THE TAINTED CUP by award-winning author Robert Jackson Bennett (Foundryside) is a LibraryReads selection for February. It is a very entertaining mix of mystery and fantasy. A military guest of a wealthy family has been killed and an eccentric investigator, Ana, and her new assistant, Din, seek to solve the murder and the puzzle of how it is connected to the threat on the territorial defenses after an alarming breach, for "it took every bit of cunning and planning to survive what came from the seas to the east each wet season." There is a sense of Holmes-Watson interplay here since Ana seems capable of truly intuitive analysis while Din, engineered to have a prodigious memory, is still learning and developing confidence. The world building is immersive and impressive, too. It will be fun to see more in this series. THE TAINTED CUP received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly ("Readers will be wowed.").

I’ve officially found my new autobuy author!

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is a wonderful sci-fi/mystery adventure that follow Ana, an investigator with the Iudex, the Empire’s arm of justice, and Din, her assistant. They follow the events of a mysterious murder to find a grand conspiracy that shakes the very foundation of what they believe to be truth and justice.

I’m not going to lie, I feel like I’ve been sleeping on this author: Mr. Gremlin absolutely loves the Foundryside series and always recommends it to me. The wit and humor in The Tainted Cup seems very emblematic of his style, per Mr. Gremlin, and it made the entire reading experience so enjoyable. You definitely have some dark instances (if you dislike body horror a la Annihilation, I’d proceed with caution), and the humor really cuts through the seriousness of it.

I also really appreciated the level of worldbuilding: you had enough where you could grasp the concept of the world around the characters but not so much that you were overwhelmed. Its a constant critique of mine for high science fiction books and I really loved how the worldbuilding was seamlessly tied into the plot.

The characters were also super well developed: you had a full idea of who they were and what they prioritized. I especially loved Ana’s feral disposition, which made the story all that more fun to read

No notes - this is perfect and I can’t wait for the next in the series!

I love a good murder mystery set in a fantasy world and this book delivers. Kol is an apprentice assistant investigator who has been modified to remember everything he sees and hears with the assistance of scents in little bottles. Ana, the investigator that he has been apprenticed to is rather quirky. He has been sent to his first murder scene and it is very unusual. The intricacies and details of the storyline are very good with little hints thrown in that make sense later. I definitely want to check out more of his books.

“Oh, you’ve always got to smile a little, Din… Even during, you know, the abysmally fucking awful times.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is my first five-star review of 2024. When I requested this book for review, I only went into it with a few details in mind: A murder mystery set in an original fantasy world. That doesn’t even begin to describe what Bennett has to offer.

The Tainted Cup was a story that had perfect timing for me. I was falling back into the murder mystery universe, complete with my Agatha Christie collection and movies of Hercule Poirot, and I was looking for something else to keep me anchored in the genre. This book supplied that and more.

It seems bizarre to describe this book as a blend of Attack on Titan, The Last of Us, Knives Out, and even Pacific Rim, but it’s a mixture that works, and it’s utterly delicious. If you’re looking for unique fantasy, killer plants, big monsters, and a fun murder mystery, The Tainted Cup is a must-buy.

This librarian is impressed! It was really enjoyable to read this! I went into this book anticipating it to be similar to Bennett's previous novel City of Stairs, basically to start as a murder mystery and end up as an epic fantasy. It rapidly became apparent that this was untrue. Instead, The Tainted Cup is a traditional murder mystery that takes inspiration from a fantastical world. This means that readers can expect a whole new level of suspense and a page-turner filled with tons of traps, twists, and dramatic revelations. All things considered, this captivating fantasy mystery features excellent world-building and strong characterization, despite a somewhat unlikeable main character. This fantasy world's contagions, sea monsters, sword fights, mind-body augmentation, and mysteries make for an exciting and enjoyable read. Wealth, power, greed, secrets, betrayal, retaliation, friendship, bureaucracy, and many other topics are among the themes. This book will appeal to those who like a murder investigation set in a fantastical setting. I give it five of five strong stars.

I leaped for the latest effort from Bennett, the start of a new series. What I liked? Intriguing world, and I adored the fact that the protagonist is dyslexic. High five, pal!

Alas, it turns out this is my least favorite type of fantasy, the forensic mystery, with a ton of grue both made up and not made up. Not the author's fault. This is the story he wants to tell, and he made the characters interesting enough to keep me going, though rather slowly, as I have to find the mood to follow a structure that doesn't appeal to me. (I only read mysteries if they are more comedy of manners and humorous than actual mysteries.)

Diversity, gay-sympathetic, interesting world...lots going for it. Especially if you're a fan of mysteries and forensic detecting.

Robert Jackson Bennett has done it again and delivered a superb fantasy novel that is unlike any other that I've read. I have previously read books by him and loved them and this one wasn't any different.

The storyline will pull you in and make you wish you could never stop reading once you start.

Fantasy readers will love this one!

I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was cute, inventive, kept my interest, and I will definitely recommend it to my followers. Also, the cover is just gorgeous.

This is an imaginative fantasy/sci-fi novel set in a vibrant world full of peril and people with astonishing abilities. The world felt very lived-in and gritty, which gave it an air of authenticity. I appreciated the sense that danger was everywhere due to possible contaminants and the monstrous leviathans which sometimes emerged from the sea. Yet, society has found ways to use these very dangers to their advantage.

I was intrigued by the way this society used science to enhance regular humans, especially since many of those enhancements have (less powerful) real-world equivalents. For example, Din essentially has an eidetic memory and Ana is basically a souped-up Sherlock Holmes, easily able to make connections other people miss. I really liked all the little details like Din using scent memory to help differentiate important information.

The mystery itself was complex, nuanced, and thought provoking. I found it very engaging. There were also a few hints at a larger story. I’m hoping more books will follow.

I absolutely loved this book! It will be one of my top reads of 2024. I cannot wait to check out the other books by this author. This is Sherlock Holmes meets fantasy. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC. I finished this book on audio and it was excellent.

Meet Dinios Kol. Din or just Din for short. There is nothing really amazing about him other than he has be biomechanically altered to be an engraver, someone who remembers absolutely everything they ever see or hear.

He was pretty much the biggest loser around until somehow he aced all his tests and became assigned to special investigator Ana Dolabra. I would describe her as a cross between Hannibal Lector (in a less serial killer sense, I think) and Sherlock Holmes. She is brilliant, eccentric and marches to a tune no one hears but her.

“Excuse me,” said Gennadios. “But— the investigator is blind?”
“Only occasionally, Madam Gennadios,” said Ana. “I find that reducing one or several senses often makes it far easier to absorb information, and think. Please— sit.”

They are the heart of the story and I really loved the dynamic between them. There is a mystery a foot. One of the leading military heads was found killed in a very peculiar way in one of the richest families estates. I tree of sorts basically decided to burst out of his check and use him as a growth medium until it decided it grew enough. Din and Ana will need to find out how this happened and why. It is a pretty big mystery and it will take them out of the small providence they are in and closer to The Wall.

Because there isn't enough going on with the murder mystery the blooms (that will be punny when you read this) a bit out of control, there is also a huge wall that keeps out Leviathans from the deep. Well at least it does most of the time that is. There might also be a large hole in said wall right now and the bustling around that comes with trying to stay alive and out of the path of monsters.

“You sound,”she said, “a touch shook there, Din.”
“I think it’d be mad if I didn’t, ma’am. The only comfort I have is knowing you’re accustomed to things like this.”
She frowned. “Accustomed? Hell, Din, I’ve no idea what I’m fucking doing.”

The mystery was pretty intricate and awesome. The main characters, well lets just say I love the Sherlock-Watson type dynamic. Ana is interesting, wonderful, a little mad and I totally fell in love with her. Din's engraving skill was so interesting and I enjoyed getting to know his character better.

The World Building...this is where RJB shines. The different races and then the way their bodies could be manipulated into things by using biologic material from Leviathans that are killed was so interesting and dynamic. Different worms, or contagions could make you like Din, or give you super strength or speed or a number of other things. It was all so interesting to me.

I've loved RBJs other series and he has a winner with this new series as well. Can't wait to see what other trouble and chaos they can get into.

"I was just wondering if that was why you’d asked me to bring Gennadios.”
“Oh, partially. I didn’t really need her to confirm my hunch. I mostly wanted you to bring her so I could fuck up her day. She sounded like such an awful turd.”

This was excellent. So good.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and the audio book was a really good vehicle. I'm not always a fan of mysteries but this was well constructed and the reveals pretty much got me at every turn. The magic system was interesting, and weird and intriguing. Din and Ana were such a lovely dynamic and interesting in the best ways. I wanted more and I am salivating for what happens in future installments.

I've read something that could be considered similar to this last year, and if I had a choice, 100% it would be Robert Jackson Bennett. This was very well crafted, and it was such a fresh read with some of the other big fantasy reads leaving me a little parched.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for an e-copy.

Robert Jackson Bennett is adept at creating intriguing worlds, and The Tainted Cup is a perfect example. This world tries valiantly to create order, when in reality, for those who look closely, chaos exists. It is a world divided into cantons, each with its own purpose; it is a world plagued by titans (I have a feeling there are far more to the titans then revealed in this particular novel); it is world where some of its citizens have been augmented to meet the needs of particular professions; it is a world where strangeness is the norm for its people, landscape, flora, fauna, and funga; it is a world where corruption lurks under the surface; and it is a world where good people try to do the right thing….

Kol is an engraver, augmented to remember everything… forever. He is assigned as an apprentice to an imperial investigator, Ana. Together, they unravel a series of murders revealing the multi-layered corruption crossing the cantons. The Tainted Cup is one of those novels where the reader becomes invested in the main characters and fervently hopes there will be more stories to come in the very near future.

Marvelous. A delicious marriage of high fantasy with Watson & Holmes-ian detective fiction. Robert Jackson Bennett is at the top of his game with this book -- the first in a new series, Shadow of the Leviathan. The question is, how often is he thinking about the Roman Empire? Probably pretty often, considering the setting.
Per the author: "a mystery set in a fantasy world where a massive empire does its utmost to defend its citizens against enormous natural catastrophes and seemingly endless crises, all supported on the backs of toiling bureaucrats, civil officers, and the administrative state."
Character development, world building, ramping up of stakes, witty banter -- all the juicy, plot-thickening goodness is here. And the reveal is ever so smart, ever so satisfying, and ever so much a setup for further whodunnits in this new fantasy series.

[Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett, 413 pages. Del Rey (Penguin Random House), 2024. $29. lgbtqia
Language: R (256 swears, 67 “f” + British swears); Mature Content: R; Violence: R
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO; ADULT - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
As investigator’s assistant, Dinios (20yo) is sent to the scene of a murder—his first. He faithfully engraves the information needed for the investigator, Ana, and reports back, but the case is far from over. Murders in the same strange manner pop up, prompting officials to bring Din and Ana in on those cases, but time is of the essence: the wet season is coming, bringing destruction with it.
I absolutely love the eccentric Ana, who is a type of Sherlock Holmes, and her assistant, Din, who is her perfect Watson. The mystery tangles and unfolds masterfully, though I got worried as I started to run out of pages. While the conclusion is satisfactory plot-wise, I can hardly sit still due to the anticipation of seeing these characters solve another mystery. Besides the characters, I also love the world Bennett has built. Furthermore, I am impressed with Bennett’s ability to make the complex world and magic feel so easily understood; from the first chapter, I found myself immersed in a world that made sense despite its newness.
Dinios is described as having darker skin than another character, and races are mentioned but they are not the same as the races in our world. The mature content rating is for mentions of drugs, prostitutes, sexual harassment, and sex; alcohol use; innuendo; brief discussion of animals mating; and nudity. The violence rating is for blood and gore, assault, murder, assassins, and fantasy violence.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

What an imaginative world with a great "who done it?" storyline.

The world building was intriguing, a mixture of dark cottagecore, dark academia, and high fantasy all wrapped up in a mystery bow. The dynamic between Ana and Kol do give off a Sherlock and Watson vibe a la Benedict Cumberbatch but for my Anime/Manga fans I instantly thought of xxxHolic. A cunningly smart older investigator, and a young fresh out of academy assistant with a mind full of secrets, solving a bizarre string of deaths with a backdrop of giant threats, corrupts, and deadly plants.

I appreciated that Bennett threw the reader right into the world, no long description of the history and creating of this world. It caused my imagination to create a conclusion and then adapt as an item or location was described to me.
Unfortunately what did take me out of the story was the use of our real world curse words in a fantasy world. I didn't feel like it fit in the world. It did its purpose to convey annoyance, urgency, and the character's predicament, it would just throw me off, really.

Over all, I enjoyed this introduction to a new series and look forward to these misfits creating havoc and finding justice.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett in exchange for an honest review. I found this book hard for me to get into. The genre was more to my sister's liking than mine.

This mystery/fantasy starts off with a dead body at a country estate. The estate belongs to one of the most rich and powerful families in the empire.
Din is the assistant to the brilliant investigator Ana. Since she rarely leaves her home, she sends Din to see what he can find. Din has been magically enhanced to remember everything he sees so he can report back to Ana.
What he finds is a man killed by the plant growing out of his body.

Meanwhile, leviathans continue to batter the walls trying to breach the city. If they succeed, murder by contagion will be the least of Din's problems.

I loved this book so much! Ana is fantastic! She is brilliant, eccentric, and very funny. Din is great as well. They are a formidable pair! Definitely my favorite book of the year so far.

5 stars

This was my first Robert Jackson Bennett and it will definitely not be my last! The Tainted Cup satisfies on all fronts - intricate fantasy world building, a twisty murder mystery, a great critique on the nature of empire, and a detective duo that already have me crazing their next adventure. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy in this series debut and I, for one, could not be more pleased to have picked this up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

I received a copy from NetGalley for review.

So this book is very much a Sherlock Holmes/Watson type mystery, but instead of them chasing down the murderer together, Holmes has a mild case of agoraphobia and Watson uses smell to remember everything about a scene then reports back to Holmes to process everything. I ate it up. I find with reading Robert Jackson Bennett's books you just kind of have to bumble along with the story. They're highly entertaining and everything the Sci-fi genre should be.

I found the pacing in this sometimes to be a little too slow, but that didn't hinder the book. I really enjoyed all of the characters, especially Din and Strovi.