
The Tainted Cup
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Andrew Fallaize
About this listen
A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett
“Great fantasy detective stories are too rare, but Bennett—[a] rising star of fantasy—more than delivers.”—Charlie Jane Anders, The Washington Post
“A thoroughly satisfying delight from start to finish.”—Amal El-Mohtar, The New York Times Book Review
NOMINATED FOR THE EDGAR AWARD • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, Elle, BookPage
In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible.
Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.
At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.
As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.
By an “endlessly inventive” (Vulture) author with a “wicked sense of humor” (NPR), The Tainted Cup mixes the charms of detective fiction with brilliant world-building to deliver a fiendishly clever mystery that’s at once instantly recognizable and thrillingly new.
©2024 Robert Jackson Bennett (P)2024 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“I loved this. A twisty detective story, a weird fantasy, a thrilling adventure—The Tainted Cup is a masterstroke. I want Bennett to write a dozen of these, and send them to me yesterday.”—Max Gladstone, New York Times bestselling co-author of This Is How You Lose the Time War
“The Tainted Cup is a true fantasy mystery, with a leading duo who stand with Holmes and Watson among the greats. And Bennett sets it all in a squishy, fascinating, biopunk world I’m dying to find out more about. Bring on the next one!”—Django Wexler, author of the Shadow Campaigns series
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- Hierarchy, Book 1
- By: James Islington
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
- Length: 28 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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The Catenan Republic—the Hierarchy—may rule the world now, but they do not know everything. I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilized society in allowing my strength, my drive, and my focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.
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I don’t know what the other reviews are on about
- By Chase on 06-24-23
By: James Islington
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Among Thieves
- By: M. J. Kuhn
- Narrated by: Zoe Mills
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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In just over a year’s time, Ryia Cautella has already earned herself a reputation as the quickest, deadliest blade in the dockside city of Carrowwick - not to mention the sharpest tongue. But Ryia Cautella is not her real name. For the past six years, a deadly secret has kept her in hiding, running from town to town, doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the formidable Guildmaster - the sovereign ruler of the five kingdoms of Thamorr. No matter how far or fast she travels, his servants never fail to track her down...but even the most powerful men can be defeated.
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Back alleys & backstabbing = bollicking good times
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 07-17-22
By: M. J. Kuhn
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The Company Man
- By: Robert Jackson Bennett
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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A trolley car pulls into the station. Four minutes before, the inhabitants were seen boarding at the previous station. All are dead. And all of them are union. The year is 1919. The McNaughton Corporation is the pinnacle of American industry. They built airships that cross the seas. Guns that won the Great War. And above all, the city of Evesden. But something is rotten at the heart of Evesden. Caught between the union and the company, between the police and the victims, Hayes must find the truth behind the city before it kills him.
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Steampunk Noir - Puts the Punk Back in Steampunk
- By Dave on 12-05-12
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Savage Legion
- Savage Rebellion
- By: Matt Wallace
- Narrated by: Lameece Issaq
- Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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They call them Savages. Brutal. Efficient. Expendable. The empire relies on them. The Savages are the greatest weapon they ever developed. Culled from the streets of their cities, they take the ones no one will miss and throw them, by the thousands, at the empire’s enemies. Evie is not a Savage. She’s a warrior with a mission: to find the man she once loved, the man who holds the key to exposing the secret of the Savage Legion and ending the mass conscription of the empire’s poor and wretched. But to find him, she must become one of them....
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It could have been good, but wasn't
- By M. Wightman on 09-20-21
By: Matt Wallace
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The Troupe
- By: Robert Jackson Bennett
- Narrated by: Luis Moreno
- Length: 18 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Best-selling author Robert Jackson Bennett has won widespread critical acclaim for his unique brand of darkly inventive fiction. In The Troupe, 16-year-old George Carole joins vaudeville in search of Heironomo Silenus, the man he believes to be his father. But what he discovers casts a dark pall over his world: Silenus' troupe hides a dangerous secret - one that invites death to all in its vicinity.
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Not worth the effort!
- By Howard on 08-12-13
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The First Sister
- The First Sister Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Linden Lewis
- Narrated by: Neo Cihi, Gary Tiedemann, Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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First Sister has no name and no voice. As a priestess of the Sisterhood, she travels the stars alongside the soldiers of Earth and Mars - the same ones who own the rights to her body and soul. When her former captain abandons her, First Sister’s hopes for freedom are dashed when she is forced to stay on her ship with no friends, no power, and a new captain - Saito Ren - whom she knows nothing about. She is commanded to spy on Captain Ren by the Sisterhood, but soon discovers that working for the war effort is much harder when you’re falling in love.
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Fresh bold story with a jaw dropping twist
- By Erica Paulk on 09-01-20
By: Linden Lewis
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Rough Trade
- A Novel
- By: Katrina Carrasco
- Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Washington Territory, 1888. With contacts on the docks and in the railroad, and with a buyers' market funneling product their way, Alma Rosales and her opium-smuggling crew are making a fortune. They spend their days moving product and their nights at the Monte Carlo, the center of Tacoma's queer scene, where skirts and trousers don't signify and everyone's free to suit themselves.
By: Katrina Carrasco
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American Elsewhere
- By: Robert Jackson Bennett
- Narrated by: Graham Winton
- Length: 22 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Some places are too good to be true. Under a pink moon, there is a perfect little town not found on any map. In that town, there are quiet streets lined with pretty houses, houses that conceal the strangest things. After a couple years of hard traveling, ex-cop Mona Bright inherits her long-dead mother's home in Wink, New Mexico. And the closer Mona gets to her mother's past, the more she understands that the people of Wink are very, very different....
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You are entering the twighlight zone
- By Lisa on 07-29-13
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The Shadow of What Was Lost
- Licanius, Book 1
- By: James Islington
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 25 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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It has been 20 years since the end of the war. The dictatorial Augurs, once thought of almost as gods, were overthrown and wiped out during the conflict, their much-feared powers mysteriously failing them. Those who had ruled under them, men and women with a lesser ability known as the Gift, avoided the Augurs' fate only by submitting themselves to the rebellion's Four Tenets.
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Atrocious. Almost abusive.
- By Captain Spanky Of Nazareth on 06-10-20
By: James Islington
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A Sorceress Comes to Call
- By: T. Kingfisher
- Narrated by: Eliza Foss, Jennifer Pickens
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t sorcerers.
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Tangled meets Get Out-trigger warning
- By KyleStephanie on 08-16-24
By: T. Kingfisher
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Service Model
- By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service. When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they murder their owner. The robot discovers they can also do something else they never did before: They can run away. Fleeing the household they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating into ruins and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is having to find a new purpose.
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Another banger from Tchaikovsky
- By J. C. Amos on 06-09-24
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The Dawnhounds
- By: Sascha Stronach
- Narrated by: Anna Coddington
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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The port city of Hainak is alive: its buildings, its fashion, even its weapons. But, after a devastating war and a sweeping biotech revolution, all its inhabitants want is peace, no one more so than Yat Jyn-Hok, a reformed-thief-turned-cop who patrols the streets at night. Yat has recently been demoted on the force due to “lifestyle choices” after being caught at a gay club. She’s barely holding it together. When she stumbles across a dead body on her patrol, two fellow officers gruesomely murder her and dump her into the harbor. Unfortunately for them, she wakes up.
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LOVE the creativity
- By Space Battles Fan on 07-06-22
By: Sascha Stronach
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Threads That Bind
- By: Kika Hatzopoulou
- Narrated by: Mia Hutchinson-Shaw
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. The Ora sisters are no exception. Io, the youngest, uses her Fate-born abilities as a private investigator in the half-sunken city of Alante. But her latest job leads her to a horrific discovery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill.
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Amazing Story, the Narration!!
- By Thatchels on 08-13-23
By: Kika Hatzopoulou
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Blood over Bright Haven
- A Novel
- By: M. L. Wang
- Narrated by: Moira Quirk
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry. When Sciona finally achieves her ambition and becomes a Highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome—and instead of a qualified lab assistant they give her a janitor.
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It's aight
- By Jason on 12-10-24
By: M. L. Wang
What listeners say about The Tainted Cup
Highly rated for:
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- A. Olson
- 02-09-24
Loved it
This story does have a very Sherlock and Watson feel to it but set in a Roman Empire type of world with an environmenf that does its best to kill things via toxins and sea monsters. But that is background to the thoroughly engaging murder mystery. The 2 main characters are interesting and complex people and seeing their interactions was fascinating. The narrator was great and a good fit for the story. The ending is satisfying but definitely leaves an opening for further adventure and I hope there are more books set in this world.
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- kmart
- 02-24-24
Such a great book!
This offers a brilliant blend of fantasy and murder mystery. An Imperial officer is murdered and the weapon is a tree erupting from his body. This sets the stage for an intriguing investigation. Enter Ana Dolabra, an eccentric yet brilliant investigator known for her unorthodox methods. Actually, enter Din, because Ana can't be bothered to show up to the scene herself. Din is her newly appointed assistant, an engraver augmented to have a perfect memory using scents as triggers to recall them.
As the duo delves into the case, they uncover a scheme that poses a threat to the Empire itself. The dynamic between Ana and Din is a highlight in the story. I also just adore the representation in the novel, heavily hinting at dyslexia and sensory issues in our main characters. Not to mention that Din appears to be bisexual.
This book really shines when Anna is on the page. She's irreverent and brilliant and hilarious. She's balanced well with her typically straight-laced assistant Din who is incredibly new to all of this detective stuff. This book draws to mind classic detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Benoit Blanc, and Miss Marple. I barked out a laugh several times during this book. Ana's character pays homage to classic detectives, featuring a gloriously labyrinthine plot and a haunting fantasy world.
The world-building is exceptional, especially with the inclusion of Leviathans (kudos on the horror elements!) lurking outside the walls. Did I mention that they sometimes have faces and those faces appear to be saying things? Creepy! I can't wait to discover more about them in the subsequent books. The world hits some similar notes and has some similar vibes to one of my favorite but lesser-known books (The Five Penalties series by Marina J. Lostetter). Humanity is surrounded by terrible things and they're just trying to avert their eyes while power corrupts in their midst.
While the story excels in capturing the essence of classic (kind of unpleasant) detectives, the characters beyond Ana and Din felt somewhat flat to me. Nevertheless, "The Tainted Cup" offers a captivating and entertaining experience, combining the best elements of mystery and fantasy.
I had a GREAT time. I highly recommend the audiobook.
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- Sara Nicolas
- 07-29-24
My first 5 star rating of 2024
By far the best read of 2024 and I loved how engaging the narrator was
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- Angie
- 02-08-24
Outstanding performance!
Loved this narration! So creative and talented. I have a hard time with fantasy sometimes because I find the characters and the rules of the world difficult to follow but this narrator made it easier to determine the voices.
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- SciFi Geek
- 02-14-24
What a great story!
Amazing story and fantastic audible. Slightly different than RBJ other works, but one of his bests.
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- Julie Hoyt Savasky
- 04-03-24
Unique and addictive
Thoroughly enjoyed this unique and engaging book! Hoping for more in this vein soon. I’d snap up a series with these characters. Couldn’t get the story out of my head!
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- Vivian Myers
- 05-11-24
Different and Well written
Reader gets an A+. Writer gets a B. Enough twist and turns kept me guessing. Never saw the ending.
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-16-24
Loved the narrator.
Perfect voice for the book, and if the book wasn’t already amazing it made it even more enjoyable. World building was 10/10, characters were 10/10, one of my favorites. Can’t wait for the rest of the series!
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- KW
- 06-27-24
Laugh out loud funny
Narration is top notch! The characters are funny and fully fleshed out. Awesome world building. Totally immersive experience. Delightful!!
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- Kindle Customer
- 06-25-24
Something a Little Different
I've read many books over my lifetime, mostly books in the sci-fi or fantasy genre, and to be honest their charm is wearing a little thin. The main reason for this is that there are so many standard tropes that authors comfortably rely on. I hate knowing what is going to happen next and it's impossible not to with everyone cribbing from the same handful of books.
But then something like this comes along that reinvigorates my love for the genre. The world building is not too terribly new if you squint at it, but it is wonderfully described. The mystery element is well defined and the stakes adequately set. I don't ask for much in a story, to be honest, I just ask that it is written well and at least make an attempt at originality and this book has it.
I was sad when I finally looked at the chapter list and realized that I was nearing the end. The last section felt like a Sunday afternoon -- comfortable,and indulgent, but still bittersweet. February is too long to wait for the next book, so I bought it in physical form and I'm going to read it again. Maybe it will hit even better the second time.
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