A immersive and fast paced fantasy filled with folklore, nature, and sapphic love, A Dark and Drowning Tide is everything I love in fantasy. It is dark and atmospheric with beautiful fairytales woven in. I particularly enjoyed the discussion about why fairytales and myths are so important and how they impact society. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book!

I love Saft's writing, and I think she makes the transition to adult literature very well. Her themes are clear, even though they make you wait slightly longer to develop them fully and more maturely. Her characters are complex and messy - Lorelai is probably my favorite of her protagonists to date, with this book giving a very clear picture of how she thinks, acts, and why she does the things she does. And for a book that is, inherently, about the messy decisions people make for self-preservation, for survival, that was really key, asking you to sympathize with everyone's actions even if you don't approve of them or like them as people. I loved the use of folklore as a way of constructing characters' identities - Lorelai sees herself as one figure in these tales, so she attributes similar characteristics to those around her, though over time those archetypes are fleshed out so we understand why they hold themselves certain ways. Ludwig was the clearest example of this, but it holds for the entire party.

Sometimes, I wanted the folk talkes to be better integrated - more than a paragraph in passing, even if it is a passing thought Lorelai is using to frame a situation. But every story did uphold the themes well.

As an aside, it was refreshing to see a story in a fantastic-historic setting that very neatly brushed away "setting typical" homophobia; having political marriages between women discussed openly rather than covert dalliances was a very welcome change of pace. Cannot wait to preorder this one!!

Sapphic, rivals to lovers, fantasy?! Say less! I absolutely loved the wlw representation throughout this book, and not just with regards to our two fmcs Lorelai and Sylvia. I 100% believe this would be an AMAZING book for those maybe wanting to get into fantasy or get into sapphic books. While it was super detailed (which I LOVE), the elements of the fantasy, plot, and character development were not so heavy to where it was hard to digest. The writing flowed really well and I actually like that it was only told from the POV of Lorelai.

We follow a diverse group of students on a research expedition that turned more sinister than they had expected. There's a murder mystery and you see the inner workings of the students slowly reveal themselves with showing just how political influences change things for them. I loved the themes of this because it showed how upbringing, social class and racial prejudice drove our characters and their choices. With all of the students being Nobles EXCEPET Lorelai, we got to see this from her eyes on how she was treated and how her own upbringing has her judging others as well.

I will say, I want to classify this more as a self-imposed rivals to lovers. Lorelai spent so much time believing she was unlovable and unlikable that she made everything a competition and a challenge with only seeing negatives in others and she couldn't see that Sylvia didn't see her that way. This was a PROPER slow burn and there is a fade to black sex scene around 80ish percent (because this seems to be a hot topic for people choosing books now).

I did feel like there was so much attention given to the world and the folklore aspects that I wish there was more external dialogue. Some areas I wish were more drawn out as they felt a little rushed and I did feel like the end went really fast as well. However, I can overlook all of these things because it was such a unique read that did touch base on so many things I genuinely enjoyed.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book had everything I wanted. Fantasy, a little romance, a lively and entrancing world...and it was neatly wrapped up in a single package. I love a series, don't get me wrong, but with how busy life can be, I truly appreciate the books that can stand on their own and be just as delightful.

Our primary characters are student researchers focused on their various magical, historical, and cultural pursuits. The big motivation for their teaming up and setting out on an adventure is to track down the source of magic. This is not a complicated plot hook by any means, so if anyone's looking for something cozy and fairly straightforward, this will cover those bases. There's also a murder mystery in there, just to keep a little intrigue. And of course, anyone looking for a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance should find that in spades. In addition, the setting contains cultures and locations that have real-world parallels.

With respect to the characters themselves, I enjoyed getting to know them, though some definitely got more spotlight than others. There were layers of nuance to their personality quirks that I appreciated uncovering. I wouldn't have minded more, but what we got was perfectly fine. The protagonist of this book is a folklorist, so we also got to know the world through her recitation of folktales. I personally enjoyed it, as I think they were kept short enough to keep the story moving, but some readers may find this a bit heavy on the exposition.

Overall, I found this a fantastically fun book. The pacing and writing style kept me reading long after bedtime. I look forward to reading more from Allison Saft.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine, Del Rey for sharing a digital ARC with me.

Although I had been eagerly anticipating Allison Saft's adult debut, A Dark and Drowning Tide, which some of my favorite book influencers had highly recommended, I was disappointed that I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. The book failed to meet my expectations despite my love for anything inspired by folklore and fairy tales. Additionally, as a fan of sapphic romances, which are often undervalued in the genre, I had hoped to enjoy the book's main sapphic romance, but unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. This book was too slow for my liking, and I found myself struggling to want to pick it up. I still enjoyed reading about Lorelei's experiences, however, and I appreciated the Jewish representation and Saft's commentary on antisemitism.

This was an okay book. I think I may have gone in with too many or perhaps different expectations than what I actually got. The main character was not likable enough for me to root for them. Additionally, I expected more chemistry and “found family” but that actually wasn’t the case. Good writing style though.

I was drawn in by this cover! It’s gorgeous. I love the dark, eerie look. The story was a bit hard for me to get into. I think the world building was a bit much for me since I like a faster paced book unless it’s an audiobook where I don’t have to be sitting still. The author does a great job with creating this world, though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE this cover, and love the premise. Unfortunately the execution fell short for me.

The writing style didn't work for me, and the story just tries to be too many things and comes off as disorganized in my opinion.

I enjoyed some of the folklore, and creatures, but there was just so much information thrown at me all at once.

Some of the banter between our two FMCs was very cute, and I love a sapphic romance, but this one wasn't as believable and I would have preferred the characters to be a bit more fleshed out.

I'd still recommend this to readers who enjoy a bit of a genre bender, with fantasy, murder mystery, thriller, romance, and dark academia, it's quite the mix.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a mix of fantasy, mystery/thriller, and romance novel all in one. This slow burn will have you desperately turning pages both to find out if love will prevail and to catch a killer. Follow five friends and a bit of an outcast as they go on an expedition to find the source of all magic. But just when the adventure is about to begin, a grisly murder thrusts them into chaos. It’s up to the outsider to solve the mystery or she’ll be blamed for certain. This book is full of twists and turns and intensity, and it will untie readers across genres as they see themselves in different characters as the story unfolds.

I was disappointed with this book. The action doesn't get going until maybe 70% of the way through. At that point, it was gripping, but I didn't feel like I knew any of the characters enough to be invested. The academic rivalry is stated, but not supported by the rest of the text. I felt that a lot of things were stated without anything to back them up. It was a lot of telling and not a whole lot of showing. I could barely keep track of character names--let alone who was attracted to whom.

A definite let down given the gorgeous cover design.

Something that I’ve noticed about this author is that she’s really good at creating these atmospheric worlds. With that being said, the descriptions are sometimes so heavy that I would often be like “wait, what just happened?”

The writing style is very fluid, which is poetic, but also a little hard when it’s combined with fantasy world building. I don’t think the magic system or their powers were explained that well.

The characters lacked overall depth. Lorelei was not likable by any means, and I feel like she projected her insecurities on to Sylvia a lot for no reason. I also didn’t feel any real connection between the two of them. It just seemed convenient for them to end up together. It had potential to be like a dark version of the Emily Wilde series, but unfortunately I felt utterly bored for most of it.

I can't say I fell right into this one. I didn’t get invested until like 30% of the way through the book, but I love Saft's writing and fantasy settings so it was worth it to push through the slower pacing. The emphasis on folklore / dark fairytales and the power stories have to color our perception of the world was magical. Throw in a sentient forest and a sapphic academic rivals to lovers, and it's game over.

I definitely felt like there were too many people with different political associations in a way that made me not want to bother trying to keep track of them, and I got lost trying to remember the different Germanic-creature and location names. The magic system felt underdeveloped to me at times, but I love the way Saft writes antisemitism/Jewish cultural experience into fantasy settings.

Overall this book was about vibes, and the eerie dark academia and moody romance provided.

3.5 stars

I adore folklore with dark, sentient forests. Everything about this atmosphere calls to me, and academic rivalry is ALWAYS my favorite. I especially love that this is a sapphic story with unrelenting tension.

I’m a huge Allison Saft fan, which was why I was so surprised by my disconnect with “A Dark and Drowning Tide.” Based on the premise, I was sure I’d love it, but instead found myself struggling to finish. Still, as is the case with all of Saft’s titles, it was beautifully written.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Holy shit. This is the year of dark academia and what a WAY TO SEND IT OFF!!! I loved this. I cannot stress this enough: read. This. Book. The characters, the thrill, all of it is just.. *chefs kiss* Allison Saft is a masterworker and the queer romance on top of it? Sheeeeesh. I cannot wait for this to hit stores. Did I read it on ebook? Yes. Will I be purchasing my own physical copy? Also yes. Don't judge me.

Allison Saft really does nail it every time. Her adult debut completely bowled me over - an almost genre-bending book about the not-so-hidden prejudice in stories we take for granted. There's a research expedition turned quest, there's rivals to lovers, there's murder, there's gorgeous prose, as always, and vivid and heartbreaking characters. The plot got a little buried in the political intrigue at times but the vibes alone were enough to make it barely matter.

murder mystery on a boat but it's fantasy so there's magic and magical creatures but it's also (dark) academia. and the setting and vibes of the ocean!!!! immaculate.

so it's students on a big boat but then there are also sapphics that are rivals then they are lovers oh oh okay thank you allison saft!!

thanks del ray for the arc!!!

3.75 thank you netgalley for this arc.

The aesthetic of this book was gorgeous. I’m not sure the plot was totally for me, but I liked different sections of it. I loved the girlies. Lorelei and Sylvia r so 🥲🥲🥲☹️☹️☹️🥰🥰🥰🥰. Idk which one of them I like more. Possibly Sylvia? They’re literally so cutie.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

I was not expecting there to be a proposal at the end☹️☹️☹️ that was so cute😭😭😭 I love them this ship is just so🥲🥲

I adore everything else that Saft has written, but for whatever reason this particular story did not quite carry me over. I wanted to like it. I think that the world had a lot of depth but it, along with the magic system, could have been further expanded on. The characters themselves felt a little lacking to me, which was disappointing because I typically rave about the way Saft describes the depth of action/sensation of interactive scenes. To be honest, I sometimes pick up her other books and re-read certain scenes because of how vividly I can see them in my mind. I somehow missed that in this story - again, I wanted to love the characters and the unique Emily Wilde-esque universe. It was in no way shape or form bad.... just not quite up to par with what she has created in the past (in my opinion).

While this one was not quite for me, this in no way keeps me from reliving the other stories that she has written and I believe that everyone should give her a try!

Thank you for allowing me to read this eARC!

An enchanting sapphic fantasy filled with a dark, fairytale-esque atmosphere. From the first chapter, Allison Saft's prose is incredibly alluring and captivating. She sets the tone immediately, and I really adored it. The environment is rich with folklore and beautiful imagery that often aligned with nature. The dark fairytale vibes are definitely there. And the tension between the characters—especially Lorelei and Sylvia—is really great. It's tender and heart-wrenching.

This story has some intriguing and compelling characters, but Lorelei was by far my favorite. She's sharp-witted and often quick to anger. Both her and Sylvia are flawed characters, which makes everything all the more realistic. As the book's protagonist, Lorelei allows the reader a direct lens into her struggles and the prejudices she faces daily; this book tackles it with deftness. Furthermore, the way Lorelei's grief is expressed and handled was done very well.

While the pacing can definitely be slower at times, this story is not a high-stakes epic fantasy. You definitely shouldn't go into it expecting an extremely fast-paced story. It's much more melodious. If you're alright with slower books, this one might be for you. The romance is a slow-burn, and before I knew it I was glued to the pages. It took more time than I wished for me to get there, but it was well worth the wait. Though, I definitely wanted more from the ending. The political scene felt rushed, and Wilhelm's character, throughout, felt misplaced—a little vague to me. I definitely wanted and expected more from him, as well as a few of the other side characters.

However, if you're looking for a dark academia, sapphic romantasy, definitely check this book out. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.75⭐️