TL;DR: I haven’t been able to stop thinking about The Tainted Cup since I finished reading it and that was almost 2 weeks ago now. If you enjoy a richly developed fantasy world, quirky, entertaining, and sharp characters, a layered murder mystery, plus a bit of politicking, then there’s a very good chance you’ll enjoy this book. I loved Ana, Din, and their Holmes/Watson dynamic that had me grinning with delight, especially because the witty sharp banter was so much fun to read! The world-building was immersive and complex, the mystery was intriguing and I was so curious to learn more about this world (not because it wasn’t well-developed but because it is and there’s so much more to explore)! Overall, this was a fantastic read and every bit as incredible as everyone says it is.

I’m not one to re-read books very often, but the moment I finished The Tainted Cup, I almost immediately wanted to pick it back up to start reading it all over again. This is probably one of the most hyped fantasy books of the last year and I’m absolutely thrilled to say that I fully get the hype! I went into this with high expectations and all the marks were hit. I adored the characters, loved the world-building, felt fully immersed in the mystery, and I found it incredibly difficult to put down whenever adulting called me away (darn responsibilities)! Also, I buddy read this with Charlotte @ Bewitching Books, Ravenous Reads and I had so much fun doing so—it’s a great book to read with someone because there’s a lot to discuss!

Bennett did a fantastic job capturing the classic Holmes/Watson dynamic with the duo in this book. I loved Ana’s zany mannerisms and personality and Din’s earnest seriousness. Although we only get Din’s perspective throughout the story, he was a great protagonist to introduce readers to the world, as he is also newly exposed to these parts and people of the empire. I also thought that experiencing what he does, particularly through his engraving ability was a fantastic way to shape and immerse readers into the setting. There’s more to Din than meets the eye and I kind of wish that we got to know more of his personal history—where he comes from, how he wound up where he is now, etc. He clearly has family back home but we don’t know much about it. I hope we get to explore more about him as the series continues.

While I initially found the world-building to be slightly intimidating with the different titles, places, and people to remember, it quickly grew on me and I loved learning about the ‘alterations’ aspect. I found it equally horrifying but also fascinating how people could be enhanced in so many different ways from mental to physical, and it made me think about what I’d choose if I were to do so. I think I’d choose Din’s engraving capabilities although the tracker alteration was also pretty awesome, but I can imagine the long-term repercussions of having such an ability would be grave indeed (no pun intended). The lush, odd, and somewhat terrifying foliage that surrounds the cities in this book were so fascinating and as the socio-political structures of this queer-normative world grew on me, I also found myself quickly immersed in the setting. Even though stepping outside the safe confines of the city and exploring the leviathan influenced “outside” areas would kill me very quickly, I think it might worth it to see the magic that their bones have left behind. 👀

I was absolutely fascinated by the looming presence of the Leviathans and the manic sense of urgency their existence created throughout the story, but also the bursts of magic that result from their presence across the lands. I’m so curious to learn more about these giant creatures that stirs such fear in the Empire, and I feel the leviathans have a much deeper history with the original inhabitants of the land, than many people remember or believe to be real. I can’t wait to see how the subsequent books explore their presence, especially after certain curious mentions are dropped towards the end of the read that hinted at the hidden depths there.

The mystery took many delightfully surprising and shocking twists and turns that kept me on my toes the whole time. I was so eager to figure out whodunit and I didn’t catch it completely until very close to the end but even that was enough to fill me with an immense sense of satisfaction that I was able to guess at least a third of it correctly, haha. 😂 There’s little I can say about it that won’t spoil it and anyway, there are too many twists and turns to really make sense without knowing the full story, so I would just highly recommend checking this out. It’s a fantasy mystery that has definitely lived up to the hype and I’m so glad that I finally read it!

Have you read The Tainted Cup or is it on your TBR?

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