I personally found the writing over-narrated. I also noticed multiple point of view slips that I assume will be corrected by the time it publishes. Regardless, they threw me out of the book and shot my confidence. Stopped after chapter 1 (7%).

I can see this going over well with readers. It seems to be a really interesting set up, with a good dose of old-time detective noir.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

It took a couple of chapters to get into this one. The words used to describe things and build the world were just so weird. Once I got into the meat of the story, it was great. The action moved along nicely and there were several plot twists that served to make this quite a good murder/mystery.

as someone who has no fondness for the thriller genre and high appreciation for narratives that can be summed up as a character study, i thinking the tainted cup is a fun blend that kept me both entertained and interested enough to turn the next page. i think the magic system and intrigue of a famous detective who can solve cases without the need of being there presently was interesting. just how will the author pull this off? and so we are given an apprentice, who guides us and, in turn, discovers with us, and works as a parallel understudy that loses none of his originality or charm to work alongside the very woman of intrigue. it's no ranpo from BSD, but this, is a close second third fourth fifth.

Okay, Y'all. Never in my years as a bookworm have I read a book that combines a murder mystery (think Sherlock Holmes) with Fantasy. Like....what?! This is genius!

Robert Jackson Bennett's world-building skills are literal insanity. Plants that sustain life, health and security? Um, yes please. Places with beautiful names and immaculately fleshed out settings? Count me in. Characters that walk right into your heart and take up permanent residence there? Sign me up. (Here's looking at you, Ana.) The book flows beautifully and is thus an easy, thought provoking read. The storyline itself moves at a perfect pace, meaning that the book is over before you know it and you're left crying into your cheerios. I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future! A definite recommend!

This was such a fun read. I can't believe its over 400 pages because those pages flew by! This is a perfect blend of Agatha Christie x Sherlock Holmes and I wish more people made cross-genre books. This is my first novel by RBJ, but certainly will not be my last. His characters are so well developed and the world that he creates is so well thought out. I was so pleasantly suprised with how addictive and fun this book was! Mysteries and sci-fi are two of my favorite genres so this was the perfect read and probably why I was able to read it in one sitting. I just kept wanting to know what happens next. It looks like this might be a series according to goodreads, so I am eager to read the next one!

Truly the best thing about this book was our main detective Ana Dolabra who was equal parts badass and equal parts witty. I was cheering for her the entire time.

Could use some editing and misses the mark in a few places. I had to push myself through this and it felt like a chore to do.

This is an entirely original book, with a completely unfamiliar magic system– that isn’t quite a magic system, it’s more strange science magic, and it mainly changes living beings, and yet the book manages to personally feel very familiar. In fact, the entire novel felt intensely reminiscent of the books that I used to find at the public library when I was twelve, devour in a few hours, and then discover that the books barely existed on the internet, and that despite the book talking about a sequel, there never was one, and the books would never appear on the library shelves again. This is a major compliment, because those were always my favorite books. The worldbuilding is done well enough to not feel like overexposition, but you still understand the world itself, and the setting is really fun.
The way that heteronormativity existed within the book was also interesting, because there were certain points where it felt like it didn’t exist at all, but one particular scene that showed it still kind of existed. However, our main character is queer, and although it’s not a major part of the plot, it’s still good to see– I wasn’t sure if I was just reading too far into one particular relationship or not, and thankfully I was not.
This paragraph contains minor spoilers for a character’s backstory– but it’s something I really want to talk about. So, there is a Sherlock-type character in the book, as you probably know from the description. Often when there are Sherlock type characters and magic, half of their abilities to solve mysteries and bring up specific facts is because of magic. However, in this case, she is just autistic (I mean it’s fantasy so that’s not how it’s expressed, but still.), and I am very glad that the author went that route as opposed to making that all due to magic, because it’s a lot more interesting. Also the drug habit is not changed either, which I also enjoy. I just really loved her character.

I already know that this is going to be one of my top reads of the year! Going into this I had never read anything by Robert Jackson Bennett but that is about to change, the minute I finished The Tainted Cup I went and ordered The Founders Trilogy. I absolutely flew through this novel and cannot say enough good things about it. The world building was so impressive and vast. As a plant lover I was intrigued by the idea of plants not only cleaning the air but acting as security systems and even weapons. The mystery aspect was so well done. The characters, chefs kiss! I will read any future adventures/mysteries that Din and Ana are involved in. I highly recommend picking this up!

This one did not disappoint at all. I really enjoyed this new offering from RJB. Highly recommended for fans of great world-building and a unique fantasy mystery novel. You will want to make sure this one is on your list. I thoroughly enjoyed and am excited for more.

This murder mystery is a unique mix: it's a classic Agatha Christie/Poirot type novel but set in a dystopian world. Normally I detest dystopian fiction -- especially the use of made up words for common things in an attempt to create a unique world, but this author skillfully creates a world without resorting to such tactics. It feels fresh, unique and a great mashup of old-school detective work with unique tools in a "new world" environment. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Characterization is top notch -- you'll fall in love with these quirky, imperfect characters. It felt like a very new and unique way to create characters with augmented skills and abilities that didn't feel Marvel-esque. I've been an audiobook fan for years because reading digital pages put me to sleep but reading these pages kept me hooked from the first chapter to the last. I will definitely be looking into this author for his other series. Very well done! If I could, I'd give this 4.5 stars -- nearly perfect, entertaining book.

First off, a big thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!
I was in a reading slump. Life gets crazy and Summer is not a good reading season for me. But, I saw this one come through and thought: I’ll give it a try.

Right away, I was surprised at how this book sucked me into its world. I loved how it made me think and use my mind. One of the ways I feel the author did a fantastic job with this story is the fact that I suspected every stinking character I met. I found myself squinting suspiciously every few pages. I’ve read a lot of books in my life; I can usually see things coming. Mr. Bennett kept me on my toes until the very end. He also managed to wrap everything up beautifully.

Now, there is a bit of strong language in this book. Like Mr. Bennett’s Nana probably would have thought, the language wouldn't be considered my favorite – BUT it is one of the things I must congratulate him on the most. One of my biggest pet peeves as a reader is when authors throw particularly strong language about all willy-nilly. (I will not say which one, but I’ve recently finished a rather popular book and F-bombs were hitting everywhere - from every character.) Personally, I feel like this is laziness on the part of the author or they’re just looking for shock value. It’s NOT how real people talk. I have known and loved people who have cussed out pastors in church and never realized they said the first ugly word. AND I have known and loved people who think that the “F Word” is “Fart.” The words people use tell you about who they are and who (and where) they have been. The language each character used in this book seemed unique to them. I felt like I knew them better for how they spoke. Like real people with real, individual quirks, they co-exist and play off of each other. THIS is how strong language should be incorporated into a book – when it develops character and story. Mr. Bennett, I applaud you and you have my respect.

I just loved Din; he was wonderful. I’m glad to have seen things through his eyes. Ana was a conundrum. She repulsed me and I found her weirdly endearing all at the same time. I loved Miljin too. Oh heck, I loved them all. (But they were my favorites.)

All of this to say: I’ve enjoyed this book. I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to read it. I do hope there will be more books following Ana and Din on all their (mis?)adventures.

I really liked this book. It was very intriguing. I absolutely recommend it.
First and foremost, this story is a several-layered mystery that grows and unravels as the story goes on. It begins as an interesting murder mystery and then expands to include worldbuilding, political intrigue, and a dash of commentary about the wealthy, land-owning elite. The mystery is also well laid out, both in terms of pacing and the kinds of hints and clues that are dropped along the way.
The magic system in this book is very interesting. It essentially involves humans modifying themselves to be able to do extraordinary things. It gives off big sci-fi vibes, so don’t be afraid if traditional magic isn’t your cup of tea.
I’m dissatisfied with worldbuilding only because I want to know more. There is definitely more going on here than this book touches on. The world seems really interesting, but the reader is only given basic knowledge about the leviathans and the rest of the world, including the rest of the empire. The setting is very tight knit to this specific region and everything else vaguely exists. This is probably intentional; it’s probably going to be explored in a future book. I hope so, particularly the leviathans because those are cool.
It is a fun blend of visceral and humorous. I love the way the threat of the leviathans (and the appearance of the leviathans themselves) adds an undertone of horror to the novel. At the same time, it’s balanced by the eccentric characters, so, even though I would describe the story as dark, it’s still a pleasant experience to read.

This is a very fun murder mystery set in a fantasy world of an empire periodically besieged by leviathans from the sea. It is the first book in a new series.

The world building felt very detailed and fleshed-out and it very much left me wanting to learn more about the empire and the mysterious leviathans.

However, the real focus of the plot is the murder mystery. I read a ton of mysteries and a ton of fantasy novels. I’ve read some that try to mix multiple genres together and it usually feels like both genres are underdeveloped as a result. But that is not the case here. I was very engrossed in the mystery and I think that it actually earns it ending. That is to say that I think that the clues are planted and built up sufficiently (without being too obvious) that the ending feels satisfactory and not like a hand-wave or a forced twist just for the sake of surprise.

I really loved the characters! I loved how dutiful and stoic Din, our protagonist, is. He’s the assistant investigator to our eccentric-but-brilliant detective, Ana. Ana, who is also a great character, is easily overstimulated so Din essentially acts as her eyes, ears, and official record thanks to his specially-altered perfect memory. I enjoyed the supporting characters as well and they felt developed well enough so that they didn’t come across as stereotypes or cardboard cutouts.

Overall, I really loved this novel and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries and/or fantasy novels. I am greatly looking forward to the next novel in the series!

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

Wow. Fantastic world-building, interesting (and flawed) characters, intriguing mystery and more. Leviathans, literally as large as a small city, threaten the coastline; potentially contagious plant-based plagues; Modified plants and herbs are used to augment human physiology.

While I've seen several reviews reference a similarity to the Holmes/Watson novels, to me the relationship between the two main protagonists is much closer to Rex Stout's Wolfe/Goodwin books. It was interesting to see that the author credits Stout's works in his afterword to this book.

Happily, this appears to be the first book in a series, so we can expect more adventures with our intrepid detectives. I can't wait to see where they go next.

What an enchanting fantasy with a mix of murder mystery.

Having only read The Foundryside by the same author, I was quite amazed how he was able to pull off a crime/murder mystery genre, which I have not read in a while.

It is very rare for authors to switched genres and able to pull it off. And I have to be honest, when authors changed their genre and write something new, it leaves me quite often in disappointment. But RJB did a remarkable job writing fantasy/crime/murder mystery.

Set in a dystopian world, where Leviathans blood and contagions abound in the Empire's borders, a high Imperial officer was found murdered in one of the prestigious family mansion. Dinios Kol, a detective in training was set to work with eccentric but brilliant investigator, Ana Dolabra. Kol, an engraver, who can recite every detail of the surrounding with the help of magically infused vials, was Ana's eyes and ears of the investigations. One after another murder cases were enfold that surrounded this mysterious case, including a handful of Engineers and a Haza patriarch family.

This book will keep you guessing until the very end and I was very satisfied with the ending of book 1. But the friendly banter with Ana and Kol makes me want to read book 2 already.

Highly recommendable who loves murder/fantasy/crime genres.

A huge thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Del Rey for providing me an early copy in exchange for honest opinion.

Sherlock Holmes meets Hercule Poirot in a fantastical, original dystopia. I love when the setting of a book feels like a character itself. I was itching to finish up work or even plans with friends to come back to the story and read. The way the plot unravels by answering some questions while having the reader also ask more kept me on my toes the entire book. I NEED the rest of the series to be published, I can’t wait to return to Ana and Din and see what horrors they come upon next. The world they live in is so strange, with plants and contagion making or breaking society. Let alone the leviathans! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for book 2.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an advanced e-copy of this book! This review was voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

I had such a FUN time reading this book. It's like nothing else I've read before, and I'm really really hoping that we'll get some sequels. True to the story's premise, it really does feel like a classic mystery novel, just set in an entirely fantastical world. The combination was done particularly well, and it makes the book entirely unique.

I adored the main characters - both Din and Ana were fun to read about. They each had both a large amount of power and also interesting flaws, and their interactions were humorous and perfect.

The world-building was great. I enjoyed how the "magic system" was less about magic and more about a world in which science just works differently. It was obviously a well-thought-out world, and I didn't find the learning curve to be particularly difficult.

Finally, the plot. Since this was a mystery, I feel it's worth discussing. I was pleasantly surprised by how much this read like a Sherlock Holmes story. I felt there were just enough clues given so that when a reveal came, it both made sense and was surprising. (There's nothing I love more than when I read a reveal and think, I should have put that together!) It was particularly great that we got to read from Din's POV, who is the "Watson" in this story.

My only real criticism is that I felt the romantic subplot either needed to be more substantial or left out. As it stands, it feels relatively unnecessary and I really don't think the story needed it.

Overall, this was a great read and I would highly recommend it!

The first book in Bennett's new fantasy series is clearly the work of the same author who penned The Divine Cities, but is going about things in a totally different way. Where CITY OF STAIRS was an exploration of colonization on an epic fantasy tapestry with a murder mystery woven into the heart of things, THE TAINTED CUP centers the mystery and follows in the footsteps of authors from a non-fantasy tradition—people like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Rex Stout.

Following along with Din as he finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy far beyond what he ever could have imagined, we're introduced to a cast of characters almost as fascinating as the setting of the empire, besieged annually by incomprehensibly huge leviathans from the eastern seas.

With the shadow of this threat looming over all, Din assists the enigmatic, reclusive, and genius investigator Ana Dolabra. Here I was reminded greatly of Glen Cook's fantasy detective novels about Garrett and his housemate, the Dead Man. This of course makes sense, as the Dead Man was in turn inspired by Nero Wolfe, Stout's classic detective. Either way, this is a dynamic that simply *works*, and the final product is a lot of fun.

While THE TAINTED CUP feels breezier as a result than did books like CITY OF BLADES or FOUNDRYSIDE, Bennett still manages to build in some real weight by the end—and has me eager to see what more is to come for the Khanum Empire and the leviathans waiting beneath the waves.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Very much 5 Stars ⭐️!!!! I knew after finishing the first chapter that this would be a book I’d remember for a LONG time. This book has EEEEVVERRYYTHING. Everything I could ever want in a book. Atmosphere, dystopia, ancient creatures, science, wonderfully in-depth characters (Ana is absolutely GOLD), mystery, phenomenal writing, intelligent women…I mean the list goes on. I highlighted SO many hysterical quotes and snort-laughing situations, for Titans Ta*nt! I got so immersed into this book that I had dreams about leviathans for a week straight 🐉! I will read every single thing this author has come out with and will ever come out with. In summary….read this book, immediately.

✨ And of course…(Thank you NetGalley and Kathleen Quinlan for the opportunity to absolutely get blissfully lost in this book!)

I occasionally read a fantasy. The Tainted Cup was very enjoyable. Some of the character names are long and they get addressed by different parts of their names which got confusing. People have different enhancements that make them have different strengths for their duties. Anna Dolabra is an eccentric investigator. Her assistant is Dinios Koi, who has a perfect memory and muscle memory. They are attempting to solve a mystery involving deaths and scandal.