Robert Jackson Bennett has been on my radar for what feels like forever now. I was lucky enough to score a used hardcover edition of Foundryside a couple of years ago and it's been sitting pretty on my shelf, unread, ever since.

I know, I know.

I don't really know what possessed me to pick up The Tainted Cup first. I'm not even sure if it's a good place to start with this author. Surely, I should have begun my journey with one of his completed series, but oh well. I just love a mystery in a sci-fi/fantasy setting.

I'm not even sure how to begin describing this book. It's a little like if Sherlock Holmes, Attack on Titan, and Annihilation all had a weird mutant baby? Kind of? I don't even think that fully covers it, honestly.

We follow Din, an engraver, genetically modified to remember everything he sees exactly as it is, a skill that helps him tremendously in his role of Assistant Investigator. His boss, Ana, is wildly eccentric, rarely leaving her house and often wearing a blindfold to avoid overstimulation. They make an unlikely but incredibly effective and humorous duo, using their unique abilities to solve mysteries and murders. Their latest investigation involves political corruption and plants bursting out of victim's bodies.

Oh, and there's the ever present threat of a Leviathan breaching the Empire's defenses and killing everyone.

The world is bizarre, but the characters are great and I never found the plot difficult to follow. All in all, a fantastically weird, fun time! Maybe now I'll finally pick up Foundryside.

Very interesting world building. I enjoyed the characters. Would like to see this world a bit more fleshed out though. I love Robert Jackson Bennett's work.

I’ve read some of Robert Jackson Bennett’s other books — this one, by far, has been my favorite to date. With intriguing characters, complicated relationships, and a plot that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, this has already become a book I’ve recommended to people. 4.5/5 stars!

The Tainted Cup begins with a strange and extraordinary death and Dinios Kol is dispatched to investigate. He is an assistant to a remarkable detective named Ana Dolabra in a relationship analogous to Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe. Like Wolfe, Ana doesn’t go out and about but relies on Kol, (her Archie) to investigate for her. Unlike Archie, Kol has been genetically modified to enhance his observation and recall to be a sort of human videographer.

That people can be genetically and surgically altered to specialize in specific careers is just one of the ways technology makes the world Robert Jackson Bennett built so intriguing. In many ways, it feels medieval with city states dominated by land barons allied with a nominal king. However, it is also a technologically advanced civilization if you imagine an Industrial Revolution dominated by the doctors and gardeners rather than engineers. There is advance genetic and surgical technology to make people specialists in their various fields and plants are the foundation of commerce. Houses are grown. Plants provide the lighting, the furnishings, and just about all the stuff of physical culture. A plant is also the murder weapon.

Kol investigates and brings back the information that has been imprinted with his total recall. Ana makes amazing leaps of logic and intuition. They work together well despite being very different. Kol is stern and legalistic. His face might crack if he smiles while Ana seeks illicit drugs, makes inappropriate comments, and throws herself at life with abandon. What made them and how do they accomodate and adjust to each other while solving the mstery. Well, that’s for you to find out.

The Tainted Cup is a fantasy thriller that combines the political intrigue of a thriller with the conventions of a police procedural. It is nothing like what the members of the Detection Club imagined, but this book follows its rules. While yes, the technology is not of our world, it is all natural technology of their own world. So a fair murder mystery with an Archie & Wolfe detective team engaged in solving murders and political coups in a fantastical world very different yet similar to our own. What can I call it but a tour de force.

I received an e-galley of The Tainted Cup from the publisher through NetGalley

The Tainted Cup at Penguin Random House
Robert Jackson Bennett author site

The Tainted Cup is an absolutely stunning novel - part murder mystery, part political fantasy - with phenomenal neurodivergent protagonists. Familiar elements such as an eccentric older investigator or a terrifying assassin are blended into a thoroughly unique experience. This was so difficult to put down, and it was constantly on my mind when I wasn't reading.

Din and Ana are an excellent duo, both witty and entertaining and deeply heartfelt and touching. Their dynamic alone is enough for me to recommend the book, but I was also immensely captivated by the bizarre setting. Amidst the biopunk sci-fi augmented persons, body horror, and kaiju-style sea creatures is a truly human tale of perseverance and acceptance.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House, for this eARC!

This book fascinated me. I loved the world that Bennet created, something unique (I've never read something like it before) which for someone who reads as much fantasy as I do, is quite a feat. This also confirmed that I love fantasy murder mystery. Even though some of the fantastical elements, especially the manner of death for several of the victims, got a bit gruesome at times, I could not look away from the narrative, becoming completely enveloped. I also appreciated the way that this book wrapped up the mystery yet left the door open to more and even the creation/revelation of a macro-plot.

RJB seems to be back in form for this wonderful and wild and fantastical Holmes and Watson style murder mystery. The worldbuilding is exquisite - in an isolated empire made of augmented people, genetically engineered building-plants, and sea walls that keep out dreadful sea titans. In this brilliantly painted backdrop, a dyslexic (and exceptional) young man, Kol, investigates a murder on behalf of his closeted, possibly Asperger’s-candidate superior, a splendid and interesting woman, Ana. They work to uncover a fascinating conspiracy against the clock of terrifying oncoming leviathans who threaten the empire. It is as fantastical, and as beautifully written as you might imagine.

I loved RJB’s City of Stairs trilogy, I was excited, then dismayed and then ultimately dismissed the foundryside trilogy, and this is a wonderful, creative return to form. For fans of the First City of Stairs RJB. Enjoy!

ANOTHER RJB BANGER!!!

After reading and loving the Foundryside trilogy (except for the third book - a bit of a let down BUT we don't talk about that), I knew I had to read Robert Jackson Bennett's newest series. He does such a good job writing quirky characters who I end up genuinely liking after only a short time, and this book was no exception.

While the initial summary made it seem like Ana was going to be the main character (another reason I wanted to pick it up - I love characters with the same name as me), Dinios is the true main character and the star of the show. He's magically/surgically altered to have a photographic memory of every moment he deems necessary, so he makes a magnificent detective. Ana is ESPECIALLY quirky, but I loved her and I ended up loving their partnership throughout the story.

Even though the story itself is slightly graphic (just some semi-explicit descriptions of body horror), I think most people who enjoy fantasy and a detective novel will love this book. I sometimes turn my mind off for detective novels so I don't overanalyze and try to solve who the killer(s) are, and I think that was the best way to truly enjoy this book. There are a lot of twisting and turning pieces, and they all tie together nicely at the end.

I'm so excited to see where the rest of this series goes!

One of those books where you want to read it again at the end to better absorb all the details!

The Tainted Cup is a Sherlock and Watson vibe fantasy mystery that somehow balances both an interesting world-building system with a compelling mystery. I enjoyed the cast of characters and the dynamic between Din and Ana, both of whom are remarkable in their own way. I'm really interested to see how this world expands in the following books, and am thrilled there will be more mysteries. I'm converted.

As a fan of detective fiction, I was eagerly drawn into the world of "The Tainted Cup" by Robert Jackson Bennett. Set in the intriguing backdrop of Daretana's greatest mansion, the novel presents a murder mystery that is both terrifying and utterly impossible. From the moment I met Ana Dolabra, the eccentric yet brilliant detective tasked with unraveling the case, I was captivated by her unorthodox methods and keen intellect.

Accompanying Ana on her investigation is Dinios Kol, her new assistant, whose own secrets and magical alterations add depth to the story. As the mystery unfolds and Ana's deductions become increasingly startling, Din finds himself both scandalized and impressed by her abilities. Bennett masterfully crafts their dynamic, blending moments of perplexity with admiration as they delve deeper into the case.What truly sets "The Tainted Cup" apart is its seamless blend of detective fiction with imaginative world-building. From the contagious landscapes to the enigmatic blood of the leviathans, the novel is a testament to Bennett's creativity and attention to detail. Each twist and turn in the plot kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating the next revelation.

In the end, "The Tainted Cup" offers a fiendishly clever mystery that feels both instantly recognizable and thrillingly new. Bennett's wicked sense of humor shines through, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to an already captivating tale. For fans of detective fiction and immersive world-building, this novel is an absolute must-read.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

The Tainted Cup follows Din, who is an apprentice to Ana, a crimes investigator. As they work to solve a murder, they uncover more secrets, murders, and corruption while also trying to survive attacks on the Empire from giant beings that come in from the sea.

I really enjoyed reading the murder mystery and all the twists and turns. I loved how Ana's mind worked and was thoroughly impressed with her deduction skills, and I especially loved all her cursing. I liked Din and equally admired and was horrified by his engraver abilities. I thought Ana and Din worked so well together.

I had some difficulty keeping track of all the characters' names but it helped that each one had their own thing characteristic, e.g., the one that's always smoking.

If you enjoy a good murder mystery, I highly recommend this book.

I loved, American Elsewhere, and so I had very high hopes for this book. I think after an initial slow start it met my expectations. It was quite different and I enjoyed reading it.

I’d give The Tainted Cup 10 stars if I could! I am not a huge sci-fi or fantasy reader but this book was phenomenal: part fantasy, part mystery, part cosmic and body horror. The world building is amazing. Ana and Din are 2 characters I love and cannot wait to read what happens next. I am a huge mystery reader and if you are eager for an unusual mystery that is well written and keeps you guessing look no further than The Tainted Cup. If you don’t like to read fantasies because if the difficult to pronounce names I highly recommend the audiobook, the narrator is fantastic.

I loved this so much I’m buying a hardcover because I will have to have it for my collection and will have to re-read this one when book 2 comes out.

Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"But I have always rather thought the Empire was wrought in the image of that which it was made to fight."

"A...A titan, ma'am?"

"Oh, yes. For the empire is huge. Complex. Often unwieldy and slow. And in many places, weak. A massive colossus, stretching out across the cantons, one in whose shadow we all live...and yet it is prone to wounds, infections, fevers, and ill humors. But its strangest feature is that the more its citizens feel it is broken, the more broken it actually becomes."

Robert Jackson Bennett, you mad genius!!! Considering Bennett's previous work Foundryside is one of my all time favorite books, this definitely had a lot of hype to live up to. And let me tell you it absolutely DELIVERED.

➺ The plot: the Leviathans wake

A murder of a high ranking general has shaken the Cantos of Daretana. Complicating matters is the manner in which General Blas was killed - with the inhaled spores of a plant that mutilates its host with a gruesome botanical eruption from the body. The brilliant but eccentric Iudex investigator Ana and her newly minted assistant are tasked with discovering the truth, but the more secrets they unearth, the more entangled they become in the Empire's web of secrets.

The Tainted Cup was simply incredible - that rare perfect blend of both an engrossing mystery with a (Bennett's signature) wildly imaginative fantasy world. Somehow the author managed to replicate that feeling of those old fashioned who-dun-its so well here. You can really see where the comparisons with both classics like Agatha Christie and newer greats like Knives Out come from. For me though, The Tainted Cup immediately brought to mind something else. This is an extremely niche reference lol but a lot of this book reminded me of the old Chinese Judge Pao series with its tackling via the law of the abuse of social power and imperial corruption as well as its emphasis on the ordinary working man as the real heroes of the realm. All of the wild twists and turns will keep you up at night. It's definitely something worth unraveling on your own, so I really won't expand any further on the plot.

➺ The setting: a biopunk dystopian rotting from within

As with all of Bennett's books, the world that the author has crafted here is wholly unique and really superb. In this case, the worldbuilding is suffused with a lot of "biological" oddities. Lands built on the carcasses of giants, enigmatic leviathians held back by a grand sea wall, a variety of contagions and body horrors, humans who receive augmentations which mutate their appearances but give them superhuman abilities that negatively impact their health in the long-term. Love a good magic system where its continued use has devastating consequences on the body. There's so many tidbits of fascinating lore that Bennett just casually sprinkles into the murder mystery plot but that work so well to establish the atmosphere of the world these characters reside in. And it somehow never feels like infodump. I won't spoil the revelation of the leviathans at the end, but that singular description was so haunting and I am positively vibrating with all the possibilities of their origin and where the author will go with this wild premise. Honestly, I could go on and on about how absolutely fascinating the world in The Tainted Cup is but it's best to just be thrown into the middle of it all and experience it yourself.

All that to say, Bennett really knows his craft. However, one thing that I really like about this author's writing is that, even with the amazing plot and setting, there is always a surprising amount of heart in his books. Some of the musings on injustice, corruption, revenge, and the displacement of populations were particularly poignant (if sometimes fleeting). The relationships between the characters, especially between our two leads, also really helped to make this book special.

➺ The characters: a Holmes-and-Watson dynamic duo

Dinios Kol is our resident long suffering protagonist and POV character. A newly graduated apprentice whose augmentation gives him the abilities of an Engraver. Essentially, Dinios is an eidetic with a near-perfect memory. Needless to say, this is wildly useful in the investigation of murders and whatnot. Dinios at first comes across as a bit of a doormat (albeit an endearing one), but his character development was so on point and he's just an all-around easy guy to root for. Ana Dolabra is the other part of our duo - a snarky genius, lead investigator in General Blas' murder, and all-around badass bitch. I loved her. She's the Benoit Blanc, the Hercule Poirot, the Miss Marple etc of this story. Although Ana did come across as a bit too perfect at times, I am super looking forward to unraveling all of her secret depths in future books. Really the only thing about The Tainted Cup that prevented it from being a favorite is the lack of backstory development and emotional growth in some of the characters, but like I said previously I'm sure there will be plenty of room for all that in future installments. Also, I don't know if this was even intentional, but the parallels between Ana wearing a blindfold and lady justice being blind is just peak symbolism imo ahhhhh

The Tainted Cup is an incredible triumph - a book that transcends genres by skillfully weaving together both mystery and fantasy without sacrificing either. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. Cannot wait to see what else Robert Jackson Bennett has in store for us with this series. If he manages to even only slightly develop on what he has accomplished here, I have a strong feeling that this will become a new favorite of mine.

I don't usually read fantasy books, but I read this one. It dealt with a murder and the investigators were great. Ana was Sherlock Holmes to Kol's Watson. That's what it felt like to me.

A Engineer is killed in a surprising way at the Haza's house in the Canton of Talagrey. Kol, a new apprentice investigator, is sent to the house to investigate by Ana, his superior. She wants him to read the scene and report back to her. He is an engraver, so what ever he hears and sees, he can tell Ana word for word. There's more to this one murder than what it seems.

I enjoyed Kol's interactions with Ana. Ana was quite the character. The way she deduced things in the case was fabulous. Their chemistry is really good. I know there will be more in this series to come.

Published February 6, 2024

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group and Robert Jackson Bennett for the E-ARC of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 😊

#netgalley #randomhousepublishinggroup #robertjacksonbennett #thetaintedcup #readaway2024 #ARC

This was a great into to fantasy for me! Set in a magical world, with fantastic character, the mystery component kept me grounded and allowed me to suspend belief just enough to enjoy the story overall. There were some parts that seemed just a bit too long, but overall this was a great read that had me laughing out loud and guessing until the end.

This was a well-written and unique fantasy mystery, with a Sherlock and Holmes dynamic. I was engrossed in this fantastical, strange world that felt real and lived in. The initial mystery hooked me and kept me locked in, while the descriptions of the world allowed me to fully sink into the story. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves epic fantasy and mystery with interesting and complex characters.

The Tainted Cup
By Robert Jackson Bennett

This book is a cross between a fantasy and a murder mystery. In fact there are several murders involved here – and multiple murderers. The motivations for these crimes are many and diverse.

Signum Dinios Kol is an apprentice assistant investigator, working for Immunis Anagosa Dolabra, Iudex Investigator for the Daretana Canton of the Empire of Khanum. As the story begins, he is investigating the terrible death of one Commander Blas, poisoned by a contagion called dappleglass.

But this is just the beginning of the action. The Investigator and her apprentice head to the capital of the Canton at Talagray just as the wet season and the annual invasion of the leviathans are due to commence. Here we find that there have in fact been more deaths caused by a weaponized version of dappleglass – and eventually more murders caused by other means, but somehow all related. It is an intricate plot line, but fun to follow.

I enjoyed this book greatly. I liked all of the main characters and the twists in the action kept me interested. This book is the first in a series. I look forward to reading the subsequent books in the Shadow of the Leviathan series.

The Tainted Cup was such a unique story. It has this strange blend of Sherlock Holmes and H.P. Lovecraft, full of Eldritch-style horrors and intricate world building.

The story itself is so fascinating and complex. If you aren’t paying complete attention you will miss so many important details and I loved every minute of it. I found myself having to go back and reread passages as I tried to piece together the puzzle unfolding before Ana and Din were able to. (Spoiler: I was not successful, haha). However, it kept me engaged and wondering what was going to happen and how our investigators were going to get out of the scrapes they found themselves in.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first Robert Jackson Bennett and I am looking forward to picking up some of his backlist while waiting for the next installment in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing - Ballantine/Del Rey, and Robert Jackson Bennett for an e-arc of The Tainted Cup in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have read and enjoyed Robert Jackson Bennett's work before, and The Tainted Cup certainly did not disappoint.

The plot revolves around Dinos Kol, the Watson to his boss Ana Dolbara's Holmes and their investigation of the death of an Imperial Officer, apparently killed instantly when a tree erupts, fully grown, from his body. In a world where people are magically altered for certain skills and Leviathans haunt the coasts, this death is a mystery that unravels a wider conspiracy that threatens the very Empire.

Jackson Bennett weaves a tight plot, with threads pulled at surprising intervals to unravel the whole tapestry for a satisfying conclusion that leaves the reader excited for more.

I look forward to future books in this series. Rating 4.5/5
Disclosure: I received an advanced reader's e-reader copy of this book from NetGalley, courtesy of Hachette, in exchange for an honest review.