I have missed RJB's inventive world-building and masterful craft of blending it with superb characterizations and commentary on empire and colonialism and all its flaws and foibles. City of Stairs remains one of my all time favorite fantasy books that I still force people to read to show what this genre can accomplish when deployed with careful craft, nuanced social commentary and extremely well-rendered characters and relationships. Ana and Din remind me of same chaotic symbiotic dynamics as Shara and Sigurd, but with so much more humor than the previous series. The murder mystery aspect of this is kinda predictable but follows the same beats as a classic Sherlockian unfolding, therefore not the most interesting part of this. It reminded me of Alexis Hall's own Sherlockian fantasy novel, so no new ground broken on that front. But as I said, it's the larger world-building that sneaks up on you fast and will keep you coming back for more in this world, even though the story works perfectly well as a standalone. But I NEED more of this world that is very reminiscent of Attack on Titan, and whatever scrapes the mutually exasperating and wry humored investigation duo get up to as they move through the rings of Ba Sing Se, I mean, the Empire of the Khanum.

This was astoundingly entertaining in ways that I was not expecting. I requested a copy of this book simply because I adored the first two books in Bennett's last series. (I was disappointed by the last book, but that's neither here nor there.) ANYWAY, I was excited to see what he could do with a murder mystery, and I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED.

Bennett is a master of world building, and boy does that shine through here in The Tainted Cup. This is a beaten-down world hanging on by its fingernails. Every wet season, there are leviathans that breach the world's walls and threaten to end life as everyone knows it. It's not a world I'd want to live in, but despite that, Bennett makes you want to keep reading to see what else he's layered in! Among other things present in the novel -- people use the leviathan's blood to alter themselves into superhumans. Our main character, Din, has been altered to have a perfect memory. Other characters have been altered to be geniuses at math, have super strength, can see in the dark, etc. This was SO cool, and really made for interesting twists as the book went on as sometimes these alterations have no visual hints.

The murder mystery itself is just phenomenal, and I'm not going to spoil it for you. You do find out ALL the answers by the end of the book, so don't be worried about cliffhangers. I really hope that Bennett writes more in this world, because it is just plain fascinating. Not to mention the characters themselves are just endlessly entertaining. I loved Din being confused, but willing to help, and I loved Ana for being just batshit insane and three steps ahead of everyone else most of the time.

Fantastic. If you're looking for a wildly original book to grasp your attention, look no further than THE TAINTED CUP.

The Tainted Cup is a murder mystery set in a fantasy world. I will first try to describe the world. Firstly, we have Leviathans, which are huge creatures from the sea. There is a wall that is there to protect the Empire. There are engineers and people who work at the walls to protect everyone. There are also big strong families that have a say in politics and how things run. There are also different alterations that people can have that give them special abilities. Our main character is an engraver for an investigator. An engraver is able to memorize everything and spew back out the information. He is the assistant to an interesting investigator that is brilliant and quirky. They are sent to the wall to investigate a murder.

This book is like Holmes and Watson but in a unique fantasy world full of beasts and alterations. I enjoyed this book. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but I liked this one because of the murder mystery aspect. The mystery itself had a lot of different twists and turns that I did not see coming. I liked how Ana (the investigator) slowly unraveled everything. I feel like the world itself is very interesting in this book. Who doesn't love big sea creatures and a wall that keeps them out? I also enjoyed the different abilities and alterations that people had. It made for an interesting cast of characters. I liked the relationship between Din and Ana, they had some banter back and forth but they solved mysteries well together.

I do feel like the world building was just a bit too much for me. I don't read a lot of fantasy so that may be the reason why. People who read a lot of fantasy and are used to world building might not be bothered by it. I also found it just a bit too political for my liking. I don't tend to like stories that involve politics and powerful families.

I did like this story and the characters in here. I am excited for the next book to come out and follow these two as they investigate more! Thanks so much to Net galley and Random House for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! This book is going to be released on February 6th, 2024!

This book was so interesting and kept me intrigued and on my toes for the entire story! It is a perfect fantasy mystery, with a complex fantasy world and a convoluted murder mystery! The murder of a senior official by the spontaneous sprouting of a tree out of their body sends the main characters into a mystery that could expose high levels of corruption that threatens the Empire. It is such a wild way to start a story, but led to a great mystery and incredible reveal! The fantasy world was well developed and easy to understand since most of the world building was described as they investigated the murder. I also loved the neurodivergent representation. I absolutely loved this story and I can’t wait to see what mysteries the characters uncover next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is the fist book I’ve read by Robert Jackson Bennett and I can’t wait to go back and read more of his fantasy novels!

THE TAINTED CUP was one of my most anticipated reads of the year but unfortunately it wound up being just okay to me.

Here is what I liked:
- The mystery itself was intriguing. I wanted to keep reading to know what happened, and the reveal was great and was surprising but made sense in context.
- I enjoyed the various aspects of the magic system.
- All of the characters were enjoyable and interesting.

Here is what I didn't like:
- The world building was nonexistent regarding the Leviathan. These were ATTACK ON TITAN-like creatures that attacked a wall around the city. They had almost no impact on the story as a whole, and the main plot could have progressed without them existing. In other words, they acted like a red herring. I found it incredibly unsatisfying to not know more about what was going on with them, especially because they were not critical to the unraveling of the mystery.
- I found the book to be far too long. I wish it was about 100-150 pages shorter.

Overall, I might give the second book a chance, but if we don't learn more about the Leviathans in a way that hooks me, I do not think I will continue after that.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Tainted Cup looked like a great fantasy romp from the description and with the majority of reader reviews being positive I was excited to dive into it. Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I got about 30% of the way through and had to put it down.

I can see why folks are loving this book-the world building is tremendous. However, because the story starts off immediately with the investigation of the initial murder, you as the reader are left playing catch up trying to figure out the world that you have been placed into. The two main characters have potential, and I can clearly see the Holmes/Watson comparisons that are mentioned in the description of the book. Ana and Din have a great chemistry and Ana has some great snark about her character. I also appreciate that Din has dyslexia and you see how he struggles and creates ways to adapt to it. All this being said, it wasn't enough to keep me engaged to keep reading.

Overall, I think it boils down to this one wasn't for me, but I'm sure that avid fantasy readers will love it.

Amazing world building. Though it did start out just throwing you into the story, once you started getting through the story, it sucks you in & you don’t want to put it down. Phenomenally written, well explained & the characters (Din & Ana) were amazing. I will definitely be recommending to everyone.

Thank you, Net Galley & Robert Jackson Bennett the opportunity to read this ARC. I loved it

5/5 ⭐️
Holy crap! We better get more stories involving these characters cause they were absolutely enjoyable. Each and everyone was weird and complex but had me completely invested, most especially Din and Ana. The latter was brilliant. She was such a great mix of Sherlock Holmes and Ms Marple and Detective Benoit while making me genuinely laugh out loud. Meanwhile I loved the subtly of Din being dyslexic but excellent at memorizing & remembering to the point of being one of the rare specials in their society as an engraver. I also loved how our narrator finds his way of life & beliefs & values tested while assistant to Ana.
It’s when you read books like this that you realize how inadequate some other fantasy worlds are. This goes down to the smallest details to create such an interesting merger between a classic murder mystery and fantasy. I feel like most fantasies nowadays take place in the center of power. But I liked this focuses on a lowly guy from a lowly part of the empire. Then peels back the layers to show the complexities of running such an empire.
This story was absolutely brillant. It was thought provoking. It was unique with its merging of two different genres. It was bingeable with how the plot unraveled with characters I hope will become canon like those they reminded me of. I cannot recommend this book enough.
Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinRandom House Publishing Group - Ballan for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

4.5
This book started out pretty slow, but it gradually unfurled into a really interesting mystery. I enjoyed the way I was just thrown into this world with seemingly little explanation, and I just had to figure out bits and pieces of the context, magic system, etc. as I went. Plot elements were introduced very naturally. The way there's no explicit exposition was reminiscent of Emily Wilde and Gideon the Ninth, both of which I tremendously enjoyed.

Though this book is a great standalone, I think I was sucked in enough to be interested in any that may follow. What a pleasant surprise and start to 2024!

Received a free copy from Netgalley.

The Tainted Cup is my first read of 2024!
We follow Din an assistant investigator trying to solve a gruesome death of a tree growing out of a man. What the heck.

This book reminds me of cyberpunk due to the different augmentations with flare of body horror. Throw in AOT and tada! You’ve got Tainted Cup!
I absolutely fell in love with the banter between Ann and Din. Possibly the highlight for me!

This murder mystery has amazing world and character building. Would highly recommend!

This is my first RJB book and can’t wait to read more!

Intriguing worldbuilding, memorable characters, and a mystery to unravel. I was eagerly looking forward to reading THE TAINTED CUP and I was not disappointed. This is one I'll be recommending to readers interested in cool magic systems, murder mysteries, and fantastic character dynamics.

[NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, my NetGalley feedback is not a blurb or endorsement. If a publisher wishes to use any part of my comments for promotional purposes, please contact me or my agent via email. I would prefer not to include star ratings but NetGalley won't let me post without one, so all will be 5 stars.]

Thank you @delreybooks @netgalley for the #gifted copy of this ebook!

WOW! Be ready to be whisked away to a magical world filled with adventure. The book starts out with a member of the high court murdered. What makes his murder so strange is a tree with roots and branches sprout immediately from the man’s body. How strange! This causes a further investigation because of the weird manner in which he died. Anna Dolabra swoops in as the lead investigator along side of Dinios her assistant. Anna is known for her unusual processes in how she goes about searching for clues including wearing a blindfold to try and make her senses more astute. Her assistant Dinios is one of a kind as well as he uses his photographic memory and his ability to recall exact conversations overheard making it easy to piece together clues. Together they work as a team to get to the bottom of the strange crimes and occurrences happening in this world!

Thoughts: I am just starting to get more into fantasy and this book was so unique! I feel the author created a world that was filled with distinctive and eccentric characters making it very easy to become immersed in this story. The storyline was very entertaining and I adored both Anna and Din’s ways. They truly were the perfect pair! The murder mystery, world of plants using mushrooms 🍄 and magical fantasy swept me away and didn’t let me go! I feel this is a perfect book for someone wanting to dabble in fantasy as it had a solid story without being overwhelming to dive in! I am truly excited to see what happens in the next book!

Imagination is key to visualizing this fantasy with the characters and setting. This book involves a different kind of murder investigation.

Dinios Kol is the 20-year-old apprentice to Ana Dolabra. He has been chosen to be her engraver and can experience sights, sounds and smells from a tiny vial of concoctions. She asks Din to interview the staff and witnesses to inquire what happened to the Commander Blas of the Engineers. He was found dead at the start with a tree which was growing inside of him. Ana’s case is an original like no other.

For those who are not familiar with fantasy mixed with a few twists, it may be like stepping through the wrong door at first. It took a while before I was engaged in the plot trying to sort out the foreign names and places. The story is somewhat complex with multiple characters yet the timing with all the factors is in sync. The final part sums it up nicely and the reader has to wonder what will happen in the book which follows.

My thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of February 6, 2024.

Readers will find fascinating world building and a riveting blend of fantasy and mystery in Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup. The empire is under attack from leviathans, and an engineer—essential to the defense of the empire—has been mysteriously killed when a tree somehow erupts from his body. Ana, an eccentric but brilliant detective, and her assistant Din, a genetically altered “engraver” who can remember everything, are called in to untangle a complex plot that may threaten the existence of the empire itself. Full of quirky but engaging characters, an intriguing system of magic, and a plot with compelling twists and turns, fans of both fantasy and mystery should find this one a delight.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced readers copy of The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. This was my first read by this author and it definitely will not be my last. I really enjoyed sitting down and analyzing my notes to write this review. I almost changed my star rating from 4 to 5 because when I distanced myself I could see what the author was doing so clearly and became extremely excited for the sequel. The quick run down is that this is a quick paced mystery fantasy that is plot driven with an accessible writing style. There is LGBTQIA+ representation and some of the common themes are cynicism, corruption, justice, and playing an active role in government. The magic system has an academic feel to it with unique consequences.

Now the details that made this so enjoyable…the setting and magic system were exactly to my taste. The plant life, the apothecaries, and threat of leviathans were so well woven together that I could easily imagine this world. I was completely immersed. I loved that the consequences of using magic weren’t the typical weakness or physical illness that is commonly seen in fantasy but were represented in emotions like anger and anxiety.

The themes came a little late, and were more impactful on my review. I could better understand how some characters represented larger themes when I distanced myself. Minor spoiler on this topic -Capt. Miljin represents the old government and Din the future of the government- The main character, Din, is young and surrounded by mentors and side characters that are both optimistic and pessimistic and he is really discovering himself and how he views the Empire.

The mystery plot was a lot of fun and was enhanced in my opinion by the humor and banter of Ana, the lead investigator, and the main character Din who is her assistant. I unquestionably will be continuing with the series for the characters, the world building and some of the themes that I predict will be expanded upon.

When a strange and gruesome death occurs at a wealthy clan's country estate, Dinios Kol, assistant to the eccentric and brilliant imperial investigator Ana Dolabra, goes to investigate the scene on her behalf. A high imperial officer was found dead in the guest bedroom, with a tree growing out of his body, apparently assassinated with a genetically modified contagion. Sending an assistant to investigate the crime is a significant slight against the Haza clan, but Ana lives her life mostly blindfolded to avoid sensory overstimulation, conducting her investigations from her office via reports and interviews. Din is her latest assistant, a young man with augmentations that allow him to perfectly remember everything he experiences, and she relies upon him to notice and pursue everything unusual that she cannot pursue herself. It soon becomes apparent that this assassination poses a grave threat to the safety of the empire, and it's up to Din and Ana to find the assassin and unravel their plot in time.

I'm a huge fan of Bennett's works, and this one lived up to my high expectations. I loved the weird world-building, which felt lush and unique and was woven well into the story. Bennett always thinks through the implications of the fantastical elements he introduces, and the way the serious, regular risk of rampaging leviathans affects everything from imperial infrastructure to the layout of communities to the social strata simply makes sense, as does the imperial drive to develop the kinds of biotechnologies they do. As with Foundryside, he straddles the line between fantasy and science fiction, bringing certain modern scientific and technological elements to a distinctly fantasy world.

For a novel with rich world-building, the plot moved quickly, full of twists and turns and political intrigue. It had everything I like about a good mystery, but layered over an unfamiliar world.

Bennett's versions of Holmes and Watson are also excellent and more human than Doyle's characters; in particular, Din is a much more capable and interesting character than Watson ever was. Din is a fish out of water who knows he's out of place and ill-equipped to handle the situations he finds himself in, and yet Ana knows that he can rise to the occasion anyway, counting on his curiosity and survival instincts to keep him alive. He's not just a sounding-board and chronicler, but a real partner to the brilliant detective.

This book was a delight and I had the hardest time putting it down. I loved everything about The Tainted Cup, from the biopunk aesthetics and the rich world-building, to the strong characters to the thrilling mystery with the bizarre murder method. I can't wait to read the sequel.

This book felt like a cross between a Holmes and Watson mystery and Jeff VanderMeer's "Annihilation" with a cyberpunk twist. A brilliant but secretive assistant investigator in training is recruited by an eccentric genius detective to uncover the truth behind a ghastly series of murders, set in a world of body augmentation, political backstabbing, and colossus leviathans that attack the shores every year.

The Tainted Cup is a whirlwind of plot bombshells that doesn't forget to develop its cast along the way. There are secrets buried within secrets, and the deduction skills of the book's leads are impressive. An absolute page-turner and great fun all around. RJB fans, or fans of whodunits with a fantasy twist will find lots to enjoy here. I'm already ready for the next volume.

This was a wonderful way to end the reading year! The Tainted Cup is a fantasy book, a mystery book, and a GREAT read!

Dinios Kol and Ana Dolabra are investigating a murder that happened in a mansion. A murder that was very gruesome and very mysterious and very connected to many other events. Kol, the Watson to Ana's Sherlock, is an engraver- enhanced to remember everything he sees. And he's going to see a lot.

What unfolds is a damn good mystery set in an exquisitely realized fantasy world. The writing is engaging and focused. The characters are well-crafted and interesting. The plot moves along at lightning speed and balances twists, turns, and revelations.

I loved every second of this book and I can't wait to read more from this author and see further volumes of this series!

5 stars

As the rating suggests, I loved this, and to continue the mystery solving, this matters a lot because fantasy is the genre I am most likely to turn on while reading. More often than not, I find myself DNFing or rating very poorly just because I can't get past the lacking plot and characters in favor of bizarro/too in-depth world building. If you like fantasy at all, I suspect you'll love this book. If you're a reluctant fantasy reader like I am, you may still love it!

The initial death scene in this novel is something out of the playbook of an ecologically minded Hannibal Lector. It is...a memorable visual to be sure. What's even more gripping than this wild event is the characters who are going to solve this mystery and the world in which they live. I need a lot more leviathan action in my future.

These characters are layered and interesting, deeply flawed, and filled with possibilities to both surprise themselves and absolutely kick butt. Din, the m.c., serves as the assistant to the investigator Ana, and both characters are fascinating in their own ways, but especially in relation to each other. I really enjoyed how their interactions and observations of each other added a more intriguing layer to the overarching mystery. It's hard to pinpoint everything that's going on with them, too.

While this is definitely a self-contained work, there is so much possibility for a full realized series here, and I'll be clamoring to read any and all future installments. I can't believe I'm saying that about this genre, but I'm a convert, at least where this novel and probably this author are concerned.

This is a great read, and I'm adding extra thanks for the widget since without that, this is one I'm certain would never have even been on my radar.

4.5 stars

I massively enjoyed reading this book! The pacing, writing quality, worldbuilding, and characters were all top-notch. I also don’t typically go for mystery books, so having one placed in a fantastical world worked really well for me, as well as the way you could follow the logic of the investigation and make some of the connections yourself without having the end be totally predictable.
Our protagonist, Din Kol, is an apprentice investigator for the Iudex (sort of like the Empire’s internal affairs), but he’s got a few secrets about how he was able to get his position. Din is an engraver, meaning he has been biologically altered in order to have a perfect memory. He works for Ana Dolabra, a notoriously eccentric investigator who requires an engraver to act as her eyes at crime scenes and interviews - because she typically blindfolds herself and remains at home in order to block out the stimulation of the world. The relationship between these two characters is crucial to the story and something I absolutely loved. Ana is Din’s mentor and boss, but watching them grow closer personally was extremely touching.
The two investigate a series of gruesome murders in which seemingly random imperial officials were killed by plants that grew from the insides of their bodies. Some of these fast-growing saplings caused a breach of the Empire’s mighty walls which hold back the titans of the sea - the killing of which is the entire purpose of the Empire. I found the conclusion of the investigation extremely satisfying, especially the unmasking scene in which Ana reveals the killer’s identity and methods (Benoit Blanc has nothing on Ana Dolabra in terms of detective chops and drama).
I also really appreciated the way this book asks questions about justice, greed, corruption, and empire - and doesn’t answer all of them completely. I loved the author’s emphasis (via Ana) that there is strength in diversity and we need all kinds of people with all kinds of skills in order to succeed. There’s definitely more to come and I am so excited to read more from this series.