Robert Jackson Bennett is back! And he’s advancing the stories of Ana and Din, an imperial investigator and her assistant. Regular readers know how much I adore RBJ, and I’ve been extremely excited for this next release.

A Drop of Corruption rejoins Ana and Din months after the events of The Tainted Cup. They’ve been traveling the empire solving crimes for months, but this latest is a bit different. Specifically, it takes place in Yarrow, a tributary state to the East of the Empire. Ana and Din are there to investigate a mysterious body – and the disappearance of an Empire diplomat… Perhaps predictably for an RBJ novel, things get political quickly.

I’ve repeatedly shared that Bennett is one of my favorite modern fantasy authors. His blend of fantastical surroundings and hardcore political intrigue are the perfect amount of complexity to keep me engaged. And when you add mystery to the mix – let’s just say that my anticipation has been high. (Many many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the early gift copy, though you can see I also bought my own!)

When worldbuilding meets mystery

Now, just because RBJ is one of my favorite fantasy authors does not mean I’ll let him off the hook on mystery. (In fact , it may give me slightly higher expectations…) I like my mysteries fair play – that is, fully solvable with the facts and information given in the story. This is frequently tricky to pull off – many modern mystery writers “prove” the point in a specific chapter. It’s even harder in a fantasy setting, where different rules govern the world and the physical possibilities.

A Drop of Corruption falls prey to this challenge. I’ll keep this spoiler-free, but the mystery relies on many elements of the fantasy setting that were not immediately clear to this reader. This is true both in the literal sense, but also in a broader sense. Several components of both Yarrow and imperial culture required detailed explanation, which frequently only came once Ana pried after it. Other components required understanding of physical clues – but it’s hard to make assumptions about physical constraints in a fantasy setting. The result was that Ana leapt to conclusions that were practically impossible for a reader to draw, based not only on her augmentations but also existing in the fantasy world.

From a fantasy standpoint, this level of detail is not necessarily bad. In fact, it’s one of the elements that I love most about RBJ’s writing – the sense that the world has been fully fleshed out. But from a mystery standpoint, it can be very tricky to keep both “baseline” Imperial facts and “new” Yarrow facts in your head for evaluation. In contrast, several side plots, which required simply human / psychological understanding, were much more accessible and solvable. In a mystery, that world-building intricacy is a a double-edged sword – it makes Ana’s deductions feel both extremely impressive and totally out of reach.

Politics, fictional and real

BUT. All this worldbuilding, as usual, allows RBJ to establish the themes he’s most interested in exploring. Here, it’s an exploration of power and the lengths individuals and nations will go to keep it, alongside the usual exploration of colonialism.

I’ve been reading a lot of fantasy that explores colonial themes lately, so you’d think I’d be tired of it by now. But A Drop of Corruption has a different twist on the theme. Yarrow is a tributary state of the Empire, and one with deep economic ties to its partner / colonizer. It’s in Yarrow that fallen Titans are dissected, harvested, and researched. Yarrow relies on the Empire for its prosperity – and the Empire relies on Yarrow for its science.

This means that Ana and Din’s case – the disappearance of a Treasury officer and diplomatic envoy – moves from simply criminal to political. Much of A Drop of Corruption is devoted to untangling this political context. Ana and Din’s criminal seems to have access to the best research in Yarrow, and almost supernatural levels of intelligence. So untangling the origins of the crime requires upsetting already-tense relations on both sides of the border, and constantly testing the bounds of Imperial vs. Yarrow hegemony.

The result is a story that explores the temptations of tribalism and autocracy. This message is woven more subtly through the start of the story, but comes through loud and clear by the end. Did it hit a little close to home given the state of the world? Perhaps. But that’s maybe when we need that story the most. I wrestle with the ending – I’d love for the Empire to be a better governing body, and a fast resolution there would be so satisfying. But that’s not how lasting improvements are made – words that bear repeating in these turbulent times.

Political fantasy with a mystery flavor

To be clear, I tore through A Drop of Corruption. Ana continues to be her creepy, frustrating self. We learn more about Din in this installment, and it’s fun to explore the Empire with him. Together, the pair make a memorable crime-solving duo, creating political havoc everywhere they go. It’s easy to get lost in the twists and turns of the crime-solving without realizing there’s a bigger political plot afoot. And for many a fantasy mystery reader, that’s the sweet spot.

If you like the sound of a political fantasy with a mystery twist, I continue to recommend this series. If you’re looking for a more fair-play mystery, it may be less of a fit. For me, A Drop of Corruption was everything I was hoping for.

Until next time, stay cozy, and stay curious!