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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: Violence, Death, Cursing, Blood, Ableism, Body horror, Murder, Gore, Sexual harassment, and Mental illness
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, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Death
Minor: Sexual content and Mental illness
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: Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Ableism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Murder, Medical content, Gore, Drug use, 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: Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Bullying, Cursing, Body horror, and Violence
Minor: War, Classism, and Blood
snowwhitehatesapples's review
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: Drug use, Vomit, Cursing, Murder, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Gore, Blood, and Violence
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: Body horror, Cursing, Murder, Alcohol, Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Stalking and Sexual harassment
madbookworm15's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
4.0
I received this arc through Netgalley and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. I've only read one other book by this author but have intended to read more. This one has such an interesting magic system. I love the main character's augmentations and how he uses them throughout the book. Ana is delightful (if a little vulgar in her language) and reminds me of Sherlock Holmes. The mystery and how it is solved is so interesting. Definitely would recommend this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cursing, and Gore
Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
booksthatburn's review against another edition
*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
This follows the trend of the witty, arbitrarily restricted genius of several recent popular iterations of Sherlock Holmes, but with a danger that feels at once too remote and too specific to make a lot of sense to me. I can tell it's aiming for a thing that I don't like, and so I'm not going to finish it. I like banter, I like witty dialogue, but I think I'm finally at a point in my life where I don't like someone explaining to me how smart they are with information I literally had no access to until this moment. The biggest factor in this DNF is I'd started to feel like I wasn't allowed to finish other books until I struggled through this one, and I don't like books that make me feel like I can't or shouldn't read other books. I'm definitely bothered by one character's personality quirk of wearing a blindfold at all times, and treating a refusal to leave her home as an affectation that exists to annoy other people. The narrative calls attention to it but refuses to explain. I don't enjoy being told repeatedly that I don't need to know something, or at least don't get to have it revealed at this time. It doesn't feel mysterious or interesting, just irritating and petty.
This follows the trend of the witty, arbitrarily restricted genius of several recent popular iterations of Sherlock Holmes, but with a danger that feels at once too remote and too specific to make a lot of sense to me. I can tell it's aiming for a thing that I don't like, and so I'm not going to finish it. I like banter, I like witty dialogue, but I think I'm finally at a point in my life where I don't like someone explaining to me how smart they are with information I literally had no access to until this moment. The biggest factor in this DNF is I'd started to feel like I wasn't allowed to finish other books until I struggled through this one, and I don't like books that make me feel like I can't or shouldn't read other books. I'm definitely bothered by one character's personality quirk of wearing a blindfold at all times, and treating a refusal to leave her home as an affectation that exists to annoy other people. The narrative calls attention to it but refuses to explain. I don't enjoy being told repeatedly that I don't need to know something, or at least don't get to have it revealed at this time. It doesn't feel mysterious or interesting, just irritating and petty.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Body horror, Ableism, Classism, Blood, Gore, Vomit, and Death
Minor: Sexual harassment, Torture, and Excrement
lastblossom's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-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
tl;dr
Come for the cool worldbuilding, stay for the twisty mystery.
Thoughts
Is this book really 432 pages long? Because I raced through it in a day, and it felt like it moved so quickly! I've always been impressed with RJB's world building, but this one might be my favorite yet. What do we call a world where plants provide light, vines are cultivated to be deadly security systems, the rich can afford large mushrooms that regulate the air temperature, and the murder weapon is a tree? Ugh, I love it. There are also strong notes of the usual "big monsters threaten humanity" suspects - Pacific Rim, Kaiju No. 8, and most evidently Attack on Titan, but this story chooses to move the first responders into the background and spend more time on infrastructure folks and a detective/assistant pair.
And what a stunning pair they are. Fans of the eccentric detective+earnest put-upon assistant, get ready to enjoy yourselves. Ana is a genius in all rights, but never in too much of a magical way that it seems she arrived at her conclusions unfairly. The clues are always available, and I did manage to pick out a couple reveals before they were dropped. As our POV character, Din is easily my favorite - his dedication to justice makes him very easy to cheer for, and I appreciated that he wasn't portrayed as completely brainless.
Despite all the giant monsters attacking in the background, this is a mystery first and foremost, and I appreciate that the narrative commits to this. I suspect that the mystery and the background plot will eventually merge in future books, but for now, I was happy just to read a really solid mystery with some great twists, and a really cool detective.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own
Come for the cool worldbuilding, stay for the twisty mystery.
Thoughts
Is this book really 432 pages long? Because I raced through it in a day, and it felt like it moved so quickly! I've always been impressed with RJB's world building, but this one might be my favorite yet. What do we call a world where plants provide light, vines are cultivated to be deadly security systems, the rich can afford large mushrooms that regulate the air temperature, and the murder weapon is a tree? Ugh, I love it. There are also strong notes of the usual "big monsters threaten humanity" suspects - Pacific Rim, Kaiju No. 8, and most evidently Attack on Titan, but this story chooses to move the first responders into the background and spend more time on infrastructure folks and a detective/assistant pair.
And what a stunning pair they are. Fans of the eccentric detective+earnest put-upon assistant, get ready to enjoy yourselves. Ana is a genius in all rights, but never in too much of a magical way that it seems she arrived at her conclusions unfairly. The clues are always available, and I did manage to pick out a couple reveals before they were dropped. As our POV character, Din is easily my favorite - his dedication to justice makes him very easy to cheer for, and I appreciated that he wasn't portrayed as completely brainless.
Despite all the giant monsters attacking in the background, this is a mystery first and foremost, and I appreciate that the narrative commits to this. I suspect that the mystery and the background plot will eventually merge in future books, but for now, I was happy just to read a really solid mystery with some great twists, and a really cool detective.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Classism
Moderate: Violence, Bullying, Cursing, Blood, Murder, Death, Grief, and Genocide
Minor: Ableism
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