Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey Press for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a fun read! The world, based on Germanic folklore, was well fleshed out and the magic system was easy to understand yet still interesting. The plot was great, I love how well paced this was as both an adventure and a mystery. Most of all, though, I loved the characters. Any time Sylvia and Lorelei exchanged dialogue I felt as if I were there. They are seriously the best, and I won’t say more to spoil the journey. I am so excited for this to come out in September, I have a lot of friends I think will love this!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the digital ARC and for answering my accessibility questions!

The protagonist, Lorelei, shares her name with a siren from German folklore. It fits the water magic, nymphs, and nixies in this book perfectly. I liked how Lorelei, a folklorist, incorporated German fairy tales and often subverted them. Lorelei's people, the Yeva, are strongly implied to be Jewish. The references to Judaism and to antisemitic persecution were obvious even to me, a non-Jewish reader. So many European folktales are antisemitic, so I'm always glad to see Jewish authors reclaiming and re-imagining them.

I liked the murder mystery and the adult, sapphic attraction. At times, the rivals (enemies?) to lovers aspect was a little overdone or drawn out. It was obvious from the beginning that Lorelei was attracted to Sylvia and never hated her. Still, both characters grew, so I liked their relationship.

A fun, atmospheric read!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book was very hard for me to get into. The characters just weren’t that relatable or likeable to me. I couldn’t form any type of connection with them. I will say that it’s a good example of rivals to lovers and I did enjoy that part.

To me, nothing really happened in the first 100 or so pages and I just felt like this drug on for me. It took me a while to finish this book because I just had to keep putting it down. I’m not sure I would’ve finished it if it hadn’t been a NetGalley arc.

With that being said, I wouldn’t say the book was bad because it wasn’t but it just wasn’t for me. I’m not sure who I would recommend this too but I am sure others may enjoy this type of written style/ story.

Side note: the cover is absolutely stunning!

3 stars.

Allison's writing always creates immersive worlds that I want to live in forever. Every element -- from the character names to the descriptions to the folklore -- is so intertwined and solid that I fully believe in this magical setting being a real place just out of reach. Lorelai's ambition in the face of hatred and discrimination and backstabbing is so compelling, as are her moments of despair when it seems like everything she's worked towards will crumble, or she questions whether it was all worth it in the first place. And magical Sylvia is so hard to pin down, almost illusory in her masking to be what everyone expects of her. Conclusion: Saft is a mastermind.

This was good but not outstanding. I enjoyed it, and I will recommend it to my sapphic friends, but I would have liked more from it. I loved the slow-burn aspect to this romance, and there was great chemistry between the MCs. I liked the academic setting, even though I was hoping for more information and overall a longer read.

The sapphic enemies to lovers trope gets me every time! I struggled with this book, and I definitely think others will enjoy it. It just wasn't stellar for me. Best of luck to the author and all associated parties!

I am slowly but surely becoming an Allison Saft stan, I really enjoyed this book and while the world building was alright the actual magic system inside this world was a bit muddled. It had a nice pace to though and I think readers will definitely enjoy it!

I'll start with what worked for me:
- I really enjoyed the main character; we don't usually get the POV of the grumpy in the grumpy x sunshine books, and I had so much fun reading how much of a hater lorelei was. The tall, dark, handsome, brooding androgynous vibe really worked for me. I feel like in sapphic romances we often get the femme, romantic, sweet main character and this was very refreshing
- The tension between the two seemed fairly genuine. the reason for their rivalry was interesting and was fun to watch the layers peel back as the story went on
- For the most part, I really enjoyed the cast of characters. Sometimes they were a bit similar so I had a hard time keeping track of who was who, but overall I found the group Lorelei was traveling with very intereresting and intriguing characters.

What didn't work for me:
- I found the world building very lazy. I never felt like I really got a good grasp at the type of magic that this entire world was built on and the politics happening were definitely an afterthought. (Like the ending very much confused me as to how nothing really happened after they returned home - no big changes after the huge adventure and discoveries made on their journey)
- Going with that, I found the obvious backstory of Lorelei being jewish so heavy handed. I think there could be room for a very cool metaphor for judaism within this world, but the blatant ripping off of jewish culture within our real life really took me out of the fantasy. Felt like a lazy way to create an ethnic group within this fantasy world that was persecuted. It almost made me feel like the author didn't trust us as the readers to follow the moral compass of this story, they had to really spell it out for us.

I enjoyed myself reading this sapphic fantasy enemies-to-lovers but found huge flaws in the core of the novel that really left a bad taste in my mouth.

but I do have to shout out the cover art; one of the most stunning book covers I've seen in a minute.

lorelei, a folklorist aspiring to be a naturalist. she’s determined to find a fabled spring, sure that this will get her to her dream. but when her beloved mentor is murdered, she has to shift gears to clear her own name. she teams up with her rival, sylvia, to find the real murderer before they strike again.

something i love about allison saft’s books is that they are so magical, all the way down to the prose itself. this helped immerse me into lorelei and sylvia’s world, and i didn’t want to leave.

i also loved lorelei and sylvia’s character exploration and growth. they weren’t perfect by any means, which is partially what made them so interesting. plus, their relationship was definitely a slowburn, which i loved.

i highly recommend this to adult fantasy fans.

First, let me thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I was excited to read this book because of the pretty cover and interesting book description. It definitely seemed like a book with some of my favorite tropes and elements. I enjoyed the overall plot of the story. The characters were likeable, but I didn't feel as though they had enough depth for what I prefer in a book. I still liked the characters, but I couldn't get lost in the story in a way I like. It just felt as though something was missing throughout, but the story was still good. I also struggled to stay focused at times because of the pacing. There were times when I wanted to skim read because it felt like it was taking forever for the story to "move" (progress). Overall, I liked the story and would recommend it.

lush and dark, like coffee with swirls of white milk.

the author used magic, because her writing managed to ensnare me in a trap of shivery but rich settings and hot, hot sapphic characters. the slow-progressing story may not be for everyone, for the obvious plot is merely a facade for the excellent character-driven fixation. but it was heavenly for me. i got to escape into the disastrous mind of lorelei, who has a temper and wit. (i just love, love her.) sylvia was frustrating to me. i hated her at times, but she’s since grown on me. i can’t deny the perfection that is lorelei and sylvia as the world’s most powerful couple.

(writing this makes me desperate to pick up the book again.)

don’t let personal reservations stop you from reaching this book. i usually avoid mystery novels that center around “who is the killer among this group of people?” but the magnificent illustration of the cover convinced me. and it should convince you too.

i thought no other of allison saft’s work would live up to ‘a far wilder magic,’ but this may just best it by a few of my heartbeats. maybe.

A Dark and Drowning Tide was an entertaining read that held my interest with it's sense of mystery, combined with fantasy, folklore, and dark academia.

Lorelei is a sharp-tongued folklorist leading a mission to find a magical river for the current monarch. But when the mission goes awry and dead bodies start turning up, she turns to her arch nemesis for help, only to discover there's so much to unravel, including her feelings.

Honestly, I had a hard time warming up to Lorelei for about half the book. She's extremely acerbic and quite scathing in her conversations with others most of the time. As the story goes on however, you begin to understand why she is the way she is, and feel for her a little bit. I was happy to finally see her snide outer shell cracked. In my own life however, I would probably just end up writing someone like that off... but I suppose if she were your boss, you wouldn't have a choice, right?

I loved Sylvia and her wild, impetuous demeanor. But beneath her carefree attitude are multiple layers overlying a heart of gold. She was definitely one my favorite characters—her and Ludwig. He was so open yet outrageous—the perfect best friend. I wish we got more of him.

Overall the story, the mystery, and the world building kept me engaged and intrigued. So what that I didn't like the MC so much... Sylvia and Ludwig more than made up for it. :)

Thank you to Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!
I think I may have read one of my favorite sapphic books I'll read this year. Saft does an incredible job of painting this descriptive picture of this dangerous luscious expedition, filled with exciting magic and entertaining dynamics between the 6 characters.

This entire story felt like a folkloric, dark fairytale with intertwining and deep worldbuilding. While at times I was a bit lost on the history and worldbuilding of the setting, I found that it was so luscious and layered that I didn't care. While for some people it may be a little too much to take in, for me I found the bits that built upon the world's folktales and historical stories to be utterly enchanting.

Now for the characters...my favorite part of the book. From the beginning, I knew I was going to LOVE this story because of the way Loriel was written. Witty, pessimistic, tortured, and a little cruel—she is everything I love reading, and having to experience this story through that kind of perspective was incredible. I found myself laughing several times from her blunt attitude, and learning the stories of the other characters (especially Sylivia's...) was amazing. Having someone such as Loriel, who almost reminds me of an anti-hero of sorts at times, be the voice of perspective and narration gave the overall stories a new and fresh taste in my mouth. It was so much fun getting to pick apart her obvious and relatable internal anger and self-doubt and having a character like Sylvia who is the complete opposite of that bring the light out of her was beautiful. Saft did an incredible job slowly establishing and demonstrating the roles each character was going to play early on, which in my opinion did for really great and unexpected plot twists in the second half of the story. If there is anything I think this book carries itself on is the very unique and entertaining characters that keep the plot going at a fast pace.

When it comes to Saft's writing the one word that comes to mind is delectably beautiful and savory. Her prose is what really places this story on a whole new level. It is luscious and descriptive, packed with layers of emotion, and at the same time builds an expeditious world around you while conveying all the sins of the characters. Overall it was amazing. At times I forgot I was reading because I was so wrapped up in how Saft was writing a scene.

I cannot wait to get the physical copy, I'm literally drooling for it.

I love Allison Saft books! As her adult debut, this book had a lot to live up to, and I really liked it. The main characters were complex but likable, and I empathized with them a lot as a fellow competitive idiot. The world was really expansive too, which actually made me just want a map to look at and see what territories were part of the main kingdom and which weren't considering how important that plot line was. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, but I did find the pacing and writing a little hard to follow at times, which is why I gave it four stars. I'd recommend to fans of sapphic fantasy books and complicated adventures as well as those who liked any of Saft's other books.

Unfortunately, I felt A DARK AND DROWNING TIDE relied too much on tropes and atmosphere and not even on plot or character.
I've enjoyed the author's previous work, but this one felt a bit lackluster, and from the author's note, it does appear it may have been
a bit of a personal struggle.

Rich with worldbuilding and compelling characters, A Dark and Drowning Tide was one of the most satisfying standalone fantasies I've read since Naomi Novik's Uprooted. I rooted for Lorelai and Sylvia until the end, and the slow burn delivered. By the time I reach the end of a standalone, I'm always nervous the ending will leave me disappointed, but A Dark and Drowning Tide gave me exactly the pay-off I craved. I can't wait to buy the book when it comes out and re-read it over and over again.

A sapphic academia tale of a Jewish young woman and her journey and experiences with antisemitism that influences her worldview. A beautiful tale of mystery, suspense, and the racism and prejudice seen in fairytales. Definitely worth the read.

If I need a book, that’s dark, gritty and fast paced, I go to Allison Saft. I’ve loved and adored her books in the past, and this was no different. The academic rivals coming together to solve a mystery sucked me in immediately. Lorelei was a joy to follow, I adored her wit and charm so much, that when it ended, I wanted to read another novel with a character just like her. Truly, I cannot wait for people to read this come September. The perfect amount of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The work felt rushed and a bit underdeveloped. The magical elements of the story are not fully explored or integrated into the narrative in a meaningful way, for my personal taste. Pivotal romantic moments come across as contrived rather than heartfelt. The prose was excessive and detract and I did not care for the characters, unfortunately.

Sapphic academic rivals to lovers? YES PLEASE. Add folklore and fantasy and I’m a goner. Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for an early review copy!

A bewitching concoction of dark magic, forbidden romance, and haunting mystery that ensnares readers from the very first page. Set in a vividly depicted world, this spellbinding tale transports readers to a realm where secrets lurk beneath the surface, waiting to be unearthed.

The story follows the journey of our cunning protagonist, Lorelei Kaskel, tossed into a web of intrigue and danger as she leads a voyage to find the coveted Ursprung. The novel's prose weaves suspense and emotion, drawing readers deeper into a narrative brimming with unexpected twists and turns. The author's vivid descriptions breathe life into the atmospheric setting, evoking a sense of foreboding that lingers long after the final page is turned.

At the heart of the story lies a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance fraught with tension and longing, The chemistry and shifting dynamic between the characters adds an intriguing layer of depth to the story. Overall, a masterclass in world-building, seamlessly blending elements of fantasy, romance, and mystery to create a rich and immersive reading experience.