Shadow of the Leviathan – The Speculative Shelf

Title: A Trade of Blood
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Pages: 400
Series: Shadow of the Leviathan #3
Release: August 4, 2026

Each book in this series has been a winner, and A Trade of Blood is no exception. RJB continues to perfectly blend his sharp prose, exquisite fungal worldbuilding, cracking whodunnits, and socially conscious commentary into one of the genre’s best current series.

Even as Bennett expands Din’s backstory in this novel about rival clans and fungal mind control, I’m still left wanting more of our dynamic duo of leads, especially Ana, who takes a slight backseat in this story. As always, I’m seeking major plot progression in the greater story of the world. Three books in, I’m still not entirely sure whether Bennett is building toward a larger endgame or simply telling exceptional standalone mysteries within this setting. Either way, the series remains in a really solid place as the most consistently compelling ongoing SFF series today.

★★★★

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Title: A Drop of Corruption
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Pages: 432
Series: Shadow of the Leviathan #2
Release: April 1, 2025

Unshackled by the need for extensive world-building, Robert Jackson Bennett has room in this sequel to craft a more complex and satisfying mystery, centered around his winning duo of lead characters. It succeeds as both a mystery and a fantasy novel, blending the two genres beautifully.

While I’m more invested in the evolving interpersonal dynamics between Ana and Din than the “Mystery of the Week” plot in each installment, this sequel lays the groundwork for even richer character development to come in future books.

A Drop of Corruption is a more assured, exciting sequel than its predecessor, and I look forward to seeing where the overarching story goes from here.

★★★★

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.