Book Review: A Trade of Blood (Ana & Din #3) by Robert Jackson Bennett

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The Details

Media Type: Ebook
Title: A Trade of Blood
Author(s): Robert Jackson Bennett
Publisher: Del Rey
Pages/Length: Hardcover; 400
Release Date: August 4, 2026
Source: Netgalley

Add it on: Amazon | Bookshop | Storygraph | Pagebound

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.

The Review

Oh my friends, my FRIENDS. I will not stop screaming from the rooftops how much I adore this series. Here we are, on book number three, and Robert Jackson Bennett simply cannot stop writing compulsively readable books. A Trade of Blood was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026. I’ve loved both of the books before this one with all my heart, and was so impressed at how well book two was done. So you can imagine my trepidation at diving into book three. Would it let me down? Would Ana and Din still have that same spark for me? I honestly shouldn’t have worried. This book was absolutely masterful.

Sent to quell a war between two of the most prominent families of Sapirdad, Ana is disappointed that this particular case looks fairly “boring” and quite the open/shut matter. A murdered woman, a secret tryst, and gentry son caught looking guilty as sin. Seems pretty cut and dry, no? As readers of this series have come to expect, nothing about the cases that Ana and Din are sent to are ever what they seem on the surface. What transpires is one of the most wonderful and admittedly terrifying mysteries that I have ever had the joy of reading. Buckle in friends, you’re in for a ride.

I know I praise Bennett every time I read one of these books for his stellar characters, but I feel it needs to be reiterated again and again. Not a single character in this story feels superfluous. Every person has their part to play. Each interaction that our two main characters have feels genuine and important. What I loved most about this particular installment in the series is that we get to see so much more of Din’s growth as a person. Being careful to avoid any spoilers, I can safely tell you that we know by now that Din and his family don’t have the best relationship. He’s been pulling away from them more and more as the books progress. This book though, oh this book changed everything for Din. I have the biggest soft spot for him in my heart, and this story just solidified that even more.

Even better, this book expands the Empire and its cantons in a really beautiful way. We’ve seen Ana and Din make their way from the sea walls, brimming with danger, into the presumably safer interior lands. However this story reminds us that nowhere is truly safe. Even if you manage to avoid the gigantic sea monsters, cities full of people breed monsters of their own. Bennett lays out a lush setting, with farmlands bordered by an ancient and seemingly cursed wood. Here there is history around every corner, and intrigue follows on its heels. Here, the wealthy few essentially dictate the lives of everyone else around them. The perfect setting for a mystery, true?

My reader friends, you are in for such a delightful read with this book. The mystery in A Trade of Blood once again completely threw me for a loop. Even when I was sure that I knew exactly where things were going, I was wrong. Ana once again proved why she is one of my favorite characters of all time. Constantly one step ahead of everyone else, and with the type of no-nonsense attitude that can only be afforded to those who are fully confident in their abilities. I mentioned earlier that this particular mystery is a bit terrifying, and I stand by that. No spoilers here at all, but I’ll be thinking about the cause of this entire adventure for quite a while. What a gruesome concept. On that note, please be sure to read the author’s note at the end as well. It really puts this entire book into perspective.

So yes, another brilliant entry by Bennett in this series. I can’t believe that we’re on book three and I still feel just as committed and excited about the next book as I was at the beginning. This is one of the only series I have ever read where I have given every book a 5-star rating so far. I can only hope that it keeps up that streak!