Reviews

Because I liked Bennett’s writing style, I went in blind to this book. I knew there was going to be some detective type plot to it, but that was it. I am so glad I allowed myself to just dive in!

The Tainted Cup is part detective, murder mystery/part fantasy, and Bennett blends the two extremely well. I was hooked by the plot, but also intrigued by the world that was being built as you tried to figure out what was going on. I inhaled the last 200 pages, because I needed to see where the story would end up.

I cannot wait to continue this series as it unfolds, and to learn more about the world, characters, and the larger plot! Definitely recommend!

shesagift's review against another edition

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adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

electrachet's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I liked the world building, but I got lost in some of the unexplained fantasy jargon. I think the mystery aspect was intriguing, and I especially loved the horror and graphic elements of the book. Also, Ana is the love child of Hange Zoë and Sherlock Holmes. :)

lindsirae's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

paxicara's review against another edition

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3.0

I really wanted to love this book but it fell a bit flat for me. It’s better to look at this book as a fantasy novel that has a crime rather than a crime novel set in a fantasy world. I found the mystery of the crime intriguing but often found the book boring and slow. Instead of feeling like I could have guessed whodonit I was just as oblivious as the main character, Din, was which personally isn’t my favorite kind of crime novel experience. Ana felt like an all knowing entity and I wish we could have gotten more into her brain and how she figured it out other than the big exposé at the end. Din was lovable but the “romance” at the end felt forced and completely out of no where. Honestly didn’t even remember who the love interest was and had to go back a figure it out lol

Overall, I love the fantasy and world building of this book but the crime and mystery aspect could have been better. I’ll probably give the next book a chance just because I find the world fascinating.

rachelreadsrelentlessly's review against another edition

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3.5

This was a really fascinating, clever, and well plotted book. It just wasn’t quite my cup of tea.

live_2_read's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Great on audio!

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