlefront against the leviathans (and his almost-lover Kepheus Strovi), Din finds himself wondering what his purpose is following this brilliantly inane woman around the empire while the real heroes fight for their lives at the wall. But for the time being, he's trudging through yet another special case with a wily, evil mastermind set on jeopardizing the tense relationship between the empire and the native population of Yarrow.

Book two has much of the same things to love about book one--Ana is a delight, as always. Her wit and humor were my favorite parts again in this sequel. Malo, a new character, is equally hilarious, but with a slightly less pretentious air about her. The reader learns more about the reagents the empire uses to alter government employees and those with enough money to take advantage, and we even learn a bit more about Ana's background by the end, which was interesting.

While I did enjoy my experience overall, I felt this one moved a bit slower. While I learned more about the empire, I was hoping for more development of a major conflict that could unite the two books and suggest what was to come in the next. This felt almost as if it could standalone, as could book one. While I like that RJB uses biological agents as weapons in both, I felt like the mystery as a whole was more predictable. The reveal didn't feel as satisfying this time around, but I still loved all the connections Ana makes for the readers by the end.

I'll keep reading book three solely because of the characters in this one. I wasn't as partial to Din here, but we'll give him a pass for some general young-adult ennui, soul searching, and first "lost love". In book three, I have a feeling our boy Din will be a much more interesting character!

How do you even review something that feels like it was made for you?

I have been absolutely obsessed with The Tainted Cup since I read it, it has everything i love -- from murder mystery to the intricate magic system and interesting characters, everything about book 1 was just perfection to me. The wait for book 2 was painful, each day without A Drop of Corruption was a day without happiness (might be slightly exaggerated). And yet... book 2 took everything The Tainted Cup had to offer and decided to make it even better.

Both Ana and Din are even better than they were in book 1, with a bit more character development as Din tries to navigate his role and his life and the bond between the two grows stronger than before. Malo was also a nice surprise, and she works so well with the 2 of them so I really hope we get to see her regularly in book 3 as well.
The best thing about A Drop of Corruption however, was the setting. The world just felt so alive, so wild and even eerie. The way the magic system worked with the environment was magnificent, I admit I rarely get super into the settings in books, but here my imagination was running wild.

It feels like I am incapable of being at all objective about this series and thus I say it has no flaws. GO READ IT.

Thank you to Hodderscape and NetGalley for a copy of an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE PLOT...
The Highly anticipated sequel to The Tainted Cup (spoiler free review) is finally here! This is one I was counting down the days for release and after devouring it in two sittings I can say it was worth the wait! Our favorite foul mouthed genius Detective Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol are back in full investigative mode as they travel beyond the Empire’s reach to Yarrowdale. This time an officer of the treasury has been murdered in the most unusual way, an abduction from his quarters while the doors and windows were locked. Every exit fully guarded and every departure/arrival is noted. He however has simply vanished leaving behind a bloody room with very little clues to what may have transpired. Strange cases call for the eccentric Ana and her partner Din but this case is different in ways that leave even Ana worried. Their killer seems to think like Ana and predicts her every move. A lot is at stake in this game of cat and mouse when they realize “The Shroud” is the target. Vastly protected and operated from within by augmented officers of the Empire, The Shroud is a mass that allows the Empire to study and dissect fallen Leviathans in order to harness their magical liabilities. Those that work within the Shroud have basically sacrificed their lives with no guarantee that they’ll be able to walk away. The Shroud is taxing on their minds and bodies, some have come to think that it would be best if it didn’t exist.

THOUGHTS...
This one is going to be for the readers who enjoy a slowly unraveled mystery, it packs a ton of plot twists and turns that will keep you guessing at whether Ana could even solve this case. This time the killer is just as genius and presents her with a real challenge while also making it difficult to keep certain aspects of her identity and augmentations a secret any longer from her assistant Din. We see her physically ill while also insatiably hungry for the strangest foods that would poison the common man. We get some answers to the mystery that is Ana while also still seeing her serve raw and unfiltered commentary at the expense of Din and those he chooses to bed. They are the true definition of an odd pairing and it makes for such a good time! As always the sci-fi elements are in the background mostly seen in the setting of the story. At it’s core this is mostly a mystery with scifi/fantasy elements, the trifecta is easily one I can get wrapped up in and will definitely be revisiting when book 3 in Shadow Of The Leviathan series is released.

My mind has been firmly in the territory of thinking about the Hugos lately. Between working on my SECRET PROJECT ahead of Ed going to Seattle Worldcon in August and our Road to the Hugos articles, I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes something a “Hugo Awards” book and what doesn’t. I’ve also been thinking about what it means that some authors/series are perennially nominated for the award while others aren’t. I’m well aware that these are musings that puzzle people who have a far better understanding of the science fiction and fantasy publishing business than I and I have no real expectation that I’ll figure it out. However, I think (or at least I hope) that I have recognized a series for being one of those that each of its end up being nominated and that’s Robert Jackson Bennett’s Ana and Din/Shadow of the Leviathan mystery series. And this is me wagering way ahead of time that I think that A Drop of Corruption will be nominated for a Hugo next year.

A Drop of Corruption is probably my favorite release so far this year and that’s no small feat. This year has the final book in Gareth Hanrahan’s Lands of the Firstborn trilogy (The Sword Triumphant) and a new John Connolly book (The Children of Eve) and this book somehow is still in first place so far this year.1 I think the most remarkable thing about this book is that it somehow both tops its predecessor while also making me want to immediately reread that predecessor as well. I finished A Drop of Corruption and then immediately reread The Tainted Cup and did another read through of this one. I can’t remember the last time that a book made me want to do that.2

The general premise of A Drop of Corruption is that Din and Ana are called to Yarrowdale to figure out the mysterious murder of a Treasury officer whose body was found in a river and the murder scene was in his locked room in a tower that was under heavy guard. We are immediately faced with a bunch of questions such as: how did the killer get in and out of the room, how did the body get out, why was the man murdered, etc.?

In my Road to the Hugos review of The Tainted Cup, I talk about how Robert Jackson Bennett threaded the tricky line of creating both an excellent detective novel and an excellent fantasy novel. If you haven’t read that article, you can read it here. I think this book might be even better in terms of how it merged those two genres. The locked room mystery is a staple of detective fiction and it makes perfect sense that would be a territory that Bennett would want to tackle. However, it’s also one of the most easily critiqueable subsets of the mystery genre and one that many authors wait five or ten installments to tackle. I think Bennett made the right decision though and this is a stellar example of that trope and the twists and turns that lead to the solution don’t ever miss their mark.

I also think that this is a stellar fantasy novel and it’s for reasons that the author lays out in his author’s note. I don’t want to spoil what Bennett is trying to say with this book but A Drop of Corruption does interesting things with some significant epic fantasy tropes and both attempts to deconstruct and reconstruct those tropes in interesting ways. This book also adds a really interesting horror vibe to the series that I expect will be used to great effect in future installments of this series. He’s not afraid to show us some of the most monstrous implications of the world he’s crafting and through those moments the stakes are raised even higher.

In my prior review, I also talked a little about how both Ana and Din are wonderfully written and Bennett continues that here. Din and Ana are the best fantasy versions of Archie/Nero Wolfe imaginable and it’s a joy to spend time with them again. This book adds interesting layers to both characters. We get a better understanding what’s led Din to this moment and why he’s found himself working under Ana. Ana, on the other hand, continues to be a mystery wrapped in an enigma and despite the answers we are given in this installment we also get a lot more mysteries. The biggest joy is that we also see the deepening of their relationship. Despite Ana’s, let’s say aloofness, we get to see in this book that she really does appreciate Din and wants what’s best for him. This is made evident by the events of the book’s climax and I forward to see the ways in which their relationship deepens further in future books.

As important as heroes are in detective fiction the villains are equally, if not even more, important. This book’s antagonist is a fascinating one and is a perfect match for Din and Ana. Ana’s strengths lie in her analytical ability and this villain is almost her match in terms of the sheer preparation they put behind the crimes in this book. This character is certainly not the Moriarty or Zeck to Ana’s Sherlock/Nero Wolfe but if they were, I would be excited to see them return.

As I said, I think this book is a shoe-in for a nomination next year for the Hugo. What I’m more interested in is whether it will get Bennett his second Edgar nomination, one of the top awards in detective fiction. The Tainted Cup got a nomination and I feel that A Drop of Corruption is an even better example of the mystery genre so I think it has a chance. If you’ve never read an RJB book you should definitely start with The Tainted Cup but I think A Drop of Corruption will be the book that will solidify you into a fan of his work. This book is a masterpiece and I highly recommend it for everyone looking for either a good mystery novel or a good fantasy novel.

A very interesting world and set of rules in this book. I thought it was a great continuation of the first book and the author does a great job with world building and character development. Ana & Dinios make such a quirky team.

This was a good follow up to the original mystery novel. I wanted more crossover between the two stories but I appreciated what the author was doing with the new setting in the series. The whole thing was very clever.

Another great Ana & Din mystery! This series perfectly combines mystery, fantasy, and a touch of horror. I read it in the summer, but it is the perfect fall book.

Back in April, I read the first in this series, The Tainted Cup, and loved it, so I was really excited to dive right into book 2, which just came out as I finished that. And Robert Jackson Bennett did not disappoint. I was just as enthralled with this one as I was with the first. Fantastic worldbuilding, really rich characterization, and mystery novel grade mystery writing. Now I can't wait for the 3rd book, but I have to wait a whole year like everyone else!

This book was amazing! I absolutely adore Din and Ana.

I cannot wait for the next one!

This book truly was engaging funny hilarious and Goddin is just such a disaster bisexual and I really love Robert Bennett’s world building. I’m truly so excited to read more of his books and I think if you love mystery comedy Sherlock vibes but steam punk I think this is absolutely perfect for you

I love this fantasy world. Basically if it involves Ana and Din I will be reading it. It's so dark and bleak with a constant sense of dread and I mean that in the best way. Overall I find the mysteries to be great ones and the characters to be incredibly multi-dimensional. If you enjoy a darker fantasy world I highly recommend this series!

Rarely do I find a fantasy novel with multi-faceted characters. Din and Ana (and all her querks) are likable characters. I liked the mixture of fantasy and mystery together. Can wait to read the 3rd book!

I enjoy Robert Jackson Bennett’s writing quite a lot. I think it has the perfect blend of world building and character development. I think the Tainted Cup did a good job of setting up for this book and I enjoyed, A Drop of Corruption, even more.

A fantastic second instalment to this series. The Tainted Cup introduced this world; A Drop of Corruption delves into it further, giving more information about how it is the way it is, while primarily telling a story of murder, corruption, and royal intrigue. Din remains an excellent protagonist and point of view, with a well-informed view of the world overall that nonetheless needs to find out with the reader so much about it. Ana remains a unique detective-type character despite fitting so well into the “brilliant but odd” archetype we see so often, and I adore reading about her and spending that time with her. The mystery was well-wrought and kept me fascinated through all its twists and turns, and resolves in such a way that has been laid out well from the start, but which I never saw coming.

My one gripe is that I had to rely on another way to access this book - I had to read after release, as this publisher does not allow for the new Kobo downloads, and so, reluctantly, I doubt I’ll be seeking advance copies of Bennett’s future books.