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And though we keep hoping the Empire grows more civilized, somehow it finds clever new ways to stay savage.

Sometimes you pick up a book and it takes you all of 10 pages to know it's a winner. I placed a hold on the newly-released book 2 before I'd even finished the first part of The Tainted Cup. Fantasy/Mystery is a genre I didn't know I needed but now desperately crave more of.

Dinios Kol is my 2025 queer icon. I've seen others call him a bland protagonist, but I think his straight-man personality in the Kol-Dolabra duo worked very well. I think it was particularly clever of Bennett to use the 'Watson' as the narrator (the assistant to Ana Dolabra's Holmes). As someone with an enhanced memory, he was the perfect vessel for capturing all of the clues and evidence, but also could be surprised alongside the viewers. And I found his blustering confusion quite endearing. I appreciated the representation in this book, not just in sexuality but also in ability. The characters all felt more vivid because of it. They didn't just exist to further the plot, they had their own internal struggles and experiences which enhanced the overall story.

I love the world that Bennett has created. While the mystery in The Tainted Cup largely resolves itself, he's left open a door to even greater webs of deceit and corruption. The world, with its terrifying leviathans and creative magic system, is a unique backdrop that sets this mystery apart from any other that I've read. It's so impressive that Bennett, in 400 pages, crafted and solved an intricate (yet not overwhelming) mystery and also established a very real-feeling fantasy world with deep characters. I've read mysteries set in our world that didn't do half as good a job.

The other thing that really made this book enjoyable was the humor. Bennett found a great balance of seriousness and humor. Dolabra's antics and quirks keep even the heaviest situations lighthearted, but not in a way that feels forced or unwelcome.

There's also a takeaway towards the end of the book that really landed for me. I wouldn't consider it a spoiler in any way, but skip ahead if you're sensitive to that. Essentially, Dinios starts feeling overwhelmed at how much there is in the world, from the leviathans to the political corruption. His mentor makes a comment that even a tainted empire needs tending to, and it's the "little maintenance" that even folks like investigators do that keep it from falling. In what has been an incredibly upsetting year, politically speaking, it was a nice reminder that even the little things we can do do make a difference. I wasn't expecting an emotional message from a fast-paced murder mystery book but it was much appreciated regardless.

I can't wait for my hold on A Drop of Corruption to come through. I can't wait to read more of Bennett's works. I can't wait for some of YOU to come read this book and chat about it with me. What a delight.