LoveReading Says
I’m so so excited about this novel, it bonds my love of crime fiction and fantasy in the best possible way. Author Robert Jackson Bennett says that: “I actually really enjoyed writing this one, and plan to write more murder mysteries…”. Personally, I hope that a series will be born, as I just have to experience more of this world. Eccentric investigator Ana Dolabra and her magically altered assistant Dinios Kol are called to investigate a suspicious death, where a tree has erupted from the body of an Imperial officer. They discover murder, corruption, and greed as they attempt to solve the mystery of why anyone would put their lands in such horrific danger. The world building on display here is just superb, I was immediately invested in and felt a part of the vivid empire that slotted into place around me. I had no reservations in believing in this society that twisted itself into being around plants and fungi. Dinios recounts the tale, and as he has the ability of perfect recall, he makes for a fascinating narrator. There is a whisper of Holmes and Watson here in terms of the brilliance of the pairing, but Ana and Dinios resolutely stand in their own right as a crime-solving duo. The mystery itself is a wonderful but absolute bugger of a thing as it slinks and swerves and smirks its way through the story. I love this tale so much, I just had to include it as a Liz Pick of the Month, and of course it joins the ranks of our LoveReading Star Books. So brilliantly creative it actually almost hurts, this is one I am shouting from the rooftops about. Original and compelling, The Tainted Cup deserves to fly far and wide, it’s an absolute corker of a read!
Liz Robinson
Find This Book In
| Primary Genre |
Fantasy
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The Tainted Cup Synopsis
'Part Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, part Through the Looking-Glass, The Tainted Cup is one of the wildest, most original stories' WESLEY CHU
An eccentric detective and her long-suffering assistant untangle a web of magic, deceit, and murder in this sparkling fantasy reimagining of the classic crime novel - from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.
A peculiar crime. A brilliant investigator. A mystery of epic proportions.
In an opulent mansion at the borders of the Empire, an Imperial officer lies dead - killed when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even here, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it's a death at once terrifying and impossible.
Called in to solve the crime is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricity. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory.
Soon, the mystery leads to a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself. For Ana, all this makes for a deliciously thorny puzzle - at last, something to truly hold her attention. And Din? He'll just have to hold on for the ride.
READERS LOVE ROBERT JACKSON BENNETT
'This is that rare thing - a book so good that you are bereft when you reach the final page. I loved this and would spend much more time in its world' ?????
'Utterly riveting read from beginning to end. Another mind blowing innovative world-build' ?????
'I couldn't put this one down and read waaay into the night to discover who did what to whom - and came away with a massive book hangover that had me dreaming of Bennett's world for the rest of the week' ?????
'I adored this book! Can't recommend it enough. Murder mystery in a fantasy setting with botanical murder weapons, augmented humans and leviathans threatening to breach city walls! It was such a wonderful, exciting book!' ?????
'This book destroyed those expectations. This was fantastic' ?????
AUTHORS LOVE ROBERT JACKSON BENNETT
'Engrossing and fascinating' MUR LAFFERTY
'A masterstroke. I want Bennett to write a dozen of these, and send them to me yesterday' MAX GLADSTONE
'Original, imaginative, and suspenseful' MEG GARDINER
'Riveting' AMAL EL-MOHTAR
'If you love unique, genre-bending, boundary-pushing fantasy as much as I do, look no further than Robert Jackson Bennett' FONDA LEE
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781399725392 |
| Publication date: |
6th February 2025 |
| Author: |
Robert Jackson Bennett |
| Publisher: |
Hodderscape an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
432 pages |
| Series: |
The Tainted Cup |
| Primary Genre |
Fantasy
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