This was a phenomenal adventure--I ended up buying a special edition of the book for my own library I loved it so much. The world building, character development and mystery were top notch!

The tainted cup was so good! I can’t wait to read more from this author. I loved the world that he built and I felt a connection to the main characters

My life got busy for a chunk of time, and this was one of the books that I had hoped to read but didn’t get to until it had disappeared from netgalley. Now that I am catching up on my book reviews, I am putting this book on my list of books to purchse, because I am still interested in reading it.

Dinios "Din" Kol is the new assistant to Ana Dolabra, a brilliant and eccentric investigator for the Empire. Ana is tasked with solving the murder of a senior engineering officer when a tree sprouts from his chest in an opulent outer ring manor. The plot thickens and Din and Ana must race to solve the case as the wet season approaches, bringing colossal leviathans from the sea to the Empire 's walls. I loved the fast pace and epic world building of this Holmes inspired mystery.

What I didn't love as much:
-As an ecologist, I didn't really love the portrayal of the preservation boards (sort of an analog for environmental regulations). The author seems to have a similar mindset to Ezra Klein in Abundance which I have issues with.
-In a way the book also has pro civil service themes in general. This isn't really a knock on the book, but it made me think about what it means to serve in a corrupt government. I wonder if the series will explore this more, or maybe change it's tune in the future.

What I loved:
-Dinios Kol my beloved. He's everything I want in a man: gangly, dry humored, good hearted, and a little bit pathetic.
-The world building is phenomenal. The ever present threat of the leviathans adds tension. The overarching mystery of why they attack and why they grow bigger with each wet season builds anticipation for the series. Also, I love kaiju in general.
-Very happy with the baby hint of romance we saw.
-The shorter chapters and Bennett's writing style kept me reading way past my bedtime, I needed to know what happened next!!!

I'm super excited to read the next book which I already have!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

I don’t usually read books like The Tainted Cup, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The worldbuilding was really creative, and I found myself drawn into the mystery right away. The mix of fantasy elements with a detective-style story kept me turning pages, even though it’s not my usual genre.
At times, the pacing slowed down a little, but overall the twists and details made up for it. I especially liked how layered the characters were—it made the story feel fresh and different from what I normally pick up.

Definitely glad I gave this one a try, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for something unique that blends mystery and fantasy in an unexpected way.

It was a fun fantasy mystery. the world and characters take a little while to learn about, but that's ok, because this author has a way of carrying a story even if you don't fully grasp what's going on. the info dump/solution in the last 10% was a bit much - and how everyone just agrees with ana's conclusions, no pushback at all, even though it sounds like a fantastical plot out of her imagination. but regardless, I had a fun time following din around, and will definitely read the next one at some point.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and bought special editions of not only The Tainted Cup, but the second book in the series A Drop of Corruption from Aardvark and will purchase the third in the series.

I will recommend this to others.

I loved this almost immediately, which is surprising because I usually take a while to warm up to male narrators. The audio is fantastic. It might be the most addictive/engrossing book I’ve read in recent memory.
Love the protagonist — so sweet and awkward and also witty. I love how he interacts with his boss (a Sherlockian eccentric who I’m obsessed with). I love that he seemingly has dyslexia and dysgraphia and it’s just a matter of fact depiction — he uses some accommodations and it’s explained in a totally non-shaming/not-a-big-deal way. Which makes two neurodivergent main characters 😭.

The reveal feels appropriately Sherlockian as well — it’s convoluted as all hell, and I loved it.

TW ableism (not by the text but from antagonist characters, and internalized)

This Holmes-and-Watson style fantasy mystery is nothing short of marvelous. Bennett writes with stunning precision, building an incredible world full of compelling characters.

This was a fun murder-mystery in a fantasy world! RJB writes, “I’d had the idea of writing a fun murder mystery novel for a while, and then I sat down and pumped out something that was very decisively not a murder mystery novel… I then had to go through the rather tempestuous process of chucking it in the garbage and starting over.” Enjoyed it!

Why did I wait so long to read this? I loved it! The mystery, the unusual detective and her sidekick (with his own secrets), and the world itself all fascinated me. It felt like a fantasy version of the old mysteries I grew up reading as a child, which for me is a fantastic combination. Now I really want to pick up book two as soon as possible.

This was fun! I loved the mystery aspect and the characters were all really interesting and stood out. The world building took a bit for me to understand and still felt a bit vague by the end but it didn’t get in the way of my enjoyment.

The country Daretana is under attack. It's the wet season in which the Leviathans come and try to breach the walls and destroy the land. But crime doesn't care what season it is. A high official lies murdered in a strange way. A tree has taken root inside his body and when it grows rapidly, it tears its host apart.

Two investigators are sent to solve the mystery. Ana Dolabra is an experienced investigator and has solved many crimes. But she has to have an assistant as she cannot stand stimulation. She spends her time inside and wears a blindfold all the time. She needs someone who can go forth and view the crime scene and do all the other things that require a presence.

Dinios Kol is a new investigator, in fact he is on probation still. This will be his first case. Kol is an engraver; he has been modified so that he can engrave everything he sees, hears, smells, etc. and repeat it all on demand. He is also finding out that he has other talents that he didn't even know of. He is very hesitant at first but as the crimes continue and he does more and more, he starts to gain his confidence. Can Ana and Din solve the mystery?

Robert Jackson Bennett is known for his fantasy work and has won numerous awards in the fantasy world. I personally regard him as an automatic buy and read everything he writes. This novel is interesting as it is a mixture of fantasy and murder mystery. The two investigators have been compared to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and there are similarities although not a blind copy of that pair. It is fascinating to see Din start to gain his confidence and overcome his fears that he just won't be good enough. The mystery is compelling and the world building is superb. This book is recommended for both fantasy and mystery readers.

What an awesome book! Truly loved the Watson and Holmes style mystery set in a fantasy world. The characters were well-developed, the setting was described in such a way to draw you into the story without getting bogged down in the details. This was a fantastic first book in a series of connected standalones. Can’t wait to get to book 2!

(I posted this to GR but forgot to share it to NetGalley, whoops!)

I became a huge fan of Robert Jackson Bennett after reading his Founders trilogy. I was excited to hear about his next book for many reasons—his accessible but engaging writing, the distinctive characters, the imaginative world and magic system, and the surprising amount of humor—and hoped that it would be just as intensely readable as his previous series. The Tainted Cup delivered all these things. Unsurprisingly.

Main character Din Kol, assistant investigator of the Iudex, and his boss, investigator Ana Dolabra, set out to solve multiple murders, root out corruption, and protect their realm from certain destruction by eldritch beasts that reside in the nearby sea and come ashore during the wet season. That sounds like a lot for two people to handle, and it is, but it's handled so expertly by RJB that I was hooked from the very first page. I don't read a lot of murder mystery novels, so perhaps I'm not the most adept at sniffing out the culprit, but I wasn't able to guess any of the next moves, which kept me reading anxiously to find out what happened.

This book was thrilling all the way through. To read along as one of the most memorable duos I've personally ever read solves a series of heinous crimes, and to speed through this book laughing and thinking and wishing I'd gotten to it sooner was a total delight. The way that everything comes together in the last several pages of the book was so satisfying and not at all unlike, as other reviewers suggest, watching Holmes and Watson work. Thank you, Del Rey, NetGalley, and RJB for this galley. There is no doubt a finished copy will end up on my favorites shelf.

The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett
Publication date: February 6, 2024

Date read: August 2, 2024

Audiobook read by Andrew Fallaize



In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible. Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears. As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.

I first want to commend the work of Andrew Fallaize on the narration. One of the best audiobook readers I’ve come across. His ability to make the characters so unique is incredible - it’s easy to forget that Ana and Din are read by the same person.

I absolutely loved Din as a character. He is both relatable (in that he often has no idea what Ana is thinking, just like us) and fascinating with the abilities that he does have. And despite being modified to have these special abilities, he still gives off the Everyman vibes that make him such a likeable character. I also think that his interactions with Ana are some of the most endearing moments and often incredibly funny.

Which brings me to the author’s ability to write a story that manages - all at the same time - to be a really fascinating mystery, a cool fantasy with the kind of world-building that plops you effortlessly into the mix, and a really funny buddy cop story. It’s a wonderfully fun read.

The mystery included in this story is also well-constructed. It’s a full plot, with twists and turns and buildup that would be commendable in just a standard mystery/thriller. But throw the fantasy world elements in as well makes it doubly impressive.

One of my top reads of 2024. Recommended to anyone who enjoys a good mystery… or a good fantasy. I don’t even think you have to be frequent readers of both genres; there’s enough of either to keep you entertained.

Stay tuned for the next post and the review of the sequel.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Content warnings: body horror, physical assault

Note: language

Thank you to NetGalkey and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel 2025!

The first in a series of stupendous world-building. Leviathans threaten to breach the seawalls of the Empire. Augmented humans in a fantasy world are the last defense, but of course the rich and political figures try to get ahead in a world where modified plants can be both helpful and harmful.

But wait - this isn't just a fantasy! Mysterious murders bring out semi-retired investigator Ana and her new assistant Din to make sense of it all.

There's meticulously choreographed fight scenes, queer romance, detailed world-building, and duplicity. I literally CANNOT wait to read the sequel!

An inventive fantasy-mystery hybrid with Sherlockian detectives in a lush, imaginative world. Clever, original, and utterly absorbing.

Am I years late? Yes. Was this one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far? Also yes. The follow up to this book A Drop of Corruption was also fantastic. These books follow a complex set of characters focusing on 2 MCs that solve unsolvable problems in their world. I love the blend of classic fantasy word building, a complex murder mystery plot and humorous characters/banter. Cannot wait for book 3! Thank you to the publisher, Robert Jackson Bennett and NetGalley for the eARC.

I very much enjoyed my time with this! I have to tip my hat to Andrew Fallaize, the audiobook narrator, because I think he did an incredible job. He has so many different accents in his toolbox and different shades of his voice that he uses to bring this huge cast of characters to life, and I think he just gave a really wonderful and engaging performance.

This was such a fun fantasy mystery story. It took a while to figure out how the story’s overworld with these huge walls and leviathans tied together with the ongoing mystery, but I think when the two finally connect, it’s really satisfying, and it also opens up the door to some exciting possibilities in future installments. I’m excited to see how the series expands on the world being built in this first book. And I think the magic system of characters being able to “enhance” themselves with superhuman abilities is also really interesting and brings a refreshing edge to this case.

I also absolutely love the Holmesian dynamic between Ana and Kol. Their dialogue is sharp, it’s funny, it’s eccentric, and it’s just really entertaining to see how delightfully mismatched they are in some ways, and yet also the perfect complement to each other in other ways. I think when we talk about Holmes and Watson pairings, we forget that a key component of that classic dynamic is having a character who is incredibly eccentric, sometimes to the point of annoyance, and who’s operating on a completely different level compared to everyone else. Inspector Ana beautifully fulfills that role, and in doing so makes the mystery itself feel very classic. The story has those moments where she already has everything figured out based on observations only she can make, and the question becomes less about who did it and why and instead becomes about how the puzzle pieces fit together to construct a clear narrative.

Neither Ana nor Kol truly fits the image of that an “authority figure” might be. They both have their own moral compass and ways of doing things that don’t always align with the norm. But again, that’s what makes their investigations so fun and dynamic.

Thematically, I also appreciate how this story is asking the bigger question of what does it mean to pursue justice when both working within and living at the mercy of an empire that is inherently unjust? There’s a tension there, there’s an easy pathway to cynicism laid at these characters’ feet. But we see again and again how they choose to walk a different path and choose instead to focus on what they can control and change within the system, even if it’s on a smaller scale than they might like.

I’m really glad I finally started this series. With its unique blend of a fantasy elements and classic mystery tropes and stylization, it was very much up my alley!