Brilliant tale of a murder during an empire fantasy time period.
There is the detective with all of her eccentricities and her sidekick fresh out of training. Very much like a good Sherlock team, they find the clues that get the answers they need by various means including her sidekicks ability to remember everything and her use of a blindfold and refusal to leave her housing..
Fun read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC.

The Tainted Cup was a really fun read and combined some of my favorite genres into a twisty story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed that is was like Sherlock Holmes but fantasy. The characters were interesting, the world building was immersive and the plot of the story kept me completely intrigued.

Bennett is a wonderful storyteller and I hope we get more adventures in this world!

Definitely check this one out.

A high imperial officer seemingly dead of contagion elicits an investigation from brilliant and eccentric master investigator Ana Dolabra. With the help of her new assistant Dinias Kol and his magically altered brain, she sets off to discover what truly happened to the officer and ends up stumbling upon a potential plot to take down the entire Empire.

Sherlock Holmes meets Benoit Blanc, but make it fantasy! Does it get any better than that? Well, it does if the world-building draws you into a magical new world with minimal disconnect and that is exactly what Bennett does with this story. It hits heavy in the beginning while establishing the rules of the world, so it took me a little bit to get into, but once the world is established, it was game on, rushing as fast as possible to get to the end because the story was so twisty, confusing (in the best way!), and compelling.

One of the best parts of characters like Sherlock Holmes and Benoit Blanc is that their minds are absolutely extraordinary, allowing them to process things in a way that a regular person does not. This is also true of Ana Dolabra and makes her quite an interesting character to follow. But this story centers more around her assistant, Dinias Kol, who has been magically altered to have a photographic memory—literally. He has perfect recall, though we find later in the story that there is one exception to this rule and it haunts him and makes him worry that Ana will find out and kick him to the curb. These little pieces that Bennett sprinkles upon the characters makes them feel more grounded even while visiting them in a fantasy world.

With expert ease, Bennett weaves together a story that keeps you guessing throughout. Each twist and turn leads the reader deeper into a world that is hard to untangle, but still manages to be compelling and intriguing. The plot of this story finds its resolution by the end, but also leaves us wanting more and ready to jump on the next book in the series upon its release.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

Review copy (eARC) provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (which I apologize for providing late).

I was eager to read this based on highly Petrik Leo speaks of this author. And while I get why this book/author works for some, it just didn't click for me. It's a murder-mystery style adventure.

3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up.

The Tainted Cup is a highly entertaining combination of historical fantasy and murder mystery, with wonderful central characters. The book starts with a brutal, strange death of a high-ranking individual, seemingly speared by a tree in his own home.

Enter the eccentric Ana Dolabra, a Sherlock-esque, reclusive investigator. Her newly employed assistant, Dinios Kol, is thrown headfirst into this strange case, using his powers as an engraver; a person who can remember everything they hear and experience.

Ana and Din begin to build a bond, and as a single death reveals many other wrongdoings, the reader is dragged into a weird society, with many other wonderful characters. Not to mention the literal leviathan that may break the city walls and destroy everything at any time.

I must admit, I was pretty hesitant to read The Tainted Cup, as I’m not a huge fan of epic fantasy. But I was so pleased to find that this book is incredibly character focused, and all the world building is done through natural, well-written dialogue.

A great example of Bennett’s character focus comes towards the end of the book. There is an opportunity for the author to create a huge, epic scene to close the book with a literal bang. Instead, he creates a gorgeous, intimate scene between Din and Ana, which I highly appreciated, and was one of the most memorable moments.

I opted for the audiobook reading, and Andrew Fallaize delivers a flawless performance. He effortlessly creates the huge cast of characters; he took an already impressive book to a whole other level.

I’m so glad this is part of a planned series, as I was genuinely bereft when the book was over. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a “gateway drug” to fantasy.

A great fantasy mystery. Set in an empire where great sea walls are all that separate civilization from annihilation at the hands (claws, fins, etc.) of the titans beyond, Dinios Kol is assigned to assist investigator Ana Dolabra in looking in to some strange and mysterious deaths…which may put the very existence of the empire in peril. Din is an engraver, one who has been magically augmented to have a perfect memory, and Ana is an eccentric if brilliant detective who wears a blindfold. This was my first book by Bennet and it was compelling, if sometimes confusing. I loved the world building and character development (Ana is amazing), although I sometimes felt a bit lost in the names and norms of the world. Overall I’m looking forward to the sequel as well as trying other books from this author.

I am going to be honest. I am ruined. Who let me go this long without having started any Robert Jackson Bennett books? Who let me start with a new series? How am I to keep going knowing that mystery is afoot and I want to be back in this world stat?

“So instead of committing robbery, I made tea.”

A strange murder has occurred and Ana is called in to investigate. Ana is known not only for her brilliance but also her quirks and with her is her new assistant Din, an engraver with his own secrets. Din's job is quite literally to observe and report, as Ana insists on wearing a blindfold and avoids leaving her home. As an engraver, Din has been magically altered to possess perfect recall of the things he observes, suiting Ana's purposes perfectly. The two utilize their unique skills to work toward uncovering a scheme that could threaten the entire empire.

I really enjoyed this one. It was a tad difficult for me to get into in the beginning, but once I was in it, I began to appreciate it's uniqueness and became very curious to see how it all played out. This book mixed a murder mystery with a fantasy world with a splash of Sherlock Holmes level detective work. Bennett has always had a knack for building a unique and fascinating world to be immersed in and I found he did the same here. I am surprisingly satisfied with this novel and excited for the next one.

This is the best fantasy-mystery book I read this year.

The dynamic, the plot, the banter, the MAGIC, the MYSTERY. It was giving Sherlock-y and Attack on Titan's.

Anna was an interesting spin-off of Sherlock. Witty and eccentric. And DIN? a friendly version of Watson, with no skill to kill. A softie yet an ambitious one.

The book was everything. Its main plot was crime-investigation but we can see the fantasy system within. The monsters/titan, the broke society, the hierarchy and everything.

Super perfect package for me.

3.5 stars rounded up. It took me a little bit to understand the world of Daretana, so it was a slow start. The different roles and the fear of the sea creatures was also a little confusing.- they somehow destroyed everything and also their blood provided the magic for human modifications. I enjoyed Ana and Din. And these two characters helped me stay with the story as the mystery unfolded.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully written engaging fantasy mystery. Once I started it I has a hard time putting it down. The world building was immense. Definitely putting on my recommendation shelf

I’m in love y’all! This is my first book by my this author (how?!) and, bang the gavel, I’m sold. A fantasy mystery with laugh out loud moments, incredible world building, and a bit of a Sherlock and Watson vibe, this was a lot of fun to read. It’s quite complex and I’m definitely going to reread it before the next installment comes out. It’s really cool that this is the first in series but stands alone; that’s so rare! This is one of my best reads for 2024

Before reading this book, I was about to give up on murder mysteries. I haven't enjoyed the last few I read and thought that I just didn't like the genre any more. I'm so glad I gave it one more try! My love for the murder mystery is now revived with The Tainted Cup.

Besides the clever clues and the well-crafted mystery, what I liked was
* The fantasy setting with giant walls, killer plants, and dangerous leviathans
* The unique characters with all their abilities and grafts
* The neurodivergent main characters of Ana and Din
* The adorable romance sub-plot. This is not a romance book. This was a very small but sweet part of the book.

If you like your murder mysteries with a hefty dose of fun and fantasy, this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for a digital ARC of the book in return for my honest opinion.

Middle ground for me on this book. I LOVED so many things. A murder mystery fantasy ? Sherlock vibes? 100% here for that. The world building was great and so thoroughly fleshed out. But there was just something missing to me. I cannot put my finger on it but I didn’t connect with the characters. It was a good book! Just not a 5 star for me.

I'm sorry to say this is a DNF at 42%. I held on as long as I could, but I just didn't like this. It shouldn't take more than 40% to get into a world or whatever's going on in the plot, so I'm bailing. This could be a me problem because most reviews are 4 or 5 stars, but that's just not the experience I'm having.

The first 15% was great. I loved the setup of the mystery, the dynamic between Din and Ana (I agree it's reminiscent of Sherlock and Watson's dynamic), and the things that were revealed about the world. However, after that point, it starts to go at a slower-than-snail pace and it feels like nothing is happening at all. The dynamic between the characters and the worldbuilding just wasn't good enough to hold my interest and I found myself counting the minutes for the chapters to end.

I wanted to love this because I've heard such good things and I was excited to get to it, but I could barely get to 42%.

The novel opens with a dead body. It is only the beginning of a mystery. It is a type of Holmes and Watson story with the twist that it is set in a fantasy setting. Well written fantasy detective novels are rare but to my delight this is one. It is a fantastic adventure for all fantasy fans.

I had a great time with this book on my second try! I'm excited for the sequel now. Others have written a lot about this book, so I'll keep my review brief.

I'll admit, this is one of those slower fantasy books. But I'm so glad I gave it another chance and stuck through with it.

The worldbuilding is absolutely amazing. Who doesn't love alien worlds with semi-familiar forms of police governance? (This might or might not be sarcasm.)

And being a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes (the OG and its various iterations), I thought this was a great homage to my favorite duo. Cranky detective and noob assistant? Count me in. I absolutely loved Din's characterization. For technically being the sidekick, he was fully fleshed out and was very relatable. (Who hasn't been the newbie before?)

I actually stopped caring about the main mystery plotline halfway through and just vibed with the atmosphere and the setting. It worked out. The leviathan side plot and the creepy cool trees growing out of the victims definitely kept my attention.

I'd recommend if you're a fan of slower fantasy stories with elaborate worldbuilding (society building?). This isn't a quick read where you're one and done with it. You actually have to think and pay attention.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for this arc.

This fantasy murder mystery was such a fun and original journey of a book to read. I was immediately immersed in this world and enjoyed every twist and turn that was thrown our way. The characters are fun and memorable and I cannot remember the last book I have read that completely took me by surprise by how original and hooked I was from beginning to end. I could not put this put this book down and am eagerly awaiting the second book of this series. If you enjoy a Sherlock Holmes style story in a fantasy landscape, that is a combination of several genres with fantastic themes, then I cannot recommend The Tainted Cup enough. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book. My opinions and thoughts are my own. 4.5/5 stars.

What an absolutely fun Sherlock Holmes retelling with one of the most clever worlds I have had the pleasure of reading, with bioengineering that will bring to mind the transformations in the movie Annihilation, mountainous leviathans encroaching on shores, and engineering teams saving the day. The clever assistant and eccentric investigator are sure to charm fans of buddy-cop adventures and murder mysteries.

The Tainted Cup is a Sherlock Holmes-style murder mystery by fantasy author Robert Jackson Bennett, set in a dystopian fantasy world. In the Empire, all civilians live under the shadow of the Leviathans, great sea creatures that seasonally attack the walls and try to come ashore and wreak havoc. Rather than using electricity or metal, the majority of technological advances in this world have been made with plants, whose growth and properties have been altered by the blood of the Leviathans.

After an Imperial officer is killed in a most unusual way — a tree violently sprouting from within his body — Ana Dolabra, a quirky detective with rather unorthodox methods, is assigned to investigate the case. She brings with her Dinios Kol (Din), her new apprentice who is studying to be an investigator.

Ana is a sort of Nero Wolfe -- a recluse who seldom gets her hands dirty with actual in-the-field investigation. She leaves that to Din, who has been biotechnologically enhanced to have perfect recall. (In the Khanum Empire, such people are known as engravers).

Told from Din’s perspective, the reader is quickly immersed in a what he suspects may be a conspiracy as he is sent to the very edges of the Empire. He is completely unprepared for this case initially, but he does his best to relate the facts he has witnessed to his boss, even though he is, I believe, dyslexic. (The word "dyslexic" appears nowhere in The Tainted Cup, but Din's descriptions of his difficulties reading fits the definition.) He encodes memories, recalling them with a smell assigned to each one. This means he can recall with exact precision the way something looks, feels, tastes, and smells, which he then relates to Ana (Think Sherlock and Watson with a much-enhanced Watson).

Ana has her own issues. She is an immensely gifted genius who insists on living mostly blindfolded though she’s not blind. She has a hilariously abrasive personality and avoids meetings if possible. If forced to meet others, she orders them to her home, where she catches and interrogates them like a spider toying with a bug in her web, only releasing them grudgingly.

Din is scandalized, puzzled, and sometimes infuriated by his new superior. But as the increasingly complex case unfolds, he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next. In turn, he wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her searing intellect.

This book took me by surprise. Robert Jackson Bennett is a new to me author who has made me realize that fantasy/science fiction blended with mystery may become my new favorite thing.

The worldbuilding in The Tainted Cup was fantastic. In fact, author Bennett ingeniously uses Ana and Kol's investigation as the primary vehicle through which he develops his world. It's a unique approach that melds the fantasy and mystery genres together in a way I haven't quite seen before.

But the best news is that The Tainted Cup is the first novel in a planned trilogy, the Shadow of the Leviathan series, so hopefully we’ll be seeing more investigations by Din and Ana soon. I’d love to read more and can’t wait to see what comes next.

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey Publishing for providing a copy of this book for review.