#ana dolabra

[space-blue]

Warm up sketch... This is Ana Dolabra, the fem Sherlock the world has been waiting on (at least tumblr). If I can make even just ONE moot read The Tainted Cup, then I'll be happy!!

Fun fact, Robert Jackson Bennett is the person responsible for my overwhelming preference for 1st person writing. It's not otherwise very popular in SFF, but he CRUSHES it in City of Stairs, which was an influencial series to me when I was starting out as a writer. I decided 'why not, let's try some present tense', and the rest is history.

Anyway his books are always mental. I love his worldbuilding. I wish I could rent a condo in his brains for a while, study him like a bug in my petri dish.

IDK how to dress Ana, but I might make a full length of her in am ao dai...

[rizeam]

Okay, dear mutual of mine. I need a new audiobook to read sooo should I read the holy, the grand, the famed "THE TAINTED CUP"? Is it worth it? 👀

im going to tell you EVERY SINGLE THING i love about this book:

pathetic-looking empire: almost every setting in this setting is described so vividly about COMPLETELY washed up. There is mud everywhere. Every single citizen is in a consistent state of anxiety because of the eldritch monsters in the ocean.

the characters: we have the bisexual mistreated target employee and his outrageously rude (by that i mean iconic) boss. It's like watching Watson be half impressed and half terrified of Sherlock.

the magic system: it's very cool :D the powers some characters control has a cost. the powers are somewhat unnatural and not that glamorized

the mystery itself: the way the case goes is very satisfying, the evidence and answers don't come out of nowhere

the dialogue: reading this book's dialogue is the absolutely HIGHLIGHT of the entire book. listening to the audiobook version will be hilarious. It's a novacaine level of crack but with a different ✨flavor ✨

the names: they're really unique like---Dinios? Strovi? Fayazi? have you ever heard any of these anywhere else?

In conclusion, you should 100% read it :D. It was a ton of fun the entire time!

Also, thank you for asking me about this mutualll 🎀

[shioriseryu]

Sen sez imperiya.

[aki-chan2014]

A drawing I did of Ana Dolabra from The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. It's been a while since I've done a properly coloured in drawing, so it's a little rusty but I like how it has turned out. Plus I just had to draw something bc of how much I loved the book. I've even got a Din drawing in progress too, so look out for that.

[alcyoneusgalaxy]

some dolabras

[quoteablebooks]

"The Empire is strong because it recognizes the value of all our people. Including you, Dinios Kol. And when the empire is weak, it is often because the powerful you have denied us the abundance of our people."

Ana Dolabra The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

[dwellordream]

Books Recs of 2024

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. Mystery/fantasy centered around Din, a young assistant investigator assigned to help an eccentric and infamous detective, Ana Dolabra, solve a series of murders. Din is an engraver, his brain altered so he has a photographic memory. However, no one is quite sure how he got his current position, since he failed every single one of his final exams except the combat portion. Ana is an exceedingly odd woman who refuses to go to any crime scene in person and often performs mad science experiments in her spare time. As Din struggles to keep up with the case, which revolves around a bioweapon being unleashed on a series of the empire's best engineers, he also worries what will happen when Ana finally uncovers his secrets.

Highfire by Eoin Colfer. Urban fantasy (very comedic fantasy) about a dragon called Vern (short for Wyvern), who teams up with a juvenile delinquent named Squib (real name Everett Moreau) to take down a corrupt sheriff who is plaguing the Lousiana bayou. Vern is a very small (seven feet long) dragon who is the last of his kind (as far as he knows). When he is spotted by a local troubled teen, his first instinct is to hunt Squib down and kill him, but he quickly realizes the two of them have a common enemy- the murderous sheriff who is running drugs through their territory.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi. Magical realism about a romantic-minded art historian who is swept off his feet by a mysterious and charming heiress. After a whirlwind courtship, the happy couple return to her childhood home; a Gothic manor on a lonely island. The more time our narrator spends around his wife's past, the more questions are raised- increasingly sinister ones about who she is and what exactly she is capable of. Once upon a time, she was best friends with an equally odd and dreamy little girl named Indigo. But no one has seen Indigo for many years now- and the Flower Bride may be behind her disappearance.

Chlorine by Jade Song. Horror/magical realism. Since childhood, Ren's entire identity has been wrapped up in swimming. If she can be strong enough, fast enough, special enough, success is sure to come her way. As the end of high school approaches, Ren's passion for swimming becomes less about her future, and more about past legends of mermaids and sirens dragging sailors into the deep. School, friends, and her parents' expectations all fall away- Ren will make her home in the water, no matter what she has to do.

We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza. Realistic fiction. Jen and Riley have been best friends for as long as they can remember, despite their vastly different childhoods. Riley is from a middle class Black family; Jen was raised by an impoverished white single mother. After twenty years of doing almost everything together, their lives are at a crossroads- Riley is a news anchor about to take Philadelphia by storm, while Jen is expecting her first child with her police officer husband. When Jen's husband is involved in the murder of a Black teenage boy by a fellow officer, Riley finds herself expected to cover the story- and Jen finds herself expected to answer for her husband's actions- and her own beliefs about what racism looks like.

Queenpin by Megan Abbott. Crime thriller/noir. Our nameless heroine lives a mousy existence working as a bookkeeper for a rundown local night club, but her life is turned upside down when the infamous Gloria Denton, a gun moll and smuggler, takes her under her wing. Gloria transforms her young protege from a timid girl to a sophisticated, cunning woman capable of handling gangsters, conmen, thieves, and bookies, but when she falls for the wrong man, her relationship with Gloria is strained, and they must decide just how far they can trust one another.

Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen. Historical fiction. Based on the real life trial of Katharina Kepler, mother of the famed Johannes Kepler, Imperial Mathematician to the Holy Roman Empire. Katharina is a busybody, a domineering and devilishly clever woman with a particular talent for healing. She is also a fiercely loyal mother to her adult children, but when an old neighborhood grudge flares into accusations of poison and witchcraft, Katharina is determined not to meekly confess and beg pardon. The more she lashes out at her neighbors and the authorities, the more charges begin to pile up against her- despite her son's desperate attempts to save her from torture and execution.

Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott. Crime thriller/noir. Based on a real life murder case in 1931 Phoenix Arizona. Naive and sheltered Marion Seeley is deposited in Phoenix by her disgraced doctor husband, who is forced to take a job with a mining company in South America after his medical license is revoked. Marion befriends the vivacious Louise and Ginny, two fellow nurses, who introduce her to the underground party scene in Phoenix. Politicians and businessmen flock to the secret parties held by them, and it's a quick way to make money on the side. Drawn in by the luxury and thrills, Marion falls in love with Joe Lanigan, a powerful local politician, but as their affair intensifies, her friendship with the other women fractures, culminating in a gruesome crime.

[libertyreads]

February 2025 TBR--

February is the month of NetGalley ARCs. I have four of them to read this month as well as one Kindle read and one physical (re)read. This will probably be the longest TBR for the first quarter of the year, but I'm still hoping to fit a mood read or two into the month if there's time.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (reread)-- A Holmes and Watson style mystery set in a fantastical world. In this one we follow Ana Dolabra, an brilliant investigator, and her assistant Dinios Kol who must solve a murder when a tree spontaneously erupts out of a high Imperial officer's body. I remember having so much fun reading this one last year and I can't wait to go back to it.

The Moon the Sun Forgot by B.J. Wagner (NetGalley)--I have been longing for good SciFi ever since I finished The Expanse years ago. And I'm really hoping this will help fill the void. Set in the depths of Europa's subsurface ocean, we follow Kassia McCullough as she attempts to enact revenge on the man she holds responsible for her father's suicide. When his half-brother escapes from prison, Kassia may just have her chance to capture her elusive and powerful enemy. Revenge SciFi Adventure? Say less.

You Deserve to Know by Aggie Blum Thompson (NetGalley)-- Neighbors Gwen, Aimee, and Lisa share playdates and coffee mornings as well as their deepest secrets on their tranquil street in East Bethesda. This seemingly idyllic world becomes a web of deception, betrayal, and revenge when Gwen's husband is found murdered. The GoodReads for this one has a very short synopsis but I'm still so interested. I think my main hope for this Mystery is Rich People Drama and/or toxic relationships.

Shoot Your Shot by Lexi LaFleur Brown (NetGalley)-- I want to start by saying that I know I haven't had the best luck in the past with hockey romance. Sometimes I love the hockey, sometimes I love the romance. Rarely do I love both. But on GoodReads it says this author is an NHL insider who is publishing her "steamy and superstitious hockey rom-com debut" which means I have to try it. Right? As a hockey fan, how could I not? In this one, Jaylen Jones doesn't secure an NHL contract at the end of training camp and worries that his career is over. But after a one-night stand his luck turns around. Now he's determined to keep tattoo artist Lucy around as his lucky charm. We've seen that sort of hockey romance before but I'm really hoping this author manages to bring a new inside look to it this time.

The Vengeance by Emma Newman (NetGalley)-- Morgane grew up at sea, daughter of the pirate captain of the Vengeance, raised to follow in her footsteps as scourge of the Four Chains Trading Company. But when Anna-Marie is mortally wounded in battle, she confesses to Morgane that she is not her mother. The captain of the enemy ship reveals he was paid to kill Anna-Marie and bring Morgane home to France and her real family. Her quest reveals a world of decadence and darkness in which monsters vie for control of royal courts and destinies of nations. Sooo, when you type in the title of this one in the Goodreads search bar, it says the title of this series is going to be The Vampires of Dumas. Piracy? Vampires? I'm into it...Dumas? As in....Alexandre Dumas? As in The Count of Monte Cristo? Tell me we're going where I think we're going with this series.

Dancing with the Single Dad by Whitley Cox (Kindle)-- This is the book I'm using this month to fulfill my goal of reading Romance Subgenres that I don't typically read. Last year I purchased the first box set for this series (books 1-4) so I plan on using them for the first four months of the year. I didn't love book one so I'm a little nervous for this read. In this one, we follow another Single Dad of Seattle who decides to put his daughter in dance classes and discovers a romance with the dance teacher. I'm hoping this one will be a little better than the first of the series.

Overall, I'm hoping for a good time with the reread and the arcs. I do have low expectations for the Kindle Romance, but maybe going in with low expectations will help the reading experience.

[abigailspinach]

2, 15, 17, and 24 for book ask, please!!

2. Did I reread anything?

I had a mega re-read focus year. I think I wanted comfort books?

I did almost a complete reread of Anne of Green Gables (Skipped Anne of Avolnea and Rainbow Valley - sorry Anne's twee progeny). I also reread Emily of New Moon (another LMM protagonist who is both a writer and an orphan) but Emily is bitchier and more goth and a little bit psychic and the most frustrating love interests.

Plus I reread all of Lois McMaster Bujold's Penric and Desdemona novella. Pen is just a good boy who respect women and has a chaos demon living in his head and it's amazing. 10/10 would recommend.

15. Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?

Hmmm, scrolling through my notes.

I read "Redemption in Indigo" which won loads of awards in 2008 when released. "Karen Lord’s debut novel won the prestigious Frank Collymore Literary Prize in Barbados, the Mythopeic, Carl Brandon Parallax, and Crawford Awards." I enjoyed it. I really like Caribbean literature and should make a point to add some more to my TBD for 2025.

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

I hadn't read any Robert Jackson Bennett before because the print copies were very expensive and the e-book queue at the library was long. His previous works looked rather grimdark and I need to be in the right mood for that. I pre-ordered the e-book for the "The Tainted Cup" and I really enjoyed it. It was really fun. Great characters and I love a Watson and Holmes riff.

From Amazon "A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, 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."

24. Did you DNF anything? Why?

The House Witch - started charming-ish but it just kept going and nothing happened that hadn't happened three times before.

Can't Spell Treason without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

My blood pressure kept rising in annoyance so I had to stop. Characters felt shallow, choices made were bizarre, worldbuilding slight. Too cozy for me?

[elliepassmore]

The Tainted Cup release!

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.

Bookshop.org

Barnes & Noble

This book is perfect for fans of Knives Out and SFF! This is a book where the sci-fi/fantasy elements are the backdrop and the main focus of the story is on the murder that's occurred. Bennett balances humor and seriousness as the mish-mash investigative team tries to puzzle out what happened and why. I absolutely loved the character interactions and thought each character felt well-rounded and realistic. There's also some good rep in this book, with the MC Din being dyslexic and Ana being autistic.

The mystery was a lot of fun to try and figure out. Ana is often able to make large leaps before everyone else, but as the book continues, she becomes more secretive and gives space to the readers to piece together the clues ourselves. This is a very enjoyable read and is definitely my favorite of the year so far!

If you're looking for a more in-depth opinion, check out my review here!

[ebooklibrary]

Shadow Of The Leviathan Series by Robert Jackson Bennett

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery

The Tainted Cup

In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears--quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of 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.

A Drop Of Corruption - COMING APR. 2025

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.

EPUB link

[bookcoversaroundtheworld]

The Tainted Cup - US

In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

The Tainted Cup Robert Jackson Bennett

Where has this book been my whole life?! No, seriously, I loved every minute of The Tainted Cup. Think the Chronicles of Amicae (by Mirah Bolender) meets Pacific Rim. Only there are more plants. (Side note: if you still need to read the Chronicles of Amicae but loved The Tainted Cup, please read it next).

The Tainted Cup was a fascinating read. It's one part mystery investigation (with strong Sherlock vibes from our brilliant yet quirky Ana Dolabra) and one part fantasy (thanks to the magic and contagion risk, not to mention the Leviathans). In truth, there's still so much to learn about the magical system, politics, and even the monsters, so I'm very excited to get my hands on the next book in this series.

The mystery investigation is satisfying. It's a multi-layered murder mystery with the potential for treason and deep corruption. Throw in a naive protagonist and several unique threats, and it was quite a compelling read.

Long story short, I loved The Tainted Cup. If I could go back in time and reread it all for the first time, I would do so in a heartbeat. Note to self: Look up everything Robert Jackson Bennett has written. I've been missing out, and I need to remedy this ASAP.

Highlights: Fantasy with Mystery Elements Contagions & Plants Pacific Rim meets the Chronicles of Amicae

[mythic-raccoon]

No pressure tags: @containeraddict @omnipresence-daily @apollos-constant-crisis @28ratsinatrenchcoat

5 Favourite Characters Poll (Tag Game)

I was tag by: @star-mum

Rules: make a poll with five of your all time favourite characters and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favourite.

Thanks you so much for the tag

Tags <3: @meeks-beas @practically-an-x-man @outer-space-face @trashworldblog @mydearlybeloathed

[reviewsthatburn]

*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book. 

THE TAINTED CUP by Robert Jackson Bennett follows the trend of the witty, arbitrarily restricted genius of several recent popular iterations of Sherlock Holmes, but with a danger that feels at once too remote and too specific to make a lot of sense to me. I can tell it's aiming for a thing that I don't like, and so I'm not going to finish it. I like banter, I like witty dialogue, but I think I'm finally at a point in my life where I don't like someone explaining to me how smart they are with information I literally had no access to until this moment. The biggest factor in this DNF is I'd started to feel like I wasn't allowed to finish other books until I struggled through this one, and I don't like books that make me feel like I can't or shouldn't read other books. I'm definitely bothered by one character's personality quirk of wearing a blindfold at all times, and treating a refusal to leave her home as an affectation that exists to annoy other people. The narrative calls attention to it but refuses to explain. I don't enjoy being told repeatedly that I don't need to know something, or at least don't get to have it revealed at this time. It doesn't feel mysterious or interesting, just irritating and petty.

Full review at link