4.5 stars

Tropes:
-academic rivalry
-murder mystery
-fantasy folklore
-gothic lesbian romance
-slow burn
-enemies/rivals to lovers
-political intrigue

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey/ Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. It was honestly a joy to read.

The complexity and depth of this story was astounding. Saft delivers quality world building without losing the reader. The reader is constantly immersed in fantasy folklore, mythical creatures, sentient forests, and a magical system that is dependent on water-based magic sources – “Debates still raged in the halls of the university about the exact origin and nature of magic, but the most widely accepted theory posited that it was aether, a natural substance found only in water.”

The main character, Lorelei, is a self-deprecating outcast who seeks to earn her place in society. If she is successful, she will be granted the ability to travel freely and possibly an esteemed position in the royal court, providing her some degree of safety in the kingdom of Brunnestaad. She embarks on an expedition to locate a fabled spring, which is believed to be the source of magic. The expedition will take her group through perilous lands where they will undoubtedly encounter dangerous and cunning magical creatures. Lorelei is an outsider to the group of nobles she travels with; she is treated with mistrust and pity at best, and menacing hatred at worst. To complicate matters further, the leader of the expedition (and Lorelai’s mentor) is murdered at the start of their journey. Lorelai must take over leadership of the quest for the spring while attempting to uncover the motives of her companions and expose the killer.

This story was well paced and beautifully written. The supporting characters are well developed and the world is vividly detailed. I deducted half a star from the rating because I would have liked for the romance to be developed a little more, but the connection was sweet and believable. My favorite character was Sylvia. Her whimsical and curious nature was a breath of fresh air.

Favorite quotes:

“She wouldn’t know subtlety if it threw a dueling gauntlet at her feet.”

“I’ll keep you safe.” She didn’t think she’d ever heard those words before in all her life.

I still have tears in my eyes from finishing this book.
This fairytale revolves around two women-

Sylvia who is full of light and hope. She is the sunshine to the people. Constantly singing, and dashing into danger. A true hero.

And

Lorelei, a villain in a sort. Lorelei is most often a pessimist at the core. She is such a layered character. I loved how the author showed her growth, her worries, and let us see the villain and the heart underneath all at the same time.

Then the two characters collide, in a rivalry where they quite literally hate one another. They journey with 5 other friends to nixie filled pools, forests with moving trees, and fairy king’s waters filled with magic.

This book is filled with folklore, terrible magic, profound longing, and nuanced characters full of depth.

This author has weaved such a beautiful story and made a piece of art that I will hold dear as long as I live.

Our two love main interests reminded me of Mr. Darcy & Elizabeth Bennet in a way. The longing, the eye contact, the slight touches, THE WORDS. I AM OBSESSED.

There are so many beautiful quotes I have highlighted in this tale. SUCH GOOD WORDS, magical words, heart spearing words. I loved it.

Overall, this book is ethereal, moving, and filled to the brim with romance and yearning. I adored it. Thank you for the publishers & netgalley for allowing me to read an arc copy of this book.

ALSO, I have stared at the STUNNING cover at many intervals. The cover matches the story. SO GOOD.

I was really excited for this book for many reasons. I have become a big fan of Allison Saft and want to read everything from them now. I also want to read more dark academia and this book seemed perfect for that. And lastly, I'm a sucker for something sapphic. This book was all of those things and it absolutely delivered. The characters were compelling, the story was engaging, the writing was beautiful as usual. I was invested from page one and had trouble putting the book down. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are trying to diversify your reading in 2024; read something queer!

4 stars... Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book. It started out a little slow for me, but then it picked up the pace pretty quickly. I enjoyed this story and the characters all had good development. If you like folklore, magic, murder mystery, adventure and romance. You'll like this book because it has it all. Also there's some f/f love in there. I recommend it and would L d definitely read more by this author.

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft is a wonderful new fairytale for grown ups. The world the author created is rich, and amazing. I love the LGBTQ+ representation, and the murder mystery, as well as the journey. I look forward to reading Saft's next books!

I really, really enjoyed this one! It was the perfect book to keep me company on the long flights bringing me home from college. And that's partly because of the focus on academia! I'm of the firm belief that we need more books featuring scholars. Because books with scholars are always so atmospheric. And A Dark And Drowning Tide was no exception. Along with amazing characters, a slowburn romance that had me captivated, and a bewitching atmosphere, this one had an element of suspense that I really enjoyed. I'd recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley and Allison Saft for a copy of A Dark and Drowning Tide in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars rounded to 4
Allison Saft is a new to me author. In being new to this author I am unfamiliar with their writing style. I enjoyed the ' Murder mystery' and world building of the story! I was hooked on every new discovery they made. Lorelei is completely dark and troublesome, and unlikeable and I LOVED that about her. It was so nice to get a FMC that wasn't just sunshine and rainbows and naive. I did struggle a bit to understand the magic system. (But personally I think that was on me overthinking it.)
I wished Allison had added just 100 more pages. The love story portion of the plot felt rushed. Loreliei spent the majority of the book hating Sylvia that when the conclusion came it felt forced in my opinion.
Overall the story was great the twists were fantastic and kept me invested in the story.

A dark and drowning tide is a sapphic fantasy romance. Lorelei Kaskel must team up with Silvia von Wolff, her academic rival, to solve their mentor's murder. There are five suspects, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knowns for sure is innocent is Silvia. Now they must find the murderer before they strike again. As they grudgingly work together to find the killer, they also are resisting their growing feelings for each other. They are at a race against time as there are dangers lurking in the forest that are out for blood.

This book was told from Lorelei point of view but was in third person which I enjoyed. I thought the storyline was very interesting. I was able to put the book down and easily picked up the book again. I enjoyed the fantasy elements of this book, sometimes fantasy can be very hard to follow but I found this book to be easy to follow. I enjoyed the characters and I felt like they had great depth and they were easy to love. The twist I did not see coming and I am excited for this book to come out and to be able to own a physical copy to reread.

This was the first book of Allison Saft that I read and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to read her other books. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The writing, the characters paired with the plot makes it a perfect academic rival fantasy romance book.

thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for this electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a mesmerizing, sapphic, gothic fantasy tale that hooked me right from the start. I love the mystery of the story and it had me guessing at who the murderer was as well as made me question everyone and their motives. I was fully immersed into this story and couldn't put it down.

I didn't give this 5 stars as I wasn't really a fan of the ending. I am happy the FMCs did get their happily every after though, but that last blip of getting them there sort of irked me.

Overall, I loved this story and will definitely be purchasing a physical copy(ies) when it is out!

This was my first book by Saft. I’ll promise it won’t be my last.

I wanted a sapphic rivals to lovers in an academic setting, and this delivered! Part murder mystery, part tension, and all beautiful prose, this is my favorite ARC I’ve read so far. The romantic tension was flawless, and the stakes were written well.

I loved the imagery, mystery, and world-building. This is a slow burn, but it burns so well.

Thank you Del Ray for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Well, thanks to this book, I now know that I don’t have a bisexual / sapphic bone in my body. It wasn’t until I sensed a little power and control fun that I started to feel any interest at all. For most of this romance, I sadly felt how an Ace must feel reading more typical hetero romances. A sense of aversion and a strong desire to just *get back to the story.*

Aside from me discovering the limits of my sexuality, this book was actually pretty solid. Like “A Fragile Enchantment” ADADT is cool in that it’s a fantasy world that reflects real world dynamics and real history. There are clear parallels with Jewish culture and repression in Central Europe, along with the dynamics of a unifying German empire. As for the characters…Ziegler’s multifaceted character arc - her complexity felt very REAL, as did Lorelei’s tragic but understandable past and complex personality. The adventure to find the Ursprung was interesting and dynamic. BUT the mystery was predictable. Sylvia felt very Mary Sue. I felt literally nothing for the romance. And it wrapped up too neatly for me at the end.

I nearly DNF’ed about 6 times. It’s not bad…Unless you are starved for an enemies to lovers sapphic romance, in which case this is DEFINITELY the book for you!

Review posted to Goodreads. Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey!

A very slow burn / Enemy to Lovers F/F. A dangerous quest, leaving two enemies to deal with all kinds of danger, both in the sea and on land. Who ultimately find each other.
It was a good fantasy read with many twists that I enjoyed. While I would absolutely recommend, ultimately I still found myself wishing for a little more in the story. I wasn’t quite as captured as I was expecting to be.

I loved it. It was thrilling., exhilarating, page turner for sure. Thank you so much to author for sending me an ark. Can't wait to read lots more from them. Thank you

A v great gothic, sapphic story with slow burn romance. True enemies to lovers with great character development, particularly the main character who is morally grey!

While "A Dark and Drowning Tide" captivated with its enchanting world and diverse cast, some aspects fell short. The evocative atmosphere and LGBTQ+ representation were delightful, and the mythical creatures sparked my own curiosity. However, the murder mystery took a backseat to fantasy elements, and exposition overload slowed the pace. An intimate chapter felt jarring, and the Yeva portrayal, sadly reminiscent of harmful stereotypes, left me deeply troubled. The book's themes of colonization and friendship, while present, lacked necessary depth. Ultimately, despite charming fairy tales and flashes of brilliance, the story faltered in its inconsistent tone, underdeveloped characters, and unsettling prejudice, leaving me with a bittersweet impression.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this book in exchange for my honest review!

There is a lot to love about this book. The magic and world building is excellent. The use of magic is described in a very vivid way, and the world is sort of a fantasy version of the Roman Empire, with an exploration of what happens when you combine a bunch of different cultures into one large country under one ruler. There is a good amount of politics and a great murder mystery that really had me guessing. There is also a romance, but it is more of a side plot than the main point of the book. I loved that the romance was between two strong female characters! Both Lorelai and Sylvia were written with a lot of complexity and both went through arcs.

It is a little slow getting started, but once it does, it is very entertaining.

Lorelei, a folklorist, and Sylvia, a naturalist, were academic rivals competing for the coveted position beside their mentor Ziegler on an expedition to find the source of all magic. Doing so would grant their king the power to truly "unify" all kingdoms under his banner. But when their mentor is murdered, and all researchers on board the ship have their own motives, Lorelei and Sylvia find they are the only two people whom they can trust.

The Positives
+ An atmospheric world built on the wonder and beauty of fairy tales
+ LGBTQ+ relationships that were normalized and enmeshed in their society
+ Mythological creatures that delighted and amazed which lead me to my own research on some of the creatures discussed

The Negatives
- Light on the murder mystery / investigation, and heavier on the fantasy elements / action
- The intimate chapter felt out of place. More like a cut scene than a cohesive part of the story
- Lots of exposition

Main Grief
Much like a fairy tale, we have knights, and fair maidens, mythical creatures, and problems posed in three. But much like the real world the characters in this book were antisemitic. The people of Yeva are described as mischievous, money-hoarding, and conniving. In the kingdom they were assimilated into, they are not allowed to walk at night without a chaperone and are constantly seen as untrustworthy. In fact, Lorelei earned the epithet "Viper" during her time in the academy for being cold, recluse, (justifiably), and of course Yeva. At one point in the story Lorelei is denied lodging at an inn because she is Yeva but Sylvia is able to use her "clout" to ensure that she isn't turned away only for the innkeeper to concede with a final demand that someone keep an eye on Lorelei.

There's that and more in the book and it made me feel uncomfortable mostly due to the fact that the kingdom the Yeva were controlled by was inspired heavily by Germany / German fairy tales. All of this colored my perception of the book because at the end of it, no one got their just deserts for their antisemitic behavior. I won't spoil the ending, but I didn't feel like anything was resolved in this regard. Upon doing some research on the author I see that Saft is a Jewish woman herself, but that makes this book all the more inconceivable to me.

Lastly, for a book half-written as a political fantasy the harmful effects of colonization wasn't nearly discussed at the length it should've been. In fact, much of it was glossed over or not given a lot of weight.

Book Content
∘ There was a lot of exposition at the beginning that made it difficult to care or remember the names and locations. It felt for a while that every other paragraph was information about the world to make it seem lush and rich when truly it felt like a history book.

∘ The 5 characters (including Sylvia) on the expedition were written as childhood friends who met every summer as their parents argued politics, but aside from one liners that implied a cheerful and funny past, I didn't see any sort of recognition that read to me as genuine friendship. They all have messy relationships with one another but none of it seemed deeper to me than a plot device.

∘ I really enjoyed reading the fairy tales woven into the story, but midway through the book they seemed excessive and at times ruined the flow.

∘ This book feels like it's at a crossroads between being YA and fully adult. Dialogue at times felt very childish for the atmospheric setting or suddenly 'darkly romantic' seemingly out of nowhere. I love themes of obsession and yearning and want, but until 3/4 of the book I didn't fully believe in the main characters feelings toward Sylvia

∘ A few of the characters felt like they were stock and not truly fleshed out. They had 1 facet of complexity, but not enough that I cared about them in any regard. None were mysterious enough that I waited with bated breath for when Lorelei would "slyly interrogate" them next.

This book was eerie. The descriptive imagery had me a little spooked at times in the best way possible. Allison Saft's ability to turn this haunting fantasy world into something believable was incredible. Her use of metaphors had me highlighting basically the entire book. She's an incredible author.

The ROMANCE was just wow. The tension was palpable throughout the entire book. It's slow-burn, but reading Lorelei's internal dialogue had me BLUSHING. The yearning, the longing, and the wanting (yes, I did say basically the same thing three times) was incredibly romantic. I found myself really rooting for her happiness, and wow, was it satisfying.

' A Dark and Drowning Tide' is like a murder mystery x folktale x Sapphic grumpy sunshine. And its academic rivals! It is strangely addicting, whimsical, clever and witty. It is exactly what I wanted it to be, especially after having read 'A Far Wilder Magic'. Alisson Saft has solidified her writing as an instant purchase for me. I think readers who enjoy folktales and magical journeys will love this book. I recommend this 100%.

A lush novel with intriguing world building, an interesting magic system, a heady academic rivalry and an intriguing political dilemma; obviously I love Lorelei, that hot-tempered curmudgeon who definitely, totally, emphatically does not like Sylvia!!! Each character had their own intriguing backstory and I found myself wanting to know so much more about them all--Even Johann! I think this novel invites interest in the world that isn't fulfilled to satisfaction and it ties up too neatly at the end but I can't complain when it gave me everything else I wanted from this story.

I think this book will appeal to fans of Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver, Donna Tartt's The Secret History, His Dark Materials, and those who grew up loving fairytales.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!