Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy of this ebook in return for an honest review.

A most people are saying, this is a sapphic romance with magic steeped deeply in the story. Rivals-to-lovers, academic setting, what more could you want.

The story developed well and the romance was sweet. I just think it wasn't exactly what I was looking for right now. I would say this is bound to be a fan fave for many!


3 stars

First of all, thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I very much wanted to love this book. It was very hard for me to get invested. I stopped around 40% through because I was having a hard time connecting to the characters. I felt that the author took great care to describe everything in this world (beautifully), but did not use that same care when it came to the people. It took me a while to understand the dynamic between them and find them relatable.

The story itself was too slow moving for me and did not deliver the haunting vibes I was looking for. I feel the love story took too long to build and left me wanting.

This may be a great read for some people however, this was not a book for me.

While this book had a slow start for me, I overall enjoyed it a great deal. I think there were some loose threads that could have been resolved a little more cleanly for my tastes at the end of the book, but the rivals to lovers romance at the heart of the book was so compelling and well done that I didn't even realize that I had some issues with unresolved plot threads until I sat down to write this review. Beyond the slight struggle in pacing, the overarching story was well done, the characters were all interesting and well rounded, and the "who dunnit" mystery kept me guessing until the reveal. I also have to applaud the cover illustrator, as the cover drew me to the book initially and sometimes even kept me going when the pacing was a little bit of a struggle.

This is a book I'll be able to recommend to many customers and think will sell in our store. I appreciate the opportunity to preview!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for granting me this arc. This book was sooo good! It was my first Alison Saft book and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. it sucks you right in from the very beginning. Gothic lesbians and academic rivalry already had me so excited to read this!! My heart hurt for the character who believed it was impossible to be loved by the other while the other loved them with no questions asked. The mystery side to this story also kept me engaged throughout the entirety of the book. I absolutely recommend.

I thought this book offered a brilliant portrayal of dark, gothic themes and very new-age Agatha Christie-like murder mystery elements (which came as a surprise, I wasn't expecting that going in.) As this was my first sapphic romance, I can't compare it to works of similar themes, however, this has been a wonderful introduction and I'm excited to try other dark fantasy sapphic romance books like this. I do wish the romance played a larger role in this, however the banter between the main characters was VERY well done.

A Far Wilder Magic is currently sitting on my TBR shelf waiting to be read and now that I'm familiar with Alison Saft's writing and prose, I'm even more excited to jump into her previous works.

This was a delightful 4.25/5 star.

A dark and drowning tide following Lorelei and Sylvia on a journey to find the rumored source of magic for the king. It starts wild, I’m not normally for sapphic but this one hooked me. after their first day and the craziness of it all the bond between them was nice to watch form. Only having each other to rely on to get through the forests, and chilling mythical creatures, this novel truly transports you to get lost in. Would recommend with preference warnings.

4/5 ⭐️

If you know anything about me it’s that the more I love something, the harsher I am to critique it. Allison Saft is an instant buy for me, therefore I hold her to a ridiculous standard. She has such an exquisite way of writing that it the epitome of showing and not telling…. With that said, it can be difficult to be dropped into her worlds. She’s not very forgiving when it comes to world building and a lot of it you have to just pick up over time. Most of the time this works for her, but with this particular book having a lot of political undertones it was hard to fully understand at the beginning. I wished it eased us in with a bit more explanation.
I adored these characters (or I adored how she wrote the characters who were unlikeable.) It was so refreshing to see an entire book from the “grumpy/moody” point of view instead of the optimistic sunshine. Lorelei struggled to weigh her feelings for Sylvia and her pride and Allison did an excellent job detailing this. These characters are deeply flawed, which makes them more relatable…. However, I do think some of the actions done (specifically in the second half of the book) were nearly unforgivable and we just kinda grazed over them. I wish there would’ve been more conflict about what one of the characters had done. (If you read the book you will know exactly which part I’m talking about.)
Overall, another great one for the shelf.
ARC provided by NetGalley

Unfortunately this book was not for me… I was really excited about the plot and romance and everything felt quite dragged on and not that interesting. I was bored reading the book, didn’t want to pick it up. I think the author’s writing might not be for me.

Actual Rating 4.5

I have been wanting to read (or write!) a book like this for years. I’m not sure what aspect of this book I liked the most, but there were several things that stood out to me.

The world building was wonderful. It was strong and incorporated smoothly throughout the read without relying on info-dumps. I loved that the premise of this work involved an expedition with naturalists, because it opened the door for so many opportunities for fascinating creativity. The creatures, plants, magic, and folklore of this world were fascinating and utilized wonderfully throughout. The author also chose to create a German-inspired world with a Jewish-inspired population present as well. This was handled well in a way that provided interesting commentary and paralleled real-world treatment of those viewed as “others” by the ruling peoples.

I loved the characters as well. The number of strong women in this book was beautiful. Yet they were unique, motivated by very different things, and given wonderful depth and development. Even the secondary characters, women especially, played a prominent role and were written just as well as the main characters. It was a little difficult to like the characters at first, but as the story went on, explanations for their behavior was incorporated in a way that made their actions and thoughts feel realistic.

My only minor complaint about this work was that as the protagonist was a folklorist, there were many asides where something reminded her of a fairytale and the author included the tale. It happened quite a bit, though thankfully the tales were generally only a couple of paragraphs. There were times when it felt like it interrupted the plot too much though.

If you’re interested in a slower-paced fantasy focusing on the nature of the world, enjoy the “grumpy x sunshine” trope, or are interested in a lovely lesbian romance, then this is absolutely worth checking out.

this book is one of my most anticipated of the year and it did not disappoint at all. i am so deeply in love with this story and these characters… i cannot believe i got to read this!!! Allison Saft has written a beautiful sapphic fantasy novel & i cannot wait for the world to read it.


thank u to netgalley and the publishers for the arc <3

Ms. Saft’s writing is a testament to her skills as a storyteller. Her ability to fabricate entire worlds, compact them into tidy, novel-sized packages, and impress them upon her readers in descriptive, colorful accounts without bogging down the reading experience is both remarkable and inspiring.
A Dark and Drowning Tide draws heavily from jewish folklore in a delightful way while also mirroring the unique experience as a minority within a majority society. Lorelei is a delightfully grumpy, tortured cinnamon roll who needs a long hug and some f*cking. And when she does finally get both, we see she is notable less grumpy and tortured. 5/5 stars from me, in addition to the Lorelei-inspired haircut I gave to myself immediately upon finishing this book.

Loved the gorgeous cover and was excited to get an ARC of this. The story was really hard for me to get into. I couldn't connect with the characters in a meaningful way, making it a challenge to push through. It had everything it needed to be great; enemies to lovers, folklore and magic, but it just fell a little flat for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this title early. I enjoyed it for the most part. It is beautifully written. However, it was rather difficult to get into. I struggled probably up until the halfway point, mostly trying to figure out what was going on and where it could be going. The story is not structured the way most others are and I think it just took a while for me to find the beat of it. I am not Jewish, so perhaps a lot of the story elements were wasted on me, but I think the author did a good job portraying antisemitism and how it might affect a person trying to exist and find their way in such a hostile society. The stereotyping, the discrimination, and the violence would be impossible to overcome without hardening yourself against it somehow. I can see why a lot of people wouldn't like our main character because of her overall demeanor, but I think I can see how she became that way. Our other characters (besides Sylvia) were largely unimportant to me. I hated that I had no idea how to pronounce most of their names. Once the story found it's stride, it was an easier reading experience. While ultimately I ended up enjoying the book, it was not one of my favorites.

I would compare this book to some I've read by Naomi Novik, and a little bit of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries. I would recommend it to customers who are looking for fairy tales and folklore, sapphic slow burn rivals to lovers, a little murder mystery, and questing adventures.

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book. There is a lot to love about it; however, I just kept getting pulled out of the story because of info dumps. Lorelei is a fantastic character, though, and she was written very well. I’ll most likely return to this book once it’s released for a reread to see if my opinions change.

*Review posts on 9/4/24.

A DARK AND DROWNING TIDE is a rivals-to-lovers queer romance and murder mystery, which spends a lot of time on "rivals" a satisfying amount on "lovers", and just enough on the murder mystery to hold the whole thing together.

Lorelei is Yevani, (i.e. Jewish), having grown up in a ghetto and only been admitted to the university by dint of mentorship by an influential folklorist and academic. As a Yeva, Lorelei is in a precarious position within the expedition. She's "smart enough" to get in, but not trusted once she's there. Her competence is at once needed and suspect, especially once the expedition's leader (and her mentor) is murdered in the night when their journey is barely underway. The small group proceeds, though no one person trusts everyone else now that a murderer is in their midst. Lorelei is trying to lead the investigation and figure out the identity of the killer, but she keeps getting distracted by how exasperatingly lovely Sylvia is.

The expedition is to find a magical spring (the Urspring) at the behest of Wilhelm, wants to form a united kingdom of what are currently several different provinces with their own rulers. It seems analogous to the transformation of the various Germanies into a united Germany. Much of the worldbuilding is conveyed through interactions between the members of the expedition, as they all have very different perspectives on the idea of uniting the provinces into a single kingdom. Even those who agree it would be good do so for very different reasons. The members of the group are apparently united by their loyalty to William. Furthermore, they're all from different kingdoms, and everyone except Loreli knew each other as children. This means that she's an outsider both for being Yeva and for not sharing a specific past with the rest of them.

The mystery elements are the scaffold upon which the romance rests, part of what pulls to Lorelei to Sylvia is that she's circumstantially unlikely (or even impossible) to have been the killer, leaving Lorelei to feel as if she's the only reasonable ally in dangerous circumstances. Lorelei can't trust her absolutely, at least not at first, but she can trust Sylvia to be herself, and that's good enough. I like their dynamic, it fits them and the narrative very well. Things unfold slowly between because they continue to be rivals well into the story. Lorelei also keeps thinking of folktales she has collected. Their placement within the story does a good job of conveying her frame of mind as well as building out the world.

I love the ending, the final few chapters are my favorite part. I like how the various story threads are wrapped up.

First thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNFing this at 15% because this is painfully hard for me to read. I read A Fragile Enchantment in the fall of last year by Saft and absolutely fell in love with her writing. It was warm and inviting, like a great big hug. So I was so excited to read this sapphic adult debut that’s rivals to lovers.

I just couldn’t handle how info dumpy this was, 3 chapters in and I’m horribly lost on what exactly is happening and what the point of the expedition is. Which isn’t great since that’s the main plot. It also just makes everything drag. Where AFE I clearly grasped the world and what the plot was instantly, I’m straining to keep up here.

Also, I am all for a bit of drama but the way Lorelei hates everyone and everyone hates her makes it painful to read as well. I’m not entirely fond of books where everyone just appears to be miserable all the time. Perhaps that gets better as the book goes on but I don’t think I can muddle through.

Im also not a fan of this new thing where characters are clearly Jewish but they have to go by another name. It feels a bit icky? Like it’s still shameful to just let people be Jewish in a fantasy novel. (Please take this with a grain of salt I myself AM NOT Jewish. I’m just saying it doesn’t sit right with me…)

Overall, if you like overly miserable characters and a dreary setting this might be for you. But I can’t say that I recommend this sadly.

2 stars mostly because the writing IS beautiful and on par with what I love about Saft’s writing.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for this arc!

Omg this book was absolutely stunning. This is my second Allison Saft book and I am absolutely devastated that this book is over with.

The characters had so much depth, layers, and the whole entire time I was wanting to know more and more about each character. They made me laugh, be frustrated with them, and I could connect with them.

The world building was absolutely beautiful and even though there were times I was lost with the world I kept eating it up. It was rich, fleshed out, and I was truly amazed by how developed the world was.

The romance, omggg I was eating it up at every turn. The bantering, the arguing, the hostility that the two Slyvia and Lorelei shared made me on the edge of my seat. The gradual slow burn over time to the point where they were able to be around each other without hostility. At the end I was so in love with the two that I wished there was a novella for these two.

This is was an amazing gritty, captivating, Sapphic novel. Allison Saft is amazing with words and I can't wait for this book to be published.

What is it about
The King of Brunnestaad is trying to secure his reign of a tenuous country by finding the source of all magic. Lorelei and Sylvia are academic rivals competing for 2nd in command to their mentor on this expedition. When Lorelei is chosen and her mentor ends up dead, she’s put in charge of not only the expedition but finding the true murderer. If she doesn’t, she’ll be the scapegoat. The only problem? The 5 of them who are on the expedition and are suspects are close friends with the King with complicated history and ties to different regions of the country. As it turns out her academic rival might be the only person Lorelei can trust.

Review:
I enjoyed this book! The atmosphere and brooding were amazing. Lorelei was so refreshing because I've never read a character be broody the way she does. She is quite frankly a bitch and she knows it. Under that exterior though? She’s scared and doing her best. Oblivious sometimes and not overly powered in her skills like a lot of main characters can be in other books. She doubts herself and others. She struggles with her role in this world and wants more. Lorelei has gone through so much and just wants to be free of the shackles she’s placed under.

Sylvia? The exact opposite. A ray of sunshine, bold, not afraid to do what needs to be done. Smart and experienced. Lorelei and Sylvia bicker and fight but are secretly totally obsessed with each other.

There was a lot of world building, magic systems, politics, etc that needed to be taken in. And for the most part it didn’t matter if you didn’t understand some aspects because it wasn’t too important to the story line. I will say a big part of Lorelei’s character is that she’s Yevanish. It wasn’t quite clear to me if this was solely a religion or a race etc. What was clear is that she and other Yevani’s were discriminated against by everyone. Most likely why Lorelei has such a tough exterior.

Read Time: 6-7 hours
The Promise?: Sapphic Romance Murder Mystery with magic.
Did it Deliver?: Mostly! The romance was on the back burner for a lot of the book because Lorelei is oblivious BUT you do see her notice Sylvia A LOT. Not sure if I’d classify this as a slow burn because of this. The murder plot? Also put slightly on the back burner as Lorelei is trying not to die herself. I didn’t mind these aspects but beware if you do. The Romance picks up in the end and so does finding out whodunit!


Read if you like: Murder Mystery, Cool complex Magic systems, Sapphic Romance, Expeditions, Sunshine and Grump, Rivals to Lovers.

Would I read again?: Most likely! Especially if there are any special editions that are coming out. With a cover this pretty I might just have to collect them all.

Other notes: I did feel sad that I didn’t get to see or understand really who the Yevanish people were. Also if Lorelei helped better the Yevanish people’s role in society since the Yevani can’t even leave their designated community during certain hours. I do realize that this was not the point of the book but the author created such a complex environment and society that I just really wanted to know more than I was given. Lorelei is selfish as it is stated in the beginning and she DID Achieve her goal in the end. So can’t really be too sad as it was clear from the beginning bettering society for Yevanish people wasn’t really on her todo list. It’s more Sylvia’s style if anything.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a sapphic enemies to lovers with some added magic and mystery.

The whole premise had me so excited to start this pulse the whole folk story touch. If I was not reading as a ARC I would have stopped at the 50% mark.
Nothing was holding my attention and it didn’t make me want to pick up to continue the story.
This feels very much like trying to be Six of crows but with German influences.

Once it got the 55% mark I started to get into it more. The utterly snail pace slow burn of Sylvia and Lorelei turned out to be very sweet but man could we have gotten there a little sooner.

The mystery part was good and left wondering and the magical creatures they come along on their quest was fun.

Overall it is fine but it could have been so much better.

Thank you to Net Galley and Allison Saft for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I first want to thank Netgally for the absolute pleasure of being able to access a free digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

The warning for this book as listed on the authors website are as follows, Violence, gore, and body horror, Antisemitism and scientific racism, Nationalism.

This is one of the most gorgeous books I have had the pleasure of reading! I love the way that the romance was actually fleshed out, and how it really was an academic rivals/enemies to lovers. Told primarily from Lorelei's perspective, an outsider who has been made to feel lesser and hide who she is her entire life, there is such depth to her pain and I am so happy with how her story ends.

The tension between Sylvia and Lorelei had me hooked from the first few chapters, and I literally could not put the book down once the plot began to unravel. I do not typically read murder mystery books, so I was pleasantly surprised at the reveal of who the killer was. I loved the ending of the book, and I am genuinely pleased on how the story wrapped up. It felt like there were well thought out reasons for the actions that take place within the novel, by (almost) every character.

The addition of folklore blended beautifully with the rich atmosphere of the world, I felt that it added a lot to the story overall. Overall I cannot wait to buy a physical edition once it is released!