Ana and Din are caught in a vicious and deadly web of deception. This second book in the Leviathan series, is deep and almost overwhelming in detail, danger and mystery. Another slow read for me, as the story abounds with strangeness. Excellent read!

The wait is finally over, and it was worth every minute! Din has returned, and his character growth in this sequel did not disappoint. After finishing the first book earlier this year, I couldn't wait to dive into this one. The ending left me on the edge of my seat, eager for the next installment.

Seeing Din's evolution and how he navigated the challenges was truly rewarding. This book not only met my expectations but exceeded them, setting the stage for even more excitement in the future. Get ready for another thrilling ride with Din!

Rating: 4.5/5

This sequel is an incredible continuation to the brilliant first novel, The Tainted Cup. This experience continued the originality, high-quality world-building, elaborate cast of characters, and fascinating mystery that I enjoyed so much from the first novel. I absolutely loved reading this and I can't wait to see where this series goes next.

This book follows Din and Ana on their latest escapade, leading them to the canton of Yarrowdale to investigate the case of a man who seems to have disappeared into thin air, despite the circumstances making this seem impossible. Din and Ana quickly deduce that this is no disappearance, but a murder, with more heinous acts to follow. However, this culprit is far more intelligent than the perpetrators of their previous investigations, and it seems Ana may be falling behind in this game of cat and mouse.

This book set up the investigation, mysteries, and hooks to keep you invested very fast, making it so I was unable to stop reading. I must admit, I ended up reading the final 80% of this book in just one day because I needed answers and a resolution. This is a welcome change from the first book, with my only complaint from the original novel being that I didn't feel as hooked as I should for a murder mystery novel. The stakes are higher, the world and political climate are more revealed, and the main characters are unraveled in new ways.

The way I couldn't put the book down ended up going hand in hand with one of my tiny criticisms, which is that the information this book throws at you can be so intensive and overwhelming that it could occasionally leave me lost as a reader. I believe this problem could have been somewhat remedied if I had read at a slower pace or revisited sections when necessary. However, this book was so darn interesting that I couldn't help but read it at full steam ahead. Because of this, I often found myself feeling like I did back in college when I was studying the night before an exam, where my brain felt like it was going to explode from all the knowledge I was cramming in there. This is such a minor note though, and to be honest, the worldbuilding and dialogue in this is so incredible that I was happy to be absorbing all this information.

The characters are, of course, still phenomenal. Din remains one of my favorite protagonists, Ana is as eccentric and captivating as ever, and we are introduced to a new cast of allies and suspects for the pair to play off of. My favorites are absolutely Malo and her crew of wardens, self-described "feral dogs" that act as the guardians of Yarrowdale from the smugglers in the jungle. The wardens, and Malo especially, end up far over their heads, getting pulled into this investigation alongside Din, which leads to some incredible banter and dynamics.

All-in-all, an incredible sequel, that I will absolutely be buying and rereading upon its official release. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the first book, and I am beyond excited to read the next book in this series.

I was so excited when I was approved for the ebook. I had sped through the first book and truly loved it. This book just as amazing. it continues with a look into how the monsters aren't necessarily the ones outside the walls and there are internal issues that need to be dealt with.. I felt that the ending was statisfying enough that this could be the end of the series as well (though I would really love to have more).

A Drop of Corruption is another masterpiece of a fantasy murder mystery. If you liked the first book in the series, there is no question, you should also read this one. In many ways I have very little to say about this book other than "It's perfect, I loved it" but I'll do my best.

As with the A Tainted Cup, the mystery is juicy and complicated and interesting. The writing continues to be spectacular and engaging. The world is also still just so interesting and well-crafted. This book focuses on different aspects of the world-building, which makes everything feel new (to the reader and to Din) but it still remains so connected and coherent.

Once again, the relationship between Ana and Din is brilliant and drives so much of plot. It is every bit Sherlock and Watson, except overt homoerotic tension has been replaced by a platonic bond of motherly? affection that is no less strong. One of my favorite things about this book was the reciprocal vulnerability between Ana and Din and the way their trust in each other grows.

In sum: no notes, brilliant book, you should read it.

First off, thanks for the ARC!

This is the second part of the Shadow of the Leviathan series.

NO spoilers for the first part or this one!

I read the first book two months ago, and I really liked it, but I had some doubts about wanting to read the next part.

But when I saw the second part, I jumped at the chance to request it.

And I'm so glad I did!

1️⃣Each part features a murder that Dinios Kol and his boss, the brilliant and quirky Ana Dolabra, investigate, and they're all caught up in the intrigues and politics of this captivating world with tons of seas and the Leviathans, who are the biggest threat to it all. Din's job is to observe, report, and act as Ana's eyes and ears—literally, since she's got this quirky thing about wearing a blindfold all the time.

2️⃣The main plot of the second part involves a bizarre murder in a locked room. The characters get pulled into a world of conspiracies, strange crimes, and shocking twists that even Ana struggles to predict, and she has to push herself to the limit. The action takes place in a remote corner of the Empire—a place that isn't technically considered part of the grand state but is crucial for its stability and even survival.

The series is told from Din's first-person perspective. There are small details and descriptions that make you feel like you're right there with him.

Ana's central antagonist turns out to be a sadistic genius who can stay several steps ahead. Gradually, Din uncovers not just the mysteries around him but also Ana herself—her tragic secrets and true nature, which really adds depth to the story.

New characters are popping up that I really liked. And I ended up loving the main characters even more.
Ana>>>

Now I definitely know that I’m looking forward to the next part🙌🏻

Heads up, there are some gross descriptions in the book, so don’t read it while you’re eating❗️

4,5/5⭐️

📜🗡🩸🧫🪙

The Tainted Cup, the first book in this series, was my favorite book from this year and I’ve been thinking about it pretty much constantly since my first read in February. I could not get enough of the uncanny biopunk world (there’s so much care and realism put into the systems of this setting) and the characters (loved the humor and heart in all of their interactions). A Drop of Corruption delivers on both of these things, and more. It’s a very ambitious novel, revealing much more of the political, biological, and infrastructural underpinnings of the Empire while still maintaining a satisfying murder mystery and further developing the main characters. And it is wildly successful in all of these aspects.

Starting with a classic Locked Room murder mystery setup, the characters quickly realize their killer intends to target the Shroud, the compound where the Empire’s best scientists synthesize the remains of leviathans into the many reagents used in the first book. This lets the reader learn alongside Din about the complex systems in place to bring the alterations from the Shroud to wherever they’re needed in the empire, and is a great way to set up both the stakes for this mystery and a changing world for future books. The mystery also brings Din and Ana into the negotiations between the Empire and the tribute kingdom of Yarrow, bringing politics to the forefront of this novel as well. All twists are carefully hinted at in advance, with no details wasted, making for extremely satisfying reveals at every turn.

I was very impressed with how the themes of autocracy and civic duty suffuse multiple aspects of the mystery, as well as Din and Ana’s own character arcs. Many scenes involving this theme really got to me emotionally: one of the antagonists’ confessions in which they reflect on the role these themes played in their actions, and Din and Ana’s final interactions right before the epilogue.

In terms of character development, it’s great to see Din and Ana’s relationship evolve beyond what we saw in Book 1. They still clash, to humorous effects, but we get to see the development of their friendship and increased trust in each other. I loved seeing a new side of Ana in the ways she responds to a villain seemingly at or even above her level, and we get more details about the nature of her alterations (very exciting stuff). We also see more of Din’s hopes and motivations now that he’s gained some confidence and isn’t so focused on hiding his secrets.

Being so ambitious in scope, many aspects of the book are even more powerful than The Tainted Cup, such as the aforementioned scenes where Din, Ana, and one of the antagonists fully internalize the themes of civil service. However, this did also result in one or two areas where I felt this book wasn’t as strong as in The Tainted Cup: Certain parts of the villain’s backstory and motivations felt a bit flimsy to me and didn’t fully explain why they executed their plan in that specific way. I also found some expressions of the theme a bit more heavy-handed than I’d prefer: There are a good number of asides where characters will criticize the Yarrow monarchy in a way that doesn’t serve a purpose in the plot other than reminding the reader that autocracies are bad, which, if you already agree with that, feels somewhat boring to read. On the other hand, the theme ties really beautifully into both Ana and Din’s arcs and more than makes up for these moments.

Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but very very very slightly less than The Tainted Cup. As said above, this is due to the occasional too on-the-nose expressions of the theme, a few nitpicks with the villain, and Strovi not being present; but also because The Tainted Cup is a very high bar to clear, being one of my favorite books of all time. Still, A Drop of Corruption is an extremely strong sequel and I’m looking forward to the next installment 1000%.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview A Drop of corruption. This is the second book in a series and although I didn’t read the first one I was addicted.
Very different and a book that gave me pause.
Enjoyed it and the book is thought provoking. 3.5 stars

This continues to be a series built in a lab specifically for me. Ana continues to be an eldritch Nero Wolfe and Din continues to own my entire heart. there are images in this that will probably haunt me (in a good way, mostly) for a while. The Tainted Cup was my first book by Robert Jackson Bennett, and I've read almost his entire back catalog since (highly recommended). His previous series led me to expect complicated, nuanced politics as one of his strengths, and A Drop of Corruption leans into all of that. It's a noir, a high fantasy and a damn good mystery! My only regret with reading these right as they come out is that I have to wait so long for the next one, when all I want to do is mainline the entire story.

Brilliant second book, at least as good if not better than the first one !

I enjoy Din and Ana very much, for their characters but also for their relationship. I know some people find Din very dull and flat, but I do not have that feeling. Yes, he isn't a very strong focus for the story, but it has to do with the kind of story that is being told, more plot focused even though the characters aren't left behind. As for Ana, she might come across as a classical, archetypal mad but too clever invistagator figure, and yes, she does, in a way, but she isn't only that. Both her and Din have deeper layer that well explored over the books, in a discreet but very present way. This second book has more of Din's motivations and dreams, plus some very great pining.

Knowing the setting from the first book, we are now sent in another part of the world, close to the Empire but not exactly the Empire, delving into monarchy and extensive "scientific" experiments at the core of the Empire, involving Leviathans' blood. Bennett does a great job at giving the right informations at the right time without burnening the narration, and he has great ideas, creating a familiar and yet deeply alien world, one that hooked me from the start to the finish line. I love a vegetal world, and this series is perfect for that.

As for the plot, it is a masterful one, at least for me. I don't read that much murder mystery, at least not when there isn's some elements of fantasy or supernatural. There are a lot of cues to pick up, red herrings, little twists and revelations cleverly speckled throughout the book. It is really a great joy to create theories as I read. I did love the main antagonist of this book, the guy we had to uncover. He is smart, a little broken, with masterful acting, things I love when well done.

We also meet a lot of new character, and the lack of one specific member of the previous book can be felt in Din longing, but not in a overcoming way, just being there, creating a sense of loss that I enjoyed a lot. In the new cast, we have once again a varied displa of people, with various motivations and behavior, making the story come alive.

The story speaks a lot about monarchies and the tendency fantasy has to rely upon them, wether chosing to portray them as positive, neutral or negative. Bennett does a great job a discussing it without directly pointing it out.

Very good read !

At the borders of the empire, contagions are abundant, and leviathans threaten the outer rings. The blood of those same leviathans is a key ingredient in magically transforming people to grant powerful abilities. Dinios “Din” Kol is one of those fortunate enough to have been altered. Due to his extremely enhanced memory skills, he has become an “engraver” and these skills are perfect in his role as assistant to Ana Dolabra, perhaps, the greatest living detective. And now, once again, the pair of them have been called in to solve what seems at first to be a straight-forward locked-room murder mystery.

As a sequel to “The Tainted Cup”, the first book in this “Shadow of Leviathan” series, this novel is simply amazing. Oftentimes, it seems to me, the second book in a series can be a letdown, especially if the first book was really good. But I am here to say any such fears with this author’s work have proven, once again, unfounded. In fact, this one gives us more in all respects. More plot, more character development, and much more world-building but in a way that doesn’t beat the reader over the head but rather lets it unfold as necessary to round out the various settings.

While Ana brings her genius for detective sleuthing, she is also an eccentric who prefers to wear a blindfold most of the time so as to not let her vision interrupt her thinking. Din’s perfect memory is ideal for interrogating suspects and witnesses and is able to “play-back” the facts verbatim if required. Useful in discovering discrepancies, to be sure. The murder mystery is off and running, but soon grows to something much more epic.
Author Robert Jackson Bennett has proven many times before that he is a master at building original fantasy worlds, demonstrating in-depth world-building with all the trappings you’d hope for. This is a rich world, with unusual circumstances, cultures, and motivations.

Many reviewers compare the mystery elements of these novels to a Sherlock Holmes/Watson experience, but I think a much better analogy are the works of Rex Stout. Here, Din is the fact finder, the one who goes out and about gathering evidence much like Archie Goodwin. We get most of the story from his perspective. Ana, like Nero Wolfe, largely remains behind and waits for the information to come in where she then analyzes, deduces, and brings her genius to bear.

The entire novel moves along swiftly as the original murder case grows to something affecting most of the known world. I loved discovering new abilities in other characters, engineered enhancements that I shall not divulge for fear of spoilers. This is “smart” fantasy to be sure, neither a D&D adventure nor a Hercule Poirot murder mystery. No matter what you call it, it is exceptional, and certainly a fun read. I look forward to the next book in the series, not only for another complex murder mystery but also to learn even more of this unique world.

Highly recommended.

I was fortunate enough to previously receive an arc of the first book in this series, the Tainted Cup, which was one of my favorite reads of the year. So I was also thrilled to receive an arc of the sequel! This book takes everything I loved about the first book in this series and builds on it - we get to further explore the Empire, read of new alterations and curious creatures, and are treated to more witty banter between Ana and Din. The Agatha Christie vibes the first book gave me are in full force and effect here, with a complex mystery with many twists and turns. With the backdrop of this unique world, crawling with leviathans, enhanced beings, and advanced science, it is a real treat for mystery/sci-fi/fantasy fans everywhere. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book!

A Drop of Corruption, Robert Bennett Jackson's sequel to the wonderful The Tainted Cup, is simply splendid. From the clever nuanced title to the emotionally fulfilling conclusion, the book is intelligent, gripping, and challenging. Investigator Ana remains an entertaining character, with new abilities and mysteries arising about her fantastic seductive abilities. Viewpoint character and assistant Din develops layers of complexity and emotion. The mystery itself is complex and fulfilling, with many twists and false leads. Brilliant take on the Holmes/Watson motif, but set against the backdrop of an ancient empire based on magic and technology quite unlike our own. Unlike many fantasy "empires", this is complicated, varied, and has a history that makes sense. I crave a third book in this series already.


Thanks very much to the publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for a dispassionate review.

<b>Dinios Kol is the epitome of ✨Bisexual Panic✨ </b>

The term captivated does not begin to describe how enamored I am with this series! I was fortunate enough to acquire an advanced copy of <i>The Tainted Cup </i> earlier this year, and it remains one of the best books I've read. So imagine my delight when I received an advanced copy of the second installment (actually a puddle on the floor).

As excited as I was, a small part of me thought this couldn't top the first (in my opinion, it's utter perfection). But I was so wrong… so very very wrong

Robert Jackson Bennet's imagination is unmatched! I can’t believe he produced such an interesting and mind-bending tale - I enjoyed every minute! I couldn't put it down, and when I did, I just kept thinking about it. <i>A Drop of Corruption</i> consumed my mind, body, and soul.

My only favor to ask is… please bring back Kepheus 🥺 I love him too much for him not to be in the third

As always, thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Din and his investigator Ana are once again called upon to solve a byzantine mystery in a far-away country. In a monarchy due to become a colony of the Empire, a member of a delegation from the Imperial Treasury has gone missing from a room locked from the inside. When his remains are found miles away, the mystery deepens, and unravels until plots, murders, and secret betrayals are revealed.

Another brilliant fantasy mystery, just as tantalizing as the last one, with a fully-realized world and characters who you'll love to spend time with. Oh, if only a time machine, so I could retrieve the next one! (I hope there'll be a next one!)

The second book in the Din and Ana mysteries picks up a year or so after the two main characters began working together, as they arrive at another sensitive Imperial location and find themselves involved in a locked-room murder mystery. As with the first book, they navigate complex Imperial and interpersonal politics while attempting to figure out who the killer is before he strikes again. After about six rounds of this, they succeed.

I was actually extremely engrossed in the crime and the investigation this time around, which kept up a sprightly pace and kept me wondering, before leading to a conclusion that struck me as pretty fair. As always, mixing science-fantasy in with a murder mystery requires you to pay careful attention to the rules in order to be certain the author is playing fair, but I'm prepared to call myself satisfied with this one. As for the political aspect, I can definitely say that this is certainly a book written for the world of 2024 and leave it at that. I'm sure it will resonate just as the author intended it to.

However, I was less satisfied with the interactions between the two protagonists in this book. People often compare Din and Ana to Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe, and I don't want to belabor the comparison, because it's not like the author promised me "Wolfe and Archie, but with leviathans and a modern understanding of neuroatypical behavior", but I can't help thinking about how Wolfe and Archie have a more-or-less equal partnership, where Wolfe is a genius but genuinely needs Archie to keep him on track and moderate his bad decisions, and Archie acts independently on his own initiative and has his own strengths. By comparison, whenever Din and Ana are on different pages, whether it's about Din's choices or Ana's use of illegal psychoactives, Din is wrong and Ana is right. Din is now two-for-two on spending the entire book feeling sorry for himself about problems that turn out not to be problems and could have been solved easily if he asked for help. He had his reasons for not being able to trust Ana, sure, but from the perspective of the reader, he wastes a lot of time looking sad (although it appears to be a good look for him, if the ladies are to be trusted). Anyway, hopefully if there's a third book in the series, we'll see Din mature into an independent partner rather than a physical extension of Ana's brain.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I also noticed what seems to be a significant discontinuity in my EARC, where events are referred to as happening that don't actually appear in the book. (SPOILERS AHEAD) Ana asks Din if he was approached by moneylenders and whether they asked him for information, and he tells her that they did. We see one scene at the beginning where the moneylender approaches Din to let him know about the modification to his debt, and another paragraph later where he briefly mentions handing over most of his paycheck, but the scene where Din is actually asked for confidential information and refuses to give it doesn't actually appear in the book. This could be intentional, but it seems like it might be a versioning error. There's also at least one typo where a character refers to a "seat e".

My thanks to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore and NetGalley for a free eARC of “A Drop of Corruption” by Robert Jackson Bennet.
“A Drop of Corruption” is the second installment of “Shadow of the Leviathan”, another Ana and Din Mystery Murder in a High Fantasy setting.
Before raving how much I loved this book, I need to mention I never read blurbs for sequels and especially avoid doing so when it is a Mystery. I prefer to unravel everything alongside our characters and fell as I am by their side along the way.
I was so excited to witness the wonderful relation between Ana and her assistant Din and not only were they as entertaining as I expected, but they showed much growth behind their peculiarities.
So I got a compelling Mystery that I refuse to ruin by revealing anything about it, except that it was excellently executed, great character development with some humor mixed in, but the best gift of this second volume was the gradual revealing of this fascinating world. The glimpses of the past, the developments and uses of the flora, new genetic enhances and what they could mean, not only for the Empire that Ana and Din serve, but also to the evolution of this whole world, all these create a vivid picture of this Universe.
As any well crafted world, the socio-political elements also play an important role and the author let us the readers view this from different angles so we can form our own thoughts and opinions.
I am looking forward to see what other mysteries and conspiracies Ana and Din will tackle in the next volume of the “Shadow of the Leviathan”.
I highly recommend fans of Murder Mystery in a Fantasy setting to start with “The Tainted Cup”, then continue with “A Drop of Corruption”.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC!

“The Tainted Cup” was my favorite book that I’ve read so far this year. The world building was incredible, yet somehow, the characters were even better, and the story had me hooked instantly! I was so excited to jump back into this world! I dropped everything else I was doing and reading to start this. I’ve had the second book preordered for months, so to get access to this early was really awesome!

Din and Ana have another case to solve, and this one takes them to the edge of the Empire. I don’t want to give much away, due to the book being a mystery, where details matter, so I’ll keep this relatively short, and may expand on it after the book is actually published. Basically, a treasury officer with the Empire vanishes from his lodging, and Ana and Din are called in to find out happened, and who did it, and why.

I just absolutely love the world where these stories take place. Yarrowdale is a city surrounded by jungles and swamps. Those jungles and swamps are filled with criminals, and these areas are where a good portion of the story takes place. There’s actually a few chapters in the book that gave me major “Apocalypse Now” flashbacks, in the best way possible! Some of the locations in this city/area will be forever seared into my brain (The Shroud, and a certain area of the jungle come to mind immediately!)

I love the new character, Malo, that we’re introduced to early in the story. She is such a badass! She was a definite highlight of this story. I hope there’s a lot more of these stories to come! The amount of love that went into writing these stories is massive, and I can’t wait to see what else this world has to offer!

Read this as soon as you can!

tl;dr
Another twisty mystery set in an ever-evolving kaiju world. Builds on the first book with more world-building, more mystery, and some sneaky reveals.

Thoughts
Great news, everybody! This book is very good. If you've already read the first one, you probably guessed it would be. (And if you haven't read the first one, I heartily recommend it.) Nearly everything that made the first book amazing is back: A tightly plotted mystery, more plantcore world building, Ana's wild genius, and Din's relatable narration. (I say nearly everything because sadly Kepheus Strovi is not present, leaving both Din and this reader bereft.) In my previous review, I did note some concerns that the story would begin to drift away from solving murders towards more of the leviathan stuff. Interestingly enough, while plenty more big plot pieces are revealed, I didn't feel like the mystery aspect was lost at all. We've got locked rooms, impossible thefts, government secrets, and political shenanigans aplenty. It's a fairly seamless genre blending, and I now have my fingers crossed that we'll have plenty more to come.

This book was a great sequel, and still one of the only books I have ever read for adults that managed to capture the feeling of the random novels that seemed to only exist shelved in the wrong place in public libraries. which is a good thing.

also i love a good fantasy bisexual manwhore. and that is our narrator