Kraken science gone wild.Or something like that.So, in this world, leviathans are a serious threat. And the lengths to which some people in charge will go to get the best weapons to keep them at bay are, shall we say, questionable.At best.I ended up liking this second book, "A Drop of Corruption: A Detective Ana Dolabra Novel" by Robert Jackson Bennett, even more than the first.The world and the characters are starting to paint a broader picture as we learn more about how not only the world itse...

Blog | Instagram Rating: 4 stars With its delightful detective-sidekick duo, rich fantasy world, and another gripping murder mystery, ‘A Drop of Corruption: A Detective Ana Dolabra Novel’ lived up to the high expectations set by the previous book.Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Storyline: 🌟🌟🌟🌟Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟🌟Secondary characters: 🌟🌟🌟🌟Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟The smooth reintroduction of the world and main characters, Din and Ana, drew me back into this series with...

"Because you are a reasonably smart boy. I suspect you shall come to realize what many Iudexii eventually learn— that though the Legion defends our Empire, it falls to us to keep an Empire worth defending.”Fiction is underestimated by many, but good fiction, even with elements of science fiction and fantasy, can be thought-provoking. Sometimes, or often, it's through people or situations in vastly different worlds that we find common ground and patterns (yes, seeing patterns is a direct nod to t...

3.55!"To serve is a tremendously humbling thing. How easy it is to mistake glory and fame for duty! But duty is thankless, invisible, Forgettable—but oh, so very necessary.” Robert Jackson Bennett definitely has the writing style to deliver books I'd usually love, but my luck with his books so far hasn't been the best. It's not that they're bad or that I don't enjoy them, because I do. It's just that the past two books I've read from him were during a reading slump, which really affected my r...

4 1/2 stars. Even better than *The Tainted Cup*!I'm having so much fun with this series. Even though it's a high fantasy setting with an incredibly detailed world, the tone of the stories reminds me so much of urban fantasy mysteries I've enjoyed over the years. Once again, the plot in *A Drop of Corruption: A Detective Ana Dolabra Novel* is a murder mystery, and, once again, the delightfully funny banter between Din and Ana drives the narrative.Before beginning this series I saw comparisons to ...

By the last page, I knew that A Drop of Corruption: A Detective Ana Dolabra Novel was pretty much perfect, but then I read Robert Jackson Bennett's Author’s Note at the end, and it got even better. You see, Bennett just happens to share my views on hereditary power and strongmen running autocracies, and he's very clear about it. It's such a refreshing perspective in the fantasy genre, which otherwise seems hopelessly hung up on royalty, chosen ones, and all that absolute nonsense. Me (and Bennet...

I'm completely hooked on this fantasy thriller series, and I could honestly devour dozens more sequels as long as Robert Jackson Bennett keeps writing them. Thankfully, one of the most eccentric and fascinating investigation duos, with their unique skills and abilities, is back: Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a massive round of applause for Ana Dolabra and Dinios Koll, who are tackling the strangest case yet – a victim in a locked room, possibly murdered by a ghost-like figure who can pass thr...

3.5 starsI enjoyed "A Drop of Corruption: A Detective Ana Dolabra Novel" by Robert Jackson Bennett, but it felt a tad repetitive. The first book was such a breath of fresh air, but this one didn’t quite pack the same punch. It felt like the same formula: Din running around asking questions, and Ana, with all her eccentricities, doing the real thinking, just with a different culprit.I still love Ana; she remains my favorite character. The plot itself was solid, but what felt missing this time aro...

My disastrous bisexual disaster of a son is back!! And he's sleep-deprived!! He’s vomiting!!! He’s yearning!!! He’s slowly losing his marbles!! He’s in severe debt!! He’s in way over his head!!Robert Jackson Bennett's only competition continues to be himself. He's just *that* good.Oh, and I need Kepheus back in book three, or else!!Read my full review for *A Drop of Corruption: A Detective Ana Dolabra Novel*Thank you to the entire Del Rey team for providing this ARC. Huge thanks for the advance...

♡ Thank you so much, Del Rey, for sending me a finished copy! 1.) The Tainted Cup ★★★★★ “The ocean cannot tell the difference between a rich man and a poor one, nor one full of happiness, or despair. To those waves, all are so terribly small.” The Tainted Cup was my favorite read of 2024, so I was beyond thrilled when **A Drop of Corruption: A Detective Ana Dolabra Novel** showed up on my doorstep in 2025! Opening this book and instantly being back with Din and Ana just reminded me how much I ...