OMG, you guys—this book is, like, everything. Five shiny, fabulous stars. From the very first page, it’s a wild, twisty ride you cannot put down. Ana Dolabra is the kind of brilliant, chaotic investigator you want solving every impossible crime ever, and her assistant Din? Ugh, love him—so relatable, so funny, and somehow manages to keep up with Ana’s genius while staying grounded. Their dynamic is absolute perfection!

The mystery was a total brain candy. A locked-room murder with ghostly vibes and stakes so high you’re practically sweating. And the world-building? Stunning. Titans, magic, political intrigue—it’s all layered in this rich, immersive way that feels alive and buzzing. It’s like stepping into a world you never want to leave.

Also, can we talk about the writing? It’s sharp, witty, and totally bingeable. Every clue, every twist had me gasping. And that ending? SO satisfying. I’m officially obsessed with this series and will be waiting not-so-patiently for the next one.

Big thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion 💕

I am so grateful to have received an ARC for this book.

I truly cannot get enough of Din and Anna. The sequel to The Tainted Cup does not disappoint. We are on a new adventure with our mystery solving duo, and the case is focused on capturing a rogue madman, who is a threat to the entire Empire.

Robert Jackson Bennett does world building like no other, but he also makes his characters so interesting. Our characters grow throughout this story, and their companions in this mission made it even better.

If you love fantasy and mystery, this series is the perfect blend. I highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

With The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett introduced us to a fun and whimsical locked-door murder mystery set within a lush new fantasy world. We met Ana and Din (Sherlock and Watson, respectively) and were taken on a whirlwind adventure filled with unique characters, a magic system with a dark side, and whispers of the monsters that inhabit the land. Everything was just getting started, though, because in A Drop of Corruption, we skip right past the pleasantries and immediately dig in to what RJB has in store this time.

Ana and Din’s fresh whodunit takes them to Yarrowdale, a canton north of the sea walls that hasn’t quite been taken over by the Empire yet and remains its own autocracy. A high-ranking officer of the Empire has vanished, and it is up to Ana and Din to solve the case – and fast, as more problems are popping up quicker than they can fix them. A whole new host of characters are brought in, each with their own stand-out personalities, relationships, and abilities. While I was sad that nobody from the first book (except Ana and Din, of course) made an appearance, the new characters filled that gap beautifully and I really hope we will see a meshing of old and new in the final book.

Yarrowdale handles an enormous portion of the reagent manufacturing for the Empire, and they process pure leviathan blood and organs at the Shroud, an isolated compound that looms in the Bay of Yarrow like one of the titans themselves. The hush-hush surrounding the Shroud throughout the story makes it so interesting, and leaves you desperate for just a little bit more information about it. To me, the Shroud was one of the best parts of the book, as it drove nearly the entire plot while simultaneously feeding the reader more and more bits about the world as a whole and how it functions. Politics also play a larger role in this book than they did in its predecessor, and it is very tastefully done, again giving the reader exposition in maddening little doses.

Din is a very relatable character, and he makes this series so enjoyable. His inner monologue is witty and emotional at all the right times, and he has very deep, complicated relationships with both others and himself that make you feel for him and root for the resolution of their obstacles. I especially love him and Ana. Their development is heartwarming and I just know something awful is going to happen in the third book that makes me regret ever starting this series in the first place.

Nobody does plot twists like RJB, and A Drop of Corruption is no exception. I was holding my breath the entire way through, and it’s one of those books where I found myself excited to finish up all my other tasks so I could just sit down and read. This second installment lives up to its promises from book one and then some, and I can’t recommend the Shadow of the Leviathan series enough.

Thank you to Del Rey for providing an advance copy! Expected publication April 1, 2025.

A Drop of Corruption
by Robert Jackson Bennett
Pub Date: Apr 01 2025

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, a Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—vanishing from a room within a heavily guarded tower, its door and windows locked from the inside.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial detective, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Ana soon discovers that they are investigating not a disappearance but a murder—and one of surpassing cunning, carried out by an opponent who can pass through warded doors like a ghost.
Worse still, the killer may be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud, where the Empire harvests fallen titans for the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen his superior solve impossible cases before. But as the death toll grows and their quarry predicts each of Ana’s moves with uncanny foresight, he fears that she has at last met an enemy she can’t defeat.

10/10 again. The fantasy world created in this novel unfolds slowly, drawing you into a magical realm of augmented creatures - not quite humans. Beyond the standard murder mystery plot, the main characters Din and Ana unravel a political thriller in this next installment. Eagerly awaiting book 3!

4/5 - Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an eARC in exchange for an honest review! I was so excited to dive into the next Shadow of the Leviathan book after really enjoying The Tainted Cup, and it mostly delivered on my high expectations. The magic system was explored more thoroughly, and specifically this idea of transmutation was pleasantly pervasive throughout multiple aspects of the story. We see the magic system at play in both everyday activities like repairing houses and in crucially important rituals for protecting the society at large, as well as in how people are augmented for specific purposes. The language characterizing magical effects was vivid, painting beautiful and sometimes gruesome images that really sucked me in.

The part of the world building that I didn't like so much was that it took place in an entirely different location than the first. The physical environment was different as well as the government and culture. Because the very intricate mystery took away from the world building in the first book, I was looking forward to getting much more of that in this one, but instead we sort of started back at square one. Of note, this new nation-state is an autocracy, separate from the more oligarch/ruling class empire of Khanum. I do really appreciate the author's note discussing this creative choice as a response to the fantasy genre's obsession and glorification of monarchy, where he creates this environment of a once beautiful but now defunct kingdom that does nothing for the people it serves. This comes with a big BUT though, which is that it resulted in what I read as pro-imperialism rhetoric, where some of the main characters in this oppressive monarchy are supportive of the neighboring empire to come in and "free" them. The way this was written made me uncomfortable at times. And as a last note on world building... where were the Leviathans T_T ??? None of the questions I had at the end of the first book were answered and they make essentially no appearances in this one. I don't know if all of this is very cleverly intentional being that the series name is the SHADOW of the Leviathan and we aren't really ever meant to interact with the real thing, but it feels like a major tease.

The mystery in this one was as delicious as the first. My expectations were met in terms of the complexity and interest. The plot twists became somewhat more predictable by the end but especially at the beginning it was very new and fresh and interesting. Our Din and Ana duo continue to be very fun to follow along with. Ana is still easily my favorite character, and I felt like she was developed in a satisfying way over the course of this book, we got more hints to her true identity and saw different sides of her. Din on the other hand, while continuing to be a great straight-man for Ana's wackiness, did not develop as much as I would have liked in this installment. We learn more about him and his circumstances, but despite seeing everything through his eyes I still don't feel like I have a really good understanding of who he is or what he wants. There is a decision he goes back and forth on that reveals a bit more about him, but his whole characterization is just a bit flat when compared to everyone and everything else in this series. I was also hoping that we would get more on the romance side of things that the author seemed to be pointing at by the end of book one, but that too was stalled. We see Din's bisexuality come out more in this book and I'm a huge fan of that representation, but I'm a bit worried that the author is just throwing that in for the sake of having representation and these things he is struggling with in his love life won't ever end up mattering to the story line. I very much hope I am wrong about that and the yearning that is building up gets more depth and eventual resolution (because I do LOVE some yearning). The other note on representation was I thought the author's choices in discussing gender identity were strange. There is a scene when Din talks to two characters and has an internal dialogue that their genders are ambiguous and reflects that maybe identifying their gender is not important and should not be assumed (yay!) but then he proceeds to gender these two characters, who have definitely not offered up their gender identities at all, specifically calling them "him" and "her" throughout the rest of the scene.

The last thing I have to say is about language. In general the writing was very quick and smart and easy to get absorbed into, making it very fun to read. However, there was such a strange shift in the vernacular and tone of all the characters over the course of the book that was jarring to me and took me out of it a bit. The beginning of this book, like the last, felt like it was supposed to be set in a world resembling our past in a lot of ways, but with very modern language. Or at least modern language with some flairs of the past. Then by the end it felt like everyone was talking in a very high-brow, old-timey, more inaccessible vernacular. As an example, in the beginning there is a passage:

"I appreciate when you throw rocks at my ideas, Din. Keeps me from going too far up my own ass. Proceed."

This is golden, its why I love these books. Then by the end of the book the same character says:

"A song. For I have practiced greatly upon the Pithian lyres, as you may soon see, and would much enjoy providing you with music! That should make a fitting end to these sad days, yes?".

Again maybe that was a specific creative choice, but if so it went over my head and just felt weird. At the end of the day though the author does a beautiful job of summing up truths that are universal. One of my favorite lines is:

"Work can never satisfy, Din, for it can never finish. The dead cannot be restored. Vice and bribery will never be totally banished from the cantons. And the drop of corruption that lies within every society shall always persist. The duty of the Iudex is not to boldly vanquish it but to manage it. We keep the stain from spreading, yes, but it is never gone."

Overall with some things improving from the first book and other aspects becoming more disappointing, my rating is the same as The Tainted Cup and I am definitely looking forward to book 3!

First, Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for sending me this arc. The following review and opinions are my own.

This is the second book I read in the genre “Fantasy Mistery”. As the first book in the series, it can be described as Sherlock Holmes meets Harry Dresden and together they work from the Folley. I found the sequel surprisingly better than the first book, and this is exactly how it should be: Make a great entrance and have a steep build up in the following book. Well done. So again, we accompany Din and his ‘boss’ Ana on a surreal and thrilling journey in solving a murder crime and a plausible conspiracy in the empire. We get more insight in the characters themselves as well as their personal struggle. I connected a lot more with them here than I did in the Tainted Cup. I found the dialogues more witty and intriguing, the pace of the plot was well balanced. However, I didn’t enjoy the story as much as I would like to have. A lot happening and still nothing happening, if you get my drift. A bit too complex and confusing for me at times, too long acts of observations, lots of scenery changes where I had issues to follow through. In addition, I was hungry for more knowledge of the mysteries surrounding Ana and the whole system of the world itself. The things you get fed are a tad too vague for me. The writing is excellent, no doubt, which makes it definitely readable, but not one of my favourites in the end. Even though the plot seems deep, twisted and cleverly woven, it lacks the certain something, feels a bit bland and I miss the overall excitement. Maybe it’s just a personal preference, or maybe I’m not in the detective game at all.

I have been a long-time fan of RJB and was delighted to be given the opportunity to read this book!

The world building continues and finding out more about Ana and Dinios. It looks like there is another book coming eventually, yeah!
Another fun murder mystery.

#NetGalley

Second book and this is solidified as a favorite series. This is one of those books that I was torn between wanting to read it all in one sitting and forcing myself to take breaks so I could enjoy it longer.

I loved how this expanded the world in such an intricate and interesting way, but especially how the world-building is presented. It feels interwoven in the narrative instead of stopping a scene to explain or dumping information. I was immediately immersed and drawn in to the new jungle location, while learning more of the Empire’s history and how it operates.

It was interesting getting to know Din even more, and seeing the growth and reservations in his role in the Iudex and in his relationship with Ana. Both Din and Ana are fascinating characters on their own, which makes the investment in the relationship between the two even greater. I look forward to seeing even more growth and development in future novels.

As with the first book, the side characters were extremely well-developed a well. I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes with Malo and thought she was a great complement for Din in large parts of the investigation.

This one definitely had a few creepy, horror-feeling moments that I wasn’t expecting, but absolutely enjoyed. Yet I also I think there was more humor in this one, and I found myself laughing out loud multiple times.

Now I’m impatient for any future novels, wanting to return to this world and see more of the unique relationship between Din and Ana.

Oh man, I was so excited for this book after just recently reading "The tainted cup"

Here are a few thoughts:

1.This book is absolutely worth your time.
2. It is in my opinion not quite as strong as the first one.

The good:
The dynamic between Ana and Din is as strong as ever. We get more characterization and answers to questions we'd been pondering since the begining, and I love the focus on Ana. I was missing that from the first one. The world building was very good, and it leverages a lot of what worked in the last book.

The not so good:
I'm rating this 4/5 stars because it is very good, just not as good as the last one. What got me was the intrigue and the mystery of it. The first book felt unexpected but earned. This one felt a little more "by the books". By 60/70% I had guessed it, where the last book kept me guessing till the end.

Final thoughts:
You won't go wrong with this book, especially if you enjoyed the first. But it is not quite as strong with the mystery of it all. Still a fun read, still an easy series rec.

Imagine taking Sherlock Holmes and Watson and placing them in a fantasy, futuristic world with monsters, corrupt politicians, and magic. This is what you get when you read The Leviathan series by Robert Jackson Bennett. I was ecstatic when I was sent this advanced copy of A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. I absolutely loved The Tainted Cup, the first book in the series and I was not surprised when book two was equally fabulous. A Drop of Corruption is a magical book. The world building in vast and descriptive, You can envision every aspect of the town. The characters are unique. It is reading a locked-door mystery in a fantasy world with sci-fi technology. It is everything you could ask for and more, all wrapped up in one excellent novel. I hope there are many more books in The Leviathan series because I want to read them all.
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and Del Rey publishing. for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

I was so excited to get my hands on Book 2 in this series. I stumbled upon this series wholly by accident and was more than pleasantly surprised by the first book. This is definitely not a genre that I would normally read but I absolutely cannot wait to see this story through. This feels like an amalgamation of Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Agatha Christie...and I love it.

A Drop of Corruption carries on the story of the 2 main characters as they work on solving a particularly gruesome murder. This story feels especially dense, but not in an unreadable way. More in a way of very heavy storytelling and character exposition. The pace and writing moves well, and the descriptions are extremely graphic. If you have a weak stomach you may have to skim over some undesireable descriptions of eating.

The ending is left in such a way that a 3rd book is obvious. And a few new characters have been added to the story which I'm certain will play heavily in the next book. I'm absolutely looking forward to continue in this universe and may even look into some of the author's work.

"You know, you are not a stupid person, Din."

"Thank you, ma'am," I said, pleased.

"Or, rather, not an unusually stupid person."

"Thank you, ma'am," I said, far less pleased.

Ana and Din return in this solid installment in the Shadow of the Leviathan series, investigating another puzzler of a crime.

The events of this book take place in a different corner of the fantasy world than those of book one, but magical corruption and contagion are still things to watch out for. The Empire is in negotiations with the kingdom of Yarrow regarding its impending annexation when a member of the Imperial treasury goes missing from a locked room at the top of a tower, parts of him later found floating in the canals. Once Ana and Din arrive to look into the matter, they come to realize they are pitted against a mastermind of uncanny intelligence and the ability to parse patterns and predict their next moves before they themselves even know what they plan to do.

The investigation sees our unusual duo team up with the local wardens led by a woman named Malo, and an organization of Apoths tasked with obtaining the reagents that provide the people of this fantasy world with their special augmentations directly from the corpses of the dreaded leviathans. We also delve more into Din's circumstances, his desire to return to Talgaray in service to the Legion in order to both be a hero and to be closer to his lover, as well as into the mystery of what, exactly, Ana is that allows her to accomplish the things she does.

The mystery was good and twisty, and the writing amusing, and the lessons once again go beyond magical mayhem to say something about the ills that come part and parcel with society. I will certainly continue reading on on this series to see what Ana and Din find themselves dealing with next.

My review has been posted on Goodreads, and I will post it on my blog (jessicacrawfordwrites.com) on March 18th, 2025, and will share it on my Instagram site (@shelfesteem101) around the same time.

As someone who considered "The Tainted Cup" one of their favourite reads of the year, A Drop of Corruption was a great follow up.

Din feels more fleshed out and "real" than in the previous entry, with just the right amount of background information shared to understand his motivations.
Ana continues to be be an absolute delight. Many books can struggle with "genius" characters coming across as perceptive and intellectually superior as Ana does in a genuine fashion (i.e without dumbing down other characters), however this never feels like the case in A Drop of Corruption and the results are extremely entertaining.
The newly introduced Apoth Signum; Malo was also a great addition to the book, funny without just being the character relief and a character I hope to see more of in future series entries.

You can tell there was meticulous planning in the plot, with a ideal amount of foreshadowing, where the reader can start forming hypotheses about the mystery, without being handed the solution on a platter.

The book itself is set in Yarrow, a Kingdom that is set to become a state of the Empire. I really enjoyed the political dynamic between The Empire and Yarrow Kingdom in which the book is based. This is not a typical dynamic that you see in fantasy and was much more interesting than seeing a typical Conquering Empire seize control via all out war. We also got insights into the Shroud which were creepy in the best way.

Overall a really great second novel, one that left me with more desire to know about the Leviathans and the Empire. Would absolutely recommend this and cannot wait to read the next one.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for providing me with an ARC.
Shadow of Leviathan is a brilliant series and I think what is the best part is we can follow all we read and can figure out the culprits too.
To say of our characters they are a delight old and new ones alike. Everyone is written so well and with such varying details.
Din can complain all he wants that Ana is erratic but he too is resourceful in an unexpected manner which is what makes them such a wonderful pair. This time Din's more family background was given as well as his confusion on his and the Iudex' contribution to the empire was a very good touch especially given the plot.
Ana, exceptional Ana, who has always been more than she shows and is so unashamedly herself. But it was such a poignant moment when the work took toll on her and the revelations she left for Din about herself, has brought them closer.
Malo was a wonderful addition to our delightful cast of characters. Her personality, principles truly shone through.
All in all a must read for all myster and thriller lovers

I loved Robert Jackson Bennett's "The Tainted Cup." It was a book that got me out of a reading slump of sorts. When I saw "A Drop of Corruption" available to read, I wanted to read it as soon as able.

It did not disappoint. I am not one who remembers details of books after months have gone by, but I felt like as soon as I started reading, it was I had just finished the first book in the series and no time had passed.

This book opens with Signum Dinios Kol, who is augmented to be an engraver, someone who record mentally all kinds of details, which works well for investigations. The Iudex has sent Kol to a Yarrowdale which is not quite part of the Empire, yet. A murder has been committed which is why he is there. He is to investigate and record what has happened before his senior Ana Dolabra arrives.

I enjoyed the opening third of the story a lot. The set up and setting is great. I really liked the addition of the blunt yet pragmatic Signum Malo who is from Yarrow. She is very relatable and plays well as a contrast to Kol, who can seem a little passive at times, and to Ana, who like the Holmesian master investigator can get a little annoying.

The Shroud which is where the Leviathans are harvested of their valuable parts is a very interesting element of the plot.

The machinations did get a little worn and overwrought once I got past the half-way point. Ana dropping f-bombs, which bugged me in the first still bother as they kicked me right out of the story. Fortunately,the last third is loads of bonkers fun in the same way I find Midsomer Murders can be bonkers fun when the pieces all start to fall together. It is very convoluted and convenient but very entertaining too.

I probably would rate "The Tainted Cup" over "A Drop of Corruption" overall, but this was still a very satisfying sophomore entry to the series and I honestly hope that Signum Malo is not disappeared and she shows up in future installments.

I loved this sequel; it has all the magic and mystery of the original plus some new revelations about Din and his employer, Ana. The setting is great, the new side characters are fantastic, the lore of the leviathan and the kingdom of Yarrow are fascinating. I'm not usually a huge fantasy fan, but I would read many more books in this series. They are so enjoyable, both as mysteries and as stories that follow our main character's journey through this fantasy world.

I really enjoyed this new case of Din and Ana! Thw case takes Din and Ana to Yarrow, a very hot and dirty Town that is not yet part of the Empire. Malo, a local Apoth, supports Din in his envestigations as they try to find out how the murder happened. There are some very interesting themes and twist, some of which I predicted! We also get to know more about Ana and Din and I feel likewe are being set up for a lot more books and I hope we will find out more about the leviathans and maybe where they come from!

For me it had bit of a slow start (same as the first book), but I really enjoyed this and also loved the conclusion :) !

I love Din and Anna and their relationship and how it's evolving, and Malo was also a very nice addition to the team for this case! I am excited to continue the series!

I was so excited for the sequel to the tainted cup, and it did not disappoint! The twists and turns were shocking all along the way and getting more backstory on Ana is making the whole world come together. I am so curious how this is going to end

If you thought Ana and Din's last investigation was difficult, their current investigation is even more challenging. What seems like a relatively simple investigation into the death of a Treasury official in the backwater kingdom of Yarrow quickly becomes more complex and confusing. The investigation will reveal secret plans that could have profound consequences for Yarrow and for the Empire. The plot is incredibly complex and will leave the reader guessing. The story will also provide some possible clues into what lies behind Ana's eccentricities and investigative acumen.