A review by woolerys
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Writing - 4/5 

Plot - 4/5 

Characters - 4/5 

World-building - 3/5 

Personal tastes - 3/5 

TOTAL: 3.6 

 

When they found the accomplice and the method for the opening murder in approximately two chapters, I correctly guessed that that murder was only the tip of the iceberg. This fantasy mystery is narrated by the investigator’s assistant, who has undergone a procedure to become an “engraver,” ie someone with perfect recall. Except he’s also dyslexic and can’t remember text unless he reads it aloud to himself—a fact he’s determined to conceal as long as possible. The investigator herself is extremely direct, prone to sensory overload, and way more competent than people initially give her credit for. Overall highly readable, and I thought it made a decent attempt at bringing neurodiversity into the genre in a beneficial way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Body horror

Specific content warning for death via rapidly-growing plants, and for a minor/in-the-past description of an infestation that reads a bit like a description of an epidemic.