Synopsis
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.
Review
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is a Knives Out-styled, fantasy murder mystery that has freaking Titans!
I am a massive fan of The Founders Trilogy so when I heard there was a new series by Bennett, it was immediately high on my anticipated list. There’s been a lot of praise recently for this but I was not prepared for how much I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
Firstly, the characters here are remarkably memorable. Ana Dolabra – a brilliant investigator who is as outwardly eccentric as inwardly awkward – and her assistant Dinios Kol – a magically altered engraver that can hold memories – are tasked with finding the culprit in the murder of an office. The weirdness here is that a tree has sprouted from his body and nobody knows how this has happened. This Holmes & Watson approach to their dynamic led to witty banter but also some emotional moments. I was thankful that this was more story-driven than character-driven but the characters that Bennett has written here are ones that I hope to see again.
Whilst being a crime novel, this is definitely a fantasy setting and Bennett excels at his vast world-building whilst keeping the story itself grounded. The Attack on Titan-esque narrative may not be as action packed but it definitely packs a punch in the dangers that Bennett portrays. We see that humans are horrible but in a world where leviathans pose a threat, it is the characters that we meet that are dangerous. I do hope that we explore more of the titans in the next book.
The plot itself was insanely engaging and this murder mystery worked brilliantly in a fantasy setting. I had to just keep turning the page to see what was going to happen. The puzzles here were meticulous and whilst it was explained during the course of the novel, I was still left surprised and the revelations.
This is a fantastic world where there is still more left to uncover. An incredible beginning to a new fantasy, murder series and one that I hope just keeps going. Bennett has created yet another unique setting that makes for a compelling series and one that will remain on top of my most anticipated.
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