What an absolute blast to read! Extremely interesting plant based murders, leviathans lurking beyond the walls to destroy them all and a Sherlock/Watson duo solving the mystery? Sold. While I did have to back track now and then for world building, I never found it to be over the top or distracting and it was all together a fun mystery/fantasy.

Somehow Robert Jackson Bennett has written an incredibly complex and gripping fantasy murder mystery plot, that is still completely accessible to readers less familiar with fantasy. I truly enjoyed this book more and more the further into it I got. Bennett has an absolutely incredible handle on character. In particular, the character of Ana is beyond entertaining throughout the book. Another thing I loved about this book was that the mystery plot was so well written that I, as reader, could make some guesses and feel invested, but I couldn't truly figure it out myself. Overall, The Tainted Cup kept me engaged and interested to the very last page. The elements of character, high stakes plot, and complex world building came together in a smashing success for Robert Jackson Bennett.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

“The Tainted Cup” by Robert Jackson Bennett is a uniquely, imaginative story with elements of Holmes and Watson that bring these characters and world alive. We follow Investigator Ana Dolabra and her assistant investigator Dinios “Din” Kol in a twisted case of murder, corruption, and betrayal. The world building is lush and full, providing the reader with an ease of understanding the story as they are immersed within. Dolabra is blunt, abrasive, and hilarious. Din is newly graduated, has just gotten his grafts and alternations to be an engraver (someone who is able to recall all information they have heard or seen with perfect recollection) and thus, is unsure of himself. Despite his insecurities, Din is above all else, loyal, passionate and will do everything in his power to get the job done. Both characters are complex, and we see those layers peel away and reveal themselves to us as the story unfolds.

The start of the book is that of a murder. An unusual and gruesome murder of high-ranking commanding officer Blas. We quickly learn that this officer has a present and past of dubious deeds. The case is quickly closed, or so it seems. As the empire is at the brink of possible destruction with the upcoming wet season, when the monstrous leviathans of the sea attempt to make landfall to destroy all in their wake, a breach to the outer walls protecting the empire has been discovered in the next canton (village) over. This breach was caused by a series of deaths, deaths that are the same as commanding officer Blas. Dolabra and Din are asked to make the trip to the next canton to try to solve this new mystery. They quickly determine that the first death in their own canton is just the tip of a very vast iceberg that is full of rot, corruption, and deception among the empire’s gentry and by others closer to home. While the empire’s legionnaires fight to keep citizens safe from the titans beyond the walls, it is up to Dolabra and Din to uncover the truths quickly to help save the empire from the killers within.

I highly recommend this book to fans of mysteries with complex elements and quirky characters. I laughed many times at the things Dolabra says and just really enjoyed everything about this book.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! What an amazing immersive experience - a completely new world filled with mystery, intrigue, sea monsters and blind folded ladies cursing in every sentence!

This story takes place in an alternate Medieval land where people go through alterations to their persons and minds in order to become “better” at skills. For instance, our narrator, Din, a young investigator has gone through a transition so he has a photographic memory and helps Ana, an investigator who uses him as her eyes while she blindfolds herself in order to heighten her other senses while she is solving a crime. There are poisonings, espionage and hierarchies to dismantle, all while keeping everyone safe from the leviathans (sea monsters!) that await the citizens every year…

I found this book to be a great fantasy/mystery, but it did take me a little while to get into as there are a lot of made up things that took a little bit of time to translate in my head. Also, and this is. Just a personal preference, their is a lot of swearing so it may or may not take you out of the story if that is something that bothers you. I was ok with it but I know it can feel too modern for these types of words.

Characters in this book died in a truly horrific manner. Ana, the detective, and Din, her assistant are chosen to discover the perpetrator. Good world building, political treachery and danger to the empire complicate the problems of finding answers. I loved Ana, and her eccentric habits. I also liked Din, who was new at being an assistant detective. He was a bit uncomfortable in his job, but he was very good at what he did. There is a hint that there may be a sequel, and if so, I will be happy to see more of Ana and Din. I think my high school students will truly enjoy this one. I received this as an arc from NetGalley and am under no pressure for a positive review. .

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey publishing for the ARC. Sadly, this one was not for me and a struggle to finish. I usually like fantasy but I have found that there has to be strong world building from the get go with good exposition. I felt that was lacking with this novel and it was so hard to keep track of characters, how things worked, plot etc. Pacing felt clunky and it was hard to engage with the characters.

Started off slow and seemed rather played out and trying too hard to be edgy with dialogue language.

Got more intriguing by part II and I felt more engrossed in the unraveling and interconnected crimes and mysteries.

I grew to like Kol and Ana more as I read but still wished there was a little more complexity to their relationship rather than falling into a “wise supervisor, young recruit” trope.

Ultimately enjoyable but fell a little flat by focusing on detective plot rather than more intensive fantasy world building. That said, the foundations laid for the Empire and its inhabitants in The Tainted Cup did leave me curious and eager to read and explore more! The end was very fast paced and put all the pieces together in a way that made me wish it wasn’t over.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this!! This was a fantastic read and I absolutely enjoyed these characters!

Thank you to the author and Random House for the advanced copy.

The Tainted Cup is an excellent detective novel, set in an immersive world, all guided by the steady, adroit hand of Robert Jackson Bennett. The pacing is balanced with characterization, worldbuilding, and some emotionally poignant moments. That is no easy task, especially for the large cast of characters that Bennett folds into the plot. On a sentence level, I could feel the energy of the writer pressing through, his joy becoming mine.

The two main characters riff on a familiar dynamic, but it's a delightful one nonetheless. Familiar doesn't have to be bad (or a code word for cliche), in fact, but rather a pathway for emotional resonance. I'm impressed!

Not written like any mystery I've read before. I'm not sure if that is more because of the world that's established, or simply the unique way RJB tells his story.

A world where people receive grafts to improve different aspects of themselves - their strength, size, intellect, attributes. Din is a Sublime, an Engraver who through use of smelling vials can remember everything about a scene. He's an assistant to possibly one of the oddest investigators ever in existence. Ana draws impossible conclusions, connecting dots no one around her has even begun to notice. Despite this, she's been exiled to the backwater of the Empire, whether due to her heightened sensitivity to outside stimulation or her lack of tact and renowned distaste for social niceties, no one can begin to guess.

Ana and Din quickly solve the mystery behind a murdered Captain, though his bizarre method of death soon leads them beyond their canton. To a bigger mystery that leads to a breach in the walls, and multiple killers. To one of the wealthiest families in the Empire, and uncovers deep rooted corruption. To a threat maybe even bigger than that of the leviathans outside the walls.

While I'm not sure yet if I'm going to read all of RJB's books, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next in this series! I'm not nearly ready to be finished with Ana and Din, and can't wait to see where their journey will lead to next.

A+, Mr. Bennett, A+.
When I received this review copy, I thought, oh, I'm a big Del Rey fan and i enjoyed City of Stairs, so let's see if this author can pull off another solid fantasy mystery. Well, I loved this novel and I look forward to the next one in this series. This sci-fi/fantasy murder mystery forges superb world-building, fascinating and complex characters, and intriguing plot and subplots. The best epic fantasy stories include world-building with such exquisite detail that it immerses the reader and I can see this book getting a movie version. Absolutely loved it. Many characters, both main characters and supporting ones, are interesting, realistically flawed, and dynamically developed. Overall, unless some strong language is definitely a no for you (think f word), this book is a fresh and unique storyline that would satisfy most fantasy mystery readers.

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This is the first book of Mr. Jackson's that I've read. I'll go find others! As good fantasy or science fiction should do, he builds the world as he builds the story and develops characters. AH! so refreshing! A good murder mystery and wonderful characters. I'd love to see another with the same duo and watch the young assistant investigator develop into the amazing person he will become.

- If Artemis Fowl and the Dresden files had a baby, it would be this book.

Titans, murder, poison, oh my! Robert Jackson Bennett’s *The Tainted Cup* has it all. If you enjoy a fun jaunt into a new speculative fiction world, you’ve come to the right place. I can’t quite describe the world that the author has created— I doubt anyone could categorize it quite well— but it’s a leap of faith starting out. This is hard to get into. The world-building is abrupt and complex early on. It needs to be, though, with the intricacies of this world. Swords, medieval style-hierarchies, and cyberpunk augmentations are juxtaposed with an Agatha Christie-worthy murder mayhem in a Pacific Rim village. I struggle to describe it. At first it was overwhelming to dive into the scenario. The amount of words that were book-specific, terminology that made no sense and wasn’t thoroughly explained (except in a sentence here and there, I wish this would have been done by examples instead), made the first few chapters rough. I quickly got my feet wet after first investigation went awry! Love the personalities of the two main detectives. Looking forward to their continued journeys.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

For me this was a fun fantasy setting. The story was similar to a Sherlock Holmes mystery. They setting and rules/magic/science of the world make this interesting and new.

Loved this so much! I had a hard time putting it down and I loved that it was a mix of sherlock holmes mystery and fantasy with some science fiction. The magic was so cool and interesting. I'd recommend it!

It's an absolute delight to delve into the pages of "Dinias Kol and the Enigma of Daretana Canton." This novel initially evokes the spirit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes but soon expands into a sweeping narrative that weaves together a complex conspiracy and profound existential ponderings.

Right from the first scene, readers are immersed in a foggy atmosphere and the mannerly speech reminiscent of the Sherlock Holmes tales. However, in this story, London is traded for the exotic locale of the humid jungle in the backwater of Daretana Canton. As the narrative unfolds, we are transported into the sprawling Empire of Khanum, a world filled with rigid social structures, intricate hierarchies, palatial aristocratic estates, and a seawall built to protect against the ever-present threat of leviathans.

Our central character, Dinias Kol, or Din for short, serves as the assistant investigator to the eccentric yet brilliant Immunis Ana Dolabra, who bears a resemblance to Holmes with her deductive skills. Din possesses a unique ability to capture precise memories through scents, but he harbors a secret of his own. Din and Ana form an exceptional mentor-mentee crime-solving duo, vividly portrayed and endlessly fascinating. They are, without a doubt, two of the most memorable characters I've encountered in my reading this year.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend reading this book. There was not a single aspect of the story that I disliked. The prose flows smoothly, making for an engaging read, and it is brimming with vivid imagery and liveliness. The atmosphere and setting are richly crafted, immersing readers in a world filled with wonder and intrigue. Robert Jackson Bennett has masterfully created a tale that seamlessly blends fantasy, mystery, and science fiction, with a touch of body horror for added depth. This book is a unique and captivating journey that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

“The Tainted Cup” is the beginning of a series by Robert J. Bennett. This book comes to a conclusion (no cliffhanger for the mystery!), but I can see it being a gateway into the rest of the series. This book is fantasy mystery - focus more on the mystery with the fantasy taking a backstage. I liked the interactions between Din and Ana - in fact their relationship reminded me of Nick and Nora Charles at times (more toward the end, when the “big reveal” happened). I really liked that while the clues were sprinkled about (some more obvious than others) and the reveal a bit expected, the details leading up to the reveal I found full of nice twists and turns. I’ll admit, I was a bit hesitant to request this book - fantasy is not my preferred genre, but this book struck a nice balance between mystery and fantasy. For me, this was not a quick read, but it was a very satisfying one.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is a fast passed murder mystery thriller set in a magical dystopian universe. I was hooked from page one. This book had so many great twists and turns that kept me guessing. I recommend reading this highly enjoyable book. Thank you Netgally for granting my wish!

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.

A high imperial officer is found dead. A tree has sprouted from his body in a matter of minutes, leaving a grotesque mess to investigate and sift through. Ana Dolabra is sent to piece the mystery together along with her new assistant and engraver Din. As the case unfolds it becomes apparent that this is much deeper than a simple whodunit and the whole Empire could be at stake.

Robert Jackson Bennett wastes no time as you are immediately following Din at the crime scene the minute you open the book. This was such an exciting read. I was intrigued with the blend of mystery and dystopian fantasy. I am officially ruined because I no longer have the desire to read any other murder mystery but ones with this creative combination! The plot was consistently fast paced with many twists and discoveries. Ana and Din complimented one another well with their juxtaposed personalities, Ana with her foul mouth eccentricities and Din’s very restrained seriousness. This was my first RJB book and will most certainly not be my last! I look forward to learning more about the leviathans as the series continues and following more of Ana and Din’s investigations.

This book is for anyone who loves a good murder mystery set in a unique dystopian fantasy world. I promise you will not be disappointed reading The Tainted Cup.

The Tainted Cup comes out February 6th, 2024.

Thank you again NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This Tainted Cup is a fantasy/murder mystery featuring Ana, a very eccentric investigator (very Sherlock Holmes-esque), and her complex assistant, Din. The world had a really unique magic system and the plot was full of twists and turns. There were some bits that were a touch hard to follow, but overall this was a really approachable fantasy novel for those wanting to jump into the genre.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing this ARC for my voluntary and honest review!