Robert Jackson Bennett (RJB) was introduced to me last year by his pub team and NetGalley. I have eagerly been awaiting his latest installment in the Shadow of the Leviathan series, and it did not disappoint. A Drop of Corruption is another exemplary mysterious fantasy novel. Five stars!
Dinios (Din) Kol and his master, Ana Dolabra, have been sent to another far-reaching corner of the realm to investigate the remains of a treasury staff member that have been discovered. Upon discovering that he didn’t merely lose his way and meet with an accident, but instead vanished from a locked room on the top floor, they realize that their case may be more complex than they thought.
As their investigation goes deeper, the trail leads to a secure compound called the Shroud, where dangerous magical research takes place on the massive leviathans that come from the sea. It looks like the culprit is bent on the Shroud’s destruction, which would turn it into a massive bioweapon that could mean the end of the empire. Although Ana and Din are a formidable team, as evident in The Tainted Cup, the killer always seems to be five steps ahead. If they fail, their world may never be the same again.
As I said at the top, I’ve been anticipating this second book in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. RJB seems to like writing trilogies, but if he wants to try his hand at making this into a full-blown series, he’s got my full support. I like his characters, his world-building, and his complex plots.
I guess I’ll lump the world-building and plot opinions together because I can’t fathom how RJB crafts a robustly complex plot in an entirely made up and complicated magical world. I couldn’t even create a complex plot that lies within our normal world. There were twists and turns in both the way the magical world of the Empire functions and the mystery plot. I’m still reeling a little bit from the final revelation of the mystery, and I’m just in awe that RJB could conceptualize it.
I’ll make one more note on the world of the Empire: I can’t picture things in my head for anything. I generally interpret things as literally as possible, so when I’m trying to picture an entirely fantastical world, I’m probably not doing it justice. However, I think I do picture the parts that RJB intends his audience to visualize. For example, at one point Din made a very disturbing discovery, and I saw it, thanks to RJB’s vivid writing. Other details of the Empire are still murky, though; I had a lot of trouble picturing the Shroud, but I would attribute that to me having no reference for the vastness of it rather than any lack of descriptors on RJB’s part. All that to say, his world-building is really good.
I knew Din and Ana from The Tainted Cup, so I was more familiar with their characters than if I was reading this as a standalone. *Note: It is much more enjoyable to read The Tainted Cup first!* Din is much more secure in himself in this book, which is great to see. He’s confident, asking the right questions, and is seeking out affection from others. It’s implied that he and Ana have had other cases in between these books, so I’m sure that’s helped his development, too.
Ana is as mysterious as ever, but it’s so fun to read how everyone reacts to her and her antics. She’s so quirky and sometimes disgusting, but she’s a good companion to Din. We do find out a little more about her at the end of the book, but only in theory. There was a main secondary character, a local named Malo, who was instrumental to the case and who kept Din steady. She had a sense of humor and was a good addition to the story.
All in all, I’m so glad that NetGalley and Random House reached out to give me an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and have been given voluntarily. I said it above but I’ll say it again: if RJB wants to make this more than 3 books, I won’t stand in his way!