unfortunately this style of story is just not for me, despite me really wishing it was. this cover is beautiful and its queer but alas the folklore was not doing what i wanted it to do.

A Dark and Downing Tide was my introduction to Allison Saft’s writing and I am very pleased with the overall experience.

Saft writes beautifully and crafts her scenes very well. Seldom did I struggle to “see” what she was trying to show me and I fell right into the plot with the characters. While the words themselves crafted a very intriguing plot, I feel the book could have used more in terms of overall development, backstory, and (romantic) tension. By the time the story was well on its way, I found myself wondering when and where I missed the backstory and the foundational development.

While I did want Sylvia and Lorelei to eventually find their way to one another, I did not personally feel like there was enough “desire” and longing built up before they confessed their feelings for one another. I would have liked to see a little more time being spent on the tension between the two characters.

Overall A Dark and Drowning Tide was an enjoyable fantasy read and I’d highly recommend it.

Allison Saft has done it again. A Dark and Drowning, like Saft’s other books, was phenomenal. I read it in one sitting and fell in love with the characters. I’m super sad to be leaving this world behind but I can’t wait for what Saft brings out next.

5/5 stars! This is a stunning sapphic dark academia fantasy. I loved everything about this book: from the cover, to the premise, to the enemies-to-lovers plot lines between Lorelei and Sylvia. It humorously reminded me of Murder on the Orient Express in that everyone on the ship was a suspect. Running to pick up another book by author Allison Saft.

From the moment I started reading, I felt like I was holding my breath, completely pulled into this eerie, gorgeous world that Allison Saft created. It’s gothic, magical, and beautifully sad, but more than anything, it’s emotional. Like… it made my chest hurt... in a good way though.

The setting is haunting and immersive, as if you can feel the salt in the air. There’s this constant sense of quiet danger, and at the same time, a deep longing that runs through every page. The magic feels mysterious and dangerous, but it’s the people who really hit me.

The characters are messy and real. The romance? Good god. It’s slow, subtle, and quiet, possibly one of my favorite examples of yearning.

By the end, I was emotionally drained and completely satisfied. I love this book with my whole heart, and it is definitely one that I am going to pick up again and again.

The sapphic dark academia of my dreams, I devoured this book from beginning to end! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the dark lyrical fantasy writing style that Allison Saft does so well

Unfortunately this did not meet my expectations. The romance, the world building, and the politics all just felt underdeveloped. I felt like I barley really got to know these characters and I really wanted to! They were interesting! The romance was cute but I didn't really buy us moving from point A in their relationship to point Z. The real downfall of this book is the ending. The whole book we are examining colonization, bigotry, and the corruption of the ruling king. Yet at the end it all it just wrapped up with a pretty bow and nothing changes. Nothing is confronted. I think this book needed to book longer inorder to explore everything more deeply.

2 stars.

I had been anticipating this story ever since I first saw the cover. I went into this knowing next to nothing about plot. I only knew that this included a sapphic academic rivals to lovers storyline. I didn't realize until starting the book that there would be a murder mystery plot, which was an interesting turn of events. I found the prose to be very beautiful and loved the folklore elements.

With that said, this book was very disappointing on multiple fronts. While the plot started strong with the premise of students trying to solve the murder of their mentor, it fell apart when the story attempted to expand the world. I didn't feel invested in any of the characters or their relationships. The main romance wasn't compelling at all. Lorelai's constant hot/cold feelings got very frustrating quickly. I couldn't bring myself to care about the relationship, let alone believe that they were truly in love. The ending was dissatisfying and the story got weaker and less engaging as it went on. By the time I was past the halfway mark, I was ready for the book to be over.

The biggest fault I have with this book though, is how it feels like the story is pro-colonization or at least excusing it. The fact that the "antagonists" of the story ended up being those who were fighting for their personal freedom or the freedom of their country was very uncomfortable. Plus, the fact that no one ever combats the king and he continued to remain in power in the end, with no consequences for the harm he has done (including to the main characters!!) is insane to me. A happily ever after ending with everyone still working for the king who took away their people's/country's independence? That just does not make sense to me. Due to that, I can't bring myself to give this anything higher than a two star rating.

I'm just disappointed with the experience I had reading this. I have heard so many rave reviews about this author's work and Saft's prose is very gorgeous in its own right, but there were faults that I just couldn't look past and made me really uncomfortable.


Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an honest e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for an eARC in exchange for a review!

A Dark and Drowning Tide (spoiler free)
Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness in order to secure his reign over the embattled country of Brunnestaad.

Okay so, I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I loved the atmospheric, gothic vibes of this book, and the premise derives heavily from folktales, which | loved. And while the characters were definitely flawed, I really did enjoy reading about them and the romance.

Okay, so the problem.. this book was weirdly pro-colonialism/irredentism? The protagonists definitely have their reasons for feeling this way, namely they lived through one war already and being one nation under the king is "the lesser of two evils," but the two main villains of this book end up being revolutionaries who wanted independence again for their provinces.
And they were valid for it too! We see the devastation in one of their homelands specifically, which made it seem so strange that they ended up being the villain.
So overall, I would have really enjoyed this book without the pro-colonialism sentiments, but here we are, so l don't really know.

Romance, whimsical fantasy, arguments, scholars. That’s what’s in store for you in this book and it was wonderfully done! I really enjoyed it.

A darkly rich stand alone fantasy with a murder mystery at its core.

A Dark and Drowning Tide left me feeling indifferent. I really wanted to like this because 1) the cover is gorgeous and 2) the synopsis caught my attention instantly. Unfortunately, I think the story is bogged down due to the nature of gathering folktales. I struggled with the relation between the folktales being collected and their meaning to the story with Lorelei. Traditionally, when this writing device is used in storytelling, there's got to be a clear connection that readers can identify. And I just ... couldn't.

I also struggled with the pacing. The beginning was incredibly slow, while the middle stilled, and the ending was ALL a rush at once. By the time, I did start to fully enjoy it, we were 70% in.

If you are more patient than me, you may enjoy this one!

This book had me hooked from the premise alone — a sharp-tongued folklorist forced to team up with her academic rival to solve a murder? Yes, please. Add in the rich folklore, a slow-burn sapphic romance, and Allison Saft’s signature lyrical writing, and A Dark and Drowning Tide easily became one of my favorite reads this year.

What I loved most was the atmosphere. The world feels misty, moody, and drenched in magic — the kind that hums quietly beneath the surface, more folklore than fireballs, and it worked beautifully. Saft’s prose is poetic but grounded, never too flowery, and the emotional depth of her characters always shines through.

The dynamic between the main characters is so satisfying — lots of tension, lots of history, and a slow unraveling of trust that felt natural and earned. I was rooting for them hard. The murder mystery adds a compelling layer of intrigue, and the themes — grief, identity, and the weight of legacy — are handled with care and nuance.

Content-wise, this story doesn’t shy away from heavier topics (definitely check content warnings), but it never feels exploitative. Instead, it adds a rawness to the characters' journey that made everything hit harder in the best way.

If you love fantasy with emotional weight, folklore-laced worldbuilding, and characters who feel real enough to argue with, A Dark and Drowning Tide is absolutely worth diving into. Just... bring tissues and maybe read it with a blanket and a cup of tea — it’s that kind of book.

There's nothing wrong with a little enemies to lover sapphic academic rivalry!!! For me, the plot felt subservient to the prose and the general melancholy of longing and yearning that settles over this book. That's not to say there isn't plot - there very much is - but it took a backseat for me. I enjoyed watching these characters grow individually and together, and the slow reveal of a rivalry that is so so much more.

DNF at 35%

I really did give this the ol college try but it just is not grabbing my attention whatsoever. Conceptually it’s an interesting narrative but Lorelei internal monologue is dull as dishwater to me and life’s too short to push through a read that’s not entertaining me.

As I am already a very loyal reader of all things Allison Saft writes, I was SO excited to get a chance to read her first adult book, ‘A Dark & Drowning Tide.’ This story is a beautiful & atmospheric sapphic fantasy romance involving a group of academics who embark on an adventure that will change their lives in so many different ways.

ADADT has all of the elements I’ve come to love in Saft’s writing: layered characters, political conflict, interesting magic systems, & a romance that makes your heart ache & the butterflies in your stomach flutter. We get a murder mystery. We get rivals-to-lovers between the most grumpy Lorelei & the most sunshine-y Sylvia. (Or rather, moonshine-y?) We even get a “just one tent” situation. And I would describe the vibes as The Mummy meets Dark Academia.

No one writes standalone fantasy quite like Saft does & I am continually surprised by how her stories & worlds are often more full & fleshed out than some fantasy series I’ve read. And ADADT is absolutely no exception. I was pulled into the story quickly & turned each page fully invested in every character & their goals. While it isn’t my favorite of Saft’s books, it is still one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading & could easily see myself rereading in the future.

Thank you to Random House/Del Rey & NetGalley for providing a digital advanced copy of ‘A Dark & Drowning Tide’ for review. All thoughts & opinions expressed here are my own.

In theory this book is perfect for me. Academic rivals, enemies to lovers. Sapphic. A quest to find a magical spring with folklore elements. But it just didn’t give what I needed it to give. It was fine but not great. I wish the magic system had been better explained and more world building had been done. It was very slow paced which made it hard for me to stay immersed in the story. And was I the only one getting some pro-colonist sentiments?

I thought this was a decent read, though not my favorite. The atmosphere was eerie, and the way the author described the setting made it feel almost alive—dark, damp, and full of secrets. I also really liked the slow unraveling of the mystery; it kept me curious even when the pacing felt a little slow. I thought the big reveal was a little underwhelming though since I had an idea who it was pretty early on. It would have been nice to get other POVs other than Lorelei to balance things out since I found her a little annoying and selfish. There were definitely some chilling moments that stuck with me, especially the way the supernatural elements were woven into the story. I just never fully connected with the characters, which made it hard to be completely invested.

BEAUTIFUL COVER like the art is chefs kiss!
if you like books with tension and yearning then this one is for youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

While no one can debate, Saft is a deeply talented writer and unwittingly brilliant in the way she build her worlds and characters. I think I’ve come to the realization that she is just not the writer for me.

I’m not sure what the disconnect is for me and her writing/characters, but I never feel quite drawn in like I hope to be. Unfortunately I decided to not finish this book at the halfway point!

I have attempted to read this book, but the writing and story was unbearable. I like Saft’s creative approach, but this book is not for me. And I doubt it is for other people.