Reviews with content warning for Ableism - The Tainted Cup

Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

15 reviews

elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.5

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lbelow's review against another edition

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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!

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epen's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I loved this so much. World building was so creative and exciting but also felt very effortless to understand and get into as a reader. The characters are 🥹 and the story is so fun while also touching on interesting and important themes. I’d recommend this to anyone but esp anyone who likes fantasy

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nightstitch96's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

4.5

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blewballoon's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was my first time reading Robert Jackson Bennett, but I've heard lots of good things about their writing. This didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the "biopunk" universe where technology was based on plants and biology. I liked Dinios Kol and Ana Dolabra very much, which I had been a little worried about before reading. They charmed me quickly and I enjoyed their conversations. I wasn't really trying to solve the mystery, but I did manage to put together some pieces for myself before the reveals. When I talked about it with my friend, they said that sometimes fantasy mysteries are a bit easier to solve because the author has to explain how the world works, and what they are required to point out and explain for things to make sense tends to be relevant to solving the mystery. I listened to this on audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job, but I do think it made it a little harder for me to follow all the unusual names and keep things straight. With regards to content warnings, there is a fair amount of body horror and gore, but (extremely mild spoiler)

there was one weird gross sexual scene that I'm not sure how to accurately content warn about. I'll file it under Sexual Harassment I suppose? I found that scene unsettling.

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aileron's review against another edition

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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

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sarahweyand's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own.

The worst part about this book is that I can't consume the sequel immediately. This book has me in a chokehold. This book is my favorite book so far this year and will probably be in my top five in December. I've been looking for this book in stores to buy a physical copy even though I already read an ARC and I don't ever do that with books I've already read. I LOVE.

There is so much about this book that's going to appeal to such a variety of people. There's a mystery at the heart of the plot that is well-thought-out and twisty, a Sherlock Holmes-level detective with a sense of humor to die for, BIG MONSTERS, politics, a very interesting magic/worldbuilding systems, fantastic writing.

I also cannot give enough praise to authors writing a series who keep their plot arcs confined within a single book. Of course, there are overarching plot points and themes that will weave all the books in the series together and compel you to want to read the next book, but the mystery and inciting incident in this book has been solved. I have answers and I can find peace in waiting for the sequel.

Absolutely cannot recommend this one enough - might become a go-to recommendation for me. A real real great time.

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