Week 1 Review: A Drop of Corruption

From Goodreads:

The brilliant detective Ana Dolabra may have finally met her match in the gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup--from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

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.

My Review:
I'm obsessed with this book! I really enjoyed the first book, and this was an excellent follow up, honestly, it gave me a bit of a book hangover, it was so good. I loved being back in this world, with these characters, and this latest case was so intricate and amazing! This, and this series, is one of my best books of the year, and it's one of my last reads of the year! 

Din has gotten used to Ana, they've had a year of cases together under his belt, so he's not quite as subservient, and pokes at her from time to time, which was so lovely to read, in the midst of all the choose going on with this case. Not to mention, the stressors in his personal life, of if he should continue in this branch of government. 

This mystery was absolutely incredible! The first book gave us a look into how brilliant Ana is, and how excentric. So to have a case that was causing her difficulty, to really push her to the limits, who seemed to be a step ahead of her...I couldn't get enough!

The first book was in an area shrouded by the fact that the Leviathans come and attack every wet season. This one takes place where they bring the leviathans after they're dead, to extract the blood needed to keep the empire going, which is a complex political situation, and a heavy part of the plot, with the kingdom supposed to be absorbed by the empire shortly, but the details aren't fully worked out. It was epic, and convoluted, and an amazing story.

One idea that this book brought up was the idea of kings, and just how bad they are. The authors note at the end, talking about the concept of kings and how they're viewed in this modern day society, and modern day versions of them, felt very pointed and so very accurate. Here's hoping the idea of them being a positive thing dies out, and dies out soon. 

Loved reading this book and I can't wait for more from this series, and I really need to read more by Robert Jackson Bennett! 

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett 
Series: Shadow of the Leviathan #2
Read: December 30th, 2024 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love his writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Del Rey
Expected Publication: April 1st 2025

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars