I had such a great time with this book. This was my first time reading Allison Saft but will definitely not be my last. I was immediately drawn into this fantasy world. This is an immersive traveling murder mystery with a lovely slow burn romance. The magic system and creatures were all interesting. Lorelei and Sylvia were both fascinating characters. I loved their antagonistic banter. Saft manages to have them be at odds without being mean which is a nice change from other stories of this variety. They are opposites that really balance each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lorelei is the assistant to the expedition to discover the source of magic. The leader and her mentor is murdered on the way there, leaving Lorelei with a mystery and a tight knit group who are sooner to turn on her than work together to discover the truth.
I liked the close-knit cast and the locked room element to the mystery aspect. I wanted more mystery, but I did enjoy the fantasy adventure element once it kicked in.
Lorelei is a compelling protagonist, not easy to like in places, but we slowly learn why she is so standoffish and it’s hard to let anyone in. I also enjoyed her being a folklorist. Some of the fairy-tales she brings in help expand the story, while others felt a little excessive.
Speaking of, I really enjoyed the setting, not only the empire and colonies discussed, but just the atmosphere and vibes throughout the adventure. The cover is the exact vibes given off throughout the entire book.
Not every part of the romantic relationship worked for me, but that’s also me with most academic rivals to lovers stories. I did enjoy these two when they were forced to work together alone; it really expanded on their relationship and had me rooting for them. I will thank the author for making a height difference that doesn’t describe them as ‘teeny tiny person' and 'big strong skyscraper.'
I’m unsure on the ending, especially with how this book discusses colonialism. I enjoyed how each character in this is affected by colonialism in different ways. That being said, the way things are tied in with regards to not only the expedition but how it ties in with the empire, it both felt too perfect and like not enough considering the rest of the book.
I rated this 3.5 stars! A solid fantasy adventure with a mystery and sapphic romantic subplot!

Legend tells of a hidden spring granting untold power. To secure his reign, the king commands an expedition to find it–a perfect opportunity for folklorist Lorelai Kaskel to prove herself. But not everyone wants the expedition to succeed. When her professor is found dead, Lorelai must solve the murder, find the spring, or be blamed for the mission’s failure–and her beautifully eccentric rival Sylvia von Wolff is the only person she can trust. 

A Dark and Drowning Tide has EVERYTHING I look for in a book! Saft’s writing is luscious and descriptive, her rivals-to-lovers romance is well-paced, sweet, and sincere, and the plot feels refreshingly unique, combining folklore, dark academia, action-adventure, and m*rder mystery into an epic page-turner of a story. Sentient forests and disappearing isles are reminiscent of favorites like The Raven Boys and One Dark Window, but ADADT stands on its own, twisting the classic there and back again tale to explore how colonial power influences exploration, science, and discovery. Saft’s worldbuilding is masterful, and the German-inspired kingdom of Brunnestaad feels dangerous in both unfamiliar and uncomfortably familiar ways, as steeped in history and the consequences of prejudice as it is in myth and magic. 

Lorelai, our Jewish protagonist, is angry, afraid, desperate to prove herself worthwhile, and one of the most real and relatable characters I’ve read in fantasy this year. The discrimination she faces is heartbreaking, and is particularly poignant as seen through the antisemitic folklore she herself documents. Where Lorelai’s quick wit and forced standoffishness ground the story, Sylvia’s whirlwind personality and fierce love for magical creatures help it soar, and watching her break down Lorelai’s walls is a genuine delight. Saft’s secondary characters are equally compelling, and their hidden agendas each (in their own way) ask readers to think about duty–to one’s country, one’s people, and ultimately, oneself. 

If you’re a fan of dark academia, epic quests, and sapphic rivals, ADADT is the perfect book to add to your fall TBR. I’m so glad I picked it up, and I think you will be too!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for sending me this ARC to review in exchange for
my honest thoughts.

"Lorelei knew the shape of a fairy tale: a prison."

I was immediately captivated by this book from the name & cover and it did not disappoint! Sapphic, enemies to lovers, dark-academia, fantasy folklore - *chefs kiss*.

The start felt a little slow and was difficult to get into hence why it's not 5 stars, but after that I was absolutely enthralled with the character dynamics & world-building. I loved the creatures descriptions - anything involving siren/water nymph creatures has me SOLD! Sylvia has my whole heart.

A dazzling adult debut from Saft!

“A Dark and Drowning Tide” follows Lorelai Kaskel, a sharp-tongued folklorist, and Sylvia von Wolff, her academic rival, as they pair up to solve their mentor’s murder whilst on an expedition to find a magical spring for their king.

Saft’s atmospheric writing contributes to her immersive world-building. Her story is set in the fictional kingdom of Brunnestaad, a country heavily inspired by Germany, that is populated by both Brunnestaaders and the Yevani, akin to the Jewish community. Saft tackles problems of nationalism and antisemitism through the perspective of her main character Lorelai, a young Jewish woman whose determination to make a name for herself in being a part of the Ruhigburg expedition stems from her experiences in being “othered”. I really appreciate the Jewish representation and how Lorelai’s rich knowledge of Jewish and German folklore contributes to the reader’s understand of the country’s history, culture, and politics.

I could not get enough of the murder mystery Lorelai tasks herself with solving as well as the sapphic, academic rivals-to-allies-to-lovers subplot! Sylvia is the only suspect that Lorelai can rule out following their mentor’s murder. These circumstances push them to strike a begrudging alliance as they work together to prevent the murderer from striking again. I love the slow pacing of their relationship development as they are forced to confront their feelings while in each other’s proximity. I thoroughly enjoyed occupying Lorelai’s mind during this time. Lorelai is fascinating to follow as she draws on her knowledge of folklore, quick wit, and keen observation skills to find the Ursprung and the killer. At the same time, she is actively fighting against her love for Sylvia by burying her emotions and masking them with self-loathing. I adored watching Syliva break through Lorelai’s stubborn and guarded personality with her unrelenting optimism! They are truly opposites in every sense of the word and complete each other. Nothing was more satisfying than watching them capture the culprit and each other’s hearts!

A Dark and Drowning Tide is another gorgeous books from Allison Saft! In her adult debut, she creates a unique magical world and deep characters that capture your heart.

Lorelei is a folklorist from a marginalized community who much work her academic rival, the beautiful and popular Sylvia, in order to find a legendary source of magic for the king.

I liked how Lorelei and Sylvia played off each other and the tension between them. I also enjoyed how Saft didn’t shy from making her characters brittle or bad, allowing them to be full people. My favorite was the lush prose, atmospheric writing, and the introspective way she explored marginalization, prejudice, and identity.

I absolutely recommend!

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Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for this ARC Copy!

Cover is so stunning I wanted to read this the moment that I saw it, then I see its a sapphic romance steeped in gothic folklore and I was completely sold. I was not disappointed at all.

Following an expedition on their journey to find the magical spring under the orders of the king in a land and forest that is filled with folklore, fantasy, dangerous fae, murder, betrayal, and the most unlikely of romance. The writing was beautify and atmospheric and it makes you feel truly immersed into the world,

The fantasy and mystery elements were fun and creative, but the story was oddly paced for me and I found myself struggling to get immersed in the story. The slow-burn rivals to partners romance wasn't bad, but overall this fantastic book cover outshined the book's contents for me.

Thank you for the ARC.

It’s the kind of book that you can easily get lost in, and I found myself thinking about it even after finishing. Definitely worth reading!

A Dark and Drowninng Tide offers an intriguing blend of fantasy and mystery but falls short in some areas. Lorelei Kaskel, a spirited folklorist, leads an expedition to find a magical spring after her mentor is murdered. She must solve the mystery and navigate a perilous landscape filled with magical threats, all while dealing with her rival-turned-partner, Sylvia von Wolff. The novel’s fantasy setting and magical elements are engaging, and Lorelei’s rivalry with Sylvia adds an interesting dynamic. However, the plot can feel overloaded with various elements, and the pacing suffers as a result. The murder mystery and the quest’s resolution are somewhat rushed, and secondary characters lack depth. While the central relationship and magical world are compelling, the novel's execution leaves room for improvement. A Dark and Drowninng Tide is enjoyable but feels uneven, earning a solid three stars.

First, huge thanks for NetGalley for an e-Arc of A Dark & Drowning Tide by Allison Saft.

Sadly this wasn’t a favorite for me. I’d been looking forward to this book since it was announced and thought it be the perfect fall read.

However, everything just kind of fell short. Lorelei was not a likeable main character. She was selfish, petty, hateful, miserable, etc. which made the story way more difficult to enjoy since it’s single POV and it got extremely frustrating 😫

I also felt like the pacing was off and the world building could’ve been a little better flushed out; some things felt like they were added as an afterthought in the middle of a chapter and didn’t match with everything else that was going on in that moment. Not sure if it’s was just the arc, but the story wasn’t flowing as well as other books I’ve read by Allison Saft.

The romance was okay and slowly developed which I didn’t mind but it wasn’t the main focus of the story.
I will say, overall, the vibes were immaculate and I did enjoy some of the other characters (Silvia & Ludwig) within the story; so I still recommend to read it.

1/5 Stars (DNF @ 19%)

TL;DR - Another Allison Saft book with a really cool premise and a completely lackluster execution. Bored me to tears, and convinced me that she’s just not an author I need to keep reading.

Big thanks to Random House, Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

***Trigger Warnings for: racism, antisemitism, religious persecution, white supremacy, eugenics, mentioned death of sibling (as a child), and murder.***

‘A Dark and Drowning Tide’ by Allison Saft is a fantasy novel following Lorelei Kaskel, a twenty-something folklorist and naturalist who has just been named the head of an expedition to find the Ursprung, the source of all the country’s magic. I didn’t get much farther than that, so I can’t really tell you where it goes from there.

Wow, okay, I didn’t expect to be so lukewarm about this book, but here I am. Sapphic main character, beasties and magic, an adventure with a bit of dark academia — should be exactly my thing, but alas, it wasn’t. I probably should have expected another middle-of-the-road read from Allison Saft, because I was pretty meh about ‘A Fragile Enchantment’ when I got an ARC copy of it last year. I had problems with that book for the colonizer romance aspect and the “an inch to the left” aspect of the worldbuilding, and from what I’ve read of other reviews on this book, I probably wouldn’t have liked how this one turned out if I had kept reading.

At 19% in, the book suffers from slow pacing and info-dumping, where Lorelei frequently explains aspects of her past and the world at large for paragraph after paragraph in the middle of conversations, which grinds what little action there is to a halt. The prose says a whole lot without saying anything at all, which also contributes to the slow pacing and to my personal lack of interest in what’s being said. There’s also barely any description of the setting, so it’s hard to visualize even the smallest details of the world beyond “vaguely Central European”.

In that vein is the lazy worldbuilding. As I said above, I call this kind of worldbuilding “an inch to the left” because it’s just our world with everything moved around a little and some names changed for the illusion of flavor. It’s incredibly boring to me personally, and did nothing to draw me into the story. I’m also not a fan of the approximate real-world time period and setting of this story, early 20th century Germany, so that also dragged down my enjoyment.

I found no reason to care about any of the characters — entitled, antisemitic nobility have zero draw for me — and Lorelei as a main character had no depth and gave me no reason to care about her. I can forgive a setting that’s not my cup of tea if the characters are interesting, but no one in this book was even remotely intriguing.

Overall, I just didn’t care enough about anything presented up to the point I stopped to continue the slog. I think it’s time for me to throw in the towel on this author’s books.

Final Thoughts:

Another cool idea that never came to fruition. I will not be purchasing a physical copy.

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft is an engrossing sapphic fantasy romance!
Saft is just a phenomenal writer and I’ve enjoyed reading her work.
The writing, the characters, the world-building - it was all done so perfectly. I was hooked from the start, immediately falling in love with our two main characters and their story.
The setting was so stunning and the premise blew me away from the first page and the characters carried me through to the last.

Allison Saft has done it again! After reading A Farm Wilder Magic she became an auto-buy author for me. I have been chasing the high I felt when finishing A Far Wilder Magic for a long time and I think A Dark and Drowning Tide did it! A Dark and Drowning Tide was masterfully crafted and beautifully written. The mystery and adventure tied in with the academic rivalry, folklore, and magic kept me so engaged. I absolutely loved Sylvia and Lorelei. I would read the exact same book in Sylvia’s POV. I can truly see myself reading this over and over. In fact I am already planning on listening to the audiobook as soon as it comes out. If this book is not already on your fall TBR it needs to be. I highly recommend picking this one up!

Do you like folklore? Fairy tale creatures and fair maidens and heroes who don’t realize they’re heroes and lush, descriptive settings? How about dark-academia vibes, murder mysteries, quests, and ghosts? What about a very endearing, academic rivals-to-lovers, sapphic romance? If you answered yes to any of the above, there’s a solid chance you’ll enjoy Allison Saft’s first adult novel. My only complaint is that it wrapped up too quickly and it’s a standalone - I absolutely would have read more in this universe. 4/5 stars

Pub Date: 9/17/24
Review Published: 9/15/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

this was kinda a huge struggle to read omg? i wanted to love it, the setting and the folklore just seemed like something I'd enjoy but I just … didn’t.
I think I’ve come to realize I do not like ‘cozy’ fantasies - I don't know something about the way they read and make me feel just doesn’t click.
I didn’t particularly enjoy reading from Lorelai’s pov either - it just felt like a slog and idk it was just hard reading from someone so negative.
I did like Sylvie and how their relationship grew. sylvie was super interesting to read about and I liked the rivals-to-lovers aspect.

This was pretty decent. I enjoyed it! A bit of a slow start, world-building was a bit confusing to me, but once I got the hang of it, it was pretty smooth sailing from there.

I also really like the premise of the story, LGBTQ fantasy mixed with a murder mystery🙌🫡 GOLD.

Overall, it was decent, I liked it.

I've enjoyed Allison Saft's past work and am glad to see her move into adult fantasy as well with A Dark and Drowning Tide, a sapphic fantasy laced with romance, a murder mystery, and dark academia. Folklorist Lorelei Kaskel is on an expedition when one of their small group, her mentor, is killed. The rest of the group all become suspects, except for Sylvia von Wolff, Lorelei's longtime rival who she reluctantly teams up with to solve the murder.

I inadvertently put off reading this for months, but it felt right to read it as fall began rather than as a summer read. Saft's writing is atmospheric and darker than her YA work, with great expanded worldbuilding. A Dark and Drowning Tide explores some ideas similar to her past books, such as belonging, division, and antisemitism, and feels well-suited to the adult level, as I sometimes felt her YA work was too light or unable to fully handle the themes. Overall, a strong adult debut.

Allison Saft has been one of my favorite authors since her debut Down Comes the Night. I will forever and always pick up every story she writes. A Dark and Drowning Tide was just as amazing as I expected it to be. From the beginning her writing absolutely encapsulated me. I was obsessed with these Lorelei and Sylvia immediately and the dynamic they shared.

Lorelei I just absolutely adore. Her cold demeanor is so understandable given all that she’s been through. I really loved her character and loved reading her thought process when it came to decision making as well as seeing how she reacted to everyone around her. Now Sylvia on the other hand has my heart. I love how carefree and full of wonder she is. The way she interacts with the world is magical. My favorite scenes were seeing how passionate she was about the creatures around her and how empathic she is to the world. It just always made me smile reading about her. Anyways I love these characters so much.

As for the plot. I loved it all. I loved the multiple mysteries that I felt were going on. Again I really enjoyed the world and experiencing the different creatures and cultures that they ran into. Everything about this was just a fun read for me. I definitely feel like this was one of her stronger books and I’m so thankful to have been given a chance to read this early. Can’t wait to own multiple editions of this.

I had such high hopes for this book. Unfortunately I’m giving it 2.5 stars, and I’m conflicted whether to round up or down.

Each element of the story was a very interesting concept--the mystery plot, the romance, the political landscape--but not one aspect was fleshed out well. The side characters especially kind of all run together, especially in the beginning. I think the choice to introduce everyone (except Sylvia) at once worked against the author here. The romance was fine, it was fun if I didn’t think about it too hard. The worldbuilding was enough to provide a backdrop, but not enough for me to feel immersed in the fantasy world being created.

It was the attempt at political fantasy elements that really pushed my rating down. I spent the entire book waiting for the characters to realize that maybe giving this nearly limitless power to a king who has conquered all of their nations might not be a good idea. I get that they all knew the king well, but it seemed like that would make them even more familiar with his plans to use said power to squash any potential rebellion and more likely to see that they should all be working together. I’m happy to see many other reviewers pointing out this misstep. It’s not often you see a fantasy protagonist explicitly opposing a rebellion against a conquering king with too much power.

Advanced copy provided by Netgalley, all opinions my own.