When I say that The Tainted Cup was one of my favorite reads this year, I want you to know that I mean that. That I bought The Tainted Cup as gifts for friends and family and mere acquaintances, that I IM'd my coworkers that I don't even like on Microsoft Teams about it, that I interrupted workouts to peddle this book to gym goers. No one was safe.

When I say that A Drop of Corruption is now ALSO one of my favorite reads this year, I want you to know that I mean that as well. I'd feel bad about restarting the cycle with everyone I know, but this book will also improve people's lives so 🤷🏾‍♀️ Get ready for me to gush about A Drop of Corruption as well. GIRD YOUR LOINS

What this book is: Sherlock Holmes, Heart of Darkness, Mars Attacks. You'll get it.

Like the first book, we jump immediately into the case: a locked room abduction/murder, a bank heist, and lo - a government conspiracy?

And, of course, our beloved characters. Din is lonely and disillusioned about his job, has creditors hounding him, and fantasizes about a future dying heroically in the military. Ana is Ana, but we get a tiny peek into her background this time around! We also have Malo, a young local warden with augmented senses who's helping on the case. She's a great side character, though I did roll my eyes a bit over her being a living (and reliable) polygraph.

A Drop of Corruption is more than just a mystery. It's about power, divinity, past, present, future, and how frankly boring nihilism is. I was a little disappointed that the land proud of their history and resistant to being taken over by the Empire was a despotic, slave owning kingdom disdainful of technology and reveling in their degradation, symbolized by their rotten teeth. I guess the only thing worse than imperial bureaucracy is autocratic monarchy.

Still, I need there to be a hundred books in this series. Like I literally want to die of old age with new entries still being published (though I'm younger than RJB so he'll need to get himself some longevity augmentations). I want Din and Ana traveling the Empire solving mysteries, making new friends and enemies, and staring leviathans in the face. For as Ana said:

"...the drop of corruption that lies within every society shall always persist."

I just about threw a party when I received the ARC for A Drop of Corruption. I’ve been looking forward to this book since I read the last one, which I also read early, so it’s been well over a year.

A Drop of Corruption is a masterpiece. I genuinely think it’s better than the first one. There are some things I’d like to highlight:

1. The world in this book is so interesting and vivid. You learn much more about the world in this book, and you get to explore a different part of the empire (or the sort-of-part-of /sort-of-not-part-of the empire). Yarrow is a rich kingdom, different from other places that have subscribed to the conformity of the empire. You also learn a bit more about the interactions between the empire and the leviathans, particularly how the bodies of leviathans are processed to create reagents. The Shroud is also a really cool thing that makes the world so much more interesting.

2. The mystery in this book is sprawling and intriguing with many interwoven parts that all come together in the end. This is, of course, my favorite kind of mystery. One of the best parts of the experience of reading this book is trying to make connections and solve the mystery along with Din.

3. Everything I learn about Ana makes her more and more interesting. I am beyond curious about her history and how she came to be the way (and what) she is. She’s a fascinating character.

4. Despite everything fantasy (and I love fantasy) about this book, I like how grounded the characters are. They deal with real world problems (like debt). It helps the story feel real, which in turns feeds the immersion.

Overall, I loved A Drop of Corruption, and I am very much looking forward to book 3.

I received an advanced copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this second adventure/mystery Ana Dolabra is once again contacted to solve an "unsolvable" crime. Along with her aide Dinios, she sets out to discover not only how a treasury officer was murdered but how his body left a "locked room." As the investigation continues, it becomes clear that this is much more than just a murder that needs to be solved, but a plot by a wickedly intelligent criminal to bring about the destruction of their world. Not knowing who can be trusted and being thwarted at every turn by their nemesis this is the first time that Dinios has doubts about Ana's ability to solve the crime. If you loved the unique world building in "The Tainted Cup", you'll be excited to rejoin Ana and Dinios as they work to save it from destruction.

Did I think the sequel would be better than The Tainted Cup? Eh. Was it? Hell, yeah.
While the shock factor of this new world is only just getting settled, this new part of the empire that is explored in this installment only brings more wonder. What more, it delves into the lives of the people powering the empire in more detail and highlights the precarious knife's edge the empire is walking with the biological enhancements.
The series still feels very sci-fi to me and I am totally here for it.
Din has matured since his first investigation and I kind of wanted to be along for the journey and get a glimpse into all the other investigations that Ana and Din had taken up since the walls. Maybe a novella later?
The betrayals, murders, elaborate plots to serve complicated motivations and crude alliances where the allies turn on each other were all super intriguing to read in this book. It's like the empire is getting revealed in bits and pieces to us readers and it will all come together like a puzzle. The world-building that delved into the various communities within the empire and its efforts (or lack thereof) to annex other lands is truly painting a broader picture. The experiements and the secrecy of it all "for the safety of all" were also truly thought-provoking in terms of who is benefitting from it ultimately and how much is it really for the good of the people.
If anything, the murders were more shocking in The Tainted Cup whereas these murders were political, which was apparent from the get-go. Book One had more possibilities while this one's goal was clear from the very beginning. But the political intrigue was still very entertaining to read about and ponder.
I am ready to read more about this world and the wait for the next book would be excrutiating.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

"A Drop of Corruption" is the second in a series that started with the incredibly engrossing "The Tainted Cup." Thankfully, this book is a worthy follow-up. Once again Ana and Din are presented with a murder mystery that requires in-depth investigation to pick away at the layers of fretvine woven together.

Much like in the first book, Ana and Din are presented with a corpse that is puzzling in nature. I love how the initial description of the victim is so well-described that I can see it clearly. It's also strange, so I was immediately curious to find out what was going on.

The world that Bennett has created has layers upon layers, and I feel like this second book has contributed and added on to what we have learned about it in the first. I loved seeing more lands and meeting new characters. (Malo is fantastic, and I hope she shows up again.) I think the 'magic system' for lack of a better term, is creative.

Of course, the characters are well-developed. I noticed some reviews wish that more was revealed about Ana and Din's backstories, but I feel like we got a lot about both of them. (There's one scene in the end, where we get a good dose of information about how Ana is capable of the mental processing she does and has the ability to solve these cases.) I wouldn't want to much when there is so much more (hopefully) of this series to come.

If you are someone who loves a good mystery and can appreciate a well-crafted fantasy realm, then I can't recommend this series enough.

Another winner! I loved this continued collaboration of Ana and Din in the strange land of the Empire. The mystery here seems unsolvable until uncannily brilliant Ana peels back the layers.

Notes for the copy editor:
Chapter 9 "I cannot say," said Sujedo slowly. I believe the speaker should be Tufwa, not Sujedo.
Chapter 25 "There is a seat e, and many of these eerie stone sculptures, but nothing else." I don't know what "seat e" refers to.

I found this sequel falling into the normal stereotype of the second book slump. I did not like Din questioning leaving the Iudex so soon. I think that would have been a fair storyline in later books but only five investigations and he was done? Also I did not connect to Din at all in this book. He had no emotional capacity. He was heartbroken for his missing partner from last book but also never talks about it, or his inner monologue doesnt. Also, the mystery will interesting because of the use of the leviathans, it was completely easy to guess, and I found myself frustrated it took them so long to catch on, and it took me completely out of the book.

WOW, another great addition to the series. As I read through the book I slowly picked up where it was going and I enjoyed that. It wasn’t too predictable but if you followed the story and the hints that were dropped you’d see where it was going. I love Din and Ana, they’re amazing and the addition of Malo made it better. The characters in this book were nicely written. Only thing disappointing to me has nothing to do with the book itself but I show the same disappointment that Ana did to our antagonist in regards to their motivations. Oh what could’ve been. But excited for more if there are any to come

I was beyond floored I received this ARC and will forever be grateful.
This story is wildly entertaining just like the last. We got to learn more about Ana and Din, discovering more about our main characters. Along with this we also had expansion of the world building and new magic/tech. At the heart of RJB stories I am thinking about our world and how it can relate with the worlds he creates. The authors note especially left me feeling raw. Highly recommend this book and series to fantasy, sci fi, and mystery lovers all.
I hope to meet up again soon with Ana and Din on their next adventure.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC.

4.5 ⭐️
A Drop of Corruption is a brilliant continuation of The Tainted Cup, delivering an intricate mystery steeped in political intrigue and sharp world-building. Ana Dolabra and Din Kol return to solve a locked-room murder, uncovering a web of danger tied to the Empire’s expansion and the Leviathans’ magic. The dynamic between Ana’s sharp intelligence and Din’s photographic memory adds depth, while the exploration of non-Empire territories and the Shroud facility expands the series’ rich setting. With compelling characters, a masterfully woven plot, and thought-provoking themes, this is a must-read for fans of fantasy and mystery alike.

This second book in the series (after the amazing Tainted Cup) does not disappoint. Ana Dolabra, the Empire's best investigator and her assistant, Dinios Kol, are sent to the seaside town far from the inner (and safer and nicer) parts of the Empire. Headquarters of a major part of the Empire's Treasury. a Treasury officer has disappeared -- from a locked room with no exits. It does not take long for Ana to solve this mystery or to find out the missing officer has been murdered. This part of the Empire is actually still an autonomous kingdom that should eventually become part of the Empire. It turns out however that both sides are not that eager for this merger to happen.
The magic in this world is supplied by the Leviathans of the series names and these creatures are dangerous, as is their magic that is harnessed. In this kingdom there is a major secure facility, called the Shroud that is working on something that has to do with all this but due to security, most people have no idea what is actually done there (even Ana who seems to know a lot about the inner workings of the Empire). Her assistant Din is an engraver -- someone who can remember everything they see or hear, and Ana sends him regularly to investigate different paths thrown up by this mystery and report back to her in detail.
We find out more about Din's family life before becoming an engraver and towards the end we seem to be finding out more about Ana, but you can tell you are being led to the next book in the series. The author will have his many readers waiting for what comes next.

This was an excellent follow up to The Tainted Cup, with the mystery being more expansive than the mystery in book 1. There was less world-building in this installment, which makes sense, but the reader also learns a lot about non-Empire countries, different monarchy systems, and the Shroud, which is where the reagents all come from. I really liked the themes and the author’s note at the end where Bennett explains his frustration with high fantasy’s obsession with monarchies and autocracies. The writing was just as good as book 1, as were the characters. I found the mystery to be really satisfying and its conclusion was apt given the overall themes of the book.

Absolutely excellent. I thought it was going to be difficult to surpass the first, but RJB has outdone himself. Reading the writing in this book feels like eating at a three star Michelin restaurant; no word is wasted, all perfectly placed and chosen. The words RJB crafts is so unique and fascinating; it's exactly the type of fantasy world I adore and wish I could see so much more of. The formula of having each book have its own contained murder mystery while having an overarching plot that makes you excited to continue reading is so well executed.

Needless to say, I need the next book in my hands as soon as humanly possible.

Thank you as always to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Robert Jackson Bennett's writing last year with the "The Tainted Cup" and eagerly awaited news of future novels in the series... and jumped at the chance to read the second book. "A Drop of Corruption" picks up right where the first left off, and pulls readers back into the world of the Empire and the work of Ana Dolabra and Dinias Kol.

The two are pulled to Yarrowdale, a canton that has been pending acquisition by the Empire over the years, where the shocking murder of a Treasury officer has taken place - but there is no evidence of the criminal and just how the feat was accomplished. It is the first of what eventually becomes a stunning series of crimes, each seemingly more impossible than the next with no trace of the assailant or clear motivations for the act. Kol continues to act as Ana's eyes and ears, utilizing his skills as an engraver to perfectly remember the scene of the crimes and the multitude of conversations that take place, all while juggling his own personal aspirations and the weight of his father's debt. And for the brilliant Ana, the series of crimes seems to become too much as even she struggles to understand how the pieces tie together and to capture the criminal before he gets too far.

Bennett once again does an incredible job of world-building, fleshing out a new realm with its own system of governance and political hierarchy as well as a new cast of characters - all while still tying into the world at large and the lingering dependence the nation has on the leviathans. Within this second novel, we also get further context on both Kol, as we come to understand his own motivations and aspirations, and Ana, as her own backstory and the reasons for her incredible intelligence and powers of deductions are revealed to some extent. While I did find that some of the first half of the novel seemed a little extended and at times redundant as Ana and Kol are repeatedly stumped by the antagonist, the pacing by the second half quickly picked up and I found the final reveal to be both satisfying and unpredictable.

Thoroughly recommended when "A Drop of Corruption" is released in April 2025!

This was just as swell as the first, and I was thrilled to get an early copy. With so much entertaining dialogue, it worked well as a read-aloud, although I'm sure I was mispronouncing a bunch of the words and names when reading it to my husband.
My kingdom for a glossary, though! The only supplemental material to refresh my memory was a chart of the military hierarchy--which was good to have--but as I was reacquainting myself with this insanely imagined world, I could have used a refresher on terms. Maybe the published version will have one.
The mystery is twisty, and more is revealed of the wider world and the secrets behind Ana's genius. I enjoyed Din's first-person narration and the camaraderie he developed with new character Malo as the book progressed. I do hope their paths cross again.
Book 2 is another winner! I love this author's imagination, and I look forward to more books in this world.

A Drop of Corruption
Is a continuation of the story started in The Tainted Cup, with a reprisal of Ana Dolabra, the fiery investigator who blindfolds herself to think better, and Dinios Kol, her partner with perfect memory. Ana and Din are tasked to solve the crime of a treasury man, gone missing and found murdered in the far reaches of the almost-annexed kingdom of Yarrow. But what they find when they get there unravels into a much deeper conspiracy that has far reaching consequences not only for Yarrow but for the entire Empire they serve.

I will be frank, this world that RJB has conceived of is one of the coolest fantasy settings I’ve seen. Plants rule here, where buildings are grown and people are augmented to have superhuman powers such as perfect recall and enhanced reasoning power. I love the descriptions of the world, the buildings, the jungle, the high city, it’s all just so imaginative.

The diversity of the characters is so refreshing as well. Women with bald heads, bisexual men, strong personalities, people with autistic tendencies. It’s a vibrant world with such great characters. Ana is hilarious and Din is the perfect foil. I loved the new character of Malo, she fit in perfectly with the strange cast.

The plot line was also fascinating, and the mystery so convoluted at times I had trouble following. But, it all became clear and the payout was worth it. I don’t think the pacing was maybe as good as the first novel in the series, but it kept me coming back for more.

4/5 stars!

I received an ARC from netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to the Tainted Cup. Though the story in this sequel stands apart and independently of the first, I would recommend reading them in order. The mystery was interesting, though I felt as if it was convoluting at times . We do learn more about the magic system and about one character's mysterious background, which I am excited to read about in future books. This was full of twists and surprises, and I thought the conclusion to be quite satisfying. Overall, this was a great read!

The Tainted Cup was one of my favorite 2024 reads because it differed from what I had been reading—it was still fantasy (my genre of choice) but with Sherlock Holmes vibes. So, I was so excited to dive into A Drop of Corruption.

I loved certain aspects of the second installment, although I wanted a little more from some elements. Would I recommend it? Yes! If you enjoyed the first book, you should definitely read the second. The world continues to expand, and I look forward to what’s to come in the next book.

I enjoyed…
…continuing to get to know Din now that he has been in his role a bit longer, he trusts his abilities more, is piecing together clues on his own accord, and is confident in his understanding of Ana’s quarks. I still enjoy the story unfolding, where you get pieces of information as Din does, so you are coming to your conclusions as Din does. It also expands the view of the empire as you learn about Yarrowland, which I love as you are introduced to new characters and a new side to politics.

My one gap…
My biggest bummer of the read is Ana. I LOVED her in The Tainted Cup - she was running her own game. She was shrewd and confident as things unraveled. She had everyone’s number. However, in this read, I felt she was coming undone, which was likely on purpose, and I was just not ready for that yet. I wanted more of what I read before. Not someone who seemed to be yelling all the time but someone who was quietly figuring it out and strategically dropping the truth when she needed to.

All in all…
There continue to be many twists and turns to uncover “who did it,” similar to the style of book one. Although I wanted a slight shift from book one to keep me on my toes, this was still a fun read.

4.5 stars...first off thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC of this book. It was quite the journey. I love the characters so much Ana and her neurodivergent-isms and Din was certainly put to the test on more than one occasion. These character are so well developed and the plot was great. A puzzle within a conundrum for sure. This story gave me Sherlock Holmes vibes and I'm not mad about it. It had magic, murder, mystery, mayhem, sleuthing. I would definitely recommend it to readers, especially if they read the first one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC! I enjoyed revisiting the world and Ana and Din. This story had similar energy to tainted cup with the painstaking interviews and evidence collection.

That said there were times this book dragged somewhat. I kept expecting there to be a point at which the plot picked up but they never really came.