A Drop of Corruption

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Did you find the solution to the mystery presented in the text satisfying? Why or why not? To what degree were you able to predict it? 

2. Compare this book to The Tainted Cup. Did you have different experiences of each volume in the series? Would you read a subsequent installment?

3. How do you think Din will feel about his decision to remain with the Iudex going forward? How does this affect his overall arc in the text?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Have you ever found yourself participating in a system—whether a state, an organization, or even just a friend group or relationship—that advertised itself as egalitarian while hiding entrenched power imbalances, like the Empire in A Drop of Corruption? How did you begin to realize that the system’s stated values did not align with its reality? 

2. What technologies in your own life feel similar to the “augmentations” in A Drop of Corruption? How do these technologies extend your capacities? What drawbacks, if any, do they bring? 

3. Have you ever felt—like Din—that your work lacked purpose or that it failed to adequately account for the problem it purported to solve? How did you manage that feeling? How did it affect your sense of self?

4. Can you think of a time when you had to act as a detective in your own life, following clues to unlock a mystery? What did you learn about yourself in the process?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does the novel argue for or against certain real-world governmental structures? Does it frame empire as being better or worse than monarchy? Use details from the text to orient your claim.

2. How do the augmentations that characters in the text possess offer commentary on ability or disability? Does the novel equate having a certain augmented ability as living a better life? To answer this question, define what the text suggests a “good life” might mean. Is it glory? Is it money? Is it security?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Many detective stories are narrated not by the detective themselves, but by the detective’s assistant or companion—think, for example of Dr. Watson’s narration in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. How does Din’s role as narrator (as opposed to Ana) affect the novel’s tone, such as by building suspense? How does it affect the novel’s pathos?

2. Din struggles with feeling the worth of his work as a member of the Iudex. How did his disaffection alter your perception of various elements in the plot—i.e., the imperial acquisition of Yarrow, solving the mystery, or the work on the Shroud?

3. Readers experience Khanum by being plunged directly into Din’s world; though some pre textual materials (such as maps and the list of military ranks) and the preface offer basic information, readers are asked to figure out some terminology, like how the different Iyalets function, on their own. How did this affect your understanding of the novel and its world? Did you find it immersive or alienating?

4. What is the relevance of Din’s ongoing financial troubles in the text? How does this affect him as a character? How does it shape how he interacts with other people (particularly those of other backgrounds or ranks)?

5. Analyze how one of the titles of the larger parts relates to the content within that section of the text. Does the title also help you understand other sections? Does it foreshadow anything? Did it build expectations that were met (or unmet) after you read the relevant section?

6. Yarrowdale holds specific political significance in the novel. How does the city setting affect the sense of scale in the novel, when it comes to the importance of solving the case? If you read The Tainted Cup, compare this to how Talagray is presented as politically significant in the first book in the series.

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. The leviathans are mysterious creatures that are not specifically described in the text—but that pervade every aspect of life in Khanum and Yarrow. Either describe or draw how you picture these leviathans. Compare these descriptions with others, if possible, and discuss how these different representations made you engage differently with the text.

2. A Drop of Corruption plays with different genres—detective fiction, fantasy, science fiction, political thriller, etc. Imagine that you are tasked with designing a poster to promote a film adaptation of this book. What genre elements would you include? To answer this question, think of other adaptations, including fantasies like Lord of the Rings, mysteries like And Then There Were None, or sci-fi like Dune. How did the advertisements for these films visually represent their genres? How would you adapt this to advertise A Drop of Corruption?

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