DNF at 21%

Unfortunately, I really didn't vibe with the writing style. I found it hard to get through, probably because of the descriptive and flowery language. Also, I had zero connection with any of the characters. Perhaps they would have grown on me as I continued the story, but I believe I gave the book a fair shot. I didn't like Lorelei's character and I felt very disconnected from her.

These things combined made me want to DNF. However, this doesn't mean that it's a bad book. I believe that the right audience will love this story! It's just not for me.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Daphne Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you, NetGalley for this book's ARC.

It's important to say up front that I enjoyed this book so much that I now have a digital preorder and am also trying to get back onto Illumicrate to get their gorgeous hardcover special edition. It's remarkable to me that this is Allison Saft's Adult Fantasy debut because it's so gently immersive and interesting as far as fantasy worlds go and the relationships are complex and engaging.

I'll talk about characters in a bit since those frequently catch and hold my interest. However, in this instance, I think the worldbuilding is truly the star. The politics between the humans based on where they are from, the magical creatures seeped into the world, and the mythical font of power sought by the expedition is nuanced and engaging. Saft's prose helps slowly immerse us in this world and all its fascinating creatures and alliances.

I loved the characters in this book as well, primarily for the way they interact with the world and each other. Lorelai is closed-off, accustomed to racism, and of common birth. As she struggles to gain the respect and position she craves, she has discarded any emotional bonds or support. Sylvia is her rival, beloved by all who meet her and viewing the world through a lens of love and wonder. Lorelai cannot stand her but when their mentor is murdered during an expedition, the two must work together because they're the only ones they can trust on board.

The world is enticingly beautiful and dangerous, the characters have their own agendas and allegiances, and the main characters are obsessed with each other but unable to trust each other enough to be vulnerable. Lorelai, in particular, is relatable with her guilt and suspicion towards all the noble-born members of the expedition and more so when her mentor is murdered, leaving her in charge. The back-and-forth in the rivalry between Lorelei and Sylvia is perfectly executed through this story and is as lush and complex as the magical world around them.

This is an absolutely flawless execution of dark academia, rivals to lovers, politically charged magical quest with a party of dubious nobles and I loved every page of it!

Excellent vibes were promised and a Dark and Drowning Tide went above and beyond with delivering them.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC!

I am so sad this is a stand-alone because this was genuinely the most unique and original magic system that I have read in a while. I loved the interpretation of fairy tales and fae magic.

There is nothing I love more than a messy, reluctant team of slightly psychopathic childhood friends. As much as I adore the found family trope this was slightly more fun complete all the back stabbing and political intrigue that I could hope for.

Saft really mastered the academic rivals/enemies to lovers with this one. The slow burn was excellent with so many moments where I thought this is it - it’s happening! Only for something to come between the Lorelei and Sylvia again and again. The miscommunications were realistic and added to the plot, so instead of being frustrated I was just eager to keep reading.

I do wish there had been a bit more development to the childhood friendships of the 5 in the expedition and the King. It was interesting to have younger characters who had lived such lives already, and I would’ve loved to have seen more stories of this time to ground their relationships even more. I also felt like the resolution to all of Sylvia and Lorelei’s problems were a little too easy given the high stakes but this didn’t tear me up too much because I do love a fairy tale ending.

A Dark and Drowning Tide: A Riveting Blend of Folklore and Fantasy

Immersed in folklore, magic, and mythic creatures, A Dark and Drowning Tide is an ideal choice for readers fascinated by enchanted forests and the enigmatic presence of malevolent spirits.

Though the narrative unfolds gradually, it quickly becomes an engrossing and high-stakes adventure, enriched by a gothic undertone that creates a mesmerizing, fantastical atmosphere. The novel draws upon well-researched German-inspired folklore and history, seamlessly integrating these elements into the academic milieu of its characters. While the myriad of creatures and characters can initially be challenging to track, they ultimately become endearing and integral to the story’s progression.

Saft skillfully provides each character with distinct personalities and roles, making the large cast manageable and engaging. The dynamic between Lorelai and Sylvia is particularly well-crafted, and the development of the characters throughout the novel is both compelling and satisfying. Notably, the narrative's diversity offers a refreshing perspective in the often homogenous realm of romantasy.

With a beautifully evocative writing style that complements its rich world-building, A Dark and Drowning Tide masterfully intertwines folklore and magic with themes of death and high-stakes drama, featuring intricate characters and a captivating plot.

I really enjoyed this one! I can see it being big for this year, it's refreshing to have a queer story and I mentioned in my goodreads reviews, being able to share it with relatives who are part of the lgbtqia+ community and it being literally a book they love is so so special, so thank you for that. I loved the writing style, it was so atmospheric and descriptive I could see things clearly throughout the story without issue trying to think whay could that be, I loved the gothic feel throughout and the tense atmosphere of not knowing who to trust and I loved the relationship between Lorelei and Sylvia and how it changed and took shape throughout the book and it was written so beautifully, I really enjoyed this! Thank you so much for allowing me to read it in advance!

A dark romance along the lines of A Study in Drowning? Sign me up!

Although this was not as satisfying, this was well written with fully fleshed out characters and had you wondering who the antagonists were right until the reveal. Lorelai is the brilliant but discriminated against, folklorist who is determined to prove that she is worthy. Sylvia is the golden girl - almost literally and they are.. rivals.

The writing is atmospheric and lyrical, having you picture the magic throughout. The emotions are exquisitely expressed in every frame and you can't help but be drawn into the story.

I did struggle with the pacing to an extent but this is definitely something that the dark academia lovers will enjoy.

A dark and drowning tide was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, and I was so excited when I got an ARC approved from NetGalley!

I have to say that, so far this year, all of the new releases have been disappointing for me, so I had very low expectations for this book.

It follows six scholars as they go on an expedition to find the source of all magic in the land, in order to deliver it to the king.

Overall, I did really like some aspects of it, but I found the book really confusing, as it was doing so many things at once instead of focusing only on the romance, like the marketing campaign suggested.

The main issue I had with the book is the fact that I felt really confused from the beginning: who are all these characters? And what do they have to do? The main character already knows all the other people in the story, but we don't: she has a strong hatred for the other female leads of the expedition, but we don't find out why until later in the book.
Furthermore, all of the other characters also know each other, since they all grew up together, creating another layer of information that we as readers are missing.

The magic and the folklore were really interesting, but they were not fully explained.
Beside the fact that the book was a little predictable, I liked the romance between the two main characters, the political discussions, and Saft's writing style, but at this point, I don't know if I'll read her next book.

Cute, dangerous, maddening. The story was fascinating and I was eager to find out who-dunnit. There's also a cute ending for all you romantics, you. Also, just look at that cover!

📚 review 📚
a dark and drowning tide - alison saft

a dark academia murder mystery on a boat with lesbians? sign me up!

you know what i love as much as gay dark academia murder mysteries? gay dark academia murder mysteries that are infused with jewish folklore - and that’s exactly what you get with a dark and drowning tide.

despite this being the perfect combination of themes for me, i did consider dnfing at various points. this is essentially a thinly veiled history of germany - the king is even called wilhelm and he is interested in unification and fascism. only it is dressed up as a fantasy with magic and mysticism. though i appreciated that it didn’t shy away from prejudice and showed what was a reality for many families living in europe during this time, I’m not sure that it was sensitively done throughout the whole thing.

a dark and drowning tide is out in september and is perfect for those autumn vibes. thank you to @netgalley for the early copy.

I love when a book makes you remember why you love reading.

Saft’s adult debut was a wild ride. Full of politics, betrayal grief and longing and I LOVED IT.

Featuring sapphic academic rivals alongside a a murder mystery with so much folklore throughout???? You better be adding this book to your tbrs.

This story was deeply immersive with tension remaining high throughout. I think this is the perfect book to be reading during the autumn and winter months. The story was brilliant with so much yearning and beautiful portrayals of dealing with grief.

I need to order myself a physical copy just to get myself the satisfaction of highlighting and tabbing.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Thank you so much to Daphne Press providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

Gosh. Sapphic books make me so happy. And this book is absolutely no exception. This book was a whirlwind of Folklore, magical creatures, betrayal, murder, magic, and romance all in one and I was just so utterly charmed. Lorelei and Sylvia are the perfect GrumpyxSunshine night and day pairing, and that slow burn? It was done just so wonderfully. I will definitely be picking up my own physical copy. Thank you again Daphne Press!

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for the ARC of this book.

It did take me a while to get into this book but it's a solid four star read for me.

I loved the concept of it - sapphic fantasy romance and academic rivals? Sounds great. Allison Saft does a really good job creating a rich world with loads of folklore elements and Lorelei and Sylvia are great protaganists.

I thought their relationship and character development was done really well throughout the novel but some of the side characters fell a little flat at times. The pacing was a little wonky sometimes too. I think at times things dragged out a little bit too long. Overall though, they're minor gripes.

I'd definitely pick up books by Saft again and I look forward to rereading this one.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC they gave me in exchange for an honest review.

For a book with such whimsical prose, I think my favourite parts were in the dialogue. Lorelei (the MC) and Sylvia are academic rivals who try to outsmart and challenge each other. They are forced to work together in an expedition where folklore monsters and other dangers threaten them. The murder mystery, although intriguing enough, didn’t thrill me. What I enjoyed the most was the dynamic between Sylvia and Lorelei, because it was developed in a convincing and interesting way. Lorelei struggles a lot with her personal convictions and insecurities, but her relationship with Sylvia allows her to do some self-reflection. The romance in this book has some very poetic and compelling moments. It’s elegant enough. However, I feel that this book has some problems with the pacing, as I find some parts develop too slow and others too fast. Overall, the good parts of this book won me over, it was a pleasant experience and I would probably recommend it to other sapphic, enemies- to -lovers readers.

The story was quite intriguing - and I always love a murder mystery! I kept suspecting everyone, but I was not expecting the direction it took.

The characters were interesting and I enjoyed how they evolved during the story. And I liked that the ending was not rushed, everything was explained and it's wasn't solved in a second as it often happens in standalone fantasy books.

To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure I liked this book when I started it, but by 1/3 of it I was hooked and I found myself trying to read every time I had some free time.

There were a few things that felt a bit out of nowhere to me. For example, they always had tents and lots of furs for camping, plus one of the characters ended up having two tents? But how did they carry all of that stuff? Maybe I missed something.

Thank you to Netgalley and Daphne Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Dark and Drowning Tide was a very surprising read for me. I am not the biggest fantasy reader, thus I was kinda scared of not liking it or being so lost in the world building that I wouldn't get to enjoy the story itself. But that is not at all how it went.

I will say that if English is not your first language and you don't know much about mythologies, folklores and fantasy worlds in general, you will need some type of dictionary or wikipedia to help you with the definitions of different creatures and places. However, once you've familiarised yourself with some of the creatures who of course will be constantly appearing through the book, you get to enter such a magical and gothic world. All the places atmosphere reminded me so much of medieval times, the way they dressed, the weapons they used etc. which is of course the point as this is labeled as gothic literature. I think I would have liked to see more of the type of magic that Lorelei controlled, I feel like we got much more gothic like world building and folklore creatures than we had fantasy and magic as such. But of course, that is just personal taste.

There is also mystery in the story, as very soon in the book we find out that someone (Ziegler, the leader/mentor) was killed, and the murdered can only be one of those present in the ship they were travelling by, so a sense of fear and danger is present through a big part of the story. I have to say that, as always, I did not solve the crime and was doubting the most innocent person of them all (it made perfect sense in my mind, you actually have a lot of clues of who it really is, I'm just oblivious). So, I was quite surprised about the resolution and not only that, but everything that happens AFTER that.

This leads me to my next point: characters. We have a very unreliable (in my pov) narrator, Lorelei, who ends up being the decision maker of the group, after the death of her mentor, one of the people who had helped her grow and become the person she is now. And dear God, of course she was her mentor because it is so clear how Lorelei learnt absolutely everything from Ziegler and how much trust she had in her. Not going to develop on that subject, you'll have to discover it by yourselves.

We get to know Lorelei and hoooow much she hates a group of friends, but certainly one person more than the others: Sylvia Von Wolff. They have been rivals from very little, thing Lorelei only faintly mentions, although I would have appreciated some kind of flashback or more details about it. We are told that Sylvia is so liked and loved by everyone, she is the perfect popular and smart girl at school and out of it, while Lorelei is one of the most hated people. This is because the place where they live is separated by different somehow independent regions, and her region and culture had been heavily criticised and stereotyped by the others, creating a common hate and fear towards all people coming from there. This huge contrast between the girls, and the fact that they had to compete for the same position inside the team, made the very perfect combination for hatred in Lorelei's logic. Of course do not let this deceive you, she WILL talk about the beauty of Sylvia from the very first page, even if she is getting of every nerve of hers. Very sapphic coded, not complaining at all.

While Lorelei is all pessimism and hatred, Sylvia is quite the opposite. She is portrayed as a very extroverted person, who likes to be in the center of attention all the time and likes being looked at. However, as I said, this is how Lorelei sees her as in the beginning; as they get to know each other and Lorelei opens her heart and mind, her opinion and perception of her changes almost completely. I liked Sylvia as a character, I feel like many times she is misunderstood by not only Lorelei but also the other characters, and I would have loved to have a dual pov in order to be inside her mind and hear her thoughts and logic overall.

Talking about the rest of the characters could get spoilery, so I will only comment on the fact that I think I needed a bit more information about everyone to attach or relate to them in some way. Sometimes they feel like they are there to fulfill a role, be attached to a specific storyline from the past and act some kind of way towards Lorelei (so she keeps having a reason to hate them) and that's it. I do not need sophisticated backstories, but a little bit more than we had would have been perfect.

Overall, I enjoyed this book so much after coming to terms with my irrational fear of fantasy books. The folklore is absolutely beautiful and getting to discover new creatures was such an interesting part of this reading. Give yourself time to read about each of them and understand not only how they would look but also how they would act and what they provide to the story and world building. At the end, I did not want this book to end and I feel like that is such an important thing when reading. Completely recommend this to everyone who enjoys fantasy, folklore and sapphic enemies to lovers.

Now if you excuse me, I need to preorder a physical version of this ARC so I can mark and highligh it all.

Sapphic academic rivalry with atmospheric and lush settings

While on an expedition in search of a spring which is fabled to have mystical properties, longtime rivals, Lorelei and Sylvia, must begrudgingly work together when their expeditions leader is murdered in order to find the infamous spring but also avoid becoming victims of the murderer.

Im in love with the relationship between Lorelei and Sylvia, yearning and bubbling tension. Their development was lovely to read. Beautiful writing.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this!! The atmosphere, the writing, the characters - I felt myself be pulled in entirely.

It didn’t give me that 5 star feeling but I can’t wait to get my physical copy of the book and read more from this author!!

The introduction of the big five didn't feel real at all, I was very aware that I'm reading a book. Which isn't a bad thing and I guess it's alright with the cozy folklore vibes,  just felt like pointing that out.
At first I was disappointed in the group dynamic because I thought it's a found family situation but these people literally hate each other. Tho it is more complicated than that, they are a family of some sorts, tied together even if they don't always agree. By the end it made a disfunctional kind of sense.

Johann reminds me of Aemond Targaryen in his quiet unhingedness. Heike is giving Southern Belle. I do like how everyone is in some kind of love with Adelheid even though she's not the conventional seductress archetype. Ludwig is sweet but kind of useless. Real lost potential, I was suspicious of him the whole time and then he's just not in the story and he does nothing of importance. I still don't really know what his purpose was. Or what Lorelei finding that piece of note on him means.
The moment [redacted] seemingly confessed killing Ziegler I was like that's too obvious, and sure enough they were covering. It made sense who is the murderer and why it was covered so easily. But I could've seen it twisted to fit any of the characters to be honest.

I didn't expect the love confession that early. But then I realised it's early because we need the last third for the classic "my only way of protecting you is making you believe I don't want you". Except it's not just a third act breakup, it's a third act betrayal because we need👏more👏angst👏.
Sylvia is a better woman than me because at the betrayal I couldn't see how this could be resolved, but she saw the whole picture and forgave so easily. She has a strong heart. Gentleness earned through violence. She is somewhat of a manic pixie dark academia girl, but it's fine we love her.

Lorelei does seem like the best character to narrate the story, and not just because she's the only one not so loyal to the king. Amongst these people she sees injustice the clearest and isn't willing to sacrifice morals for personal gain in the end.
Interesting how she's loyal to the sheer notion of her people,  even though she's not in that culture and life primarily anymore. Yet she can never escape her roots either, because the rest of the world won't let her forget it. She's the only Yeva we meet, which fits with her feeling like a kind of representative for them. Her decisions are flawed but she's the one in a high position so she feels like it's her task to protect her people. And she's just a generally flawed character (they all are, but in Lorelei there's this noble vice), however there's no one else for her cause so it's on her to make the best she can. Gotta admire that.
Lorelei's grief was something that I would've liked to be more raw and consuming. The moment she found Ziegler was done nicely, I believed that reaction. Of course everyone grieves differently and maybe her way is just to pack it up and not think about it. But when she does think about it, it still felt detached, didn't hit that hard. As someone who knows many faces of grief, I say this should've went deeper because it's an important part of her character.
The folklorist element could've been woven into the text a bit more seemlessly too. I didn't mind the random stories from time to time, but they were sometimes disturbing the flow of the scene.

The ending was surprisingly lacking for me, I was sure they're acting out a plot, but no that was it. I mean yay peace but.. I hope there's a sequel.
I did enjoy it, the vibes were neat, and I learned many fancy words. I like the main ship too, there is just a little spark missing for me to give it 5 stars.

Beautifully written. The story gripped me from the start and I did not expect the twist at the end. I cannot wait to purchase a physical copy and recommend it to fellow bookworms

I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book - it felt like a perfect blend of comforting and cosy fantasy, and the darker realities of human behaviour. Lorelei made for a fantastic atypical heroine - one who sees herself as a villain, due in part to the prejudices she faces in society, and who is on the outskirts of the very story she tells. The worldbuilding was vivid and creative, and didn't shy away from the social inequalities that fantasy can be so helpful in highlighting.

This was enemies to lovers done right (that is, neither character is irredeemable!) and I almost wished I could have more time to explore their relationship and its progression. But the story itself was entertaining and well-executed - even if the ending felt a little rushed.

If you're looking for a fantasy that combines a bold new world with romance, and a hit of murder mystery, this is definitely one to go for. This was both an engaging and unintimidating read, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on Saft's future books!

Books with similar vibes - The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree, Witchmark by C L Polk, and Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne.