The Tainted Cup cover art

The Tainted Cup

Shadow of the Leviathan, Book 1

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The Tainted Cup

By: Robert Jackson Bennett
Narrated by: Andrew Fallaize
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About this listen

A peculiar crime. A brilliant investigator. A mystery of epic proportions.

In an opulent mansion at the borders of the Empire, an Imperial officer lies dead - killed when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even here, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it's a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to solve the crime is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricity. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory.

Soon, the mystery leads to a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself. For Ana, all this makes for a deliciously thorny puzzle - at last, something to truly hold her attention. And Din? He'll just have to hold on for the ride.

An eccentric detective and her long-suffering assistant untangle a web of magic, deceit, and murder in this sparkling fantasy reimagining of the classic crime novel - from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

©2024 Robert Jackson Bennett (P)2024 Penguin Random House Audio Crime Fiction Dark Fantasy Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Mystery Exciting

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Critic reviews

'Part Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, part Through the Looking-Glass, The Tainted Cup is one of the wildest, most original stories I've ever had the privilege to explore' WESLEY CHU
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an excellent Sherlock Holmes style fantasy mystery. the two main characters were brilliantly done and the mystery twisting and interesting.

excellent

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The Tainted Cup is, without a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read. Despite being around 400 pages long, I never felt bored for a moment. In fact, I was completely absorbed, reading late into the night and always wanting more.

The characters are formidable, and the storyline brilliantly ties together various background stories and imminent dangers. It keeps you on edge from start to finish.

The world construction is genius. The author has created a rich, immersive world, full of vivid details that bring everything to life. An absolutely brilliant read!

Last but not least, the narrator – Andrew Fallaize – was simply brilliant. Hopefully he will narrate the next book in the series too.

A Masterpiece of Storytelling

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Amazing world building, deep characters, the story rolls along and takes you relentlessly with it. Perfectly read with wonderful characterisation, it felt like watching a film.

Spectacular

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whole thing is wonderful. plotting, characters, setting, dialogue. great new detective duo.

fantastic narrator too.

perfect murder mystery

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A new RBJ book series is something to look forward too and book 1 does not disappoint. Set in a world where outside the Empire most wildlife will kill you and a technology at 18th century level but enhanced by biology to alter people so they can do impressive feats. This Sherlockian tale has an eccentric investigator and her very sincere young aide investigate a murder that is much more complex than it first seems.

Really enjoyed it, the plot is a bit predictable at times, it’s less action orientated than the authors previous two series but still well done.

The only fly in the ointment was the narrator who I found very annoying at first, especially some of the accents he tried to pull off and failed at. I eventually got used to him but ugh.

Another banger

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Robert Jackson Bennett creates a fascinating fantasy backdrop for his murder mystery and populates it with a cast of equally fascinating characters. I enjoyed Dinios Kol, the frequently underestimated protagonist, immensely, and felt Andrew Fallaize brought everything to life with a lot of dynamism.

Greatly enjoyable fantasy mystery

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This has to be one of the best books I have listened to in years. It’s so unlike anything else out there. Basic premise is a detective story with a murder and two investigators but it’s so much more than that. You can’t help but love the two main characters and their working relationship. The dialogue between them is dry and witty and the narrator really made them come to life. The world on which the book is set is vividly described and it meant you became quickly engrossed in the story. Five stars for the narration which is one of the best I’ve listened to in a long time.

An incredibly different book with amazing narration

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how fantastic to discover a riveting twist on the fantasy genre. As much Conan Doyle as Tolkien this is at heart a whodunnit set against a well delineated world . superbly read, too, so that a whole host of characters come to vivid life. highly recommended. I hope there will be more set in this universe.

marvellous listen!

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Excellent story, great world building and narration. Looking forward to the next one. He is fast becoming one of my automatic buys

One of the best novels of 2024

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I absolutely loved the characters in this book. I listening to it after seeing many glowing recommendations and it did not disappoint. Can’t wait for the next one ❤️

Fantastic story. Brilliant narration too.

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