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q_wolff's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I’m actually not a fan of murder mysteries, but the setting and the environmental atmosphere of the book made it a very interesting read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Murder
Moderate: Cursing
bergha1998's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
This world is so unique and interesting. I loved the main characters and their idiosyncrasies. The mystery unfolded really nice, too. I enjoy ones where you can figure out some of the mystery yourself and then the rest needs to be revealed.
Fantasy Mystery, Magic System, Crime Fight
“We get some say in what kind of person we are, Din. We do not pop out of a mold. We change. We self-assemble.”
Fantasy Mystery, Magic System, Crime Fight
“We get some say in what kind of person we are, Din. We do not pop out of a mold. We change. We self-assemble.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
blacksphinx's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
When I was a kid, my grandparents bought me an anthology of all the Sherlock Holmes stories. When I got into Edgar Allen Poe, they pointed out to me that he's considered to have written the first detective story, and I read The Murders in the Rue Morgue with relish. This seed of detective/murder mystery fiction love has laid dormant all these years, but I think this is the water it needed to sprout.
This is a richly alien fantasy world with fun characters and a well-realized mystery. I am so proud I figured a piece out before our Sherlock expy laid it out for us! This book also made me realize how little the characters in the books I read swear, and once I got used to it... it was kind of nice to have a smart lady running around who says the word fuck. I also loved that the author understood that Sherlock is not a cold or mean person, which shines through in the way he writes his expy, Ana. Her and our PoV character Din have such great rapport while being their own characters. I also loved the disability representation, when it clicked that the protagonist actually had dyslexia and it wasn't some magical side effect I teared up.
Can't wait for the next book in the series!
This is a richly alien fantasy world with fun characters and a well-realized mystery. I am so proud I figured a piece out before our Sherlock expy laid it out for us! This book also made me realize how little the characters in the books I read swear, and once I got used to it... it was kind of nice to have a smart lady running around who says the word fuck. I also loved that the author understood that Sherlock is not a cold or mean person, which shines through in the way he writes his expy, Ana. Her and our PoV character Din have such great rapport while being their own characters. I also loved the disability representation, when it clicked that the protagonist actually had dyslexia and it wasn't some magical side effect I teared up.
Can't wait for the next book in the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic
octopus_farmer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fun mystery!! I couldn’t guess much in the first half - lots of worldbuilding and set dressing. Creative world and neat characterization. The title sucks though. Completely inscrutable until the end when the plot is revealed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Medical content, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Blood, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Infertility and Vomit
lbelow's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
4.75
An excellent book and a compelling start to a new series! I'm not often one for Sherlock/Watson duos because a lot of authors take that kind of "smart" to mean "callous". And there's no denying that the Sherlockian character in this book is weird AF (and I suspect on the autism spectrum due to her sensory issues), but she also does things like take the time to check in with Din after he's had a near-death experience. The other thing I loved: the disability rep. Din is dyslexic and that reflects in how he navigates the world as well as the workarounds he comes up with to capture information.
This world is just as weird and unique as its main characters. And it's introduced with just enough finesse for the aspects of the world explored to tie back to the plot. As for that plot, some of the twists I guessed, and at least one important piece I did not. With the way that information is presented in this book, that makes me excited to reread this and pick up on the clues I missed during the first pass.
I recommend this book and will be searching out more by this author!
This world is just as weird and unique as its main characters. And it's introduced with just enough finesse for the aspects of the world explored to tie back to the plot. As for that plot, some of the twists I guessed, and at least one important piece I did not. With the way that information is presented in this book, that makes me excited to reread this and pick up on the clues I missed during the first pass.
I recommend this book and will be searching out more by this author!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Drug use
kwthor's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness and Sexual content
vigil's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
susanatherly's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Violence, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Blood, War, and Classism
snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
I stepped into this book without any expectations (I know, silly me because I’ve not read an RJB book before) and came out devasted by how much of an absolute stunner it is. From lush imagery and rich worldbuilding to a tense murder mystery that keeps the pages turning, there is so much to gush about when it comes to The Tainted Cup and if I had a stronger lyrical bone in my body, I would write an ode to it.
What I loved about this book is not limited to just the aforementioned points. I adored the seamless blend between mystery and fantasy — how everything felt different yet familiar at the same time. It was both comforting and refreshing to experience the common elements of a murder mystery book in such fantastical ways. Moreover, the presence of enormous leviathans that are both boon and bane to the world brings to mind Attack on Titan , Pacific Rim and other similar works. So, if you’re a fan of those, this book would definitely tickle your fancy. Doubly so if you’re a fan of murder mysteries as well.
Other than that, I also greatly adored the neurodivergent characters, the Holmes and Watson-style detective duo that’ll, without fail, make you tender-hearted. In a world where people can readily augment themselves in so many different ways just so they’re perfect for specific tasks to keep the Empire functioning, the characters here are still faced with their own relatable trials and tribulations. Our protagonists — or more evidently Din as he has yet to reach the status Ana has achieved — have to work doubly hard to gain worth and recognition. Being dyslexic has resulted in him failing all but one test which earned him the status of being an engraver. However, despite his hard work and capabilities, being dyslexic is also a dangerous flaw for an engraver to have because memorising everything is their speciality.
These struggles add a new layer of depth to the story as no longer is it simply about human survival against monsters, but also human survival within systems where power makes little allowance for differences that don’t benefit those holding the reigns. It is a complex world filled with many moments that impressively come to a circle — a compelling, multilayered book that resonates and echoes events that have happened in our reality.
I cannot wait to see where the next book in this series will bring us.
I stepped into this book without any expectations (I know, silly me because I’ve not read an RJB book before) and came out devasted by how much of an absolute stunner it is. From lush imagery and rich worldbuilding to a tense murder mystery that keeps the pages turning, there is so much to gush about when it comes to The Tainted Cup and if I had a stronger lyrical bone in my body, I would write an ode to it.
What I loved about this book is not limited to just the aforementioned points. I adored the seamless blend between mystery and fantasy — how everything felt different yet familiar at the same time. It was both comforting and refreshing to experience the common elements of a murder mystery book in such fantastical ways. Moreover, the presence of enormous leviathans that are both boon and bane to the world brings to mind Attack on Titan , Pacific Rim and other similar works. So, if you’re a fan of those, this book would definitely tickle your fancy. Doubly so if you’re a fan of murder mysteries as well.
Other than that, I also greatly adored the neurodivergent characters, the Holmes and Watson-style detective duo that’ll, without fail, make you tender-hearted. In a world where people can readily augment themselves in so many different ways just so they’re perfect for specific tasks to keep the Empire functioning, the characters here are still faced with their own relatable trials and tribulations. Our protagonists — or more evidently Din as he has yet to reach the status Ana has achieved — have to work doubly hard to gain worth and recognition. Being dyslexic has resulted in him failing all but one test which earned him the status of being an engraver. However, despite his hard work and capabilities, being dyslexic is also a dangerous flaw for an engraver to have because memorising everything is their speciality.
These struggles add a new layer of depth to the story as no longer is it simply about human survival against monsters, but also human survival within systems where power makes little allowance for differences that don’t benefit those holding the reigns. It is a complex world filled with many moments that impressively come to a circle — a compelling, multilayered book that resonates and echoes events that have happened in our reality.
I cannot wait to see where the next book in this series will bring us.
Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review! The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is available at all good bookstores.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Stalking and Sexual harassment