I went into this book not expecting a lot, only to be greeted with one of the most engrossing mysteries I've read in a long time. The Sherlock Holmes and Watson nature of the two main characters was delightful and kept things interesting even in places where the story slowed down. The world this all took place in was fascinating and exciting in equal measure, with magic based off nature and biological enhancement, and an empire protected from enormous leviathans via three walls in a fashion that reminded me of Attack on Titan. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery, interesting characters, or both!

This book wasn’t for me. I thought I was reading a magical fantasy type book, but it didn’t feel that way to me. However, the storyline was written well.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I was really excited to read it given the early feedback but I was left wondering if I was reading the same book as they were. I think the writing style doesn’t mesh with my preferences.

I wasn’t able to connect with any of the characters. There were times I didn’t know what was going on. The leviathan angle was underserved in the plot. You could have had a similar mystery without that element.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

The Tainted Cup mixes fantasy and mystery perfectly. I don't read a lot of mystery because I often see the ending coming and for this one parts of it feel into place quickly but the ending was not what I saw coming.

Ana is an investigator assigned to Daretana and while she is there she gets a new assistant Din. Din is an engraver, altered to have a perfect memory. After weeks of fraud cases there is a murder and it is a strange one even for this world where the sea is full of leviathans and contagions are common. A military officer is killed by a tree erupting from his chest. Din goes to the scene and he engraves what he sees and brings it back to Ana, who interacts with the world as little as possible. Together they work to put the pieces together as the Leviathan's attack the sea walls.

This was such an original world and I loved the characters. Ana who is brilliant but limited and Din who is at times sure of himself and at others feels like a fake. I'm really looking forward to more of the series. While the mystery of this story was wrapped up nicely there was so much more to learn about this world. I really really want to know why the Leviathan's attack the sea walls in the wet season and why do they have faces?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

In The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett carries forward the strengths of the Founder’s Trilogy, but in a different type of story—a murder mystery.

The world-building is as strong as ever, aided by taking familiar elements and combining them in unique ways and clear, precise writing. Every few months, the Empire of Khanum comes under assault from massive leviathans (think Kaiju), the prose clearly and terrifyingly captures their scale. The leviathan’s corpses, especially their blood, contain unique properties that the empire has used to create their technology, including enhancing individuals for strength and smell and other attributes. And yet, the safety of the Empire is threatened by the schemes of the wealthy, land-owning gentry.

The story’s sole narrator Din—a likable, resourceful, determined protagonist, plagued by feelings of inadequacy—is an engraver, someone enhanced to have perfect recall, and an assistant investigator to the brilliant, eccentric, and acerbic Ana. The duo, always a pleasure to follow if you don’t mind a lot of snark (the comparison to Holmes and Watson is definitely valid), find themselves caught up in a scheme when the calm of Din’s home is shattered by a gruesome murder.

The murder mystery that follows is full of shocking reveals that skillfully expose the inner- and true-workings of the empire. (Its only weakness is that some suspects could have been more developed. The intrigue came more from the why than the who.) Much of the joy of The Founder’s Trilogy comes from its action scenes and cleverly executed heists based on its innovative magic system. In The Tainted Cup, those are largely replaced by probing investigative questions posed to suspects and the bureaucracy of the empire. This may sound less joyful, but there are thrilling action sequences at key moments, the details of the empire rarely bog down the pacing thanks to the precise prose, and the battle of wits at play in the questioning is as engaging as any well-executed sword fight. Combine all this with a steadily growing sense of danger, and The Tainted Cup is every bit as engaging.

The conclusion satisfyingly brings all the threads together with a message that celebrates difference and offers hope in the face of anger and entrenched corruption. It is also thorough enough to allow The Tainted Cup to stand alone, while leaving enough questions to create eager anticipation for a sequel.

This review will be posted to X/Twitter at laramie_graber and to Goodreads at Laramie Graber on February 6th.

I was intrigued by the blurb for this book, but knew I was stepping outside of my comfort zone as a primarily romantasy reader. The first two-thirds of the book were a bit slow paced for my liking, but the last third definitely paid off.

The book follows a young man as he tries to prove himself capable of becoming an assistant investigator, working with a quite eccentric superior. There are extensive fantasy and sci-fi elements, as well as strong, immersive world building. I enjoyed discovering culprits along with MMC as he used his unique abilities to help unravel a series crimes that went back years.

All said and done, I’m glad I branched out and tried a new genre. It has inspired me to continue. I’ll likely buy a physical copy of this book once it releases for my teenage son, and I’d definitely read more of the author’s work going forward.

We are led to believe that this book is going to be a fantasy novel with magical elements. I don't see where magic played any part in this novel-at least not magic the way I understand it. I did find it interesting that the people of this world have augmentations/grafts added to their bodies and/or brains. These augmentations allow the user to do many amazing things.

This book kept me somewhat engaged if only to find out the why's of the mystery. I did not like the main characters, Din and Ana, one tiny bit, and I felt nothing for them. Some of the secondary characters hit the mark better than the main characters. They kept me going.

The swearing and usage of modern colloquialisms were atrocious, considering (the world? the time period?) the rest of the odd language used in this novel.

It is a very twisty mystery that many fans of this author and of this type of fantasy will enjoy.

*ARC supplied by Del Rey | Random House Group, the author, and NetGalley.

I've seen so many people excited about this book, but I sort of struggled through it. It unfortunately wasn't for me.

At the beginning of the book, I did find it interesting and the world building seemed impressive and unique. But after that the book quickly started to lose my interest.

While I generally love crime-solving duos, I did not love this one. I found the characters one-dimensional and uninteresting.
I also didn’t really care about the mystery or anything that happens really. There were also Leviathans. The Leviathans existed. That's about it.

I guess the combination of mystery and fantasy didn’t really work for me. There were too many mystery and fantasy elements for a brain foggy individual like myself to keep track of and stay engaged.

The book was described to me as fun. I didn’t fall into the category of people who found this book fun. I'm not sure if using the word f*ck every other page is supposed to constitute fun. And I personally just find the use of modern swear words grating in a fantasy like this. Also whoever compared it to Knives Out, no, stahp.

I recognize I’m in the minority of people who didn’t like this book, so I do recommend anyone with an interest in fantasy and mysteries to give this a try.

When I received this ARC, I was so excited to see what Robert Jackson Bennett is about to release especially with the synopsis that had been provided. This was an interesting mix of genres of Fantasy and Mystery, which is something that I have not read from before, but I adored it.

The entire plot was driven by an interesting main character, Dinios Kol, and the investigator he was hired to help, Ana Dolabra. Kol is an engraver, where his is able to remember everything and report back to Ana with what he found. Bennett created characters that are reminiscent of Holmes-and-Watson especially in how Ana and Kol interact with one another. Ana is quirky and people do not necessarily like her or think highly of her, but she is inevitably smart and does her job well. Kol is quiet and understated, while he has his own secrets, he is able to prove himself as a helper to the detective. Bennett created an interesting fantasy world that was built fairly well. The entire Empire is constantly threatened by the Leviathans and contagion, but Ana and Kol's purpose is to follow the murders of people from the citizens in the Empire.

The only reason this was a 4 instead of a 5 star was because while a lot of the book was interesting there were some areas that dragged on a little more than necessary. And while eventually I loved the characters it took a while for me to gain an interest in the characters at the beginning. I started to enjoy the book more when they traveled to the borders of the Empire.

I recommend this book for those that enjoy fantasy and mystery books, but are okay with less action in the beginning and a lot of world building.

4 1/2 stars rounded down

Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Del Rey for the ARC of this magnificent book.

Exciting read, excellent writing!

This is a high caliber Sherlockian mystery set in an exciting fantasy world. It is told from the perspective of Din (Watson’s equivalent). Din answers to Ana, a quite eccentric investigator/detective whom Din attempts to contain at times for social propriety’s sake. Both are clever, resourceful, “self-assembled” individuals. Characters are well developed, even the minor ones.

People are being murdered in a most extraordinary way.: with a poison activated by moisture that causes a tree to grow from the person’s body. To complicate matters, our fantasy world is troubled by Leviathans who must be kept at bay by a group known as engineers, lest they kill the population and destroy the land. The mystery is carefully constructed and it is difficult to predict (a must in any good mystery).. The world is an exciting place to be with its different Cantons (multi-cultural), augments, different factions, and its 1% also known as the Haza’ family. There is also a subtle romance.

This is my first Robert Jackson Bennett read. What I appreciated most about this book was the exceptional caliber of writing. I have read many books of late that I cannot believe even make it to market for the poor writing. Bennett is my hero! First, he writes brilliant descriptions; I could picture what was happening in my mind. I still see the tree coming out of the chest of the first person murdered. Then the character development; the reader knows immediately that Ana is kooky and Din is a bit stiff and uptight; I could see him standing all rigid in his too small blue jacket. The author, Bennet paints pictures with words and transports the reader into the story. In my opinion that’s the way it should be!

I highly recommend this brilliant book. I plan to buy kindle for my 91 year old mother, and hardcover my 28 year old daughter.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, Fantasy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Science Fiction
Gore Level: I'm going to call it medium. Yeah, it's a bit gross but not constant.
Language: Deplorable. I feel justified in saying this because even the author apologizes to his nana in the author notes. Tons of f-bombs. I wouldn't have finished the book if the story and world weren't so interesting.
Sexual Content: Medium. Things are mentioned but no sex on the page.
Representation: Neurodiverse character. Gay character on the periphery of the storyline.

— A world where certain people are augmented from the titan sea creatures that attempt to breach the sea wall every year.

— Mysterious murder. Done by plant and made to look like a contagion.

— Detective who reminds me of Sherlock: she's perceptive, wants illegal smokes, and is oh so quirky.

— Love the representation of dyslexia and other character traits from the autism spectrum.

— More deaths that lead to a catastrophe.

— More deaths.

— A solution that is part social justice, part reality, part awesome (you'll have to read to see what I mean).

I do recommend this book for adults with the caveat that there is a lot of swearing. I mean a lot. (Maybe that doesn't bother you, but that's why I've knocked it down one star because it eliminates some people from a potential audience.)

Happy reading!

What a genre mashup! A detective fantasy mystery, is all combined in this masterpiece. I know it sounds like a lot but trust me IT WORKS!!!!

This was my first book by Robert Jackson Bennett and it did not disappoint. Din is a fantastic main character and I loved learning the story from his POV. Ana can be a bit much at times but I slowly became a fan of her as well.

The world that RJB created is super unique - I loved the concept of the various alterations and how they played into each character's behavior.

I initially enjoyed the murder mystery and the uniqueness of the deaths however as the book progressed I cared more about the world and characters than I did about Din/Ana solving this mystery.

I was incredibly satisfied with the ending and I believe this is the first book in a series that I will most definitely be continuing.

Side note - there are some LBGT+ themes in this book which I loved.

THE TAINTED CUP is a true fantasy mystery, with a leading duo who stand with Holmes and Watson among the greats. And Bennett sets it all in a squishy, fascinating, biopunk world I’m dying to find out more about. Bring on the next one!

There’s no doubt that this was a very unique book. A mesh of fantasy, mystery and science fiction, this book starts out fantastic with a unique murder that will leave you scratching your head and asking for more. From there we meet our FMC and MMC, Ana and Din, who operate in a very Holmes and Watson style, if Holmes and Watson were even quirkier than you already know them to be. ⁠
This is unfortunately where this book started to lose me a bit. I felt like our author tried so hard to build a complex and unique world that I cycled through points of confusion and boredom. I really loved the story and the style; the writing was beautiful, but it just couldn’t keep my interest at various points in time until we got to the last half of the book.⁠
I do think the payoff is worth the patience, and I will most certainly read book two, but simply a word of caution as you dive into this one.

I was really pulled into this world - great world building! I did have trouble keeping track of all the characters. It would be so helpful if this book had a list of characters and their ranks. A few times I almost stopped reading because of my confusion, but I did go on and finished.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S THE TAINTED CUP ABOUT?
This is a Mystery/Detective novel set in a Fantasy world. But to say that almost diminishes it. This is a Fantasy world you're not used to seeing—well, I'm not anyway, you might be better read in the genre than I am. At the core of the mystery story are tropes, characters, motives, and twists that anyone familiar with that genre will recognize and resonate with. Combining the two genres here only serves to make them better.

The instigating event is the murder of a significant, but not hugely important, military figure on an estate of one of the most powerful and rich families in the Empire. That's enough to get the official investigator, Ana Dolabra, and her assistant, Dinios Kol, involved. When you add in the cause of death—a clutch of trees erupted from the Commander's chest—well, that's definitely going to get some official notice. And quickly put you in a Fantasy world. Feel free to read that cause of death a couple of times, it's still not going to make sense.

There's just so much to talk about with The Tainted Cup—I'm going to talk about some of the best parts of this book as you would an Oreo cookie. The Mystery part is the creamy center (at least a Double Stuff in this case), and then the crispy cookie halves of the World Building/Setting and the Science of this World.

THE MYSTERY
I already wrote a section below that quibbles with the official description, and I feel bad about doing that twice (am I risking future NetGalley approvals by this?), but I have to. It starts off by saying, "A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo." You can maybe stretch things and call Ana Dolabra a Holmes-type character. Maybe. But outside of being the first-person narrator, there is nothing Dr. Watson-esque about Dinios Kol. I do not know if Bennett is a Rex Stout/Nero Wolfe reader. I suspect he is, though, because Dolabra and Kol are firmly in the Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin mold. (there are other versions of this duo, Pentecost and Parker and Jake and the Fatman spring to mind, but there are others).

I mention this because I think the duo of Wolfe and Archie is one of the greatest achievements in Detective Fiction, and will joyously talk at length about them at length at any opportunity. Bennett using these types at the center of this book almost automatically guaranteed that I'm going to enjoy it. Particularly if he does it successfully. And, boy howdy, does he.

Ana Dolabra is a brilliant and eccentric figure. Our Nero Wolfe. She can be pressed into politeness with enough reason, but on the whole, she's blunt, crass, and solely focused on things that interest her. For a variety of reasons, Ana rarely leaves her quarters, instead, she has clues, interviewees, and suspects brought to her (and frequently, those she reports to, too). More than once she brings suspects and interview subjects together to question and/or to reveal a solution, putting on a show for others.

She has a new assistant, Dinios Kol, to serve as her eyes and ears in the outside world—and to bring back those bits of the world she needs to do her work. Thanks to a special augmentation, he has a perfect and permanent memory and will remember entire conversations and things he sees perfectly, with the ability to describe them to the detail Ana needs. He looks at crime scenes, records, bodies, etc. for her, conducts initial interviews with witnesses and experts, and so on. He also seems to do his best to keep her interactions with others at socially-appropriate levels (although this is a challenge). If this isn't Archie Goodwin to a T.

They've been working together for a while now—mostly on fraud cases. This is their first murder case—and they wrap it up quickly and efficiently. Except, Ana is pretty sure that this murder will be linked to others—something more than murder is afoot here, she's certain. And she's right. (I assume this is almost always the case—Dinios certainly does)

Soon, she and her assistant are assigned to help in the investigation in a nearby city where several others have been killed in the same way. Dinios is partnered up with an experienced Assistant Investigator, Capt. Tazi Miljin, who does some on-the-job training and mentoring while working the case.

Soon, they determine that this isn't just a murder case—nor is it several connected murder cases, there is something much bigger going on. Something that puts an entire city—possibly the entire Empire—at risk.

THE WORLD
I don't know that I want to get too in-depth here, because the discovery of it all * is part of the magic of this book.

* And by "all," I mean all that Bennett is going to share with us in this book—there's much more to learn in books to come.

We find ourselves in a minor city in an Empire at the beginning of the novel before we move to a larger city, a major center of military importance. We don't know a lot about this Empire—it's centuries old, there are civic religions/cults but we see very few true adherents, and many people are cynical about the government. But it doesn't matter—they need the Empire to keep them alive. So they push on.

The military isn't focused on other nations/city-states/bands of roving mercenaries or outside human threats (although they do take the time to focus on bands of deserters). Instead, they're focused on the seas. Each year, during the rainy season, monstrously large sea creatures they dub Leviathans (both think and don't think about other Leviathans you've come across—other than large, water-bound, and scary) attempt to come ashore and snack on humans, cattle, whatever.

Places like Talagray, where we spend most of the novel, exist to maintain the wall between sea and land—leviathan and Empire—it's a massive wall (massive in a way I cannot get across to you) with the occasional weapons mounted to attack the leviathan. I saw Talagray as sort of Jackson's vision of Minas Tirith, but flattened to one elevation. I'm not sure if that's what Bennet was going for, but that's what my mind saw. Maybe a little muddier.

While the local canton is concerned with the murders, naturally, their primary concern during this season is the maintenance of the wall. Some of these murders have threatened the integrity of the wall in important ways, threatening all of Talagray. As important as solving the murder is—stopping further murders and therefore preventing further damage to the wall is far more important. Also...they probably have something special in store for anyone who'd risk the wall in any way.

THE SCIENCE
I'm disagreeing a bit here with the official description—so take my observation with a grain of salt (but I stand by it). There's no magic in this Fantasy novel—which, sure, happens sometimes. But it's still strange and notable.

What this novel does have is "sufficiently advanced technology [which] is indistinguishable from magic." It's not often that I get to apply Clarke's Third Law this way, but it works. This is a very technological society, but nothing we'd recognize, really. There are no circuits anywhere, no electricity...horses and carts are the primary means of transportation for those who are going too far or need to go too quickly to walk. But they practice all sorts of engineering feats, genetic manipulation, medical marvels, and so on.

The source of their raw materials? The Leviathans that threaten them all. When these Leviathans die/are killed, the Empire's scientists harvest blood, tissue, and bone for all sorts of things to accomplish the above. Leviathan bone is difficult to shape, but it results in tools and swords that are beyond the strength and endurance of metal. Tissues can be manipulated and applied to humans to extend their abilities (augmenting strength, enabling them to have memories that are like eidetic memory to the nth power, control of their pheromones to alter the behavior of those around them, and so on).

Especially when it comes to the abilities that some of these people have, or the freakish contamination that the murderer is using, in a Fantasy book featuring people on horseback using swords, this looks like magic. But it ain't. It's just a kind of science that's sufficiently advanced that 21st-century Western Readers can't distinguish. And I love that. Bennett does such a convincing and thorough job of describing this (without getting mired in the details) that it just comes alive and you believe it all—and want to learn more about it.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE TAINTED CUP?
My reflex reaction ought to be, I want more of the detective-y stuff. How could I not? That's my default genre, Ana is a fantastic character, Dinios at work is so much fun, and the pair of them being new incarnations of Wolfe and Archie. But when you add in the world-building, the intrigue and politics, and all the cool science-y bits? I wouldn't have it any other way. You need all of it to make something this good. And it really does—each section above would probably earn 4 stars or so from me. But when you put them together, the accumulated score has to be at least 5.

Also, all the other stuff in the book distracts from a couple of the problems with the mystery story. These aren't significant problems by any means, but at one point Ana reveals that Person X is Person Y, and her assistants are shocked and amazed. I assumed everyone realized that as soon as Person Y was introduced and described. For it to take umpteen chapters for everyone to catch up astounded me (am pretty sure Ana was as fast as me, for the record). The other thing that I'd consider a problem, I won't get into for spoiler-reasons, but I was distracted enough that I didn't see it until the reveal. Also, it's the kind of thing that Rex Stout himself would do, so I'm never going to complain about it. Mostly, because it worked really well for the story, so who cares?

Regular readers may have noted that I haven't spent that much time talking about the characters. I chose not to for time/space reasons. If I focused on writing about Ana, Dinios, and Miljin alone—I'd double the length of this post. If I included every major character I want to talk about? I'd triple the length. No one wants to read me going on that long. So I'll sum it up by saying that his characters are just as good and developed (and strange) as everything else I've talked about.

Bennett doesn't show a lot of flair in this writing. It has almost none of Elmore's "Hooptedoodle"—although he violates a lot of Elmore's other rules (and does so for the betterment of the novel). This is a description, not a criticism, you're not going to be wowed with his style. He doesn't need that. The descriptions of characters, structures, and monsters are so vivid, so detailed you have no problem seeing exactly what he wants you to see (with just enough room for the reader's imagination). The action scenes are well-executed. The descriptions of the trees growing from outside of a person are as disturbing as they should be. There are flashes of humor, flashes of hope and optimism in both the characters and the story—but it's all in the shadow of the imminent threat posed by the Leviathans and weakened walls. So there's a strong "The World May Be Ending Tomorrow if not Tonight" feel throughout. I was under the spell of the narration and story from early on.

I didn't set out to rave about this book. I was going to enthusiastically recommend it, but as I started to put my notes into some sort of order and write, I discovered that I really needed and wanted to rave about this. Fantasy fans are really going to get into this. Mystery/Detective Fiction fans who aren't afraid to play in other worlds are going to go nuts over this. And I want to read the next book in the series today. But I'm willing to be patient—The Tainted Cup won't even be published for 26 days. So I won't start complaining about the delay in getting the next volume for 90 days (that seems fair).

Go place your orders or library holds now.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Penguin Random House via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

This was a fantastic murder mystery and an equally great fantasy - what a fun combination. Din Kol has been modified to have a perfect memory and works as an investigator for Ana, who is brilliant and very eccentric. When they start investigating a horrific death, they soon discover a plot that reaches much further than they would have thought.

The world is equally interesting - giant leviathans invading and humans trying to hold them back, poisonous plants, human enhancements, and more. And, of course, there is an interesting political system.

This book was well concluded, with loose ends wrapped up. But there is much room for more, and I can't wait to see where the next book takes Ana and Din.

I didn't think this book was bad, it just was not holding my attention at all. I liked Din and Ana enough but was not invested in them much.

"The Tainted Cup" by Robert Jackson Bennett is a masterfully crafted novel that effortlessly weaves a tapestry of immersive world-building, intriguing characters, and an wonderful murder mystery. Bennett's skill in creating a vivid and intricate world is evident from the first page, immersing readers in a fantastical and eerily real setting. The attention to detail in the world-building enhances the atmosphere, making it a captivating backdrop for the unfolding mystery.

One of the standout features of the novel is the cast of characters, each crafted with depth and complexity. Bennett introduces a diverse range of personalities, each contributing to the richness of the narrative. The character development is subtle yet profound, allowing readers to form genuine connections with the individuals populating this mysterious world.

Adding an extra layer of charm to "The Tainted Cup" is the dynamic and often hilarious interactions between Ana and Din. Bennett infuses the narrative with a delightful sense of humor, allowing the banter and camaraderie between these two characters to shine. Ana's wit and Din's quirky responses create moments of levity that serve as a wonderful counterbalance to the gravity of the murder mystery. Their exchanges not only provide much-needed comic relief but also reveal deeper layers of their personalities, forging a memorable and endearing bond that enriches the overall reading experience. Amid the suspense and intrigue, Ana and Din's comedic chemistry adds a refreshing and entertaining dimension to the narrative, making "The Tainted Cup" a well-rounded and thoroughly enjoyable novel.

The murder mystery at the novel's core is nothing short of brilliant. Bennett masterfully constructs a puzzle that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, skillfully revealing just enough to tantalize without giving away the whole picture. The pacing is expertly handled, perfectly balancing suspenseful moments and character exploration. As the layers of the mystery unravel, the reader is taken on a thrilling journey that leaves them eager to uncover the next piece of the puzzle.

In "The Tainted Cup," Robert Jackson Bennett has not only created a captivating murder mystery but has also crafted a world that lingers in the reader's imagination long after the final page. It's a testament to his storytelling prowess and ability to seamlessly blend fantasy, mystery, and character-driven narrative elements into a truly unforgettable literary experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for early access to this book in return for my honest review.