If you like “I don’t give a damn” detective types, I recommend Apothecary Diaries. It’s a light novel, manga and anime series where a girl is kidnapped and sold as a servant to the emperor. She accidentally gets involved with a mystery that saves a prince’s life and soon becomes the go to girl when it comes to medicinal mysteries and palace poisonings. I also don’t really care about the mysteries but the main character is amazing
I agree with this! I would love to see Merphy read Apothecary Diaries. It was so fun to read. Jinshi can get away with being boring because romance is just the side theme to the poison and mystery. I also read that the author actually hates Jinshi but because (some) readers love him so much she couldn't get away from him. 😂
When you said it might be a 5 star book i laughed. It was a 5 star for me. I found it amazingly well done. I feel like the story was merely an engine to drive you further into the world. I think the next books will be much larger in scale with their issues and world involvement.
I somehow found out about Robert Jackson Bennett a few weeks ago, and instantly put his two completed trilogies and The Tainted Cup on my 'books I want to read' list [which is almost four pages long now, but, anyway]. They all look so interesting! [I don't like mystery plots, either, to the point where that's one of my least favourite types of stories, so you're in good company there, Merphy!]
I heard The Tainted Cup's setting to be very Attack on Titan(Which I Love) inspired so I was already interested in it cause of that. I'll pick it up soon too.
i became a fan of Robert Jackson Bennett with The Divine Cities trilogy (has one of my favorite fictional characters, Sigrud 💕).. i have a copy of The Tainted Cup but haven't started it, and may need to move this up my tbr)
I cannot describe the peacefulness that your videos bring me. If I'm ever feeling anxious, I am instantly comforted by tuning in to your channels. Thanks for continuing to share 📚
So excited for The Tainted Cup. Hoping to get it for my birthday next week since my local stores never had it in stock. Loved Foundryside and this one sounds similarly weird and intriguing!
Unrelated comment, I haven't seen the video yet but will later. I'm trying. Trrrrrrrrrrying to listen to hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. I want to so badly like the book. It's not bad I have a few chuckles here and there but the over all.... delivery, for me is just barely interesting enough to want to keep listening. Idk. I'm trying. Anyway. Hi. OK bye.
I have not read either of these books. The first sounds pretty good based on your discussion. You should be careful sitting near wood piles this time of year. Now, is when snakes come out of hibernation and start looking for people to eat.
Really looking forward to The Tainted Cup - I read The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft last year and LOVED IT and the vibe sounds super similar. Might be another one for you to check out!
The Tainted Cup was on my most anticipated list for 2024, but I just haven't gotten around to it. It's definitely making my bookshelf when I get a moment to breathe :D
Among the braves always seemed like propaganda for me, just a part of the history to benefit western economic plans... if you are interested in the other side, i would like to recommend: War is racket by Smedley Butler Confessions of an economic hitman by John Perkins Dark alliance by gary webb The Management of Savagery by max blumenthal Those book helps you to understand the drug traffic and economics tied to global events, like what its happening in taiwan, syria or hong kong, from the perspective of "what the hell the US and the UK are doing to mantain the global economic system in place?", "why always countries with oil?" or "why are western military bases in those places?"
If you like stories about Plant Life, then there’s a manga which is relatively new called ‘Wild Strawberry’ about an apocalyptic setting where a parasitic outbreak caused people to become human-plant hybrids intent on devouring other humans.
I'm a big fan of Jackson Bennett but for some reason the description of Tainted Cup wasn't pulling me in. I'll definitely have to check it out now. Thanks! The way you describe the setting reminded me a lot of uhhhh, Kameron Hurley's Bel Dame books I think. An interesting story, if pretty standard setup of soldier/mercenary caught up in terrible events, set in a world where the height of the technology is manipulating biology and insects.
Since you mentioned plant life and had a video on Annihilation recently, I recommend watching the TV show Scavengers Reign. It's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind meets Annihilation.
You like atmospheric books eh. Have you read Wickwire Watch yet? Wonderful mystery with some gaslamp level technology, and some of my favorite atmosphere in recent memory.
I just finished The Tainted Cup yesterday and I absolutely loved it! And now I finally get to watch you talk about it :) I had to stop myself from watching your video last week.
The Tainted Cup will be my next book, after I finished Dune and Memories of Ice. The Broken Binding edition arrived last week. Petrik praised it a lot, and I do love a nice mystery. It sounds like it could be perfect for me 👀I also put Among the Braves on my list. Hong Kong fascinates me and the developments there are scary.
