Book Club: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

My latest read was Robert Jackson Bennett's The Tainted Cup, the opening instalment of his new Shadow of the Leviathan series, and it is inventive and intriguing if a little intense in parts. Known for the Founders Trilogy and City of Stairs, Bennett has already proven himself a master of high-concept worldbuilding. Here, he channels that strength into a tightly woven detective story that feels at once familiar and entirely fresh.

Be warned, however, this is book one, and the learning curve is steep. Possibly somewhat similar in magnitude to other great Worldsmiths such as Tolkien or Pratchett.

Proceed below at your own risk; some aspects of this review may encroach on spoiler territory.

Premise and Worldbuilding

The novel takes place in an empire perpetually under threat from leviathans - vast, otherworldly sea monsters that loom just beyond the shores. Society is structured not only around military preparedness but also around elaborate systems of augmentation, human bodies are grafted to sharpen senses, regulate emotions, or confer unusual abilities.

This retro-dystopia is the backdrop against which the mystery unfolds: a high-ranking official is found murdered under bizarre and seemingly impossible circumstances. The solution falls to our narrator, Dino, an investigator's assistant, and the aforementioned investigator, Ana, a reclusive and eccentric with a razor-sharp intellect.

A Holmesian Duo with a Twist

At first glance, Ana and Dino echo the classic Holmes and Watson dynamic. Ana is brilliant but unsettling, with habits and thought patterns that defy social convention. Dino, in contrast, is inexperienced, earnest, and somewhat naïve. But Bennett reshapes the formula in essential ways:

• Dino is not simply a bystander; his grafted enhancements give him a unique narrative lens.
• Ana is not just eccentric but deeply unsettling — almost like how a predator observes, waiting for the moment to grasp its prey.
• Their relationship is less about hero worship and more about mentorship laced with unease, which keeps the tension alive even between allies.

The Mystery Itself

Bennett treats the murder plot with the respect of a true mystery writer. Clues are planted early, the trail twists and turns, and the solution is both surprising and inevitable once revealed. Unlike many fantasy-mystery hybrids, where the magic can feel like a cheat, here the rules of the world are clear enough that the mystery works on logical terms.

What elevates it is how the mystery dovetails with the broader political and military stakes of the empire. Solving the murder isn't just about justice for one victim — it's about uncovering a deeper conspiracy that could destabilise the realm's fragile defences against the leviathans.

Style and Pacing

Bennett writes with energy and flair. The prose is vivid without becoming overwrought, particularly in its descriptions of the grotesque beauty of the grafts or the monstrous scale of the leviathans. The pacing is brisk, moving from crime scene to interrogation to revelation without unnecessary lag. At the same time, Bennett isn't afraid to linger on unsettling or grotesque details, reminding us, the readers, that this world is both wondrous and profoundly alien.

Themes and Takeaways

At its core, The Tainted Cup is about:

• Control vs. chaos: whether in the empire's defence against leviathans or in the ways individuals modify their bodies.
• Mentorship and dependence: Dino's growth under Ana, and how power imbalances complicate trust.
• Truth in a world of artifice: when bodies, environments, and even memories can be altered, what does it mean to uncover the "truth" of a crime?

These themes give the novel weight beyond its page-turning mystery.

Verdict

The Tainted Cup is both a sharp mystery and a richly imagined fantasy, standing comfortably alongside the best of both genres. Readers who enjoy the deductive pleasures of Sherlock Holmes, the worldbuilding of CS Lewis, or the political instability promised by something like House of the Dragon. Be warned, however, that this may reverberate with some given current political and social corruption seen globally.

Bennett has launched the Shadow of the Leviathan series with confidence. If the following entries live up to this first, it promises to be one of the most exciting fantasy-mystery hybrids of the decade.

Rating: 5/5 — Highly recommended for fans of genre-bending, intelligent storytelling.

For more information on this title, check out the Goodreads page. And don't forget to check back later when I will try to share my thoughts on book two, A Drop of Corruption.