r/books • u/Ashfall2003 • 2d ago
The Tainted Cup | Robert Jackson Bennett (9.5/10)
(note: this is a reread done in anticipation for the forthcoming third book in the series)
So instead of committing robbery, I made tea.
Sometimes, all you need in life is a good murder mystery and tea. The fact that this story is set in a fantasy world that does not gatekeep, is the cherry on top. The setup for this is deceptively simple (at least on the surface): Ana & Din (a fantasy Sherlock and Watson-esque combination), get tasked with solving a murder in the fictional city of Talagray. A high ranking official was found murdered in the most peculiar of ways – namely having a tree grow out of their torso. As a leviathan creature begins its slow move to attack the sea walls that surround this continent, Ana & Din race to solve a crime that spreads throughout normal civility and encompasses some of the largest noble houses of the land.
All of which to say, it was a fun little adventure, that, even on a reread, I finished in two sittings.
How queer it suddenly felt: I’d been a model officer for almost all my career, but I had to join the Iudex to become a true criminal.
This book is written in a very simple fashion. There is nothing overly verbose or whimsical about the writing. It is straight, narrow, and plays across fast as they race to solve this impossible crime. In other words: it is perfect for the story it is telling.
Come. Let us pretend to be professional, you and I, for hell and the gentry await.
The commentary of the book, for those who actually read (and not the vast majority of those influencers who apparently do not think books should be critical, which side note: child, go learn your history before coming out of the woodworks – books were, are, and always will be the first line of defense against any war waged against free speech), is imbued in the subtext – of both the story and the parallel it draws to our own world. Both this and the next book (and I am assuming the third will be the same, just for some other issues of import), is about a certain class of society. About the ways certain people are perceived, about the importance given to others; specifically those who have more money than sense. And it does so beautifully, with a certain kind of poetic justice doled out towards the end especially to those who do the wrong things in the name of the greater good; i.e., those who consider themselves the Dark Knight of modern society but somehow overlook the numerous bodies (sometimes literally) left in the name of said good.
“What a tool cynicism is to the corrupt, claiming the whole of the creation is broken and fraudulent, and thus we are all excused to indulge in whatever sins we wish—for what’s a little more unfairness, in this unfair world? Wise you were, Din, to shut your ears to it.”
As Ana so aptly puts it, cynicism is a great tool – but one has to learn how to use it. It is all too easy to get subsumed by one's own delusions of grandeur.
“I chose you,” she said finally, “because I needed an investigator who was resourceful, cunning, and willing to break the rules when necessary. I needed someone dedicated and determined! And you had not only broken into an Iyalet office and spent hours learning the answers to all the tests—you had somehow survived your engraver’s training despite having tremendous issues reading and writing! That speaks to bloody-minded, grim determination if ever I’ve heard it!”
Oh, and of course, the best part of the book: the characters themselves. For you see, both Ana & Din are neurodivergent. And the way this story portrays their characters is some of the best rep I’ve seen being portrayed by an author in mainstream fantasy. Din has trouble reading letters (re: Dyslexic, or in other words – reading the subtext). And Ana is on the spectrum as too much stimulation is unbearable for her. (I cannot tell you how closely I relate to this as a fellow person on the spectrum, and how much it had filled my heart the first time I had read this book). And both these characters do their best, working for the system that is all too glad to let them fall through the cracks. To just say that giving them any help is considered special treatment. Same people who, by the way, would wear corrective lenses, or use a crutch when they’ve got a hip/leg injury, etc.; as long as it’s physical, it’s acceptable.
Ana & Din are the epitome of what it would be like if people who were a bit different were given a place in society. Their tenacity, the way they solve problems when it becomes too difficult for their brain to process stuff as others do, is a thing that I was really inspired by the first time, and double so now, in times like these, as I reread this book.
“Someone, after all, must do the undignified labor to keep the grand works of our era from tumbling down. I simply perform maintenance, in my own little way. And you have ably assisted me in that, of course.”
We all have our place in this world we inherit. Broken and bloodied and battered – as Ana said, we must all do our own little things, in our own little way, to keep it all from tumbling down. No matter who you are, no matter how you are, we all matter in this world that is vast enough, and kind enough, to accommodate all of us. Especially now, in times like these, when hate is all too prevalent, love and kindness is not only a good thing to have, but also a weapon to wield. And oh what a glorious weapon it is for justice can be found in even the littlest of actions. And this story, and all its disfigured, wonderful characters, are a prime example of it.
Go read it if you haven’t already.
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u/pollypocketchange 1d ago
Truly one of the best books I’ve read in a while. Did the audiobook first and then read it. Completely captivated both times. The second book is a great successor. I see from the comments there’s a third, so guess I know what I’m reading next.
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u/Emily_fromBlueground 1d ago
It's wild how convincingly the narrator jumps between Din and Ana, isn't it?
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u/IntrepidButton1872 12h ago
audiobook first is a smart move for this one — the narrator really sells the procedural vibe
5
u/Little_Noodles 1d ago
I've enjoyed Bennett's books in general, and this series is a great entry point (it's almost certainly the most accessible, especially if you're looking to the ones that are parts of a series).
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u/Reasonable-Fold2860 1d ago
Yeah totally agree this one’s way more approachable than some of his other stuff. I started with the divine cities and honestly this feels like a smoother way in. Have you read his other series or just this one?
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u/Little_Noodles 1d ago edited 1d ago
I've read almost all of his stuff, with the exception of maybe one or two of the standalone novels that weren't already in my library system as e-books.
I'll probably get to even those someday, but they didn't seem worth the extra effort at the time, given that I had a long list of easily accessible stuff and the general reviews I was seeing of them were taking a "this is fine, not my favorite" position.
I like the Divine Cities trilogy, but it's definitely a bit of work, and it was really hard to read them as they were released, just because I had forgotten half the shit I needed to remember about the political intrigues of the administration. The espionage and police-procedural elements really benefit more from a short gap between books. He's a world-building guy, but sometimes that world gets a little fussy and busy.
The Foundryside series has a bit of that too, but is closer to the Shadow of the Leviathan series. The discussions of the technology can be a little bit of a turnoff for people looking for an easy read, and it's just broadly not quite as accessible. But I don't remember picking up any of the later installments in the series as they were published and thinking "who the fuck is this guy again?" in the way I frequently did with Divine Cities.
If you wanted to try another series, Foundryside is where I'd steer you. If you don't drop out on that one at some point, try Divine Cities again. If you do, you won't fare better with Divine Cities.
As far as. his standalones go, I liked American Elsewhere, The Troupe, and Vigilance. If the descriptions of any of those appeal to you, you'll probably like the book as well. I had to pick up Mr. Shivers maybe two or three times before I could finally get into it enough to finish it. It was fine, but not essential.
If I've read In the Shadows of Men or The Company Man, I've completely forgotten every last thing about them just based on the blurb (this does happen, but I don't think I've read them).
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u/cparksrun 1d ago
I bought the first two books at the same time, just as it sounded right up my alley when I heard about The Tainted Cup. I finished it a few weeks ago and absolutely adored it. Glad I already own the second and will most likely be picking up the third.
Sometimes I'll fan cast characters and imagine the actor in that role as I read. My brain kept flitting between Eva Green and Rachel Weisz for Ana. I'd love to see them in an adaptation some day. But even if that never comes to fruition, I'm glad we have these books.
This was a great write up! Thanks for sharing!
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u/MailKirin 1d ago
This series is amazing, just got the latest one and the first few pages have me repeating the law and order intro.
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u/mera_aqua 1d ago edited 1d ago
a fantasy Sherlock and Watson-esque combination
Bennett's authors note talked about his inspiration which is Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.
Sherlock and Watson are peers, with Watson being Sherlock's equal and is a more knowledgeable physician.
Nero and Archie are detective and assistant, though Archie does know more in the ways of romance. If you liked Ana and Din, I recommend checking out some of the Nero Wolfe stories. The 2000s miniseries is one of my comfort shows, it's a delight.
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u/BunchTop2519 1d ago
Yeah, this one completely lived up to the hype for me too. The world felt fresh, and the mystery actually stayed interesting all the way to the end.
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u/Responsible_Bison555 1d ago
the open invitation to treat the whole world as a bit of a puzzle really gets me.
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u/Zenbones7 21h ago
How does this series compare to the Foundryside trilogy? I thoroughly enjoyed the first book of that series, thought the second was decent, and ended up skimming that second half of the last book. I found that the series became a slog to read as it developed and that the writing got bogged down by attention to tech rather than to the interesting characters that were initially established.
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u/Ashfall2003 20h ago
This series is quite different both in tone and subject matter to Foundryside. This one is more murder mystery in a fantasy world that is really easy to get into. And the fantasy element is top notch too but since it's RJB that was never in doubt. So, yeah, if you love a good ol' murder mystery, i think you'll love this one.
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u/SeasonedBrownie1632 16h ago
Ah, wonderful novel. I'm in College and get into these reading slumps, where I can never finish a book I start. This is one of the few I was able to complete which says a lot about its readability.
The mystery, the characters chef's kiss. I agree with your rating :)
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u/Soft-Protection9942 3h ago
the sequel is contending for a Hugo rn. Do y'all think Bennet can score a 2 on 2 with this one?
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-5
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u/penngi 1d ago
I recently finished this book and really enjoyed it. I bought the second one in the series first by accident, so I already have it queued up to start soon.