In theory this book is perfect for me. Academic rivals, enemies to lovers. Sapphic. A quest to find a magical spring with folklore elements. But it just didn’t give what I needed it to give. It was fine but not great. I wish the magic system had been better explained and more world building had been done. It was very slow paced which made it hard for me to stay immersed in the story. And was I the only one getting some pro-colonist sentiments?

I thought this was a decent read, though not my favorite. The atmosphere was eerie, and the way the author described the setting made it feel almost alive—dark, damp, and full of secrets. I also really liked the slow unraveling of the mystery; it kept me curious even when the pacing felt a little slow. I thought the big reveal was a little underwhelming though since I had an idea who it was pretty early on. It would have been nice to get other POVs other than Lorelei to balance things out since I found her a little annoying and selfish. There were definitely some chilling moments that stuck with me, especially the way the supernatural elements were woven into the story. I just never fully connected with the characters, which made it hard to be completely invested.

BEAUTIFUL COVER like the art is chefs kiss!
if you like books with tension and yearning then this one is for youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

While no one can debate, Saft is a deeply talented writer and unwittingly brilliant in the way she build her worlds and characters. I think I’ve come to the realization that she is just not the writer for me.

I’m not sure what the disconnect is for me and her writing/characters, but I never feel quite drawn in like I hope to be. Unfortunately I decided to not finish this book at the halfway point!

I have attempted to read this book, but the writing and story was unbearable. I like Saft’s creative approach, but this book is not for me. And I doubt it is for other people.

First of all, the cover for this book is absolutely GORGEOUS. I usually don’t prefer character covers but this is the perfect example of how to do it right.

Unfortunately, this book was pretty meh for me. The worldbuilding I found to be very lacking, I would have liked a lot more focus on that and the politics. There were some plot points (like regarding colonization) that were not resolved to my satisfaction by the end, which I also was a fan of. I could have gotten past this but I had such a hard time with Loreli’s POV. She was just so miserable and bitter that it was not fun to be reading from her POV only. I think people can be mean in a fun way, but I found her to be mean in a not fun way most of the time.

Thank you for the arc!

I had heard great things about Allison Saft's writing, and I can see how well she can write in some places, and in others, I can see where this book was fighting her. Parts of this book SHINE, I was drawn in at the beginning. but it fell flat after the murder. Lorelei became an infuriating narrator who was also horrible at investigating the murder. When Silyia and Lorelei interact, when Lorelei is able to see the magic of the world through Silyia, the book really gets to shine. I love a grumpy/black cat narrator but Lorelei just did not grow on me outside of her and Silyia's dynamic.
The political world-building also just felt..off. Other than the romantic plot the ending just felt unsatisfying for me. For how much of the book all of the characters complain about the king and how he will sacrifice them and their people to help himself....they kinda do nothing about him. Maybe came in with too high expectations for the worldbuilding, but I felt like I was expecting more.
The strengths and weaknesses of this book just did not balance out for me, for how excited I was to start I was just happy it was over by the time I finished.

A Dark and Drowning Tide follows folklorist Lorelai Kaskel as she struggles to make a name for herself in the unforgiving world of academia. She is given the honor of co-leading an expedition to find the Ursprung—a spring said to be the origin of all magic—alongside her mentor. After her mentor is murdered on the first night of their voyage, Lorelai must trust no one as she investigates the five other people on the voyage, while trying to stay alive in the process.

I was really intrigued and interested when I heard what this was about. A sapphic romance with murder mystery, magic, and German folklore? Sign me up! However, I think this fell flat in a few ways, but it also did some parts very well. I was hooked for about the first 40%. I was in love, the descriptions were wonderful, characters were all intriguing in their own ways, the murder mystery was interesting. After that 40%, more and more issues kept rising up for me. I finished this book and realized that I stopped caring. I no longer cared about the characters, the plot, the world, nothing. It was just fine.

I think the most frustrating thing was that I wanted more. More depth to the side characters, more worldbuilding, more folklore. The writing was really great in some places, and really not-so-great in others. I almost wish the book had been longer, to give Allison Saft more time to really flesh out this super intriguing world she’s created.

Lorelai as a character called to me in the beginning, but by the end I wanted to bang my head against the wall. Being in the point of view of someone just so incredibly bitter and hateful and against everything wore me down.

I do also feel that the colonialism aspect of the novel was not discussed enough. I wanted more meaningful conversations about the effects of colonialism, but the ending just swept everything under the rug in a very pro-colonialist way. All in all, it was definitely a letdown, and I find myself skeptical to read anything else Allison Saft has written, though her prose is very whimsical and enchanting.

The vibes were great! The execution, however, was not what I wanted or felt the novel had the potential to achieve.

A Dark And Drowning Tide is a Jewish, sapphic romantasy rivals to lovers. This book was filled with dark academia vibes and sentient forests.
I wanted to love this book, I really did, but it fell a little flat. The main character Lorelai is so distrustful and hating of other characters that it felt hard to really root for anyone. All in all, the story ended up feeling a little boring.
One thing that was actually done really well was how Saft used the main characters heritage to discuss antisemitism that is still rampant, even in a fantasy setting. The scenes where we learned more about her backstory and family history were the best parts of the book.

Sapphic, Dark. Haunting. Beautiful. It was perfection. Allison Saft's prose is stunning and adds to the wistful and alluring atmosphere of this book.

I was excited for this but I think it was too fantastical for my taste. I think I was hoping for more dark academia like TSH.

I am typically all-in for dark academia, creepy folklore, epic quests, swoony love stories, murder mysteries, etc. And this book certainly has all of those elements. It held my attention, and I was fascinated by the magic system, but I felt untethered to the main character, whose bitter loneliness marked every interaction with the other characters. Still, there are scenes from this book that were thrilling and have stayed with me even months after reading it, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend time in this world.

I was initially drawn to this book by its stunning cover and the promise of a sapphic romance, but unfortunately, you can’t judge a book by its cover.

While the prose is undeniably beautiful and the premise had a lot of potential, the execution fell flat for me. The characters lacked chemistry, making it hard to invest in their relationship, and the plot felt sluggish, dragging more than it should have. It’s one of those stories with a great concept that just didn’t quite deliver.

This book is full of moody atmospheric tension. It is everything I wanted and more. A true rivals-to-lovers story where the plot and romance are both strong and could stand on their own. Any book by Allison Saft is turning into an immediate buy for me.

Loved the writing style and the dark and gothic vibes. The book was interesting and had a lot of potential, but I just didn’t land for me. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood or maybe I’ll try to read it again another day. However, I see this book as something that others will love.

i wanted to like this so much, but i think it's so odd that the romance was forbidden because of racism and colonialism, basically. maybe if the topic had been handled well i would've liked it more, but as it stands, i did not. on top of that, the beginning was so slow and clunky because of the info dumping,

I enjoyed the poetic writing but something about this story kept having me drift off while reading. The atmosphere and the vibes were there but there was just something that was missing. I think I just had a hard time connecting with the characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Daphne Press for providing me with an e-arc
3.5 stars

I sincerely apologize--I thought I had already reviewed A DARK AND DROWNING TIDE! I adored this book, its world, its romance, and will gladly read anything Allison Saft pens for the rest of my days.

The ending felt very rushed and weakened the story from my point of view. I understand the people saying this could have been a duology. The last chapter covers several months and several serious issues. Like we just glossed over a civil war? What?
Shockingly, the romance is what pulled my rating down. I loved the fantasy setting/ world-building and was enthralled in the plot/mystery. Lorelei was terribly unlikeable but also such a fantastic character. She sucks, but also I would defend her against her haters. Her longing and yearning was beautifully done but then I felt like it all resolved so fast. I love that Sylvia loved her for who she is, but I expected to get more character growth from her. I feel like she was the same at the end and didn't really grow. I also just don't buy that they could actually be together long term.
It's not a bad thing to want more from the story and the world because it's so well done, but it frustrating feeling like I was robbed of an actual ending.

Allison Saft is a master at characters writing. I have never felt more at home in a character than I have in their books, and ADADT is no exception. Lorelei and Sylvia are both incredible characters and, without getting into spoilers, are the perfect choices for the reader to follow through the narrative- the suspicious and reviled outcast & the entitled and favored “princess.”

I’ve loved everything written by Allison Saft so it should be no surprise that this is also 5 stars for me. Thank you to Netgalley & the Publisher for this ARC even though I’m super late.