The Tainted Cup was one of my favorite 2024 reads because it differed from what I had been reading—it was still fantasy (my genre of choice) but with Sherlock Holmes vibes. So, I was so excited to dive into A Drop of Corruption.  

 

I loved certain aspects of the second installment, although I wanted a little more from some elements. Would I recommend it? Yes! If you enjoyed the first book, you should definitely read the second. The world continues to expand, and I look forward to what’s to come in the next book. 

 

I enjoyed… 

…continuing to get to know Din now that he has been in his role a bit longer, he trusts his abilities more, is piecing together clues on his own accord, and is confident in his understanding of Ana’s quarks. I still enjoy the story unfolding, where you get pieces of information as Din does, so you are coming to your conclusions as Din does. It also expands the view of the empire as you learn about Yarrowland, which I love as you are introduced to new characters and a new side to politics. 

 

My one gap… 

My biggest bummer of the read is Ana. I LOVED her in The Tainted Cup - she was running her own game. She was shrewd and confident as things unraveled. She had everyone’s number. However, in this read, I felt she was coming undone, which was likely on purpose, and I was just not ready for that yet. I wanted more of what I read before. Not someone who seemed to be yelling all the time but someone who was quietly figuring it out and strategically dropping the truth when she needed to. 

 

All in all… 

There continue to be many twists and turns to uncover “who did it,” similar to the style of book one. Although I wanted a slight shift from book one to keep me on my toes, this was still a fun read. 

 

You should read if: