Book Review: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Series: Book 3 of Shadow of the Leviathan
Publisher: Del Rey (August 4, 2026)
Length: 400 pages
Author Information: Website
I am already a huge fan of Robert Jackson Bennett’s Shadow of the Leviathan series, but even then, I honestly wasn’t prepared for just how incredible A Trade of Blood turned out to be. After two outstanding books, who would have thought it, but this might actually be my favorite installment so far, and that’s saying something because The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption were already among my favorite fantasy mysteries in recent years.
This time, our investigative duo of Ana and Din are dispatched to the agricultural canton of Sapirdad, where two of the Empire’s most powerful families are locked in a bitter feud. Open violence seems all but inevitable when the son of one family appears to have brutally murdered the daughter of the other. With tensions already at a breaking point, it will take only one wrong move to ignite the powder keg, which means our protagonists must tread carefully, especially when they begin to suspect the young man may not be guilty after all.
Still, with the Empire’s food supply hanging in the balance, they had better be right. But anyone who’s followed Ana and Din knows nothing is ever simple, and this case is no exception. They immediately sense something amiss, uncovering signs suggesting this is more than just a tragedy born from generations of hatred. As they begin pulling at the threads, the mystery only grows stranger with each new clue, revealing unsettling biological phenomena and a conspiracy that reaches far beyond a single murder.
I’ve always had a soft spot for fantasy mysteries, and without a doubt, this series represents the genre at its very best. Every book has managed to captivate me, but this one took it one step further, holding me in its grip from the very first page. The setup alone is irresistible, featuring rival families, doomed young lovers, and political tensions threatening to boil over, not to mention an impossible murder that only Ana and Din could hope to untangle. You’ve got the “who”, “what”, “when”, and “why”, but then the story drops the surprising twist of the “how”: a bizarre mycological process explaining how such a crime can even be accomplished.
Better yet, I love how every book also manages to expand the series’ universe in meaningful ways. Another case means another corner of the Empire to explore, and each new place offers a fresh glimpse into how this imaginative world functions. Life in Sapirdad, for example, revolves around growing food and raising livestock, though of course, nothing described here resembles what we think of as ordinary farming. There are ideas here that feel like they came straight out of a fever dream, such as cats being conditioned to help harvest crops with the assistance of a brain-affecting cordyceps-like fungus, and yet somehow, impossibly, it all makes sense. I can only describe all this as absurdly brilliant.
In addition, the character work is every bit as satisfying. Ana remains delightfully eccentric, but for readers who have been on board since the first book, I suspect it will be Din who stands out for showing immense growth since the beginning of the series. For one, he’s no longer simply the assistant scrambling the keep up with Ana’s astounding intellect. He feels more like a true partner now, contributing observations and making connections, carrying much of the investigation in his own right. Watching his confidence steadily increase with each installment has been incredibly rewarding, and this one continues that arc. I also loved the supporting cast, particularly Din’s sister, whose introduction adds another welcome dimension to his personal story.
As always, the mystery itself is exceptionally constructed. Every clue matters, with each development building naturally on what came before, making the eventual solution feel at once shocking but also inevitable. Robert Jackson Bennett somehow manages to write mysteries that are intellectually satisfying and highly detailed while never sacrificing pacing or momentum. I devoured this book in record time, finding myself constantly saying “just one more chapter” until suddenly, there were no chapters left at all.
All that’s left to say is, the book hangover afterward was real, and I think that’s about the highest compliment I can give. A Trade of Blood isn’t just another excellent sequel, because it somehow even surpasses the two books I already adored. But between its addictive mystery and outstanding character work and fantasy worldbuilding, this is simply the genre firing on all cylinders, and if this series somehow wasn’t already on your radar, it definitely needs to be.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Tainted Cup (Book 1)
Review of A Drop of Corruption (Book 2)
The BiblioSanctum 
Great review. I really loved Din’s character growth in this one too. I’m still intrigued by exactly what Ana is as well. We keep getting hints and I’m sure that will be another twist in the future
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