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.

IN A NUTSHELL
‘The Tainted Cup’ is wonderful in so many ways. It absolutely deserved to win the 2025 Hugo Award for Best Novel. It has a thoroughly conceived fantasy world, a complex, engaging murder mystery that mutates into intrigue and conspiracy, and fascinating central characters who develop as the book unfolds. I’ve already bought the second book, ‘A Drop of Corruption’ (2025)

Sometimes, I can be an idiot about books. I bought ‘The Tainted Cup‘ only two months after it was published because it sounded fascinating. Then I let it sit on my shelves for sixteen months because I was intimidated by its length. The audiobook is just under fourteen hours long, so I kept reaching for shorter novels. Like I said, sometimes I can be an idiot about books. 

Anyway, I finally picked it up this week and was so swept away that I read the whole thing in two days over the Bank Holiday weekend. It was a remarkable experience. 

As soon as the book started, I felt that I was in good hands and could relax into the story. The fantasy world was complex, alien, original and largely unexplained at the beginning. It was full of military and government bureaucracy, human augmentations, peculiar biological science, political intrigue, and strange character names, yet I wasn’t confused for a moment. Instead, I was energised by its richness. I was like opening a vacuum-packed bag of my favourite coffee beans, breathing in the aroma and knowing that the next brew will be perfect. 

So, yes, the world-building is first-rate, but that’s only the beginning. The two central characters were fascinating. There isan investigator who gets so stimulated by the world around her that she chooses to wear a blindfold much of the time so that she can stay focused. She made Sherlock Holmes seem a little sluggish and conventional. Then there is her young assistant, from whose point of view the story is told. He is an apprentice Assistant Investigator. He’s bright, inexperienced, hiding secrets, and desperate to succeed. He’s been augmented to become an Engraver, a person with perfect recall. He is his investigator’s eyes and ears and often feels that he’s out of his depth. The developing relationship between these two was a major source of pleasure in the book. 

Then there’s the murder mystery. It’s a corker. The murder method is extraordinary and spectacular. Means, motive, opportunity and even the selection of the victims seem inexplicable. Solving the murders takes our apprentice Investigatoron a rapid, dangerous and sometimes bloody tour of the highest ranks of society and drops him and his master into the centre of a life-threatening political intrigue.

So, wonderful word building, engaging characters and a satisfyingly complex mystery. What more could I ask for? Well, great narration would help. What could be worse than listening to a mediocre narrator for fifteen hours? Fortunately, Andrew Fallaize’s performance (it goes well beyond narration) is as exceptional as the novel. I strongly recommend the audiobook version. Click on the YouTube link below to hear a sample. 

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Here’s what Robert Jackson Bennett says about himself on his website: