I will not lie, I totally judged this by the cover...and IT DIDN'T DISAPPOINT. This sapphic fantasy is filled with political scheming, folklore, and a healthy dose of yearning. I found myself instantly invested and ate this up over a couple days.

Summary

Lorelei, a folklorist, has always been closed off from the world. As a victim of prejudice, she hardened herself and buried her nose into her career. When her hard work pays off and she is tasked with leading an expedition with six nobles to find a magical spring with untold power, she seizes the opportunity to prove herself. However, the expedition starts on rocky footing when Lorelei's beloved mentor is murdered on their ship. Forced to move forward with the expedition, Lorelei runs the course that her mentor mapped out while keeping her eyes open to the fact that a murderer is in her midst. The journey is riddled with dangers of all kinds. Creatures of folklore, enchanted lands, and worse yet, her peers. With danger on all sides, Lorelei is forced to trust the one person she has rivaled her whole life, Sylvia von Wolff. Together, they work to uncover the truth, while they hold back the yearning that is bubbling to the surface.

My thoughts

In a nutshell, I really loved this book. The whimsy and drama had me deeply invested. The writing is also beautiful. Descriptions were creative and extremely detailed, painting vivid images in my mind. While the writing is lyrical, it was balanced and didn't feel overly flowery. It sucked me in and kept me breathless. The characters were extremely dynamic and unique from one another. It was interesting having them all in close quarters.

I will say that this is definitely not a romance. While there is some in there, it is not the main subject of the book by any means. It does, however, have the most painful slow burn I have witnessed thus far, but I'm not mad at it.

There was intense world-building right from the start that continued throughout the book. There would be mentions of creatures, events, and places that aren't explained. This made for a confusing read at times.

Key Descriptors:
Dark Academia
Grumpy/Sunshine
Slow burn
Rivals to Lovers
Sapphic

A big thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Academic rivalry? Sapphic fantasy romance? Allison Saft? I’m in.

I’ve been working my way through Allison Saft’s books this year and when I saw the cover and read the summary for A Dark and Drowning Tide, I was immediately intrigued. And this one didn’t disappoint! I thoroughly enjoyed the world, magic and character building, as well as the plot and the academic rivals to romance. The tension, the intrigue and the action kept me hooked throughout the book, with Saft’s lovely writing tying it all together.

I’ll definitely be continuing to read whatever Allison Saft writes and recommend this one

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Allison Saft for the ARC!

I actually had to DNF this was I was just so bored. If you liked the authors other books you may enjoy this one.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

A Dark and Drowning Tide was a beautifully written sapphic romance. I found myself yearning for Sylvia alongside Lorelei and being dazzled by the folklore woven into the narrative to create such a rich world. As a fan of murder mysteries and someone used to figuring out the culprit before the reveal, I must say this book kept me guessing and I didn't figure it out before the reveal. It was wholly entertaining and I absolutely loved it!

I was immediately drawn to this book by the stunning cover. I really enjoyed the description and setting of the book, all things that made it easy to add to my TBR. — I really enjoyed the folklore stories throughout, that was probably my favorite part. I felt I didn’t connect as much with the story, characters and pacing as I hoped. I struggled a bit to get through it but enjoyed parts.

Take Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade*, but make Indy miserable, self-loathing, and living in a Jewish ghetto. Sprinkle in Saft's usual tactic of renaming religions and countries (while not renaming other details of those things) and you have this book. Suffice it to say, this is the review of someone disappointed by a lack of subtlety and lazy world building.

For this review, I'm not going to use the words Saft gave established people and places. The Jewish people are called Yevani in this story (most likely a reference to Yevanic). They living in a ghetto in a kingdom ruled by Wilhelm. So we're getting a mash up of WW1 and WW2 here. Some of Wilhelm's people are hounds who have similar believes to the Nazis. The Albisch people are the Catholics and they're a bit of a wild card in this story.

Lorelei, the main character, is a selfish, self-loathing, miserable young scholar living in the Jewish ghetto. She's part of a group of scholars, but is on the outside as the rest of them are either from the mainstream cultural group or have submitted to it. For example, there's Silvia, the Catholic, who is very sweet and ethereal. Lorelei has navigated many traumas. She's as negative and selfish at the end as at the beginning, which isn't the most satisfying character arc. She reaps a reward for her actions in the story, but the Jewish people are still in the ghetto. To this history nerd, this seems like the story of a collaborator.

The overall story is that scholars have a mission to find a magical spring that will give Wilhelm power. Each scholar has used their academic specialty to help identify where to look. Lorelei's specialty is folklore, though we randomly learn that she didn't even want to study that. This is one of the random tidbits that doesn't seem to serve the plot in any way, but there it is. Folk tales are thrown into the story in a haphazard way. Sometimes they are new, sometimes they are tales you'd recognize (The Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm, for example). There are a few parts where you must suspend your disbelief or forget what you just read. For example, after some treacherous rock climbing, a character has their pack with tent, furs (to sleep on), and a sword on them. At another point, a character's hands are injured and useless, but they then are able to take off clothes one scene later.

Regarding the romance here, it feels shoehorned in. She loathes herself and the others...until close to the end, when she very suddenly likes Silvia. Silvia, the sweet, helpful naturalist, likes Lorelei all along, no matter how nasty Lorelei is to her. It would have been so easy to make Lorelei prickly with the rest of the group and a nicer version of herself with Silvia, who is also part of a marginalized group (though one that isn't persecuted the way Lorelei is).



*There was a point when I was thinking I had to be mistaken about The Last Crusade aspect of this story, but the use of the word "penitent" in the cavern scene when they find the spring sealed it. That word is critical to the movie.

This book is definitely different than what I usually read, which is refreshing. I thought the magic, creatures and folklore in the story was unique.

The reason for four stars is because I didn’t connect with the main characters as much as I’d like… probably until 70% in. I also am someone who prefers short chapters and broken up paragraphs with more dialogue, and this book had the opposite. However, I will say that even though the story layout was not my favorite, the author’s writing style was really good, and I enjoyed this read a lot.

An academic rival turned into solving a murder in a thrilling sapphic fantasy.

I like going into books only knowing a little bit so knowing that they were academic rivals who must work together to solve a murder was enough for me to want to give this a read and I'm glad I did, it was just a fun read.
There wasn't anything that strongly surprised me but for me, this book is more about the relationship between Lorelei and Sylvia and them learning to work together and falling in love. It is a very slow burn, the witt and banters will keep you reading.
I did enjoy the ship setting, stories set a sea always draw me. And I know I keep coming back to that word fun, but that is what this book is fun; queer, fantasy, romance, it's a good book for a rainy summer day. It's not a crazy epic, heavy fantasy read. It's easy to get lost in, it's fun!
I've read one other book by Allison Saft, A Fragile Enchantment, and enjoyed that one; gave it a four. However, this one is Allison's debut in adult fantasy and I must say, there were a few scenes that read and felt like YA romance. So a bit off balanced. I do have to say that the writing style has a folk vibe to it.

Folklore atmosphere in this adult fantasy of a sapphic slow-burn academic rivals.

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft is a dark, atmospheric novel full of folklore, magic, mystery, and sapphic love. This novel is Saft's first foray out of YA fantasy, and she proves she is adept at anything she writes! Saft was able to pivot her signature atmospheric writing and rivals-to-lovers characters into more mature writing for an older audience. The novel follows a grumpy folklorist and sunshine naturalist who are part of an expedition to find the source of magic in their land. The expedition does not go as planned, and mystery, murder, and danger ensue. Saft creates characters you care deeply about and want to overcome the obstacles thrown at them. The story kept me engaged and wanting to find out what happens next. Saft can also deftly navigate the prejudices faced by certain characters and reflect on how certain races are treated. To conclude, I loved living in the world Saft created and always look forward to whatever she writes next! I recommend A Dark and Drowning Tide to fans of dark academia, folklore, rivals-to-lovers, sunshine/grumpy lovers, and sapphic romance.

I can always count of Saft for a beautiful and magical story full of fierce and complicated women. This was such a delight to read and I'll continue to read anything Saft writes!

My first impression of this book was that its setup was messy. Messy in worldbuilding. Messy in demonstrating character dynamics and personalities. Messy in setting up a scene. It made it difficult for me to love the reading experience.

But, by the end I was enjoying the plot and romance enough to finish the book.

I think the readers that will love this book are the ones who can really appreciate a self-sabotaging protagonist.

A review of this book will be on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks, @ChloeFrizzle

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Be prepared to be seduced by this lush and dark folklore inspired sapphic fantasy! A Dark and Drowning Tide oozes with atmosphere and has the most beautiful prose.

This was the perfect blend of fantasy, dark academia and folklore. Fairytale readers will eat this one up. Long term fans of Allison Saft will not be disappointed.

P.S I’m absolutely obsessed with the gorgeous cover art!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for my ARC.

3.5
Unexpectedly suspenseful and heart-aching.

This was my first sapphic novel and I’m pleasantly surprised. It was a bit of a slow start but by the end of part one things really picked up and by the end of the book finished strong. There were points where I was overwhelmed with the lore drops just because there was so much info at once and I’m unfamiliar with these specific tales. The quick introduction of all the characters left me confused on who was who but as the story progressed I quickly established personalities with their names. I thought Saft did an excellent job building the mystery behind Zygler’s murder and I also enjoyed the development between the MC and love interest—I’m a sucker for rivals-to-lovers and similar tropes.

Overall would recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Allison Saft for the eARC and opportunity to review this book :)

I was once again blown away by Saft’s fabulous writing ❤️

I really loved Down Comes the Night and was anticipating amazing things with A Dark and Drowning Tide. It was like it was written for me: sapphic messes, dark academia, and high stakes fantasy. Boy, did it deliver.

The story follows Lorelei, a grumpy commoner folklorist, and Sylvia, a noble naturalist, who start out as academic rivals, but when forced to team up on an expedition gone wrong, they find more than they could ever imagine.

The worldbuilding is perfectly simple yet complex - its easy to follow but is not lacking in political intrigue and detail. The Kingdom of Brunnestaad, based loosely on Central Europe, has social tensions that create stakes and investment for the characters as they work to navigate their paths.

Additionally so, there’s Jewish representation, albeit under a different name, and social criticism on institutionalized anti-semitism in folklore. As someone who isn’t Jewish, it was a very visceral and educational reading experience the entire way through, and experiencing it through the eyes of the main character in particular made it even more poignant to me.

The fantasy aspects were beautifully mystical and a treasure to read through. From vengeful forest nymphs to sirens, there were many wonderful expositional monsters that added to the worldbuilding.

There are so many reasons to read this but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the love story. The sapphic romance is everything I wanted and more (inclusive of a beautifully and accurately written moment of gay panic), and this bisexual fantasy loving girl felt very seen and loved throughout this read.

5/5 - cannot say enough wonderful things about it!

A Dark and Drowning Tide was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I must say -- it did not disappoint! This is my first Allison Saft book (but definitely not my last) and I was immediately drawn in by her atmospheric prose. The opening scene with Lorelei witnessing rival Sylvia charming some deadly magical creatures (known as wildeluete in Saft's world) set the tone perfectly. Although the worldbuilding was dense with political rivals and the cast of characters was rather large -- we travel with 4 others, besides Lorelei, Sylvia, and their mentor -- I never felt lost. By the book's end, I felt that each of the side characters and their motivations were fully fleshed out, which is a rare and remarkable thing.

I also adored Lorelei in general. Her prickly, standoffish nature is such a refreshing thing to read in a main character; I loved having bright-eyed, mystical Sylvia as the love interest, rather than the other way around. Their romance also develops beautifully. It's a slow burn and they only get one mildly spicy scene, so romantasy folks go in knowing this, but it is so realistic and I love how each character complements the other one so well.

The actual plot of the murder mystery and quest for the mythical Ursprung--source of great power for their kingdom's leader, if he gets his hands on it--is also done very well. I thought there was a nice balance between all of the elements going on, and when I turned the last page, I felt like I could've lived in this world forever, but also that it was wrapped up so nicely, as befits a standalone.

My only critique is that it took a while for me to settle into the story. Pacing in the first 100 pages didn't really work for me, although I adored the rest of the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Allison Saft for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

"Back in the days when wishes still held power..."
Dark Academia, Gothic Fantasy. Sapphic Romance.
This was a fantastic read, that had everything in just the right amount. I loved the characters, I loved the magic system, I loved the usage of folklore. This was my first Allison Saft novel, but I doubt it will be the last. The atmosphere that she created was perfect. I thoroughly recommend this to anyone looking for a enemies to lovers fantasy with a hint of gothic/dark academia vibes. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballentine for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Bleeding with folklore, adorned in the atmosphere of a sentient forest, and hung with tension and yearning so thick you can feel it like a mist curling around your heart, "A Dark and Drowning Tide" is the Jewish, sapphic romantasy of my dreams.

This was the first Allison Saft book that I have read and really enjoyed my reading time with it. Once I saw Gothic and Fantasy as descriptors I immediately requested the ARC.

I enjoyed the characters a lot throughout this story. While it doesn’t provide epic fantasy level character development I felt like I knew and understood the characters enough to enjoy the rest of the story. To me, the characters affections towards one another made sense and I understood the slow burn of their storyline.

I also enjoyed the plot of adventure to find the body of water that could provide a lot of power to the king. And a group of his followers/friends looking for that in the good of the kingdom.


Plus, if you love a one bed/one tent troupe there is a moment in this book.

Aspects of the book that I didn’t enjoy was the touch to our reality. Lorelei is a Yeva, a group of persons prosecuted and abused in the world as being evil and snakes. As the story continues it leans towards showing that Lorelei is what our world would mark as Judaism. It just felt like a strange aspect to the story when in a fantasy world you could make up your own religions and ideas.

Another aspect I didn’t enjoy was the folklore of this world was stories taken from our world. Again touching on our reality when there’s so much opportunity to make up your own world-building aspects. Where I understand using known folklore to make stories in their own worlds I just expect enough of a difference to leave me interested in the folklore.

Other than those two things I rather enjoyed the story, but wished the ending was a little different. Something happened towards the end that didn’t feel necessary.

Overall I gave this book a 4 star! And thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Del Rey for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another hit for Allison Saft! I may be biased in the sense that I love all of her work, and this one was no different!

A Dark and Drowning tide follows two academic rivals, Lorelei and Sylvia, as the attempt to solve the murder of a beloved mentor. Filled with folklore and longing, this sapphic fantasy novel will absolutely delight readers. The banter, the tension, and the gorgeous, magical, dangerous setting will draw you in and make you never want to leave! So excited for this one! Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!

"Back in the days when wishes still held power..." I was overjoyed when I saw this ARC come through. Allison Saft is my favorite author, and her step from YA into Adult is just as magical and lush as her other works. A Dark and Drowning Tide is a beautiful sapphic fantasy novel, brimming with A+ yearning and sass from our lead, Lorelei. This book was [art murder mystery, part golden fleece, all tied up with a beautiful romance and heartbreaking folkloric talkes woven throughout. I'll be thinking of this one for a good, long while. Thank to to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.