lush and dark, like coffee with swirls of white milk.

the author used magic, because her writing managed to ensnare me in a trap of shivery but rich settings and hot, hot sapphic characters. the slow-progressing story may not be for everyone, for the obvious plot is merely a facade for the excellent character-driven fixation. but it was heavenly for me. i got to escape into the disastrous mind of lorelei, who has a temper and wit. (i just love, love her.) sylvia was frustrating to me. i hated her at times, but she’s since grown on me. i can’t deny the perfection that is lorelei and sylvia as the world’s most powerful couple.

(writing this makes me desperate to pick up the book again.)

don’t let personal reservations stop you from reaching this book. i usually avoid mystery novels that center around “who is the killer among this group of people?” but the magnificent illustration of the cover convinced me. and it should convince you too.

i thought no other of allison saft’s work would live up to ‘a far wilder magic,’ but this may just best it by a few of my heartbeats. maybe.

A Dark and Drowning Tide was an entertaining read that held my interest with it's sense of mystery, combined with fantasy, folklore, and dark academia.

Lorelei is a sharp-tongued folklorist leading a mission to find a magical river for the current monarch. But when the mission goes awry and dead bodies start turning up, she turns to her arch nemesis for help, only to discover there's so much to unravel, including her feelings.

Honestly, I had a hard time warming up to Lorelei for about half the book. She's extremely acerbic and quite scathing in her conversations with others most of the time. As the story goes on however, you begin to understand why she is the way she is, and feel for her a little bit. I was happy to finally see her snide outer shell cracked. In my own life however, I would probably just end up writing someone like that off... but I suppose if she were your boss, you wouldn't have a choice, right?

I loved Sylvia and her wild, impetuous demeanor. But beneath her carefree attitude are multiple layers overlying a heart of gold. She was definitely one my favorite characters—her and Ludwig. He was so open yet outrageous—the perfect best friend. I wish we got more of him.

Overall the story, the mystery, and the world building kept me engaged and intrigued. So what that I didn't like the MC so much... Sylvia and Ludwig more than made up for it. :)

Thank you to Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!
I think I may have read one of my favorite sapphic books I'll read this year. Saft does an incredible job of painting this descriptive picture of this dangerous luscious expedition, filled with exciting magic and entertaining dynamics between the 6 characters.

This entire story felt like a folkloric, dark fairytale with intertwining and deep worldbuilding. While at times I was a bit lost on the history and worldbuilding of the setting, I found that it was so luscious and layered that I didn't care. While for some people it may be a little too much to take in, for me I found the bits that built upon the world's folktales and historical stories to be utterly enchanting.

Now for the characters...my favorite part of the book. From the beginning, I knew I was going to LOVE this story because of the way Loriel was written. Witty, pessimistic, tortured, and a little cruel—she is everything I love reading, and having to experience this story through that kind of perspective was incredible. I found myself laughing several times from her blunt attitude, and learning the stories of the other characters (especially Sylivia's...) was amazing. Having someone such as Loriel, who almost reminds me of an anti-hero of sorts at times, be the voice of perspective and narration gave the overall stories a new and fresh taste in my mouth. It was so much fun getting to pick apart her obvious and relatable internal anger and self-doubt and having a character like Sylvia who is the complete opposite of that bring the light out of her was beautiful. Saft did an incredible job slowly establishing and demonstrating the roles each character was going to play early on, which in my opinion did for really great and unexpected plot twists in the second half of the story. If there is anything I think this book carries itself on is the very unique and entertaining characters that keep the plot going at a fast pace.

When it comes to Saft's writing the one word that comes to mind is delectably beautiful and savory. Her prose is what really places this story on a whole new level. It is luscious and descriptive, packed with layers of emotion, and at the same time builds an expeditious world around you while conveying all the sins of the characters. Overall it was amazing. At times I forgot I was reading because I was so wrapped up in how Saft was writing a scene.

I cannot wait to get the physical copy, I'm literally drooling for it.

I love Allison Saft books! As her adult debut, this book had a lot to live up to, and I really liked it. The main characters were complex but likable, and I empathized with them a lot as a fellow competitive idiot. The world was really expansive too, which actually made me just want a map to look at and see what territories were part of the main kingdom and which weren't considering how important that plot line was. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, but I did find the pacing and writing a little hard to follow at times, which is why I gave it four stars. I'd recommend to fans of sapphic fantasy books and complicated adventures as well as those who liked any of Saft's other books.

Unfortunately, I felt A DARK AND DROWNING TIDE relied too much on tropes and atmosphere and not even on plot or character.
I've enjoyed the author's previous work, but this one felt a bit lackluster, and from the author's note, it does appear it may have been
a bit of a personal struggle.

Rich with worldbuilding and compelling characters, A Dark and Drowning Tide was one of the most satisfying standalone fantasies I've read since Naomi Novik's Uprooted. I rooted for Lorelai and Sylvia until the end, and the slow burn delivered. By the time I reach the end of a standalone, I'm always nervous the ending will leave me disappointed, but A Dark and Drowning Tide gave me exactly the pay-off I craved. I can't wait to buy the book when it comes out and re-read it over and over again.

A sapphic academia tale of a Jewish young woman and her journey and experiences with antisemitism that influences her worldview. A beautiful tale of mystery, suspense, and the racism and prejudice seen in fairytales. Definitely worth the read.

If I need a book, that’s dark, gritty and fast paced, I go to Allison Saft. I’ve loved and adored her books in the past, and this was no different. The academic rivals coming together to solve a mystery sucked me in immediately. Lorelei was a joy to follow, I adored her wit and charm so much, that when it ended, I wanted to read another novel with a character just like her. Truly, I cannot wait for people to read this come September. The perfect amount of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The work felt rushed and a bit underdeveloped. The magical elements of the story are not fully explored or integrated into the narrative in a meaningful way, for my personal taste. Pivotal romantic moments come across as contrived rather than heartfelt. The prose was excessive and detract and I did not care for the characters, unfortunately.

Sapphic academic rivals to lovers? YES PLEASE. Add folklore and fantasy and I’m a goner. Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for an early review copy!

A bewitching concoction of dark magic, forbidden romance, and haunting mystery that ensnares readers from the very first page. Set in a vividly depicted world, this spellbinding tale transports readers to a realm where secrets lurk beneath the surface, waiting to be unearthed.

The story follows the journey of our cunning protagonist, Lorelei Kaskel, tossed into a web of intrigue and danger as she leads a voyage to find the coveted Ursprung. The novel's prose weaves suspense and emotion, drawing readers deeper into a narrative brimming with unexpected twists and turns. The author's vivid descriptions breathe life into the atmospheric setting, evoking a sense of foreboding that lingers long after the final page is turned.

At the heart of the story lies a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance fraught with tension and longing, The chemistry and shifting dynamic between the characters adds an intriguing layer of depth to the story. Overall, a masterclass in world-building, seamlessly blending elements of fantasy, romance, and mystery to create a rich and immersive reading experience.

DNF. The prose is unreadable, and I actually like relaxed, purple prose when done well. This was not it. None of the metaphors make sense, every other sentence has a "She did this like it was that" format, just all around bad writing. No idea what the characters are like beyond being childish for no reason.

This was good but not great. I enjoyed it, and I will sell it, but I would have liked more from it. The political intrigue/murder mystery wasn't as solid as I would have liked, and bits of the book didn't seem to quite line up. However, I loved the slowburn romance, and the chemistry between the leads. I liked the academic setting and journey, even though I wished other characters had been a bit more fleshed out.

Really I think this book could have been much thicker! But I did really enjoy the world building, the romantic tension and enemies to lovers slowburn. I had a good time with this book, and I definitely think others will enjoy it. It just wasn't great.

I really enjoyed this book, and especially related to Lorelei. This was such a beautiful story about finding yourself, and realizing the power of not caring what others think of you. Also, the way she is always comparing herself to Sylvia, someone who the world always seems to work out for. The imagery and writing style was so easy to read, and I could not put this down. Thank you for the chance to read this! Another beautiful read by Allison Saft.

Fantastic fantasy filled with political intrigue and murder mystery. A gothic twisting tale with romance.
I loved the tension between the two love interests (Sylvie and Lorelei), super adorable.

One thing I struggled with was the writing style. It was very lush and flowery. Not my favorite.

Also I felt the characters were quite young despite the fact that they were supposed to be in the mid twenties or older.

Despite those two things, I did enjoy this book.

An imaginative and immersive fantasy world with plenty of political intrigue, a twisty murder mystery, and thoughtful examination on the role of the outsider in cultural folklore.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is gothic, whimsical, and thrilling. I adore that it leads with adventure and mystery - the romance is mixed in, rather than taking over completely. When it comes to the romance though, ah! The yearning Lorelei has for Sylvia (and vice versa) had me kicking my feet!! The murder mystery aspect was exciting too, I was trying to guess who it might be and I have to admit I guessed wrong. I am happy to be wrong in times like this, it means the plot isn’t so predictable.

The descriptions were lush and the creatures sometimes grotesque, both to my liking. The motivations and reactions of this eclectic crew were also so human and relatable. Even the villains really had me feeling so much. I love the angst and the passion.

All in all I was happy with the end and the journey to it! Thank you so much to NetGalley for the free arc of this. I will be recommending to friends and family.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a sapphic romantasy set in a place inspired by European fairy tales and history, wherein a king has united splintered lands into one kingdom and an uneasy peace. Seeking to solidify his reign he sends a group of academics to find the source of all magic. They are barely on their way when the expedition leader is murdered and her second in command, a member of a mistrusted minority, is suddenly in charge of the whole ill-fated mission. Will she find success and maybe love and happiness along the way?

I appreciate the fact that this is a novel perspective to have in a fantasy world -- we do not often get sapphic Jewish fantasy stories with imperfect protagonists. I was overwhelmingly excited for this book and read it all in one sitting. Unfortunately, it made me irrationally angry due to some of my pet peeves, such as the audience being treated as stupid in the delivery of the message of the book and the worldbuilding. I understand that this book will be amazing for some readers, it just did not work at all for me.

I cannot stand being beaten over the head with a message, I detest it and there are excerpts of stories which immediately summarise the moral after them. It’s just not subtle at all, you never get to draw a conclusion on your own.

To be quite honest, the lacklustre world building makes this book feel like a disgrace to fantasy. There is barely any effort put into it — the country names are barely changed, traditions and historical people are carried over from the real world. Wilhelm the Second!!! The Reunification of Germany and Nazism!! Not only are those overplayed rewritings of history but they were alos not done well here at all. Somehow, science, magic and technology all exist simultaneously at different levels and this is never explained. One of the nationalities is Ganish. It draws so much from history that it’s barely even fantasy— if it was made to be magical realism historical fiction it may have fared better because it wouldn’t have pissed me off so much.

The characters are supposed to be 25+. They do not behave that way. They behave like teenagers at best and children at worst. Their knowledge and capacity for critical thinking also equals that of children — SPOILER but how on earth is using lemon juice as invisible ink seen as a smart move???? Children learn to do that when they are five years old!

It tries to be Six Of Crows? Except it doesn’t succeed because the book loses its own plot all the time. For most of this book, it feels like the characters putter around aimlessly and it’s just so annoying. There is no sense of urgency because the mc and the li are constantly goofing off. Some major things don’t even turn out to be really relevant.

Speaking of — I do not care whatsoever for the romance. I thought it was cute until I realised the one dimensionality of the love interest and then I lost all interest.

There is so much info dumping. Most of this book is info dumping and summaries of fairy tales and I cannot stand it.

Honestly?? I am done with this, I don’t know why I pushed myself through it, I was so excited!! But it feels like the sapphic fantasy equivalent of Divergent: a flat paper cut out that’s barely filled in. It feels like a cash grab due to how badly thought out everything is and I cannot tolerate it, I am getting too old to put up with books I dislike.

Sorry for ranting but also NetGalley did ask for an honest review.

saphhic academic rivals??? yes please!!! everything about this was *chefs kiss* so good. the characters! the world building! the romance!! It was written so beautifully. it was a read that was out of my comfort zone so there were moments I was a bit confused (but not in a bad way!) I am so glad I read this one and can't wait for everyone else to get their hands on it!!!