A mysterious death of an Empire Treasury official, a string of impossible thefts, and taunting clues are left behind in a kingdom in long-standing negotiations with the Empire and what the investigation reveals will have wide-ranging impacts in A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett.
In Yarrowdale, a kingdom beyond the Empire’s reach and which has been in century-long negotiations with the Empire, a crime plagued with impossibilities has occurred when an Empire Treasury officer goes missing from a locked room, remains of his body are found, and a securely kept safe in a bank is tampered with, both robbed of its secret contents and replaced with a macabre, coded message in the form of a severed head. Called upon to solve the case, investigator Ana Dolabra and her engraver assistant Din Kol arrive to quickly learn that what they’re investigating is but a starting piece of a much larger puzzle put into motion by an adversary whose mind appears to rival Ana’s and frustratingly seems always to be one step ahead of them – a fascinating, startling, and troublesome discovery. When it becomes apparent that the perpetrator is targeting the Yarrow King’s rule as well as the Shroud, a secretive and tightly secured compound where Titans are researched and dissected to harness the magic of their blood that drives the Empire forward, the combination of the smallest details, as pieced together by the quick, keen minds and instincts of both Ana and Din from the cleverly left clues, finally shed light on the truth, revealing the deceptively convoluted, yet simple at heart, plot that motivated extreme actions with such high and impactful stakes.
Building on the fascinating world and characters from The Tainted Cup, this second, adventurous case takes the previously established basis of corruption and scheming underpinning the actions of those in power in the mentally captivating, quickly paced narrative and raises the stakes through an increased number of impossible feats that their adversary is capable of pulling off, which Ana and Din need to figure out and combat. Introducing a variety of new characters who assist in navigating the cultural differences of Yarrowdale from that of the Empire in various ways, the world gains a greater depth and complexity in the sociopolitical composition; however, while the backstories of Din and Ana begin to surface a bit more, with details of relevance likely (read as: hopefully) sowing the seeds to form the basis for a forthcoming adventure and investigation for the intrepid duo that will unearth greater development of and progress into their pasts to offer a deeper emotional investment into them as characters and in their dynamic beyond the quirky and insightful that aids their investigations and efforts toward justice. While it seems as if there’s a larger narrative arc being set up, specifically around Ana and her alterations as small pieces of information were finally shared with Din, and it had relevance to an element of the mystery at hand within this story, there felt like a bigger shift in Ana’s behavior and speech than was established previously that was jarring and had no contextual support other than a passage of time between this case and the previous.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unshackled by the need for extensive world-building, Robert Jackson Bennett has room in this sequel to craft a more complex and satisfying mystery, centered around his winning duo of lead characters. It succeeds as both a mystery and a fantasy novel, blending the two genres beautifully.

While I’m more invested in the evolving interpersonal dynamics between Ana and Din than the “Mystery of the Week” plot in each installment, this sequel lays the groundwork for even richer character development to come in future books.

A Drop of Corruption is a more assured, exciting sequel than its predecessor, and I look forward to seeing where the overarching story goes from here.

🌟🌟🌟🌟4.5 stars
The Tainted Cup has been my favorite read of 2024, and I was beyond excited to get an ARC for A Drop of Corruption.

I love this world, and my favorite parts of the book were the world building, both in the addition of The Shroud (creepy and mildly horrifying, love that) and learning more about Ana.

The plot itself is fairly standalone from book 1, and is again and interesting and solid mystery with lots of twists and turns and plenty of murder.

One thing I found myself missing in this book though was the chemistry between Ana and Din. I think this was very purposeful, there is a gap of time between the two books in which Din seems to have gotten a bit of (understandable) job related burnout. That is reflected I think both in his narration and in a shift in his relationship with Ana. And while for the story and characters this makes sense, it does also take away a little of the magic of book 1.

I am excited to read more Ana and Din adventures, but maybe let Din have some PTO to go visit Strovi.

Well now. This book is certainly a step UP from the first book. A fast-paced, well written, plot and world focused novel that combines fantasy and an astute study of the power of government and corruption. Robert Jackson Bennett is possibly the best writer for fantasy in that he rarely writes dull books. He uses tropes appropriately and doesn't let anything get too bogged down. Though, his writing sometimes is a little too fast paced it does match in real time what someone in a thriller may feel.
6/5 stars

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this, but I felt it was a little repetitive. Book 1 was such a breath of fresh air, but this one didn’t quite have the same blow. It felt like the same formula with a different culprit, Din running around asking questions, and Ana with all her bizarreness doing the thinking.

I loved Ana, she’s still my favorite character. The plot was solid, but what felt missing this time was the emotions. There was so little about both of them. I wanted to know more about them, their background stories, their thoughts—something to make me connect more. I’m not asking for romance, just a little something extra to bring them to life. Maybe even bringing back that legionnaire guy from book 1 would’ve added something.

This one felt like a full-blown, fast-paced investigation with no nonsense, which isn’t bad, but I missed the emotional beats. And okay, this is on me, but I was really hoping for some real live Titans this time around.

Still, it wasn’t a bad read. I liked it, but just not as much as the first one.

Note: Big thanks to the author and publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The second book of a series of which I very much enjoyed the first, despite the grimness of the setting. I eagerly picked this one up when I saw it on Netgalley, and it didn't disappoint.

The detective duo are kind of Holmes and Watson turned up to 11. Ana is brilliant, erratic and eccentric, and a drug user; she also swears constantly. The rather stolid Kol sees, but he does not observe - or rather, he records his sensory impressions with great accuracy (thanks to his particular neurobiological alteration, something that's quite common in the setting), but only occasionally comes to a conclusion about this evidence. That's mostly left to Ana. Watson, unlike Holmes, had romantic relationships; Kol is popular with both women and men, and uses casual sex to try to deal with his loneliness. He's also not just Watson to Ana's Holmes, but Archie Goodwin to her Nero Wolfe, since she finds sensory stimulation so overwhelming that she mostly stays indoors if she can manage it and sends Kol out to do the legwork.

Normally, a foul-mouthed drug user and someone who uses casual sex as maladaptive coping, working on graphic murders in a bureaucratic and sometimes corrupt empire threatened by horrifying kaiju, wouldn't be my cup of tea at all, let alone a five-star book. But Robert Jackson Bennett does it so well that I can set aside the dark, dingy, dank and dirty setting and characters and enjoy the clever detective story and the over-the-top high-concept worldbuilding - and the dedication of the central characters to justice. It has the same general feel as his Founders Trilogy, which I loved: a dark, strange world in which morally complex people stubbornly pursue what's right.

I mean, this series takes the idea of monstrous kaiju who produce biochemicals which cause drastic modifications in living beings, and makes that the technological basis of the empire that fights the kaiju by, among many other things, deliberately turning some of their people neurodivergent, and then works out rigorously what that would look like. And it looks <i>very strange</i>. It's the kind of thick worldbuilding that I love in, say, Brandon Sanderson, where the world is very different and that means the author can tell a story that could only happen in that world; the setting is inextricably enmeshed with the characters and the plot, rather than serving as scenery flats (that we've seen a dozen times before) behind The Usual Drama. And yet, all of the characters have believable motivations, and ultimately it's a story about humanity, and what's always the same about it even when so much else changes. It's also about the sometimes blurry line between being exploited by a system and sacrificially serving something greater than yourself for the good of all. The villains are on one side of that line, as both victims and perpetrators; the heroes work hard to stay on the other side, and to enable as many people as possible to join them there.

The author thinks this is a fantasy novel, and the level of mechanical technology supports that, but to me it feels science-fictional as well; the technology is just biochemical, and well beyond anything we are capable of, to the point that it's sufficiently advanced to read as magic.

The books I get from Netgalley are not necessarily in their final form, and may get more editing after I see them. This one doesn't need a lot; the occasional missing or added word or missing quotation mark, the excess coordinate commas that nearly everyone puts in, occasionally a singular/plural issue where the phrase is confusing and it might be either one. It's smooth enough that I was able to stay in the story most of the time without being distracted by poor execution.

Even though it doesn't look, at first glance, anything like my normal preferred read (which is cosy fantasy), I'm putting this in the Platinum tier of my 2024 Best of the Year list, because it is ultimately noblebright, the worldbuilding is brilliant and original, and the story it tells has depth and weight and a lot of thought behind it.

An absolutely incredible sequel. I love how everything comes together in a way that makes sense, that some bits you can put together on your own but even the grand reveals feel realistic. I cannot wait to continue with Din and Ana.

5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey Books for the free copy of this book and the opportunity to read it before release.

When I read The Tainted Cup last year, I knew it was going to be one of my favorite reads of the year. While the intriguing murder mystery with a Sherlock-Watson duo is not an atypical plot device, Robert Jackson Bennet has taken this common trope and stirred it into a very thorough thought-out fantasy world full of political intrigue, it results in a series that feels unique and entirely its own.

When I got the chance to read A Drop of Corruption, it also meant one thing for me; I wanted more of what the first book gave me, but with a more in-depth exploration of both the world and the characters, all of which intrigued me. And oh man, did this book just deliver? It does not feel like praise to say that a sequel gives you more of what book one gave you, but when an author takes a premise that works form book one and keeps to it, while giving the reader space for exploration and evolution of everything book one gave you, you just know it is a gift. I cannot help but be awestruck by this series.

Din and Ana have gone to another region to solve another weird murder that’s happened. While the first book took place in Talagray - part of the outer rim and the most important place in the empire, when it comes to defense against the leviathans, this time Din and Ana are visiting Yarrow; a region that is not yet part of the empire, but still plays a key role in the political climate. This also gives the book ample place to explore both the mystery of the murder and the wondrous world without any of it feeling forced or down-prioritized. Instead it is perfectly balanced and keeps the reader on the edge throughout the whole story.

What really intrigues me with this series is the hostile environment that both makes the leviathans the greatest threat and the biggest safeguard for society. Both (current) books are about single specific mysteries, but at the same time they really do highlight the importance of the leviathans to society, as the exploration of this fundamental part of society keeps popping up with a role in the mysteries.

I cannot wait to see where this series go.

If you still have not read The Tainted Cup, this is a recommendation to start the whole series - if you have read The Tainted Cup and also liked it, this is a recommendation to read the second book too.

This was a gem! I really enjoyed this stories. The indepth story was so engaging and the characters were fantastic!

This book follows Din and Ana as they solve another mystery, and I’ll say I enjoyed it even more than the first!

I was instantly intrigued by this new murder mystery that gets more and more complex and bizarre. And these characters! The relationship between Din and Ana is one of my favorite aspects of the book. Din is such a rich character, and I enjoy how he is always baffled by Ana. This book made me laugh out loud numerous times!

The fantasy elements really enrich this mystery, and I love how we get to learn more about the Empire in this book. If you like unique and complex fantasy settings, murder mysteries or great crime fighting duos, this book is for you!

What an incredible sequel (no middle-book syndrome in sight here). This world is so rich in lore and carefully crafted that it was a delight to see a new region unfold through Din’s eyes. The pacing was on point, and the book never lost steam from beginning to end.

I was also really happy to learn more about Ana and see Din's evolution as a character. Some fans may lament that some fan favourites from book one are absent here, but it made sense with the setting, and I feel that their absence in this book will pay off hugely if they show up in the next installment. The new characters we met here were also great (shoutout to Malo), and the banter between them and our main duo was witty.

I ended my review of book one by saying that I wished I could hibernate to spare me the pain of waiting for the sequel, and this sentiment still applies here, I shall wait for book 3 with a ravenous hunger.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Del Ray for the ARC. Last year, 'The Tainted Cup' was my favorite fantasy book by far, so I was beyond thrilled to read the sequel early. I fell in love with 'The Tainted Cup' because of its mix of fantasy, mystery, thrilled; this book mixes those elements even better in my opinion. The plot of 'A Drop of Corruption' goes so far beyond the initial mystery "whodunit"- delving deeper in the politics and world-building that the first book expertly set up. This sequel was completely addicting to read, and I can't believe this story will somehow be wrapped up in the next issue.

This is the sequel to “The Tainted Cup” in the “Shadow of the Leviathan” series.
We follow Det. Ana Dolabra & her assistant Dinios Kol as they try to solve a crime in the remote canton of Yarrowdale.
As they become closer to the case it seems to them that maybe the killer has supernatural abilities which will make their case harder to solve
This is a fantasy mystery with twist and turns that keep you guessing
If you enjoy mysteries with a fantastical twist, that you can get lost in a world packed with magic and suspense you’ll enjoy “A Drop of Corruption” .Thank You @netgalley

This book basically clinches Robert Jackson Bennett as my favorite author. His books contain the most creative and well-thought-out worlds in fantasy today, and the plots keep me guessing throughout. I loved getting to go back to the world of Ana and Din, and I was actually glad to see that the series will be more episodic. The mystery itself was intriguing, multi-faceted, and handled beautifully. What I'm saying is, I would read this man's grocery list. Please give us more.

Wow, what an incredible follow-up, which can be really hard to do with fantasy sequels. I enjoyed the storyline just as much as the first one and I thought the pacing once again was excellent. I can’t wait to read more in the series!

I requested an ARC for A Drop of Corruption IMMEDIATELY upon reading its predecessor The Tainted Cup. This series is such a fun blend of genres filled with complex and interesting characters. I’m already excited for the next one.

(But maybe don’t read it while eating)

This book took me on a whole mystery fantasy adventure !!! I felt like I was right there in the story being a detective right along side the characters. It was well written and made the story fly by . There is a lot of information given to try and remember and keep up with , but as the story went on that world building slowed down a bit . The struggle for power was found throughout the story. I loved Malo !!! Bring on book 3!!!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to arc read and provide my honest review.

I was thrilled to get an ARC of a Drop of Corruption and couldn't wait to get into reading!

I LOVED the first book in the series and honestly had worried that the sequel would struggle to meet the quality of its predecessor; however I can happily say this wasn't the case at all (as another reviewer stated, no middle child syndrome here!) Dinios + Ana were again at their best with a new mystery to solve and boy oh boy did they solve it.

pacing in this book was fab and I never felt a section of the mystery overstayed its welcome. a must read in 2025 for sure!!!

RJB welcomes us back to the lush and opulent empire of khanum, with its fictitious and fabricated richness where we’ll meet a lot of gray-pale sublimes with each different alteration and motive. Bennett certainly doesn’t disappoint with regard to the murder scene at hand. it was graphically gory, perplexing to unravel, and hauntingly poetic, reminding us of its core message—who are we at the end of it all, how small and unknowing.

i find myself enjoyed being played at the hand of master of thread, who already have meticulously knotted everything for our iyalet investigators ana and din to solve. i didn’t mind how formulaic Bennett’s approach to solve the crime after crime that didn't lead to anything but instead raised the stakes and added even more mystery. it neither frustrated me nor rendered all the twists unsatisfactory. i also LOVE ana’s lengthy, paragraphs-long answers to all the puzzles and riddles—and the way she immediately HUMBLED everyone back to their place!!—i generally dislike puzzling methods of seeking answers but everything ties up and comes a full circle at the end. i also enjoyed the new introductory characters as they have a great dynamic that adds to the story and i thoroughly loved every every character’s quip, banter, and the fights between them. safe to say it is as enjoyable as digesting <b>the tainted cup</b> word by word, perhaps the difference is that this book is more about ana whereas the big turning point of <b>the tainted cup</b> was more about din. and that left me wondering what will the third book bring to me?

to all ana & din truthers, you’ve got until 2025 to recover from <b>the tainted cup</b> before dives back into the immersive mysteries Bennett has woven through in <b>a drop of corruption</b>!!

<i>arc kindly provided by del rey, random house worlds, inklore via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

RJB welcomes us back to the lush and opulent empire of khanum, with its fictitious and fabricated richness where we’ll meet a lot of gray-pale sublimes with each different alteration and motive. Bennett certainly doesn’t disappoint with regard to the murder scene at hand. it was graphically gory, perplexing to unravel, and hauntingly poetic, reminding us of its core message—who are we at the end of it all, how small and unknowing.

i find myself enjoyed being played at the hand of master of thread, who already have meticulously knotted everything for our iyalet investigators ana and din to solve. i didn’t mind how formulaic Bennett’s approach to solve the crime after crime that didn't lead to anything but instead raised the stakes and added even more mystery. it neither frustrated me nor rendered all the twists unsatisfactory. i also LOVE ana’s lengthy, paragraphs-long answers to all the puzzles and riddles—and the way she immediately HUMBLED everyone back to their place!!—i generally dislike puzzling methods of seeking answers but everything ties up and comes a full circle at the end. i also enjoyed the new introductory characters as they have a great dynamic that adds to the story and i thoroughly loved every every character’s quip, banter, and the fights between them. safe to say it is as enjoyable as digesting <b>the tainted cup</b> word by word, perhaps the difference is that this book is more about ana whereas the big turning point of <b>the tainted cup</b> was more about din. and that left me wondering what will the third book bring to me?

to all ana & din truthers, you’ve got until 2025 to recover from <b>the tainted cup</b> before dives back into the immersive mysteries Bennett has woven through in <b>a drop of corruption</b>!!

<i>arc kindly provided by del rey, random house worlds, inklore via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>