Like the first book, the true gem of the stories is the growing relationship/partnership between Ana and Din. I adore these two and their dynamic. The first half was a bit of a drag for me to get through. I think because there wasn't enough Ana and Din interaction, but the last half was great. The mystery and characters were interesting, the wardens and their abilities were fun, and we finally get more revealed about the leviathans and their role in the empire. Hoping for more leviathans in the next book!

This book was excellent. It was nice to be back in this world and already understand the science and political organization of this world. It made this book feel much more fast paced because every new term didn’t need to be deciphered. I loved the cast. I loved getting to know Ana and Kol better. The leviathans as a fixture in this world, and why they are important to it, is so unique. Robert Jackson Bennett is one of my favorite authors and this book was even better than I hoped.

*A Drop Of Corruption* is a satisfying sequel to *The Tainted Cup*, deepening the world and characters. The worldbuilding is fascinating and immersive, while the dynamic between Ana and Dinios, along with Malo’s addition, enriches the characters. The plot is engaging with twists, though some pacing issues exist. Writing is solid despite occasional repetition. Overall, it's an enjoyable read with a compelling mystery and vivid descriptions.

The brilliant detective Ana Dolabra may have finally met her match in the gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

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

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.

Book two does everything I liked about book one and doubles down on it. The stakes are higher, the mysteries more intense, and the character work is top notch. Cant wait for book three!

So, I loved this. I was eagerly anticipating the second installment in this series...so much so, that I was almost afraid I was too eager. That, no matter how good the book was, it still wouldn't live up to my expectations. I'm happy to report that was not the case.
In A Drop of Corruption, we travel to a new part of the "empire" and are confronted with a wholly different mystery to solve. The story felt fresh and the world continued to build around us. New faces are introduced and we learn about additional subsects of the Empire. This kept me guessing to the very satisfying ending.
The relationship between Anna and Dinios is potentially my favorite part of this whole series. We saw enough growth here to keep me happy and invested in their characters. I love their banter and Kol's constant wry bemusement.
I'm a big fan of this episodic mystery series and can't wait to add a physical copy of this to my shelf.
A big thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this arc

With thanks to Negtalley for a pre-release ARC of this book.

"A Drop of Corruption" is the second in a series of mystery novels set in a unique high fantasy world by Robert Jackson Bennett. Din Kol is a young officer in the Empire's Iudex, a semi-autonomous bureau analogous to the FBI that investigates murders and mysterious deaths. Din is assigned to the enigmatic Ana Dolabra, a woman gifted with extraordinary powers of deduction and intelligence, and that causes her to voluntarily wear a blindfold so as not to overwhelm her senses. Din is an Engraver, magically and chemically enhanced with an eidetic memory, and who can serve as Ana's eyes -- Din visits crime scenes, interviews witnesses, and observes everything around him, which he then relays perfectly to Ana in the service of solving whatever mystery they are called to work. Ana remains in her room, absorbing information and details relayed to her by Din, and drawing inferences and conclusions to aid in solving the mystery.

Ana and Din's empire is one that is plagued by periodic invasions by colossal and terrifying leviathans called Titans that shamble onto the coast every year and must be killed lest they move through the series of ring walls that protect the people. The Empire's existence is centered around this cycle of Titan attacks; the bodies of the vanquished monsters are then used to create reagents that serve all sorts of positive purposes within the Empire itself, including those that augment humanity with powers like Din's.

The first novel in the series, "The Tainted Cup," ably set the world in which Ana and Din reside as they solved the mystery of an imperial officer who died under mysterious circumstances. This time they are summoned to the corner of the empire, a semi-autonomous kingdom named Yarrow that has been in negotiations to join the empire for decades but is still fiercely independent. Its stretch of shoreline is one in which the Titans do not frequent, and it is here that the Empire has established the Shroud, a mysterious off-shore facility where the bodies of the Titans are taken for the extremely dangerous job of dissection and research.

This time it's another murder of another Imperial official, a locked room mystery, but this time all the signs point to an unknown assailant with an unknown master plan, and who appears to be at least, if not more, intelligent and perceptive than even Ana. The investigation of this core mystery -- who is this mystery killer, what is his modus operandi, and how is he seemingly three steps ahead of the greatest Iudex investigator in the empire -- that forms the core of the book.

If the first book established the series, this one deepens the world's lore and the character development of the two core characters. Ana is a fantastic character -- brilliant, strange, foul-mouthed and without a filter, with strange hobbies and even stranger and inscrutable habits. Din is young and conflicted, deeply in debt due to the mistakes of his father, and questioning whether he wants to stay in the service of Ana and the Iudex or leave to become a soldier fighting Titans on the seawall. Meanwhile, the murder mystery deepens and eventually broadens to include the old Kingdom of Yarrow and eventually the Shroud.

"A Drop of Corruption" does not directly deal with a Titan attack, but rather with what happens after a Titan has been vanquished -- what happens to the body? How are the various humors, themselves incredibly powerful and equally deadly, utilized? Who does the work, and how? In service to these questions, which are not fully answered, we get a good dollop of scenes directly influenced by the New Weird school of literature -- the book feels very influenced by Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach Trilogy in ways that are recognizable but do not detract from the novel's effectiveness.

Jackson Bennett's fantasy world is a realized one that is subtly strange and unique -- no elves or dwarves here but skin colors vary, houses are grown from fretvines, and light generated from bioluminescent plants. The threat of the Titans and what they bring puts the entire Empire under constant vigilance and fear. But the tight focus on the central characters of Ana and Din, and the underlying mystery, leaves room for gradual revelations of the broader world while keeping the reader fixated on the case itself. Ana and Din have obvious parallels to Sherlock Holmes and Watson, and maybe to a lesser extent TV series like Matlock or Murder She Wrote, but they feel more complicated and complex. There is a danger of a character like Ana devolving into Mary Sue tropes, but Jackson Bennett makes her as flawed as she is brilliant, to the benefit of the reader.

The structure of the books as self-contained mysteries also makes it possible to pick up either book in the series and read them independent of each other. While there are some narrative threads that connect the two novels and this book deepens your understanding of the characters and their relationship, you don't have to read the first to understand the second.

Jackson Bennett promises a number of books in this series, and I find myself wanting nothing more than to just follow Ana and Din around the Empire to whatever murders and mysteries await them there. This is an exceptional follow-up to what was already an engaging new fantasy series. Highly recommended.

This series is absolutely spectacular no question about it. Robert Jackson Bennett is a FANTASTIC author and I was so excited to hop back into the world of Kol and Ana. It’s rare for me to love characters so much in a fantasy book, but he makes it easy. Between the main cast & the mystery specific side characters, it’s a wonderful cast. Then the mystery! This series blends murder mystery with political intrigue so well, it’s unstoppable. I cannot wait for more!!

“A Drop of Corruption” is the sequel to “The Tainted Cup,” the second in a saga of murder mysteries taking place in a futuristic and fantastical world. Din, now working alongside Ana Dolabra in a more official capacity, has been trying to figure out a way out of the Iudex and into the Legion while also trying to save enough money to pay off his father’s debts. As an engraver, he has traded his longevity and long-term sanity for the ability to perfectly memorize everything he encounters, and relays all information pertinent to investigations to Ana, who is able to assemble the puzzle pieces of each crime with astounding insight, though she has her own sacrifices she makes in exchange for her abilities. I adored these characters in the first novel and felt that we got a good continuation of character development and saw the relationship between Din and Ana continue to evolve in this sequel, especially as Din starts to have inklings of who Ana might really be (such a fun reveal!). I also loved the addition of Malo, a new character, to the team, as she challenged Din to think differently about the Empire. I did miss Kepheus Strovi, an absolutely delightful love interest from the first novel, but I’m hopeful we might see him again in future installments (and I will read as many of these as Bennett cares to write).
Din and Ana chase down a new crime in the territory of Yarrow, which is outside of the Empire but has for decades been in the process of being absorbed into it. The fascinating geopolitical aspect of the murder and subsequent investigation was much needed, since we lost out of much of the environmental tension that came from the setting of the first book with its proximity to the sea wall and constant imminent danger. Ana and Din must solve an impossible-seeming crime, and the perpetrator seems to be one step ahead of Ana the entire time, which should be impossible given what we’ve seen from Ana’s abilities so far in the series. I definitely enjoyed reading this and will be eagerly awaiting book 3!

This was my most anticipated sequel from the last couple of years. “A Drop of Corruption” did not let up from the intrigue and world building that made “The Tainted Cup” such an amazing read. The alien-ness of the world and science practiced there do not make the characters any less human or relatable. Din and Ana are here to investigate another unsolvable murder in a new setting with new colleagues. Din is still a fantastic character who manages to bring levity to some very dark and downright sinister moments. Fans of Ana will be even more enthralled with and repulsed by her in this latest entry. I cannot wait to see where the “Shadow of the Leviathan” takes us next. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an Arc and an honest review.

4.5 stars for A Drop of Corruption. I truly enjoyed this one just as much as the first in the series. My favorite duo is back to solve some of the weirdest crime yet. Din and Ana might be the most likable characters I’ve ever encountered - quirks and all! The heavy lifting of world building in the first book sets up the second book nicely so that you get to jump right into the action. We also get more backstory on both Din and Ana which left me so intrigued (please, I need book 3). New characters were beautifully introduced and fit well into the story (looking at you Malo!). Overall, loved this one and would recommend this series to anyone who will listen to me yap about books.

Thank you NetGalley and the Del Rey Team for this ARC

I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of this book.

It’s a more than worthy successor to The Tainted Cup—itself one of the best releases of 2024. Bennett does a fantastic—in multiple senses—job of engaging with his themes while spinning yet another thrilling mystery story.

And thrilling it is, probably even moreso than the first. This book drips with horror, with tension, with unease and creeping sense of the Uncanny Valley.

While I had some reservations during the opening chapters, including one conflict that I felt had already been satisfied in The Tainted Cup, this book ultimately added excellent depth and ended on a deeply profound note.

I expect A Drop of Corruption will end up on just as many Best Of lists in 2025 as The Tainted Cup in 2024.

Think of a world, where people have enhanced abilities depending on what the Empire needs, there are leviathans, there is secrecy, special divisions of the Empire and people yearning to grasp power. So, when a Treasury Officer is killed in a locked room but no body is found, there is only two people to handle this mystery, Ana Dolabra, with her brilliant mind and her assistant, Dinios Kol, an engraver. This team is able to decipher clues, see through the lies but this case will cause them both to work harder than ever to outwit a brilliant killer.

This is the second in a series by Robert Jackson Bennett. I reviewed the first book, The Tainted Cup and while I am not a normal reader of fantasy genre, the mystery of this second book had me hooked. The characters of Ana and Din and their relationship is wonderful. I enjoy the way the author portrays this relationship. The locked door mystery had all the elements defined – how did the killer get the body out of a locked room, why did the killer kill this person, what will happen next, will someone else die? The fantasy elements are just as engaging as the mystery. Titan blood, people with specialized enhanced abilities, an empire that has issues like any modern-day country. I very much enjoyed reading this and so will you!

This book felt more like an installment in a mystery series rather than a sequel, but it was still a fun read. Great world-building, a bit of character development, and a well paced mystery to solve.

Readers won’t have to read the first book to enjoy this one, but that would be a mistake as the first is still my favorite.

Thanks to Random House for providing an ARC through Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

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.