Thanks to Netgalley and Random House - Ballantine/Del Rey for letting me read an eARC of The Tainted Cup. This was my first time reading a novel by Robert Jackson Bennett, and it didn't disappoint. The world building is fantastic and allows for total immersion of the story. Along with that, having memorable characters made this a brisk and highly enjoyable read. I will definitely read another novel involving Dolabra and Kol as this one was so much fun. If you love mysteries and fantasy, this is a hard recommendation to seek out as soon as you can.

4.25 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


This book blends a wonderful fantasy world with a murder mystery. I am so excited to know that this will be a series of books, hopefully focusing on the two main characters from this book.

Din Kol is a Signum - recently graduated assistant investigator for the Iudex. He is still probationary and has been assigned to the canton Daretana to assist Immunis Ana Dolabra. Dolabra is a strange one. Often interrogating individuals for hours and known to wear a blindfold to avoid overstimulation. Kol is young and apparently quite handsome.

Kol has secrets. He is an amazing Engraver - his brain has been augmented to record everything it sees, hears, or reads. We don’t quite know what his secrets are, but they tend to impede his normal abilities. And he’s keeping a big secret, we just don’t know what.

Dolabra is given a case to solve - the murder of an Imperial officer in a mansion owned by one of the wealthiest families in the empire. She sends Kol off on his own to interrogate and engrave the scene to bring back to her. What Kol finds is unbelievable and frightening. Yet he does as expected and brings back information to Dolabra that will allow her to piece together the mystery of this officer’s death, and the deaths of others.

This book is so wild and unusual. It is appealing to anyone who loves a good mystery, but also loves a fantasy world. I could not put it down! I would read another installment today if it were given to me. Bennett so clearly explains and describes this unusual world that these people inhabit. You feel as though you’re a part of it.

I would absolutely recommend this one, and might even indulge and read it again!

This book was such a perfect blend of fantasy of mystery. Great for those that don't enjoy complicated world building or keeping track of too many pieces.

Din is an engraver, magically altered so that he has a perfect memory and recall of any situation. He is an apprentice for one of the most eccentric and outspoken investigators -- he is quite literally her eyes and ears as she prefers to seclude herself and remain blindfolded. But what Ana lacks in tact she more than makes up in wit, as she is able to put together the pieces of a mystery to solve it quickly and impressively.

The two are tasked with solving a unique rash of poisonings that causes trees to grow out of its victims, a plot that is much larger than the original singular murder scene they are called to. Filled with intrigue and multiple layers of crimes, Ana and Din's investigation takes you all the way up to the spectacular and showy reveal of all of the culprits. Read like an Agatha Christie but with some great magic and fantasy weaved in.

Just a really great read, looking forward to future mysteries with these two!

It took me a little while to get into this book. I have known of Robert Jackson Bennett for several years and have his City books sitting in my TBR pile, but this is the first book of theirs I have read. It is an interesting worldbuilding with all of the "tech" being plant based. I really enjoyed finding out about all the pieces of the kingdom, worlds, and segments of the society. The murder mystery and conspiracy aspects were very fun and well done.
I think the difficulty in getting into the book was just me and not the book itself. It starts off well and introduces the characters as you begin the investigation into a murder, which I really liked. Jumping right into the mystery and not having a bunch of set up happening beforehand. The aspects of the world are revealed as the characters interact with each other and I liked that aspect as well. Pieces of the world, it's history and politics all getting revealed a bit at a time.
I really enjoyed it and am hoping to see more of this world and these characters in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this Arc!

A world structure akin to Attack on Titan meets Eldrich horrors in this lush, botanical, body horror mystery.

If that sentence doesn't slightly appeal to you then reader look elsewhere.

I for one found this book to be an absolute delight. The worldbuilding is immaculate and terrifying, with man being grafted and willingly mutated with organic materials to enhance abilities.

The mystery is better off going in wholly blind like I did. I will say that it was satisfying and with each development I wanted to read on and on and on.

This is the first book in a new series by this author; and like his “founders trilogy,” it is off to great start. Where the previous trilogy opened with a “great heist” trope, this one begins with the “great mystery” trope that makes it hard to avoid a direct comparison to the my favorite detective adventures by the likes of Sherlock Holmes, Nero Wolfe and Hercules Poirot. Here the great detective is an eccentric, Imperial Investigator, recently assigned to the boondocks of the outer regions. In a world where everybody is trying to move to the interior, it is presumed that some mysterious reversal of fortune is the reason for her exile. To aid in her investigations, she selects a local assistant/sidekick to serve as her “eyes and ears” and subsequently provides the PoV for the story (think Mr Watson’s diary) … but Din has a few secrets of his own, which only adds to all of the mystery … and there is plenty here: Why was Ana, the investigator transferred to the borderlands? How did Din suddenly and unexpectedly do well enough to finally get the success his so desperately needed? Who assassinated the military officer while he was visiting a villa of one of the most powerful families in the empire? Why and how did they do it? Of course, Ana is up to the task and solves mystery after mystery, often without leaving the confines of her own room (using just the observations reported back to her by her assistant Din). It is all a well worn and effective plot that still works for me when told as well it is here.

As good as the murder mystery is … I though the world-building was even better. The driving force behind the empire, is the destruction wrought by “Leviathans “ that periodically come ashore during the wet season. To defend against these “attacks,” the empire is divided up into walled cantons where the outer cantons use increasingly powerful bombards, guns and walls to turn back these sea titans. This whole scene had me making favorable comparisons to “Pacific Rim.” This adds yet another mystery to the plot (what are these abominations and why are they attacking). Next up is what could arguably be seen as the magic system, which could just as easily be seen as quasi-scientific biohacking. As part of the respond to these attacks, many people has augmented themselves to give them incredible (aka superhero) powers. Some of these alterations are temporary and some are permeant (and a few are inheritable, although the most extreme render the host sterile). The ones most frequently encountered in this story were Cracklers (strength), Axioms (human calculators), and Engravers (eidetic memory) … the later is what Din, the assistant investigator, is and the vivid description of his ability (and the his subsequent disability) helped make he a very relatable character. Additionally, the population was also divided upon by social function, with soldiers, engineers and iudex (justices) being the most prominent. All of this contributes to a very entertaining and natural feeling story that pulls you quickly through to the end (almost reading this in one sitting).

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#TheTaintedCup #ShadowoftheLeviathan #NetGalley

Imagine a plant spore rapidly growing inside you, causing a painful and disfiguring death.
Sounds awful - the author goes into enough detail describing this death to make my skin itch.
But was this contagion an accident or murder? That is the mystery that is at the heart of this new release.

The bulk of the story is told from Signum Dinios "Din" Kol's POV, who is assistant to the investigator. That investigator, Immunis Anagosa "Ana" Dolabra is an odd character, who spends most of the book blindfolded. So how does she solve the mystery? Great instincts using some solid reporting from Din.

As the contagion spreads and the deaths pile up, the race to determine who is behind it all and how the deaths connect is on. While some parts of this story felt a little slow and drawn out, I loved how the story comes together at the end as Ana puts the pieces together. It all becomes clear as to the who, the why and the how for all the deaths. Now it is just a matter of capturing the killer(s).

Overall, this was a captivating and unpredictable story from a new-to-me author. If you enjoy fantasy with a bit of mystery, check this one out!

"A Holmes and Watson-style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett.

In Daretana's greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead - killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire's borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it's a death both terrifying and impossible.

Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.

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 at turns 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.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he's barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra - and wonders how long he'll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

By an "endlessly inventive" (Vulture) author with a "wicked sense of humor" (NPR), The Tainted Cup mixes the charms of detective fiction with brilliant world-building to deliver a fiendishly clever mystery that's at once instantly recognizable and thrillingly new."

Take what is standard and add a twisted tree.

DNF 30%

I’ve had Robert Jackson Bennett on my radar because I’ve heard a lot of good things about Foundryside, so when I had a chance to read The Tainted Cup I was excited to give it a try. Unfortunately this is a book that is not working for me. The world building and method of murder are all intriguing, but the pacing feels extremely slow and I’m not enjoying it as much as I’d like. I definitely see the Sherlock-Watson influence and can see it appealing to fans of Sherlock mysteries. I think I’m just not the right audience for this book.

I read RJB’s Foundryside several years ago, but left it a bit letdown and not really wanting to continue the series. I found its magic system convoluted, unnecessarily layered, and full of infodumps about why exactly something works one way and not another. Other people really dug it, but I thought the word salad it turned into was hard to follow. Having said that, I’m really glad I gave him another chance, because I think The Tainted Cup is something special.

Dinios Kol (or, Din to just about everybody in the book) is an assistant to Ana Dolabra, something of an investigator in the realm of Daretana. Rather like a certain Sherlock Holmes, Ana is very eccentric, a bit unreliable, and rather brusque and sarcastic to just about everybody around her, but is brilliant at what she does. Din is her eyes, ears, and hands into these investigations, and we follow him as he begins the investigation into the mysterious death of a rather prominent officer involving a tree mysteriously (and gruesomely) growing out of his body. The investigation quickly starts snowballing, and the two find themselves called to the very front lines of Daretana’s most dangerous battlefront against a most massive foe.

Right off the bat I like that, this time around, the magic system is much more subtle, requires less infodumping, and feels more organic (hehehe) to the plot and setting. Rather than it being the pivot point and purpose of the story like it was in Foundryside, it takes a bit of a backseat here where it’s still involved and necessary, but doesn’t feel like you’re being beaten over the head with it. I also really like the overall plot. Once upon a time I lamented to a friend that there was a distinct lack of fantasy murder mysteries. This is exactly in the realm of what I was looking for. It really does feel like a Holmes/Watson adventure, with clues and leads and a mystery that Holmes (Ana) solves early on and Watson (Din, our eyes and ears) struggles to keep up with. The last 10-20% of the book was my favorite section, where things click into place, suspects are hunted, and just enough is left teased and hanging for there to be both a satisfying ending and an anticipated sequel to look forward to.

There’s also a bit of a romance! It’s not a major plot and not a ton of time is spent fleshing it out, but it’s there, and I’m actually kind of hoping it’s continued in the next book.

Keep this one on your radar if you’re a RJB fan, if you’re like me and love the idea of a fantasy murder mystery, or if you’re looking for something fast paced and fun.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is a start to a new fantasy series to at opens with a young investigator looking into the death of a high officer who has had a tree burst from his body. The story takes off from there but that was enough to get me invested. This feels like Sherlock Holmes meets fantasy with maybe a sprinkle of Godzilla to spice it up. Din and Ana are big Watson and Sherlock vibes and I was living for it.

I really enjoyed this story for the most part. The magic system is very interesting and I love that the author kind of just drops you into it and you figure it out along the way. There aren’t big chunks of world building. The story feels like a fantasy but it also has a modern tone to it. The characters speak in a modern way which makes this book very accessible to many readers.

I also think the plot felt very contained in this book. It is a murder mystery so most of the time, we are following the main characters around as they look for clues. While there are a few other things going on that will be explored in later books, this book itself could almost be a standalone which is something I really enjoy with a first book a series. It gives the reader a good taste of what the story will be without it being a big commitment.

I do think there were a few parts that dragged in this book when our main character, Din, was interviewing people about the mystery. I think it’s mostly because there were a lot of characters introduced and it was hard to tell who to pay attention to but other than that, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to see where this series goes.

I was not interested in the characters after I started reading this one. Others seem to love this book but not me. Thanks for the review copy.

“The Tainted Cup" by Robert Jackson Bennett is a gripping and imaginative fantasy novel that effortlessly combines elements of mystery and adventure.
Bennett's world-building in is superb. He paints a vivid and immersive setting, rich in detail and history. From the grandeur of the ancient cities to the dangers lurking in the wilderness, every aspect of the world feels meticulously crafted. The inclusion of magical elements seamlessly integrates with the overall narrative, adding depth and intrigue to the story.
The characters are complex and the whole plot comes together so perfectly!

4.25

The Tainted Cup is everything I come to expect from an RJB novel wrapped in a mystery that takes full advantage of the setting and bio-engineering mechanics introduced in this book.

Robert Jackson Bennett is so good and not touted nearly enough as a fantasy sci-fi author. He is also only improving as his career progresses. This is only the first in what might become a series, and I do so dearly hope that it does. The Tainted Cup can certainly stand on its own, but there is so much more world to explore and characters to unravel that I hope RJB decides to keep bringing us back to the Khanum Empire and Din and Ana.

First off, the setting simply oozes atmosphere. You can practically see the sepia-toned, film grain filters slipping down over the scene in the first few pages. One of my favorite things about RJB's writing is how his worlds become characters in their own right. You can smell the dank air, feel the humidity on your skin, taste the rot and corruption on your tongue. And the casual use of bio-enhancements, genetic alterations, body modification hits as both mundane and unsettling throughout the entire story. It felt like a grungier, washed out version of a Hayao Miyazaki animation. RJB always takes me to places I don't expect, and then keeps secrets of the world hidden for later books that totally blow my mind when revealed, even though they are being slowly uncovered along the way.

This story is in first-person from the perspective of Din (Dinios Kol), which on the surface may put you in the mind of Watson and brings about comparisons of Watson-Holmes relationship for this murder mystery. Din is the assistant to investigator Ana Dolabra, who does have some Sherlock qualities. However, Din's development and story is much more robust than Watson's and Ana has way more nuance and secrets than Holmes as a character. While there is certainly a focus on the murder mystery plot (which is very well done), the characters are fully realized and incredibly interesting. I was just as wrapped up in Din's conflict and story as I was in trying to find the clues to the mystery. And of course there are quirky, interesting side characters as well because it's an RJB story and everyone just adds to the atmosphere.

Layered in with the murder investigation and the characters' own mysteries is a military element with political intrigue. Oh, and actual Leviathan monsters that threaten the Empire. The story brushes up against Cosmic Horror without really feeling Lovecraftian. The monster/disaster part of the world building is a prime example of RJB holding back and leaving the reader with lingering questions (and desperately wanting more!).

If you go into this story expecting a full-fantasy Sherlock Holmes mystery, your expectations are going to be met and exceeded. I love Sherlock Holmes, and I love a good fantasy detective story. The Tainted Cup scratches that Sherlockian itch while not being like a Conan Doyle story at all. It is distinctly Robert Jackson Bennett and showcases some of his best qualities as a writer. I was thoroughly entertained the entire time I was reading.

So why not a full 5 stars? While the story and characters are entertaining, I was not impacted emotionally by them. The payoff is satisfying, but there are still lingering questions. The slightly under 5 stars is more in anticipation of deeper stories to come in this world and between Din and Ana.

Definitely pick this one up if you are a fan of fantasies with mysteries. The Tainted Cup is also perfect for those who love some superb world building. Combine these two, and I would much rather read more of Din and Ana than Harry Dresden. Obviously, if you're already a fan of RJB's other series then you probably have already bought this one too and devoured it or it's at the top of your TBR (as it should be).

Here's to hoping that another Shadow of the Leviathan story comes out soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for providing a digital review copy of The Tainted Cup in exchange for my honest review.

Classic murder mystery meets a rich fantasy world with complex magic and politics in Robert Jackson Bennet's book "The Tainted Cup". In a world where Leviathans kill and destroy all in their path, the Empire is the only thing holding them at bay. However, not all is as it seems when high ranking officials start dying mysteriously by plant contagions. Din and Anna work to investigate these murders, government corruption, and uncover a conspiracy.

In this fantasy world, people have the ability to modify themselves, either permanently or temporarily. These can make them smarter, faster, stronger... or in Din's case, he can remember every experience down to the most minor details. This makes for perfect recall of the crime scenes.

This book is witty, fast-paced, and full of beautifully crafted world building. I like the classic nature of the murder mystery, meshed with the rich fantasy world. Din's dyslexia is a welcome representation to see in a world of books that sometimes use modifications or enhancements to erase disabilities. It is also implied that Anna has autism. I cannot speak to the quality of either representation as a non-member of those communities, but I highly enjoyed reading both of these characters.

There is also some LGBTQ representation, both in Din's hinted attraction to a male captain and in the relationship of two minor character females. This book is perfect for fans of fantasy books with a little to no romance.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book. The world building and mystery were intricately done and interesting to read. I loved rooting for these characters and can't wait to see where the story goes.

This is the fifth book I've read by Robert Jackson Bennett. I've thought all were quite good. This one though, this has me eager to read the next book in the series before the first is even published. It is a well-executed mystery set in a world of mysteries and wonder, and I found it hard to put down. I'm quite eager to learn more of this world, the leviathans that menace it, and the Empire that defends humanity. Very highly recommended for fantasy fans.

Daretana canton is at the borders of the Empire. Contagions are plenty, and the Leviathans can be a little too close for comfort. Dinios Kol is an engraver, a magically altered person who “engraves” situations into their memories and has been called to a prominent mansion where someone has been killed. The manner of death: a tree spontaneously combusted from the body. Kol’s superior officer Ana Dolabra doesn’t leave her residency so Kol must be her eyes and ears. As the case unfolds, it becomes clear that there is more going on behind the scenes than the host family wants Dolabra to know about.

When catastrophe strikes at the sea walls in Talagray during a Leviathan attack, Ana and Kol are called to save the Empire. Ana and Kol must determine the who’s, what’s, and why’s of eleven deaths before the next Leviathan attack or be prepared for more tragedy.

I really enjoyed this novel. It’s being compared to Holmes and Watson, and I agree. Ana is the perfect adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, especially because she has similar eccentricities. I loved the mind leaps that are so obvious once explained, but I also loved seeing Kol develop under Ana. I enjoyed the combination of mystery with fantasy. I really want to own a giant mushroom air purifier.

The mystery and plot were perfection. Robert Jackson Bennett wrote in his acknowledgment about “how America is now terrified of building stuff.” I understand this fear, because there are too many ways for things to go horribly wrong. The villain(s) and the motives are entirely too realistic. However, that’s what kept me going. I wanted to know how Ana would solve it, but also how Kol and others would react.

My only wish was that it was an audiobook, because I know I butchered some of the names, even in my own head.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

The Tainted Cup starts out as a murder mystery within a world with magical elements and unique world building. The writing style is beautiful and I think a lot of people would enjoy this. However, I struggled to get into this and I don’t believe it has anything to do the author or content of this novel. I think my mood reading tendencies just led to my failure of getting engrossed with the story - thus I didn’t finish this. I will most likely revisit this when the time is right for me and expect to thoroughly enjoy the ride!

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, and the author for providing an early copy, I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

A big thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book!

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is truly something special. The story is pitched as a Sherlock-esque novel about a detective and her assistant trying to solve a series of very odd murders. While this is a very very good description, it's not where the author took his inspiration from - he credits the Nero Wolfe and the Hannival Lecter books.

The story follows an engraver called Dinios Kol (a human altered to remember everything he sees) as he is apprenticed to an investigator called Ana Dolabra. Ana is such a fun and unpredictable character and her mind creates connections between information that nobody else realises is significant.

The story starts after Kol is sent to view a murder scene that is so bizarre that only Ana would be able to solve it This murder is the catalyst that shoots them into a web of deeper secrets bigger than either of them can imagine. Trying to stay alive with massive beasts attacking the walls, poisonous politics and a possible contagion in the air, this story keeps you invested in the plot until the very last page.

I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to read more of these characters in the future. But for now, I'm going back and reading the Foundryside series by this author as well.

this was unlike anything i’ve read before. the plot i found was so smooth sailing and intriguing from the get-go, which is to say the pacing of this deserves all the glory. and this having a murder mystery esque quality to it felt all the more satisfying because i was able to really picture it unfold.

usually a lot of fantasies i read nowadays have such an intricate, multi-layered magic system that goes over my head but with this one, it’s quite subtle and ingenious, but still poignant enough where you’re seated and paying attention.

very excited to continue ana and din’s story!