A beautifully dark tale filled with magic, folktales and pining. A Dark and Drowning Tide offered such a unique magic system, along with an expertly crafted group of complex characters. Murder-mysteries are always so fun to read, and Allison Saft did such a fantastic job planting moments of uncertainty that had me on the edge of my seat and second guessing who might be guilty. Also, the yearning & longing between Lorelei and Sylvia was *chefs kiss*. A delicious slow burn between academic rivals that makes you DESPERATE to read more.

Allison Saft has done it again! The folklore, the sentient forest, the beautiful love story set against a backdrop of war and tensions were magnificently told. And there was a twisty murder mystery! I loved it. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book.

I want to start out by saying that this is a well written book but I’m giving it a 3.5 for the slowness of it. I would usually give it four stars but it took me a long time to get through the first half of this book. When I saw it on NetGalley I was super excited because sapphic academic rivals?? 😏 A murder mystery set in a fantasy novel? One of my favorite types of stories. But it just took too long to get interesting so it took me months to read it when it usually takes me a day or two to read a book of this size. Albeit a little boring, but I think the wor;d building was really well done without being a complete info dump of knowledge. The banter was top tier as well.

I really wanted to like this book. I’m definitely a reader who bases a lot of the books she reads off of their covers (sorry, I know some people hate that), and the cover is insanely beautiful, so I had such high hopes. Unfortunately, even months after I was approved, I just had to DNF. I couldn’t connect well to any of the characters, the writing to me made the storyline very slow, so it felt like a tough pill to swallow every time I picked it back up. I really wish I could love it, and the plot seems really amazing, but it just fell flat for me to the point I couldn’t finish it.

Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book. I really wanted to love it, but I found the writing a little stilted. The characters had an interesting outline but failed to really hook me. I think this would be a great read for fans of Six of Crows or The Atlas Six, but it just wasn’t for me.

I can’t wait to tell all my friends about this book when it comes out. i fell in love with it right away. From the world building to the characters everything was just so captivating.

3.5

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*Received an eARC from netgalley for an honest review. Thank you!

I was lucky to receive another one of Allison Saft's books to review. This book hits the type of vibes and atmosphere I gel with, and I think the author's writing style has improved since A Fragile Enchantment. A very smooth reading experience, abundant with vivid descriptions, and a dark, compelling premise featuring a sapphic pairing who happen to also be academic rivals. Their contrasting personalities were, for the most part, an enjoyable facet of the plot. While they both bicker constantly and fight for their standing in academics, their relationship can be described as a tide pushing and pulling, sometimes fervently and sometimes gently. Lorelei's cold, withdrawn and abrasive disposition pushes but also retreats from Sylvia's more carefree and confident personality. I appreciate the author for making it clear that each of these characters hold unique strengths and weaknesses. In some situations, one will rise to the occasion, while the other lends their support.

While I will praise the character dynamic and tone of the writing, it doesn't come without criticism. Firstly, I think my biggest issue was the pacing and length of this book; It did not need to be almost 400 pages. There was too much repetition of events and narration that didn't need repeating, but it certainly needed more relevant buildup. I don't think the actual character development was done eloquently. I understand Lorlei is meant to be insufferable to a degree, but I expected her to have more gradual development in her emotional maturity. Her big, heroic moment did not dispel my grudges against her by the end of the book. The biggest mistake Lorelei makes still made me despise her, and if I had been a character in this story I would not forgive her so easily.

The side characters also weren't very memorable to me, and if they were, it was also because I didn't like them.

The plot itself was okay and I'm not sure I have much to say beyond that. The premise itself serves to build the characters' ambitions and the obstacles they face are meant to test their morals, but the execution lacked much substance. Things happen, but they didn't seem very relevant.

Additionally, the author inserts so many different folktales, which I would usually be a huge fan of. I love stories of fae and I especially love when they are told with the purpose of teaching a life lesson, but there was just too much of it and I started to lose focus on the actual story. Usually I'm patient with info dumps, but this sometimes ruined the pacing.

Overall, this book delivers on its promise of a gothic story with two women as rivals to lovers, and I did enjoy it for the most part. I just wish other facets of the book were as fleshed out and given more care.

OH HOW I DEVOURED THIS BOOK!!! To be 10000% honest, I had never read Allison Saft before, but the cover caught my attention, the synopsis sounded RIGHT UP MY ALLEY, (gay AND gothic???? yes, please!), and the story kept me turning page after page after page.. Before I start my review, I just have to say that I am already awarding this book "Most Beautiful Book Cover in the History of Forever." DO NOT LET THIS ARTIST GO. My god, so GORGEOUS!

Now, onto the actual review. As I said before, I truly devoured this book. I wanted to literally CRAWL into this world. I was HOOKED and was pretty much pulled in within just the first couple pages. Lorelai Kaskel and Sylvia von Wolff: Name a more iconic duo. You can't.

"A Dark and Drowning Tide" is an incredibly lushly written, angsty tale of beautiful SAPPHIC (yessssss!) love that is intertwined with tales about injustice. This book was so unique and different than anything I have ever read before that I am struggling to try to compare it to something similar. This book really is different. Would not be surprised AT ALL to see this up for the next Goodreads Choice Awards. Without being dramatic, this really was a masterpiece in all things gay and gothic.

I normally DESPISE (and I mean LOATHE) the "grumpy/sunshine" trope, but Saft pulled it off here PERFECTLY, and now I'm beginning to question if I actually *do* like this trope, but just thought that I hated it because other authors failed to execute it in a way that didn't make me physically cringe.

The gothic, the gayness, the MYSTERY, this book HAD. IT. ALL. It's only the first month of 2024, but I already have a feeling this will be in my top 5-10 reads of the year. It's *THAT* good and I already want to do a re-read. I will absolutely be recommending this to my bookish friends and family and without a doubt will be adding this to my personal library.

PLEASE, I AM BEGGING YOU DO NOT CHANGE THE COVER ART BEFORE THIS IS OFFICIALLY RELEASED!!! THIS COVER IS ICONIC. IT'S ART. IT'S GIVING CINEMATIC.. 10/10.

I'd give more than 5 stars if I could. You all have a winner here. A+++++

A immersive and fast paced fantasy filled with folklore, nature, and sapphic love, A Dark and Drowning Tide is everything I love in fantasy. It is dark and atmospheric with beautiful fairytales woven in. I particularly enjoyed the discussion about why fairytales and myths are so important and how they impact society. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
arcs

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book!

I love Saft's writing, and I think she makes the transition to adult literature very well. Her themes are clear, even though they make you wait slightly longer to develop them fully and more maturely. Her characters are complex and messy - Lorelai is probably my favorite of her protagonists to date, with this book giving a very clear picture of how she thinks, acts, and why she does the things she does. And for a book that is, inherently, about the messy decisions people make for self-preservation, for survival, that was really key, asking you to sympathize with everyone's actions even if you don't approve of them or like them as people. I loved the use of folklore as a way of constructing characters' identities - Lorelai sees herself as one figure in these tales, so she attributes similar characteristics to those around her, though over time those archetypes are fleshed out so we understand why they hold themselves certain ways. Ludwig was the clearest example of this, but it holds for the entire party.

Sometimes, I wanted the folk talkes to be better integrated - more than a paragraph in passing, even if it is a passing thought Lorelai is using to frame a situation. But every story did uphold the themes well.

As an aside, it was refreshing to see a story in a fantastic-historic setting that very neatly brushed away "setting typical" homophobia; having political marriages between women discussed openly rather than covert dalliances was a very welcome change of pace. Cannot wait to preorder this one!!

Sapphic, rivals to lovers, fantasy?! Say less! I absolutely loved the wlw representation throughout this book, and not just with regards to our two fmcs Lorelai and Sylvia. I 100% believe this would be an AMAZING book for those maybe wanting to get into fantasy or get into sapphic books. While it was super detailed (which I LOVE), the elements of the fantasy, plot, and character development were not so heavy to where it was hard to digest. The writing flowed really well and I actually like that it was only told from the POV of Lorelai.

We follow a diverse group of students on a research expedition that turned more sinister than they had expected. There's a murder mystery and you see the inner workings of the students slowly reveal themselves with showing just how political influences change things for them. I loved the themes of this because it showed how upbringing, social class and racial prejudice drove our characters and their choices. With all of the students being Nobles EXCEPET Lorelai, we got to see this from her eyes on how she was treated and how her own upbringing has her judging others as well.

I will say, I want to classify this more as a self-imposed rivals to lovers. Lorelai spent so much time believing she was unlovable and unlikable that she made everything a competition and a challenge with only seeing negatives in others and she couldn't see that Sylvia didn't see her that way. This was a PROPER slow burn and there is a fade to black sex scene around 80ish percent (because this seems to be a hot topic for people choosing books now).

I did feel like there was so much attention given to the world and the folklore aspects that I wish there was more external dialogue. Some areas I wish were more drawn out as they felt a little rushed and I did feel like the end went really fast as well. However, I can overlook all of these things because it was such a unique read that did touch base on so many things I genuinely enjoyed.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book had everything I wanted. Fantasy, a little romance, a lively and entrancing world...and it was neatly wrapped up in a single package. I love a series, don't get me wrong, but with how busy life can be, I truly appreciate the books that can stand on their own and be just as delightful.

Our primary characters are student researchers focused on their various magical, historical, and cultural pursuits. The big motivation for their teaming up and setting out on an adventure is to track down the source of magic. This is not a complicated plot hook by any means, so if anyone's looking for something cozy and fairly straightforward, this will cover those bases. There's also a murder mystery in there, just to keep a little intrigue. And of course, anyone looking for a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance should find that in spades. In addition, the setting contains cultures and locations that have real-world parallels.

With respect to the characters themselves, I enjoyed getting to know them, though some definitely got more spotlight than others. There were layers of nuance to their personality quirks that I appreciated uncovering. I wouldn't have minded more, but what we got was perfectly fine. The protagonist of this book is a folklorist, so we also got to know the world through her recitation of folktales. I personally enjoyed it, as I think they were kept short enough to keep the story moving, but some readers may find this a bit heavy on the exposition.

Overall, I found this a fantastically fun book. The pacing and writing style kept me reading long after bedtime. I look forward to reading more from Allison Saft.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine, Del Rey for sharing a digital ARC with me.

Although I had been eagerly anticipating Allison Saft's adult debut, A Dark and Drowning Tide, which some of my favorite book influencers had highly recommended, I was disappointed that I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. The book failed to meet my expectations despite my love for anything inspired by folklore and fairy tales. Additionally, as a fan of sapphic romances, which are often undervalued in the genre, I had hoped to enjoy the book's main sapphic romance, but unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. This book was too slow for my liking, and I found myself struggling to want to pick it up. I still enjoyed reading about Lorelei's experiences, however, and I appreciated the Jewish representation and Saft's commentary on antisemitism.

This was an okay book. I think I may have gone in with too many or perhaps different expectations than what I actually got. The main character was not likable enough for me to root for them. Additionally, I expected more chemistry and “found family” but that actually wasn’t the case. Good writing style though.

I was drawn in by this cover! It’s gorgeous. I love the dark, eerie look. The story was a bit hard for me to get into. I think the world building was a bit much for me since I like a faster paced book unless it’s an audiobook where I don’t have to be sitting still. The author does a great job with creating this world, though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE this cover, and love the premise. Unfortunately the execution fell short for me.

The writing style didn't work for me, and the story just tries to be too many things and comes off as disorganized in my opinion.

I enjoyed some of the folklore, and creatures, but there was just so much information thrown at me all at once.

Some of the banter between our two FMCs was very cute, and I love a sapphic romance, but this one wasn't as believable and I would have preferred the characters to be a bit more fleshed out.

I'd still recommend this to readers who enjoy a bit of a genre bender, with fantasy, murder mystery, thriller, romance, and dark academia, it's quite the mix.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a mix of fantasy, mystery/thriller, and romance novel all in one. This slow burn will have you desperately turning pages both to find out if love will prevail and to catch a killer. Follow five friends and a bit of an outcast as they go on an expedition to find the source of all magic. But just when the adventure is about to begin, a grisly murder thrusts them into chaos. It’s up to the outsider to solve the mystery or she’ll be blamed for certain. This book is full of twists and turns and intensity, and it will untie readers across genres as they see themselves in different characters as the story unfolds.

I was disappointed with this book. The action doesn't get going until maybe 70% of the way through. At that point, it was gripping, but I didn't feel like I knew any of the characters enough to be invested. The academic rivalry is stated, but not supported by the rest of the text. I felt that a lot of things were stated without anything to back them up. It was a lot of telling and not a whole lot of showing. I could barely keep track of character names--let alone who was attracted to whom.

A definite let down given the gorgeous cover design.

Something that I’ve noticed about this author is that she’s really good at creating these atmospheric worlds. With that being said, the descriptions are sometimes so heavy that I would often be like “wait, what just happened?”

The writing style is very fluid, which is poetic, but also a little hard when it’s combined with fantasy world building. I don’t think the magic system or their powers were explained that well.

The characters lacked overall depth. Lorelei was not likable by any means, and I feel like she projected her insecurities on to Sylvia a lot for no reason. I also didn’t feel any real connection between the two of them. It just seemed convenient for them to end up together. It had potential to be like a dark version of the Emily Wilde series, but unfortunately I felt utterly bored for most of it.

I can't say I fell right into this one. I didn’t get invested until like 30% of the way through the book, but I love Saft's writing and fantasy settings so it was worth it to push through the slower pacing. The emphasis on folklore / dark fairytales and the power stories have to color our perception of the world was magical. Throw in a sentient forest and a sapphic academic rivals to lovers, and it's game over.

I definitely felt like there were too many people with different political associations in a way that made me not want to bother trying to keep track of them, and I got lost trying to remember the different Germanic-creature and location names. The magic system felt underdeveloped to me at times, but I love the way Saft writes antisemitism/Jewish cultural experience into fantasy settings.

Overall this book was about vibes, and the eerie dark academia and moody romance provided.

3.5 stars