anwhitebooks's review
4.0
Who knew an eccentric, brilliant middle-aged woman and a young man who plays strictly by the rules would be such a dynamic duo?! Our main character is the Watson to her Sherlock, and I thoroughly enjoyed both the mystery and the fantasy worldbuilding. I did solve the mystery, but I appreciated that it was not overly convoluted.
Full review coming to my blog later this week!
Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Full review coming to my blog later this week!
Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
tealmango's review
4.0
*Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
tonisecelecticlibrary's review
4.0
This was an entertaining murder mystery set within a fantasy world- a book I think both mystery and fantasy readers will enjoy!
The characters are well developed and delightful. They all have their quirks, particularly our main characters Din and Anna that are investigating several murders by via a highly unusual method. The murder mysteries are the main story line and we catch glimmers of the fantasy/sci-fi world as the plot unfolds and different characters abilities are revealed (e.g., augmented humans, leviathan monsters, augmented environment, different class rankings).
While this book was enjoyable, I initially had a difficult time keeping everyone straight and I was sometimes able to figure out some of the plot twists. Nevertheless I highly recommend this book! I am looking forward to seeing Anna and Din’s future adventures in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The characters are well developed and delightful. They all have their quirks, particularly our main characters Din and Anna that are investigating several murders by via a highly unusual method. The murder mysteries are the main story line and we catch glimmers of the fantasy/sci-fi world as the plot unfolds and different characters abilities are revealed (e.g., augmented humans, leviathan monsters, augmented environment, different class rankings).
While this book was enjoyable, I initially had a difficult time keeping everyone straight and I was sometimes able to figure out some of the plot twists. Nevertheless I highly recommend this book! I am looking forward to seeing Anna and Din’s future adventures in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
shai3d's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
booksthatburn's review against another edition
*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
This follows the trend of the witty, arbitrarily restricted genius of several recent popular iterations of Sherlock Holmes, but with a danger that feels at once too remote and too specific to make a lot of sense to me. I can tell it's aiming for a thing that I don't like, and so I'm not going to finish it. I like banter, I like witty dialogue, but I think I'm finally at a point in my life where I don't like someone explaining to me how smart they are with information I literally had no access to until this moment. The biggest factor in this DNF is I'd started to feel like I wasn't allowed to finish other books until I struggled through this one, and I don't like books that make me feel like I can't or shouldn't read other books. I'm definitely bothered by one character's personality quirk of wearing a blindfold at all times, and treating a refusal to leave her home as an affectation that exists to annoy other people. The narrative calls attention to it but refuses to explain. I don't enjoy being told repeatedly that I don't need to know something, or at least don't get to have it revealed at this time. It doesn't feel mysterious or interesting, just irritating and petty.
This follows the trend of the witty, arbitrarily restricted genius of several recent popular iterations of Sherlock Holmes, but with a danger that feels at once too remote and too specific to make a lot of sense to me. I can tell it's aiming for a thing that I don't like, and so I'm not going to finish it. I like banter, I like witty dialogue, but I think I'm finally at a point in my life where I don't like someone explaining to me how smart they are with information I literally had no access to until this moment. The biggest factor in this DNF is I'd started to feel like I wasn't allowed to finish other books until I struggled through this one, and I don't like books that make me feel like I can't or shouldn't read other books. I'm definitely bothered by one character's personality quirk of wearing a blindfold at all times, and treating a refusal to leave her home as an affectation that exists to annoy other people. The narrative calls attention to it but refuses to explain. I don't enjoy being told repeatedly that I don't need to know something, or at least don't get to have it revealed at this time. It doesn't feel mysterious or interesting, just irritating and petty.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Body horror, Ableism, Classism, Blood, Gore, Vomit, and Death
Minor: Sexual harassment, Torture, and Excrement
booksandsteph's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
What appears to be a simple murder mystery at the outset expands and develops, along with your view of the world and characters, into something complex and surprising as the story unfolds. The mystery elements hooks the reader from the first chapter and sets the quick pace of the book.
A host of very quirky characters make the cast. Initially, the eccentrics were annoying, but as I saw the characters encounter certain challenges and build relationships throughout the story, I became very invested in their development and wellbeing. There was also an element of dyslexia representation that was woven into the story very well.
Overall, this book had my hooked. I was intrigued by the world, engaged by the plot, and loved the characters. This book had me reacting from cringing in certain situations the characters found themselves in to literally laughing out loud at some of the dialogue. I recommend this for a fun, murder mystery set in a very imaginative world with a great set of characters. I’m looking forward to book 2 and seeing what hijinks the characters get up to as well as to see how the world expands based on the hints and foreshadowing from book 1.
A host of very quirky characters make the cast. Initially, the eccentrics were annoying, but as I saw the characters encounter certain challenges and build relationships throughout the story, I became very invested in their development and wellbeing. There was also an element of dyslexia representation that was woven into the story very well.
Overall, this book had my hooked. I was intrigued by the world, engaged by the plot, and loved the characters. This book had me reacting from cringing in certain situations the characters found themselves in to literally laughing out loud at some of the dialogue. I recommend this for a fun, murder mystery set in a very imaginative world with a great set of characters. I’m looking forward to book 2 and seeing what hijinks the characters get up to as well as to see how the world expands based on the hints and foreshadowing from book 1.
lukeass's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
wowowow this was so good. this is my first of bennett's work and i absolutely loved it. his worldbuilding is great and well-thought but i absolutely /loved/ the main characters. it felt like bennett truly made each character their own and the character voices were great. i loved bennett's attention to detail and how he wove the worldbuilding into the story; it really made the world immersive and it felt full of life. aside from that the mystery was so fun and even though ana was a know-all type of character, she was absolutely my favorite and i need more of her immediately. im excited to get into bennett's other works after this great one! thanks to netgalley for the advanced access :)
scarecrow2013's review
5.0
Thank you, Robert Jackson Bennett, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, your hard work!
This was recommended to me, and thank you so much for the recommendation!
This book was wonderful! Strange, mysterious, full of murder! There were such twists and turns. It certainly has you guessing on what's going to be happening next, if the characters are safe and who's going to die next! I simply couldn't put this down once I started. It's full of corruption, assasins, and so much more to discover as you dig into this book. The powerful certainly have such holds over the poor and government... and be careful of who you trust.
The page was perfect, and I never lost interest. The killers choice of weapon: Trees! Who would have thought such a thing. This book was full of imagination, creativity, and sarcasm and just made me unable to put the book down.
The investigation follows people who have died in strange ways: Trees sprouting from their bodies. As the book is uncovered, bodies pile up, corruption, and so much more is discovered, putting everyone in danger. You will be guessing the entire time who is guilty until the very end.This truly is worth the read!
This was recommended to me, and thank you so much for the recommendation!
This book was wonderful! Strange, mysterious, full of murder! There were such twists and turns. It certainly has you guessing on what's going to be happening next, if the characters are safe and who's going to die next! I simply couldn't put this down once I started. It's full of corruption, assasins, and so much more to discover as you dig into this book. The powerful certainly have such holds over the poor and government... and be careful of who you trust.
The page was perfect, and I never lost interest. The killers choice of weapon: Trees! Who would have thought such a thing. This book was full of imagination, creativity, and sarcasm and just made me unable to put the book down.
The investigation follows people who have died in strange ways: Trees sprouting from their bodies. As the book is uncovered, bodies pile up, corruption, and so much more is discovered, putting everyone in danger. You will be guessing the entire time who is guilty until the very end.This truly is worth the read!
therealcubcake's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
In another departure from my usual genres, I finished "The Tainted Cup" by Robert Jackson Bennett. Big surprise to me was how much I really enjoyed it!
From the first page, Bennett is a world builder. While moving the story along at a decent pace, so many details of this absolutely foreign world were explained, without details weighing it down. That is magic in itself, am I right?!
Now, the story itself... think of everything you know about your classic whodunit murder mystery, but then throw the old rules out of the window and mix it all up into a fantasy world. A high officer is found dead, killed from a contagion, a tree growing out of his body to be precise. Our eccentric detective, Ana Dolabra (who I couldn't help but to picture as Emma Thompson, go ahead make the movie, you are welcome) is on the case (wearing a blindfold no less), and not leaving her home. With her trusty new assistant Dinios Kol to help. Kol has been magically altered to become an engraver, one who retains every single detail/thing they encounter with the help of some tricks of his own. The mystery takes them across this mysterious land and its people's and is equally mysterious and thrilling as it is hilarious.
Not only are we treated to a murder mystery, but also getting to witness the new relationship between detective and assistant grow itself. Bennett also gives us a story of different backgrounds working and coming together to save a city. A little something we could all use a little more of these days.
I'm leaving a lot out here, because I don't want to spoil the fun ride for all of you! Unfortunately you have to wait until February, but hey, something to look forward to in the new year!
tashasbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Wow, wow, wow. This is my first book by this author (which is crazy!) and I absolutely loved this. The Tainted Cup combines an eerie fantastical and dystopian world with a murder investigation.
Dinios Kol is an assistant investigator to the eccentric Ana Dolabra. Since he started this job, they mostly have been working on wage fraud, until he is called to investigate a horrible murder. Din visits one of the gentry's mansions where a high ranking officer was killed by a literal tree that erupted from his body. Din is an engraver, meaning he can remember every single thing he sees, touches, and hears and must memorize it and report back to his investigator. As they follow the crime, it leads to them investigating a nearby province where other similar murders have occurred of engineers which are essential to protecting the empire. At the same time, Din realizes how great of an investigator Ana is and is worried she'll find his secrets.
I found the world building was extremely unique, and almost dystopian? It's an empire that is made up of three rings, with the outer wall meant to protect against leviathans which are huge monsters that try and attack during the wet season each year. The blood of leviathans allow the empire to "graft" people where they can have enhanced senses (such as Din being an engraver). However, this can lead them to be more susceptible to contagion, where things like plant based growth occur in their body.
I feel like in a lot of fantasy worlds, the "empire" is a bad thing, but this wasn't necessarily the case here. Throughout the book, Ana teaches Din that the empire can be good and bad. There are gentry who hold a lot of political power and control, but I will say it's not completely ignored by the government. We follow a story that divulges into the infrastructure of an empire and how each individual supports the entire system, which was a unique look outside of most fantasy based books.
Ana and Din have a straight up Sherlock and Watson dynamic, and it was so fun to read! Ana is definitely eccentric, but she is so smart and hilarious. Din on the other hand is very rational and has a very straight moral compass. He doesn't have a sense of humor, which makes his interactions with Ana some of my favorite parts of this book. He is the sole perspective we do read from and we learn about the twists in the investigation and what Ana figures it out as he learns it. I do think that Ana is neurodivergent based on how her character is described (not explicitly stated), with her aversion to social situations and overstimulation, but it doesn't stop her from her job and brilliance. Character wise, I think there is still so much more we could learn from their background because most of what we do know and learn is in the present.
The mystery had so many twists and turns, and I was able to figure out some things, but others completely surprised me and I loved the entire reveal as it unfolded. The clues are there if you are smart enough haha, so once Ana draws her conclusions it makes sense and isn't just magical ability. The investigation and mystery aspects was well balanced in a fantasy world. It felt very seamless and there was no info-dumping on the reader. At its forefront, this book is a mystery that just has a unique setting and fantastical background.
This is the start of a series so I am really hopeful that we get to explore further in this world and the history of the empire. I do think the scope of this book took place in such a small part, and I would love to see a setting in the inner two rings. There's also not a ton of background to the origin and history of the established empire.
Overall, this is an incredible book and I look forward to further sequels. If you like a mystery with a Sherlock and Watson characters in a fantasy setting, definitely pick this up!
Thank you to Penguin Random House Ballantine/Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!