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!

Really good. The world building is fantastic and the characters were wonderful, so interesting. My only quibble is that I did figure out who the culprits were, but then I have read a LOT of mysteries. And I did not get all the details of the mystery on my own—the plot was very good. A good start to this series!

I really don’t have much to say about "The Tainted Cup," the first book in Robert Jackson Bennett’s "Shadow of the Leviathan" fantasy-mystery series, other than it’s excellent.

The detective duo of Investigator Ana Dolabra and her assistant, Dinios Kol, is pure entertainment on the page. Din’s straight, play-by-the-rules persona is the ideal foil to Ana’s abrasive manner and unconventional methods of investigation. Their interactions are so fun to read, especially when Din doesn’t quite know how to handle Ana’s eccentric personality – she loves to tease him.

Hats off to Bennett, too, for plotting a mystery this complex and layered while also building an intricate fantasy world from the ground up. A challenging puzzle alongside murderous plants and deadly contagions, humans altered by magic, and monstrous creatures – gimme all of it.


My sincerest appreciation to Robert Jackson Bennett, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

This book was fantastic. Very "City of Stairs" vibes plus other little elements from "Foundryside" and the like. Loved the idea of unfathomable monsters lurking below the earth, threatening civilization every rainy season. And the plot being magical murder mystery plus giant fantasy world-building was just so genius. I love everything RJB writes, cannot wait for the next.

I won't be reading this because the author doesn't see the problem with ai, and I do not want to read a book by an author that doesn't have a problem with it.

Thank you for the eARC, I will always appreciate it and I hope that I can work with y'all in the future

I didn’t realize this was part of a series, as I prefer stand-alones but it was very fun fantasy murder mystery with Sherlock Holmes and Knives Out vibes.

Loved the quirky/eccentric neurodivergent protagonists!

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
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An investigator and her assistant are asked to take on a case where a man is dead from a tree spontaneously and suddenly growing from his body.
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I mean wow. That alone should hook anyone, right? I have never read a book about trees suddenly and spontaneously growing from a human body.

And this was a murder.

I really loved Ana and Din. Ana was hilarious and it was even funnier to read Din’s reactions to Ana because I could just picture his side-eye of a face he must have been giving her.

The mystery of this case just kept growing in intrigue as secrets were being unearthed.
I really liked how it ended and am excited to read the next book!
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wanted to love this more, but it just wasn’t for me. Interesting characters, interesting magic and world, interesting mystery, but couldn’t get into it like I wanted.

I enjoyed aspects of this book, namely Ana and Din, the contagion elements, and Din's magic as an engraver. The murder mystery was compelling, but I found the world, details, and terminology to be a bit dense.

Worth a read if you like epic fantasy with sci-fi vibes, and a Watson/Holmes dynamic. It gave me Dune and Out of the Silent Planet vibes. I'd highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator was great, and I found it easier to follow.

Thank you Ballantine / Del Rey for the advanced copy!

Robert Jackson Bennett crafted the best blend of two of my favorite genres, fantasy and mystery. He created fascinating world that our main character Din is trying to find his place in. While trying to prove he deserves to be working for the investigator, Din arrives at a murder scene that will change his life. Along the way we meet whimsical and haunting characters that broaden the fantasy world but also add pieces to the expanding murder case. Din is a lovalbe main character, and his boss, Ana, is even more entertaining. Her quirks are some of the best parts of the books.

While I did enjoy reading this novel, it never captivated me. I kept having to remember that I was reading it, signifying it wasn't my favorite.

What a book. Take your Sherlock Holmes and Watson and plop them down into the middle of a Weird Fantasy and you have the Tainted Cup. Body horror, leviathans, and exploding trees this little mystery is bursting with originality and gusto, all leading up to the solve of our elaborate mystery.

First off, huge thanks to NetGalley for the early copy to read and review. I've read Robert Jackson Bennett's Founders Trilogy which I also loved. The author has an amazing talent for creating worlds that are unique and all encompassing in a way that makes it easy to get lost inside, in the best possible way.
This story focuses on a series of murders that Ana Dolabra, an excentric investigator, along with Dinios Kol an apprentice investigator have been tasked to solve. The world they live in is one that most everyone has been augmented in some way, shape or form, to do certain tasks. Din is an engraver. Trained to memorize every word, site and event he tasked to engrave upon his memory. With this ability he can recall with perfect clarity all he has seen and heard. This makes him a valuable assistant to the investigator. The city itself is close to a heavily manned seawall put there to hold off attacks of titans, mammoth sized creatures that come from the sea. If they make it past the wall, there isn't much hope for anyone in the area.
This story was an absolute delight to read and I really feel like this story has much more to tell. I will definitely be recommending this book!

Ana is a brilliant eccentric detective. Din is her new assistant- he’s smart but has issues. Together they must solve the gruesome murder of an imperial officer who is killed by a tree exploding in his body. .. but that’s not even the root of the issue. Magic, body alterations, leviathans that kill populations and more gruesome murders make this Sherlockian like tale into a winner. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.