The Tainted Cup was one of my favorite reads of 2024, and the sequel didn’t disappoint! In A Drop of Corruption, Din and Ana travel to a new location on the outskirts of the Empire to solve another complex criminal mystery that reaches all the way to the royal court!
I won’t hide that the murder mystery in this installment seemed a bit weaker than in the first one, and many elements involved in its solution felt overly complicated to me. I also missed the Leviathans from the first part, but that’s just a personal preference. Still, the book makes up for this with other aspects. A Drop of Corruption wonderfully expands this impressive world that has been created with such imagination. This book is much heavier on politics than the previous one, which was a strong advantage for me. Another area where this book shines is character development—we learn a lot of new things about Ana and Din, and by this point, it’s hard not to be completely absorbed in their story. I don’t know which of the two protagonists is my favorite. Ana is really fascinating, and I’d love to learn more about her past, while Din deserves the world. Among the secondary characters, Malo particularly stood out, and I hope we’ll see more of her in future books.
Overall, I’m sure that readers who enjoyed the first book and were hoping The Tainted Cup would evolve into a crime series set in a rich, gradually expanding world will be very satisfied after reading A Drop of Corruption. I personally can’t wait for the next installment.

I usually don’t fall so hard for books that romance isn’t the main plot but I can’t get enough of this series. I love the world Bennett paints in these books and his writing makes it easy to imagine. The level of imagination that has gone into this series is honestly impressive. We learn so much more about Ana and Din in this book and I am truly invested in both characters. The side character, Malo, really makes the book with her surly humor. The mystery kept my interest and I was delightfully shocked by the ending. I am excited to see how Din grows, as I feel he is destined for great things!

This was the best way to end my reading year of 2024! Everything I loved about the first book in this series is true of this sequel as well, and perhaps even more so since sequels have the benefit of not needing as much setup time for setting and characters. I was totally baffled by the mystery of this story and was left guessing until the very end. The fantasy setting continues to be vibrant and nuanced and I often found myself laughing at the characters and their interactions. As with The Tainted Cup, I had to take one star off my rating to account for the scattered language and same sex romance allusions, but thankfully they did not escalate or take up any more space than they did in the first book. If you're looking for an engrossing, captivating page-turner, I would highly recommend A Drop of Corruption!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an eARC of this book!

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett is a compelling sequel to Tainted Cup in the Ana and Din Mystery series. Bennett once again delivers a sharp, immersive blend of mystery, dark fantasy, and intrigue that keeps readers hooked from the first page.

Set in a richly imagined world of political corruption and sinister secrets, it follows Ana and Din as they navigate a tangled web of deception and danger. Bennett’s world-building is top-notch, with vivid descriptions and complex characters that feel both familiar and unsettling. The stakes are higher this time, as Ana and Din confront deeper, more personal threats while trying to unravel the dark forces that haunt their city.

Bennett’s prose is precise and engaging, balancing tension with moments of quiet reflection. The mystery unfolds slowly, drawing readers deeper into a world where nothing is as it seems. The character development is particularly strong, with Ana and Din facing their own personal demons while unraveling the overarching mysteries surrounding the city’s corruption.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommendation: Perfect for fans of dark, atmospheric mysteries with deep, complex characters and intricate world-building.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of this book.
This was a fantastic sequal to the Tainted Cup which was one of my favorite book of 2024. I do think that this book was slightly weaker then the first one mystery wise but the overall character and world growth was amazing. The ending was unexpected and the Epilogue was amazing. I am really looking forward to another novel in the future. The author did a fantastic job with this world/book!

Stars: 5 out of 5.
The second book was just as good as the first one. I loved every minute of it, even if the more I learned about the Empire, the more I felt like it was a terrifying place to live in, especially if you chose to serve it.

I mean, the whole motto of the Empire is "You are the Empire". While that could be uplifting to some to think that they are a small part of a bigger whole, in reality, it just means that they are just a cog in a huge machine that is the Empire and that they can be easily disposable and replaceable. Oh, and it's assumed that they would dedicate their whole lives to safeguarding that Empire. Since it is in constant danger of destruction from the Leviathans who come ashore every year, I wouldn't think that it's a very nice place to live. The psychological toll must be enormous, especially in the cantons closest to the sea walls.

Din and Ana are an absolute joy to follow in this book as well. Din especially has a lot going on with him in this story - from a financial crisis not of his making but one that he feels responsible for, to trying to decide what he wants to do in life. I understand that he feels stuck. the Iudex wasn't his first choice of assignment, and the more crimes he solves with Ana, the more he despairs about his purpose. What's the point of investigating crimes when it won't rectify the wrongs? The victim is already dead, the family devastated, lives broken to the point where they can't be fixed. He feels like no matter what he does, he isn't making a difference, unlike the Legion who has a concrete enemy to fight on the walls.

I am glad that by the end of this book Din made peace with his life and finally understood that the Iudex also matters, maybe even more than the Legion, even if theirs is a thankless job. Because, as Ana said, let the Legion defend the Empire, but it's the Iudex's duty to make sure there is an Empire left worth defending.

This book is also darker and seems more desperate than the first one, though the inclusion of Malo brought much-needed levity to an otherwise pretty bleak story. I liked her, and I hope that we see at least a little more of her in the next book as well. 

We also learned a bit more about Ana and what was done to her, which is again... horrifying. This is a cruel world where surviving another wet season justifies a lot of atrocities perpetrated against their own people. I am looking forward the next book in the series. Hopefully, we will learn a bit more about the Leviathans and where they come from (or why they come ashore every year).

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I read The Tainted Cup, I was in a really deep reading slump, and yet the book was able to yank me out of that slump and became one of my favorite reads of 2024. Roughly 40 books and half a year later, that statement still holds true, but now, it has been joined by its sequel.

Everything I loved about the first book was present here, but with an even more gripping atmosphere and tenseness that got me to stay awake later than I probably should and helped me out of yet another reading slump. The mystery was intriguing and it really felt like we were peeling away layers of an onion, though we are still nowhere close to its core. The character dynamics shone even more here. I loved Ana and Din's dynamic in The Tainted Cup, but here, their bond has deepened, and Din has really picked up on Ana's quirks. RJB didn't need to tell us that they're close, he showed it (which I just absolutely love).

And the atmosphere! There were moments when I was gripping my kindle so hard, tense while waiting for something to be revealed.

RJB was already high on my auto-buy list after I finished the Founders trilogy, but now, he's really cemented himself as the top author on my list. Whatever he puts out, I will most certainly buy.

And I really, really hope that we can get more than 3 books in this series 🤞🏻.

A huge thanks to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book!

in this return to the empire we follow detective ana and her assistant din as they try and solve the mystery of a treasury officer who disappeared from his room without a trace and later turns up dead. there's intrigue, twist and turns, dead ends, corruption and just overall good times.

what i love most about these books is that the mysteries are always intriguing, and the way ana solves them is mesmerising, but when you look back, all of the clues were always there, almost as if you could've solved everything yourself. the way this author weaves webs of deceit and intrigue only to unravel them all in the end in a way that just makes so much sense is utterly captivating.

the worldbuiling is incredible and the characters are so engaging and interesting and i am so happy we got to return to them!

Ok, I need to firstly say that it is so good to be back in the world of Ana & Din!
Aside from the all-encompassing, multi-layered mystery that had me guessing from until the very end, there were some very interesting things I enjoyed!
I love how Din is more confident in his abilities as an investigator for the Iudex, knowing Ana’s processes and navigating them was very satisfying. And not to spoil, but Din’s extracurricular activities were surprisingly fun as well!
Ana as a character as a whole is widely captivating and frightening at times, and I love every second! I cannot wait to learn more about her history in future books, of which I have no doubt there will be an audience for!
The additional players in this mystery felt very fleshed out and had their signature vibes and this whole web of mystery would be nothing without them. I really hope we see Malo again, and never from Kardas!
The pacing was great, the atmosphere and setting was lush and vivid and the crime scenes were brilliant and the investigations of each were meticulous and entertaining.
I, for one, cannot wait for the next installment of Ana&Din.

Bennett has truly done it again!! I found myself cravinggg more of Din and Ana after finishing The Tainted Cup just a few weeks ago and this upcoming release could not have come sooner. I have developed such a love for the lush world that Bennett crafts with his writing. Immediately after finishing this I instantly moved onto one of his other releases that’s how down bad I am for this writing!! Din had a lot more depth and growth in this story and I adored it. We got to see a bit of him emerge at the end of The Tainted Cup and this book continued to make me adore him. Ana is like a Sherlock on steroids, utterly perfect. The delve into her lore in this had me trying to puzzle her out alongside Din!! I am now an avid Bennett reader, he does not disappoint and this will leave any high fantasy fan satisfied!!

I love this world!! This sequel (to one of my favorite books of 2024) was considerably more complex than the series debut. I had left the first novel wanting to know more about the world and its characters, and that is exactly what A Drop of Corruption delivered. The way that Bennett tied reveals about the world and its characters into this new mystery was so flawless. I never felt overwhelmed by info dumps or world building and instead was motivated to keep reading by the promise of more details being uncovered. Bennett truly packed so much into this story; the pacing was excellent, the characters endearingly complex, the world uniquely strange and the visuals stunning. I can't wait to continue reading Din and Anna's stories!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

this was an interesting one. RJB made his anti-monarchial sentiments very clear with this one, though I don't quite think the empire came out unscathed either, even if i remained unconvinced by the grand speeches about the glories of serving your nation (but that's on account of my personal politics).

malo was an excellent addition to the plot, and played off of din especially well. and din himself..... yeah having sex you don't really enjoy because you are sad and bored is a bad idea but hey. enjoy your fuckboy era ig. i am glad to see the further development of ana in this book, especially as we got more answers as to what the fuck her entire deal was. much of this book was not spent exploring the politics of the empire (which i think is somewhat of a missed opportunity, even if i understand RJB's intentions) but instead on the decaying kingdom of yarrowdale, but i don't think for a second we are finished with it.

i think the empire of khanum is a bit odd in contrast to most empires, due to it's odd structures and supernatural abilities of the citizens, so it sort of plays a "good guy" in comparison to yarrowdale. this does somewhat muddy the anti-monarchial themes in this book, and the anti-imperialist themes of the first, but considering that outside of ana and din are two imperial representatives were thelani and kardas, who got mulitple subordinates killed in a secret experiment, and was fully willing to continue bank rolling the slave trade respectively, maybe the word i ought to use is less shit. still i think the empire loses much of it's complexity in the narrow focus on yarrowdale, and the political world is written with a disconcertingly liberal view for my tastes. the empire itself operates off of the bodies and debts of people they have tied to it's service, which is certainly not the slavery of yarrowdale, but operates off of similar principles. i don't think it necessarily comes off clean, but it is a noticeable hole in it's political commentary. but nobody is reading fantasy sherlock and watson for anti-imperalist theory except for me, so i'll move on.

the mystery is just as odd and twisty as book one, and ended being an interesting journey considering we had already determined the culprit halfway through the novel, and from there spent the rest of the book untangling his web so to speak. it was a risk choice for a murder mystery, but given the moriartyesque nature of the antagonist, i think it paid off.

all in all i enjoyed myself! RJB is at least writing another book, and i'm hoping that his wish for an episodic style murder mystery comes true.

Excellent, excellent. Fantasy, morality, action packed twists and turns. A thoughtful intelligent fantasy novel which was very enjoyable to read. Thank you to the author, I will be searching for your other works. Thank you to # NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

What a delightful continuation! This book gets directly to the mystery meat we all love, start to finish Din and Ana detective extraordinaire antics. The pacing is steady and engaging, the characters are dynamic and memorable, the plot is intriguing and hooks you from the very beginning and keeps you on the line to the very last word. My only grievance, one that seems to be had by others as well, is that there is less heart in this story when it comes to the characters. Less emotional engagement. I am glad I read the epilogue, as it gave me a bit of this at the very very end.

the tainted cup was one of my favourite reads of this year, so i was thrilled to be approved for the arc of the second instalment of the series. thrilled, and also incredibly nervous to start reading it as i was unsure if it would deliver the same kind of magic as the first book. and i shouldn't have been so wary as the mystery and how it unravels in this was so well done. the pacing of reveals and the stretches of tension in between them were well timed, and the clues dropped for readers to parse through were well left (and brought with it the sweet, sweet satisfaction of being right when ana puts together the clues in her monologues). i will say the establishment of the case and the pacing of the first quarter of the book dragged a little as we familiarise ourselves with yarrow and a new spread of characters, but once the ball gets rolling, it doesn't stop. the sense of danger once it was established was a constant, looming presence that pushed the pace of the book forward.

din and ana were as always, a delight to read and i appreciated that we got to see a little bit more of their backgrounds (even if it was just a smidge). i also like how both of them were more,,, humanised in this. we see ana unravelling a little as she grapples with an adversary who stayed a step ahead of even her throughout most of the novel. and we see din struggle with feeling like his deeds are purposeless and not as tangible as the so-called glory of the battles fought by the legion at the sea walls. while the messaging was a little heavy handed at the end of the book, i did really like the conversation of duty vs glory din had with another character. malo was also a fantastic side character, and i hope to see more of her in the series!

the world-building in this was as intricate and intriguing as what was established in the first book, and i ate up every detail of it ravenously. i especially loved the imagery of the shroud and the way that it was brought to life had me practically convinced i could perceive it (an impressive feat as i have aphantasia). the prose and descriptors in this were just that lush and convincing.

all in all, this was a fantastic follow-up to an already incredible first book, and i am so eager to delve further into this world when further instalments are released!

a massive thank you to netgalley and random house publishing group for the arc!

A Drop of Corruption is the second entry in Robert Jackson Bennett’s Shadow of the Leviathan series, which is essentially Sherlock Holmes meets Lovecraftian horrors in an old world fantasy setting. I really enjoyed this follow up to The Tainted Cup, which follows our protagonist Din as he accompanies his eccentric detective boss Ana to solve another perplexing mystery. The story starts as a traditional locked-room mystery: how was a Taxation official killed and removed from a room no one else was able to enter and then dumped without anyone else knowing? This leads to greater mysteries surrounding the theft of the contents of a safe and further thefts involving dangerous reagents with the potential to destabilize the Empire.

What makes this series unique is its careful worldbuilding: the story is set in a world where massive sea monsters called leviathans or titans routinely threaten those on land. And, to defeat monsters, people have learned to make themselves monstrous, manufacturing augmentations from titan blood, such as enhanced hearing, memory, or intelligence. One of the themes of this novel concerns how the extraordinary, whether people or monsters, can threaten society at large if not kept in check, and similarly how autocracies can suppress progress.

The characters are also fascinating: Ana is a bit monstrous herself with her acute intelligence and strange appetites, yet startlingly vulnerable and human. Din, our narrator and protagonist, is highly relatable, struggling to balance family obligations and crushing debt with a budding career and his desire to achieve more than seemingly mundane wins. There are numerous supporting characters who help make the world feel lived-in and worth fighting for, as well as an antagonist who always seems a few steps ahead of everyone.

This was an engrossing read, one I’ve been looking forward to since the first book, and I’m eagerly anticipating the next one. You don’t necessarily have to read the first in the series to get into this one, but it helps set the tone.

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for providing an Advance Reading Copy.

Tropes are an interesting thing. If handled poorly, they are a set of osmium shoes, dragging a story to the depths of forgettability faster than an author could imagine. If handled well, they are a love letter to the genres they are pulled from. All stories have tropes, but none have so many, as the mystery novel.

Mysteries, as a genre, don't just have tropes, they have rituals. There are forms to be observed, shibobboleths that must be sounded out, and plots that must be executed with extreme care and cleverness. In short, there is a formula. Ironically, this formula means that mystery often isn't about the puzzle. It isn't about the crime. It's about the characters and relationships, and what those characters and relationships have to say about real people in the real world. The crime is merely the pretext, the inciting incident. When the book is over, the crime must have done two things. First, it must have made sense, otherwise the reader is unable to believe in the ability of the characters to solve it. The second thing a crime must do, is it must be ever so slightly less than the detective. It must challenge them, but with few exceptions, it must not break them.

With this in mind, I can say, quite cheerfully, that if you are a mystery fan, you have read The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption before. You've probably read them many times, but I doubt you've read a version that is this good. Part of this excellence is how moving the mystery to a fantasy world enhances the believability. Sherlock Holmes is the genre's archtype for a reason, but his leaps of logic tend towards the ridiculous and impossible. They make sense in the context of his story, but fall apart when placed against reality. Ana and Din though, are the experts of their world, with access to magic and alchemy. We the audience are not in a position to contradict their expertise, so long as that expertise isn't effectively challenged by another character. This prevents moments of "Wait a moment, that's not how that works!" that can often interfere with the immersion of a mystery, when an expert in a field clashes with an authors more limited understanding.

It helps even more that Ana and Din are believable characters in their own right. While they are clearly an homage to the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, they have their own quirks and complement eachother in different ways. Ana is a foulmouthed and irritable creature with prediliction for "moodies" (though in the second book her vice of choice appears to be gluttony, in a manner similar to Nero Wolfe). Interacting with people wears on her, to the point she wears a blindfold when out amongst the world. On the outside, she is a mess, but this mess hides the brilliance of her mind. Internally she is organized, focused, and dedicated to her task. Din on the other hand is much better with people. He's intelligent, but not brilliant. His perfect memory grants him a degree of capability, but he can't form the connections that Ana can. He can't make the same leaps of logic that Ana can. While externally he is the more put together, Din lacks the conviction, and over the course of these two books he struggles to maintain focus.

Together they complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, but they are also whole in a way that quirky detectives usually aren't. Sherlock doesn't work as a character without Watson. Watson's personality is a little too tied to Sherlock. Ana and Din are their own people. They wouldn't be as effective seperately, but they would still be doing their best in a broken, shroompunk world.

Ana and Din head to Yarrowdale to investigate the disappearance and murder of a member of the imperial treasury but instead find a sprawling plot to topple the kingdom of Yarrow and its acquisition by the empire.

Even better than the fist book. Ana and Din both show new sides of themselves and the new cast of characters are all delightful in their deceits. Absolutely would not change a thing, and the twists at the end were phenomenal.

I’ll start by saying that The Tainted Cup was my favorite read of last year, so getting the chance to read this ARC felt like a gift. It brought me immense joy.

The crime and mystery elements were expertly layered and kept me hooked. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, new twists unraveled, deepening the intrigue. However, what I loved even more than the mystery was the complexity of the characters. Like the story itself, they proved to be far more nuanced than they first appeared.

Din’s emotional journey, while not always healthy, was interesting to witness. His evolving relationship with Ana was a standout aspect of the book for me. Their personal conversations were filled with moments that stirred deep emotions, and their mutual care for one another shone quietly if you knew where to look.

Malo, on the other hand, completely stole my heart. I enjoyed her so much that I couldn’t help but wish I want to be her best friend—if she’d have me!

The book also delves into the themes of authoritarian regimes versus laws and democracy, which I appreciate hugely in a book.

I can’t wait for the third book in the series—I have so many theories about where the story might go next. This series is definitely lone of my favorites in recent years.
Also, please bring Strovi back in the third book! He is so missed.

This is by far my favorite series by RJB. I am so happy to say that this book is just as good as the first and I truly hope this becomes a long series. The setting is even more intriguing as we learn about the kingdom of Yarrow. I could not put it down. This detective mystery is so so intriguing and I’ve never read anything like this!!