The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett

The Tainted Cup is a flawless book, a must-read for anyone who loves a good story, regardless of their preferred genre.

Before reading this book, it was hard to imagine this author topping the awesome work he did with Divine Cities. But now, I have to say that he’s somehow managed to pull it off.

The Tainted Cup is a flawless book, a must-read for anyone who loves a good story, regardless of their preferred genre.

Synopsis

In a strange Empire fuelled by magickal technologies, the murder of an Imperial high officer within the opulent dwelling of one of its highest-ranking socialites calls for the attention of Ana Dolabra, a brilliant and eccentric investigator, and her apprentice, the unusually gifted Dinios Kol.

As an engraver, one of the Empire’s many magically altered beings, Kol has the ability to perfectly capture physical experiences and recall them perfectly. Together with his boss, Ana, they must solve a murder mystery with roots that go back several years and will come to involve the high and mighty in the Empire.

With the ever-present threat of oblivion looming in the form of the annual leviathan attacks on the Empire’s major frontier, Ana and Kol must race against time and enemies, seen and unseen, to unmask the perpetrators before they fall victim.

Thoughts

The Tainted Cup is an aptly named murder mystery posing as a fantasy book. It’s got all the hallmarks of great fantasy, with decent worldbuilding, and a magic system as well-defined as The Will of the Many. But from start to finish, it reads as intriguingly as any Agatha Christie book, gripping readers with fevered curiosity and an obsession with plot intricacies.

The protagonists are brilliant, and it’s exciting to see how the author introduces the rest of the characters, drawing them into an amazing web of mind-boggling suspense.

It’s a fresh type of fantasy, far removed from fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping epic fantasy reads or Grimdark stories.

Like the rest of his books, including Shorefall and City of Stairs, The Tainted Cup is a truly wondrous fantasy that combines traditional magic with modern innovative elements. The result is a world halfway between steampunk and Middle Earth.

There’s not much else to say about the book without giving away spoilers, which is why this review will be brief.

Meanwhile, hats off to the author for churning out what has turned out to be one of my best reads of 2024. I eagerly anticipate the next installment!