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A review by whatevanreads
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
5.0
If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. It's that good. Something about a "whodunit" type mystery set within a fantasy setting entrances me more than any other subgenre of fiction and The Tainted Cup is the best example of that.
Following our main character and narrator, Dinios Kol, we're instantly thrust into quite the disturbing murder mystery surrounding the most unusual circumstances. Namely, a tree sprouting from the body of a man. If that isn't strange enough, the lead investigator, Ana, is...quite the character to put it mildly. With plenty of twists and turns, this unravels into such a fun, engaging, and winding mystery, that I couldn't stop turning each page!
The fantasy elements of this added so much political intrigue and whimsy - namely the emphasis on apothecary as the means for which humans can "graft" different combinations to change elements of themselves (such as being able to remember everything, growing their bodies to enormous sizes for increased strength, etc.). Our main character, Din, for instance, is known as an engraver - one who's able to remember and recall specific details. All of this PLUS the fact the empire is under constant threat from massive deep-sea creatures known as leviathans that attempt to breach the outer ring of the empire.
Combining all of this makes for the best "kitchen sink" type mashup of fun that I've read in a very long time. Not to mention the character dynamics, especially between our investigators, were laugh-out-loud funny. I can't wait to see where he takes these characters next!
Following our main character and narrator, Dinios Kol, we're instantly thrust into quite the disturbing murder mystery surrounding the most unusual circumstances. Namely, a tree sprouting from the body of a man. If that isn't strange enough, the lead investigator, Ana, is...quite the character to put it mildly. With plenty of twists and turns, this unravels into such a fun, engaging, and winding mystery, that I couldn't stop turning each page!
The fantasy elements of this added so much political intrigue and whimsy - namely the emphasis on apothecary as the means for which humans can "graft" different combinations to change elements of themselves (such as being able to remember everything, growing their bodies to enormous sizes for increased strength, etc.). Our main character, Din, for instance, is known as an engraver - one who's able to remember and recall specific details. All of this PLUS the fact the empire is under constant threat from massive deep-sea creatures known as leviathans that attempt to breach the outer ring of the empire.
Combining all of this makes for the best "kitchen sink" type mashup of fun that I've read in a very long time. Not to mention the character dynamics, especially between our investigators, were laugh-out-loud funny. I can't wait to see where he takes these characters next!