The Tainted Cup combines a beautifully designed fantasy world (from the creator of the Foundryside series) and the sensibilities of a classic mystery duo like Holmes and Watson or Poirot and Captain Hastings. Luckily, fans of either genre will enjoy the book as the two genres are seamlessly entwined.
“A large clutch of trees had spontaneously grown from within the deceased, tearing him apart from the inside […] It was… It was one of the most horrifying sights I’ve ever seen in all my life.“
All the questions are asked and answered in the investigation of dead Commander Blas. Was he murdered? If so, how? Why was he even in the house when the owners were out-of-town?
Meanwhile, the reader is enchanted by a fantasy world threatened equally by external leviathans and internal bureaucracy. There is no better designer of believable but unique fantasy worlds than Robert Jackson Bennett. The civilization’s culture gives an extra twist to figuring out the mystery. Even if fantasy is not your usual genre, give The Tainted Cup a try. 5 stars!
Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.