This was fabulous! I hadn't read RJB since the Divine Cities trilogy, which I thought was great. Although this book is quite different from that series, I was wowed in much the same way by the author's imagination and originality.

The setting for this mystery was so unusual, I kept wondering if it was supposed to be Earth far, far into the future or another planet or something else. I still don't know, and I'm hoping more is revealed in the next book.

It's definitely the immersion method of world-building, but the author did an excellent job providing context for the vocabulary, architecture, culture, terrain, and science of his world. I felt kind of dazzled by it all but never lost.

I really liked Din and Ana, and I was happy with the tone of Din's first-person narration and the rhythm of the dialogue. The different types of Sublimes were cool, and I liked how Din's augmented abilities worked, as well as his workarounds for his trouble reading.

I was impressed by everything about this one, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

I cannot adequately describe how good this book is, however, I will try. It’s phenomenal. It’s a well-thought-out, fleshed-out, knock-out of a book.

The mystery is delicious, and Bennett is a mastermind at providing just enough information, enough to make you think you’ve worked some of it out, then more is revealed, and I was left dumbfounded at how everything was put together. Some parts of the mystery I figured out, most left me taken aback.

The Tainted Cup follows a Holmes and Watson-style duo - Ana Dolabra, an eccentric but brilliant detective, and her apprentice, Dinios Kol, a young man who remembers everything he sees.

The Tainted Cup is a murder mystery set in a fantasy world. However, the world itself is approachable, and the mystery murder plot was easy enough to follow, while also being the right mix of complex and intriguing. This makes Bennett’s novel the perfect read for those who are comfortable with fantasy and looking to dip their toes into murder mysteries, or the mystery fanatics that are unsure about fantasy. The Tainted Cup is a rare book that is accessible to almost anyone.

If you are worried about this novel being the first in a series and being left with a cliffhanger - worry not, for this novel wraps up this mystery perfectly and sets up our detective duo for more adventures.

This was such a delight to read, I highly recommend picking up this book!


Thank you to Robert Jackson Bennett, Random House Publishing – Ballantine, Del Rey, and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Tainted Cup takes place in the fictional Empire of Khanum on the eastern coast of a large continent. Khanum is made up of cantons separated by huge concentrically ringed walls from the ocean moving inward. These walls, along with Khanum's Legionnaires, serve as protection against huge ocean beasts called Leviathans. Every few months the Leviathans emerge from the ocean floor and attempt to come ashore into the Empire where they cause utter devastation.

At the beginning of one of these wet seasons, as they're called in the Empire, Dinios Kol is called to investigate a murder on behalf of his master Ana Dolabra. A high ranking officer has been killed in a most unusual manner, and the murder occurred in the home of one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the Empire. The discoveries at the scene end up leading both Din and Ana on a journey neither of them could have expected. What begins as a mysterious death quickly snowballs into political intrigue and deadly danger. Ana and Din must unravel the mystery in which the existence of the Empire and all they know is being held in the balance.

This book was absolutely amazing! Everything about it from the characters to the setting and the mystery itself were so unique and interesting. The Empire of Khanum is one of the most distinctive settings I've seen in a book. The entire Empire is under a seasonal threat from the Leviathans emerging from the sea. It's mentioned throughout the story that the entire reason the Empire exists is to kill or turn away the Leviathans when they attempt to come ashore. One of the ways the Empire has done this is by using the Leviathans' blood and other parts (after they've managed to kill one of course) to synthesize all manner of technology.

For example, there are a class of people known as Sublimes who have been genetically altered to have special abilities. Dinios Kol is one such person, and he is known as an engraver. Everything he sees or hears, he remembers. He never forgets anything, which makes him perfect for his role as an apprentice investigator. Additionally, much of the technology in this world is plant-based. The buildings are made of strong, genetically enhanced vines, and there are even fungi and mushrooms that act as air conditioners. This blend of science within a fantasy setting is such an interesting take on what may otherwise be called magic in another book. I've had a hard time categorizing this book's genre as a result, but that is by no means a criticism of the story.

Speaking of the story, Robert Jackson Bennett has managed to weave together seemingly unrelated threads to build an engaging and thrilling mystery with this book. I found myself comparing it to Sherlock Holmes where Ana was Holmes and Din was Watson. The dynamic between them as they sought to unravel each thread was very similar. Din would gather and engrave the information in his memory, and Ana would use her prodigious wealth of knowledge to piece everything together. There were a few instances when I fitted the pieces together myself before the story explained them, but for the most part, the story was difficult to predict.

Aside from the mystery and setting, what really made this story so engaging was the characters, especially Ana and Din. Both of them have mysteries in their own past, and this book only explains a few of them. For example, Din has a secret about how his engraving works that isn't explained until late in the book, but his family and reasons for becoming a Sublime remain unexplained. Likewise, Ana is quite eccentric, even by the Empire's standards. She reads obsessively literally anything she can get her hands on, and she blindfolds herself much of the time to avoid over-stimulation. Her reasons for these behaviors are explained, but her muddled past and secrets are only mentioned enough to make the reader want more.

Luckily, I saw that the Goodreads and StoryGraph pages for The Tainted Cup have been updated to indicate this is the first book in a planned trilogy! I'm hoping further installments will explain some of Din's and Ana's pasts as well as explore the world more. I really want to know what in the world is going on with these Leviathans. What are they really, and why do they try so hard to come ashore? It's sort of explained in the book what happens if they do make it ashore, and what is explained doesn't necessarily seem bad. It just seems inconvenient for the Empire and people in general. So, I can't wait to read more about it all!

I gave The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett five out five stars. Just the setting and characters alone make this an interesting and unique book, but then Bennett wove it all into a mystery filled with murder and political intrigue on top of that. I keep wanting to say it's like Sherlock Holmes in Ancient Rome except Rome was built on the edge of the ocean in a jungle with giant sea monsters. Then I realize, that's not like Rome at all! And of course, just like any great mystery, the title makes so much sense once you finish the book. Definitely give this book a read if you're on the lookout for something so different it's difficult to even categorize!

If you are drawn to fantastical novels with vivid scenery that fills the page, compelling characters with dark secrets, and lyrical storytelling about out of this world creatures, you will like The Tainted Cup. If you prefer spine tingling, multi layered murder mysteries with head spinning twists, you will enjoy The Tainted Cup. But if you want an engaging and entertaining novel that combines both fantasy and suspense, you will love The Tainted Cup. Tasked with finding the person behind the gruesome death of Commander Blas, a high ranking engineer in the fabled Empire of Khanum, are lead investigator Ana Dolabra, and her assistant Din Kol. Ana's unconventional methods-she refuses to leave her house ("too much stimulation drives a person mad," says Ana), and spends most of her time blindfolded, including during interrogations ("best to keep the senses limited")- Ana has been banished to a remote corner of the empire. Din is an "engraver"-he is able to remember everything he has seen, heard, or touched by unlocking his memories through scent, an extremely useful skill since Ana rarely sees crime scenes first hand. But don't be fooled by this quirky pair-while her coworkers and superiors think Ana is crazy, she has more in common with the fox than they know. Despite Ana and Din's sleuthing, the murders continue. The plot also features mythical sea creatures determined to destroy the land. Robert Bennett is an esteemed (and supremely talented) writer, and his imagination overflows in The Tainted Cup. The only drawback to The Tainted Cup is an overindulgence of colorful language, but this is a small distraction from an otherwise riveting and ingenious work.

An offbeat historical fantasy mixed with a Sherlock Holmes style murder mystery isn’t something I’d normally gravitate to, but I’m so glad I picked this up because I really enjoyed it!

I loved the world building and creativity in this, but it did take me a lot of time to wrap my head around it. I was happy to have the digital copy so I could search in the kindle to try to remember what terms meant or who people were. I started this on audio but found it too complicated to follow in that format and did the majority of this with the ebook.

My world building cheat sheet: There are titans (also called leviathans) that attack the Empire lands during the wet season and they have built walls to protect the 3 rings of the Empire. There are augmentations people get for magically enhanced abilities, as well as augmentations used on objects/plants/animals. There are also military rankings and organizational divisions along with character names to track. Maybe now you can see why I struggled a bit here. All that being said though, it was worth the struggle to grasp it! I love when an author has a new idea and unique concept that feels like nothing I’ve ever read before.

It took me awhile to warm up to the two MCs, Din and Ana. Din is an uptight rule follower who shows little to no emotion while Ana is a very eccentric woman who came off a bit cartoonish with all her maniacal grinning, F-bombs and over the top antics. The writing style is formal in dialog with sir and ma’am used a LOT (408 ma’am and 185 sir uses). Even if it’s realistic due to the military style reporting, it became very repetitive along with some other over used words that stood out.

The murder mystery itself was unique in the ways that characters died, but the villains were fairly easy to identify and predict. I wish the reveals would have been more than just one person reveals all, but I appreciate the complexity to the various aspects of the mystery. I can’t say more than that about it without giving anything away!

I went into this mostly blind based on a recommendation from a friend and I’m really happy I read it! I always love a creative plot and this definitely fits the bill, so in spite of some issues I had, I’d still recommend this for sure! I’m excited to see it’s the first in a series and will definitely plan to continue reading the series. Thanks Del Rey and NetGalley for the DRC!

I really mean it when I say that this has become one of my favorite books. I don't know if I'm more excited that it is part one of a trilogy or disappointed that I now have to wait a while for the next one!

The Tainted Cup is a fantasy murder mystery. The book starts with an investigation of a high-ranking official's death. The death, however, is quite unusual: a tree has burst from his body. What follows is a Holmes and Watson like story, with "Watson" as the main character. Din has been altered to have a perfect memory and his job is to report back to Ana, a brilliant investigator tasked to solve the murder. All of this is happening in an Empire that is at the same time being threatened by Leviathan creatures.

This was a really fun read, and honestly just such a creative story with magically augmented humans, amazing world-building, and an intriguing mystery. Without giving anything away, there were some moments where I was like, who thinks of this?! I mean this in the best way possible. I personally thought that this book was really well done and really enjoyed my time with it.

This would be a really good entry into fantasy for someone that enjoys a good mystery and wants to read more fantasy.

Thanks so much to Del Rey, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for my digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first in a series, The Tainted Cup is a delicious murder mystery set in a fantasy world full of terrific characters. The story engages you right from the first chapter where you are introduced to the murder victim and the main character, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver; with the use of scents, he is able to remember scenes and conversations in perfect clarity later. He is the perfect assistant to lead investigator Ana Dolabra, a brilliant but incredibly quirky individual who refuses to leave her house. The world created here is built around a society which is forced to try and prevent huge sea creatures from coming ashore and wreaking havoc. As Din and Ana work their murder case, they find themselves unraveling long held secrets which put many people in danger, including themselves.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this e-arc.*

An unusual story.
This is not one of the typical type of books I read, but I did enjoy the combination of mystery and fantasy.
Our main character, a bit of un underdog at the start, blossomed into a full investigator under the guidance of his new eccentric boss.
A woman who likes to blindfold herself to heighten her senses of observations. Dinios, our main character, is an engraver magically altered to obtain the perfect photographic memory. Good to have in an investigation. And it all starts with a body of a man killed by a fast-growing tree sprouting from inside his body.
This is a fast and interesting read, so much is going on that it will keep you engaged through the whole storyline. The soldiers are trying to safeguard the town from the sea monsters. The wealthy society that will stop at nothing to increase their wealth, and schemes that go all the way to the imperial family.
Even if you do not read fantasy stories you might give this one a try.

RJB has concocted an interesting fantasy world in which to tell a tale of murder and mystery. The main characters are very interesting and play well together. The plot is a little twisty - enough to keep you interested - though fairly straight forward. The world building is done well and is a great backdrop for this story.

Five stars for “The Tainted Cup.” It is unusual for me to get two five star books back to back, but here we are. I’m not mad about it. My thanks to the author and Del Rey publishing for this ARC. All opinions are mine and offered freely.

#TheTaintedCup #RobertJacksonBennett #Netgalley #fivestarread #kindlesallthewaydown

The premise of this book was really interesting, unfortunately it just didn’t capture my attention as I’d hoped. I’ve heard this book compared to both House and Sherlock Holmes, but in a fantasy setting, and I feel that this is 100% accurate.

A spin on the classic, Sherlock and Watson meets magic in a well-written story. I'm looking forward to the next book in a new series.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett blends fantasy with a mystery. When a high Imperial officer is found dead in his home in Daretana, investigator Ana Dolabra is called in to determine how this happened and who killed him. It’s not every day a tree erupts from a body even in an empire where contagions are plentiful and the blood of Leviathans corrupts the land. Was this an accidental contagion or was Commander Taqtasa Blas assassinated? Ana is assisted by her new apprentice assistant, Dinios Kol, an engraver magically altered to possess a perfect memory.
However, the case is even bigger that the death of one officer. The safety of the Empire is at stake.

Ana is brilliant, but eccentric, easily bored, and often incites outrage in others. She insists on wearing a blindfold most of the time and doesn’t often leave her home. She also actively seeks knowledge in between cases, disregards politeness, and makes unusual but often accurate conclusions. Dinios has secrets, has a dull demeanor at times, doesn’t come across as friendly, and is somewhat baffled by Ana’s actions and deductions. Their interactions enlivened the story. However, don’t be fooled by your initial opinion of him. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but they are introduced gradually and that helped. A list of ranks is provided, but a character list would have also helped.

The story immediately grabbed my attention with a riveting mystery and quirky characters. One question came to mind quickly. If Ana is such a brilliant investigator, why was she assigned to the small community of Daretana? The plot is complex, twisty, and multi-layered. The world-building is well-developed as readers learn more about it throughout the novel. While there are a few slow spots, I was rewarded by an enjoyable read as I persevered through them. I also wanted a little more suspense throughout the book. The ending of the book includes the highest level of action in the book and then sets the stage for book two. What will their next case entail?

Overall, this engrossing fantasy mystery has good characterization, even with a main character that wasn’t always likeable, and great world-building. The mix of mind and physical enhancements combined with sea monsters, sword fighting, contagions, and mysteries in this fantasy world made for an entertaining and fun read. Themes include wealth, power, greed, murder, secrets, revenge, betrayal, friendship, bureaucracy, and much more. Readers who enjoy a murder investigation set in a fantasy world will likely enjoy this novel. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey and Robert Jackson Bennett provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for February 06, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. This book is fantastic. The world building and writing are creative and immersive. I couldn't put this book down. I loved it so much. The story sucked you in and you just wanted to know how everything is going to tie up. This is the first time I've read anything by this author, and I'm quite enthusiastic to read more. I cannot wait for the next book in this series and I will recommend this to everyone I know who reads. One of the most original and best books I've read in a while.

Robert Jackson Bennett takes the classic pairing of irritable genius detective and neophyte assistant and transplants it to a wild fantasy setting in The Tainted Cup. Sometimes when I read a book, I get the feeling that the author knocked their own socks off while writing it. The world Bennett has created here is a feat of worldbuilding. The scenes exude a sense of history and the descriptions bring everything to vibrant life in my mind’s eye. This book is a fun ride, even if some characters aren’t as fully realized as the settings.

Our narrator is Dinios Kol, a man whose mind has been altered so that he can remember everything. This makes him the perfect assistant for the wing of the empire’s government that handles policing and law but, like all other engravers, he has to finish his apprenticeship before he can officially join the Iudex. Once he’s done that, he can finally start earning enough money to relocate his family from the dangerous outskirts of the empire to the safer heartland. The woman he is currently assigned to—an irascible genius who rarely leaves her quarters and often wears a blindfold to block outside stimulation—might make that task difficult. Ana Dolabra has even fewer social graces than Dinios. Because Ana refuses to actually visit crime scenes, all of the legwork falls on Dinios.

Dinios’s first official crime scene is utterly bizarre. The victim has been poisoned with something that caused a tree to violently grow out of his chest, killing him nearly instantly. There are a few longshot suspects but it quickly becomes clear that something larger is afoot, to paraphrase another fictional detective who clearly inspired Ana. Much of the book shows Dinios investigating and then reporting his impressions and findings to Ana. I was thankful that Dinios was our narrator. Exploring the world through his eyes is much more interesting than staying with Ana while she ratiocinates—although I was entertained by her delightfully rude questioning of various witnesses and suspects. Ana’s ability to make stunning intuitive leaps allows the investigation to rapidly progress even though there are only the few clues Dinios’s eagle-eye found to really go on. Thankfully, Ana is trusted enough by the people running the show that no one tells her to stop investigating. She and Dinios have almost complete carte blanche to follow the trail wherever it goes, at least until they run up against a spectacularly wealthy and well-connected aristocratic family.

The Tainted Cup gallops along through crime scenes and interrogations and stunning revelations. Victims and accomplices pile up. The plot twists and turns all over the place, keeping me guessing even while I was inhaling the amazing descriptions of a world where chemistry and botany have been developed to the point where humans can be altered mentally or mentally for all kinds of purposes. I’m glad that this book is a series launch. I can’t wait to dive into Dinios’s next adventure because I just can’t get enough of the world Bennett has created here.

3.5 stars rounded up. This was a fun murder mystery in a fantasy world. The first half was a bit slow and I felt like there could have been a bit more world building, but it picked up speed in the second half of the book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really like Robert Jackson Bennett’s style of writing. He starts all his books right in the middle of the action. I liked how quirky the detective was and how the main character just went along with it. The world building was a little confusing, but some fantasy books are just like that. My only problem with this book was trying to keep the people straight. I got lost for a time when they rapidly started naming new characters and I could never remember who was who. I still like his previous series, The Founders Trilogy, more, but I will definitely continue on with series as I see some real potential.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is a very solid first entry into a new Fantasy Mystery series. This reads very much like a "whodunnit" but with fantasy elements. The world building is fantastic. You can clearly see the scenes in your mind as Bennett paints the luscious picture. The characters are very distinct and flushed out. For me personally, whodunnit's are not my favorite types of stories. If you loves books/movies like Clue, Knives Out, or anything by Agatha Christie, I think you need to check this out. You will love it!

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the ARC. I literally screamed when I got the email that my ARC request had been approved. This was one of my most anticipated books of 2024. If you are like me with your favorite genres being fantasy and murder mysteries you should definitely add this to your TBR, this book is absolutely magnificent! The story follows Dinios Kol, who is an assistant to the detective Ana Dolabra, a brilliant and eccentric detective who can solve cases without even going outside. I loved Ana so much, she was honestly quite relatable yet a million times smarter than me. Din is an engraver, which means that he has been magically enhanced to have a perfect memory. Ana does not venture outside too much, due to the outside world being overstimulating, plus her personality being a little unsuitable for interviewing investigators, so we follow Din going to all sorts of places and doing lots of investigation. The book is really fun, the worldbuilding is phenomenal which makes all the smaller pieces of investigation and gathering evidence so interesting. I also loved the magic system. As this is a mystery, the book definitely did a good job of keeping me on my toes, eagerly turning the pages with revelation after revelation and many big secrets being revealed. There were moments I was literally scared for the characters lives, the stakes were high, I literally could not stop reading and then the moments where I had to pay attention in class and stuff, I was constantly thinking about this book, wondering what would happen next. Overall, this was amazing, and I really hope there are more books in this series.

Thanks, NetGalley and Del Rey Books, for the digital review copy. Thanks, @PRHAudio, for the #gifted audiobook. #PRHAudioPartner #sponsored

Inventive and spectacular world-building combined with a Holmes and Watson-style mystery-solving team? You had me at “Hello.” I’m excited this is listed as “Shadow of the Leviathan #1” because I need more stories like this one.

“In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.”

Wonderful and witty, the author shows us a bizarre world threatened by leviathans who attempt to breach the city walls and people who are augmented or supplemented to have super-human qualities. Din, for example, is an Engraver, able to recall anything he sees or hears in exact detail. The mystery is well plotted, the characters fascinating, and the dialog zippy. “I do so admire,” she said, “How you can be a flippant shit with a mere handful of syllables. Quite a talent.”

Narrator Fallaize delivers a spectacular performance with a wide variety of accents and dialects, making each character memorable and Technicolor-brilliant.

If you’re looking for an exceptional fantasy-mystery mashup, get your hands on this one on 6 Feb 24.

5 🌟
0 🌶️

I grew up loving Sherlock Holmes. I think what I always liked about him was his weird brilliance and the characteristics that made him Sherlock. I have devoured the books, movies, and TV series, always enjoying the recreation of solving mysteries with the enigmatic Holmes and Watson. Now I have Ana Dolabra and Din Kol. Set in a land where everything from people to plants has been biologically enhanced or mutated, and not always in good ways. We start with a murder, as always, and a particularly gruesome one at that. Kol is sent as an Engraver to begin the investigation. The author shows us how biological enhancements are used and slowly introduces us to more as the novel proceeds. I enjoyed how I was shown the scenery and atmosphere of the novel. Kol is young and a brand-new Engraver, and we discover he is quite good at it as the novel progresses. Ana is unique, with a colorful vocabulary that she shares with everyone she meets regardless of their status, which adds a lot of humor to this mystery of murder and governmental shenanigans. It did drag a bit at the beginning, which I believe was due to all the world-building that needed to happen, including a complex political structure. It may have been my imagination inhabiting the story, but I pictured this world with a distinctly Asian feel. I am unsure if that was the author's aim, but I would be curious if anyone else envisioned the scenes similarly. Great action sequences and memorable characters. To say I loved the book would be accurate. I have a new favorite detective who I find delightfully weird and brilliant, and I look forward to more adventures. Please have another one soon; this was so much fun to read!