Tell me a story... of a secret worth killing for
A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett
Date published: April 1, 2025
Date read: May 26, 2025
Audiobook read by Andrew Fallaize
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.
Ana and Din, together again. I just need to state upfront how much I love these books. I hope this series continues on for a long time.
If you haven’t read my review of A Tainted Cup, I’ll reiterate a few points:
1. Andrew Fallaize is an incredible narrator for these books. He makes the characters come alive and often makes me forget that he’s the one reading all of the characters. Din and Ana seem so individual that I find it easy to get lost in the narration and forget that it’s one man reading both parts.
2. This book is fantasy and a mystery and a buddy cop comedy all rolled into one. I’m still not sure how the author does this without it getting silly or lost, but the plot flows incredibly smoothly and no genre seems out of place among the others.
I also really enjoyed that, now that we’ve had our introductions to the main characters, we were now able to get a little more in depth into their backstories and personalities. Din’s reasons for doing what he’s doing and what he hopes to achieve one day make him an even more likable and interesting character. And Ana is still Ana - enigmatic and quirky and funny and brilliant… and just as much a mystery as always. Although the peek into her backstory at the end is a fun treat (no spoilers!)
My one negative about this particular story is that a lot of new characters were introduced during this journey, and I did find it a little difficult keeping some of the secondary characters straight in my head. This may have just been my own problem, though. And I can’t say that my occasional confusion really took away from my enjoyment.
Overall, this is such a wonderful book. A thrilling mystery, kind of creepy and fascinating fantasy world building, and fun character interactions. There’s something for everybody here. I also wouldn’t let the fantasy genre title put anyone off from reading it - it’s awesome for those who like the genre, but it’s a great mystery novel regardless. Highly recommended to all mystery and fantasy readers.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Content warning: murder, gore/body horror, racism (fantasy), slavery
Note: language
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.
