The first third of this book was straight fire, 5/5 energy. A wonderful, classic, closed-door murder-mystery narrative with interesting characters was exactly what I wanted. The book, however, devolves into a muddied political narrative out to critique autocracy that left a strange taste in the mouth when following characters who exist in an empire. While I theoretically understand what Bennett was attempting in critiquing autocracies (in fantasy at large), he inadvertently tumbles into just a big an issue of romanticising Empire. As a result, I went from thoroughly enjoying the set-up to a mystery, to finding predictable conclusions stymied by cultural critique. Nevertheless, I think there is a lot to enjoy in this, and I still greatly enjoyed the majority of my reading experience.

Robert Jackson Bennett has done it again!

This book definitely held up to the first in the series! The mystery was so intriguing and I loved the new characters that were introduced. The world building was phenomenal as always.

The only thing I wish I had more of in this book was more expansion upon the story/characters/world that was introduced in the first book of the series. While there was some, it somewhat felt like a new story in the same world as opposed to a continuation of the original story.

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone that enjoys fantasy or a good murder mystery (even if you’re not a huge fantasy reader)!

I received a a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

Ana and Din are called to the outposts of the empire to investigate a disappearance, then a murder,several strange experiences all the while thwarting an attack on the Empire.
The world building is detailed and exotic , the author has way of bringing details vividly to life in an unsettling way- the image of Ana slurping live Oysters to a people turned into plants , to the life like Shroud are beautifully described. We learn more about the Empire and its society, the political intrigues and policy through the negotiations between The Empire and Yarrowland. I loved the touch of sci-fi to this fantasy in the grafts and enhancements that help people do their jobs and the fact these enhancements come with a significant price. The aurars ( almost super thinkers) are tormented by the abilities they have taken on for the greater good.
The underlying mystery is intriguing with plenty of reveals and twists and the relationship between Ana and Din develops and the mystery around Ana’s grows.. I almost cheered when Din finally accepted that the work Ana does in rooting out corruption in the powerful and making them pay is as important as defending the empire from a sea monster ( which feels weirdly important with way the world is in 2025!)
This book can be read without having to read the first book, but I would definitely recommend reading if you haven’t already.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with the ARC for this book for my honest review.

My rating - 3.5/5

tl;dr - Very well-written sequel that, while better than the first in almost every way, still falls short of its potential.

I didn't love The Tainted Cup as much as everyone else did, primarily because I didn't like either of the two main characters, but I did enjoy reading as the mystery slowly unfolded. Everything about this sequel, however, is better and I mostly enjoyed this story and thought it was very well-written.

While I still don't care for either of the two main characters, they are fleshed out more in this one which made things more enjoyable. I also enjoyed the new side character, Malo, more than any other character in the series so far.

I love the unique world in this series. But while the overall world-building and leviathans feel like they belong to an epic fantasy world, the author makes the stakes feel too low for everything going on in this world. Even if, by the end, you realize the stakes are high, it never felt that way to me. This series creates a world with a ton of potential that I unfortunately don't think either book has come close to hitting yet.

Overall it's very well written, has good dialogue, some humor, well-written characters (whom unfortunately I don't much enjoy reading about), and some really cool world-building (which felt out of place due to limiting scope of the story).

If you enjoyed the first book then I think you'll enjoy this one as it does everything better than the first.

The second book in a stand alone series, “A Drop of Corruption” further develops the characters introduced in Shadow of the Leviathan book one, “The Tainted Cup.” We continue following Empire detectives Ana and Din as they solve crimes in this sci-fi/fantasy series.

Bennett knows how to weave a tale and this one is convoluted. There are many suspects and it is impossible to see the end from the beginning. His characters are complex, their interactions engaging.

4 stars for book two. I enjoy a good mystery and that this is. The ending got a little more twisted than I would have preferred, but over all this is a read worth your while. My thanks to Del Rey and the author for this book. All opinions are mine.

I absolutely love this series, and A Drop of Corruption does not disappoint. Din and Ana are such well-drawn characters that you can’t help but dive headfirst into their mysteries, eager to see how things unfold by the end. While I do think this book is slightly less thrilling than the first in the series, The Tainted Cup, it’s still an incredibly solid read.

One thing that stands out in this book is the political undertones, which, while fascinating, might be why I feel it doesn’t quite hit the same high notes as the first book. But that's just a small thing in the grand scheme of the story. The introduction of new characters, including one who I hope will show up in future books, is a great addition and adds some fresh energy to the series.

Bennett's ability to blend fantasy and mystery is truly impressive—it’s surprising that no one has done it this well before. Honestly, he has a real knack for it, and I doubt anyone could pull it off as seamlessly as he does. As long as Bennett continues to write in this world, I’ll be eagerly reading along.

I’m giving this one 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good mix of fantasy, mystery, and complex characters!

I just finished reading the second book in this series, and I have to say—it left me wanting more. The way the story moves through different times and places keeps things fresh, but the core remains the same: a gripping mystery filled with fascinating characters. It reminds me so much of a Sherlock Holmes case, especially because of Ana. She is, without a doubt, the heart of the story.

Ana is like Sherlock in so many ways—her quirks, her sharp mind, and even the way she sometimes blinds herself to the bigger picture while honing in on the smallest details. But what makes her truly compelling is that she is a mystery herself. This book gave us a glimpse into her backstory, but it’s not nearly enough. I need to know more.

The fantasy elements add a unique twist, making the cases feel both familiar and fresh. I can’t shake the feeling that the author is carefully unraveling Ana’s secrets bit by bit, and we’re only just scratching the surface. There has to be another book after this. If not, I’ll be left with too many questions. Who—or what—is Ana, really? I can’t wait to find out.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A sequel that lives up to the first book of the series (and maybe surpasses it?)

If you enjoyed the first, you'll also enjoy this. You'll get more of Ana being her weird self and bossing Din around to solve an impossible mystery, more freaky warpings because of titan's blood, and more interesting world building.

This time, we leave the Empire and travel to Yarrow, a key site for processing the leviathans killed in the empire and using them to create the reagents needed for all the grafts and enhancements. There some political intrigue as the region is set to become part of the empire soon, though they don't really want to. A treasury agent part of the group working on this negotiations goes missing from a locked room and bits of him turn up later. Ana and Din embark in their quest to solve the mystery, with the help of apoth warden Malo to guide Din through the swamps and jungles.

I may have enjoyed this mystery even more than the first. I liked Malo and her and Dins dynamic working together. Seeing more of the titans blood and The Shroud was cool. And the revelations. Oh man. Can't wait for more!

Dinios Kol and Ana Dolabra return in A Drop of Corruption, by Robert Jackson Bennett, to solve another impossible mystery. I had a great time with the series opener, The Tainted Cup, but I think this book is even better. This book marries classic locked room mystery to highly inventive fantasy and I loved every page.

Din and Ana have been dispatched to the sweltering, muggy, decaying kingdom of Yarrow, on the edges of the Empire, to find out what happened to a missing Treasury agent. Their only clues are parts of the agent (turtles might have eaten the rest), a splotch of blood on the agent’s pillow in his locked room, and a few witnesses who remembered that the agent twitched his fingers when he talked. It’s not a lot to go on but, with Din serving as her eyes and ears, Ana starts to piece things together. Before long, our protagonists are up to their eyeballs in conspiracy, deception, and villains who are dangerous because they very much believe they’re acting for the greater good.

Throughout the mystery, Din struggles with his assignment. He wishes he could be doing something more concrete, a job where he feels like he’s actually making a difference. Digging into sensitive cases that are hushed up as soon as the guilty are identified, over and over, is far from satisfying. In The Tainted Cup, Din was assigned to work with Ana Dolabra because her eccentricities chased away all her other assistants. He’s only a member of the Iudex because it offers a way to pay off his father’s crushing debt; he’s not called to serve justice the way Ana is. At least, he thinks he isn’t. Over the course of the novel, the corruption and injustice all around him get under Din’s skin.

In addition to the fascinatingly layered mystery and the beautiful character development in A Drop of Corruption, Bennett also gives us a rich setting that is so real that I swore I could smell Yarrow’s jungle every now and then. I adore the original magical science of Bennett’s empire, where plants are bred and trained to create massive buildings and humans can be altered to enhance the senses or memory or strength. Bennett drops just enough exposition to provide a sense of the long history of Yarrow and the Empire. Unlike a lot of fantasy I’ve read, this world actually feels lived in.

I am very curious to see what Bennett cooks up for Din in the next entry in the series.

Robert Jackson Bennett's skills as an author are amazing beyond my vocabulary to express. From the first book, A Tainted Cup, to this one, Bennett creates such an immensely capturing fantasy world with deeply lovable and complex characters.
While the first book may have felt like it left some of the worldbuilding and character development to be desired, this book sure made up for it. If the first book set up the basics of the world and narrative style, then this book followed through and established the missing world background and gave the characters new depth and motives. The main characters went from a Sherlock and Holmes-esque duo to two separate, tangible characters. Din's evolution as a character was the most drastic, with this story giving him a background and more personal motives to his actions.
The mystery of this novel is intriguing and fast-paced, maintaining interest. But it also doesn't move so fast as to be dizzying or hard to keep up with. In this mystery, Bennett creates a narrative to entertain the reader while also examining autocracies, religion, and human motivation in deeper manners.
Everything about this book just kept delivering. From the how and why of the murder, to the draw to want to continue reading to learn more about the characters, to the amazing ending that ambiguously leaves an opening for either more to follow or contemplation over the meaning of this amazing world Bennett has created.

What are wonderful journey back into the Empire with my favourite new detective duo, Din and Ana. This sequel builds beautifully on the world of the first novel, where as the first left me feeling a little bereft, the sequel starts to fill in the gaps of this world and answered questions I didn't even know I had. RJB writes this world beautifully and naturally, allowing the reader to come to their own revelations and making this world he has created the much richer for it.

The character work is also much more satisfying, we're allowed to get to know Din and Ana better, though she does remain elusive by design. Some of my favourite moments in the book were the quieter moments between the two of them, his exasperation at her wild antics, her slowly teasing conclusions out of him about the case and his own life and of course the way their dynamic as a dective and her eyes continues to develop. All just brilliantly done, and I can't wait to read more of them both.

Finally, I found the central mystery much more compelling this time around. This could partly be down to more familiarity with the world, but there is also just so satisfying about a master detective battling with against an equally brilliant criminal. And the way it unravels into such a human story was much more satisfying than in the first book.

This sequel takes everything I loved about the first book, and ramps it up even higher. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you liked The Tainted Cup, you’ll almost certainly like A Drop of Corruption. The only real question is how much you’ll like it. A Drop of Corruption retains so much of what made the first book excellent: clear, precise prose, creative world-building, delightful banter from Ana and Din, and a mystery that is even more clever and twisty than the first (though I also think it risks being more contrived).

My guess is many will like the sequel more. The tension is ratcheted up even further thanks to a more foreboding nemesis, a stronger atmosphere due to more evocative prose, and even better usage of the world’s promise for body horror. Ana is pushed to her very limit, and this brings out frightening and intriguing new dimensions to her character, further hinting at her mysterious origins.

For me though, it is Din’s character-arc that makes A Drop of Corruption fall just short of its predecessor. I didn’t find his continued conflict on whether to join the Legion or stay with Ana compelling. One, it felt like a partial retread of his arc from the first book. Two, it always felt like he was only ever going to make one decision; there was no real struggle involved.

Still, just like The Tainted Cup, A Drop of Corruption brings everything together for an emotional ending, this time with a timely message against kings and dictators. The mystery stands alone while also offering tidbits of the world’s broader mysteries. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

4.75 ⭐️

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Just like The Tainted Cup, it's like this was written for me. The second installment of this series had all the same ingredients that I loved about the first. The dynamic between Din and Ana, which not only saw them seamlessly work together in recognition of each other's strengths, actually evolved (particularly towards the end). There is yet more to discover about both of them. We were treated to tantalising clues about Ana's origin which hadn't really been something I had previously considered. For me, truly great character work involves peeling back the onion skins slowly. Din is a great narrator character for me too - he's just so over everything, but deep down has a fiery passion to get to the truth of matters.

I love how we see more of the world, just beyond the Empire's full grasp. The land is weird and full of unique dangers and just a truly brilliant setting.

The only reason this was not 5 stars was the slight disconnect between the opening part of the book - the way the investigation proceeded did not link back as cleanly and smartly as it had in The Tainted Cup.

However, what RJB has to say about autocrats, monarchy and being a slave to the powers that be is never more relevant to the times we are living in. I will spend every day pining until the third book is available, so that I can be reunited with Din and Ana.

A Drop of Corruption follows Din and Ana as they investigate the abduction and murder of a Treasury Officer. But how does someone go missing, and then ultimately killed, from a room locked from the inside? Luckily, the Empire’s best are on the case.

A Drop of Corruption is a very complicated mystery best described with the simplest of metaphors: it’s like an onion. There are so many moving pieces to A Drop of Corruption that once I thought I had an idea of where the mystery would end up, Bennett pulled the rug from underneath me and changed directions. At around the 30% mark, I thought the mystery was concluding only for Bennett to expand not only the plot but the world as well. A Drop of Corruption quickly evolved into a politically driven mystery.

What I enjoyed most about A Drop of Corruption was the development of Din and Ana. Bennett gives readers small glimpses of who these characters are individual rather than just inspector and assistant. By the end of the novel, Bennett cracked the seal on who these characters are and their motivations with more to be seen in the next installment.

A Drop of Corruption also further develops the world. Without getting into spoilers, Bennett gives readers more insight into the leviathans, the world’s history, grafts, and augmentations. I am beyond excited for the next novel.

Overall, A Drop of Corruption is a wild mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats while desperately trying to keep up with all the twists and turns. I cannot wait for the next installment!

Thank you thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

If Robert Jackson Bennett writes it, I will read it. This book just cemented the series as one of my favorite fantasy series to date. We're reunited with Din and Ana as they travel to the province of Yarrow to solve a seemingly unsolvable murder. The quest that this murder takes them on reveals a little more of Din's history and carries us through his existential crisis era lol. We also learn more about Ana, who has up until this point, remained a bit of a mystery in terms of her skills and back story. She has not lost any of her snark though, and their interactions had me cackling just like in The Tainted Cup.

"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.

The world building continues to be intricate and high fantasy-esque, but not so much so that I was constantly confused or lost. At times, I felt the same feelings I'd feel while reading Dune, with all its complex hierarchies, unique characters, political machinations, and beautifully described settings. And while Din is being led on this wild goose chase of a case, there remains the eerie presence of "The Shroud" pulsating out in the Bay of Yarrow. When we do get a closer look at the Shroud itself, I could not help but feel the presence of Mary Shelley and Frankenstein, evoking themes of Creature vs. Creator and Nature vs. Man. In his acknowledgments, RJB warns us about autocracies, and I couldn't help but think about the state of politics in the US in the year 2025 and for the next 4 years to come. But before I go off on a tangent...this book is everything I want in a fantasy story--fantasy that doesn't present every theme on a silver platter with lovable characters, unique world building, and page turning energy. I will 100% be looking forward to more Ana and Din mysteries!

4.5 Stars

If you’re a fan of RJB or enjoyed the first installment of this series, The Tainted Cup, then I want to reassure you that this second endeavor in this wholly original world will be well worth your time.

Once again, a dead body starts an investigation revealing some scary truths, resulting in another race against time to stop a mad genius hell bent on taking the entire Empire down. Thankfully, there’s always the beleaguered Dinios Kol and his superior, the eccentric and unsettling investigator Ana Dolabra, who are at the ready to do what’s necessary to find the answers needed.

As a reminder, this is a world whose very existence and advancements rely on harvesting giant sea monsters (think football stadium size) whose wondrous but volatile, and often deadly, essence fuels a multitude of products that keep said cogs of life turning. These leviathans also contribute to humanity in the forms of grafts/suffusions/augmentations that can amplify all 5 senses, enable cognitive function to unimaginable heights, or give a person the ability to remember everything they experience to the most minute detail. In a cruel twist of fate, it's these very creatures, these destructive behemoths that are also the greatest physical threat to the Empire, becoming larger and more aggressive every season they attack the shoreline.

What stands out to me the most here are the copious details that this book contains which enrich the reader experience rather than suffocate or drown it. RJB truly immerses one in the sights, the sounds, and the smells, pointing out the unique races and classes, the civil servants who are distinctly delineated by physical attributes and mannerisms, as well as giving weight and presence not only in where this story takes place but also an anxiety driven urgency to solve the convoluted crimes taking place. Add to that the tenuous political balance that the Empire must maintain for its safety and survival, he deftly weaves in the cultural stakes, the extensive social hierarchy of the people who fall both within and outside the Empire’s jurisdiction, and all the non-leviathan threats (both internal and external) that constantly push at the seams holding this society together.

Overall, if you want another truly complexly layered, locked door murder mystery with twisty reveals against a fascinating science formed fantasy backdrop, just know that this delivers. Reassuredly, RJB brings further insight to our hero Din, his struggles with wanting to make a significant difference and feeling stuck in what he views as a thankless job but ever steadfast in what is expected of him. More light is also shed on the cryptic Ana, her uncanny powers of extrapolation and deduction lending an otherworldly aura to her as she faces her smartest foe yet. I continued to enjoy their banter and seeing that their dynamic has deepened since last we saw them, the new revelations lending a more meaningful weight to Din and Ana’s shared convictions towards their loyalty and duty.

So, this is my long winded way of saying that this is far from an idealistic world, the truths and revelations often mirroring our own past and present where there’s a multitude collaborating to take the system down with whatever means necessary. However, like in real life, I assume that there are a lot of unseen heroes fighting the good fight, those we’ll never know of but should be grateful to for their valiant efforts to keep us safe, or at the very least from further harm. I feel that this is an ode to them in the form of such great characters as Din and Ana, and I look forward to their next insurmountable challenge and ultimately, their triumphant win.

Thank you to the author and Del Rey of Random House Publishing Group via NegtGalley for an ecopy to review honestly

Robert Jackson Bennett has done it again with the second book in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. This book is set at the edges of the Empire where the Yarrowdale nation is negotiating it's acceptance into the Empire. This position is key to the Empire due to the Shroud being located here, a secretive location responsible for the creation of grafts and reagents to be used across the empire. When a member of the negotiations disappears into thin air Ana and Din are called in to solve the unsolvable.

If you liked the first one you'll know what to expect with the tone of this one. Ana and Din are as delightful and odd as ever as they try to solve another murder mystery. The twists and turns keep coming one after another, keeping things interesting. Sometimes in other murder mystery stories this can seem a little contrived to me, but Bennett did a great job of having it feel organic and like a natural unfolding of the plot.

I also really enjoyed the continued world building in this novel that grew upon what we'd learned in the first one. I'm looking forward to learning more about the Leviathans and the Empire of the Khanum in the next one!

This was an amazing epic fantasy mystery with complex worldbuilding. Dinios Kolhas been chosen as the investigator for the mysterious Ana Dolabra. He was somewhat disappointed to be assigned to the Justice Department when he would prefer to be part of the Legion battling the magical leviathans that descend on the empire each year. Justice doesn't seem to have the rewards or the glory that serving on the Wall has.

This newest case has Ana and Din traveling to Yarrowdale. It is on the outskirts of the Empire and still not part of it though an agreement will have the kingdom join the empire in just a few short years. Yarrowdale is a crucial site for the empire though. It is the place where the bodies of slain leviathans are taken so that their magic can be extracted and used for many things that keep the empire going.

At first the case seems simple if slightly baffling. A treasure official who has come to discuss details of the adopting of Yarrowdale into the empire has disappeared from his locked tower room. Then parts of his body are discovered leagues from where he disappeared deepening the mystery.

The disappearance of the official is just the tip of a very big iceberg that could threaten the empire itself if Ana and Din can dig to the bottom of the case quickly.

This was an excellent story filled with plot twists and complexity. I enjoyed learning more about Ana and watching Din come to his own conclusions about what his future role should be.

I received a digital review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was very excited that I had the chance to read this book. I also received a digital review copy for the first book.

This book follows our favorite detective, Ana Dolabra, and her assistant, Dinios Kol, as they embark on an investigation of a disappearance turned murder of a treasury officer. Constantly a few steps behind the murderer, they soon discover that the target is the Shroud, a highly secure compound where magic is harnessed from Titan’s blood.

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. The world building continues to amaze me, and I love the combination of body augmentation and magic. We find out some things about Ana, which makes me even more excited for the third book. As with the first book, I did not tear through and read this in a day. Rather I took my time and tried to soak in all the details to try to solve the murder myself. I really need to consider looking into more fantastical murder/mystery type of books. A fantasy Nancy Drew, anyone?

Ana and Din have solidified their place in my top detective duos—there’s nothing they can’t accomplish with their combined skills.

Wonderfully creative and infinitely clever, Bennett once again immerses us in The Empire, where danger lurks around every turn. With stakes higher than ever, detective work becomes a race against time as Ana and Din navigate a mystery that threatens disaster on an epic scale.

If you thought the first book was gruesome... it continues.

Catch this one coming to you in April 2025. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and Robert Jackson Bennett for an advanced e-copy of this book.