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Shadow of the Leviathan #3
A Trade of Blood
Not yet published
Expected 11 Aug 26An Ana and Din Mystery
Brilliant detective Ana Dolabra must prove a man's innocence to stop a civil war in the third book of the series that began with The Tainted Cup, named an Edgar, Hugo, and World Fantasy Award Finalist and one of the best books of the year (New York Times Book Review, NPR, Elle)—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.
In the canton of Sapirdad, two of the Empire’s most powerful families are moments away from going to war with each other, their hundreds of retainers gathered with swords drawn. If blood is spilt, the whole of the empire may be plunged into starvation and chaos.
To de-escalate matters, someone must do the impossible: prove that one family’s eldest son is innocent of a gruesome and unforgivable murder, despite the incontrovertible evidence against him.
It is with this undertaking that the great detective Ana Dolabra is tasked, her assistant Din at her side—and the two find themselves racing with great speed and little dignity to the scene.
As ever, the impossible proves little obstacle for the deadly combination of Ana’s intellect and Din’s keen eye, and mere hours after riding into the dusty town, Ana glimpses the greater pattern behind the crime. A deeper, subtler web of death is being woven in plain sight, by a mastermind with an ancient magical technology at his disposal.
But even Ana's uncanny insight is of little use when each new suspect she uncovers ends up dead--with each new killing calculated to bring tensions between the two rival clans past the boiling point. And as Din pursues their adversary through the canton's wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, he finds his loyalties divided in unexpected ways.
Brilliant detective Ana Dolabra must prove a man's innocence to stop a civil war in the third book of the series that began with The Tainted Cup, named an Edgar, Hugo, and World Fantasy Award Finalist and one of the best books of the year (New York Times Book Review, NPR, Elle)—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.
In the canton of Sapirdad, two of the Empire’s most powerful families are moments away from going to war with each other, their hundreds of retainers gathered with swords drawn. If blood is spilt, the whole of the empire may be plunged into starvation and chaos.
To de-escalate matters, someone must do the impossible: prove that one family’s eldest son is innocent of a gruesome and unforgivable murder, despite the incontrovertible evidence against him.
It is with this undertaking that the great detective Ana Dolabra is tasked, her assistant Din at her side—and the two find themselves racing with great speed and little dignity to the scene.
As ever, the impossible proves little obstacle for the deadly combination of Ana’s intellect and Din’s keen eye, and mere hours after riding into the dusty town, Ana glimpses the greater pattern behind the crime. A deeper, subtler web of death is being woven in plain sight, by a mastermind with an ancient magical technology at his disposal.
But even Ana's uncanny insight is of little use when each new suspect she uncovers ends up dead--with each new killing calculated to bring tensions between the two rival clans past the boiling point. And as Din pursues their adversary through the canton's wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, he finds his loyalties divided in unexpected ways.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 11, 2026
About the author
Robert Jackson Bennett
31 books23.2k followersRobert Jackson Bennett is a two-time award winner of the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel, an Edgar Award winner for Best Paperback Original, and is also the 2010 recipient of the Sydney J Bounds Award for Best Newcomer, and a Philip K Dick Award Citation of Excellence. City of Stairs was shortlisted for the Locus Award and the World Fantasy Award. City of Blades was a finalist for the 2015 World Fantasy, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards. His eighth novel, FOUNDRYSIDE, will be available in the US on 8/21 of 2018 and the UK on 8/23.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
May 11, 2026
Dins greatest torments: family trauma, having to cart heavy musical instruments around for his boss, another biological phenomenon wreaking havoc, and most notably himself
Love how all of din’s love interests go: i want that melancholy lonely bisexual man, crave him actually
A canton of blood grapples with buckets of it in Robert Jackson Bennett’s latest fantasy mystery medley, A Trade of Blood. Inspector duo Ana Dolabra and her chronically exhausted and disastrous assistant Dinios Kol are back for a third installment in the genre spanning, far too addictive Shadow of the Leviathan series. Another case with far reaching implications to plague main character Dinios Kol and rewrite our existing understanding of the Khanum empire. It all starts with an impossible murder (and doesn’t it always): a locked room where two lovers meet, one of whom murders the other with no true memory of having committed the act. This is where Bennett thrives, in the boundaries of the improbable which he utilizes to build out his greater exploration into the cattle industry and the systems put in place to uphold an empire’s insatiable hungers. Aforementioned disaster character Din stands at the forefront of this investigation, facing new challenges. Din’s greatest torments in A Trade of Blood include: family trauma, having to cart heavy musical instruments around for his boss, another biological phenomenon wreaking havoc, and most notably himself. For Bennett’s A Trade of Blood it all comes down to hunger and the lengths one will go to see them realized. Din and Ana will have to face the web winding beneath the canton of Sapirdad and the past violences which bleed eternally into its present.
Read my review
Thank you to edelweiss + del rey for providing me an advance review copy.
Bookstagram | Blog
Love how all of din’s love interests go: i want that melancholy lonely bisexual man, crave him actually
A canton of blood grapples with buckets of it in Robert Jackson Bennett’s latest fantasy mystery medley, A Trade of Blood. Inspector duo Ana Dolabra and her chronically exhausted and disastrous assistant Dinios Kol are back for a third installment in the genre spanning, far too addictive Shadow of the Leviathan series. Another case with far reaching implications to plague main character Dinios Kol and rewrite our existing understanding of the Khanum empire. It all starts with an impossible murder (and doesn’t it always): a locked room where two lovers meet, one of whom murders the other with no true memory of having committed the act. This is where Bennett thrives, in the boundaries of the improbable which he utilizes to build out his greater exploration into the cattle industry and the systems put in place to uphold an empire’s insatiable hungers. Aforementioned disaster character Din stands at the forefront of this investigation, facing new challenges. Din’s greatest torments in A Trade of Blood include: family trauma, having to cart heavy musical instruments around for his boss, another biological phenomenon wreaking havoc, and most notably himself. For Bennett’s A Trade of Blood it all comes down to hunger and the lengths one will go to see them realized. Din and Ana will have to face the web winding beneath the canton of Sapirdad and the past violences which bleed eternally into its present.
Read my review
Thank you to edelweiss + del rey for providing me an advance review copy.
Bookstagram | Blog
Want to Read
August 4, 2025Would sell my soul for "Untitled"
(Edit: now I'd trade my blood for "A Trade of Blood")
(Edit: now I'd trade my blood for "A Trade of Blood")
Currently Reading
March 29, 2025
Please, RJB, Din is not handling this heartbreak that well. To think he will handle leviathans and lampreys and posinous ticks better than this...
May 1, 2026
So good it gave me a book headache.
Everything I didn’t love in A Drop of Corruption has been tightened. Din is no longer as mopey or mercurial, with romantic diversions standing in for character. In fact, he is experiencing changes in his engraving skills, something that is unsettling him a great deal. Are his skills already maturing? Is he headed even sooner for the confusion and pain of an old engraver?
“It was at that moment that I felt a profoundly strange sensation, one entirely new to me: something in my thoughts trembled. Shifted. Like a larva turning over within an egg.”
Ana, thankfully, is no longer bent on being as disagreeable as possible and even offers Din meaningful insight. But they have been called to investigate a murder, the scion of one powerful family having murdered the daughter of the rival family. Though Ana says she finds murder among nobility ‘boring,’ this one has the families up in arms–literally–and active conflict will threaten the Empire’s food production. Ana sums up the challenge of their investigation in her usually direct way:
“You are apprehending the shitpot we are currently bubbling in, Princeps! We must catch up, yet we must practice the utmost secrecy while we do so!”
What I most appreciated is how the mystery remained front and center, everything in service to the plot. Though there were times that I wondered about digression, it turns out that those also mattered, unlike that feeling I had in Corruption. It is a well-crafted mystery, wrapped in the particular biology of this world, with strong parallels to our own (as an aside; wow, the plant-based autopsy was something!).
I do have one note, however, and that is that I found the afterward rather… unnecessary. I thought Bennett’s message clear enough, but maybe there are those readers who need things spelled out–though I think they are unlikely to be among his audience. The afterword threw the storyline all out of proportion in my memory. And perhaps the second note is that the world no longer feels as astonishingly odd as it did in the first and second, with the exception of that autopsy. Maybe it’s because Bennett didn’t have time or inclination to truly flex his language skills, or maybe the parallel to our own world was too strong. Still, these are minor complaints, and truly only mentioned in the scope of his work.
Ever since reading City of Stairs in 2015, I’ve been a fan of Bennett. To be sure, there were a few books that didn’t land as solidly as the Divine trilogy, but I’ve found his storytelling to be very aligned with my reading. Interesting main characters? Imaginative world-building? Unexpected plotting? Lovely language? Awareness of diversity of humans? Check, check and double check, and in the case of the Divine and Leviathan series, we can add truly gorgeous cover art. Truly worth buying.
Many thanks to NetGalley and to Del Rey for an advanced reader copy. All quotes subject to change. Clearly, my own opinion.
Everything I didn’t love in A Drop of Corruption has been tightened. Din is no longer as mopey or mercurial, with romantic diversions standing in for character. In fact, he is experiencing changes in his engraving skills, something that is unsettling him a great deal. Are his skills already maturing? Is he headed even sooner for the confusion and pain of an old engraver?
“It was at that moment that I felt a profoundly strange sensation, one entirely new to me: something in my thoughts trembled. Shifted. Like a larva turning over within an egg.”
Ana, thankfully, is no longer bent on being as disagreeable as possible and even offers Din meaningful insight. But they have been called to investigate a murder, the scion of one powerful family having murdered the daughter of the rival family. Though Ana says she finds murder among nobility ‘boring,’ this one has the families up in arms–literally–and active conflict will threaten the Empire’s food production. Ana sums up the challenge of their investigation in her usually direct way:
“You are apprehending the shitpot we are currently bubbling in, Princeps! We must catch up, yet we must practice the utmost secrecy while we do so!”
What I most appreciated is how the mystery remained front and center, everything in service to the plot. Though there were times that I wondered about digression, it turns out that those also mattered, unlike that feeling I had in Corruption. It is a well-crafted mystery, wrapped in the particular biology of this world, with strong parallels to our own (as an aside; wow, the plant-based autopsy was something!).
I do have one note, however, and that is that I found the afterward rather… unnecessary. I thought Bennett’s message clear enough, but maybe there are those readers who need things spelled out–though I think they are unlikely to be among his audience. The afterword threw the storyline all out of proportion in my memory. And perhaps the second note is that the world no longer feels as astonishingly odd as it did in the first and second, with the exception of that autopsy. Maybe it’s because Bennett didn’t have time or inclination to truly flex his language skills, or maybe the parallel to our own world was too strong. Still, these are minor complaints, and truly only mentioned in the scope of his work.
Ever since reading City of Stairs in 2015, I’ve been a fan of Bennett. To be sure, there were a few books that didn’t land as solidly as the Divine trilogy, but I’ve found his storytelling to be very aligned with my reading. Interesting main characters? Imaginative world-building? Unexpected plotting? Lovely language? Awareness of diversity of humans? Check, check and double check, and in the case of the Divine and Leviathan series, we can add truly gorgeous cover art. Truly worth buying.
Many thanks to NetGalley and to Del Rey for an advanced reader copy. All quotes subject to change. Clearly, my own opinion.
series-started
August 3, 2025every book in this series has been 5 stars. i can't wait for this
edit: WE HAVE A TITLE AND RELEASE DATE!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!
edit: WE HAVE A TITLE AND RELEASE DATE!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What an absolute JOY it is to be back in the world of Din and Ana. This series has become one of those annual events that I hang out for and this third instalment is a wonderful edition to the lore and world building of these characters and The Empire.
As always I will keep everything very vague to avoid spoilers to the plot and mystery but I had a wonderful time once again losing myself and escaping into this universe.
I think that the mystery here has become my favourite so far. I really enjoyed RBJ using his real world concerns of capitalism, over consumption and agriculture to explore the nature and machinations of The Empire whilst alluding to some of the larger mysterious elements underpinning the mystery of the Khanum and the Leviathans. Although I still have SO MANY QUESTIONS and I am distressed in the best way possible that I have to continue to wait.
One of my favourite elements of this volume was the addition of the beautiful, strong willed and independant Fotia. I desperately hope (and suspect) that it wont be the last we see of her.
I am so glad that this is a series with no foreseeable end in sight. I adore Din as a protagonist and his dynamic and relationship with Ana just delights me more and more with each books worth of interaction and history between them.
I will happily gobble up every single one of these books that RBJ blesses us with and not get bored. I remain foolish and steadfast in my (perhaps naive) commitment to the Captain Strovi end game agenda.
✨✨Planned release 11 Aug ‘26✨✨
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Del Ray for blessing me with an ARC of this release. These thoughts are my own ❤️
Consider following my instagram
As always I will keep everything very vague to avoid spoilers to the plot and mystery but I had a wonderful time once again losing myself and escaping into this universe.
I think that the mystery here has become my favourite so far. I really enjoyed RBJ using his real world concerns of capitalism, over consumption and agriculture to explore the nature and machinations of The Empire whilst alluding to some of the larger mysterious elements underpinning the mystery of the Khanum and the Leviathans. Although I still have SO MANY QUESTIONS and I am distressed in the best way possible that I have to continue to wait.
One of my favourite elements of this volume was the addition of the beautiful, strong willed and independant Fotia. I desperately hope (and suspect) that it wont be the last we see of her.
I am so glad that this is a series with no foreseeable end in sight. I adore Din as a protagonist and his dynamic and relationship with Ana just delights me more and more with each books worth of interaction and history between them.
I will happily gobble up every single one of these books that RBJ blesses us with and not get bored. I remain foolish and steadfast in my (perhaps naive) commitment to the Captain Strovi end game agenda.
✨✨Planned release 11 Aug ‘26✨✨
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Del Ray for blessing me with an ARC of this release. These thoughts are my own ❤️
Consider following my instagram
Want to Read
May 11, 2026ARC received!! Thank youuuu, Del Rey!!
Original:
I don't need a cover.
I don't need a title.
I don't need a synopsis.
I do need this book ASAP!!!
Original:
I don't need a cover.
I don't need a title.
I don't need a synopsis.
I do need this book ASAP!!!
Want to Read
April 21, 2025Is this truly going to be a trilogy? because 3 books suddenly don't seem like enough.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Out of the three books, this is the best one yet!!
While the two books had focused on murders and politics, A Trade of Blood was about something darker and much more terrifying.
It kept me on the edge of my seat as the body count rose. Soon, I was asking myself: who will be left as a suspect if everyone keeps dying?!
Ana was as eccentric as ever. The previous book gave us a vague clue about her true nature, but this story pulls back the curtain further. We also get to see more of Din as his own person—not just as Ana’s faithful assistant or the Empire’s engraver, but as an individual.
I want to avoid spoilers, so I’ll just say that the concept behind the murders in this book is deeply disturbing. I was especially struck by the author’s note at the end. RBJ took inspiration from a very real-world topic: the often unnatural state of modern agriculture, where crops and creatures are modified to produce the “best” quality for human consumption.
When you see how that concept is applied to this fictional world, it is horrifying—yet it is essentially a reflection of what is already happening in our lives. It is amazing how the author inserted this “plain truth” into such a gripping, unsettling story that is more than just about crime and murders.
It's funny how I was always in a reading slump when I received an email about my advanced copy of the series. This also happened with the previous book, A Drop of Corruption. The thought of going back to Ana and Din's adventure almost felt like going back home. I could use five more books about them, and I wouldn't ever get sick of it.
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC!
While the two books had focused on murders and politics, A Trade of Blood was about something darker and much more terrifying.
It kept me on the edge of my seat as the body count rose. Soon, I was asking myself: who will be left as a suspect if everyone keeps dying?!
Ana was as eccentric as ever. The previous book gave us a vague clue about her true nature, but this story pulls back the curtain further. We also get to see more of Din as his own person—not just as Ana’s faithful assistant or the Empire’s engraver, but as an individual.
I want to avoid spoilers, so I’ll just say that the concept behind the murders in this book is deeply disturbing. I was especially struck by the author’s note at the end. RBJ took inspiration from a very real-world topic: the often unnatural state of modern agriculture, where crops and creatures are modified to produce the “best” quality for human consumption.
When you see how that concept is applied to this fictional world, it is horrifying—yet it is essentially a reflection of what is already happening in our lives. It is amazing how the author inserted this “plain truth” into such a gripping, unsettling story that is more than just about crime and murders.
It's funny how I was always in a reading slump when I received an email about my advanced copy of the series. This also happened with the previous book, A Drop of Corruption. The thought of going back to Ana and Din's adventure almost felt like going back home. I could use five more books about them, and I wouldn't ever get sick of it.
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A NetGalley widget!!
April 8, 2026
I did like the second book a little bit more, but I'm still enjoying Bennett's prose very much :))
“A Trade of Blood” is the third book in the Shadow of the Leviathan’s series. In this installement, Ana Doloraba and her assistant Din are sent to investigate a murder case that, at first glance, seems almost too straightforward. There is already a suspect who appears to have clearly committed the crime. However, what initially looks simple quickly unravels as they dig deeper, revealing a far more complex situation, a wider conspiracy, and rising tensions that threaten to push powerful families toward open conflict.
I really enjoyed getting more time with these characters. It felt like revisiting old friends. Ana, in particular, continues to stand out. She's extraordinary and her sense of humor is hilarious. Every scene with her was a highlight for me. However, I feel like this book had a bit less scenes with her then previous.
Additionally, I think the central quest in the previous book was a bit more compelling and engaging. I also think it was a bit predictable. Nevertheless, I still had a great time reading it and appreciated the journey it offered.
One thing I continue to love about this series is the world itself. I’m really fascinated by how this world operates and eager to uncover the deeper layers and hidden secrets it still holds. Although this book expands on that to some extent, I found myself wanting even more insight into the bigger picture.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this entry, and it’s left me eager to continue. I’m really looking forward to picking up the next book in the series. I can’t imagine how I’m supposed to wait so long for the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
“A Trade of Blood” is the third book in the Shadow of the Leviathan’s series. In this installement, Ana Doloraba and her assistant Din are sent to investigate a murder case that, at first glance, seems almost too straightforward. There is already a suspect who appears to have clearly committed the crime. However, what initially looks simple quickly unravels as they dig deeper, revealing a far more complex situation, a wider conspiracy, and rising tensions that threaten to push powerful families toward open conflict.
I really enjoyed getting more time with these characters. It felt like revisiting old friends. Ana, in particular, continues to stand out. She's extraordinary and her sense of humor is hilarious. Every scene with her was a highlight for me. However, I feel like this book had a bit less scenes with her then previous.
Additionally, I think the central quest in the previous book was a bit more compelling and engaging. I also think it was a bit predictable. Nevertheless, I still had a great time reading it and appreciated the journey it offered.
One thing I continue to love about this series is the world itself. I’m really fascinated by how this world operates and eager to uncover the deeper layers and hidden secrets it still holds. Although this book expands on that to some extent, I found myself wanting even more insight into the bigger picture.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this entry, and it’s left me eager to continue. I’m really looking forward to picking up the next book in the series. I can’t imagine how I’m supposed to wait so long for the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Want to Read
April 17, 2026Pre-read
They sent me the eARC! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
They sent me the eARC! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Want to Read
April 24, 2026foaming at the mouth for this book
ahhh i got the arc 😭😭 i love you del rey
ahhh i got the arc 😭😭 i love you del rey
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
TYSM Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC!
Oh, I’ve realized once again how much I missed these characters! 🤧 Can we have more, please??? It’s so hard to wait for the next books 😭
At first, it gave me slight Romeo and Juliet vibes, two feuding families with their own secrets. But a quarter into the book, it hit me: this is The Pied Piper of Hamelin!!! It has shades of both stories, and yet the world is unique and the tale is haunting.
I waited for this sequel for so long and recommended the series so many times that I actually started fearing I’d be disappointed. But I was hooked from beginning to end! I loved the twists and the way both the town and the main characters were fleshed out. I don't claim to be a genius, so my theories were minor (or I didn't even try), which made every reveal a total surprise.
I love how every book is different, new location, new story, but we still have Ana with her classic: "I’m the genius here, you're all idiots, what would you even do without me?"
4,5/5⭐️
Oh, I’ve realized once again how much I missed these characters! 🤧 Can we have more, please??? It’s so hard to wait for the next books 😭
At first, it gave me slight Romeo and Juliet vibes, two feuding families with their own secrets. But a quarter into the book, it hit me: this is The Pied Piper of Hamelin!!! It has shades of both stories, and yet the world is unique and the tale is haunting.
I waited for this sequel for so long and recommended the series so many times that I actually started fearing I’d be disappointed. But I was hooked from beginning to end! I loved the twists and the way both the town and the main characters were fleshed out. I don't claim to be a genius, so my theories were minor (or I didn't even try), which made every reveal a total surprise.
I love how every book is different, new location, new story, but we still have Ana with her classic: "I’m the genius here, you're all idiots, what would you even do without me?"
4,5/5⭐️
Want to Read
September 7, 20251.) The Tainted Cup ★★★★★
2.) A Drop of Corruption ★★★★★
counting the days
2.) A Drop of Corruption ★★★★★
counting the days
Want to Read
March 27, 2026YAY! Approved!
April 14, 2026
Sometimes all it takes for a small family reunion to happen is a deadly neuro-fungus.
Themes & Sparks: Knives Out but make it a high fantasy murder mystery, deadly flora and fauna, a brilliantly unhinged and chaotic investigator duo, worldbuilding revelations, just Ana Dolabra (yes, that’s the theme), imperial power and power dynamics, worldbuilding revelations
The waiter left and never returned with my next course (book 4), so I am now left starving in the restaurant after what was the brilliance of A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett.
In this third novel of the Shadow of the Leviathan series, we accompanied our chaotic genius Dinius Kol and our brilliantly unhinged Ana Dolabra to a canton that lives and dies on the never-ending hunger of the empire. There, we not only met two feuding gentry families with a deadly neuro-fungus and buried secrets (as well as other mind-blowingly familiar faces (joke fully intended)), but we were also confronted with cleverly interwoven references and links to the agricultural business of our own real world.
No matter if they are wandering around an unsettling, semi-sentient forest or playing with bees and butterflies on a dusty country road, I will truly never grow tired of the impeccable dynamic, chemistry, and banter between Din and Ana, which once again made me fly through this novel in no time at all.
In addition to yet another captivating and gruesome crime, what also made this novel unputdownable were the new revelations the reader received about the neon fluorescent world, as well as the mysterious religion and history of the empire. Which all eventually led to a cliffhanger that left me screaming and throwing a pillow against the wall.
I don’t want to write too much about the story’s investigation for the sake of keeping this review spoiler-free, but just as with the two preceding novels, A Trade of Blood was yet another clever, chaotic, suspenseful, and smart gem of a fantasy murder mystery. I could eat a whole platter of these books and never grow tired, and I wholeheartedly hope that RJB gets to write more Ana and Din novels!
Thank you so much to PRH, Dely Rey and Inklore for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
P.S.: Pls find my initial reaction here:
Waiter !!
Where is book 4 ?
I’m done with this course!
...waiter ?! …..WAITER !!
I NEED MORE AFTER THIS ENDING!!
Themes & Sparks: Knives Out but make it a high fantasy murder mystery, deadly flora and fauna, a brilliantly unhinged and chaotic investigator duo, worldbuilding revelations, just Ana Dolabra (yes, that’s the theme), imperial power and power dynamics, worldbuilding revelations
The waiter left and never returned with my next course (book 4), so I am now left starving in the restaurant after what was the brilliance of A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett.
In this third novel of the Shadow of the Leviathan series, we accompanied our chaotic genius Dinius Kol and our brilliantly unhinged Ana Dolabra to a canton that lives and dies on the never-ending hunger of the empire. There, we not only met two feuding gentry families with a deadly neuro-fungus and buried secrets (as well as other mind-blowingly familiar faces (joke fully intended)), but we were also confronted with cleverly interwoven references and links to the agricultural business of our own real world.
No matter if they are wandering around an unsettling, semi-sentient forest or playing with bees and butterflies on a dusty country road, I will truly never grow tired of the impeccable dynamic, chemistry, and banter between Din and Ana, which once again made me fly through this novel in no time at all.
In addition to yet another captivating and gruesome crime, what also made this novel unputdownable were the new revelations the reader received about the neon fluorescent world, as well as the mysterious religion and history of the empire. Which all eventually led to a cliffhanger that left me screaming and throwing a pillow against the wall.
I don’t want to write too much about the story’s investigation for the sake of keeping this review spoiler-free, but just as with the two preceding novels, A Trade of Blood was yet another clever, chaotic, suspenseful, and smart gem of a fantasy murder mystery. I could eat a whole platter of these books and never grow tired, and I wholeheartedly hope that RJB gets to write more Ana and Din novels!
Thank you so much to PRH, Dely Rey and Inklore for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
P.S.: Pls find my initial reaction here:
Waiter !!
Where is book 4 ?
I’m done with this course!
...waiter ?! …..WAITER !!
I NEED MORE AFTER THIS ENDING!!
April 30, 2026
A Trade of Blood leans fully into the fungal potential of the narrative world of the Empire, so you will enjoy it if you enjoyed T Kingfisher's Sworn Soldier books. The writing and worldbuilding is still impeccable and the case and its resolution is intriguing. Those of us who have waited for more revelations about Ana will get some in this installment. Those of us wanting more of a bisexual disaster Din won't be disappointed either, although I can't wait for him to meet the Captain again - I hope he will! Overall, Din gets through a lot here, poor boy. There are also some developments showing the further direction of the series that suggest it won't be just touring the Empire solving crimes (which is a delight of its own but, you know).
A+ author note as always.
A+ author note as always.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5/5 stars
Oh this series. This series. I love it so much it actually hurts to think how long I must wait for the next book. I just need RJB to write like 20 of these books, PLEASE.
In A Trade of Blood we are back with Ana and Din and their adventures in the beguiling Khanum Empire. Here, they investigate the murder of a gentry girl by her secret lover, a member of the rival cattle family. But just like every story, there is much more here than what we originally think. And Ana and Din must comb through the pieces and figure out what really happened in this blood-soaked butcher's city.
I adored the themes here, especially regarding how and what we worship from history, and how it may not be all its cracked up to be. We delve into the grisly meat farms and explore how we use animals cruelly for our own ends and comforts. Is this right or even natural? Are farms an abnormality in history, or the way humans are meant to live and survive? Such amazing questions and the exploration of them is just stunning.
As always, the characters of Din and Ana are incredible and full of complex nuances and secrets upon secrets. The layers of deceit this Empire is built on, and how it continues to use it, is fascinating. We get crumbs of answers in each book, which only serve to heighten the stakes of this world and create MORE questions that I'm now dying for answers to!
Love love love these books so much. If you haven't read The Tainted Cup do yourself a favour and read it RIGHT NOW. You're welcome.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Del Rey for an early copy! Releases 11th of August 2026!!!
Oh this series. This series. I love it so much it actually hurts to think how long I must wait for the next book. I just need RJB to write like 20 of these books, PLEASE.
In A Trade of Blood we are back with Ana and Din and their adventures in the beguiling Khanum Empire. Here, they investigate the murder of a gentry girl by her secret lover, a member of the rival cattle family. But just like every story, there is much more here than what we originally think. And Ana and Din must comb through the pieces and figure out what really happened in this blood-soaked butcher's city.
I adored the themes here, especially regarding how and what we worship from history, and how it may not be all its cracked up to be. We delve into the grisly meat farms and explore how we use animals cruelly for our own ends and comforts. Is this right or even natural? Are farms an abnormality in history, or the way humans are meant to live and survive? Such amazing questions and the exploration of them is just stunning.
As always, the characters of Din and Ana are incredible and full of complex nuances and secrets upon secrets. The layers of deceit this Empire is built on, and how it continues to use it, is fascinating. We get crumbs of answers in each book, which only serve to heighten the stakes of this world and create MORE questions that I'm now dying for answers to!
Love love love these books so much. If you haven't read The Tainted Cup do yourself a favour and read it RIGHT NOW. You're welcome.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Del Rey for an early copy! Releases 11th of August 2026!!!
May 6, 2026
Finally a series that answers the question: what if you wrote a buddy cop duo about the most demented place you can imagine?
March 30, 2026
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley.
The further we get into the SHADOW OF THE LEVIATHAN series, the more impressed I get.
Now, it's not like Robert Jackson Bennett is new to me. I read and enjoyed his FOUNDERS trilogy, and THE DIVINE CITIES is one of my favorite SFF series ever. But with Ana and Din, it feels like Bennett is doing something both more ambitious and more restrained than in either of the earlier series. The schtick is well-known at this point: it's biopunk fantasy Nero Wolfe (or Sherlock Holmes, for those readers unfamiliar with Rex Stout's classic shut-in detective).
In the tradition of detective mysteries, these books are by nature episodic. A new case arises, Din and Ana arrive on the scene and solve the case, and then they move on. There is less of an overarching plot for the stories to rest upon than in most epic fantasy—no Dark One to eventually defeat, no Iron Throne for a dozen factions to battle over, no Dominator to keep sealed away. Even in Glen Cook's GARRETT, P.I. series, which like SHADOW OF THE LEVIATHAN is directly inspired by Nero Wolfe (among other classic detectives), there is an epic war going on in the background, with the hero Glory Mooncalled taking the spotlight for most of civilization while Garrett solves mysteries.
But the closest we get to that in these books is the mystery of the leviathans and the wet seasons. Yes, humanity is fighting against something, but there's not much *direction* to that war. It's a seasonal defensive action. The empire knows so little about the leviathans. It doesn't distract from the work of Ana and Din—indeed, the leviathans are hardly even mentioned in A TRADE OF BLOOD. Across three books, we've seen precisely one leviathan.
So what does that mean? It means that Bennett is focusing the scope tightly, right? Yes and no. Even as he restrains the narrative scope, he broadens the world and the empire through subthemes. If THE TAINTED CUP is about the military frontier, and A DROP OF CORRUPTION is about imperial colonialism, A TRADE OF BLOOD is about the agricultural complex.
Bennett deftly weaves social commentary and economic insights into a story about deadly mushrooms and revenge. He treads the line between passive awareness and direct criticism even as his characters struggle with the fallout of broken sibling relationships and abusive parents. There is A LOT going on in such a slim volume, and it speaks volumes to Bennett's continually growing ability as a writer.
A TRADE OF BLOOD is relentlessly compelling, profoundly disturbing, and just mysterious enough to keep the reader guessing without becoming frustrating. It's brilliant, and perhaps the best in the series so far.
The further we get into the SHADOW OF THE LEVIATHAN series, the more impressed I get.
Now, it's not like Robert Jackson Bennett is new to me. I read and enjoyed his FOUNDERS trilogy, and THE DIVINE CITIES is one of my favorite SFF series ever. But with Ana and Din, it feels like Bennett is doing something both more ambitious and more restrained than in either of the earlier series. The schtick is well-known at this point: it's biopunk fantasy Nero Wolfe (or Sherlock Holmes, for those readers unfamiliar with Rex Stout's classic shut-in detective).
In the tradition of detective mysteries, these books are by nature episodic. A new case arises, Din and Ana arrive on the scene and solve the case, and then they move on. There is less of an overarching plot for the stories to rest upon than in most epic fantasy—no Dark One to eventually defeat, no Iron Throne for a dozen factions to battle over, no Dominator to keep sealed away. Even in Glen Cook's GARRETT, P.I. series, which like SHADOW OF THE LEVIATHAN is directly inspired by Nero Wolfe (among other classic detectives), there is an epic war going on in the background, with the hero Glory Mooncalled taking the spotlight for most of civilization while Garrett solves mysteries.
But the closest we get to that in these books is the mystery of the leviathans and the wet seasons. Yes, humanity is fighting against something, but there's not much *direction* to that war. It's a seasonal defensive action. The empire knows so little about the leviathans. It doesn't distract from the work of Ana and Din—indeed, the leviathans are hardly even mentioned in A TRADE OF BLOOD. Across three books, we've seen precisely one leviathan.
So what does that mean? It means that Bennett is focusing the scope tightly, right? Yes and no. Even as he restrains the narrative scope, he broadens the world and the empire through subthemes. If THE TAINTED CUP is about the military frontier, and A DROP OF CORRUPTION is about imperial colonialism, A TRADE OF BLOOD is about the agricultural complex.
Bennett deftly weaves social commentary and economic insights into a story about deadly mushrooms and revenge. He treads the line between passive awareness and direct criticism even as his characters struggle with the fallout of broken sibling relationships and abusive parents. There is A LOT going on in such a slim volume, and it speaks volumes to Bennett's continually growing ability as a writer.
A TRADE OF BLOOD is relentlessly compelling, profoundly disturbing, and just mysterious enough to keep the reader guessing without becoming frustrating. It's brilliant, and perhaps the best in the series so far.
Want to Read
February 18, 2026my favorite cover for this series. i want to eat it.
Currently Reading
April 17, 2026STOP EVERYTHING. I GOT THE ARC!!!! All other planned reads are hereby cancelled until I finish this.
impatiently waiting for this to be released...
Want to Read
May 14, 2025I hope this series never ends, please RJB give it to us
May 4, 2026
RJB the writer that you are!! Another brilliant installation in the world of Ana and Din. A mystery remniscent of Romeo & Juliet, with two forbidden lovers from rival agricultural mogul families except the crime is that Romeo is accused of killing Juliet and is sentenced to die. Castus [Romeo] swears he is innocent yet was the only man in the room with Zansay [Juliet] and has literal blood on his hands so how did the killer orchestrate this? The two most influential families now go to war over the crimes commited against one another which esclates into an unraveling of the systems in place that are feeding a whole society. And thats how we turn a ME problem into a WE problem, hats off killer.
I would have read this purely for Ana’s unhinged one-liners, but there is more!! The setting has such a vivid, botanical [and disgustingly fungal] aesthetic to it and the underlying message shows RJB has his finger on the pulse of such relevant dilemmas. Just the perfect fantasy series through and through.
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I would have read this purely for Ana’s unhinged one-liners, but there is more!! The setting has such a vivid, botanical [and disgustingly fungal] aesthetic to it and the underlying message shows RJB has his finger on the pulse of such relevant dilemmas. Just the perfect fantasy series through and through.
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2026
A Trade of Blood is a book that’s been on the top of my priority list since last year. Ever since I finished that second book, I immediately went to the link for the third, obsessively refreshing its page until there was a title, then a release date, then a cover. After freaking out about seeing the ARC in my mail, I finished it in about two days;
…and my feelings are subdued at best and anticlimactic at worst.
I gave The Tainted Cup five stars because I felt giddy that I managed to “detect” the undertones of a fling way before it actually happened.
I gave A Drop of Corruption five stars because that last scene between Ana and Din evoked this poignant feeling from within me and it was something I never thought would be possible from a dynamic such as that between the two, until then.
As much as I’d love to stick a five star rating to my most anticipated release of the year, I couldn’t find a reason to do so no matter how desperately I wanted to. Din’s love affairs by now are something the readers have grown accustomed to. I’d already guessed who the killer would be and Ana’s reveal of the murderer didn’t feel as explosive as I thought the previous two books had been. Maybe because it’s my third book of RJB’s mysteries, maybe I’ve gotten a hand of how things go. In such a small cast, it was easy to deduce who it’d be just by the method of exclusion. But being able to guess the killer normally wouldn’t guarantee a lower rating from me because the way Ana laid things out had always been so refreshing, cathartic and climactic for me. It was something I didn’t get here.
There’s also the nature of the mystery that felt contained to me. In the previous books, the matters always seemed so overwhelming, as if being unable to solve it would bring catastrophic consequences to this world. Here, it just felt like a conflict between two families. We got more world building and the continued overarching question of the dawn of the Empire and its existence, but I don’t think we ever really went there. It kept feeling like we teetered on the edge, caught a glimpse and retreated back into the safety of the two feuding gentries.
Even so, I enjoyed the expansion of the world. It’s so fun to follow Ana and Din from canton to canton, being introduced to new characters, new careers, new places and new mysteries. It’s such a lovely and vivid place to immerse myself in and this series has become one where I know, with no doubt, I’ll have a good time.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
…and my feelings are subdued at best and anticlimactic at worst.
I gave The Tainted Cup five stars because I felt giddy that I managed to “detect” the undertones of a fling way before it actually happened.
I gave A Drop of Corruption five stars because that last scene between Ana and Din evoked this poignant feeling from within me and it was something I never thought would be possible from a dynamic such as that between the two, until then.
As much as I’d love to stick a five star rating to my most anticipated release of the year, I couldn’t find a reason to do so no matter how desperately I wanted to. Din’s love affairs by now are something the readers have grown accustomed to. I’d already guessed who the killer would be and Ana’s reveal of the murderer didn’t feel as explosive as I thought the previous two books had been. Maybe because it’s my third book of RJB’s mysteries, maybe I’ve gotten a hand of how things go. In such a small cast, it was easy to deduce who it’d be just by the method of exclusion. But being able to guess the killer normally wouldn’t guarantee a lower rating from me because the way Ana laid things out had always been so refreshing, cathartic and climactic for me. It was something I didn’t get here.
There’s also the nature of the mystery that felt contained to me. In the previous books, the matters always seemed so overwhelming, as if being unable to solve it would bring catastrophic consequences to this world. Here, it just felt like a conflict between two families. We got more world building and the continued overarching question of the dawn of the Empire and its existence, but I don’t think we ever really went there. It kept feeling like we teetered on the edge, caught a glimpse and retreated back into the safety of the two feuding gentries.
Even so, I enjoyed the expansion of the world. It’s so fun to follow Ana and Din from canton to canton, being introduced to new characters, new careers, new places and new mysteries. It’s such a lovely and vivid place to immerse myself in and this series has become one where I know, with no doubt, I’ll have a good time.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
My short reaction, may review more later:
Three books are clearly not enough in this series. I tried to make this one last longer but still finished it in two days, because I just needed to know what happened. This is the first one where I felt like I was partially solving the case alongside Ana and Din, as opposed to being flummoxed, but I still enjoyed this immensely, and I love the continuing hints to Ana's nature and . I also appreciated the author's note, connecting the political and economic situation of the food supply chain in this fantasy world to real-world concerns. I guess there is nothing left to do but reread all three again.
Update 3/30/26: Approved on Edelweiss! Thank you Del Ray!
Update 1/30/26: Still stalking Edelweiss for a digital ARC...please put it up soon!b
Update 3/30/26: Approved on Edelweiss! Thank you Del Ray!
Update 1/30/26: Still stalking Edelweiss for a digital ARC...please put it up soon!
Three books are clearly not enough in this series. I tried to make this one last longer but still finished it in two days, because I just needed to know what happened. This is the first one where I felt like I was partially solving the case alongside Ana and Din, as opposed to being flummoxed, but I still enjoyed this immensely, and I love the continuing hints to Ana's nature and . I also appreciated the author's note, connecting the political and economic situation of the food supply chain in this fantasy world to real-world concerns. I guess there is nothing left to do but reread all three again.
Update 3/30/26: Approved on Edelweiss! Thank you Del Ray!
Update 1/30/26: Still stalking Edelweiss for a digital ARC...please put it up soon!b
Update 3/30/26: Approved on Edelweiss! Thank you Del Ray!
Update 1/30/26: Still stalking Edelweiss for a digital ARC...please put it up soon!
Want to Read
March 23, 2026@RJB and Del Rey, need this immediately pls!!!
Want to Read
August 8, 2025Title! Synopsis! Hazas? Kepheus Strovi?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Hurrah! It’s the return of my favorite Sherlock/Watson-esque team . . . if Sherlock was a blindfolded old woman with a fondness for questionable foods and cusswords and Watson was a young man trying to balance doing great work, pleasing his boss, and reining in his hormones.
Our story begins with a – wait for it, wait for it – murder! Young Zansay Burav has been viciously murdered, and it is believed the culprit is in custody. The suspected murderer? Castus Armenta, her secret lover from the opposing powerful family, who had been meeting up with her for sexy time at the inn. Ooh la la. Talk about a Romeo and Juliet situation.
Did the boyfriend really commit this horrific crime? Will theMontagues and Capulets Armentas and the Buravs go to war over it?
While I never want to give away too much in an Ana & Din mystery, I can say that if you enjoyed the previous books, you should love this one as well. This third book includes:
🍄🟫 A murder and a crime to solve that goes much, much, much deeper than it originally appears.
🍄🟫Political intrigue. This time it is between two wealthy, powerful families that control the flesh industry. They control the cattle/beef industry, but the author has a way of making everything extra gruesome sounding. Yeah, those circular patties of flesh aka burgers we were going to have tonight? I think I’ll pass.
🍄🟫Excellent world building with a rich history. We spend much of our time around and in very dangerous woods and learn about current groups and ones thought to be extinct. We learn about family histories and industries and things that don't seem like they could ever tie together, but dang it all if Robert Jackson Bennett doesn't manage to do exactly that.
🍄🟫Fungus. Descriptions so visceral, grotesque, and disturbing that I was glad I wasn’t eating while reading. But don't get me wrong! The plot involving this fungus was also utterly fascinating and complex that it was truly impossible to tear my eyes away from the book.
🍄🟫New memorable characters . . . some of which could potentially reappear in future books? While I enjoyed all the new characters we were introduced to, I was not feeling the “romance” (or perhaps better labeled infatuation/lust/simple one night stand?) in this one. I hadn’t felt the chemistry throughout the book and was a bit underwhelmed by it. It felt like it was in there simply to push along the mystery portion of the book/question character motives and probably wasn’t needed to the extent it went to in order to do that. However, I still love the representation here.
🍄🟫Some additional Ana and Din development. While the character work seemed to take a bit of a backseat to the plot and the mystery in this one, which I was completely onboard with because it was so damn good, there is still some forward motion such as internal conflict with Din such as grappling with what his sacrifice to be an engraver/augmented truly means for his life and his lifespan. We don’t learn too much more about Ana (or at least not to the extent we did in the previous book), but she’s still a strong character. I found her to be extra cranky in this one and was initially annoyed. While being a complete pill is kind of her “thing,” it is usually balanced by her being absolutely brilliant. However, the brilliance didn’t make an appearance until well into the book. Once it reappeared, however, I was able to tolerate her again.
🍄🟫Bigger questions. This is a book (and a series) that uses a fictional world to look more closely at real issues and real society. It has the ability to make you feel a little uncomfortable, a little unsettled.
”Perhaps we have fashioned an Empire that prefers lavishness to decency. It makes me wonder— is such a people worth maintaining? For a willingness to tolerate suffering for one’s comfort only grows over time, in my experience.”
The plot and mystery, vivid descriptions, twists and turns, rich history, and the “killer” (🤮) may have made this my favorite in the series so far. You would have to physically restrain me to keep me from the next book in the series . . . and even then, I’m pretty sure I’d manage to escape for another round of Ana & Din.
My many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for providing me with a digital ARC of this book. You made all my little nerdy book lover dreams come true.
5 Stars
-----------------------------
Who got an e-arc?
I GOT AN E-ARC.
Will report back soon.
-----------------------------
Who got an e-arc?
I GOT AN E-ARC.
Will report back soon.
Our story begins with a – wait for it, wait for it – murder! Young Zansay Burav has been viciously murdered, and it is believed the culprit is in custody. The suspected murderer? Castus Armenta, her secret lover from the opposing powerful family, who had been meeting up with her for sexy time at the inn. Ooh la la. Talk about a Romeo and Juliet situation.
Did the boyfriend really commit this horrific crime? Will the
While I never want to give away too much in an Ana & Din mystery, I can say that if you enjoyed the previous books, you should love this one as well. This third book includes:
🍄🟫 A murder and a crime to solve that goes much, much, much deeper than it originally appears.
🍄🟫Political intrigue. This time it is between two wealthy, powerful families that control the flesh industry. They control the cattle/beef industry, but the author has a way of making everything extra gruesome sounding. Yeah, those circular patties of flesh aka burgers we were going to have tonight? I think I’ll pass.
🍄🟫Excellent world building with a rich history. We spend much of our time around and in very dangerous woods and learn about current groups and ones thought to be extinct. We learn about family histories and industries and things that don't seem like they could ever tie together, but dang it all if Robert Jackson Bennett doesn't manage to do exactly that.
🍄🟫Fungus. Descriptions so visceral, grotesque, and disturbing that I was glad I wasn’t eating while reading. But don't get me wrong! The plot involving this fungus was also utterly fascinating and complex that it was truly impossible to tear my eyes away from the book.
🍄🟫New memorable characters . . . some of which could potentially reappear in future books? While I enjoyed all the new characters we were introduced to, I was not feeling the “romance” (or perhaps better labeled infatuation/lust/simple one night stand?) in this one. I hadn’t felt the chemistry throughout the book and was a bit underwhelmed by it. It felt like it was in there simply to push along the mystery portion of the book/question character motives and probably wasn’t needed to the extent it went to in order to do that. However, I still love the representation here.
🍄🟫Some additional Ana and Din development. While the character work seemed to take a bit of a backseat to the plot and the mystery in this one, which I was completely onboard with because it was so damn good, there is still some forward motion such as internal conflict with Din such as grappling with what his sacrifice to be an engraver/augmented truly means for his life and his lifespan. We don’t learn too much more about Ana (or at least not to the extent we did in the previous book), but she’s still a strong character. I found her to be extra cranky in this one and was initially annoyed. While being a complete pill is kind of her “thing,” it is usually balanced by her being absolutely brilliant. However, the brilliance didn’t make an appearance until well into the book. Once it reappeared, however, I was able to tolerate her again.
🍄🟫Bigger questions. This is a book (and a series) that uses a fictional world to look more closely at real issues and real society. It has the ability to make you feel a little uncomfortable, a little unsettled.
”Perhaps we have fashioned an Empire that prefers lavishness to decency. It makes me wonder— is such a people worth maintaining? For a willingness to tolerate suffering for one’s comfort only grows over time, in my experience.”
The plot and mystery, vivid descriptions, twists and turns, rich history, and the “killer” (🤮) may have made this my favorite in the series so far. You would have to physically restrain me to keep me from the next book in the series . . . and even then, I’m pretty sure I’d manage to escape for another round of Ana & Din.
My many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for providing me with a digital ARC of this book. You made all my little nerdy book lover dreams come true.
5 Stars
-----------------------------
Who got an e-arc?
I GOT AN E-ARC.
Will report back soon.
-----------------------------
Who got an e-arc?
I GOT AN E-ARC.
Will report back soon.
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