Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

The genre label of fantasy too often brings with it a pre-packaged plot - an epic quest to save the world, a lost noble eager to reclaim their birthright, etc. This is especially frustrating because at its best, fantasy is a mood, a mode of writing, a rich tradition of bright colors and imaginative worlds, a focus on the strange and the truly magical. It should be possible to tell any number of types of stories steeped in the flavor of imaginary worlds. As I’ve written before, too many fantasy is beholden to the Standard Fantasy Setting. But it’s also beholden to the Standard Fantasy Narrative.

Robert Jackson Bennett (author of two recent fantasy trilogies of compelling worlds) begins his newest trilogy with The Tainted Cup, a mystery novel first and foremost; a Sherlockian puzzler set in a genuinely interesting new world, one where an all-powerful Empire keeps its genetically-modified populace safe behind walls, protected from the annual sea-born kaiju attacks. Lots of fantasy series begin with a compelling mystery and then spiral outward to their more sweeping plot, but The Tainted Cup makes sure to keep its central mystery at the heart of the book’s focus, while other, more widespread issues brew in the background.

Our Watsonian protagonist is Din, a taciturn bisexual apprentice investigator augmented to remember everything he experiences, who carries around vials of unique smells to better access the memories down the line. His Sherlockian superior is Ana, an middle-aged woman and genius investigator, with all the required quirks and oddities, like her habit of wearing a blindfold to improve her other senses, her blunt disregard for social norms, and a fascination with psychedelics. She’s also something of a stimulation-avoidant recluse, which results in her sending Din into the belly of the beast to do his own investigation, before reporting back to her with the exacting detail only someone with perfect memory could achieve. Their first case together is the mysterious death of a high-ranking military officer, found in a noble family’s extant villa skewered by rapid-growing, razor-sharp “dapplegrass” that burst through his body. As might be expected, Din and Ana investigating this one murder spirals into a full-blown conspiracy, one that’s remarkably adept at keeping the reader on their toes, providing just the right amount of answers and new questions.

I’m culturally familiar with the Sherlockian mystery format through its adaptations on the screen, but I’ve never read any of the stories, or much in the mystery genre, so take this part with a big helping of salt if you’re a more established reader of the genre. I found the mystery intriguing, but I’m not the type of reader to consciously try to puzzle out the answer. Maybe my general knowledge of storytelling tropes results in me guessing what’s coming next, but it’s never a focused effort. That being said, I let myself be swept up in the ride, and didn’t really guess or predict exactly what happened; because the story is set in a world we don’t know, and Bennett has complete control over what basic information we learn, it’s hard, if not impossible, to guess.

Despite my real admiration and enjoyment of Bennett’s previous works, I do think they are an example of the kind of contemporary SFF that’s exciting in the moment but ultimately hard to remember in retrospect. I can’t quite put my finger on what causes this quality in his writing, because the worlds are unique and the characters are fun and engaging. Maybe it’s just the inevitable consequence of writing books that are so damn fun and go down so easy; they invite a kind of rapid binge-reading that doesn’t tend to engraving the memories of the specifics. Or maybe, it’s just me.

Either way, The Tainted Cup is a fun mystery novel set in a unique fantasy setting, one that takes advantage of its SFF imagination to give its characters supernatural abilities and flaws that result in types of problems and solutions impossible to get in a more realistic novel. The combination of the two genres is what gives the novel its strength, but may prove an obstacle if you only enjoy one of the two. If you like mysteries but not fantasies, you’ll probably bounce of its weird magical world. And if you like fantasies but not mysteries, you’ll be frustrated in how the plot stays focused on the case instead of the weird stuff happening just beyond the edges of the narrative. But if you like both, I’d definitely recommend giving it a read.

The Tainted Cup is set to publish on February 6, 2024. It is the first in an expected trilogy.

There are a few tropes and subgenres that I will always jump at the chance to read and a good fantasy-mystery is one of those things. Much to my delight, The Tainted Cup is a return to the investigative bureaucrat theme that I so loved with City of Stairs. Robert Jackson Bennett has knocked it out of the park with yet another series opener, introducing readers to an incredibly unique fantasy world that begins with gruesome murder.
I think the official synopsis is quite thorough, so I’ll largely skip the usual summary I do and skip straight to the good bits. When Din and Ana are assigned to the murder investigation of an Imperial officer who spontaneously grew a tree, the duo quickly begin to uncover a case much deeper than Din could have ever anticipated. Though the empire they live in is structured and highly centered around the upkeep of the sea walls, there is plenty of room for corruption and graft by the wealthiest families. The crime initially appears to be one of targeted assassination and possibly even domestic terrorism and the investigation takes Ana and Din to the largest city in the next province. Closer to the sea walls, where the horrifying leviathans move toward the sea walls as the rainy season begins.
The foundation that makes for such a darkly engaging story has to be the lush, vegetal world this book is set in. So much of the empire centers around plants - their modification, their ability to mutate and create contagion, and even their heavy use in everyday life for something as simple as building materials. And did I mention the leviathans??? The giant horrors that rumble beneath the sea and move toward the lands of the empire during the rainy season, destroying the sea walls and then the cities beyond. The defense of the land from these unfathomable titans is also a major, grounding feature of this story and makes the murder of the imperial engineers a weighty, significant event meriting this deep dive investigation.
I loved both Din and Ana and the Holmes and Watson vibe mentioned in the synopsis is absolutely spot on. Ana is brilliant, so much so that even leaving her home could overwhelm her mind and cause that sharp mind to cut itself and she’s definitely not above engaging in questionable practices. Din, engraved to have perfect recall, acts as her eyes and ears and does the leg work required on such a complicated case even if that takes him into dangerous territory. The reader is following Din, so I felt the most connected to him and loved that though nervous about screwing up his first ‘real’ assignment, Din wasn’t above a legally gray decision either!
I completely loved the mystery element and I didn’t feel like there was some brilliant, totally unguessable reveal at the end. In hindsight, I felt like there were hints about what was actually going on and who was responsible for the multiple deaths throughout the book. Robert Jackson Bennett didn’t just yank away a table cloth, reveal some unknown killer and wham, magical murder reveal! This was good stuff. There are so many layers to this mystery that just kept getting peeled away until the reveal at the end. I can’t wait to see what cases Ana and Din will tackle next.
Though this doesn’t release until February 2024, I couldn’t resist reading this early and it made my list of Best Books of 2023. I wholeheartedly loved the story for all it was - beautiful, terrifying world, the characters, the compelling mystery plot. This is a book I will be purchasing a physical copy of and I’m hoping The Broken Binding will be doing a special edition because the UK cover is awesome. I can’t recommend this enough - get your pre-orders in so you can jump on the hype train for this expertly plotted Holmesian mystery.

From the author that brought us the incredible The Founders Triolgy we have an amazing great book! Integrating a Sherlock Holmes type mystery within a fantasy setting. As someone who has gotten more into mystery books the past year this hit the spot. This had well developed characters, which i come to expect from Robert Jackson Bennett. I enjoyed the witness of Ana. I really enjoyed the overall premise of this story and really am excited to see what Robert brings us next!

What an excellent book! If the book has a map, I'm going to love it.

I enjoyed many aspects of this book: there was the perfect amount of setting and worldbuilding, giving enough info to follow the story but not too much to get bogged down in history. The characters were all interesting and dynamic - and if there's a Sherlock/Watson parallel going on, I'm sold. Din was such an interesting protagonist, capable in his own right but anxious.

Cannot wait for more installments in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine/Del Rey, and Robert Jackson Bennett for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Tainted Cup" impressed me a lot. It was my first encounter with the author, so I kept my mind open. The first thing that stole my heart is the unique world-building that, so close to our world, has its names and rules. We follow a young apprentice to a slightly eccentric detective who is given a task to solve the murder of some prominent political figure. Of course, the intrigue runs deep and nothing is the way it seems. With Sherlock - Holmes bickering of main characters, and even pacing, I enjoyed this fantasy mystery. Another thing that made me feel at home was narration. The mystery is our main character here. If someone is not a fan of fantasy, this would not stop understanding and enjoying the ride. The scheme is so intricate yet smartly built that I couldn't figure it out on my own - which is a good thing in the end. One last thing: the characters themselves. Our main couple deserves their fandom, mostly because they are so well-built they pop out from a page. The background characters add so much to the story as well. It doesn't happen very often, but they had so much personality that the book would not work at all without them. Despite being out next year (2024 here we come!) it will show up on my top 2023 list.

I do love me a good Robert Jackson Benett book. He always delivers with original and amazing fantasy books, and The Tainted Cup is no exception.

The world building in this book is fantastic, but I didn’t expect otherwise. The characters were well developed, and I loved Ana’s character and her wry, sarcastic banter. And Din, naive guy that he is, really is something.

A fantasy murder mystery that really captures your attention, the writing just flows, the action is well written, and then throw in some monsters, and how can you not love this book?

Another great book from RBJ, I can’t wait to see what next adventure Ana and Din find themselves in. Highly recommend for fantasy fans who like murder mysteries, and seeing them solved Sherlock style.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This is a unique blend of fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery, with a Holmes and Watson-style dynamic at the heart of the story. Din is an engraver, someone who has been altered to process and retain information with perfect recall. He's the new apprentice to a rather eccentric and infamous investigator, Ana. When an imperial officer is murdered by a tree exploding from his body, it will take all of their efforts to solve and survive. 

The modifications and powers in this world are a blend of science and magic, and fascinating to read about. Din and Ana travel across cantons, realizing the crime is entrenched in political intricacies and grudges. All the while, the threat of titans breaching the sea wall looms, putting their entire world in jeopardy. 

I love a good murder mystery, and this was an interesting twist on one. Ana's sharp tongue brought hilarious levity to tense scenarios, and Din learning to navigate the intricacies of high society and comply with Ana's investigative demands was charming. I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters or the world, though, and I wasn't able to make many predictions while reading since the reasons for the plots were universe-specific. Everything came together in a way that made sense in the end, but I felt less engaged than I otherwise might in a story where I could theorize. While the premise was really interesting, I don't think this story will stick with me. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Personally, this book took me a couple of chapters to get into the groove of the verbiage, and a couple of more to think “I can finish this.” Then a couple of more, I was hooked and didn’t want to put a paise on finding out what happened, whodunnit and the truth.

This felt like a procedural detective story that is submerged in a fictional world of magic further complicated by greed and politics. I enjoyed watching their world unfold with the turn of each page. I feel like if I said anymore out this book, it’s a spoiler and I don’t enjoy spoiling things for others. But if you enjoy Sherlock and Watson (think Cumberbatch version but with a more naive Watson), this is a great choice. If you also love fantasy or want a way to get into the genre, this is a great pick! Also, a very MINOR romantic relationship included.

Bottom line, I highly agree with the hype that I have seen on bookstagram about this book! It was a great book and recommend it to all! Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for allowing to read this.

This was a great book. The mystery was excellent and the fantasy elements made it feel fresh and different. I think Robert Jackson Bennett created such a good atmosphere here, you could feel the muggy, damp weather.

Ana and Din were a good Sherlock and Watson pair and I liked how their interactions were handled. Ana could have overwhelmed the story with her deductions, but these were used in a way that were amusing and helpful in moving the plot forward.

My only small complaint is the pacing seemed slow which made the book feel longer than it was. I was still engaged and interested the entire time, so it didn’t bother me too much. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next for these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A gorgeous, brilliant story that seamlessly marries the very best parts of a Golden Age of detective fiction mystery with a fresh, inventive fantasy world. I love mysteries, and I love fantasy, but I never really thought of them being combined in this ‘who got chocolate in my peanut butter’ fashion - but I have to say that I ADORED every word and every page of this book. It held my attention in a vise grip the entire time and I can’t wait for another installment.

The story and characters give you all the notes that you would want from a detective novel, and yet they arrive in such fresh, unexpected ways thanks to the unique world and the way they’re crafted that they feel utterly fresh. Yes, a brilliant and eccentric lead detective with a compelling novice partner with his own backstory obviously conjures Holmes and Watson… and yet Ana and Kol are absolutely their own characters and are so engaging that I stopped comparing them after a few chapters. The supporting cast also felt rich and fully realized. The world Robert Jackson Bennet has built here is also so fascinating and I desperately want to know more about it. I believe this is the first in a series of three and I’m excited for the next one.

Thanks so much to Del Ray and NetGalley for a sneak peak!

I’ve come to expect mind-blowing originality from Bennett, but this book exceeded my high expectations. It’s an intricate murder mystery set in a fantasy world with hints of Ancient Rome and a whole lot of innovative magic as people struggle to survive in a setting with aggressive worms, plants, and city-sized titans. The politics are about as nasty as the monstrous elements, too. Quite honestly, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

This was a bit of complicated read for me, because it took me a while to get into it and there were several times when I thought about def'ing The Tainted Cup, but I'm glad I persisted and kept with it after all. It starts out really slow, where the reader is thrown into the middle of a crime scene, which might not seem as very complicated or unusual, but that perception would probably change when you understand that the world where our characters live is completely different from ours. A lot of humans are sort of like mutants - they possess additional qualities (mostly physical, but can be mental too) which enhance their abilities. The locations and even month names - this surprised me the most as I don't think I've ever read a book, where these names were changed to something else - are different, as well as the hierarchy of the people that live in the empire. Our main character is Dinios Kol, an assistant to the investigator and an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. There is also Ana Dolabra, an investigator, who is quite eccentric in the way she does her work, but brilliant at the same time. This duo is as strange as it might sound, but somehow, their dynamic is charming and is probably the main thing that encouraged me to stay with this novel.

As for the pace of the book, although the plot becomes more interesting after you finally start to understand how this world works, for me, felt way too slow and I eagerly waited for all the events and mysteries to be explained sooner than later. This is why it felt like a drag to go through the first half of the book, because I think it really picked up after that. However, I liked the author's writing style and thought that he created an exceptional world, which could be great starting point for the future novels in this series. I also liked the fact, that all questions that I had while reading this, have been answered by the end of the book and little clues that Bennett left throughout the novel, came together quite nicely. I would be interested to continue with this series as I quite enjoyed reading from Dinios perspective and found him more unique than a lot of other protagonists that I've encountered in other books I've read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

The Tainted Cup, written by Robert Jackson Bennett, is an inventive, clever mystery constructed like a Russian nesting doll. The story is set in a secondary world where contagion runs rampant and the threat from leviathans rising from the sea and wrecking havoc on land is real. This novel is told from the first person perspective of Din, an “engraver” whose memory has been altered so that he remembers everything, allowing him to gather evidence for his investigator boss, the elusive and eccentric Ana. They quickly become embroiled in a mysterious conspiracy when a tree erupts from the body of a respective military officer, killing him instantly. Soon, this escalates into ten more deaths of engineers who are responsible for maintaining the walls that keep out leviathans, threatening the Empire. I found The Tainted Cup to be an engrossing mystery filled with interesting, flawed characters. The theme of contagion being everywhere helped round out the world and create depth. I’m looking forward to future books in this series. Highly recommended. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy.

📣 a 5⭐️ fantasy murder mystery with romantic elements!

📖 what was your last 5 ⭐️ read? This was mine!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

I was totally taken off guard with how much I loved The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett.

But the book opens with intrigue & maintains a delicate & yet assertive sense of tension & suspense. Bennett weaves a powerful web of mystery & danger & in the background is more of that with the threat of leviathans attacking as apprentice investigator & his mentor Ana try to solve a case.

The interplay between Din & Ana is fantastic. She is a brilliant, vaguely frightening, quirky force of nature & he’s the anchor & the facilitator & the man keeping a secret or two as he tries to unravel the ones surrounding them.

The mystery is compelling, as is the worldbuilding—the safety & danger of Empire—the preciousness that can be enjoyed even when the leviathan stands at one’s back. The characters & the story mesmerize with complexity.

I highly recommend this book for fans of thoughtful mystery.

5 ⭐️. Out 02/06.

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.

[ID: Jess, a white woman wearing a blue shirt that says “Just a small town reader who can’t get enough fantasy,” holds the ebook in front of a white wall.]

The Tainted Cup takes place in a different world, one where people are altered to perform better in specific roles, plant contagions proliferate, and leviathans regularly attack the outer walls. Bennett deftly builds both the world and the mystery, giving readers what they need when they need it. Kol manages to pass exams after several tries and is assigned to assist the brilliant eccentric Ana Dolabra with discovering who's behind an unusual murder. Din is keeping a secret. Ana is behaving peculiarly. But they work spectacularly together and use their secrets and peculiarities to discover the perpetrator while pushing against those in power. I can't wait to learn what Din and Ana will get up to next.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through NetGalley.
Jackson Bennett immediately draws readers in to this world where intrigue and human experimentation flourish. We meet an eccentric detective, Ana, and her rather serious assistant, Din. They have been called on to solve a rather gruesome murder. The mystery surrounding this death spirals down into further complications in the neighboring area and leads to more deaths. The author provides subtle hints about characters being more than they seem but leaves it to readers to sort out the clues or simply accept the variety of characters at face value.
Though this is the first in the Shadow of the Leviathan series, it reads as a stand alone as well. The story is contained and resolved by the final chapter. The reference to adventures to come opens the door for the next book without leaving the main plot points unresolved. I'm looking forward to reading it and the rest of the series.
This is light fantasy for those who may want a taste of this genre.

Fantastic. I am not usually into fantasy but I read this and was blown away. I loved the mystery/ detective element.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. The cover really drew me in. I was intrigued, and I found it very interesting to read, and I can’t wait to read what is next from this author.

Din, an apprentice assistant investigator to the crazy lady in town, Ana Dolabra, is sent to investigate a murder of a high-ranked Imperial Officer. Din's job is to report everything he sees back to Ana as he is altered to remember everything. The two quickly discover the cause of death, dappleglass. Dappleglass is a contagion, when combined with hot steam, infects the host and eventually kills them, sprouting trees from their insides.

The two are sent to the city of Talagray to investigate another murder. Upon arriving, 10 engineers are killed in a very similar fashion. Din is sent on a journey to figure out what is causing this, by interviewing a multitude of people and in some cases, breaking the law.

I enjoyed this story. It was paced perfectly and every chapter led itself to revealing more of the story. There were no chapters that I struggled through or thought were simply filler chapters. I liked the idea behind people being altered to allow them to do tasks that ordinary people cannot, although they are all still flawed as characters.

I also really enjoyed the apprenticeship between Din and Ana as Ana was one of the realest characters in the book. I absolutely loved her and her intolerance for putting up with a lot of social interactions.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes stories about mysteries, fantasy, or sci-fi.

Dinios Kol is a quirky apprentice to Ana Dolabra, both are assigned to investigate the suspicious death of a high imperial officer. If you think you might enjoy a combination of fantasy and murder mystery, give this one a try.

While I liked the overall concept and underlying themes, I found this novel to be partially bland and it dragged a bit. I have seen many glowing reviews of this book, so I keep wondering if I somehow missed details along the way.  In my opinion, the story was quite promising, but something crucial was lost in the translation . . . a delivery of facts, somewhat lacking in excitement or tension.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Tainted Cup for my unbiased evaluation.  3 stars