I love this series. This book is just as wonderful as the first. A more complex new murder to solve, more world building, fantasy mixed with crime solving. Witty banter between Ana and Din and more character development. The twist and turns were fantastic. I love this series's and can wait for more.

So good, and makes me think I can read other fantasy bits and have just a good of time. Which usually leaves me disappointed, because no one quite makes high fantasy mystery and character work as entertaining as Robert Jackson Bennet.

Needles to say, I had a really great time. The story was intricate, but never overbearing, and if you enjoyed the Tainted Cup, you will have an equally, if not more, enjoyable time with A Drop of Corruption. Honor & Din return for another weird and necissarily convoluted mystery in the outskirts of the empire. Mystery busting ensues, and we're in for an exciting time while things are revealed.

The authors note at the end, was *chefs kiss*.

I listened to the audio for this and the narrator Andrew Fallaize does an amazing job. Standing ovation for you sir.

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for an e-copy.

I’ve been pining away for this book since I finished The Tainted Cup last year and of course it didn’t disappoint. Sophomore novels in an ongoing book series are not the easiest task to complete and stick the landing, but Jackson Bennett makes it look easy.

A Drop of Corruption runs about fifty pages longer than The Tainted Cup, and I suspect it’s because ADoC has to do the double duty of intense character work on Ana and Din as well as the intricate plot work involving a murdered Treasury officer, government secrets, and a shadowy opponent who confounds Ana at almost every turn. Since Din is our main protagonist, we are always privy to his characterization developments, which shift and evolve as the plot builds and the story unfolds; but Ana’s evolution as a character is driven almost harshly by the plot and worldbuilding, like she’s being backed into a corner. They’re both put through the wringer, physically. Emotionally? Well, it’s always a little hard to tell with Ana. With Din, though? He has some revelations.

The plot looks straightforward, but as the book goes on there is just layer after layer and the whole puzzle becomes more and more complicated. For every problem solved, three more become apparent. The thing is? I found the whole book really predictable but didn’t care. I guessed plot points hundreds of pages ahead of time. Still didn’t care. I was having far too much fun with Ana and Din and loving the journey so much I couldn’t care less if I knew how the story would end. That’s how good this book is. 5⭐️


I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Stars Review/Action-Adventure/Adult Fantasy/Body Horror/Book Series/Dark Fantasy/Fantasy/Fantasy Series/LGBTQ Fantasy/Mystery/Political Fantasy

When I first started reading this, I wondered if I had missed a book or novella because it seemed like a reasonable amount of time had passed and I wasn't quite sure what was going on. And, I'm afraid to admit, I didn't quite remember if the previous book had information that tied it together, so I re-read the last 5 chapters.

Because of that confusion, it seems to take me longer to settle into this book. I felt like I was trying to read into things a little too much and notice too many details in the hopes of figuring out what was going on. I am pretty proud of myself because I was on the right path for Pyktis throughout the book. I want to know so much more about Ana and Din, and I need another book soon so I can figure them out more and see what happens with them!

I have a conflicting image of Ana in my head and think Din may have that, too, and he works with her. I felt like the author's note was a bit prophetic, since it was written in September 2024 and the stock market is falling in April 2025 after tariffs were announced.

I think this book might be even better than the first book. I really enjoyed the mystery in this one. This is such a fun and new series! I love a Fantasy Mystery. Robert's character building is fantastic, I am very invested in them. I will pick up anything by this author and I will recommend it to my fantasy readers. This would be a great recommendation for ones that are looking to find something a bit out of their usual comfort read.

This one fell into the Sequel Slump a little bit for me, to be honest. I absolutely LOVED the first book and don't get me wrong, this book was also good and I did enjoy it, but I felt like it was a little bit of a letdown from the first. Same two main characters, different cast of supporting characters and setting. The mystery itself was good, although yes I did prefer the first one. Worldbuilding had the previous novel to rely on so there was less general setup, which I did enjoy. Overall: well worth reading, I just had very high expectations after enjoying the first one SO much and this was just Good, not Great.

This is book two so I don’t want to get into too much detail but please read this series. It’s so good. I love the story, I love the characters and I cannot wait to see what happens next. 100% worth the read.

4.5 Stars. Can I have more mystery fantasy? This genre mix is one I’m absolutely loving!
I was initially drawn to these books by the comparisons to Sherlock and Watson, and I’m thrilled to say they hold true. Ana is just as brilliant as any famous detective, complete with her own delightful quirks.
This time, the case truly surprised me. I suspected so many different people, and I definitely needed Ana to uncover the truth. When she finally revealed the mystery, I had that exhilarating moment of realization—ahhhh, all the clues were there!
Din, my wonderfully chaotic bisexual who feels both lost and found, is so compelling. I love watching him pull the pieces together, showcasing his cleverness and insight.

I highly suggest you don’t skip over the author’s note: ““Kings. What a good idea”what a powerful and seductive notion that ultimately should be condemned.”

I can’t wait for the next book! Give me all the Ana and Din mysteries, and maybe let’s give Din back a certain boy he left behind at the sea walls!

After enjoying The Tainted Cup so much, with its unique worldbuilding and bizarre abilities, I was eager to return in this continuation.

Bennett once again delivers and dare I say I enjoyed this one more than it's predecessor.

I loved the moments where we get to see more of Din's personality outside the job and his ambitions. Also can never get tired of that world. It's so darkly imaginative and rife with intriguing ideas.

***Thank you to Del Rey for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

There’s only one word that could describe my thoughts on A Drop of Corruption: brilliant. This book was absolutely fucking brilliant. It gets ALL THE STARS! I could not put it down and had a visceral need to know what would happen next. It was the perfect mix of breathtaking fantasy and riveting mystery.

The plot of A Drop of Corruption had my head spinning but in a good way. There were so many great twists and turns that I gave up trying to figure things out. I just went along for the ride, and what a ride it turned out to be. The murder mystery was such an interesting one from the start, and things just got crazier and crazier as the perpetrator’s whole plan unfolded. The pace also never let up. Even in the quieter moments, it always felt like something significant was happening to pull the story forward. I just ate it all up and never wanted it to end despite also wanting to know all the answers. lol.

It’s hard to pick a favorite thing about such a great book. However, the world-building in A Drop of Corruption stood out to me the most. The basics of this world were introduced in the previous book. So, a lot of the heavy lifting was already done, but this story added so much finesse to different aspects that I hadn’t even considered when reading the first installment. My favorite thing, though, was how the information got presented. The story didn’t beat the reader over the head with random information or unnecessary minute details. As the mystery unfolded, so did key bits of the world that added depth. It was all meticulous in how the mystery informed the world-building, and vice versa, but felt natural and engrossing while reading. It didn’t hurt that the magic was just super cool, too.

Unsurprisingly, I still loved Din and Ana in A Drop of Corruption. Ana was still wickedly smart and acerbically blunt. Although, I enjoyed her being thrown off a bit by an (almost) equally smart opponent. The mystery of her mods and history had some fascinating developments, as well, and I felt like we got to know her as a person a little better. Her relationship with Din was also great, and I appreciated how she gave him space to grow and understand how important their work was to the Empire. Din’s POV was such a great one, mostly because he was the work horse doing most of the investigating. I also just liked him. He’s someone trying to get by who gets wrapped up in his boss’s crazy. lol.

I’ll end this review where I started it. A Drop of Corruption was a brilliant read. It had a lot to say without taking the focus off of telling a compelling story. The world-building, characters, and mystery were all fantastic, and I can’t wait to see what Din and Ana get up to next. Therefore, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

𝐓𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐚 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐚. 𝐀𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐬 𝐊𝐨𝐥.

𝐀𝐧𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭.

𝐃𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐧𝐚’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennet is everything that I could ask for. It blends mystery and fantasy in such an enchanting way. You feel as if you're solving the case alongside a detective, but with the added thrill of magic.

This enchanting tale has a truly captivating plot, but what really sets it apart is the deeply intriguing characters who bring the story to life. Ana Dolabra is one of the most intriguing characters you could read about- Witty, eccentric, and just plain fun, in my opinion. This sequel did its job in pacing, character development, and plot. Loved it!

I adored this book! I could read about these characters as they solve their gross, weird, fascinating mysteries. A fantasy series that is funny, rich, and emotionally resonant.

Another really enjoyable entry in the series. This was a little more predictable than the first, by which I mean I was able to figure out a handful of the twists prior to their reveal on page (though not well in advance). To me, that’s a good mystery book—I don’t want the broad strokes to be so unknowable that none of the clues leading up to the reveal make any sense, but still want some mystery to be revealed. This strikes a nice balance on that front. There was also more information about Ana’s past, Din being an absolute bisexual menace, and a little more on the empire, though I still would like more of that. I look forward to the next book in the series!

Once again Ana and Din are hired to investigate a murder. But this one has multiple deaths and it’s very complicated. The addition of the character Malo is very fun. She is crass and unnerves Din, but she’s a good person, who can Smell things about people.
Ana is as bold, brash, and brilliant as ever. We find out things about her in drips and drabs. Events culminate in quite an incentive way. And although I couldn’t always follow along, I enjoyed this mystery.

Absolutely loved this sequel to The Tainted Cup! The expanded worldbuilding, the character building and development, the introduction of new side characters, and the new mystery to solve - all ways this book evolved from the first and absolutely stunned! Ana and Din are one of my favorite duos, and I absolutely adore their interactions. I'm really not much of one for "murder mysteries," but this goes far beyond that. The world itself is a character, and I yearned to know more about it after the first book. This book did that in spades and evoked such gothic horror feelings with the introduction of the Shroud and the murky swamp-like atmosphere. I know there is a third book coming, and when it does, I want to be the first to get my hands on it!

A Drop of Corruption is an admirable sequel to The Tainted Cup. Ana and Din are back and investigating a locked room mystery that turns into a grand conspiracy full of twists and turns.

The book truly shines when Robert Jackson Bennett continues the world-building he started in the first book of the series. We learn more about the Empire and more about how our protagonists fit into the Empire. Bennet does a great job of giving just enough information to give us a sense of the place without digressing into extensive exposition.

The story does meander a bit in places. Some of the twists and turns aren't needed, but it's a minor quibble in what is a pretty fun read.

I look forward to further volumes in the series.

Oh wow, what a journey this book took me on. It definitely had a bit of a slow start, but once things kick off, they really kick off. The setting for this installment brings with it some interesting political elements. Following Din and Ana to this corner of the world to solve another bizarre crime, so much more unravels in what turns out to be frankly quite a sad story.

My heart was hurting for Din in this one. My boy was really going through it for a variety of reasons and using some questionable coping mechanisms, and I just want to give him a big ol hug. It’s always interesting to see a character working through the internal struggles while juggling a lot of external stressors as well, and Din’s arc in this book is very well balanced. His and Ana’s working relationship continued to be very interesting and at times completely baffling, and it was definitely great to be back with them.

The mystery of this one had me guessing for the whole book, and there were a lot of interesting reveals and turns along the way. The way that the whole plot was interwoven with the different political factions at play was really compelling, and there were some really high stakes for some of the situations. I especially enjoyed the introduction of Malo into the mix, as she brought some fun banter and was a super enjoyable character to get to know.

This was overall a really solid follow up to the first book and I enjoyed it quite a lot! The character progressions were a highlight, and I liked getting to see a new part of this world.

I want to thank Mr. Robert Jackson Bennett, the author, Net Galley, and Del Rey, the publisher, for E-ARC of Drop of Corruption.

Mr. Jackson Bennett continued in A Drop of Corruption from what he started in A Tainted Cup which is the first book in the Leviathan series.

No spoilers in this review.

I would consider A Drop of Corruption to be blend of fantasy with a bit of science fiction, supernatural, and murder mystery. Another way to describe it as a murder mystery in a fantasy story.

The two main characters are a reminder of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin from the Nero Wolfe mysteries written by Rex Stout from at least a generation ago.

The characters from the two main all the way through to the bit players are well-rounded, three dimensional, and each of them having something to do in the story.

The world building is top notch that Mr. Jackson Bennett creates the setting that enhances the story.

The story flows from start to finish and there are no slow parts and moves at a steady clip.

I rate A Drop of Corruption 5 stars.

I would like to thank Mr. Jackson Bennett, Netalley, and Del Rey for the E-ARC.

*4.5 stars*

This was an excellent sequel to The Tainted Cup. I enjoyed the mystery and the exploration of autocracy and imperialism. The world is so lush and unique it really pulls you into the story. I love the role the leviathans play in the world.

Din is still a disaster bisexual and as relatable as ever. I was happy to get a little bit more of Ana’s mysterious background and I’m excited to see how everything progresses in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

4.5 stars! Not only was this a worthy sequel to The Tainted Cup, but I think it might be even better. It really built on what we learned from the first book, giving a better understanding of the empire and the way it works, as well as giving us more backstory on Ana and Din. I absolutely LOVE both of these characters and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship grow in this one. Seeing them work together is always so entertaining. I also thought Malo was a really fun addition to the crew, and her dynamic with Din was great. I hope we get to see more of her! But the thing I love most about this series is how creative and imaginative the worldbuilding is. Robert Jackson Bennett is known for his creative magic systems, and the biological aspect in this series is so incredible. It's unique and so interesting, and I love seeing all the small intricacies that make everything work. All of this plus another good mystery made for one hell of a book, and I can't wait for the next one!