Book Review - A DROP OF CORRUPTION by Robert Jackson Bennett

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Back Cover Blurb:
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.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.

Review:
Robert Jackson Bennett simply cannot write a bad book. I've come to this realization after embarking on his third series now where each book I've read is better than the last. There's not much more room to go honestly and I don't understand how he constantly tops himself. Another thing about Bennett that's really impressive is that none of his series follow anything similar toa certain formula. They are all completely different in tone and worldbuilding.

A DROP OF CORRUPTION continues the murder mystery Shadow of the Leviathan series in amazing fashion. Fantasy mystery is tough to do write but Bennett injects another intriguing investigation while not shirking the fantasy elements one single bit. And that's what truly makes these book so fun is that just when you forget you are reading a fantasy novel, a giant leviathan shows up to attach a city. There's also enough magic elements to delight any reader who likes a little sorcery in their life.

I won't get into to many details as this is the second book in an ongoing series but suffice to say I loved this book even more than the first. I suspect its because I know these characters that much more and have gone along with all of their exploits and experienced them getting into one perilous situation after another. This book ramps up the action as well so it was a much quicker read than the first which understandably had to set up the world and the character background stories.

The ending left me totally rocked as Bennett always seems to do and I look forward to the next one with much anticipation. Robert Jackson Bennett may just be one of the top 3 fantasy authors in the game right now. His body of work is enough that I believe that can be said with utmost confidence. Treat yourself to this brilliant series and then go back and read all of his other books if you haven't yet. A DROP OF CORRUPTION blew me away and I'm sure that when this is all wrapped up it will take its place along the other stupendous series that Bennett has penned. I can't believe how much talent this guy has!

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