A review by rusticredreads
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

4.0

I was planning to read RBJ's [b:The Divine Cities Trilogy|39317803|The Divine Cities Trilogy|Robert Jackson Bennett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521415641l/39317803._SY75_.jpg|64390468] or Richard Swan's [b:The Justice of Kings|58293284|The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf, #1)|Richard Swan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1635718816l/58293284._SY75_.jpg|91388035], both are mystery/fantasy trilogies. But I received an e-arc for the second book - [b:A Drop of Corruption|213618143|A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2)|Robert Jackson Bennett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1723703506l/213618143._SY75_.jpg|125997193] so I read this instead and it's really great - read/listened to this in just 3/4 days!

I've been reading fantasy mostly for the last few years, epic, low, grimdark, etc. I wanted to read some thriller/mystery books but sometimes I see some disappointing reviews about those thriller/mystery books, that some are just overhyped. So I just decided to just read fantasy/mystery books. I first started with [b:Midnight Riot|8680417|Midnight Riot (Rivers of London #1)|Ben Aaronovitch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389055317l/8680417._SY75_.jpg|13552476]/Rivers of London, some of its sequels and at least one graphic novel and it doesn't really worked for me. I'm not honestly a fan of urban/modern setting, I stopped it since they're lighter reads before I continue [b:Last King of Osten Ard|31185918|The Witchwood Crown (The Last King of Osten Ard, #1)|Tad Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487523588l/31185918._SY75_.jpg|95724303]. Now with Last King of Osten Ard done, here it is.

Just with the opening chapter, I love how weird this world is. With vines, contagion, walls, leviathans, etc. It's surely is a world brimming with interesting things that you wanted to learn more about them. Also having an engraver who is essentially a recorded is unique.

I am first disappointed about the mystery since I like contained mysteries (in a fantasy setting). But in the end it doesn't really matter since the world building and the mystery just sucked me in.

Looking forward to the second book.