Tag Archives: Mystery

Jul 6 2026
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Book Review: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Title: The Tainted Cup

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett

Series: Shadow of the Leviathan #1

Genre: Fantasy

The Overview: In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible. Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective. As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect. –Goodreads

Niki’s Review [4.5/5 stars]:

A few years ago I read Foundryside by this author and absolutely loved it. Then this book came out in 2024 and people have been absolutely raving about it ever since. Needless to say I went into The Tainted Cup with ridiculously high expectations. And you know what? It didn’t disappoint.

World-building is my favorite component to SFF books. It’s the category that can often make or break my rating scale. I love it when authors can dazzle me, and this is exactly what happened with Tainted Cup. The basic magic system around the cool, engineered plantlife was great, enough to sustain entire series from other authors. Then you add in some subtle magical talents, which definitely made the characters more interesting. But wait, more?! Nothing big, just a freaking leviathan… it was superb. Between this and Foundryside, I’ve come to love this author for his wild creativity and great magic systems. If you’re a fan of Sanderson’s world-building, definitely give Bennett a try.

I also loved the characters. Which is weird because I don’t think I had much of an emotional connection to them. They were novelties – highly interesting profiles that I can’t wait to learn more about in future books. I tend to really like flawed, enigma characters because they often have some of the better growth arcs. The quick wit and banter between the two main characters was easily my favorite part of the book. The back and forth was hysterical and made both characters immediately more endearing. Also, Ana might be my spirit animal.

This is a fantasy/mystery hybrid and I think it will appeal to readers of both genres. Lots of fantasy books include mysteries, but not many feature them quite to this degree. It unfolded with a very satisfying and quick pace, and there was enough substance for me to try to form my own theories. I think the punchline for the mystery, the “big reveal” if you will, could’ve been a touch stronger and a mite less straight-forward, which is my only slight letdown from the book. But it more than made up for that with all of the other amazing components.

So great world-building, interesting characters, lots of humor, a quick plot, and a fun mystery to solve – this book is solid! I can’t wait for the next one. :D

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, and Leticia! <3

Dave’s Review [4.5/5 stars]:

The Tainted Cup initially found its way onto my radar when it won the Hugo Award last year. I knew little about it, and had never read anything by Robert Jackson Bennett prior to this. It is quite fortunate that the book came to my attention, because it is one of the best fantasy novels that I have read in some time. It is unique in that it is a fantasy novel very much in the style of a Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot detective story, while also showcasing the imaginative worldbuilding that we come to expect in top-tier modern fantasy.

The mystery itself is compelling and near perfectly paced. The author drops clues mixed with twists and revelations throughout. The central conspiracy unfolded in a way that always kept me guessing and wanting to read just a bit further. I am unsure whether the author gives the reader enough clues to solve the mystery before the detective does, as I was kept guessing until the end, but that in no way diminished my appreciated for the book.

Much of the book’s charm and humor comes from the two main characters. Ana, the lead investigator, is unforgettable. She is sharp, eccentric, and intimidating, and we never quite know what she is thinking, as she is not the POV character of the story. Ana is very much the Sherlock Holmes of The Tainted Cup. Instead, we see the story through her assistant, Din. He is methodical and observant, our eyes in the narrative. He does not always understand Ana’s unconventional methods (as neither do we), but he trusts in her abilities and intentions. Their relationship evolves naturally over the course of the investigation, and their dynamic of both mutual respect and dry humor is an incredibly endearing accompaniment to the mystery itself.

The worldbuilding is another standout in this book. Bennett details a civilization with some bizarre yet interesting biological augmentations that seamlessly blend into the political machinations of the story. There is also an ever-present threat of massive leviathans, which, if I am honest, did not factor into the story as much as I might have expected. Perhaps this will be a more prominent element in subsequent books, as this is the first of a series. The setting, though, is pretty original, and serves the story perfectly.

Sure, there are some other mystery or detective stories in science fiction and fantasy, but at the moment, I am failing to recall any that I have read. That may be why this one stands out as quite unique in my mind. I would probably most liken this to some of the works of Brandon Sanderson, as the worldbuilding and writing style most remind me of his. This is a great start to a series that has a lot of promise. I plan to continue with the next book very soon, and also want to explore some of Bennett’s earlier novels as well. 4.5 stars.

Other books you might like:

Aug 19 2025
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Book Review: Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Inheritance Games

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: Inheritance Games #1

Genre: YA Fiction

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why — or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch — and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive. –Goodreads

The Review:

When I first found out that one of my all-time favorite YA authors (if you haven’t read the Naturals series yet, do so) was coming out with a series about a competition to claim an inheritance involving fun mysteries and puzzles along the way, I was beside myself with excitement.

This book came out in 2020… What the heck took me so long to give this series the attention it deserves?! There are a bunch of reasons… a book crisis… poor decisions… I don’t wanna talk about it. But my point is that I should’ve been first in line at the bookstore to pick this up and had it read the day of release. Actually, I think I did buy it on release day, so I get a pass there. Anyhow, this is my second read through of this first book (the first was in 2023) with the intent to continue on, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

First of all, I’m a bit enamored with the author. She has a PHD in psychology from Yale and teaches psychology and professional writing at the University of Oklahoma (I need to move there so I can take her classes). I love the combination of these two worlds – writing and psychology. Her depth of knowledge of how the human brain works play a strong role in her books, everything from creative problem solving to criminal motives. And what’s particularly exciting about this series is that she’s actively playing with the sorts of things in books that really appeal to our brains as readers – things that spark excitement. So this series in particular is filled with a ton of what I can only describe as book candy. Things that are so fun to read about that they keep you hooked from start to finish. Everything from the plethora of puzzles to formatting – with very short chapters to make you feel like you’re flying through the book – is designed to keep you engaged. It’s so cool! And so intelligently done… I’m now an even bigger fan than I was before.

The majority of the delight to be had in this book is within the inheritance games themselves. There are a bunch of rotating mysteries of which you find out a little more about with each chapter. It is incredibly satisfying to see a character solve a puzzle, and what was left unsolved has me ecstatic to dive into the next book asap. Maybe I did myself a favor by waiting until most of the series was produced before diving in, because now I can binge read!

During this most recent second read, I remembered a great deal about what happened and “whodunnit,” if you will, which left my brain a little more time to nitpick. The only thing I find myself slightly dissatisfied with is the main characters taste in boys. We have four eligible and interesting Hawthorne Brother choices, and yet our main character, a smart girl in her own right, gravitated towards the ones who have red flags all over them. Seriously, so many red flags. Don’t touch that situation with a ten foot pole! But then again, no drama, no book, so whatever. But even as it stands, I’m of course tuning in to see which one she picks.

All I can say is, I’ve stalled long enough, and now I am so excited to be finally getting into this series in earnest!

Recommendations: If you love YA, you’ve probably already read this (if not, get to it!). If you used to love YA but the stories have gotten a bit tiresome and repetitive, try this series or The Naturals, and I think it’ll go a long way in reinvigorating your sense of excitement for the genre. If you haven’t tried YA, this might be a good series to taste test the genre with. If you don’t like YA, thanks for making it this far in my review.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Tracey, Dagmara, Poochtee, and Kinsey! <3

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

 

Mar 7 2021
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Book Review: The Guardian by A.J. Hartley

Guardian by A.J. Hartley

Title: Guardian

Author: A.J. Hartley

Series: Steeplejack #3

Genre: Either YA Fantasy or Adult Fantasy… it’s one ofthose that straddles both genres and I keep changing my mind on where to shelve it. It reads more YA, but the format of the books suggests it belongs in a different category. Perhaps even Mystery.

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: The city of Bar-Selehm is tossed into a whirlwind of scandal when the Prime Minister is found dead on the floors of Parliament: and Anglet Sutonga’s friend and employer, Josiah Willinghouse, is the one holding the knife. Determined to prove his innocence, Ang investigates leads throughout the city, only to discover even more chaos wherever she goes. A mysterious but fatal illness is infecting the poor. A fanatical politician seizes power, and rolls out his plans to make Bar-Selehm great again. Amidst these surrounding dangers, Anglet Sutonga must gather her friends from places high and low to form a resistance… and hopefully, protect everything she knows and loves. -Goodreads

The Review:

There are a lot of things I liked about about this series, but unfortunately The Guardian was just a bit too ridiculous for my tastes.

The author does a great job hanging a lantern on diversity, discrimination, and racism in this series. In fact, the whole plot of this book kind of hinges around those ideas. I just wish the story hadn’t gotten so far-fetched because it stole momentum from other really solid components.

For one, the writing. The author has a very sophisticated yet accessible writing style and I quite enjoyed it. Another great element is the cultural immersion through settings, dialogue, world-building, and plot. It has a 1920s vibe with some South African indigenous people and wildlife along with a subtle albeit weird fantasy twist. It’s such a unique atmosphere, I’ve never read anything like it, and that’s saying something these days. I’d also never heard of a steeplejack before but loved every single page describing the profession. It’s just now occurring to me that I don’t even know if it’s a real thing or just made up for the series. Whatever the case, it gave the main character some interesting background skills and knowledge that played an active part in the unfolding mystery of each book. I really loved that aspect, even when things got weird.

There were a few eye-rolling moments where I thought “okay, I know I’ve been pretty amiable about just going with all the weird ideas up to this point, but that was so completely far-fetched. I just can’t.” A few such scenes really cheapened a lot of the other fantastic things going on. I also thought the overall conflict was too oversimplified; resolved a bit too seamlessly. The idea behind it was great, it just needed a more realistic approach and a longer timeline to satisfy what I wanted out of it.

Recommendations: read this series if you want something fun, unique, and slightly odd.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Jan 29 2020
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Book Review: The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Lovely and the Lost

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: N/A

Genre: YA Fiction

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Kira Bennett’s earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She has no idea how long she was on her own or what she had to do to survive, but she remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her perfectly. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue. Along with Cady’s son, Jude, and their neighbor, Free, Kira works alongside Cady to train the world’s most elite search-and-rescue dogs. Someday, all three teenagers hope to put their skills to use, finding the lost and bringing them home. But when Cady’s estranged father, the enigmatic Bales Bennett, tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child—one of several visitors who has disappeared in the Sierra Glades National Park in the past twelve months—the teens find themselves on the frontlines sooner than they could have ever expected. As the search through 750,000 acres of unbridled wilderness intensifies, Kira becomes obsessed with finding the missing child. She knows all too well what it’s like to be lost in the wilderness, fighting for survival, alone. But this case isn’t simple. There is more afoot than a single, missing girl, and Kira’s memories threaten to overwhelm her at every turn. As the danger mounts and long-held family secrets come to light, Kira is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her adopted family, her true nature, and her past. -Goodreads

The Review:

The Lovely and the Lost was a light YA mystery involving trauma recovery, a missing persons case, and search and rescue dogs in action.

Barnes is exceptional at giving her characters depth (especially compared to other YA writers). There’s always a deeper story of trauma affecting the plot, which adds a lot of cool dynamics. Stuff like that can often make a story feel too heavy, but she balances it out with fun characters who are animated and engaging despite their inner demons, and there’s something deeply compelling about that.

I also loved the search and rescue premise of the book – especially the dogs! It added a bit of fun to an otherwise dramatic story. I don’t believe there are any sequels planned, but I liked it enough to continue the series if there was one.

Lament: I waited (impatiently) for like five months to get ahold of a copy of this book from my library, letting it take up precious space in my holds lineup, only to give it half-assed attention because, you know, life. Even so, I absorbed most of it, and it’s a decent read. But I wasn’t as engrossed as I was with her Naturals series… and I don’t think it was all because of my distractions.

There’s an overall mystery to this story, but the focus is on the close relationships between characters and the personal issues they’re working through. I would have preferred a stronger focus on the mystery itself. Something to get the characters more active and mentally engaged with it. I was enjoying the story well enough, but I never felt drawn to it to see what would happen next. That lack of suspense affected my rating a bit. The Naturals was so phenomenal, it may have ruined me for mystery YA forever.

Recommendations: this is a great read if you like highly character-driven YA fiction. The search and rescue dogs made the story fun, and Barnes’ great writing always delivers a solidly composed story (great mysteries). However, if you’re new to this author, I’d say go straight for her Naturals series and come back to this one later… :)

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Mar 19 2018
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Book Review: Dayfall by Michael David Ares

Title: Dayfall

Author: Michael David Ares

Series: N/A

Rating: 1.5/5 stars

The Overview: In the near future, patches of the northern hemisphere have been shrouded in years of darkness from a nuclear winter, and the water level has risen in the North Atlantic. The island of Manhattan has lost its outer edges to flooding and is now ringed by a large seawall. The darkness and isolation have allowed crime and sin to thrive in the never-ending shadows of the once great city, and when the sun finally begins to reappear, everything gets worse. A serial killer cuts a bloody swath across the city during the initial periods of daylight, and a violent panic sweeps through crowds on the streets. The Manhattan police, riddled with corruption and apathy, are at a loss.

That’s when the Mayor recruits Jon Phillips, a small-town Pennsylvania cop who had just single-handedly stopped a high-profile serial killer in his own area, and flies him into the insanity of this new New York City. The young detective is partnered with a shady older cop and begins to investigate the crimes amidst the vagaries of a twenty-four hour nightlife he has never experienced before. Soon realizing that he was chosen for reasons other than what he was told, Jon is left with no one to trust and forced to go on the run in the dark streets, and below them in the maze of the underground. Against all odds he still hopes that he can save his own life, the woman of his dreams, and maybe even the whole city before the arrival of the mysterious and dreaded event that has come to be known as…. DAYFALL. -Goodreads

The Review:

What initially drew me to Dayfall was the interesting concept: a mystery novel set in a not-to-distant-future post-war world where nuclear bombing has caused semi-permanent blackout cloud-cover. Not only have I been itching for a good mystery novel lately, but I loved the presented concept for Dayfall and couldn’t wait to see some cool ideas on how society adapted to these conditions.

The trouble is, the book didn’t quite deliver to my satisfaction for either the mystery or the world-building.

It did have a couple of cool ideas for how city life had changed since the blackout, but for the most part the book fixated on a brief moment where sunlight would shine through (Dayfall) and how seeing the sun for the first time (in less than half a generation) would drive people to literal instantly… a concept that even in hindsight doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Especially since the entire arc of the mystery depended on average citizens turning into aggressive lunatics at the first sign of sunlight. I didn’t see any details within that could’ve explained this shift in human behavior (any sort of made up sci-fi explanation would’ve worked for me. Like radiation mutation or something). And the concept continued to unravel with very inconsistent drop-in details (such as talking about current everyday things in our world, like the NFL, which felt very out of place under the circumstances the author presented) to the point where even suspended belief became impossible for me to maintain.

What’s more, I also found the character profiles incredibly inconsistent. Every time I was starting to get an idea of who they were, they’d do or say something completely out of character from what had been presented so far. They were very erratic, so it made it difficult to get into their thought processes as they tried to solve a mystery. I also had issue with their general lack of common sense and logical follow-through. My concern with this started with the first scene and unfortunately only got worse from there.

Yikes. Okay, so overall, while I can appreciate some concepts within the story and what I think the author was trying to do with it, it just didn’t work for me.

Recommendations: Dayfall definitely had a cool setting for a mystery novel. However, neither the world-building and overall concept nor the characterization were on par with my expectations. There are a whole host of books I would recommend first.

I’d like to thank the publicists at TOR/Forge and Michael David Ares for the chance to read and review an early copy of Dayfall.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

 

Jul 14 2017
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Book Reviews: Steeplejack & Firebrand by A.J. Hartley [+Giveaway!]

Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley
http://ajhartley.net/meet-author-aj-hartley/ Photo by Wade Bruton
Firebrand by A.J. Hartley

Titles: Steeplejack and Firebrand
Author: A.J. Hartley
Series: Alternate Detective #1&2
Genre: Teen Fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars

Steeplejack and Firebrand were two of the most unique books I’ve ever read – the type of stories that continue to resonate long after you finish them!

The books were successful on several accounts. The “whodunit” detective mystery was engaging, made all the more compelling by Anglet’s (the main character) personal stake in solving the crime. Her involvement felt more organic than not, and the passages dedicated to developing her convictions and motives were my favorites of the book. She also had a heartfelt side story going on, which offered a satisfying amount of character depth. Anglet is definitely the best part of this series.

The second best part is the inclusion of diversity of characters and an author who wasn’t afraid to write about unfair class systems and discrimination. He offered a variety of dynamics between races not usually seen in YA, for which I applaud. Anglet is a non-white main character, and in a market clamoring for more diversity in books, she was a breath of fresh air. My only issue is that the cover art makes her race a little ambiguous – I would’ve liked to see her more strongly represented.

The books take place in what feels like a 1920s era city, complete with tall buildings (obviously, based on the need for steeplejacks), a neat alternate light/energy source, and plenty of dirty-dealings and underground crime. Interestingly enough, this urban setting is fringed by hippo-occupied rivers, lion-prowling brush lands, and native tribes people. Needless to say it made for a unique atmosphere. I wasn’t totally convinced of its feasibility, given pollution issues and humanity’s tendency to dominate and destroy any threats around major hubs. Then I discovered A.J. Hartley spent some time in South Africa doing research for this series… and now imagine the story reflects this weird dichotomy fairly accurately. It’s still hard for me to wrap my brain around, but I can’t deny that the threat of charging hippos and lurking crocodiles added a lot of spice to the story. Sometimes it’s the most unlikely of real-life situations that are the most unbelievable in fiction. Side note: A.J. Hartley has to be one of the most interesting authors I’ve come across (you can see what I’m talking about on his website).

Both novels were equally compelling. While Firebrand didn’t have quite as much growth for the main character, it made up for it by having her become much more immersed in her new “career.” At one point near the beginning I thought it was flirting with hokey, then the author surprised me with an awesome twist, and I was hooked!

Overall, this series (so far) has been incredibly entertaining, memorable, and thought-provoking. I was especially glad to see a YA/Mystery hybrid that felt like a true merge of those genres (where the mystery felt sophisticated enough to appeal to readers of that market). Overall, there wasn’t a single thing I didn’t like about Steeplejack or Firebrand – both exceeded my expectations with flying colors. I’m eagerly awaiting another Alternate Detective novel.

I want to thank the publicists at TOR/Forge and A.J. Hartley for a chance to read and review an early copy of Firebrand – I enjoyed it thoroughly!

Steeplejack and Firebrand Giveaway!

Open to US and Canada Residents!
Click on the link to enter:

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

A winner has been chosen and notified. Thanks for entering! :)

 I wish this went without saying, but please verify your GR friendship/Blog following status before claiming entries (all of your entries will be disqualified if you’re dishonest or mistaken).

This giveaway will run until midnight [MST] on Friday July 21, 2017. Good Luck! :)

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by Niki Hawkes