Spoiler Free Review: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Title: The Tainted Cup (Shadow Of The Leviathan #1)

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett

Pub. Date: February 6th 2024

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Mystery/Queer

Format: DRC

Publisher: Del Rey

Pages: 351

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON | LIBROFM

☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

I couldn’t figure out what I was in the mood to read and kick off my February line-up, I found myself leaning towards Fantasy but also craving mystery. What I didn’t know was just how much The Tainted Cup would satisfy both of these cravings. It gives Sherlock and Watson Vibes paired with Knives Out, two things I absolutely love! We meet Dinios Kol, and Engraver who is magically altered to have perfect memory at the start of his assignment. Din is to work for the eccentric investigator Ana Dolabra. As her assistant, Din would go out to crime scenes and act as her seer. This is because Ana wears a blindfold and never leaves her quarters, but is considered to be the best in her field of work. When an Imperial officer is killed by a tree spontaneously sprouting from his body, Ana and Din are called to investigate. This WHODUNNIT had me invested! Din is so loyal to Ana even when some of her practices really pushed the limits. Although it’s not outright stated on the page (not likely to have a name in this fantastical setting), it appears Din struggles with Dyslexia. Despite his challenges with letters, Din is determined to graduate in rank as an Engraver. The eccentricities paired with her bold and direct way of speaking made Ana and instant fave. Ana and Din could not be more hilariously paired up but despite that, Ana was good for Din. In many ways she saw him for who he really is better than those walking around him not blindfolded. Lastly, the world-building left no stone unturned. Part Fantasy mixed with some elements of Sci-Fi and a healthy dose of mystery, The Tainted Cup is unlike any book I’ve read before. I was hooked on trying to figure out the villain(s) all the while feeling a sense if urgency for the people in this land who were gearing up t protect their walls from a Leviathan (giant sea creatures) attack. Extinction is a daily threat looming over the land building the climax while the mystery surrounding the spontaneous deaths unravels. Listed as the first book in the Shadow Of The Leviathan series on Goodreads, this is one that I’ll be eagerly anticipating!

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