With a unique world and engaging characters, this was a hit for me! This is my introduction to the author, and I’m hooked. The world is fascinating, with an empire in constant peril from nebulous Leviathans and a civilization built on bio-engineering the bacteria (?) harvested from their corpses. Bennett doesn’t do the info-dump, which means your understanding grows organically but also sometimes leaves you with only a vague idea of what’s going on. I loved that, and I felt it fit the overall vibe. Because this is a fantasy, but above all, it’s a murder mystery. A series of grisly killings linked to a high-powered family causes massive difficulties as the city prepares for a titan attack, and the eccentric Immunis Ana Dolabra is called in to investigate. The plot is clever - some of the twists I guessed, some I didn’t, and the fact there were any surprises was a nice change for me. Plus, I’m always a sucker for a Holmesian character, and Ana was a delight!

Caustic, isolated, brilliant, heedless of station, and single-minded in focus, Ana has all the necessary traits of a Holmes descendant, though the author says she’s really a Hannibal Lector. Din is a perfect foil for her. He’s young, reserved, and scared shitless someone is going to notice he doesn’t belong here. In a society of people genetically enhanced to perform various tasks in service to the empire, Din is an engraver, modified for perfect memory recall, but he nearly flunked out of training. Confused by being selected for his position as Ana’s Assistant Investigator and hiding a secret or two, he nevertheless carries out his duties with unflagging determination. Add in a hint of a potential queer romance, and you have one of my favorite fantasy reads of the year. If you’re into murder mysteries, Holmes-inspired characters, or unique epic fantasy, this is a must-read!

Fantasy isn’t my go-to genre but I was intrigued by the summary of this book and checked it out. I’m glad I did, it was excellent! While it is a fantasy book, it’s essentially about an investigation which is right up my alley since I love mysteries.

It can take some time to get your footing as you understand the world building in a book like this, but you get thrown right into the story so there isn’t a huge burden from the outset to understand the book’s internal logic.

I really liked the two main characters and the investigation and storytelling was clever. I’ll definitely want to read more from this series.

Two outcasts are paired together in the roles of investigator and apprentice to solve a rather curious string of murders. Hilarity and a bit of grotesqueness ensue.

It took me a few tries to start this story, but once I committed to reading, I flew through the pages. The subtle but immersive world building, the banter (so much banter!), the Sherlock Holmes/Watson-esque partnership, I was hooked! I loved the neurodiverse representation of the two main characters and the overall perspective through Din’s eyes. I would easily read more books featuring this duo!

Highly recommend to anyone looking for a new fantasy series that can be enjoyed for both its standalone quality and potential for expansion.

Thank you to Netgalley, Delrey Books, and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me thinking about it nonstop. I loved how the author pulled together all of the world building as Din and Ana continued to solve the murder mystery. Each revelation had me scrambling to read it faster so I could know the answers to the mystery. I believe this book had a romance tag on it, and I would not deem it a romance at all. Loved the book and can't wait to see where the next book leads.

The Tainted Cup is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. It is a mystery mixed with high fantasy that is just so captivating and intriguing. There are elements in this that reminded me of Red Rising and Knives Out which I really enjoyed.

Many members of the Empire have augmentations to enhance certain senses or abilities, Din specifically has a memory like no other. He helps investigator, Ana (who can be a very peculiar individual), to solve a series of murders. It is a much bigger investigation than anyone could have imagined.

I loved the characters and dynamic of Din and Ana. They are so lovable and I found myself laughing out loud because of the subtle banter or snarky comments. I will say- this book is very heavy on the world building, but I am someone who enjoys this! I have already added the other untitled books in the series to my TBR!

I received a digital advance copy of The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett via NetGalley. The Tainted Cup is scheduled for release on February 6, 2024.

The Tainted Cup is the first novel following investigator Ana and her assistant Din as they solve mysteries in the fantasy empire shadowed by the Leviathans that occasionally invade from the sea. While Ana is the investigator on record, the story follows Din through this first case he has an an engraver. His magical alterations allow him to observe and report every detail he takes in at a scene. This skill is critically important for Ana, who is plagued by eccentricities that make it difficult for her to visit crime scenes and interact with witnesses. The case they are working to solve in this novel centers on an officer who was killed when a tree suddenly erupted from his body.

As our point of view character, Din works well. While he is not new to this fantastical world, he is stepping into a new role, which allows us to start to understand the world of the story as he does. His boss, Ana, is present throughout the story. We see her through Din, who is trying to understand how her brilliant, but slightly off-kilter, mind works. Din also encounters officials and suspects that are not as large a part of the story, but are believable in this world.

Following the plot of this mystery was challenging in a couple of ways. First, we are not only working through a murder mystery, we are also being dropped into a fantasy world. As a reader, this was a lot to process, keeping me from realizing the significance of some details in this new world. The other challenge was our point of view character. Din is making all of the observations and relaying them to Ana. Ana is the one who is putting the pieces together to solve the mystery. This distance kept me as a reader from being able to solve the mystery myself. We were left sitting with Din waiting for Ana to tell us what happened, rather than being able to put it together ourselves. This makes sense in the story, as Din is an assistant on his first case. I hope that as the series progresses, Din will take more of a role in the actual solving of the murders.

Overall, The Tainted Cup was an enjoyable fantasy twist on the typical murder mystery. I would absolutely read more in this series.

The Tainted Cup is a compelling mystery from Robert Jackson Bennett. While this was my first book from him, it will definitely not be my last! The dynamic between Ana and Din was excellent and reminiscent of Holmes and Watson. Ana is very quirky, but has a brilliant mind. She is able to see cobwebs of connection that allow her to chase down overlooked leads. Din is initially a long suffering companion to Ana, but their relationship changes as the mystery deepens. Din is very clever, but both blessed and cursed with a perfect magical memory. This was such an interesting plot point, because it made it very hard for suspects to lie convincingly when their conversations can be played back word for word.

Robert Jackson Bennett creates an original and creative fantasy world in The Tainted Cup. The world-building felt rich and included lots of interesting details. I really enjoyed the dialogue between Ana and Din, especially Din’s internal thoughts as he dealt with Ana’s idiosyncrasies. As the mystery unfolded, there were plenty of red herrings and misleading clues. At times, I truly found it hard to guess what was going to happen next and how/why the murder had been committed. Readers who enjoy a Holmes/Watson dynamic, murder with a twist, and excellent world-building should check out The Tainted Cup. I hope to read more stories about this duo in the future!

Thank you to Robert Jackson Bennett, Del Rey, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

THE TAINTED CUP is a mystery fantasy that begins a new series. Dinios Kol has won a position as an assistant to Ana Dolabra through some slightly shady means. Ana Dolabra has been exiled to a dangerous canton near the sea walls that keep might leviathans from coming ashore during the wet season and wreaking magical havoc.

To battle the leviathans, the Empire has made changes to many of its citizens. Din has been altered to remember everything that he hears, sees, and reads so that he can bring the information back to Ana who is wildly eccentric and not at all eager to leave her home. She spends her time devouring data from books and other things Din brings her. She is able to put together all the input from what she has read and what Din brings to her from his onsite investigations to come to startling deductions.

Their new partnership is tested when there is a murder. An Engineer is found dead at the home of one of the wealthiest families in the Empire. He is found to have been killed when a tree grew out of his body and devoured him. Such contagions aren't unknown in the Empire. In fact, one whole canton was abandoned and burned to the ground when overtaken by a similar contagion.

Ana's investigation into the murder takes the pair to a canton even nearer the dangerous wall where they discover that the engineer's death was only one of a number of strange deaths and discover political intrigue that has been building for years and threatens the security of the Empire.

The worldbuilding was intriguing and complex. The characters were interesting people with depths and secrets. While the blurb compares the main characters to Holmes and Watson, I saw more of a similarity to Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin and was glad to see that those characters were part of the author's own reading history. A smart young assistant with some secrets of his own and a reclusive genius of an employer brought Wolfe and Goodwin to mind. But while Wolfe and Goodwin worked for profit, Din and Ana work as agents of the Empire keeping it together despite many threats from inside and outside of it.

I look forward to reading more adventures for these characters in this world.

It was a slow start but the fact that it had 3 of my favorote genres (thriller/murdermystery/fantasy) made up for it.

I love a good mystery and The Tainted Cup did not disappoint.
This was my first by Robert Jackson Bennett and it will not be my last!

Thank you @netgalley and @delreybooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

4⭐️

I really enjoyed this story a lot. It was a bit slower read that in typically read but I found it to be really captivating. It reminded me so much of Sherlock and Watson but in a fantasy/dystopian setting.

This kicks off with a bang, there is a murder of a military engineer. It's horrifying, it appears to be a contagion that cause a tree to grow out of him. Engraver Kol is sent to investigate the murder (his first) and report to the lead investigator Daretana. Daretana is a bit odd, she's very smart but also has purposefully blinded herself to enhance her senses.

The mystery is really interesting but I found the world to be the most captivating part of this story. This kingdom has 4 layers of different seawalls. They get taller as they go to keep out the Lethlians. These are titans of the sea that are trying to break thru these walls. This mystery may be so much more than just a murder and could destroy the populace.

The pacing held it back to be a 5⭐️ read for me. At times it was captivating but found at other times it dragged and I would struggle staying in it.

I would recommend this book for any readers who love fantasy and mystery books. It's a great blend of the genre and this first book showed great potential of a wonderful series that I will be continuing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Ballantine/Del Ray for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I loved the main characters of this Sherlock Holmes-esque murder mystery set in a fantasy world. But it is so much more. Just substitute USA for the Empire in the novel to see what I mean. It is a constant commitment by all inhabitants to keep a society existing and functioning successfully. The mystery itself is almost secondary to the fun of watching the investigators work and deduce the guilty parties. I look forward to the 2nd book in this trilogy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey/Penguin Random House for the ARC to read and review.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I liked this one. It's a crime mystery with fantasy elements. I think it's hard to find a balance between having obvious resolutions vs. clues being too obscure; I found some of the answers to be too obvious, which made me question why the main character was surprised at some of the revelations, especially when his boss just seemed to know more than everyone else. I think the strong part of the book was its worldbuilding. I would read the next one just to get more answers about what's going on with the leviathans.

Okay, so I thoroughly enjoyed this one once I got into it, and I think it would be a good “starter” fantasy for readers who aren’t sure if they like the genre - it’s more detective/mystery novel than fantasy, with the plot centered around a string of murders and our MC being the assistant investigator assigned to the case. The magic system is fairly accessible (you “get it” but much is left intentionally unanswered/unexplored), and the world building is done in a manner that gets you up to speed quickly but leaves plenty of room to play with in later books. This one also wrapped up the main mystery nicely thanks to our eccentric Sherlock-esque investigator (no frustrating cliffhangers here) while still leaving me interested and ready for the next one. I’ll definitely continue the series, now I just need a title and release date!

Pub Date: 2/6/24
Review Published: 1/5/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In this mystery begin in Daretana’s mansion where an imperial officer dies from a tree break out from the body. His death is strange “The Man in the Tree”.. Ana Dolabra is called to investigate this death. Ana has eccentricities and her brilliant intelligent help in her investigate. Diniois (Din) Koi is the engraver and Ana's new assistant. Din has a perfect magical memory and his own eccentricities.

Ana and Din both have their own secrets throughout this story.

Throughout the story, you can see a beautiful world building with the characters as the mystery unfolds. Twists and turns as the mystery is revealed in the narrative where Ana wear a blindfold when she solves this case with the help of Din the engraver..

Holmes-and-Watson partnership as the classical is being retold, also I see Agatha Christine in the The Tainted Cup . Agatha Christine stories with detectives Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot. Elementary the TV series.

Highly recommend this book for The Tainted Cup. Robert Jackson Bennett wrote a beautiful magical world with good mystery. This is my first book by this author. I look forward to reading the next chapter in the Shadow of the Leviathan series and Foundryside series.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Reviewed The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. #TheTaintedCup #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Robert Jackson Bennett for an ARC of The Tainted Cup. This was honestly a fantastic book - mystery with fantasy. The fantasy wasn’t overwhelming, which was great for a little dabble into the fantasy world. It took a key role, but it wasn’t overwhelming to the point where you were totally lost. If that makes sense? lol! If you’re a fantasy reader - you’ll love it. If you’re new to fantasy and love mystery - this is right up your alley. I am obsessed with Ana - what a wonderful character. Din’s character is superb. I was worried at the beginning of this, but so excited for the 2nd!

The Tainted Cup

3.75 ⭐️

I don’t think fantasy/mystery is a dual genre storyline I’ve found before, but this book is definitely right in the middle of those two!

Ana and her assistant, Din, are tasked with uncovering and extremely unconventional murder where a plant like tree has sprouted out of someone. Deaths like these start occurring more and more as they try to uncover the much bigger motive behind the murders. Meanwhile, the entire Empire is fighting a war with leviathans, enormous creatures threatening the land.

I genuinely loved Din and Ana so much as characters. They were so authentic and made me laugh out loud at times with their back and forth as they investigated. The plot and the types of magical abilities were a little hard to follow at times. I still thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and reveal!

I say this every time I read a Robert Jackson Bennett book: he is one of my favorite authors. Invariably, I get sucked in into each and every one of his stories - thankfully, he is quite a prolific author, and he completes his trilogies (this is his third one) in a timely manner, releasing on average a book a year (no need to fear being left hanging).

I consider Bennett an excellent gateway into fantasy literature (especially if the traditional swords and sorcery genre of it does not appeal to you). His 2014 "City of Stairs" is a novel that opens with a murder mystery (an excellent one at that) and before you know it you are reading epic fantasy.

"The Tainted Cup" mirrors that, in fact. A very strong murder mystery introduces us to the protagonists who then slowly reveal the fantasy setting and magic system that permeates it. The magic system in this book is far from traditional, and rather subtle.

Nothing is straightforward about this murder. A high Imperial officer is killed when a tree spontaneously erupts from his body. The primary investigator assigned to the case is Ana Dolabra, a brilliant detective - but one that is *highly* eccentric. Among her quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times (which strengthens her senses) and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Due to these unusual requirements, Ana employs an assistant, Dinios Kol. In many ways, we get to know Ana alongside Din, as he's only worked for her for 4 months and is discovering her eccentricities - and deducting prowess - as the novel progresses. Din is extraordinary as well. He is an Engraver - an investigative officer who was magically altered to possess a perfect memory.

I won't reveal the particulars of the plot, other than to add that the stakes of the case rise sharply when the murder mystery turns out to be central to the safety of all of the Empire and its people. The land is tyrannized by magical leviathans, who cyclically crawl from the depths of the ocean sawing death and destruction. The officer killed by the erupting tree was an engineer highly involved in the protections designed to defeat the Empire from these monstrous creatures. Ana and Din fear that his death was part of a larger plot.

Characterization is the strongest element of the book. Both Ana and Din are neurotypical, and it's a pleasure to see them written as leads. The development of both over the course of the book is filled with insight and revelations, although plenty has been kept under wraps (especially regarding Ana) to look forward to in future books.

I also expect that the fantasy element, especially the mystery of the leviathans and their magical impact on the land is something to be further developed as the series progresses.

I highly recommend this book.

-- Name of the publication/blog/outlet where review will be published/posted: Goodreads
-- Run date for when the review will be posted/published: January 5, 2024

Of the books that I have read by Robert Jackson Bennett, this has become my favorite. The world he has created in The Tainted Cup is fascinating!

The land is divided by rings - the innermost is the safest (populated by the wealthy) while the others are in danger from enormous leviathans that attempt to come on shore during the wet season. The bodies of these leviathans are harvested and their blood is used for the creation of augmentations that are applied to every aspect of society — people, agriculture, medicine, weapons, etc.

Our main character is a young man that has been altered to be an Engraver. He imprints everything that he sees and can recall the smallest detail. He’s been chosen as an assistant for an eccentric, extremely intelligent older woman who has difficulty with overstimulation so chooses to blindfold herself. She can draw accurate conclusions from what she allows herself to experience from the world around her and the information Din (her assistant) collects. They become embroiled in a grisly murder investigation that has far-reaching consequences for the Empire.

In addition to the setting, I loved the two main characters! They possess distinct personalities that complement each other perfectly. While I predicted the whodunnit aspects of the story, their dynamic makes what could’ve been a dry murder investigation into an immersive and entertaining read.

I want more from this world and our dynamic duo. I can’t wait to continue this series!

What an interesting start to the year!

The Tainted Cup is the first book in the new series by Robert Jackson Bennett, Shadow of the Leviathan. The story follows Kol, an assistant investigator with a perfect memory, and Ana, an investigator for the government, as the two of them are tasked to solve a murder via the spontaneous growth of a plant from the body of another government official, and things turn out to be much more complex than they initially seemed.

I don’t want to say much more about the plot because of fear of spoilers, but what I will say is that this book gives Sherlock Holmes vibes. The writing is very methodical and there are some jumps in logic that I didn’t quite see coming but make sense in retrospect. Some of the descriptions toward the end of the book get a bit gruesome, which I thought contrasted the rest of the writing a bit, but it was nothing crazy. I will say, this book took me a hot minute to get into; there is so much world-building toward the beginning that I spent the first third of the book always slightly confused, but once I began getting it, the story flowed better and captured my attention more. Ultimately, I don’t think this book was really for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s not for someone else, rather there were things I tend to look for more in my reading (like more character relationships) that weren’t there. I think the plot left off in a good place for the rest of the series to continue.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy for review!

This was the first book I've read by this author and it definitely will not be my last!

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one but found the synopsis intriguing--A murder mystery where the cause of death was a tree sprouting out of a person...

Set in an interesting world where we have leviathans that come during the wet season and people with magical enhancements to give them abilities (such as perfect memory, impossible strength, etc) We follow Din as he serves as the apprentice to a quirky, brilliant investigator named Ana as they look into the death as well as bigger mysteries to be unfolded.

I highly recommend this one to both mystery and SFF fans, especially fans of the Justice of Kings. Some similarities include the mystery focus in a fantasy setting with magical enhancements aiding in the investigation, told by the apprentice.

I'm looking forward to hopefully learning more about the leviathans in the next book (I have theories!) and more about Ana's backstory as well. Eagerly awaiting the next installment!

I would put it somewhere between a high 4 to a 5--rounded up to a 5