Book Review: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

As far as murders go, making a tree spontaneously grow out of someone killing them instantly is pretty unique. This is exactly what happens to an Imperial officer as the inciting event in this mystery.

Ana Dolabra along with her assistant Dinios Kol are assigned to investigate. Din acts as Ana's eyes and ears as he has been modified as an engraver to have a perfect memory. Ana seldom leaves home, so the accuracy of Din's evidence gathered and interviews are of utmost importance. In addition to seldom leaving her home, Ana wears a blindfold most of the time and swears like a sailor. The swearing somewhat scandalizes Din, but Ana can get away with a lot because of how well her mind works while solving a case. 

I loved both Ana and Din.They work so well together. We get to know Din a little more though since the story is told through his eyes.

The world building is excellent. The Empire reminds me a little of a medieval walled city in structure. The further away from the wall you get, the more affluent you are. And in this case, the further away from the wall you get, the safer you are from the leviathans who try and breach the wall. So in addition to working on solving the mystery, Ana and Din must be aware of the dangers lurking.

Overall this is a very well written book. I gave it 5 stars out of 5. It has a fascinating mystery, excellent world building, and interesting characters. And as it is book one in a series, I look forward to reading more about Ana and Din. I'd recommend this book to people who enjoy a good fantasy as well as those who enjoy a good mystery in a fantasy setting.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett was published February 6th, 2024 by Del Rey. It is book one in the Shadow of the Leviathan series.

Happy Book Birthday to The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is released today from Del Rey. It's the first book in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. I've started reading it, and so far I agree with the description and that it is an entertaining story. Review will follow.

From the publisher:

A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett.

In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible.

Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

By an “endlessly inventive” (Vulture) author with a “wicked sense of humor” (NPR), The Tainted Cup mixes the charms of detective fiction with brilliant world-building to deliver a fiendishly clever mystery that’s at once instantly recognizable and thrillingly new.