I loved the tainted cup so I was very excited for this ARC! I have always loved RJB’s world building, character development, and writing style. Sometimes I get nervous with the second book in a trilogy (or a series) not living up to the hype of the first book. But this one really delivered! I loved it and I can’t wait for book 3!

The main reason that I rated book one of this series 4.5/5 stars was because I was so confused for a good part of the novel. It's an entirely new world with many fantasy concepts and I struggled to get them to make sense in my mind. For whatever reason, I didn't have that problem with this book - maybe the residual knowledge was in the back of my brain, despite having read the first one about a year ago. I felt fully present within the narrative and had considerably fewer questions about the world-building, which added to my reading experience.

Din and Ana remain amazing characters, and I enjoyed the addition of Malo in this book. I love their dynamics and Ana's "aha!" moment monologues are some of the most enjoyable parts of the series.

I wish we would have gotten more emotional, "quieter" moments, as this was a very fast-paced novel, but I did enjoy the quickness of the investigation and the constant twists and turns. It was very engaging and I was eager to find out what happened next.

My main concern (and I don't even know if you can call this a concern, per se) is that this book doesn't have an overarching plot that connects it to the first book. It's another investigation featuring Din and Ana; from what I remember, there were very few callbacks to book one. Will there be an overarching narrative for all of the books in the series that connects them in some way? I did expect the big bad in this book to be somehow related to book one, then in book three, they could work to fix a Big Problem or something, but that wasn't the case. It's like in some television series where the episdes all have seperate plots but have the same characters -- that's what this book felt like. Not a bad thing, but I'm eager to see the direction that the next book is taken in.

I'm so happy that I got to read this book!

Loved The Tainted Cup when I read it earlier this year, and this follow up is just as high-quality and gripping. I loved returning to Kol's world and getting more information on how the Empire interacts with other countries and governments. This installment also fleshed out the characters in new ways, which was fun to see. The post-script by the author made me like the book and his subject choices even more. Can't recommend enough!

Blurb Review: A step up from the first, A Drop Of Corruption deepens the world and characters established in The Tainted Cup and delivers a largely satisfying mystery.

Worldbuilding: 10/10
This world is fascinating and compelling and creepy and odd and wondrous and the best parts of the novel are those spent immersed in the world Bennett has built.

Characters: 7.5/10
The dynamic between Ana and Dinios is the heartbeat of this novel and works so well. Malo is a strong addition. The supporting cast are mostly very good with a couple standouts.
One mark that drops my score here slightly is the handling of one character's conclusion - trying to speak in the vaguest terms, there is a character arrested at the end in a way that feels disingenuous - I believe it's supposed to come across as their comeuppance for their deeds but does not strike me that way at all.

Plot: 8/10
The mystery moves very well with many twists and turns. There were a couple pacing issues for me - for example, the inevitable wrap-up where everything is explained felt like it was possibly located in the wrong place, but that could just be me.
Also impacting the ending of the novel for me was the fact that I predicted the solution - which is a rarity for me in mystery novels! My wild theories generally are far from accurate, but here I got it right and found that because guess was correct, the explanations at the end felt redundant to me since I had figured them out. It undercut the drama and left me feeling a little underwhelmed with the ending, but I expect this wouldn't be the case for readers who make a different guess at the solution than I did!

Overall Investment/Emotional Impact: 7.5/10
I was very invested in the world and mystery. Not much emotional impact, but I certainly enjoyed the book.

Writing/Prose: 7.5/10
Solid for the most part! At times things got a bit explainy, or certain pieces of info were repeated when I felt they didn't need to be. But scenes were described very well, especially the crime scenes and biological happenings.

Rating: 4 stars

Content Warning: A decent amount of swearing, a hint of horror, and an early sensual scene with some descriptive language, followed by mentions of a couple other intimate encounters (the main character is male and is intimate with both a man and a woman at separate times).

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m thrilled to have received an early copy of A Drop of Corruption! This sequel is more episodic, more intuitive than its predecessor, mixing genres of mystery and fantasy that I didn’t even know were possible. If anyone is looking for a good read, here it is.

A Drop of Corruption is the sequel to The Tainted Cup. It is another fascinating murder mystery set in the same fantasy world.

An and Din are Sherlock-Watson like investigators in imperial service who must solve multiple murders in a province that is scheduled to be incorporated by the empire. Can the unmask the killer before the death toll rises?

I'm addicted to this fantasy thriller series, and I can honestly read dozens of sequel books as long as Robert Jackson Bennett keeps writing them. Thankfully, one of the quirkiest and most unusual investigation duos with unique searching skills and powers is back: Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a huge round of applause to Anna Dolabra and Dinios Koll, who are back to work on the strangest case about a victim in a locked room, possibly killed by a ghost-like perpetrator who passes through warded doors of a high tower, leaving no trace, no murder weapon behind, and seemingly serving the empire's political chess game in choosing a Treasury Officer.

Robert Jackson Bennett does it again with A Drop of Corruption, the kind of fantasy-mystery that grips you from the first page and refuses to let go. Ana Dolabra, the Empire’s most unconventional investigator, and her loyal but increasingly overwhelmed assistant, Din Kol, are called upon to untangle a case that defies all logic: a Treasury officer vanishes from a secured room with no exit and no sign of foul play—at least at first glance.

What starts as a puzzling disappearance soon spirals into something far darker, with Ana and Din chasing a perpetrator who seems to walk through solid barriers and anticipate their every move. Bennett seamlessly combines an impossible mystery with the broader machinations of a crumbling Empire, whose very survival hinges on the mysterious power drawn from the remains of titanic creatures. As the investigation takes them deeper into this dangerous world, the duo’s bond is tested by political scheming, escalating chaos, and an enemy who may finally be smarter than even Ana herself.

Ana is a marvel of a character—chaotic, whip-smart, and never predictable. Her wild intelligence is offset beautifully by Din’s humanity and quiet tenacity. While Ana’s brilliance keeps the case moving, Din’s quieter moments of vulnerability, humor, and doubt give the story its emotional center. Their dynamic is sharp, entertaining, and never feels stale—equal parts bickering and unspoken trust.

Bennett’s world-building is extraordinary, with a setting so vivid it feels alive. The decaying grandeur of the Empire, the eerie presence of leviathan remains, and the layered political tensions all create an atmosphere that’s rich and textured without being overwhelming. Each piece of the puzzle is laid with precision, leading to a finale that feels both surprising and inevitable—one of those endings that makes you want to reread just to see how cleverly the clues were hidden in plain sight.

A Drop of Corruption stands out for its ability to combine thrilling tension, sharp wit, and an unforgettable setting. It’s a story that delivers on every front: a page-turning mystery, compelling characters, and a world you won’t want to leave. I’m already impatient for the next book because if this series continues at this level, it’s destined to become a modern fantasy classic.

A flawless mix of intrigue and imagination—this book is a triumph. I'm giving my blazing highly deserved five stars!

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for sharing this amazing sequel's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

One of the things I really liked about the first book and which continues in this book is the amazing worldbuilding. Technically these stories are murder mysteries, but because of the richness of the worldbuilding, they are so much more in depth than that. In the first book, Ana and Din seemed to be operating on a tangent to some of the larger issues in the empire, especially the Leviathan. In this book, they get more involved with what happens with the Leviathan and are technically in a land outside the empire.

The story was fascinating with lots of twists and turns and extremely well told. I did feel that the characters were a bit flat in that there wasn't a lot of growth and development. We do learn more about Ana and her abilities though there are still lots of questions to potentially be answered in the next book. And Din does do a little more looking into what he wants to do with his life. But the character growth didn't feel quite as rich as the worldbuilding. But I am still very much invested in this series and look forward to reading the next book.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett is my most anticipated novel of 2025. So when I saw it appear on NetGalley I leapt at the chance to hopefully read it to cap off my year. I was very fortunate to get approved and I read it in two quick chunks, before and after Wind and Truth. That break did not hamper my enjoyment in the slightest.

While the first book in this series, The Tainted Cup, is likely to be my book of the year, I didn’t like this one quite as much. It’s good, really good, at times but just never maintains the heights I have come to expect. The narrative is fascinating, the mystery gripping and the character work is really good. If I don’t compare this book to the first its a high class fantasy we’ll worthy of your time.

I also have to pat myself on the back for once as I caught the relevant clues along the way and I guessed the end result and the killer! That didn’t ruin my enjoyment either, in fact it’s always fun when you’re even slightly right about the turn of events. What I didn’t particularly enjoy was Ana always working things out without evidence. Why did she always have the next hint? It’s beyond me. But maybe the dropped hints will come to fruition in the last book of the trilogy.

While I didn’t find this book as perfectly crafted as it’s prequel, I ran through it at an accelerated pace and really enjoyed myself. I haven’t read a RJB book that I haven’t liked and this just makes me want to wrap up the Founder’s Trilogy even more desperately as I love the first two books. The mystery presented here was tight if a little drawn out, but I will 100% seek an ARC next year for book 3.

A Drop of Corruption is expected to publish 1 Apr 2025.

Shadow of the Leviathan has quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite series! We see the world get expanded so much more in this follow-up instalment. It’s amazing! The magic and the setting are also very unique and fresh. The characters are complex and extremely well-written. Ana and Din make for compelling main characters.

The mystery keeps you guessing and turning pages. Rather than trying to guess it or get it correct, I just wanted to savour it. The payoff, of course, is satisfying. I haven’t enjoyed a book like this in a long while.

This book felt like it had much higher stakes than book 1, and it’s so much more fast-paced. At the same time, the characters’ motivations also take center stage.

If you like fantasy mysteries or want to get into the genre, I can’t recommend this enough!

A Drop of Corruption is the second book in a series following Ana and Din, investigators for their imperial government, as they travel the empire on assignment to solve mysteries. Their dynamic is somewhat Holmes and Watson, but not, of course, a direct copy. The world is a fantasy world = Robert Jackson Bennett does, as always, a phenomenal job making the world feel old and deeply lived in - and in this second book we learn more about how the leviathan carcasses are used in enhancing people's abilities, and the very human cost of that work.

Ana is, of course, a delight, with her direct manner, rough language, amazing leaps of deduction, and horrifically gross appetite. Din is under a lot of stress - his creditors are after him, he wants to apply to the Legion to defend the wall and achieve glory, he doesn't want to abandon Ana.. and they're assigned to an area of empire which is not, technically, part of the empire. Yet. They're working on it.

The mystery and resolution are absolutely cracking and in this era of "cottagegore" books, this one fits right on in with the rest. Ana and Din work with the locals, and other imperial officers, to untangle QUITE the mystery and conspiracy. I won't say more. If you enjoyed Tainted Cup, you'll want to continue the series. If you didn't enjoy Tainted Cup, read it again, and then read this one too. If you enjoy mysteries, this is not so much a fantasy that you'll be lost in weird terms and strange names and you should pick it up to diversify your books a little more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This biopunk, cosmic horror mystery series keeps on being excellent! I'd expect nothing less from this author.

In this book, Din and eventually Ana are investigating a locked room murder in Yarrow, an independent country with a treaty with their Empire. Although Yarrow is independent in name, the Empire has been making inroads with technology and culture that will make it difficult for Yarrow to survive on its own, although this is a very volatile political matter.

I don't think I can say too much without giving away too much and you'll want to savor this, so I think I'll end up being brief. There are terrifying biological weapons. There is assassination and murder. There is a warden augmented to be able to see, hear, and smell much better than unaugmented humans, who is an aide to Din in this case. Ana is creepy and disturbing and very much enjoying being on the hunt.

There is the Shroud. This is a marine R&D station in the ocean that is designed to allow humans to harvest biological resources from the deadly and incomprehensible leviathans who periodically threaten the coast and all human civilization. It terrifies Din, and anything that terrified Din this much must mean that he has to become involved with it.

Robert Jackson Bennett does love himself an ancient, possibly evil, supergenius intelligence that might return. That begins to show itself in this book too.

This book is much more of a mystery. I rated it less than a 5 because I do love this author's action scenes and there aren't really many set pieces here. The author says that he wrote this book while mulling over the human tendency to want one strong infallible leader who will make everything all right, and the impossibility of that. I wonder what he's talking about. :)

Shadow of the Leviathan #2. This is a stunning series. The first book was brilliant, and this one does not disappoint. Once again we follow the investigation by the truly unique Ana Dolobra and her assistant Dinios Kol (we see most of the action from his point of view). I could spend pages just on the world-building, but will leave it as original, all-encompassing, totally convincing and absolutely mesmerizing. The characters are once again disparate, complex and fascinating, and both Ana and Kol continue to reveal more about themselves as well. And do your mystery loving friends stay away from SF and Fantasy? This one will suck them in. The story begins with a seeming impossible locked room mystery, and twists and turns into knots and mazes, yet all the clues are there. This is an absolute feast on every level. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

This is another wonderfully complex biological sci-fi mystery from Robert Jackson Bennett. The world-building in this book is excellent. The setting and political structures introduced in the first book are expanded upon. I think the author’s note provides a really interesting commentary on political structures, and how fantasy books provide a reflection of public opinion on current events. It felt like reading the secret thesis statement of the book, and was quite insightful.

As far as the plot goes, this book throws everything at the reader quickly and haphazardly. This was on purpose, and the reader has to be ok feeling very confused for a good portion of the book, but the payoff is there. I am so interested by the ending; it is such a choice to pick a conclusion that even the characters find unsatisfactory. In context with the author’s note, however, this choice makes sense — even geniuses are susceptible to small-minded goals or logical pitfalls.

I will say I found the first book more engaging with a greater sense of danger hanging over the book, but this was still excellent.

I do hope the next book focuses a bit more on the characters themselves. Ana and Din are fascinating, and I want to learn more about Ana’s backstory. Also, if Kepheus makes a return in book three, I will not be upset.

Another exceptional book from this author! I was very eager to return to the world of Shadow of the Leviathan and this volume did not disappoint me. Some mysteries were solved, while the underlying riddle of the leviathans and their mutagenic leavings were explored a bit more, leaving some things still to perhaps, maybe be understood in future installments. I found this to be yet another page-turner, very evocative of the unique setting, and highly enjoyable. It left me eager for another volume. Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy!

I love, love, loved the first book in this series, The Tainted Cup. It was wildly original, super well written, and just a blast of fun to read. I can honestly say the same thing about A Drop of Corruption. The world-building in this series is immense, but so well done that you really don't think about it too much. You take in what you need to know at just the right pace, and aren't left floating about in confusion. The Leviathans in question don't appear alive in this book, but their shadow and threat still covers the world and plot.

Ana and Din are fabulous main characters, and the reveal at the end about who (and what) Ana really is was SO well done. It paid off, and I am now anxiously awaiting the next entry in this series. I hope this one is longer than a trilogy, because the way that these books are written means that this could be a nice lengthy series if Bennett so chose. Feels almost like a fantasy Sherlock Holmes sort of deal.

I spent the whole book thinking I had the mystery figured out, but I was entirely wrong. Of course. I'm not that intelligent. BUT STILL. So enjoyable, and I can't recommend this one enough. Easily five stars!

Just finished the ARC copy of this and thought I’d share my review.

Firstly, I’m a tainted cup mega stan. I love the book and recommend it everywhere constantly, it’s a straight 5* for me so I was super excited for book 2. Book 2 definitely delivered but it’s not TTC level and I didn’t expect it to be.

In DoC we follow our two main characters from the first book but also a new character, Malo, an augmented warden who’s got enhanced senses of smell, vision and a very muscular right arm (clean your mind). A man has being murdered, only discovered because the flesh eating turtles already had their fill on other corpses, floating out the empire satellite state of yarrow. Upon investigating this murder, our detective trio discover a body overcome with mutation, growing a tree from the stomach, fish bones from the back and facial overgrowths. It appears they’ve rapidly undergone massive mutation but nothing we know of in the empire can do this. Could this be connected to the shroud, the source of all the empires reagents or is this a wild outpouring of contagion?


In my review of TTC I mentioned how the book feels somehow low stakes even though the world might end. In this book, that feeling is gone completely. It feels very high stakes throughout the entire book, a sense that the entire world could collapse through politics, contagion or just the empire losing its reagents and thus its power. I really enjoyed Malo’s character in this. I feel like in a lot of fantasy books the core struggle the characters face ultimately sources to them being incompetent but here all the characters are exceptionally competent, it’s a battle of wit, strategy and intelligence.

I truly do not know what to say about the ending/epilogue and I’m not talking about the resolution of the case. Iykyk what I’m talking about but I feel like this series could spin into a hundred different alternate universes based on the ending alone so I truly have no idea where the story is going from here. The ending to the actual case I really enjoy and it all made sense with what is drip fed to the reader along the way.


Ultimately, I gave a 4*, will buy the physical and will preorder the next in series.

This ARC was provided to me through NetGalley and the publisher, Del Rey. Thank you for giving me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I received this ARC I cried. I loved the world and characters of the Tainted cup and couldn't wait to jump right back into it. Following Ana and Din, we are now in the country of Yarrow. This country has not become a part of the Empire but is used for the processing and distribution of Leviathan's blood.

In this politically strained country there has been a person found but not in a state they expect. As they go on this journey they make new friends, try new food (*gag* ifykyk) and solve a murder?

Overall this book was solid. I enjoyed the twist and appreciated that I did not see that conclusion coming. I loved the exploration of the medical/science aspects of this world. Our characters continue to deliver on their hilarious banter.

The resolution of this mystery was a bit bland and I understand why the author decided to go that way however my only wish would have been to make it a bit more interesting and a little less simple.

I will be continuing with this series and I hope it never ends. I have preordered this and can't wait to have the physical copy.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley. I have read[book:The Tainted Cup|150247395] the first book in this series and I recommend reading them in order. I think #2 still makes sense by itself, but it's nice to have the background of the first book. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but this one is really interesting with the science and powers that each different type of being has. I find it interesting how they can all work together with their different super powers instead of being jealous or weird about it. A thoroughly enjoyable book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the digital galley in exchange for my honest review!

To say I was extremely ecstatic to have been approved for this e-arc is an understatement. The Tainted Cup is one of my favorite books and to be allowed back into the world early again was a DREAM. I found myself immediately enthralled by the extremely well-crafted and smartly written world. Not only were we given another highly detailed mystery that so neatly is resolved in the end, but were given a deeper glimpse into the backstories of both Din & Ana. The revelations surrounding Ana, that were revealed near the end of the story, were so intriguing. I cannot wait to see where the story goes with that. All the characters felt extremely well fleshed out and were highly enjoyable to read - especially the "villains". Malo is a new favorite and I just adored how she interacted with Din & Ana. The story had me both cringing with disgust and laughing out loud in the same turn.

I can say after this one I am firmly entrenched in the Shadow of Leviathan world and I cannot wait for what's to come.