“Perhaps you need simply listen, then,” said Ana. “For I find myself in a storytelling mood, and I think I’ve a fascinating tale to tell. It is a story of corruption, betrayal, and murder. It is most hideous, really! Are you ready for it?”

In the canton of Yarrowdale a Treasury Officer has vanished from a locked room in a heavily guarded building, with no trace of how it occurred. Immunis Ana Dolabra and her assistant Signum Dinios Kol are called in to investigate and they soon discover this is not just a disappearance, it is a well thought out murder, and it is the first of many. Their adversary seems to always be one step ahead and his main focus seems to be targeting something which could bring countless deaths and untold destruction. This is a mystery which could have enormous consequences for the future of the Empire and worst yet, it is a case which may just involve an enemy too powerful for our detectives to defeat.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett seamlessly fuses together fantasy and sci-fi, politics and mysticism, nature and technology, new life and horrifying deaths. It is another incredible tale that is set to satisfy on every level. 

The Tainted Cup was one of my most outstanding reads of last year. I have never really been drawn to the murder mystery genre in a big way before, but this was the book that really made me fall in love with it and so this sequel has been a highly anticipated one for me. Immediately it felt great to be back with our dynamic duo, Dinios and Ana, having now worked with each other on a fair few cases their partnership has clearly deepened. Ana is still her brusk, sweary, eclectic self and Dinios is still his stiffly courteous, contemplative and reserved self, and though they contrast greatly they also work together in such a supportive way. Bennett really ramps up their banter and although this effectively lightens the narrative to create such entertaining dialogue, we also are given much philosophical thought as the pair debate the worth of their work. Ana can be hard to deal with, particularly here when she becomes outwitted by their assailant but Din is on hand to diffuse her temper and deal with her quirky methods, and in turn Ana too always picks up on Din’s bouts of melancholy. Therefore when Dinios struggles with his desire to serve as a Legionaire believing fighting the Leviathans a worthier occupation to the Empire, Ana tries to show him that although they investigate deaths rather than preventing them, they still save lives by catching those who wish to and threaten to disrupt the Empire’s stability and cause its downfall. I loved this added depth to their relationship, the way they both understood each other, knew their feelings, even when their views were opposite. 

“Our home is wherever the dead are found in difficult or delicate circumstances, Din. You should feel quite at ease here! Tell me— what is the situation? Shall our predicament be difficult, or delicate?”

“I’d say both, ma’am,” I said. “But at the moment, it seems more difficult than delicate.’

Once again, Bennett completely captivated me with a strange and gruesome locked room murder mystery-esque story arc which was presented with enough scope that twists and turns were sure to follow. It is a mystery that develops quite rapidly with plenty of body horror and surprising political intrigue. Aiding the investigation is a new character, Signum Tira Malo, who has an augmentation to increase her sense of smell, which is quite the comedic ability! Her humour is just a pure delight, she’s another character much like Ana who says it how it is without any decorum. Having two characters constantly making Dinios blush was just the light hearted tone that balanced everything out so well, stopping the darker elements from becoming well… too dark. Yet Malo serves another purpose as the investigation leads them deeper into Yarrowdale’s royalty and their way of ruling, Malo becomes their interpreter and guide. With Yarrowdale not yet a part of the Empire, we learn of their use of slavery and poor treatment of their servants, which if they were part of the Empire would not be allowed. There is fantastic discourse throughout on who are slaves and who are masters, the pros and cons of a monarchy and is it right for the Empire to intervene, to basically colonise and tell another culture/race of people how to run their country. Malo expresses some poignant points here, especially when discussing her backstory, which I really appreciated learning. Again, she’s another well rounded character who effectively adds further layers to the story. 

I had one main expectation from this sequel and that was to learn more about the Leviathans because that was an element I felt added a layer of unique inventiveness to this world. With the investigation taking place in Yarrowdale, this brings our characters closer to something known as the Shroud. I don’t wish to go into too much detail about this because honestly the Shroud was one of the concepts I most enjoyed exploring as it is heavily connected to the Leviathans and reveals much about their blood and the horrific effects it can have should the Apoths lose control. When Din’s investigation leads him to visiting the Shroud, this was one of my most favourite scenes. The description of this place is eerie, Bennet really conveys the monumental size, the way it engulfs all who visit, and how its structure ripples like a living, slumbering beast. I had goosebumps just picturing it. Then the people our poor Din meets there are just as creepy. Bennet fills this whole chapter with such an unsettling atmosphere, it effectively put me on edge throughout. 

“Both the kings and the thieves, the angels and the utter bastards, are all inevitably quite human. Though that should not let our hand be any softer when justice is delivered!”

The sheer brilliant inventiveness which Bennett injects into this series utterly blows my mind. A Drop of Corruption has a touch of everything I could have hoped for in a sequel. Give me a dozen more instalments please. 

ARC provided by Kate at Hodderscape in exchange for an honest review—thank you for the copy!

A Drop of Corruption is out now – you can order your copy HERE