Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

Dinios Kol is THE disaster bisexual and I am here for all of it.

4.5/5 ⭐️ Only issue I had was the pacing. Next please!!!

It's not an exaggeration to say that this book was at the top of my most anticipated releases of 2025, and when I saw the notification in my inbox that I had received a copy, I screamed like I had won a million and immediately started reading.

Although I liked this book less than the previous one, it was impossible to put it down. The plot twists from the first pages and immediately draws us into a whirlpool of mysteries and secrets. I grew up on Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle detectives, so it wasn't hard for me to figure out the culprit. But I had my doubts until the very end, because it was too... predictable? I couldn't believe that our killer was who I thought he was. But when I read the author's note, I realized that this was the intention. In order to reveal the essence of this story, the murderer had to be only this character. And although I was disappointed from a detective point of view, from an idea's point of view, I could not help but applaud the author.

From the very first book, I was most interested in Ana's story, the mystery of her origin, her extraordinary abilities and talents, and I am very glad this book has lifted the veil over this mystery. I'm looking forward to the next book even more, and hope that it will give more answers and reveal more secrets of this world.

P.S. I really hope that in the third book we will meet our favorite Captain because I was a little disappointed not to see the continuation of his relationship with Din.

A deeply complex, layered mystery set in a richly developed fantasy world with living, breathing characters. I adore Din and Ana—they’re truly complex and well fleshed out. The story kept me hooked from start to finish, and the ending was both satisfying and thought-provoking, leaving just enough unanswered to make me eager for the next installment. One of my favorite fantasy series, and I can’t wait to see these characters again!

If you loved [book:The Tainted Cup|150247395], you'll love this. If you haven't read The Tainted Cup, what are you waiting for? Stop reading this review and pick up that book immediately. Come back when you're done.

Ready? Ok, let's go.

Our new favorite crime solving duo is back at it and this time the stakes are even higher. We have a killer killing, a potential targeted attack on the Shroud (a place where they do...important things that I will not disclose), and new political disputes where pretty much everyone acts suspiciously! I don't even want to divulge much more than that for fear of spoiling anything. I've found these books best to go into almost completely blind.

So, what <i>can</i> I say?

▪️The big world building gets even <b>bigger.</b> And <b>more complex.</b>
▪️There's a whole new cast of characters with new skills/magics.
▪️The relationship between Ana and Din continues to develop. And never fear - the adorable banter and admiration between the two that we savored in the first book is still there. We learn more about each character individually as well, and I'm already excited to see how these developments affect the next book.
▪️The vibe here is still very Sherlock/Watson or many of Agatha Christie's - except with a way cooler world.
▪️This book did one thing the first one did not: <b>it made me tear up.</b> So I guess now I can't deny I'm emotionally invested.

You'll have to pay close attention - this is a fun read but also a slightly challenging one with intricate layers - but the pay-off for doing so is so very worth it. Not all authors can succeed in creating distinct characters <i>and</i> atmosphere/worlds, but Robert Jackson Bennett nails both. There are beautiful, highly detailed descriptions of both the world and the characters, and it is well worth reading every single word to both capture these descriptions and feel like you're <b>in</b> the story and to try to solve the mystery before Ana does (good luck and trust no one, my friends!).

<i>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.</i>

My many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for providing me with a digital ARC of this book.

<b>5 Stars</b>

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett is the highly anticipated sequel to The Tainted Cup, which is a book I feel like only ever see positive reviews of and it’s also a great beginner fantasy novel.

I was so excited to pick up the sequel and I’m so happy that it did not disappoint! We are back with Ana and Din as they are solving another mystery. More of the world and what is going on is discovered while the characters are solving the main mystery.

One thing I love about this series is how easy it is to recommend to people. It’s got a lot going for it. Mystery, fantasy, great characters, a well thought out magic system that is pretty easy to understand. This series is great for anyone who loved the Sherlock tv show and wanted more of that vibe but make it fantasy. There is so much humor in this book as well which helps balance it out.

I think there were a couple stretches of this book that dragged a bit around the middle. I know it’s important information but I found myself a little bored. And while a lot of the world opened up, I didn’t feel like Ana or Din really grew as characters. I would have loved a little more depth from them.

I did really enjoy this book overall and will continue to recommend this series!

“But is he a villain, or simple political swine? It is often hard to tell those two apart.”

In the second book in The Shadow of the Leviathan series Imperial Investigator Ana Dolabra and her assistant, Dinias Kol are sent to unravel a locked room mystery set in far off Yarrowdale. I loved the extremely deep and evocative world building of the first book, The Tainted Cup, and Bennett continues and expands that in A Drop of Corruption.

The writing is masterful, both beautiful and witty. All of the characters are fascinating with all their quirks, eccentricities, and inner demons. I particularly liked the Yarrow Warden Tira Malo, a new character that I’d love to see more of.

The mystery is complex and multifaceted and kept me guessing throughout the story.
As with book one, the story is grotesque, bordering on horror, yet also funny, poignant, and at times, profound.

I loved the exchanges between Din and the brilliant but strange Ana. And I especially loved the ending. The world they inhabit is unique and there are a lot of new ideas, names, titles and jargon used. I quickly got used to it, but it’s a bit confusing at the beginning.

I would definitely recommend starting with the first book that introduces the characters and some of the ideas. The world building is dense and is better understood from the beginning.

What can I say about RJB? He’s an incredible author who crafts the most phenomenal books! After diving into *The Tainted Cup*, I was hooked and became an ardent fan. I eagerly awaited a whole year to get my hands on *A Drop of Corruption*, and I can't thank NetGalley enough for the arc—A Drop of Corruption might just top *The Tainted Cup*, and that’s saying something since I gave that book a solid 5 stars!

We’re reunited with our lovable Din and the delightfully quirky Anna, who find themselves thrust into a gripping murder investigation. RJB excels at building an intricate world, and I absolutely love how well-structured the story is. The side characters and their arcs add incredible depth. The political intrigue keeps me on my toes, and I’m continually amazed by how seamlessly all the crimes intertwine with the politics—it’s a masterclass in storytelling! This isn’t simply a tale of vengeance, love, or loss; it’s laced with fantasy, politics, magic and corruption. And let's not forget about the side characters—RJB has crafted an amazing cast that elevates the narrative and adds layers of intrigue!

With Din and Anna growing more comfortable with each other, their banter is absolutely epic! I found myself laughing out loud at their witty exchanges, and dare I say, Anna is particularly spicy in this installment!

If I had to offer a tiny critique, it would be that while I adore the world-building, the book could perhaps have been 30 pages shorter—but honestly, I’m still mulling over this point.

And RJB, a special shoutout for the language of the Yarrow people! Was it inspired by Hindi? It was such a wonderful touch, and the translations flowed perfectly as they would in Hindi. I truly appreciate the effort that must have gone into that!

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for granting me this opportunity—I’m so grateful!

Without a doubt, this book deserves 5 stars… no, wait—5.1 stars!

What really stood out to me while reading A Drop of Corruption was the unfolding of the mystery. A lot of times while reading a mystery, the path to the answer feels unclear or the protagonist has access to information that the reader doesn't, making it near impossible to figure out what's going to happen. Now, I totally understand readers that don't want to ending to be painfully transparent but I think Bennett fully doges those accusations. Din, through the nature of his augmentations, has perfect recall of what's being said, giving the reader a nudge to pay attention to all the small details as well. I guessed and was spot on about 90% of what unfolds, and I credit that to a dealing of out of information that gave power to both Din and the reader to figure out what was going down.

Ultimately, it made the book more fun. I had a little paper and pen with me as I read, trying to see if I could crack the case.

What I was not expecting was a divisive critique of of autocracy. Fantasy as a genre is often obsessed with kingdoms, divine right, and the chosen few who will save everyone. Yet, Ana and Din, are not those characters. Din spends most of the book moping around, stuck feeling like the work he is doing isn't enough. Ana comes at him with this banger of a line, “Because you are a reasonably smart boy. I suspect you shall come to realize what many Iudexii eventually learn—that though the Legion defends our Empire, it falls to us to keep an Empire worth defending.” It is their small works, in the face of a large bureaucracy, that allows them to make a difference in their crazy world.

Bennett's authors note is a must read.

Din, our bisexual disaster of a main character, is the one place where I felt like this story really stumbled. The first person narration puts us in his head but I never felt a strong emotional connection to him. It was a weird feeling and one that wasn't present to this degree in the first book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House / Del Rey for providing me with a digital ARC

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, and Inklore | Del Rey for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the Holmes-Watson relationship between Ana Dolabra and Dinios Kol in “The Tainted Cup” and was very interested to see what their next big mystery would be. The maps at the beginning were extremely helpful! As a visual learner, I really appreciated their inclusion since I can easily get lost when characters travel to several different cities and sites in a story.

Unlike the first book where Din was just starting out as Ana’s assistant and was very anxious and ridged, he’s much more relaxed in the role and willing to self-indulge during this story. While I enjoyed the first book, I liked this second book even better since less was about main character introductions and more time was spent delving deeper into the characters and solving the mystery. Also, I just preferred this book’s mystery to the first book’s, so it held my interest longer.

Like the first book, I was a bit lost at times and found some interactions and scenes hard to follow, so I dropped one star for that, but the story was so clever, complex, and skillfully written that it well made up for the confusing bits. The story really picked up about half-way through, and I literally could not finish this book fast enough to figure out who the killer was and, of course, all the details from Ana.

Overall, I highly recommend this fantastically thrilling story to any adult to loves a good Sherlock Holmes-style mystery with a big twist of Sci-Fi and fantasy!

Robert Jackson Bennett’s first introduced as to Ana Dolabra and her assistant, Din, in The Tainted Cup. That book was such a mind-bending genre mash-up of sci-fi and classic detective story, that I couldn’t wait to read what he came up with next. What he came up with next was wild and disturbing and added a third genre to the mash up - horror.

This book was disturbingly sensuous in the sense of fully occupying the senses – it was dark, bloody, smelly, and filled with decadently disturbing imagery of gruesome deaths, gluttonous feasts, and diabolical natural elements.

This one didn’t feel quite as Sherlockian to me as the first book, but we do indeed have a mystery to solve. In fact, we have several. The relationship between Din and Ana has matured a bit in this one, as their partnership is no longer new. We also learn a little more about each of them as individuals, which I enjoyed. The author’s characterization of Ana is complex, disturbing, and lands just on the right side of the line for me; she is not quite likeable, but she is at least as a sympathetic character.

I will admit to not liking this one quite as much as the first. I think that is largely due to this being book two, and already knowing what to expect in this bizarre world. I feel as though the author took what worked in book one and ran with it a bit too much. It was too long, Ana’s idiosyncrasies were too exaggerated, the disturbing scenes were too disturbing, there were too many plot tangents. Still, I find myself eagerly awaiting the third book in the series. It is clear that there is a lot more to be explored in each of these characters and in this fantastical universe.

I simply loved this, even more than the first book in the tainted cup series. So much about this book was so successful, including the plot, pacing, twist, and characters. I was completely engaged the whole time and couldn’t wait to pick the book back up. The twists!! The turns!!! The mystery. So completely and wonderfully done, the various mysteries so convoluted but also resolved so completely. I think this is some of the best the fantasy genre has to offer, loved it so much! Cannot wait for the next one.

The authors note is also a must read and helps to understand autocracy and how our feelings about autocracy in fantasy are reflected in modern day politics.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Tainted Cup was one of my favorite books of 2024, and I’ve been dying for the sequel A Drop of Corruption ever since. The second novel finds Din and Ana in Yarrow, a far-flung kingdom on the edge of the Empire that is nevertheless key to the Empire’s survival. A Drop of Corruption shines in its expanding and very rich world-building, complicated politics, and twisty mystery. Robert Jackson Bennet expertly spins out the mystery from its initial smaller crime - a Treasury representative found murdered in strange circumstances - into a complex web of crime, politics, and magic/science. While not quite as good as the first book, it’s still a 5 star read for me, and I can’t wait for another clever Ana and Din adventure.

Ana and Din are back at it, but Ana may have met her match. They're in Yarrowdale, a city at the edge of the Empire - half way empire and half way under control of the Yarrowdale King. There have been discussions about Yarrowdale officially becoming part of the empire - unfortunately a death of the most curious nature takes place during the negotiations. Enter Ana and Din on their never-ending quest to solve the insolvable. It's a locked room mystery with the killer completing tasks that, previously, were deemed impossible. So incredibly fun.

Review:

If you enjoyed the first book, I don't see this sequel being a disappointment. The writing and tone of the story reminds me of if Knives Out and Glass Onion were fantasy and Benoit Blanc was an enhanced older lady. And I say that with the most love possible. It's serious and has gruesome and horrible depictions of death. There are characters who are the definition of depravity. Yet it still somehow maintains such an upbeat and kind of funny way of telling the story. You have a gruesome and dreary atmosphere that's told in a slew of comments that genuinely made me giggle. Out loud.

"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.

Let's start with Ana and Din because they are, quite honestly, what makes these books absolutely perfect. Ana, this old woman with substance use issues and some manic tendencies, absolutely obsessed with finding patterns and solving issues. Din, this younger (?) guy who is a bisexual king, sleeping with whoever is willing to let him smash in order to find peace at night and be able to sleep. There's something about seeing two people who are the polar opposites getting along and being just about the only people to fully accept one another. Watching the calm and 'normal' one handle the very not normal one with an air of almost begrudged amusement or even just being the only one able to roll with it is something I eat up every single time.

Though she slept before me like a child, this frail white thing remained beyond me. I gently lifted her blindfold from her nightstand and tucked it about her eyes again. "For when you wake, ma'am," I said softly. Then I left.

This book has the main mystery of solving the murder(s) and find the culprit. It's mysterious and interesting - I tried to guess what I thought was going on at 25%, 50%, and 70%. I will say I was partially right on one guess and there are moments that could lead you - roughly - to the right conclusion. But Ana's ending monologues laying out how the killer did the killing (and the why) are always perfection. It's dramatic and funny and absolutely bonkers. Loved every minute of it. Think of the ending of Knives Out and Glass Onion, where Benoit Blanc does his monologues and that's exactly what Ana's feel like, except she's also somehow a little more sinister.

Din is struggling throughout this whole book. He wants a different job to be with the man who stole his heart in the first book and also have a job that feels more important and potentially more rewarding. But there are circumstances that hold him where he is and he doesn't feel like he can tell anyone about it. He's sleeping with anyone willing just about every single night because he can't find enough peace to sleep without doing so. He's struggling and he's struggling pretty hard but trying to keep his head above water. He's trying to find his place throughout this entire thing and, surprise surprise, Ana is completely aware of it. She gives him advice and comfort in the only way that makes sense for Ana, but it makes absolutely no sense to Din until later. It's fantastic seeing Din grow to see the importance in what he does towards the end of the book. Even if he isn't in love with it just yet, he grows to see why his job is needed and why Ana might need him.

Then she reached out, fumbled to find me, took me by the hand, and squeezed it: the first time she'd ever done so in my memory. "Then I thank you, Dinios Kol," she said quietly. "I hope I shall be an instrument of service to you, just as much as you are to me. And..I can hardly think of a better watchman than you. I shall keep you close - for though you and I are small, together we can forge grand things indeed."

Ana is a mystery in and of herself. She's manic. She's bonkers. She's is terrifying. You see hints of what she may be throughout the story, with her doing even more insane things than she did in the first novel. The reader gets a hint of how her augmentations affect her more in this and how intense it can be. I'm so excited to read more about her and what she is and what she's gone through - I truly hope her mystery is one that continues to be unraveled as we go. And it was so incredibly interesting to see how she reacted to having someone who appeared nearly as intelligent and spooky as her running around. It was even better for her to realize the killer had no huge, grand, outrageous reasoning and be so incredibly disappointed by how small it all really was.

I've already touched on the mystery, which I can't talk too much about without spoiling it. I found it to be satisfying, even if Ana didn't. The atmosphere and picture of Nature taking over and being this incredibly dangerous thing in this world and how grotesque it can be really lends to the almost gothic, foggy, and spooky atmosphere to the mystery itself. Even though the writing style is more upbeat, it allows itself to slow down when the time calls for it. I loved every piece of this book. The only critique I really have is towards the writing with Ana cussing nearly every other sentence. There are time when it feels like her natural speak and other times when it feels forced. I can also see how this isn't for everyone. It is fantasy, but it's an investigative mystery first. And if you're looking for something a little more serious or don't like Benoit Blanc's movies, then I don't know if you'd enjoy this either. For me, it's nearly perfect.

I would love to know if you've read the first book and what you thought about it if you have. Do you plan on picking this one up when it comes out? I've already preordered a physical copy so that I can add in my annotations.

"This work can never satisfy, Din, because 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 aways persist. The duty of Iudex is not to boldly vanquish it but to manage it. We keep the stain from spreading, yes, but it is never gone. Yet this job is perhaps the most important in all the Iyalets, for without it, well...the Empire would come to look much like Yarrow, where all the powerful and cruel prevail without check. And tell me - does that realm look capable of fighting off a Leviathan? "

5/5 stars!
Thank you netgalley for this beautiful arc!

RJB is back again, this time with his most anticipated book, 'A Drop of Corruption', the second book in his 'Shadow of the Leviathan' series.

In this gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup, we yet again follow the wonderful mastermind and detective Ana Dolabra and her diligent and attentive assistant Dinios Kol.
This time, their duty takes them to Yarrowdale, home of the empire's priceless invention, the 'shroud', whose sole purpose is to extract the blood of the great and fallen titans to harness their magic.
Ana and Din are tasked to investigate the disappearance of a treasury officer who seems to have vanished into thin air, from his room.
They soon realize that it's not just any disappearance that they are dealing with, but a cold-blooded murder.
When the killer himself does not seem like any ordinary criminal, but one that can predict their every move, Ana Dolabra seems to have finally met her match in prowess and wit.
Spilling of the murders
investigation into the mysterious activities of the shroud enlightens them about the dangerous criminal plot that threatens to unravel the very security of the empire.

This book was an engrossing and wonderful read that constantly kept me on the edge of my seat!
The plot was invigorating and remained true to its genre of mystery and thriller.
This was a skillfully written book that kept me guessing till the very end about the identity of the killer!
RJB's skill with writing is second to none and he has quickly become one of my favorite writers.

If you're looking for a murder mystery with a world so full of magical possibilities and multiple political systems that it keeps you guessing right up until the end then this one is for you.

I dropped a star because I found that it dragged a little around the 30-50% progress mark and I would've liked to have seen Din's character develop more. He goes through a lot in this book but the emotional impact of it all is barely shown. That said, I have found myself dreaming about being in this amazing world and can't wait to find out more about it as the series continues.

I would also LOVE to see this as an anime series!

A Drop of Corruption is the sequel of Robert Jackson Bennett’s Tainted Cup and follows in quite the same vibe. It’s a high fantasy novel following Inspector Ava and her assistant Din as they solve an impossible mystery. Both books in this series thus far can be a little hard to follow, but the magic is fascinating and the thought processes intriguing. That said, the book might have been improved with more emotion to it. It’s a very intellectual read.

Every governing body has key assets that are vital to their operation. The Shroud is quite possibly the most vital asset in the entire Empire. The Shroud is used to dissect Titans, harness their blood, and eventually develop the grafts that help to empower and defend the Empire. It exists in an undesirable location known as Yarrowdale. Yarrowdale is a land led by a King and not formerly part of the Empire. In the shadow of the Shroud an inexplicable crime has taken place. It seems a treasury officer has disappeared from a locked room in a high building. However things are more than they seem and the only ones who can get to the bottom of this are Investigator Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol.

A Drop of Corruption was an interesting mystery with a flare of fantasy. Ana and Din investigate what happened to the Empire's treasury officer and it quickly becomes a chess match full of murder, sabotage, and the unexplainable. Ana once again plays the role of eccentric detective while her fairly straight-laced assistant Din goes out into the word to gather information for her. The duo is the strength of the story. Ana is fascinating and terrifying at the same time while Din is relatable as a sort of every man in the face of insanity.

One of the struggles I have with this book is the lack of knowledge I have as a reader. I don't know the world well enough to know what the many reagents and axioms are capable of. That is challenging because the book is a fantasy mystery. It would be helpful to know what's possible as that hasn't been established ahead of time. I also don't truly know the characters outside of Din and Ana to even know who to suspect. A part of the fun with mysteries is trying to solve it alongside the characters. When a character we know nothing about is the culprit, that is less engaging. We are forced to trust that Ana's astute observations are correct even before they are proven because we have little else to fall back on.

A Drop of Corruption was a fine story, even though it didn't fully hit the mark for me.

3 out of 5 stars

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as The Tainted Cup. The mystery wasn't as good. We find out who did it pretty early into the book. And I didn't like Din as much.

Another fabulous mystery from Robert Jackson Bennett. Ava and Din continue to be a lovably frustrating duo and I will continue to read their stories as long as they continue to be published. I continue to hope for more and more lore in this world, and its being given piece by piece, slowly as the story progresses. I know the author has to keep secrets or we wouldn't keep coming back, but this world is so rich, I want to see all the details laid out.

I felt extremely validated when I picked out the first "twist" almost immediately, and then the story went down about 18 rabbit holes I never expected. The mystery felt realistic in the sense that in pursuit of their criminal, things continued to go awry and the unexpected would happen. I appreciated seeing a bit more of Ava's human side, or at least a sense that she is not completely unshakable. I can't wait to discover more of the background that was hinted at towards the end and how it plays into the larger story of the series.

The character interactions both between Ava and Din and between Din and Malo were some of the best parts of this story and while I know we'll continue to see Din and Ava interact, I hope we also get to see the return of Malo's character as well.

I'm not sure what the planned length of this series is, but based on the ability of each of these books to be generally read as a standalone, I have hope that the author will continue the series past a trilogy.

4.5 rounded up

Thank you to the author, publishers, and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy. I do appreciate it. All thoughts, to the best of my ability, are still my own.

I was a big fan of The Tainted Cup when I read it a few months ago. It was a fun and well balanced synthesis of mystery, action, and worldbuilding. The cool biopunk world was the real standout - everything felt fungal and planty and with a slight tinge of body horror through the whole thing. It really felt like a world on the edge.

The sequel, while still enjoyable, does suffer a bit from "second book syndrome". The ideas just feel less fresh, and the novelty has worn off. I can't speak objectively, but the biology stuff doesn't _feel_ like it pervades the world as much here. As opposed to deepest darkest Talgeray, Yarrow feels bright and airy and more . . . normal.

The mystery elements are also toned down somewhat. While the first book wasn't a pure mystery, and more of a thriller, it did have some fun detective aspects. Here, other than the initial murder, there isn't so much detectiving as I would like. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the action scenes, and chasing around the place after our villain. While there was a central "mystery" of who the villian was and his plans, it didn't quite scratch the same itch for me. Personal preference.

In terms of characters, Din and Ana remain fun and interesting, and Malo is a great addition to the team. I didn't find Thelenai, Kardos, Darhai and the rest as compelling as the supporting cast of the previous book. Again, it's hard to say if they're not as interesting, the novelty has worn off, or simply that I read the last one at Christmas!

Negative comparisons aside, I still quite enjoyed this. A real easy-reader, with good pacing. I especially enjoyed the first half, with some fun police procedural snooping culminating in an Apocalypse Now style trip up the canals and into the jungle. Once the mysteries other than "what is his next move" are solved, my interest waned some, but it was still good.

I'm interested to see where the author takes the series in the future, with some hints to the overall Empire being worked in over these two books. I would be more than happy to continue to read a simple detective "crime of the year" series, but I suspect he is aiming for me than that with all the effort going into all the things other than the investigations. We shall have to wait and see!