An incredible story that was perfect for spooky season. Beautifully written and not too slow of a pace..

2.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC.

The synopsis of this book immediately drew me in and the fact that it would be a good fall read, but unfortunately it wasn't a favorite of mine. It took me a while to finish it and at times felt like it was bit of a chore to read a few chapters.

I didn't care much for the romance between Lorieli and Sylvia. Just because of what Lorieli did to Sylvia toward the end of the book. She lied and almost got Sylvia basically imprisoned or killed. Their relationship was kind of weird and not my favorite.

I did enjoy the fairy and magic related stuff but I wish there would have been more about Lorieli and her background. You basically only know she had a brother who passed away and she blames herself for it. The story was definitely missing some background to it.

Overall, it was an okay book. I don't think I'd recommend it to my friends though.

A fantastic Sapphic academic rivals-to-lovers fantasy that captured my heart from cover alone. I came for the representation and folklore and ended up staying for such a gorgeous story. While the initial worldbuilding felt overwhelming being thrust into an established world and intense political intrigue (which is something I seem to be drawn to), the story found its footing through its richly developed characters—both main and supporting—and the compelling slow-burn romance between sharp-tongued Lorelei and the "insufferably gallant" Sylvia. Not to mention, I am obsessed with the author's elegant prose, and impressed by the thoughtful handling of weighty themes like anti-Semitism and prejudice that added realistic depth to this magical adventure full of shape-shifting beasts and dragon-haunted waters. Despite some early navigation challenges, this rivals-to-lovers tale stands out for me and I am definitely interested in more from Allison Saft.

I'm not really sure how to rate this because I really liked some parts of this book and really disliked another. I think if this book had just been a romantasy, it would have been great. I liked both Lorelei and Sylvia, and I think Allison Saft is good at writing romance. I also really liked the fairy tale aspects of this book, and I thought the way the book portrayed the antisemitism (fantasy antisemitism, technically, since it's a made-up world with different names, but it's a very clear and intentional parallel) Lorelei faces literally everywhere was well-done.

But the murder mystery. I'm going to keep it vague, but be warned either way. The way the murder mystery was resolved felt like it undermined everything I thought the book was doing in the first three-quarters, and the ending in general didn't really work for me. It felt like it was supposed to be a happy ending, but it had the energy of when a character gets what they thought they wanted and it turns out it doesn't feel the way they thought it would, but they're still trying to convince themself they're happy now? I don't know. Maybe it was all intentional and I missed the point, but it felt very uncomfortable in a way that didn't work for me.

I hate saying this book would have been better if it were a different book, but like, this book would have worked much better for me if it had been a different book.

I was swept away with how eloquently this author wrote this tale.

Starting off with a dark, gloomy gothic academia scene where teams of students are solving a murder mystery? Yes please. Add in the adventure of a lifetime? Heck yes.

The dark undercurrent of fear along with the consistent tension absolutely drags you down into the deep. The characters are all so well rounded and complex. The feel as if they truly did live their lives with how well the author has done between development and creating a world around the characters that simply suits them.

The plot and folklore within the pages of this book was abaolutely beautiful and stunning. The author really knows how to build a rich and plentiful world that really does leave you wanting more.

The story that she is able to portray is so eloquently written that I can never stop thinking about. The way she’s able to bring these characters throughout is an incredible feat to say the least. I can’t wait to see what this author brings to her next book

I was so completely swept away by A Dark and Drowning Tide that I hardly know where to begin. It has been a rough reading year for me, but reading this healed me in a way I didn't expect.

It has so much of what it promised with the gothic dark academia rivals teaming up to solve a murder mystery while on the mythical expedition of a lifetime, but there is also so, so much more. The enchanting setting, the yearning that made me threaten to self-immolate at least three times, the gorgeous writing that is well suited to the mind of a folklorist and deliciously scaffolded by the decision to remain a single POV... and not to mention how rich and unflinching the folklore itself is, full of magic but also never shying from the hateful layers and how they affect those who hear them. Gods. I'll admit I had a rough start to this book, but I'm choosing to blame myself for that. I can admit there are some aspects where the book falters a little - this is a mystery where I purposefully turned my brain off instead of trying to solve it with Lorelai, and I think that did improve my experience - but everything I loved made me so inhumanly feral that it more than more up for any setbacks.

I wish I could formulate a more well-thought-out, professional review, but all I can really say is that if someone I know doesn't read this post haste, I am going to combust. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this, everyone around me WILL be hearing about it and that is both a threat and a promise.

There’s a certain weight to A Dark and Drowning Tide—it’s like plunging into dark waters, feeling the undercurrent of fear and tension pull you down. The story’s tone is atmospheric, perfect for those who enjoy dark tales with complex, layered characters. This one left me breathless, not just from the twists and turns, but from the raw intensity of the characters’ struggles. It’s a read that forces you to confront darkness, both external and internal, and somehow left me wanting more. Allison Saft has quickly become one of my must read authors.

the slowburn romance of this book carries it. sylvia and lorelei are well thought out, rounded characters. they are flawed and feel lived in and i loved watching their romance develop. rivals to lovers is a real favourite teope of mine so this was a lot of fun.

the world building at times could be lacklustre and the politics ended up having a weird pro-empiral/pro-colonisation tilt to it towards the end. the fantasy elements were a lot of fun and i liked that water was the medium through which the magic was controlled.

Dark and twisty, this sapphic dark academia book keeps the reader hooked with delicious prose. Allison Saft is really in their element for this book and I can’t wait to read more of their work.

Yearning is so BACK, baby! The atmospheric and lush prose I've come to expect from Saft works beautifully here in her adult debut.

DNF. I felt that the maturity of the characters did not match their age and expertise and I did not feel compelled to continue. The magic system and world-building, however, was interesting.

3.5 Stars

It’s me, hi, I was the problem with this book…not the book itself.

The vibes were gothic and the dark academia was on point, but the romance and conflict didn't hit home with me the way I wanted. I've loved all of Allison Saft's books so far, and this one was as wonderfully written as the others, but it just didn't grip me like her previous books did, which is a bummer because I was SO EXCITED for this sapphic romance angle.

I love this book!
The romance felt like a real enemies to lovers, and as a fan of folklore I really enjoyed all the magical creatures! The story felt like it was lacking something but I still can’t figure out what it was. Never the less, I still really enjoyed this book and will recommend it!

I got about 75% into the book and I just can't keep going. This book started off slow, but strong. However, as it has continued I have found it harder and harder to stomach Lorelei's behavior. There is a difference between being a grump who distrusts the oppressive class of people you have to spend time with, and being purposefully mean and hurtful to someone you claim to care about. I might come back to this later, but I just can't keep going right now.

I think that the water magic is a little underbaked, but the creatures are cool. I think the folklore and Yeva aspects of the story felt a little too much like our world but with a different name for a second world fantasy book, but I enjoyed them nontheless. But the character relationships haven't been able to keep me going.

Firstly, ALL the covers/editions of A Dark And Drowning Tide are GORGEOUS.
Secondly, I usually jive with Saft's stories, so this might be a "me thing."

I'm sad I didn't love this one 😭 I didn't even like it. The synopsis sounded like something I would devour (folklore, sapphic romance, dark academia!), but instead I found myself hate reading, ever. so. slowly... everything felt incredibly melodramatic. The characters were either hateable, I'm talking to you Lorelaei, or forgettable (insert whats-their-face's name here). I can usually get on board with an unlikeable character but coupled with being frustratingly one dimensional dullards, an unbelievable romance, and a half baked mystery, I couldn't give a bother about any of these guys.
But I'll cherish the cover(s), and what could've been, always.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for the eARC!

AHHHHH. What can I say without spoiling it all? Sapphic murder mystery academia vibes with a lot of guilt and a lot of holding yourself back because you don't believe you deserve the love of someone who's above you in the social ladder and also because people tend to die around you and you don't want her to die but you love her anyway.... okay, this book was phenomenal, absolutely one of the best books I've read in 2024.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Unfortunately it just fell flat for me in the end. It was set up with all these elements I love, like a slow-burn where they don't kiss till the 70% mark, a folktale-inspired world surrounding an expedition to find a mysterious magical spring, and a Gothic mystery. Sylvia, a noblewoman naturalist with a bubbly, irrepresible love for the fairy-tale creatures of their world, and Lorelai, a folklorist from a very different background, are academic rivals and have long hated each other. Or so they think.

They're thrown together on the expedition for the king and their benefactor is murdered. The mystery unfolds into deeper seditious territory as Lorelai is tasked with ratting out the killer.

Unfortunately, it was the third-act breakup that killed this book for me. It wasn't cheating, but it was a betrayal just as hurtful, when Lorelai finds the killer and sells out Sylvia to save herself. Sylvia forgives her instantly, interpreting it as they're both prisoners. They spend the rest of the book mooning over each other against all reason, and the very practical differences between them are never really dealt with. How is Sylvia going to be a duchess and Lorelai a chamberlain at court and can they have any kind of relationship? Seemed that in the end they were still prisoners to Wilhelm.

No one is more disappointed than me that this book didn't work for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.75!

I’ve had a bit of a tumultuous relationship with Saft’s work, between really liking her sophomore novel and not particularly caring for her other two in any way, so I was a little nervous about this one, but it sounded so good. I’m pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this—there were definitely some parts that felt underbaked or just like… a bit strange, I guess? Especially around colonialism. The way oppression was written—especially for Lorelei, whose religion is very clearly Judaism—was solid and handled well, though. Still, I really liked the writing and thought the folklore bits were really fun. I had my suspicions about some of the plot twists but was still surprised by some of them. I found I really liked the romance and found the overall story to be compelling.

In addition to some political implications that took me a bit out of the story, I found that this taking place in fantasy Germany was aggressively apparent, and while I didn’t mind it as much as I’ve minded it in Saft’s prior novel, it still felt strange at times. Despite this, I thought the atmosphere was good and I did feel compelled to keep reading to learn more about the world and characters. While I wish the political part of the world building was more developed or thought more deeply about, I did have a good time while reading.

Lorelei Kaskel is a surly folklorist who is sent as a part of an expedition team to find the fabled source of all magic. However, when her mentor is mysteriously murdered aboard their ship, Lorelei must reluctantly team up with the beautiful naturalist Sylvia von Wolff to find the killer before they strike again.

I was really looking forward to A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft. It was one of my most highly anticipated reads of the year, so I’m sad to say that this book turned out to be yet another milquetoast disappointment.

This book was pitched a story as a sapphic rivals-to-lovers dark academia, but there isn’t any rivalry to be found. What I got instead was Lorelei throwing petty, high-school grade insults at Sylvia because she doesn't approve of her hand-own research approach. There are no compelling reasons and personal history of bad blood to justify Lorelai's animosity toward Sylvia, so their initial dynamics feel juvenile and shallow to me.

There’s also a weird disconnect between what Lorelei boasts about in her internal monologue and what’s actually reflected in her actions. For instance, Lorelei repeatedly compares herself to a viper, but she doesn’t demonstrate an ounce of backstabbing, sabotaging, or ruthless cunning. In essence, she’s all bark and no bite, and I wish she actually had delivered on her promises.

Maybe someday I'll find the sapphic rivals-to-lovers book of my dreams, but this one certainly wasn't it.