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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 Fiction Mystery Fantasy 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

What listeners say about The Tainted Cup

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Spectacular

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.

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I LOVED THIS

Okay I officially get the hype over Robert Jackson Bennett guys! I loved the writing! The way he describes the world and magic around through thought and conversation, rather than one big info dump paragraph. I loved the wit and banter of the characters! Ana is my absolute favorite.

“What color was the mud?”
“The mud?”
“Yes the mud you must have had in your eyes and ears to be so fucking unaware of what was going on”

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marvellous listen!

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.

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One of the best novels of 2024

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

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excellent

an excellent Sherlock Holmes style fantasy mystery. the two main characters were brilliantly done and the mystery twisting and interesting.

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A Masterpiece of Storytelling

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.

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Great narration

The narrator did an amazing jobs im impersonating the characters, his pacing was impeccable!
The story itself was well written, witty and captivating.

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An unusual detective story

At first I found it odd but after a while I started to enjoy finding out about a fully conceived society unlike any aid ever read about.

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Great story with an interesting world building aspect

A classic murder mystery but set in an interesting world full of fantasy plant alchemy. Some great characters

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Absolutely love this book.

I almost isn’t get passed the first chapter I thought the writing was a bit ‘thin’. How glad I am I kept going.
So much to love here.
I really hope there is more from these two characters and from this world…

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