A Drop of Corruption sees the return of Ana Dolabra, the Empire’s most eccentric—and exasperating—investigator, alongside her perpetually harried assistant, Dinios Kol. This time, the stakes are even higher, the mystery even knottier, and the world-building even richer as Robert Jackson Bennett expands his Shadow of the Leviathan series in all the best ways.

This time, Ana and Din are sent to the Empire’s borders, to the canton of Yarrowdale, a remote outpost home to the Shroud—the Empire’s high-security research facility, where fallen Titans are studied for their volatile magical properties. But tensions are high in Yarrowdale. The local king has been negotiating with the Imperial Treasury over the Empire’s annexation of the region when suddenly, one of the delegation members vanishes from a locked tower room. With no way in or out, it’s an impossible crime—so naturally, Ana and Din are called in to solve it.

However, they soon realize they are hunting not a missing man but rather his murderer -- and one with an uncanny knack for disguise and whose means and motives stymy even Ana's analytical abilities. This adversary seems to slip through locked doors with ease, evade detection at every turn, and, most unsettling of all, predict Ana’s every move before she even makes it. Worse, this unknown assailant may be assembling a powerful weapon that targets the secrets associated with the Shroud, threatening the Empire's most powerful secrets.

I adored this second entry in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. It’s everything you want from a sequel — more intricate world-building, a twistier mystery, and deeper insight into Ana and Din’s inner workings. Fans of The Tainted Cup will find themselves right at home with another thrilling investigation, full of tension, intrigue, and laugh-out-loud moments between Ana and Din. Bennett doesn’t just deliver more of the same — he expands the world, complicates the stakes, and crafts an even more gripping mystery.

Fantasy and mystery lovers who haven’t started the series yet could technically begin here, but I recommend reading in order to fully appreciate the layered storytelling. Either way, if you love locked-room mysteries with an imaginative fantasy twist, this is a series you won’t want to miss.

"I shall keep you close -for though you and I are small, together we shall forge grand things indeed."

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book! It just came out yesterday (my birthday) - go buy it!

I picked up The Tainted Cup on a whim at the local used bookstore. Now, I fear, I have been thrown into a personal mission to read everything RJB has published. This book, like the first, was so much FUN! It is the perfect balance of earnest, funny, and suspenseful. The fantasy elements are sparingly sprinkled within the murder mysteries, but he has created such a unique and expansive world here. I truly recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy, especially those who love a whodunit.

While I did end up guessing the ending of this one (not the first), it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the ending. Plus, those cliffhangers about Ana!!!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. I absolutely loved The Tainted Cup, so this sequel was one of my most anticipated reads of the year—and it did not disappoint.

This series is like Sherlock Holmes meets epic fantasy, and Bennett’s world building is as intricate as ever. The setting feels unique and fully developed, with just the right balance. What really makes this book stand out is the dynamic between Din and Ana. Their sharp, witty dialogue is a highlight, adding humor and depth to the unfolding investigation.

The mystery itself is masterfully crafted. The twists kept me on my toes, and while I rarely guessed the reveals in advance, none of them felt outlandish or forced. Every piece of the puzzle clicks into place in a way that’s both surprising and satisfying.

I’m already recommending this to everyone I know. If you love clever mysteries, rich fantasy worlds, and razor-sharp banter, this series is an absolute must-read!

I would read a million books in this series, I hope it never ends! A Drop of Corruption follows our beloved characters from the first book, Ana and Din, in a new city with a new mystery to solve. This is a dark, twisted adventure that keeps you on your toes the entire time while you are slowly given new peices to this puzzle to solve. I read it all in one day because I never wanted to put it down. This book helped expand the world of the series in such interesting ways. If you loved book one, you'll love this new addition as well.

My one note to the author, please bring back Kepheus for book 3! I missed him almost as much as Din did.

Robert Jackson Bennett, do you know how much I love your work? Because I do. Profoundly. And once again, you’ve outdone yourself.
I’ll be honest—I didn’t fall head over heels for The Tainted Cup. I adored the world, the characters, the wit… but something didn’t quite sink its claws into me. A Drop of Corruption, however? Swooped in and stole my attention completely.
What makes The Shadow of the Leviathan series so brilliant is its razor-sharp balance between cynical humour and weighty, thought-provoking themes. I live for stories where so-called do-gooders inevitably become the architects of their own corruption—Blood Over Bright Haven, I see you—and Bennett delivers that delicious moral unravelling once again.
Our investigators, the chaotically brilliant Ana Dolabra and her world-weary yet deeply human assistant Dinios Kol, return to navigate a world where the Empire’s power hinges on human graft alterations, and the law struggles to keep that power in check. Their dynamic? Absolute gold. Ana is an unpredictable force of nature, while Din grounds the story with his quiet tenacity, humour, and occasional existential exhaustion, of doing the good whilst babysitting a genius.
I loved the addition of Malo and I cannot wait to see more of this character in book three. All the secondary characters and “villain” (truly, hard to pinpoint one villain here) were so well constructed and fleshed out, which I always appreciate/
I’ve said it before and will say it again: there is no other characters as Robert Jackson Bennett’s characters.
And the plot twists? Absolutely unhinged. The main twist—though its seeds were carefully planted throughout—still caught me completely off guard, despite not fully revealed. More than just a clever reveal, it cracked some of the characters wide open, showing raw humanity and vulnerability in a way that made the story resonate even deeper.
Bennett masterfully blends sharp wit, gripping mystery, and an unnerving look at power, ethics, and unintended consequences. This isn’t just an engaging whodunit; it’s a story with teeth. And no middle book syndrome here—Book 2 takes everything The Tainted Cup built and dials it up to eleven.
I already KNOW the tears are coming in book three. Let’s keep the tradition, RJB!
I beg of you for 2025 to pick up a Robert Jackson Bennett book. If you love Sherlock Holmes in a fantasy world, here you have the series for you.

In A Drop of Corruption, Dinios Kol (“Din”) is again our intrepid narrator and assistant to the mercurial investigator Ana Dolabra in teasing out the weird crimes and conspiracies besetting the Empire. As with the first book (The Tainted Cup), this one has a fantastic and evocative title and beautiful cover art. These books deserve good packaging, and they get it.

The Empire’s strength has grown over the centuries to thwart the catastrophic intrusions of horrific leviathan beasts that come ashore from the ocean’s depths. But it could not in fact exist at its current level of magical biotechnology without the careful distillation of the frightening mutagenic substances the corpses of those beasts produce. It is at the Empire’s outermost fringes outside of a town called Yarrowdale that this harvesting and distillation is conducted.

The investigation of one crime in Yarrowdale leads to the uncovering of a chain of mysterious crimes and circumstances that reveal a conspiracy threatening the existence of the empire itself. It’s nice to see Din progressing in his investigative knowledge and confidence, and Ana continues to be extremely entertaining, weird, and several steps ahead of everyone else. We finally learn a bit more about the origins of her unusual powers of perception and deduction, which was gratifying. Bennett does a great job of interrogating the fantasy genre’s obsession with autocracy/monarchy, which he talks about more explicitly in his author’s note. There’s also a good dose of psychedelic biological horror.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoyed the first book!

“If she isn’t included in whatever this is, there’ll be hell to pay. This is not a threat, but just…physics. When defied, she breaks things.”

This is a great follow up to The Tainted Cup. I was once again swept away by the fantastical world and complex mystery. I love the characters. Ana is brilliant, pushy, and eccentric as ever. Din is slowly coming to terms with his own role within the empire and what that means on both a personal and societal level. I also really liked Malo, I hope she pops up in a future book.

The plot has a slight Sherlock/Moriarity vibe, meaning that there is a criminal mastermind who may just be even more brilliant and insightful than Ana. Maybe. I really enjoyed the way both science and political machinations were woven into the story. There’s a dash of one of my favorite sci-fi themes—"we can do it, but should we do it?”

I really enjoyed this book and I’m eagerly awaiting the next one.

Note: This is the second book in the Shadow of the Leviathan series and should be read in order.

Additional Note: This sci-fi mystery novel takes place in a gritty post-apocalyptic world. The characters and their circumstances reflect this, so expect crude language and a few unsettling scenes.

I loved The Tainted Cup, so I was so excited to receive the ARC of this one. Unlike many seconds in a series, it did not disappoint at all. Ana and Din have such a fun chemistry, and I love the mystery behind what Ana is/why she is capable of what she does. The mystery in this one is just as well plotted and devious as the first, and the side characters were phenomenal. I spent much of the book unsure who dunnit, and when I did figure it out, I still wasn't even sure if I had it right. I love when a mystery does that. I keep recommending this series to people as "Sherlock and Watson but set in a dark fantasy empire." I am just really loving these, and I hope that Bennett gives us more of Ana and Din in the future!

Robert Jackson Bennett has done it again with A Drop of Corruption. I loved The Tainted Cup when I read it last year and have been positively dying to read the sequel.

I'll admit, I think I loved The Tainted Cup just the slightest bit more than this one, but I suspect that has more to do with it being my first introduction to this world and the characters that grabbed me so much.

In A Drop of Corruption, we have another mystery on our hands, and Din and his peculiar advisor, Ana, are on the case. I love watching these two work through an investigation, but I have to say that I love learning about this captivating world and the leviathans that inhabit it. This time, the duo are on the scene of a possible disappearance and/or murder. The suspect appears to be someone who is capable of making someone vanish without any evidence left behind whatsoever, even in fully that are on very high floors with only windows and long drops below.

I still really love Din's narrative voice. It's a bit dry at times, highly intelligent, and is full of sharp wit. His interactions with Ana add so much to both of their personalities and development, especially as we see them interact and discuss not just the case, but occasionally some more private, personal matters as well--though these conversations are of course much rarer. I also appreciated getting to know more about Din’s background in this book, though there’s still a bit of mystery left surrounding him. It's also been interesting to see his growing disillusionment with his job and how that adds some extra layers of complexity to his motivations and even ability to do his job. He wants to do something more, something different, and struggles at times to see whether what he's doing is helpful or worthwhile. I found this to be a particularly relatable concern, and I think it also really adds to a better overview of where Din is coming from.

We also learn more about Ana, though once again, we aren’t given everything just yet--but what we do learn in this book certainly makes me eager for much more. I keep waiting for Ana's intelligence to become annoying as we work our way through the story, for some reason Bennet manages to write her in a way that doesn't feel obnoxious. He leaves her feeling stumped or uncertain in plenty of moments, which made her still feel like a real person despite her seemingly enhanced abilities and odd traits.

My biggest issue with A Drop of Corruption is the pacing. It was quite slow at times, and I actually found myself struggling to get through parts--not because it was bad, but because it felt like we were stuck in repetitive motions. It lacked the page-turning elements that would have kept me reading more quickly. It felt like there was a lot of Din gathering information, reporting it to Ana (who is inevitably doing something weird, perplexing, and/or revolting), then Ana having some cryptic idea, Din then carrying out the idea the following day, and repeat. And while all of this is generally interesting, this cycle got a little old at times. I imagine that might be much of what it's like to be an investigator of sorts at times, but as a reader I expected slightly more riveting content sometimes.

I’d say the first half to two-thirds of this book had the slower pace I've described above, but once we got into the meaty developments--especially those involving the leviathans and broader world-building--things really pick up for me and I was once again captivated and remembered why I've been loving this series so much.

This world is so vivid and I tended to feel the same sense of unease or dread that Din does when he happens upon something horrifying or deeply unsettling. There's a thick atmosphere of things being not quite right in this setting, and it leaves me feeling--probably much like Din--eager to get out.

What keeps drawing me to this series is the underlying sense of something vast and much deeper and grander that's happening behind the scenes. I am dying to learn more about this world, the leviathans, and everything in between. There’s so much left to explore and so many mysteries and things that are left unsaid or secretive, and I can't wait to see how this story continues to unfold. If you enjoyed The Tainted Cup, I think you'll have a fantastic time diving back into this world! If you haven't yet started this series, what are you waiting for!?

I am normally the "don't say it is like X, let it be its own thing!" person - I think if anyone was interested (no one should be) they could go through my past reviews and find many, many reviews where I took off a star because I thought the comparison made by marketing was wrong and I was disappointed. I do think, however, that this is a fair Sherlock Holmes comparison. I think Din's voice and narration is very Watson, and I think Ana is brilliant and weird in a way very true to Holmes, although her inability to handle social situations is more Cumberbatch than I personally enjoy.

This is a good mystery! I like the amount of detail put into the world building - Bennett has definitely thought his world through enough that I didn't feel compelled to point out all the places the world didn't make sense. Having to pick up the details of a new world also strengthened my enjoyment of the mystery itself - I didn't figure it out too early.

Moreover, there is a definite political message to this book, which I personally enjoy in my mysteries! Inherited power *is* a deeply flawed system of governance, you're right, Robert Jackson Bennett!

All that said, I missed the character and relationship building of the first book. This hit the ground running investigation wise, but that did mean we didn't spend a lot of time with the characters themselves (outside of Din's bisexual disaster energy) - so I didn't really emotionally invest in the story.

My rating: 4.25 🌟
Length: 461 pages
Genre: Fantasy mystery
Reading doorway(s): Setting, character

A Drop of Corruption, the second in the Shadow of the Leviathan series by Robert Jackson Bennett, continues the series with another intricate, high fantasy mystery with my favorite detectives, Din and Ana. The quirky, interesting characters, rich fantasy world, and complex mystery kept me engaged nearly the entire time. Though the story was a touch too drawn out in my opinion, I still enjoyed it even more than the first because it was freed from the burden of world building that the first book had to bear.

This series feels geared towards a very specific kind of reader; one who enjoys both detailed, high fantasy worlds and intricate, complex mysteries. If that’s you, you should already be reading these books. I certainly plan to continue them.

Thanks to NetGalley and DelRey books for the advanced copy. A Drop of Corruption released April 1st, 2024.

So happy to see the sequel to A Tainted Cup! Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARc in exchange for a honest review.
I have to say this book was even better than the first in series maybe because I had a better handle from the beginning on the world that Din and Ana inhabit. The maps and other guides provided were a great help. The plot of this book was also tighter and I felt it was always clear what was going on.
We learn of a new part of the world- a sort of fringe region called Yarrowdale. Many different types of being are included and one sees how societies stratify themselves and the toll this takes on individuals of all ranks.
There is of course a murder to solve but where the investigation leads is pretty incredible. I love following brave Din’s physical adventures as well as Ana’s cerebral contributions.
For those who want to try fantasy and already love mysteries this is the perfect series. So well written and so nuanced. Incredible world building!
One feels they could read these over and over. Would love to see a series based on them and especially cannot wait for the next in series!

I absolutely adored The Tainted Cup and as soon as I saw the sequel was ready for review, I snatched it up so fast… and I must say. It exceeded my expectations. Dare I say, it’s better than The Tainted Cup.

The continuation of world building is insane. This is a high fantasy world, so be prepared for a multitude of detailed descriptions of everything and anything. I love Ana so much, her witticism is what drives this entire world and I relish in it as much as humanly possible. And of course Dinios is such a kick and brings so much flair and fantasmics to the plot. What I love most about Roberts writing is how immersed I feel when reading. I feel as if I’m actually in that world. I can feel the air around me and smell the atmosphere and taste the bitterness of the air. I’ve read many books and there's only a few that encapsulates me to this extent. This series is one of those ‘just one more chapter’ type of stories and will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more and continue to read until your questions are answered.

And don't get me started on the pacing. I am such a stickler when it comes to the pacing of a book, but this book definitely takes the cake for having such a great balance between when the plot NEEDS to quicken and when it needs to slow down. Another point I have to make is how every little detail, or character, or setting has a purpose. It’s so important for even the littlest of details to have a purpose to push the characters to their end goal, or else the story becomes stagnant and loses its spark. But Robert is such an excellent writer that even in the smallest of breezes has a purpose.

I’m so excited to see where Ana and Dinios will go next, as I can see book three in the near future.

I’d like to share my gratitude to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Robert Jackson Bennett for an Advanced Reader Copy of A Drop of Corruption. In exchange I will leave my honest review.

I love Ana. I love Din. I love Malo. I love this series. I desperately need our boy Kepheus to return in the next book. I also desperately need for there to be a third, fourth, fifth book etc.

The classic Agatha Christie style murder mystery, with Holmes and Watson style chemistry makes a return in A Drop of Corruption and I, for one, couldn't be happier about it! Literally the only reason it took me as long as it did to read was because I kept forgetting to read until like 11pm, then getting very tired like 30 minutes into reading, only to rinse and repeat the next night.

RJB's setting in this biopunk world is so alive that I swear I would look out my own window into the very streets of Yarrowdale I was reading about. Every character felt real and believable and so incredibly well thought out. Being a sequel, RJB was also able to get deeper into Ana & Din's lore (individually and as a team, as the story takes places a few months after our last adventure) and I am so excited. I loved them both as characters in The Tainted Cup, and I love them even more now.

All in all I loved this book, and will forever be a fan of Robert Jackson Bennett - and must also read more of his books going forward while I not-so-patiently await the next adventures of Ana & Din (and also hopefully Malo, and Kepheus).

Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley, Del Rey (Random House Publishing), and Robert Jackson Bennett for this e-ARC. I was provided this ARC for review only, I was not paid for this review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for a copy of this arc via netgalley!

This was quite an enjoyable read, I found the characters to be full of life and humour. The mystery this time round didn’t have be quite as hooked as the first book as I forgot about the death at the beginning and why they were in Yarrow but overall this was a fun experience and I’m excited for the next book!

the writing of this is just not for me AT ALL. it’s so dense and just not something i ever got used to. the story is interesting but not interesting enough to try and push through the writing.

thank you to del rey and netgalley for the advanced copy!

This series is setting up to be great fun, a touch mad, there’s kaiju in the ocean and biological tech that’s basically magic but might have you die screaming as it eats you alive. They have a kill it, kill it with fire, level of not messing around when it goes pear shaped in this world…. The Sherlock and Watson vibe is still there though less so than the first book. Well worth reading if you like science fiction/fantasy/mystery. Not cozy and things do get a bit gory. I’m really looking forward to this next book even though I’m generally a wimp about gore and violence.

"A Drop of Corruption" is the exciting follow-on to Robert Jackson Bennett's previous thriller "The Tainted Cup". The heroes of these books are a pair of investigators in a world where the foundation of their society is based on seemingly magical biological powers of mysterious ocean creatures. These investigators are comparable to Watson and Holmes in their ability to solve nearly impossible yet extremely high stakes cases. Thrills, adventures, mysteries, and some good old fashioned sex and drugs await! I totally enjoyed both of these books, and recommend them to anyone looking for an exciting mystery adventure. (These books can be read out of order, as they are each standalone episodes.)

I thank the publisher and author for kindly providing a temporary electronic review copy of this work.

A Sherlock Holmes like fantasy and a new mystery in the world of The Tainted Cup, Kol is back and a new mystery of remains in a box. You’ll feel in a very consistent scene; Kol is called into a new investigation and then immediately meets with superior Ana - verbatim to the first novel. I liked that feeling. On a new adventure, our protagonist must follow his leads to possible bank robbery, secret notes, and what top political departments could really be hiding.

I really like this series. Not only is the author a good writer but you can tell he comprehends his subject matter and does research as needed. Compared to the first, I believe this one had a little more Ana, which I really love, as Ana tends to bring in some directness, humor, and just the right amount of madness. The consistency in this series in this world is great but it’s also just consistency- I would have liked maybe introducing something that felt a little newer to the story

I did like the first one better; Kol was underwhelming in this one, as he repeatedly felt a little one note and overshadowed. But would still recommend this series, if you enjoy a smarter fantasy with a lot of sci fi elements. Especially one that feels lighter to the fantasy to give more focus on the procedural aspects.

Din and Ana find themselves in Yarrow, a coastal region near the edge of the Empire, after the body of a Treasury member turns up in the canals this area is known for. The death is linked to the Shroud, where parts of the Leviathan are harvested for use in the Empire. As they work the case with local warden Signum Malo, new clues are sniffed out, limits are tested and the plot thickens. Will they discover the true enemy in time?

It was so great to be immersed back into Din and Ana’s functional but very dysfunctional world. Both their characters evolve even more as the second book in the series progresses. The world they live in also evolves and we are very much working through questions of how civilizations and people grow as time and needs change. I really enjoy how the author touches on human natures and what exactly makes us tick. Definitely recommend this series. 5 stars.

Based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by Random House Publishing Group/Del Rey and NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!