I've never read anything else by this author so going into this I wasn't sure what to expect. I was happy to find that the story and the author's writing style pulled me in immediately. I love both fantasy and mystery so it's always wonderful when a book that combines the genres hits the right notes with me. I enjoyed getting to know the main character Din, and the very eccentric investigator, Ana, whom he works with. There was an interesting combination of things in this book. Plant spores, body augmentation, and huge leviathan creatures, along with the Sherlock Holmes type characters. It all made for an intriguing world that was easy to immerse myself in, and I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series.

This is the first book in a series, but it stands on it's own just fine as the mystery is wrapped up nicely. If you like fantasy and mystery blended together then I recommend this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

I'm not usually a fan of murder mysteries. The path to the resolution of "whodunit" usually doesn't seem to make sense to me, like the perpetrators were decided on at the end of the story (ala Agatha Christie). The author here, though, made sure to drop the crumbs in the right places so that when the criminal was exposed, it felt like pieces falling into place. The author also excels at world building, and this novel was a very interesting and well fleshed-out world indeed.

I think this is either a book you will love or hate. I had a hard time with it, just because it was almost like it was overstimulating--SO much was going on at once with the world-building and background that it really required all of my focus to keep up with the action and try to decipher what was important information and what was just through-away information to create the setting and atmosphere. Definitely not something to read when you might be easily distracted. For the same reason, it was hard to tell when the action was important to the plot or incidental events. I got tired of attempting to file everything away and keep track of everything. There is definitely an audience for this book. But I just didn't have enough energy to put into deciding if I needed to analyze whatever person or event or location or object was being discussed, or if I could just sit back and enjoy the book.

This was such a fun mystery! Great characters! Definitely perfect for fans of Sherlock holmes!! Had so much fun and went by fast.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Published: February 6, 2024
Del Rey
Pages: 410
Genre: Traditional Detective Mysteries
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

There were many moving parts within this book, but the chaos was well coordinated. The imagery was beautiful, and the scenes were all well-set.

I loved the use of humor and the development of the characters. Though, there were a lot of characters to keep track of. I enjoyed the easy flow of the writing style and enjoyed the mystery element.

I did appreciate the diversity across the cast of characters. And all characters had solid development, even as minor side characters. I have never read this author before, but I enjoyed his style.

This was my first experience with Mark's books and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. As a character-driven reader, The Tainted Cup hit all my marks when it came to getting to know our two leads. The cast's characterization was dynamic and even side characters were fleshed out and well defined. What I enjoyed most about this story was the overarching plot of the murder mystery. Mark's plotting and pacing I believed to have worked well for my enjoyment and never did I feel like the story dragged. I look so forward to reading the next book in this series and can't wait to see more of the world unfold.

The Tainted Cup is a fantasy and mystery that I did not like. The things I did not like about this book was the fantasy world and the book overall was confusing for me. I just struggled to read this book and I wished I enjoyed it like other readers did. I would still suggest this book to any fantasy reader especially since this was just not for me. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this book in exchange of my honest review of The Tainted Cup.

Robert Jackson Bennett is in absolutely top form with this start to a new series. I confess that I found the first chapter a difficult entry point; I wasn't sure if I was going to like Din and the writing didn't feel quite as smooth as usual. But the more I learned about the world, the more I wanted to know. It's truly a horrifying place, with deadly funguses, giant insects, leviathans that periodically leave the sea and try to destroy humanity.

It's very biopunk. The people who live in this world have learned to alter it and alter themselves to survive. Those who have been altered usually have grey skin. They can engineer themselves lightning reflexes, perfect recall, superhuman charm. Din himself is an Engraver who assists his boss by examining crime scenes and then describing in excruciating detail everything that he observed (even if he didn't realize everything at the time). Ana, his scary and wicked smart boss, then puts the pieces together to solve big picture crimes or puzzles.

Despite inhuman alterations, I found the characters in this book utterly human and fascinating. Bennett has a dry sense of humor about the bureaucracy that infiltrates all large human endeavors and understands how work gets done in the cracks. This is a terrible place that I would never want to live in, but the characters must (I wonder if this is their native planet??) and they have found many creative ways to survive. There is a mystery but I can't say that I was overly reminded of Holmes/Watson. The mystery drives the plot forward but it's the people in this book that I really want to solve.

This was such an intriguing mix of murder mystery, eco terrorism and VanderMeer-esque ecological anomalies. Plus beasts! Basically I’m here to say it had it all and I loved every minute. Hope there is a book 2 so we get to see how Ana and Dinios’ partnership flourishes.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an ARC in return for my honest review.

I was so excited to read this book (especially when I saw the physical copy) that I went out and bought it on release day. Unfortunately I DNF'ed this book mainly because of the amount of unnecessary language, particular the overuse of the f word. I own Foundryside (which I haven't read) mainly because of the review Brandon Sanderson wrote on Goodreads. I will still give that one a try but I can't deny I was incredibly disappointed in this book. Not only was the swearing an issue but the plot overall just seemed lacking and slow.

This book is a biopunk murder mystery fantasy and oh boy, it was such a fun time. The book was compelling and intriguing. It had well thought out world building and characters. It was such a good time. I feel like there are infomation in this book that will play a part in the rest of the series, so I would like to reread this when book 2 comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First off thank you Netgalley and Del Rey books for providing an E-ARC in exchange for my review! I ended up purchasing the final copy to support!
First off, to say I enjoyed this book was an understatement. I loved this world that Robert Jackson Bennett introduced to us. The detective murder mystery elements mixed with a unique magic system was definitely one of my favorite aspects of the book. There was not a moment I felt a detail or page was not wasted. Trying to figure out who was responsible for the string of murders while looming leviathan attack just made the stakes high. One of my favorite things in the book was the relationship between Din and Ana. Although not romantic you felt a genuine connection between the two that was platonic in nature and I wanted to read more ! There is nothing I would change about this book and highly recommend to anyone looking for a good murder mystery book!

I loved this book! It was a combination of all of my favorite genres. The story involves solving a mystery that takes place in a fantasy world. There is also political intrigue and a host of interesting characters. Highly recommend this one!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

An absorbing mystery-fantasy crossover from the award-winning author of The Divine Cities trilogy
Speculative fiction author Robert Jackson Bennett makes his first foray into mystery novels with The Tainted Cup, a top-notch police procedural set in an unnamed world little like our own. On this planet, plants have been genetically modified to serve all sorts of functions (kirpis mushrooms cool and filter air, fernpaper is used to construct walls, poisonous vines guard entryways). They're also used in suffusions and grafts to physically alter the inhabitants of the world; for example, giving some superhuman strength or genius-level mathematical ability. And, we soon discover, the augmented plants can be used to commit murder.

Dinios Kol is a newly-minted Sublime – one of the "cerebrally suffused and augmented" who "planned, managed and coordinated everything" for the Empire. Din's suffusion turned him into an engraver, someone who can remember everything they see and hear. He's been assigned to assist Immunis Anagosa Dolabra, Iudex Investigator of the Daretana Canton – aka Ana – a brilliant but irascible, foul-mouthed recluse tasked with looking into a death occurring on the property of the Empire's wealthiest and most influential clan. Din is dispatched to the estate and discovers a grisly scene: the body of a man killed by a tree that apparently grew out of his torso. He relays the details to Ana, who quickly determines the death is a murder, and as the pair investigate, the mystery deepens and the bodies pile up. Increasing the tension, the planet is entering the "wet season," when enormous creatures known as leviathans try to breach Daretana Canton's sea walls, causing massive death and destruction.

The plot is a seamless blend of fantasy and mystery. Bennett's world-building is exquisite, creating an environment at once familiar and completely new. Although the author immediately throws foreign terms at the reader (e.g., princeps, mai-lantern), any words that aren't clear from context are explained a bit later in the story; a map and chart of ranks in the book's preface are helpful here. Bennett doesn't paint a complete picture of this world by any means, but there's enough to fascinate readers without overwhelming them with its strangeness.

Exceptionally impressive, though, is the mystery at the heart of the novel. In many respects it's a standard police procedural – a crime is committed, the authorities collect evidence and interview suspects, the criminal is caught. Every other aspect, however, is wholly unexpected, from the choice of murder weapon to the deductions made by Din and Ana to the ultimate revelation of the guilty party. Bennett liberally peppers the story with red herrings, too, keeping readers guessing from start to finish. And, of course, there's the intriguing pairing of the book's two protagonists. Some have compared them to Holmes and Watson, and while there's rationale for that (Ana certainly has that Sherlock Holmes vibe about her), I find Din a much more interesting and more active participant than Watson ever was.

There are a few things about Bennett's novel that are less than stellar. The secondary characters aren't as developed as I would have liked, with most coming across as one-dimensional. And some stylistic choices should have been rethought, in my opinion, such as repeatedly writing that Ana was "grinning" about something (surely there's another verb that could have been employed for some variety) and the overuse of shocked stuttering during dialogue ("I…I have nothing to say," "Then…then what reason," "But…but just being here," etc.). Certainly, these flaws grated at times, but I enjoyed the mystery so darned much that it still earns my highest recommendation. The book does contain strong language (lots of f-bombs) but otherwise is appropriate for older teen audiences.

The Tainted Cup is the first entry in the proposed Shadow of the Leviathan series, and while its plot wraps up very satisfyingly, Bennett leaves plenty of room for sequels. I, for one, can't wait to read what he dreams up next. Fans of Isaac Asimov's Robot series and John Scalzi's Lock In books will likely enjoy this procedural, as will those who would like to encounter an outstanding yet different mystery novel.

What a well written mystery novel!

This book had so many twists and turns and detective work.

I loved Din as a character. He was a fun point of view to discover each piece of this story with.

The world-building was done well and we discovered more as the characters discovered things. This didn’t feel like an info-dump type of book, but rather well thought out on how to build the world and mystery.

Parts of it felt a little confusing and others a little slow so that is why I gave it a 4 and not a 5. However, it’s a fantastic beginning to a mystery series and I look forward to picking up a sequel.

DNF @30%

I’m definitely an outlier in not liking this. I gave this two attempts several weeks apart hoping I just wasn’t in the right headspace. I made it farther this time but I just wasn’t drawn into the story at all and was bored more than anything. I also hate how often the characters say each other’s names in conversation. Like every sentence has either their name or their title included and that’s just not a natural way of communication.

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for providing this ARC to me!

World building and characters are very important factors to make fantasy novels from "good' to "great". The tainted Cup nailed the both factors. Bennett created a very unique world that readers want to learn more about. Then the two main characters who themselves are mystery. I enjoyed every bit of this fantasy + mystery novel. I can't wait to read the next book of "Shadow of the Leviathan series).

This is another one of those books which gaslit me with a pretty cover. I had the hardest time getting through this book. There is a TON of little details which seemed to slog the book down. Perhaps if the characters were a bit more realistic then the world building would have fit better. As it stood, Ana was to me just trying too hard to be eccentric.
I know a lot of people who enjoyed this. Sadly, this was not a joy tor me.

I received a ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was honestly just so fun. It had a very Holmes-ian feel, with fun fantasy/sci-fi elements in a well-fleshed-out world with complex characters and a really great mystery. It's certainly not for the squeamish (a tree literally grows OUT of a man here, after all), but those who have the stomach for it will find much to love. It has neurodivergent and queer representation, which I always love to shout out when I see it. This is apparently the first in a series (which I'm happy about, because I'd love to see more of these characters and their quirks), but the story itself is pretty self-contained and draws to a satisfying conclusion.