The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan, #1) in Beyond Reality

Mar 03, 2024 MadProfessah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2024-read

Brilliant example of fantasy police procedural mashup!

"Two great tastes that taste great together!" The Tainted Cup takes place in a fantastical world where magic is real, where technological advancement is made via chemical "alteration" to provide humans with abilities needed for society to function, like super-strength, super-speed, super-memory, etc.

In this context comes an investigation of a series of murders by a queer facsimile of a Holmes-and-Watson duo. Ana is the brilliant, quirky Inves ...more

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Mar 13, 2025 Ann rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio-libby, read-2025, audio-2025, audio, just-finished

In a fascinating world full of intrigue, contagion and sea monsters an unlikely assistant to a great detective learns his way and proves his worth amidst dangers and puzzling clues.

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Mar 29, 2025 Natalie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

This mystery is nicely woven with a building crises in the background and a series of murders in the forefront. The strength of the mystery to me was the investigator and her "engraver" were unusual but able to read subtle details quickly. The complex world building and intriguing cast of characters who played a role in the murders or the investigation made for a very compelling read.
The mystery is set in a world where people have grafts to give them abilities or longevity, a plant called dapple This mystery is nicely woven with a building crises in the background and a series of murders in the forefront. The strength of the mystery to me was the investigator and her "engraver" were unusual but able to read subtle details quickly. The complex world building and intriguing cast of characters who played a role in the murders or the investigation made for a very compelling read.
The mystery is set in a world where people have grafts to give them abilities or longevity, a plant called dappleglass grows at astonishing speed, and giant leviathans threaten the nearby city as they rise from the sea and attack the walls. At first, the investigator and her assistant are called to a murder scene were an engineer (Blas) has been killed by dappleglass, which grew out of his body. We gradually learn 10 engineers were killed this way, along with influential businessman, Kaygi Haza (whose death is initially covered up). As the investigation proceeds, two others are killed this way. Also, the first engineer's secretary and a building manufacturer are killed by trauma to the back of the head.
The investigator, Ana, is quick to come to conclusions based on bare evidence and has a broad knowledge of many subjects because she spends much time reading. However, she wears a blindfold much of the time, to limit interference of extraneous information and relies heavily on her engraver, Din, to gather information. Din, the narrator, is able to memorize things he sees and hears, in order to perfectly gather precise information. The story is set up to not question their conclusions.
As Ana and Din investigate, the threat of a leviathan attacking the walls grows. We learn that all the engineers attended a party at the Haza house a few days prior to their deaths. The head of Daretana, Vashta, assembles a team to help investigate. Some are helpful, such as Miljin, while others are guilty.
It turns out that three people played a role in the murders, two of whom are killed by accidental exposure to dappleglass spores. The remaining murderer, wanted justice because of a grudge against the powerful Haza family. (view spoiler).
For me, the most intriguing parts of the mystery were Ana's isolation in order to think clearly, Din's struggle to read and write because of a disability, and the special keys that contain a vial of special liquid. The keys cause plants around specific gates to recede, allowing people to enter.
A drawback to me was we get little information about how the grafts work, how someone altered dappleglass to explode so quickly, and the revelation of the final guilty party so late in the game. Readers are given some hints but other information is presented as clear to the investigators.
The prose is nicely crafted and the world layered with so many interesting elements. ...more

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Feb 27, 2024 Jenny T rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, mystery, read-in-2024

This was a treat! A science fiction murder mystery with some great characters: Ana, wonderfully eccentric detective who solves mysteries blindfolded, while refusing to leave her house, her genetically enhanced assistant Din who has an infallible memory and a penchant for swords. And it all takes place in a world with genetic engineering and giant aquatic leviathans trying to break through the sea wall and destroy civilization as we know it. With fantasy politics and a touch of body horror and a ...more

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