This book has a really amazing world. Saft’s world building is always incredible, but something I did not enjoy as much with this one was the characters. Particularly the main character. She has plenty of reason to act the way she does, but there were so many moments when I was just so frustrated by her and it ended up taking me out of the story.

If I ever stop talking about this book assume I am dead. Allison Saft has an uncanny ability to cut straight to the heart of me with every character she writes. Her world building skill never ceases to amaze me. I look forward to anything and everything she writes in the future. Thank you so much to NetGalley & the publisher!!

This is the second book by Saft that I have read, and honestly, I think she’s a master at writing wonderful magic systems and pining romances. 🥰

The book follows Lorelei, a folklorist, as she tries to solve the murder mystery of her beloved advisor on a expedition to find the source of magic. I thought Lorelei was a wonderfully written protagonist. She’s cold, but deeply cares about the people she loves; and aloof, but deeply wants to be accepted. Her characterization as a Jewish coded character was perfectly done in my opinion, and greatly shows the struggles that she had in a newly founded country whose folk tales are set up to cast her as a villain. I also found her inability to see Sylvia’s pining for her rather adorable as she’s so oblivious to it. 💙

Sylvia as her rival and love interest was the complete opposite of Lorelei: emotionally intelligent, optimistic, and bubbly. I loved these two’s banter when they were together, and seeing Lorelei slowly fall for this ethereal woman. I can see why Lorelei was ready to hate Sylvia and what her status stood for, but man do I love a love story that defies social status. 🥰

The world building Saft did for this book was wonderfully done. The German cultural influences were spot on, and I loved when different folk tales were used as commentary for different events in the story. The water magic was also quite intricate, though I did find myself wishing to get more of a history behind its uses and how it spread to the people of Brunnestaad. 💦

All in all, I had a fantastic time with this German folktale inspired adult romantasy! Definitely for those who are interested in Jewish coded stories, that deals with the concept of us vs. them, and how to overcome drowning grief that haunts you. 💧

Big thank you goes out to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for accepting my request for this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review, and to the author, Allison Saft, for a fantastic adult debut! ✨

Publication date: September 17! 🖤

Overall: 4.75/5 ⭐️

My thanks to NetGalley and DelRay for the ARC of Allison Saft’s A Dark and Drowning Tide.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Set in a fantasy world, it begins as an adventure, in which a group of scientist and explorers are seeking a magical spring. That will give great power to anyone who finds it. This is called the Ursprung. Two of the people on the expedition, or Sylvia and Lorelei, who initially hit each other the others in the group or each members of powerful families in the kingdom. The leader of the expedition is a very famous explorer who has trained Lorelei, and made her her second in command. when a couple of days into their journey, Lorelei discovers their leader, murdered Lorelei and Sylvia have to team up to figure out who killed her. At the same time the mission to find the Ursprung still continues during the process Lorelei and Sylvia also shift radically from their initial hatred for each other to affection, and eventually deep desire. Their emerging romance occurs against the backdrop of a murder, mystery, and an adventure plot. I won’t say more for fear, ruining the ending or more of the smaller details of the plot.

The writing in this narrative is for the most part fine. It’s clear and the pop moves along fairly briskly. I did initially have difficulty getting invested, and Sylvia and Lorelei. I didn’t really understand where their hatred came from. It would’ve helped me as a reader, if the author had given a more clear indication of what caused that earlier on, I found myself wondering if it was jealousy, or if something happened between them, and that information doesn’t come out for quite some time as a result I at first pick this book up and started reading it months ago, and then put it down because I got frustrated. When I picked it up again, I read through the end and found that I actually quite liked it. It’s got a good premise, and is very clever with some of the choices. It makes as a fantasy novel. Adding the murder mystery to it, and the powerful women characters. Also made for a refreshingly original fantasy fiction read. Honestly, not my personal favorite book. I’ve ever read in this genre, but I acknowledge the originality for the others doing here, and I think many people will like it.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

A dark academic sapphic rivals to lovers romance. This book had folklore and fairytales brimming from its very pages. With clear nods to the Jewish heritage and the biases placed against them, along with the classic dynamic of one of the main characters thinking they are not worthy of love, while their love interest is brimming- and very willing to give them- that love, this book was delightful.

A brooding, lovely romance with plenty of magic and adventure (and betrayal). Definitely recommend!

I would like to preface what I'm about to say with I am Jewish, from my research I believe Allison Saft to also be Jewish, and if I cold give this book a non-rating so it doesn't effect the average, I would.

I DNFed this book around the 15% mark. I went into this believing it to be a fantasy story about an expedition team, sapphics, and fae folklore. I was not expecting to be constantly bombarded with Jewish trauma and WWII era Germany. I'm not saying this to or against the author--I'm sure they felt they had a reason to add this part of the story in, but for me I'm genuinely tired of Jewish trauma, the goblin stereotype, seeing Jewish characters relegated to bankers/lenders, and seeing Jews once again living in policed ghettos. I have found so so few books out there that showcase Jewish joy, and reading yet another book that has Jewish-coded characters that are constantly suffering, being discriminated, and having to prove their human worth to their oppressors has me exhausted.

I'm sure the book is lovely. I enjoyed parts of it for sure, but this constant story thread and the anti-Semitism being shown on page just made me feel so uncomfortable. I'm sure there are many other Jews that can read and enjoy this story. I'm sad I'm not one of them.

You had me at gothic romance and the cover.

This was my first sapphic book and first book I've read by Allison. I didn't really know what to expect going into this but wow was I drawn in within the first few sentences. The way the words are written are beautiful, I can't even describe it. It's taking descriptions into a whole new level for me.

I absolutely loved the main characters. Lorelei was so amazing probably one of my favorite characters I've read recently.

Everything about this book is beautiful I did however, feel a bit lost sometimes. This is likely a me problem but I wish there was a tad more handholding on the lore aspect.

This is an easy 4.5 star read for me.

~Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.~

✨Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy for an advanced reading and my honest review✨
4.5⭐️- A Dark and Drowning Tide:
The cover is what drew me in, but I stayed for the story. A very quick, easy read this book left me wanting more to Lorelei and Sylvia’s story (Talk about a Yin and Yang pairing). It really gave a Wednesday Addams and Enid Sinclair vibe.
If you like gothic, sapphic, romance-fantasy books with some folklore sprinkled in that is also a murder mystery- this is it!
I like that the story steered me one way, but then suddenly all was revealed and I was way off! I really thought I had it figured out, but then again I’m no detective.
I liked the banter between the characters, but at times they are ruthless with their words. They’re all pretty stubborn characters, but Lorelei feels she has the most to prove due to her upbringing, and at times she was pretty insufferable.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book (first from this author) so I’m excited for the release and next book!

I was quite ill when I began reading this book and it took a bit to get really into it. Once I did get into it - WOW! The story of two such opposites and their beautiful and terrifying world really made me love them both. When reading this get ready for an exciting murder mystery plot. I would love to read more about Lorelei and Sylvia together going on another adventure. Upon finishing this I felt really happy. Also the romance is 🔥.

Allison Saft's debut adult novel does not disappoint. Considerably darker than her previous novels which I have read, the anger and righteousness from our protagonist Lorelei is at first somewhat jarring before we get to really know her. I found her very dynamic and I appreciated the way that her character transformed as the novel went on, mirroring her growth and her feelings for her academic rival, Sylvia.

The richness of Saft's descriptive force is as compelling as always and fully immerses you in the harshness of both the ship on the water and both the terror and bleakness of the wilderness. The last few chapters I read with a held breath right up until the conclusion.

Definitely do not miss this gothic fantasy romance from one of the greats being published on September 17th.

“Back in the days when wishes still held power…”

It’s part quest, part murder mystery, part political scheme, part romance. It’s both whimsical and dark, about finding oneself and getting lost in someone else. Deals with loss and grief and the things, or rather people, that haunt us.

I have to say how absolutely gorgeous the cover of this book is, I would buy the book just for that reason alone. A Dark and Drowning Tide follows the adventure of 6 very different people on a mission to find the source of all magic which has only been spoken about in folktales.

You jump right into the story and learn about the world and magic system as you go along. I love the world building in this book because the author writes as if the reader is a part of this world and drops names of creatures like alpdrücke and mara as if they were dog or cat. I especially adored all the references to German folklore as I am a Grimms fairytale lover and picked up on some nods to the stories I know well. Even in this overtly fairytale world Saft seamlessly incorporates a prejudiced society that anyone can recognize and trace to our own world and experiences.

Lorelei and Sylvia are the perfect opposites attract that just make sense couple. I just love a character that is incredibly intelligent and cunning but also is somehow completely oblivious when someone is into them. They helped each other grow and overcome, break the molds they were forced into. The yearning, the sweetest declarations of love, the hoping beyond hope. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Net Galley for the E-ARC.

Tropes: sapphic, black cat golden retriever/opposites, rivals to lovers, one tent, Darcy hand flex!!!

This was one of the coolest premises I've ever heard. A locked room murder mystery set in a fantasy world while also on a quest to find a magical spring? Incredible. Amazing. I really thought this delivered everything it set out to accomplish, and it did so very well.

The writing style was beautiful, and the world was lush and immersive. This gave off dark fairy tale vibes the entire way through, which I absolutely loved. All of the characters were very three-dimensional as well. I did find myself wanting to learn more about the magic system. It being water-based was very unique and cool, but I feel like it wasn't particularly well explained.

One of my pet peeves with romances that claim they're enemies to lovers is when they make the switch between enemies and lovers very early on in the book. I want ANGST. I want BICKERING. I don't want you to fall in love 20% into the book. This book did not do this. There was a proper amount of yearning and angst, and when the characters at long last admitted feelings, it was incredibly satisfying.

The main character is the grumpy one in the grumpy x sunshine relationship, which was very unique in my opinion. This is one of my favorite tropes to read, and I was giggling and kicking my feet the entire way through. I did start to get a little bit annoyed at her near the end because she was SO grumpy, but that may have just been my own personal preference showing.

Overall I had a really great time reading this. Thank you so much to NetGalley and RandomHouse for giving me a chance to read it early!

I'm sorry to say I DNF this at 35%. I found the pacing horribly slow, and the worldbuilding was intriguing but not well fleshed out. There was a lot of info dumping, rather than gradually introducing us to the world. The relationships between the characters also felt odd; we are more so told about how characters feel about each other rather than shown. I was genuinely disappointed in this one, as I was thrilled to receive an ARC and believed it would be one of my favorite books of the year.

Wowwwweeee!

This was an epic fantasy, sapphic, slow burn, rivals to lovers. There’s also a ton of folklore (including some very cool creatures!), a quest with a troop of childhood friends, AND a murder mystery!

I will admit that there are just so many characters in this book that I sometimes found myself confusing how they all were intertwined, but it got easier to navigate as I read on. Similarly, some of the pacing was also off for me, which is why it took me a while to finish it. However, I read the last third of the book in *one sitting* because once it got going it really got going and I just couldn’t put it down!

I especially adored the feistiness between Lorelei and Sylvia (even when things started heating up 😮‍💨), and I love love loved learning about the creatures they encountered.

Overall I would give this 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4)!

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I've been dying to read this ever since I heard the first teaser's/descriptions that Allison Saft posted online. Academic rivals, grumpy/sunshine, hopelessly in love but too dumb to realize it, this book has it all. It's always refreshing how well Saft balances exciting fantasy drama with quiet moments of tenderness.

i thought this one was good but not great. It had a bit of a slow start but I adored the writing style and the atmosphere created by the author.

What Worked for me
1. Sapphic Rep in a fantasy setting :)
2. A slower pace allowed for a deeper appreciation of the the plot developments.
3. A strong and unique authorial voice comes through clearly within the text.
What didn't work as well
1. While I enjoyed having a large cast of characters too many were introduced to me in too short of a space and it was just a lot to keep up with.
2. my arc had some minor typos
who I recommend this title for
This book will be a fun read for current fans of the authors work but is also very simalar in tone to works such as ava reid's A study in drowing.

A Dark and Drowning Tide took you on a ride through twists and turns, the romance was incredible and the world building was easy to follow. Definitely urge people to read, thank you Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC I though-roughly enjoyed it!

A sapphic fantasy romance that was so delicately told. I found the romantic scenes so lovely and focused on physical beauty, shapes, emotions, touches.

Lorelei and Sylvia could not be more different with Lorelei being more direct, cold, all business and duty driven while Sylvia is smart but light and sweet. With the death of a friend and a mystery to unfold, we get to play detective with a memorable cast of characters but all of whom you may feel suspicious about. Betrayal and lies give the women an opportunity to see where their loyalties lie and whether they can ever find trust amongst them.

A different, unique reading experience and I found the creatures, characters and lands described enough to visualize and put all together. Everything felt powerful and whimsical throughout.

When I heard the pitch for A Dark and Drowning Tide, I thought it would be one of my favorite books of the year. A dark academia book with sapphic rivals-to-lovers? I love all of that. However, I tried to read the first few chapters multiple times and I just couldn't push through. I've never DNFed an ARC before, but I guess there's a first time for everything.

The first chapter is fine. It throws us into the world and we get a lot of tension between Lorelai and Sylvia. The second chapter was difficult to get through. There are 10 named characters (one of which was unnecessarily misnamed at first), 5 or 6 unnamed characters, and the amount of info-dumping left me feeling like I needed to create a series of charts. Not only do we get 10 named characters, but Saft gives us background on each character and explains the dynamic between them and our main character/others. I can understand why Saft does this. When you're introducing this many characters at once, you have to differentiate them or they'll all blur together. Despite trying to distinguish each character, they still all muddled together to me because there were too many to properly remember. I shouldn't have to create a list of who each character is, their backstory, and their dynamic with the main character to read a book. At the very least, I wish Saft would've put a list of the main characters at the front as a resource.

Not only did Saft introduce too many characters at once, but the amount of info-dumping felt overwhelming by the end of the second chapter. Saft gives us the whole history of how the monarch came to power, which didn't seem necessary and could've been explained later. Saft also gave us a flashback scene between the main character and her father that felt out of place too.

Amidst all of this, Saft didn't give me the one thing I needed to keep reading and that is a reason to want to follow Lorelai's story. I love complex, flawed women. A perfect character is boring to read about. However, Lorelei was insufferably bitter. All I needed was some small spark to latch onto so I'd have enough interest to keep going, but it wasn't there. I didn't want to be in her head for hundreds of pages.

This is my third Allison Saft book and, ultimately, I just don't think she's for me. Her other books are poorly paced, and A Dark and Drowning Tide is more of the same. She also has a habit of bringing in complex real-world problems but doesn't treat them with the gravity she should. In the end, it's lazy world-building. While I don't have enough to go on here (which is why I'm not rating this), from the first two chapters, I'm worried that this is also more of the same.

I wish reviewers could get a sample of the story before requesting because feel awful DNFing an ARC. However, after weeks of several failed attempts to read this book, I just couldn't push through.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for my reviews. I wish I had better things to say.