Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a sapphic romantasy set in a place inspired by European fairy tales and history, wherein a king has united splintered lands into one kingdom and an uneasy peace. Seeking to solidify his reign he sends a group of academics to find the source of all magic. They are barely on their way when the expedition leader is murdered and her second in command, a member of a mistrusted minority, is suddenly in charge of the whole ill-fated mission. Will she find success and maybe love and happiness along the way?

I appreciate the fact that this is a novel perspective to have in a fantasy world -- we do not often get sapphic Jewish fantasy stories with imperfect protagonists. I was overwhelmingly excited for this book and read it all in one sitting. Unfortunately, it made me irrationally angry due to some of my pet peeves, such as the audience being treated as stupid in the delivery of the message of the book and the worldbuilding. I understand that this book will be amazing for some readers, it just did not work at all for me.

I cannot stand being beaten over the head with a message, I detest it and there are excerpts of stories which immediately summarise the moral after them. It’s just not subtle at all, you never get to draw a conclusion on your own.

To be quite honest, the lacklustre world building makes this book feel like a disgrace to fantasy. There is barely any effort put into it — the country names are barely changed, traditions and historical people are carried over from the real world. Wilhelm the Second!!! The Reunification of Germany and Nazism!! Not only are those overplayed rewritings of history but they were alos not done well here at all. Somehow, science, magic and technology all exist simultaneously at different levels and this is never explained. One of the nationalities is Ganish. It draws so much from history that it’s barely even fantasy— if it was made to be magical realism historical fiction it may have fared better because it wouldn’t have pissed me off so much.

The characters are supposed to be 25+. They do not behave that way. They behave like teenagers at best and children at worst. Their knowledge and capacity for critical thinking also equals that of children — SPOILER but how on earth is using lemon juice as invisible ink seen as a smart move???? Children learn to do that when they are five years old!

It tries to be Six Of Crows? Except it doesn’t succeed because the book loses its own plot all the time. For most of this book, it feels like the characters putter around aimlessly and it’s just so annoying. There is no sense of urgency because the mc and the li are constantly goofing off. Some major things don’t even turn out to be really relevant.

Speaking of — I do not care whatsoever for the romance. I thought it was cute until I realised the one dimensionality of the love interest and then I lost all interest.

There is so much info dumping. Most of this book is info dumping and summaries of fairy tales and I cannot stand it.

Honestly?? I am done with this, I don’t know why I pushed myself through it, I was so excited!! But it feels like the sapphic fantasy equivalent of Divergent: a flat paper cut out that’s barely filled in. It feels like a cash grab due to how badly thought out everything is and I cannot tolerate it, I am getting too old to put up with books I dislike.

Sorry for ranting but also NetGalley did ask for an honest review.

saphhic academic rivals??? yes please!!! everything about this was *chefs kiss* so good. the characters! the world building! the romance!! It was written so beautifully. it was a read that was out of my comfort zone so there were moments I was a bit confused (but not in a bad way!) I am so glad I read this one and can't wait for everyone else to get their hands on it!!!

<i>Thank you to Netgalley for providing the ARC!</i>

I really gotta stop reading YA authors adult debuts.

<b>The Pros:</b>

-Lorelei is bitter, broody, hyper competent, and spends pretty much the entire book delivering sarcastic snipes to her peers or drowning in self loathing. This maybe an unpopular opinion and I’m biased (as a fellow pessimistic bitch) but this type of narrator is the exact type of thing I eat up! Every time! I’m easily entertained. Sylvia’s whimsical, curious personality works in tandem with Lorelei’s and is just extremely charming to see in a love interest. I really don’t think I’d enjoy either character as much as I did if Sylvia was narrating so I’m happy the author went in this direction.

-Smaller point but having a masc lesbian protagonist is genuinely so refreshing. It’s honestly baffling how insanely underrepresented masc/androgynous perspectives are in mainstream sapphic romance so imagine my delight when I find out that Lorelei is the gothic fantasy equivalent of a soggy, soft butch. Thank you, Allison Saft, you get a cookie.

-The romance is actually good? Kind of shocked me initially considering that modern romance strays more often into wish fulfillment territory than being character driven (Which is fine! Just not my thing). Lorelei and Sylvia don’t have the most electric chemistry ever, but it is genuinely engaging and their pining is distinct and real. Several quotes and interactions had me genuinely kicking my feet and giggling. It’s not all smooth sailing since it kind of felt like the development of their relationship got choppy at certain points. But overall, 8/10! I support you lovergirl and hatergirl!!

-The political aspect is aggressively okay. I love political fantasy, but it’s not only extremely hard to write but extremely hard to keep engaging. And this was. Fine. Just fine. Not really anything that awe-inspiring and kind of boring but serviceable. I don’t dislike it enough to put it in cons.


<b>The Cons:</b>

-The worldbuilding suuuuuuccccked oh my god. Underdeveloped, vaguely folklore inspired, prone to infodumping while still somehow remaining incredibly unclear. I get that this is romantasy and the romance takes precedent over the worldbuilding and plot. but you can at least have a solid foundation to fall back on y’know? It was so difficult to get invested in <i>any</i> part of the fantasy aspects because of just how flimsy it was.

-Pretty much everyone outside of the two leads is flat and forgettable. I genuinely can’t remember more than two side characters names.

-The writing is so juvenile that I’m thinking remnants of Saft’s YA books must’ve leaked through. There’s no way in hell these characters are 25 considering they all act no older than 19. This extends to the half baked, poor excuse of “gothic” prose. Genuinely, people calling the writing beautiful and atmospheric piss me off so bad. Book community read a book that’s not YA fantasy for once. This is at most high tier fanfiction quality. Bffr. This childishness extends to the themes as well. I’m not Jewish, so call me out if I’m overstepping, but I feel like there’s a more tactful way to explore systemic antisemitism and villainization without being shoved down your throat every three pages

I would recommend this to anyone who <i>really</i> likes romance above all else and wants it with certain magical elements. If that’s your thing, good fr you, but I really need to stop reading books like this because I don’t like them.

Allison Saft has done it again. This book is magical and romantic, and it's everything I'm looking for in a sapphic fantasy romance. I loved the rivalry, the angst, the tension, the folklore, the mystery; honestly, it feels like Saft took all my favorite elements and smushed them into the perfect book for me (stop reading my mind, please). Everything about this book is beautiful, even when both erie and unsettling: the writing, the cover, the story. I would highly recommend this and will not be shutting up about it once it comes out.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a mesmerizing blend of fantasy, mystery, and romance that will sweep readers away into a world of magic and intrigue.
Lorelei Kaskel, a sharp-tongued folklorist with a thirst for adventure, finds herself thrust into a perilous expedition to uncover a fabled spring of untold power. When her mentor is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Lorelei must join forces with her academic rival, Sylvia von Wolff, to unravel the truth behind the murder and prevent a coup from plunging the kingdom into chaos.
The author's world-building is rich and immersive, painting a vivid picture of a land filled with dark forests, slumbering dragons, and shapeshifting beasts. The tension builds steadily as Lorelei and Sylvia navigate treacherous waters, both literal and metaphorical, in their quest for answers.
But it's not just the suspenseful plot that captivates—the burgeoning romance between Lorelei and Sylvia adds an extra layer of depth and emotion to the story. Their chemistry crackles on the page, and readers will find themselves rooting for them to overcome their differences and embrace their feelings for each other.
With its compelling characters, lush prose, and thrilling twists and turns, A Dark and Drowning Tide is a spellbinding read from start to finish. The author has crafted a tale that will enchant fans of fantasy and romance alike, leaving them eagerly awaiting her next adventure.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Actually 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is Allison Saft's debut adult novel, but she has previously written other YA books. This standalone sapphic fantasy romance draws on folklore and a dash of mystery as it follows six young scholars in a dark academia adventure of a lifetime. King Wilhelm has ordered these scholars and their mentor, Professor Ziegler, to find a mystical spring, the source of all magic in the kingdom, and report its location to him "for the good of the kingdom." Ziegler nominates the folklorist Lorelei, a persecuted Yeva, rather than other noble Brunnestaader citizens, as her deputy. Lorelei, the novel's protagonist, is the only commoner of the part, and has misgivings about most of the Brunnestaader nobles in her group, including some very complicated feelings toward one in particular--Sylvia von Wolff, the heir to the rebellious Albe region of Brunnestaad. When Ziegler is found murdered on their ship one day into their voyage, it is up to Lorelei to take the lead and find the killer (and the magic spring)...or else.

One of the strong points of the novel is the folklore. Saft weaves it throughout the book, with just enough information to indicate which folk/fairy tale she is referencing but without revealing the common ending(s) and hinting at the darker elements of the stories (think Grimm's fairy tales rather than Disney princesses), which sets the tone of the book nicely. Saft is also well-versed in writing action scenes and romance (once it gets going), so the second half of the book is very much a rewarding payoff for getting through the first.

The novel does admittedly require a lot of patience before it picks up. The first few chapters, as exposition, feel as though the novel is trying to do too much at once, blending genres and establishing a story that is standalone fantasy with perceived rivals-to-lovers romance while also simultaneously an Agatha Christie murder mystery party. The suspect characters are also initially somewhat difficult to keep straight: their potential motives and relationships to each other and to Ziegler feel a bit vague and inconsistent, while Lorelei, the protagonist, is almost too consistent. Her jaded cynicism makes sense with her life experiences and childhood trauma, but her continued denial of her feelings for the love interest for around fifty percent of the book creates a very slow burn then sudden zero-to-one-hundred transitions that is both frustrating and a bit jarring. That said, once the characters get weeded down so the focus narrows to four people rather than six, the mystery plot fades, and the romance is firmly established, the book progresses much more smoothly, and reads more like a story and less like a video game.

In short, Allison Saft has lots of ideas. I am curious about future works, especially if they have equally gorgeous covers! However, this book does feel like a debut novel, and I would love to see the execution of her wonderful ideas improve with time. For this one, it is an interesting read, but be patient.

A magical world that will have you lost in its pages. A romance full of Angst and Desire with tension. I couldn't get enough of this, it was Marvelously written, the details, the characters.

Allison Saft delivers her signature whismy and lush gothic atmospheres with this sapphic romance revolving around two academic rivals solving a murder! Saft's world building is (as always) - magical mountains and raging rivers - chef's kiss. Saft's gorgeous prose is fully on display and cements her as one of the best voices in fantasy.

“There just stories, Lorelei…”

Firstly, I wanna say thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey publishing for letting me read an ARC of A Dark and Drowning Tide! Now where do I begin…

This was a very anticipated read for me for a while, ever since I saw its STUNNING cover. And in many areas I felt like it lived up to what I imagined and in other places it lacked slightly. I feel like I need to start by saying that I absolutely adore the novel’s protagonist Lorelei Kaskel. She is haunted in more ways than one and her struggles add such an interesting depth to her character, I was never once bored learning about her past or her pains. She is serious yet clumsy and is so devoted to her academic life and journey—I truly love everything about her. Lorelei’s enemy turned lover, Sylvia Von Woolf is just as admirable! She is intensely witty and pulsing with an air of romance, beauty and power. I love these girls so much!!!! The other characters in this novel feel slightly lackluster, but I did really enjoy their banter and morally grey tones (my favorite book is The Secret History by Donna Tartt, so I’m always down for a group of pretentious 20 year olds doing some crazy stuff).

Besides characters, this novel was really one that I had trouble pealing myself away from, even when parts felt info-dumpy or I struggled to visualize and understand the world it was set in, I COULD NOT STOP READING! I found the interjections of folklore kind of slow and random but I understand that they are central to Lorelei’s character. I also found some twist and turns the plot made to be unnecessary or anger inducing lol! On the another hand, I did absolutely love all the fairytale creatures seen throughout the book (i’ll love that little evil alp forever I fear). I think my main issue is understanding where all the places talked about stand in relation to each other, I felt like I needed a map to understand where everyone was from and how that was relevant to the setting as a whole.

Romance wise, this is a SLOW burn! I am someone all for a slow burn romance especially when it comes to the enemies to lovers trope! Yet, this almost felt oddly unfulfilling? The lead up to Lorelei and Sylvia’s true romantic moments was definitely well done and made their time together all the more enjoyable to read, but I felt like I didn’t get to see enough of their love. This feeling also plays a role in how I view the ending, which was good but almost not enough or comparable to what I would have expected or wanted.

Overall, I think A Dark and Drowning tide is a lovely book and I could totally see so many people enjoying it—if you love folklore, magic, sapphic reads and last but not least dark academia, pick this up!!! The reading experience was wonderful but some parts do stick out as not being my favorite or memorable.

Let me say first, I enjoyed this novel immensely.

Secondly, I dearly hope that someone picks it up for a special edition or I will have to make one myself.

This is the second of Saft’s novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading and it is SO different from A Fragile Enchantment. This book has a darkness that AFE didn’t have and I’m am here for every second of it. The romance was quite the delicious slow burn. Oh, the dark academia-like vibes!
I will say some of the character motive’s left me a little confused, but to be fair, I read through the first time rather quickly. Yes, the first time. I will be rereading this. Probably multiple times.

There were scenes that were almost too emotionally straining to read and then scenes and dialogue that made me want to joyfully laugh out loud. I will be recommending this to many folks and suggesting it for my library so that I can pester patrons into reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Ray for the opportunity to read an online arc of A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft.

This book is Allison Saft’s debut adult novel. The cover is gorgeous and the description right up my genre alley. I was so excited to read this, and the first few pages intrigued me. But the excitement did not stay. For one, the academia element is all but in name only. These are adults and not exactly students, but also not exactly teachers… They are also not incredibly mature in their actions and motivations. In fact, many read like snarky teenagers (in spite of their supposed world experience, I mean some had been to war for years, and that age 25 given for at least one character.)

There is a competition of sorts to help lead an expedition to find the legendary Ursprung (“the fabled source of all magic”) in the name of the current King, and a winner is named. But we never really learn the parameters of the competition, only that the two frontrunners seem to loathe each other (again for unnamed reasons, to set up the expected enemies to lovers trope.) The expedition team is a band of adults of the mostly noble class that have known each other since childhood, and one outsider, our MC Lorelei Kaskel, from a minority group, the Yevani, that lives in a ghetto outside the city. She is brought to the school and to the group by her mentor, Professor Ingrid Ziegler, who is murdered soon after the expedition is underway. (Not a spoiler since it is in the description of the book.) What remains is part murder mystery, part quest, with a smattering of magic and a little cryptozoology thrown in for good measure. (The lack of magic in a land filled with people able to do magic due to the presence of Aether found naturally in the water was a huge pet peeve of mine. I mean, these characters are thrown together on a paddleboat, on smaller boats, walk along streams and lakes, in search of a magical spring, and virtually perform no magic.)

While I cared for Lorelei, and a slight bit for her nemesis Silvia von Wolff (who came across to me as an adult Luna Lovegood), the other characters were mostly in the background for me. I found myself wanting more folk stories (which seemed to explain some of the characters motivations) and more encounters with mystical creatures (loved Lorelei’s interactions with one in particular) and less traipsing through the enchanted woods, up mountains and into caves. And while the banter between Lorelei and Silvia is fun at times, I did not ship them at any point. Their romance seemed a bit hokey and did not enhance the story for me.

My journey from the early chapters until about 2/3 into the book was a slog. In fact, the thing that pushed me to read faster was that my online arc was due to expire in days. I was convinced the story was going to get better so I read on. The turning point in the book was too near the end to really allow enough suspense building. The ending itself was almost a non-event with the journey feeling like a success and a failure at the same time.

Overall, I would say that the main story was a miss for me, but the folklore elements (and rooting for underdog Lorelei) kept me interested. I’m interested to see in the author returns to YA in her next book. I would welcome that. 3/5 read

I thought this one had its moments. I liked the romance between the female main protagonists, the folklore and murder mystery. I would have liked the fantasy elements to have been a bit more fleshed out.

I think fans of her work will like this one.

I adore this author, I adore this book, This book is dark and intriguing, The relationship between the two main characters is quick-witted and lush and the story is dark and biting I would 100% recommend.

When reading the synopsis behind the book, I wasn't able to get myself to read this due to the fact of the sapphic telling within the book. That is something that I don't read on a usual basis.

Unfortunately I have come to determine that Allison Saft's writing is just not for me. While I enjoyed one of her other books, this one along with others I have read just drag along and don't provide a lot of satisfaction in the end. I am sure there are people who will love this, but it just wasn't for me.

I was really excited for this one as I’m a fan of dark academia, however this one missed the mark for me. I struggled to get into it, and while I enjoyed the lyrical quality of the prose, I didn’t feel fully invested in the story.

I did love the rivals to lovers aspect! Their banter was fun and entertaining, and the witty responses had me smiling as I read! The protagonists were engaging and likable, albeit felt younger than their age.

I also really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere. It was dark and gothic and dripping with those dark academic vibes! Saft’s writing is beautiful to read and

I think where this fell short for me was the plot and world building. It wasn’t easy for me to immerse in and I struggled to understand the world itself.

Overall it was enjoyable and well-written, however not one I would gravitate towards reading again.

3.5 stars

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a Sapphic academic rivals to lovers dark academia book, and it does all of these things pretty well.

This is one of the best sapphic relationships I’ve ever read in a book. The pining and passion between our two main characters was potent and addictive to read. It was so obvious that Sylvia was in love with Lorelei, and Lorelei being oblivious the entire time was so on brand for that character.

Enemies to lovers is fine, but when they hate each other because of academics, it just hits different. I love when a dark academia book turns into a murder mystery. There’s something about that combination of themes that makes for an enticing read.

I liked the dynamic between our cast of characters. I enjoyed learning about their relationship as a group, as well as their dynamics with other characters individually. Our main character not being in the group allows for us as the reader to see the dynamics from the outside looking in. I thought this added to the murder/mystery subplot well.

I thought the world was described well, but could have been developed more. There are a lot of areas that make up this world, and more context would have helped further the plot. Also, I wish the magic system was better explained. Outside of the fact that people have access to magic, we only have a surface level understanding of how it works.

Thank you to netgalley, Del Rey, and Random House for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a tale riddled with murder, mystery, and romance— a winning combination. A folklorist, Lorelei, is forced to step up to lead an expedition when her mentor is murdered. From there it is a journey of twists and turns, betrayals, and magic. The work put into the world and its characters shines through in the writing. Saft kept me on my toes the whole time, there was never a dull moment while reading.

Thank you to net galley and Random House Publishing Group for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a moody and atmospheric story that has an interesting mix of folk tales and fantasy.

Lorelei is a folklorist who, along with six other scientists, embarks on a mission to locate a mythical spring that promises powers to those who drink of it. The team is working on behalf of the king of Brunnestaad and hope to secure his power in order to maintain the peace in the tumultuous land. As the journey begins, Lorelei's mentor and idol is mysteriously killed, leading Lorelei in charge of the expedition. Run ins with magical creatures, conflict among the team members, and deceit from those in power soon reveal that this plan may not be all that it seems and that Lorelei will have to examine her own feelings and motivations along the way.

Saft's novel was a very unique approach to the fantasy genre, with many of the references coming from Germanic and Jewish sources. Antisemitism is explored (Lorelei is a member of an oft-persecuted minority group knows as Yevani) and this enhances many of Lorelei's motivations throughout the story. I also enjoyed the slow-burn romance between Lorelei and her academic rival, Sylvia. Same sex relationships in this story did not carry any stigma and were handled as a natural progression with none of the "forbidden love" aspects often seen. Saft also did a great job of bringing brief folk tales into the plot without devoting entire chapters. However, some aspects of the plot were confusing or never fully fleshed out. For one, some of the characters possessed magical powers (i.e. manipulating water) but ,how these worked, how they were viewed, and their impact on daily life, were not explained. I also had some trouble understanding the politics of Brunnestaad and the potential threats and rebellion that were hinted at but again not fully explained. Lastly, while I love an enemies-to-lovers romance, Lorelei was quite unlikeable for a decent portion of this book. I had definitely changed my opinion on her by the end but there were points where I found myself becoming exasperated by how negative and callous she came off. This is in part explained by the persecution and trauma she suffered as a child but it made the first half of the book a bit challenging to get through at times.

This is the first novel I have read by Saft and while aspects of this book left me wanting, I can absolutely appreciate her research and dedication to folk fantasy and the lyrical way that she creates her worlds. Also WOW that cover 😍 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.