Scan barcode
julalbert56's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was a fun story! The ending was a bit underwhelming but I absolutely loved the characters, they were definitely my favorite part of the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
micheala's review against another edition
4.5
I picked this up having enjoyed The Founders Trilogy previously. Plus a fantasy murder mystery sounded like it could be a fun time.
Ana and Din gave me Sherlock/Watson vibes, but not quite as far, with Ana's conclusions being easier to follow. But as someone who doesn't commonly read mysteries I'm not comfortable saying if it's a "fair" mystery, as I'm just along for the ride and never trying to figure it out first.
Bennett does fantastic worldbuilding, and this was no exception. I'm really excited to get more answers about the world in future books. I do wish we had gotten a little more information about the different races in this book.
Ana and Din gave me Sherlock/Watson vibes, but not quite as far, with Ana's conclusions being easier to follow. But as someone who doesn't commonly read mysteries I'm not comfortable saying if it's a "fair" mystery, as I'm just along for the ride and never trying to figure it out first.
Bennett does fantastic worldbuilding, and this was no exception. I'm really excited to get more answers about the world in future books. I do wish we had gotten a little more information about the different races in this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
saltycoffee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
madscientistcat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Murder
hyuzen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fantastic, deep, well-realized setting. This would apply to Robert Jackson Bennett's Foundryside just as easily as The Tainted Cup. He's adept at digging into the minutiae and logistics of the world's he creates. In this setting, an Empire uses concoctions developed from attacking Leviathan's to augment and modify humans. The empire's citizens are instrumentalized into tools to sustain the empire.
Din, the main character, has been granted a perfect memory, which he uses to gather clues for his boss, and investigator. What starts as a kind of Holmes and Watson pairing looking into a murder starts to tease a bigger mystery that looked like it may delve into a conspiracy against the empire itself but eventually turns out to be slightly more mundane and grounded. That's not necessarily a knock against it as it keeps the stakes relatable. Told in first person perspective we learn about the secret disability Din manages that may make his job difficult.
The groundwork for the romance is better established compared to Foundryside which I appreciated.
As someone with perfect memory investigating a murder, Bennett dwells on the gore and violence, trying to make it stick in your mind the way it will forever be lodged in Din's. An improvement on the prose in his previous trilogy, but still nothing incredible.
But Din is a fairly dry character, fitting into the Watson mold. Sancia was a more interesting character to follow.
Din, the main character, has been granted a perfect memory, which he uses to gather clues for his boss, and investigator. What starts as a kind of Holmes and Watson pairing looking into a murder starts to tease a bigger mystery that looked like it may delve into a conspiracy against the empire itself but eventually turns out to be slightly more mundane and grounded. That's not necessarily a knock against it as it keeps the stakes relatable. Told in first person perspective we learn about the secret disability Din manages that may make his job difficult.
The groundwork for the romance is better established compared to Foundryside which I appreciated.
As someone with perfect memory investigating a murder, Bennett dwells on the gore and violence, trying to make it stick in your mind the way it will forever be lodged in Din's. An improvement on the prose in his previous trilogy, but still nothing incredible.
But Din is a fairly dry character, fitting into the Watson mold. Sancia was a more interesting character to follow.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Violence
Minor: Drug use
aw_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
cherlin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
this book was so sexy like din was great, ana was great, everyone was great, the twists were great literally didnt see them coming like genuinely. im so excited for the next book AHHHHH
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
aileron's review against another edition
adventurous
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Sexual assault, Medical content, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
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
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