This book was equal parts chaotic, hilarious, twisty, and a bit annoying. While I loved the story and all the twists and turns and the mystery itself, the number of curse words was incredibly annoying because they didn’t have to be used that often. It as frustrating because the rest of the dialogue was interesting, but it started to feel like a contest as to how many f-bombs Ana could drop on one page. It also was annoying how many different characters there are. Because so much was going on and the world was so huge, it was really hard to keep them straight.

The humor of the story, though, was on point. I laughed out loud so many times, especially with Ana’s different ideas and shenanigans! While I guessed the final murderer before the reveal, I still had a really fun time with Din trying to figure it out!

This took me some time to read because of how dense the mystery aspect was. I really liked the world-building and the characters but once we started getting into the details of all the possible killers and the politics I felt bogged down. I couldn’t follow all the names and jobs of the side characters and suspects, but I was invested enough in the world and story that I wanted to see how it ended. Maybe I’m just not a high fantasy detective fan? It was well written and captivating but I would have enjoyed it more if I didnt get so lost with all the details.

I received this from net galley in exchange for a review.

What an excellent premise in The Tainted Cup. I loved the fantasy duo: Ana and Denios are both great, complex characters. I also enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of the book. I was very quickly drawn into Din's and Ana's investigation. I did also appreciate the world building, but I will admit that it took me a long time to get a good for feel for the world. Perhaps I've been out of the "hard" fantasy reading game for too long, but I found Jackson Bennett's unfolding of the world very confusing. While immersive, more explanation was really needed to help me keep up with the fantasy elements. Once you're into it though, readers will be rewarded with a rollicking mystery and twisting surprises!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

For anyone who likes mystery and a bit of fantasy, then The Tainted Cup is for you. Since fantasy is not in my reading house I really loved the twist of mystery. Since I am not a fan of fantasy based books, Robert Jackson Bennett writes a quick paced novel that had me in it's grip.

There were many clues that culminated into a big finale that still kept you guessing.You never knew what was going to happen and that is the one thing that kept me wanting to keep reading. I loved how the characters developed throughout the story. I was hooked.

Since this is book one where will Mr. Bennett take us on the the next adventure. I guess we will have to read it to find out.

Thank you Random House and Net Galley for the ARC. Thank you Robert Jackson Bennett for bringing me a book that I probably wouldn't read unless I stepped out of my reading box.

Jackson has created a fascinating, and somewhat grotesque, dystopian world in which people and animals are altered to gain abilities and the entire empire is threatened by enormous seagoing leviathans attacking the land while all resources are marshaled to keep them out. In this world Din, the apprentice to detective Ana Dolabra, who has been altered to have perfect recall, is sent to investigate a murder and report back to the detective.

And so begins a beautifully written whirlwind of a murder mystery story.

I really enjoyed the main characters Ana and Din and their relationship. And although there are some gruesome scenes, there's also a lot of hilarious dialogue. The world-building is interesting and immersive although not overwhelming. I would actually have liked a little more explanation as initially I found some parts of the world confusing. However, the mystery and detective work are the focus of the story and those aspects are great.

The book reminds me a bit of Katherine Addison's The Grief of Stones with its intense world building, an investigator determined to do well and to do right, and a somewhat oppressive city setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook. This is my honest review.

I am not usually a reader of traditional mysteries but I greatly enjoyed this detective-type story with a unique fantasy setting. Rich worldbuilding, intriguing characters, and witty dialogue made this an enjoyable read. Five stars.

This was a super fun mashup of a murder mystery meets second world fantasy. While it took a little while to get going / get into (because the fantasy world is fairly complex), the characters are fun and snarky and inject a good amount of humor to keep readers interested as the mystery deepens. Overall a fun genre mash up to read!

Everybody needs to be ordering a copy of this book when it comes out. Its murder mystery meets complex fantasy world and it gave everything it needed to. I could not get enough of this book. The characters have been immaculately written and the way in which the world building was done made me feel completely immersed the entire time.

Robert Jackson Bennett has created an intricate, in depth story. From the very beginning you are immersed in the complicated Canton of Daretana where we meet Dinios Kol. Bennett comes out strong with diving right into a murder, giving us a complicated situation and pieces of a much larger puzzle to figure out. I was so caught up in the immersive storytelling that when clues were placed in front of me they completely slipped out of my sight. Dinios Kol is an interesting character, and his backstory is revealed to us in bits and pieces throughout the story. Ana, his mentor and boss, also has a complicated past that is slowly revealed to us as we dive deeper into the mystery.

The Tainted Cup is a story of mystery, betrayal, corruption, with just the tiniest bit of romance mixed in. The intricacies of the politics within The Great and Holy Empire of Khanum were just being unfolded as our Iudex Officers began to dive deeper into the mystery of the murder of Taqtasa Bias at the beginning of the story. I cannot wait til this book is released and I am able to get my hands on a copy, the way I need to be able to dive deeper into Ana and Din's story is akin to desperation. The entire story is so intricately woven and the way in which everything fell into place at the end blew me away. Bennett is a master at weaving an intricately plotted out murder mystery that leaves you guessing and waiting to see everything revealed.

Thank you to Del Rey/Random House and Net Galley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book of RJB’s, so I went in with no expectations, and found myself having fun.

1: The Plot

The story is told from the perspective of Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, meaning he’s been magically enhanced to have a perfect memory. He’s also an assistant to Ana Dolabra, a brilliant and eccentric investigator. Din acts as Ana’s eyes and ears during their investigations.

When a high-ranking imperial officer dies in a mansion belonging to a rich and powerful family, Ana and Din are on the case. The first murder is quickly followed by several more, and the investigators find themselves racing to find the killer before they put the entire empire at risk

2: Narrative, Prose, and Story

The story is told from Din’s first person perspective. I found the book to be digestible and easy to understand. I was never confused about who anyone was.

My only real issue was that sometimes it felt like Bennett was trying to make his prose sound old-fashioned, but it just feels unnatural written by a contemporary author.

3: The Characters

Ana and Din are basically buddy cops, solving crime for the Empire. When you meet them, you think 'Oh, Din's the straight man.' WRONG. He only pretends. He's just as much of a little shit as Ana is. Their relationship is so special to me. They're dumb and dumber and smart and smarter rolled into one chaotic duo.

"She began to look alarmed. So I began to feel alarmed."
— Din about Ana, Chapter 23

We spend most of the book with Din. He's an interesting POV character, though we don't learn very much about his background. He's smart but not a perfect genius. Plus, he's snarky.

"The guards rushed up beside me and stared into the hole. 'What's that?' demanded one. I said, 'Looks like a hole.' 'How'd you find that?' he said. 'I was walking around,' I said, 'and used my eyes to see it.'"
— Din, Chapter 29

Ana is great. She's so fun and an annoyance to everyone, but she's very intelligent and cares about Din as well. If you’re a Bungo Stray Dogs fan, she’s a lot like Ranpo.

4: The Worldbuilding

This book is like a perfect marriage between the genres of sci-fi and fantasy.

First, I love when I’m given data. We get a map and an explanation of the military ranks at the beginning of the book. I would’ve loved even more, though. Maybe appendices explaining the various ethnic groups and grafts?

The Empire being walled with the leviathans outside those walls is reminiscent of Attack On Titan or Pacific Rim. But the leviathans and wall breaches exist in the background of the story. They’re relevant, but not the main focus.

Many of the military officers in the Empire are enhanced humans. I don’t totally get how it works, but basically the different characters have undergone body modifications for specific purposes. For example, Din is an engraver, someone with an enhanced memory.

The murders are accomplished using a contagion that causes plants to sprout from the victims’ bodies. I love this. I think the imagery and symbolism of plants sprouting from humans is so delicious. Like, yes, humans destroy the earth, so the plants colonize the humans’ bodies. That is so valid and excellent.

I have one major thing that Bennett built into the world that I hated, and of course, it was a weird sex thing. It’s the main reason I docked a whole star from the book. So, there’s this part of the book where someone is trying to bribe Din, using a court dancer enhanced with pheromones. Said pheromones make the people around the court dancer horny, basically. So, it’s pretty much just sex pollen. It’s a trope I usually only see used in fanfiction, yaoi, or 60-70s sci-fi TV. I don’t know WHAT it’s doing here, but it was weird. Though, that’s generally a trope I hate. Maybe some of y’all are into it.

5: Conclusion

Overall, this book was a really solid fantasy mystery. I enjoyed it, and will definitely read the next one!

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Fantasy is not my usual genre although it does intrigue me. This book seems like a great reads for fantasy fans and want to be fantasy fans.
There is a murder mystery and Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol are called to investigate the case.
I found the novel a little hard to get into as the fantasy world was introduced. It would have been helpful to have a map of the world as well as a reference guide to the roles and makeup of the different altered humans inhabiting it. As I progressed it did begin to make sense and the action did pick up.
Dinios was a charming hero, would definitely read more of his exploits.
The world that evolved in the story was likewise fascinating and there is lots of opportunity to expand and learn more about its history and evolution.
The solution to the mystery had many twists and was quite cleverly plotted. By the ending I was totally converted to the story/series and the author's writing style.
Can't wait to read more about these characters and learn about the world they inhabit!

Actual Rating: 4.5

Wow! I went into this blind knowing this that I’d love anything by Robert Jackson Bennett. This was a great mashup of Sherlock Holmes, empirical fantasy and terrifying biological warfare. I can’t wait to read the next book to hopefully expand on the workings of the inner parts of the empire and the leviathan.

This tale by the author of Foundryside is a murder mystery in a very different land. Someone dies at the beginning in a strange way, and the government of the empire works to figure out the killer(s). I have enjoyed this author previously and was excited to read this next book. However it took me most of the book to really start to enjoy it. There were many characters and many names, plus various oddities that equated to a lot of detail but not much story. The final 30% or so of the book got my interest more, but it took awhile to get there.

Master storyteller weaves a rich and imaginative world where dangers lurk at every turn, and the most dangerous might be the humans. Sherlock Holmes vibes with unique and sometimes quirky characters chasing a complex and bizarre set of murders though a web of politics, intrigue, lies, secrets, and danger at every turn. Just can't put it down! Hope we see these characters again ...

I'd heard that this novel was a fun fantasy mystery with equally fun and compelling characters--sadly, I didn't find that to be the case for me. The plot was fine, but the character work was really lacking. There are way too many characters, and our two main characters just felt so underdeveloped. They really lacked a sense of interiority, so it just felt like for the whole novel they were just reacting to things. I am a character reader first and foremost, so sadly this was a big issue for me and prevented me from enjoying this novel.

I love to read fantasy, but some times I feel overwhelmed with all the details/characters/world building/etc. With this novel, I didn’t once feel overwhelmed and/or confused. Robert’s story telling read smoothly and very atmospheric. It was immersive and made me wanting more once it ended. Yes it is a big book, but the story never lulls and never drags. Truly did not feel like a big book and the pacing was just perfect. I’m excited to keep reading Robert’s work and looking forward to this series! Thank you Robert Jackson Bennett, NetGalley and Del Rey for this digital arc!

This mystery had a great premise and some amazing characters. This is a great fantasy novel to reel in the mystery lovers with enough humor to keep them hooked!

Thank you Net galley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Tainted Cup is a Sci Fi/Fantasy mystery that I hope becomes a series. Dinios Kol is an apprentice investigator for his district. A new investigator position was created and he luckily was chosen for her assistant. Din had barely passed his exams, he really needed this job. Ana is a tough person to deal with though. She notices everything and asks unusual questions her brain goes a million miles an hour and she has bad habits. She is like a spider catching and playing with creatures caught in her web. Din will do anything though for his paycheck, he has to send money home to his family.

When a high ranking military man is killed by a mutant plant in a backwater manor of the most powerful family outside of the Emperor, Ana sends in Din to investigate and record the scene. Din notices many things that seem off. Why was the man there when the family is absent, he should have been on duty at the “wall” since it is the wet season. The house is full of tension and the staff seem full of secrets. Din makes his report and Ana begins to pull the threads unknotting a much bigger conspiracy.

When a similar set of deaths occur at the wall Ana and Din are invited to investigate in the next district. The wet season however poses its own threat and with a murderer on the run the bodies are falling. Din wonders if he is the best man for this job.

Wonderful plot and characters, I did not want to leave this world. Such an interesting unusual place that uses plants instead of machines. Hope there will be more books set in this interested world.

In my eyes, Robert Jackson Bennett can do no wrong. The Divine Cities trilogy is up there with my favorite trilogies of all time, and its accolades and awards are many. The Founders trilogy is inventive as it is brilliant, an action heist series in an unforgettable world of object manipulation.

Enter - "The Tainted Cup", the first book in a new murder mystery series. 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.

It's 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.

4.5 / 5

I have to admit that when I first started this book, I almost didn’t get much farther than the first three paragraphs. Having just finished, I can say that this is definitely well worth a read. Getting through all the unfamiliar jargon was what made the beginning of this book hard, and then the real story started. Din and Ana are such a great investigative “couple” with Ana being the brains of the operation and Din being her recorder. Ana isn’t blind but she doesn’t like the extra stimuli that are around us at all times, and she reminds me quite a bit of Sherlock, the TV series, but in a different way. All I can say without giving away too much was that this is a wonderful whodunit with lots of twists and turns, and it still made sense in the end as some don’t. I am very hopeful that the author will have another one in this series ASAP. Loved this! Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

As a long time murder mystery genre fan, The Tainted Cup does a wonderful job of combining that genre with a fantasy world that I got lost in while reading. The fantasy genre has never been my favorite, but this author made this accessible for novice readers like myself. I envy the imagination that can dream up this type of world! The magic in this world is subtle but lends so much to the plot. The murder mystery was well laid out and our investigators were very interesting, well developed characters. I really hope this becomes a series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.