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

I adore folklore with dark, sentient forests. Everything about this atmosphere calls to me, and academic rivalry is ALWAYS my favorite. I especially love that this is a sapphic story with unrelenting tension.

I’m a huge Allison Saft fan, which was why I was so surprised by my disconnect with “A Dark and Drowning Tide.” Based on the premise, I was sure I’d love it, but instead found myself struggling to finish. Still, as is the case with all of Saft’s titles, it was beautifully written.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Holy shit. This is the year of dark academia and what a WAY TO SEND IT OFF!!! I loved this. I cannot stress this enough: read. This. Book. The characters, the thrill, all of it is just.. *chefs kiss* Allison Saft is a masterworker and the queer romance on top of it? Sheeeeesh. I cannot wait for this to hit stores. Did I read it on ebook? Yes. Will I be purchasing my own physical copy? Also yes. Don't judge me.

Allison Saft really does nail it every time. Her adult debut completely bowled me over - an almost genre-bending book about the not-so-hidden prejudice in stories we take for granted. There's a research expedition turned quest, there's rivals to lovers, there's murder, there's gorgeous prose, as always, and vivid and heartbreaking characters. The plot got a little buried in the political intrigue at times but the vibes alone were enough to make it barely matter.

murder mystery on a boat but it's fantasy so there's magic and magical creatures but it's also (dark) academia. and the setting and vibes of the ocean!!!! immaculate.

so it's students on a big boat but then there are also sapphics that are rivals then they are lovers oh oh okay thank you allison saft!!

thanks del ray for the arc!!!

3.75 thank you netgalley for this arc.

The aesthetic of this book was gorgeous. I’m not sure the plot was totally for me, but I liked different sections of it. I loved the girlies. Lorelei and Sylvia r so 🥲🥲🥲☹️☹️☹️🥰🥰🥰🥰. Idk which one of them I like more. Possibly Sylvia? They’re literally so cutie.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

I was not expecting there to be a proposal at the end☹️☹️☹️ that was so cute😭😭😭 I love them this ship is just so🥲🥲

I adore everything else that Saft has written, but for whatever reason this particular story did not quite carry me over. I wanted to like it. I think that the world had a lot of depth but it, along with the magic system, could have been further expanded on. The characters themselves felt a little lacking to me, which was disappointing because I typically rave about the way Saft describes the depth of action/sensation of interactive scenes. To be honest, I sometimes pick up her other books and re-read certain scenes because of how vividly I can see them in my mind. I somehow missed that in this story - again, I wanted to love the characters and the unique Emily Wilde-esque universe. It was in no way shape or form bad.... just not quite up to par with what she has created in the past (in my opinion).

While this one was not quite for me, this in no way keeps me from reliving the other stories that she has written and I believe that everyone should give her a try!

Thank you for allowing me to read this eARC!

An enchanting sapphic fantasy filled with a dark, fairytale-esque atmosphere. From the first chapter, Allison Saft's prose is incredibly alluring and captivating. She sets the tone immediately, and I really adored it. The environment is rich with folklore and beautiful imagery that often aligned with nature. The dark fairytale vibes are definitely there. And the tension between the characters—especially Lorelei and Sylvia—is really great. It's tender and heart-wrenching.

This story has some intriguing and compelling characters, but Lorelei was by far my favorite. She's sharp-witted and often quick to anger. Both her and Sylvia are flawed characters, which makes everything all the more realistic. As the book's protagonist, Lorelei allows the reader a direct lens into her struggles and the prejudices she faces daily; this book tackles it with deftness. Furthermore, the way Lorelei's grief is expressed and handled was done very well.

While the pacing can definitely be slower at times, this story is not a high-stakes epic fantasy. You definitely shouldn't go into it expecting an extremely fast-paced story. It's much more melodious. If you're alright with slower books, this one might be for you. The romance is a slow-burn, and before I knew it I was glued to the pages. It took more time than I wished for me to get there, but it was well worth the wait. Though, I definitely wanted more from the ending. The political scene felt rushed, and Wilhelm's character, throughout, felt misplaced—a little vague to me. I definitely wanted and expected more from him, as well as a few of the other side characters.

However, if you're looking for a dark academia, sapphic romantasy, definitely check this book out. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.75⭐️

First and foremost, this cover is STUNNING. And it perfectly matches the magical, eerie, intense vibes of the story. Worldbuilding really was the heart of this book and it was so well done and richly layered. It took some time to sink into the world but once I did I was all in. I’ve read and loved Saft’s previous books and this book had her characteristically stunning writing that was so incredibly atmospheric — it really felt like being inside a dark fairytale.

3.5⭐️

First i want to give a thank you to net galley for giving me this arc!

This book was so fun! The characters were so enjoyable i was honestly concerned liked why don’t i HATE any of them🤣? I find that mc’s frequently irritates me, but i lovedddd Lorelie. I also loved the slow burn, some tension, and sapphic romance that was brought into the eerie and gothic setting. It set a great mood and atmosphere for the book! my only problem is that occasionally things kind of got off course—maybe the plot wasn't properly laid out?

There is a lot happening in the book the murder mystery, the journey to find the ursping but also dealing with creatures, curses, etc along the way. I was very interested in it but i think it wasn’t organized/ plotted properly. At times i forgot there was even a murder mystery and other times i forgot they were even on a journey to find the ursping because we were too busy focused on one thing or the other. All together i do think it was interesting and fun to read!!

This would be a good fit for someone who loves a dark setting with a little bit of magic, murder and basically EVERYTHING😭!


some things i didn’t like ⬇️
*MINOR SPOILERS IF YOU CONTINUE READING*

The fact that when they found the ursping the first thing they did was have sex and then fall asleep… like be so fr you set yourself up doing stupid stuff😭

also i hated that they had to get off the ship i think if the setting for the book was the ship the whole time at least until they made it to the ursping would’ve been way more interesting and darker. It would hold the plot in place !! They’d be on the ship people would be dying as they’re on their way to find the ursping it would’ve set things in place! Maybe the killer would be revealed when they got off the boat and found the ursping? Idk im just a writer just jotting down thoughts😭

I loved the premise of this book! I thought that the ideas were very fleshed out, the language was fantastic, and was very moody. I will definitely be reading more from this author. The only critique I would add is that there was a lot of information in the beginning, which was a little hard to keep up with. Otherwise, this was a great read.

⭐️ 4 stars-

I love Allison Saft so so much, so it hurts to say that this book was a little bit of a miss for me. It was not bad by any means, but I just don’t think it was the book for me. Right book wrong time, maybe? Overall, I thought the premise/concept was really interesting and I loved the atmosphere a lot, but the execution and the characters fell a little bit flat for me, which ended up making it feel pretty slow and taking a while for me to get through.

A Dark and Drowning Tide follows Lorelei, a folklorist (a person who studied folklore/folktales which is SO COOL), who embarks on an expedition with a gang of people from her college (I think?) to search for a magic river. That is, until *someone* gets murdered and then it becomes a whodunit as well as a quest narrative. As you might have gathered from the “I think?”, the world building of this book confused me a bit. I don’t know what exactly it was…just that I was quite perplexed over the history between the characters, the history between the countries, and all of that.

This premise is so interesting and sets up for a wonderful found family story…or so I THOUGHT! There is no finding family in this story—you have been warned! For some reason I was fully expecting it to head in that direction (gang of people who borderline dislike each other have to unite over a shared goal and bond…yeah it’s not that at all) and was a little sad to see my hopes dashed, but maybe that was my own fault.

Here’s the issue—the character relations in this book perplexed me a bit. I kept getting the country names mixed up (I really hope the printed version has a map), and therefore kept getting each character’s pasts and motivations mixed up as well. I had a hard time understanding Lorelei’s character and had a hard time understanding the rest of the characters by default. I think this book would have benefitted from Sylvia’s perspective…less gloom and doom, maybe?

I could get more specific about the characters, but part of me feels guilty doing so because I think that I just didn’t *get it* and I think it was mostly a me problem. However, I will say that the plot/journey was verrrry meandering in the first half and felt quite directionless. The ending pulled together more though, and I enjoyed the last half significantly more than the first. The vibes/magic system/worldbuilding were all super interesting and unique as well and I loved it for that.

Because this is an Allison Saft book, of course there were quotes that made me kind of want to die but in a good way. See below:

“It occurred to her that a good person would not feel so exhilarated at holding a lover’s very life in their hands.”

“The thorns around her heart had withered sometime in those bright days she thought Sylvia was really hers. They’d been replaced now by a horrid, intractable weed. Hope.”

Honestly, try this book out if folklore-driven journeys and snowy mountain rivers appeal to you. It’s nowhere near badly written, but just not for me. 🌊🧜🏼‍♀️🏔️🧌

First of all, I'm very grateful to have received an early ARC of this book for reviewing purposes. That cover is distractingly beautiful and I'd enjoyed Saft's other works before; I was hoping to love this one.

At 50%, this book does not know what it wants to be. Is it dark academia? Murder mystery? Folklore fantasy? Social commentary? Romance? The journey is the enemies we made along the way? There're certainly sizeable sprinkles of everything throughout, and it's a commendable juggle on the narrative's part, but nothing seems to stick and the pot is melting.

Whenever the plot meanders, which it does a lot, I kept pushing myself through, thinking that I would have grown to love everything by the end, even the long-winded descriptions and the cumbersome fables. It doesn’t help that our narrator, Lorelei, is incredibly closed off and seems to hold a personal vendetta against everyone, whether her reasoning for it is justified or not. Despite their close proximity to another in most of the book, the rest of the cast appeared to me as shadowy impression of people, instead of people themselves. It was so difficult for me to get invested in them, especially when there’s not much to work with besides Lorelei’s hatred (or occasional sympathy turned snide remarks). At 50%, the romance is a series of question marks and lingering glances. I do not know why they are interested in one another.

Perhaps I'd come into this book with the wrong expectations, it was clearly not for me. I was told that the ending would not by satisfying as I’d hoped it would be and so I decided to stop reading early.

A Dark and Drowning Tide still has all the ingredients for a sumptuous read and a beautiful cover to back it up, I’m certain that it will find its readers — if it hasn’t already.

Sapphic AND Academic Rivals to lovers? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Allison Saft does it AGAIN. This book was lyrical and magical and you cannot help to root for these too!

My biggest criticism is actually the cover... not my fave...

Caught between ambition and dreams, this story delicately flows into something magical and secret. A power as strange as it is magnificent, that only those who are worthy will be able to carry its immensity. The problem with power is greed. The desire to contain it and become part of it, the selfishness and death that lead to unleashing lies and rivalries in a kingdom about to explode into chaos. Consequently, a group of scholars in magic and folklore will be taken to the depths of the world to find a source of power that will end an imminent revolution. However, death will leave them adrift, drowning in suspicions and new discoveries.

A Dark & Drowning Tide has an exquisite plot. Flooded with magical stories, myths and legends that become reality, transporting the reader with ease. Allison Saft never fails to present excellent characters, with opposing dynamics and personalities that then converge into an inspiring union. Through her prose, she manages to capture the richest of folklore and history, along with an incredible introduction to a cultured and mysterious world. This book is for those looking for an adventure, hungry for knowledge and willing to fight for what they want.

I think what stands out most about this book are the characters. Lorelei & Sylvia, their dynamic and relationship, is simply fascinating to read. Both opposite poles, but so close. They cling to knowledge and their ambitions, to their fears and beliefs. There is beauty in them, in how their relationship unleashes something inspiring and pure to witness. I must admit that I became obsessed with them. If you enjoyed A Darker Shade of Magic and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, feel free to read this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book really has it all! Fantasy, romance, mystery, politics, rivals-to-lovers, dark academia… there is a lot going on in this story and I enjoyed every second of it. Usually whenever a book spans several different genres like this the quality of the story suffers, but not in this case.

The writing in this story is beautiful. The author does a fantastic job of creating an atmosphere that is at once dark and captivating. I was kept interested from the very beginning with the different folklore and fairy tales happening throughout the book.

I enjoyed the characters quite a bit. I’ve always loved enemies/rivals to lovers so that was good for me from the start. Usually I’m not the fondest of the whole “grumpy/sunshine” trope, but it was done extremely well in this case. The tension, the banter… everything was done super well and kept me interested in the relationship throughout the story.

While I wasn’t completely satisfied by the ending, I think that’s honestly more of a me problem because I tend to like things wrapped up neatly, and I was definitely left with a few questions at the end. But again, I don’t think that’s a flaw with the book itself.

Overall I greatly enjoyed this book and will most definitely recommend it to others. 4.5/5 stars rounded up.

I thought this was such a smart jump into adult fiction for Allison Saft. It felt so much like her YA works but in a decidedly adult context. It definitely leaned more new adult - which to me feels like the natural transition from YA to adult fiction. The characters were fun and the concept was well thought out. This was a sapphic gothic mystery that I couldn't put down. I can't wait to recommend this to friends when it comes out and to see what the author comes out with next.

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
A Dark and Drowning Tide follows two academic rivals, Lorelei and Sylvia, on an expedition to find a magical spring. Lorelei is a folklorist who is struggling to fit into a society that will not accept her. When she is made co-leader of the expedition, she knows success will give her freedom. But when the professor is murdered shortly into their journey, the only person Lorelei can trust is her enemy Sylvia. The murderer is among them and trying to derail the mission. Lorelei is desperate to solve the crime, find the spring, and win the king’s favor. Because if she fails the king will make her a scapegoat.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is an enchanting story that incorporates folklore, academia, and mystery. The author paints a rich, magical world with mystical creatures. The characters are intriguing, especially the students chosen to go on the expedition and their dynamic as ‘friends’. Lorelei and Sylvia both felt a bit one dimensional for me with relatively little growth throughout the book, however I loved the tension between them. One of my favorite parts of this book are the tales Lorelei tells us throughout the novel, as her character is a folklorist. The murder mystery is a great plot line for this story and I would have preferred it to have been dragged out to the end. Unfortunately, after we discovered who did it I lost interest but that’s just me. Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the advance reader copy!