My rating: 4 of 5 stars—

A sequel better than the first! Dolabra and Kol are back at it, and more entertaining than ever. While I enjoyed The Tainted Cup quite a lot, I found the mystery at the heart of A Drop of Corruption a bit darker, more engaging, and more entwined in the wider world-building of the empire. I enjoyed understanding more about the source of magic and power in the empire.

For readers new to the series, Ana Dolabra is a Sherlock Holmesian figure with seemingly supernatural senses that allow her to parse out complicated mysteries, with a big dose of eccentric charm and humor. The world of the series, while fantastical, also feels somewhat like turn of the century England. In these ways, as well as the banter-full, collegiate relationship between Ana and her often nonplussed assistant, Dinios Kol, remind me quite a bit of the Emily Wilde series. So any fans of Heather Fawcett should certainly give these books a read.

As in the first book, my only real pet peeve with these books is a minor personal political one. I’m consistently annoyed with how pro-retributive justice and carceral state Ana is. Despite being an agent of the empire, she’s a rather quirky, neurodivergent outcast-type character, and it doesn’t always track for me when she consistently gets wildly horny for execution and lifetime imprisonment of the criminals she tracks down.

I will definitely be looking forward to the next book!

Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Huge thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Full disclosure, I 100% pre-ordered this book before reading the e-ARC. That was no way I wouldn’t because I adored The Tainted Cup (how could you not with that cover?!???). I also adore this author even though he made me cry over a sentient key.

Now, that we have all that out of the way, let’s talk about book 2 of the Shadow of the Leviathan series. There are not many authors that can start a story with about bad fish in the protagonist’s stomach, but here we are. Proving once again Robert Jackson Bennett is no ordinary author (see: cried over sentient key). We start with discovering the murder victim Din has been sent to investigate is not so much a victim as parts of a victim. And by parts, we find it’s closer to parts of parts. Parts of parts of an unwelcome guest in Yarrowdale, a tax official. (Hahahah, the only two constants indeed: death and taxes.) The way the title is woven throughout the book is incredible, not just as a theme but often the mechanism for the undoing of bad actors.

It never ceases to amaze me how Bennett writes such a lush and full fantasy setting and then smacks a full Agatha Christie style mystery in the middle of it, and it works. It works seamlessly. I am completely, utterly sunk in. It’s obscene, really. Quit hoarding all the talent, man. Leave some for the rest of us. At the core, the unveiling is complex and subject to the most basest motivations of man. The beauty is the way it’s unfolded to us.

I’d give this eleventy billion stars if I could. More Din and Ana, please!

eArc provided by Netgalley.

This was a masterpiece.

The world expands as we move to the other coast of the Empire. The science of the kingdom is at stake, and therein lies a mystery as Ana and Din go up against a genius capable of murder...and much more.

More fantastic world building, a first rate mystery, this second book of the series delivers more of the fantastic prose from The Tainted Cup. I fell more in love with this world and these characters, and I am already ready for Book 3. I hope this series continues past the initial trilogy, I cannot get enough of Ana, who is fantasy's version of Nero Wolfe, and Din, fantasy's Archie, as the work together to solve fantastic mysteries in a mythical fantasy world that feels mid 19th century, yet modern at the same time.

5 Giant Leviathon Stars!!!!

Thanks again to the publisher and Netgalley for the eArc.

Loved it, which maybe isn't surprising given I loved The Tainted Cup, too. This one feels even more solidly like a mystery that happens to be set in a fantasy world, though the fantasy elements are bit more understated. Some interesting exploration of imperialism/empire, as it's set in a not-yet-fully-integrated, sort-of-Empire-sort-of-not independent kingdom on the fringes of the Empire in a jungle environs.

The sequel had a strong mystery that kept me engaged, but unfortunately, it fell short in a few key areas. The side characters weren't as compelling as in the first book, which made it harder to connect with the story. The new location also lacked the charm and immersive world-building that made the first book so captivating. Despite these shortcomings, I still enjoyed the overall plot and gave it 3 stars. I’m invested enough to finish the series, hoping the next book improves on these elements.

Yet again a wildly fun time with Din and Ana! If you enjoyed the first novel then you are sure to find a lot to enjoy in this one, too. At its heart this is a mystery, and if that part isn’t satisfying then little else matters, and I am happy to say it is. It starts with a classic locked room mystery, and very smartly lets our characters solve the “how” of that quite readily, leaving the “who” and “why” as seeds to grow into the rest of the story, with more mysteries (and bodies) piling up. There are some decent red herrings thrown in but also enough seeds that you don’t feel cheated at the final reveal. Indeed, there is enough to let you make an educated guess before the final reveal, but the method of the reveal is still really clever and fun.

As I mentioned in my review of the previous novel, this book does toe the line of making Ana too capable, which is a worry in any Holmes & Watson pairing. It is a fine line to draw with these preternatural characters. However, what Bennett does that is smart is gives Din another great character to bounce off of in Malo, a local warden who provides the crude brawn to Din’s mannered curiosity. Bennett manufactures reasons for Din to be without access to Ana for various stretches of time and they all feel genuine, given this world and these characters, letting us spend time with Malo and meet a number of interesting ancillary characters along the way. Because, along with a fun central mystery we get to meet a bunch of new characters, (with none of the ancillary characters from the first novel making the voyage to book two), and while some are more robust and genuine than others they all are exciting and fun and they go a long way to make the world feel more realized. They do the work of letting Din somehow be both more than competent at his job but also a fish out of water, and it’s great. The writing and plotting are very similar to the characters, insofar as they complement the story really well. The writing is pretty straightforward, letting the occasionally colorful prose come from our characters’ mouths and not the narration, and that helps remind us that, fantastical world or not, this is a genuine mystery novel, and a traditional one, in many ways. The dialogue is realistic and occasionally quite coarse, accentuating the different characters well. The plotting and general tempo is pretty swift moving and gives us enough reveals along the way that it never feels like we are being strung along. Every reveal comes with a new problem to solve, keeping the tension consistent through the novel, but our characters do rack up small wins along the way. It’s hard not to turn the page at the end of every chapter, but it never feels like cliffhangers or surprises just for the sake of it, everything fits into the flow of the story really well.

I wish I was more enthralled with the world-building, to be honest. I mean, I think the overall world-building is great, but most of that work was done in the last novel. Yes, this particular country was engaging, and certainly the atmosphere felt different from the first novel, and the working of the Shroud, the mysterious center where leviathans are broken down to power the empires bio-mods that let them safeguard their world, was fun. But it didn’t really feel like the world opened up too much, it just barely pushed at the edges of what was already (well-designed) in the first novel. And it kind of goes the same for the main characters, too. They both had a lot of growth in the first novel, but not so much here. Yes, they had some internal journeys as well as character reveals, here, but nothing too monumental. Enough to keep the characters from being static and boring but also leaving a lot of room for them to continue to grow in future novels. To be fair, traditional mysteries have little to know character growth, and so to even have them go on any sort of journey is already additive to the genre. The same can be said for pushing on the boundaries of the established world-building. But after how explosive the first novel was, and how much it excited me, I was hoping for a little more in this novel in terms of putting out characters through an emotional wringer as complicated as the mysteries they solve and pushing the boundaries of this fantastical world as we know it.

While the novel certainly did revolve around this central mystery, it did take the time to make some interesting comments about the nature of autocrats and what life under kingly decree might look like. Some of that commentary was a little muddled when the alternative to a dictator is an (apparently benevolent?) imperialist, colonizing force that has some degree of democratic ideals accompanying the strength of their swords. There was certainly an attempt at complicating the idea of empire in general, which I appreciated, but it just felt a little muddled. Still, more than often expected in a mystery novel, and it did a good job of helping this stand out from the pack. There are enjoyable characters that we care about investigating a multi-layered mystery that feels legitimate for this world and has actual consequences. The world is one full of surprises and even if I hoped for it to be pushed a little further it took a really engaging world from the first novel and did add to it. All of this done with crisp writing that moves along, is tense and engaging, and breathes life to the characters, main characters and ancillary characters alike. I had a lot of fun solving this mystery and I look forward to spending more time with Din and Ana in the future!

(Rounded from 3.5)

I want to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher Del Ray, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Back with Ana and Din, ready to investigate another murder, our Sherlock and Holmes like characters get called to a city outside of the Empire called Yarrow. Here, a group of Apoths have created the Shroud, which is where they keep the body of the levitation that was killed and is harvested for grafts and tinctures to bring the population their alterations. Here, a man has been murdered in his locked and guarded room with now sign of how this has happened. As they investigate, they come to realize there is a thicker plot than just this one murder.

I enjoy the characters of Ana and Din so much. They are so well written. And I love that in this book we get more of Ana’s back story and Din’s hopes and dreams. I also love the newest character, Malo. The pacing is right on for the who-dunnit style mixed with the fantasy elements that need so much detail.

I cannot wait to read the next one!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing for this ARC!

I liked this book better than the first one. I thought the characters were more grounded, there was a good pacing of character development with plot development, and the overall worldbuilding was solid. I do think there are points where the book gets bogged down by being over descriptive and because the book focused on an area not technically a part of the Empire, I thought it would have been interesting if Din and Ana could have discovered more about the Leviathans.

The core mystery of the book was a little easier to figure out, but I think that's because I've gotten more used to the writing style of the author. Also, as a reader it's not necessarily a bad thing if I can start to figure out the ending or at least think I have an idea of solving the central mystery. Even if I'm wrong, I like the feeling of trying to pick-up clues and suss the solution out with the characters. I think Din as a character has a more subtle character arc and growth, where Ana really gets more fleshed out for me. Especially because they as a team have more interactions with different axioms (enhanced characters) and these side characters really help shape Ana & Din as a team.

Overall I enjoyed this book, I'm definitely going to continue with the series. I hope the next book has a little more information about the world and isn't as flowery.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Another slam dunk for RJB! 10/10. I hope he gets his wish and this continues into a 12 book Miss Marple-esque series, because I will devour them all up without hesitation.

This series is such a unique fantasy that I’m never sure how to rate it or how I feel about it. The first book gave me Sherlock Holmes or Knives Out vibes and this one continued to but also turned into something more. I love the relationship between Ana and Din. There is an interdependency and vulnerability that binds them together yet they are each strong on their own. That’s what makes them a fun team similar to Sherlock and Watson. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to the effects of the revelations at the end of this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an early copy.

I’ve never gone wrong picking up another book by this author! But I was particularly excited to grab this sequel, as the first one was the perfect mixture of two things I love especially: incredibly creative fantasy worlds and a Holmes/Watson duo solving complex mysteries. And this was one of those rare sequels where I went in pretty much wanting exactly the same as the first one! And boy, did I get it, and more!

So, I’ll jump straight to the end of the review now and say this was pretty much my idea of a perfect read. Not only did it bring back everything I loved from the first book, but it expanded on the the world-building and fantasy aspects of the story and gave greater depth to our main characters. The mystery itself was also complex and interesting, with numerous twists and turns. There were the right number of red herrings that readers could form their own guesses and theories, but then, when the final reveal came, there were inevitably pieces that were still true revelations.

I also really enjoyed the deeper themes of monarchy and empire that were explored in this book. The first one brushed up on some of these themes as well, but this one really dove into the ideas of kings and their seemingly deep-seated appeal as a form of governance. (On this point, the author included a really excellent author’s note at the end that is definitely worth giving a read!). Throughout the story, there is commentary and exploration of these structures of society, who falls through the cracks and who benefits, and why people cling to form of government that doesn’t serve them. Beyond this, there were some really great discussions of the inglorious but necessary role of justice enforcers and the pursuit of truth, even when it takes you to some dark places. (Of course, this being a fantasy novel, those dark places were more then simply metaphorically “dark.”) Is it ever right to do the wrong thing for the right reason? Who decides and how should justice be served? These are big topics, but the book does a great job of tackling them, without ever feeling heavy-handed or preachy.

Beyond this, I was simply happy to spend more time with Din and Ana. From Din, we saw the challenges that he’s faced, working for such an eccentric woman as Ana for now several years. In some ways, he’s adjusted well. In others, it’s clear he’s still floundering to find his role in this world. For Ana’s part, she’s still brilliant, but also strange in a way that is often perturbing. As the story continued, we began to see more and more glimpses behind the curtain, and there were some great reveals regarding her own history towards the end of the book.

The world Bennet has created here continues to be simply wild. So much creativity, but also so much horror, awaits around every corner. Similarly to the first book, this isn’t the read for you if you struggle with body horror. The dangers of this world present in incredibly unique and disturbing ways, and Bennet doesn’t shy away from fully describing it as such. The stakes of this book are also closely tied to the biodiversity of this world, and it was great exploring how humanity has found a way to live and thrive in a world as perilous as this one.

Overall, this was an excellent sequel, everything I could have wanted from a follow-up book! It took the phenomenal groundwork that was laid in the first book and ran wild with it. Can’t wait to see what comes next!

Rating 10: Deliciously dark, exploring the disturbing nature not only of this wild fantasy world but also of the depths of humanity itself.

Link will go live on The Library Ladies on April 11

What a fun read! This one had it all—quick and action-packed plot, political and courtly intrigue, complex and memorable characters, and unpredictable twists. But what made this one stand out most was RJB’s incredible world building and witty dialogue. With only two books in this series so far, we are given a satisfying chunk of the universe, but it’s clear that there are still many mysteries yet to be solved and many details yet to be revealed. I eagerly await Din and Ana’s next adventure!

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves both high fantasy and mystery genres. The unique magic system and universe scratch that fantasy itch, while the more traditional mystery story structure wraps all that complexity up into a super satisfying, bite-sized package.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars - In the second installment of the Shadow of the Leviathan series, Din and Ana travel to a remote edge of the Empire's lands in search of a Treasury Officer who managed to disappear from a locked room. Yet when the disappearance turns into a murder, the pair soon find themselves chasing down an extraordinarily brilliant and cunning and foe whose target seems to be much bigger than all were first led to believe.

I've always love mystery novels because they give me a chance to read AND work through a puzzle, and Robert Jackson Bennett writes some great puzzles. I remember stumbling upon THE TAINTED CUP last year and becoming immediately sucked in by the incredible, strange world, and my love for Din, Ana, and this entire series only grew with A DROP OF CORRUPTION. Alongside Bennett's writing style, I think what I like so much about these books is the relationship between the two main characters, as well as how fleshed out all the rest of the characters are. Everyone we meet seems to have a purpose, with each of their individual threads coming together to create a beautiful and complex world.

Murder mystery and political conspiracy, plus leviathan monsters and body augmentations that essentially grant superpowers, this series has it all and more. In addition to each book's unique plot line, there's an undercurrent of "something big is coming" that weaves it's way through the novels and has me counting down the days until the next piece of the story is in my hands!

Thank you to Del Ray and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very engaging mystery. We definitely got to know our main characters even more and I really enjoyed walking this journey with them. The storytelling was consistent and flowed really well following the first installment of our detectives adventures. The world building is extremely unique, I'm actually not sure I have ever read anything like this before. I enjoyed the rawness of our FMC and cannot wait for the next mystery.

If you like a complex world, a complicated FMC, an evolving partnership in the style of Holmes and Watson, and compelling mysteries, this story and it's predecessor are for you.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc and opportunity to read this book! I loved it!

A Drop of Corruption follows The Tainted Cup. Din is an experienced apprenticed assistant to Ana Dolabra, an investigator with highly eccentric habits. Din has been magicked to have a perfect recall, which he uses to serve his investigator’s eyes and ears out in the world. Now Ana and Din face their toughest case yet and the highest of stakes. How can they catch up to a murderer who gets into spaces no one can and disappears without a trace?

Like TTC, we get a fully story arc with more worldbuilding that sets the stage for future volumes. RJB cheekily described The Tainted Cup as A Game of Thrones and Knives Out, which is pretty accurate. And like TTC, A Drop of Corruption is a murder mystery combined with a political fantasy and a fair amount of bio horror. There are obviously some Holmes-Watson vibes as well along with Attack on Titan.

I really enjoyed the first volume, and I really enjoyed this one too. I think fantasy mysteries are particularly hard to do well because a good mystery leaves room for the audience to make informed guesses, but the audience often doesn’t understand the rules of the fantasy world. It means that the denouement can feel unsatisfying. That’s not the case here– RJB strikes this delicate balance perfectly. No spoilers, but we also start to see some very interesting cracks in the Empire, and I’m excited about where the next volume will go.

Robert Jackson Bennett is one of the finest fantasy writers working today. His prose is exquisite and he crafts wonderful worlds with fabulous people and stories to populate them. This story is a perfect reflection of his abilities. Ana and Din are interesting characters, working for the Iudex as investigators of strange and unusual crimes. RBJ’s use of language in describing the place and times of the setting place the reader, almost, physically into the story.

I have enjoyed these first two stories of this Khanum Empire where the beasts are enormous, the plots are filled with political intrigue, and the characters are uniquely designed to survive these difficult climes. I highly recommend the Ana and Din Mysteries (Shadow of the Leviathan #2), especially if you enjoy your fantasy stories with some excellent mystery elements!

4.5 stars out of five

Quite a different read from the first book, but very good nonetheless. I personally enjoyed this one a bit more than The Tainted Cup. It felt less foreseeable for the most part, and the main characters were very nicely fleshed out. The main villain felt a bit cliché and more like a brain than a person, but that might have been by design. Evil is not necessarily charisma incarnate.

I especially liked what the author did with Ana, and I cannot wait to see where this is going. Ultimately, the mysteries surrounding the leviathans are still shrouded in the unknown, but I expect answers in the next book.

(Mild spoiler below /!\ )

I would not be surprised to see our antagonist still alive in the sequel. We shall see—killing a character behind the curtain usually doesn't mean death, but I might be proven wrong.

I advise those who liked The Tainted Cup to give this one a read—they're in for a ride !

This second installment in the Shadow of the Leviathan series is just as entertaining as the first. And while this is definitely a continuation of the story, one could definitely read this as a standalone novel and be highly satisfied.

Robert Jackson Bennett is a master world builder and storyteller. And, we know Bennett has created remarkable characters in Ana Dolabra and Dinios Kol, but in this book we get introduced to another interesting character, Tira Malo.
These three take the hunting of the murderer to new levels in the medieval-esque society of Yarrowdale.

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

The criminally underrated Robert Jackson Bennett is back. I can really do nothing but gush for any of his book's. Probably why Netgalley keeps sending them to me(I know I don't have to mention Netgalley but I really, really want to).
Why should you read this book? Well, the world building is amazing and as good as the world building is the character development is even better. Ana and Din seem a like the familiar Holmes and Watson idea but like anything like Rjb's other novels it goes much darker and much weirder.
I'd like to describe this book but to be fair I couldn't do it justice, it's something you have to read to get it.
I have no criticism for this book other than I read it too fast and lost a fair amount of sleep because of it.

I could join Din and Ana on their adventures time and time again. The bizarreness of their partnership, their individual journeys and the world that they are trying to leave better than they found it is captivating. The eclectic genre-blend of fantasy, sci-fi and murder mystery continues, with our ever-witty and bickering investigative team always 3 steps behind our walk-through-walls perp.

The sequel doesn’t disappoint with more world-building, politics and gruesomely described deaths - which just adds to the dark tone of this world.
This book is very plot-driven, and while we have some character development, there is probably more in book 1 than in book 2. In saying that, we learn a little more about Ana and her ‘nature’, and we see Ana and Din grow more comfortable with each other.

This is parts murder mystery, political conspiracy, sci-fi, and fantasy. There are always parts you will guess along the way, but the final tie together will keep you guessing until the end.

I can't wait to read anything else this world has to offer!