3.75/5
A Dark and Drowning tide is a sapphic academic rivals to lovers with a mix of folklore fantasy and mystery,

While I really enjoyed the dynamic between the MC Lorelie & her love interest Sylvia, you could tell they had a lot of chemistry it was very adorable. It was giving "Its not you its me" & "ill do anything to learn everything about you, but from afar", however I wouldnt say that I was fully convinced by the love interest due to there not being a lot of build up until after they professed their love to eachother... It would have been nice to see the build up. The romance is not a major plot in the book, but it is in the background. Overall this was a very well written rivals to lovers.

As someone who prefers a more "high-stakes" fantasies, it did take me quite some time to get into the book as it is inspired by Folklore. Most of the plot was given away very early on, while others were just left unexplained? I also didnt find the characters to be super likeable.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the ARC.

A Dark and Drowning Tide was giving all of the vibes and those vibes are immaculate. This story has so many favorites and I cannot wait until everyone gets to read.

This book contained all the elements for a 5 star read, but it just couldn’t engage me within the plot or characters. I found myself able to predict anything that could be considered a twist, so it took all the thrill out of the murder-mystery aspect of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the arc.

Dnfing 50% in. This is my least favorite thing to come from Saft. I was excited for dark academia + folklore fantasy but ugh. It drags and I am not feeling pulled into the plot and the romantic relationship hasn't even shown up yet. I can't feel any romantic chemistry between the two. I don't understand why she hates Sylvia so much, enemies to lovers is so hard to write well and this doesn't accomplish that. The queer relationship is dry and feels...textbooky, like someone who doesn't know how to write a WLW romance but is following a how-to guide.

Lorelai's hatred of everyone feels superficial. She has reason to, she is coded Jewish and lives in a goddamn ghetto while she's surrounded by privileged scholars, but the book misses making an emotional connection between the two. I also, again, wish that Saft didn't try to code religion and just named it for what it is. Why are so many books pulling from Jewish heritage and history but aren't naming it? I don't like this trend. This is an ARC, so maybe it will be added, but there is no afterward breaking down the historic abuse of Jewish people that she is pulling from, that this book could use as an educational moment.

The whole book feels very empty. It's constantly info dumping world building information and the lore-dumping doesn't blend in well with the plot. Saft historically struggles with worldbuilding and continues to here. I can't envision the world as I read. Character relationships are normally her specialty and that is missing from here, as well. It's stilted, very write-by-numbers, and I honestly have no idea what's going on in the plot and I'm 50% in! It is HARD to write a novel with as many characters as there are here, it's something Maureen Johnson even struggled with in her latest Devious book, and it falls into the trap of everyone feels the same to the point where I can't tell them apart. It's trying to be a Six of Crows knockoff, with multiple European countries blended in (Austrian-Hungarian, Nordic, English, French, German, etc.) but misses the mark because I can't tell any of them apart except in the names she uses for characters and for bits of the lore she pulls from.

4.5 stars

This book contains so many of my favorite elements: an adult sapphic love story, slow burn, adventure, intense political elements that serve the story, and a compelling cast of characters.

I knew from the first pages I would love Lorelei and Sylvia. And even knowing that I underestimated how much these women would stick with me.

I love so much about this tale: the authors gorgeous command of language, being wrong about the “bad guy,” “back in the days when wishes still held power” and all the variations, and the theme of shedding your ghosts.

Lorelei’s faith was an incredibly moving and dynamic aspect of her character.

I struggled with the world building. It felt like a lot of information too fast and not enough overall. It wasn’t detrimental to my understanding the story but it would have helped with a fuller/more complete picture. The end of the story felt like it was wrapped up fast, I wish I got to hear more about the civil war and what happened in the four months that last chapter covers. I would have loved to know more.

I can’t wait to hold this book in my hands!! There is so much in this story to love

This is a richly developed world with an interesting cast of characters that just didn't do it for me. The descriptions that I heard of this book are wildly inaccurate. I've heard people say it's an atmospheric, gothic romance at the heart of a mystery. The only thing that really feels true about that is the atmosphere, I do think Allison Saft nailed the folklore vibes of this. The writing was beautiful and I found it easy to get into, but it felt SO LONG. I also didn't connect with any of the characters—I was rooting for no one and I didn't buy the romance. I really disliked Lorelei. Sylvia was the only character I thought was decent, everyone else was one dimensional and the dialogue felt unnatural. The final 1/3 of this book was the best part, but the ending was...odd.

This was my third Allison Saft book and I just don't think her books are for me. All three have been totally, utterly....fine.

This story was everything I wanted and needed it to be!! A sapphic dark academia, rivals-to-lovers romance with a foundation of mystery, I mean what’s not to love?

Saft created an immersive, plot driven narrative that includes magic, intrigue, mystery, and an expedition. The magic system is unique, in that they all have the same power just varying degrees. Although the quest they go on is for magic, I didn't find magic itself to be a predominant component of the story which I liked because we got to focus more on the mystery/quest and the blossoming relationship.

I loved the relationship between Lorelei and Sylvia, the classic grumpy sunshine will forever be a favorite of mine. I really enjoyed the pace that Saft set of them, it felt realistic in terms of the narrative. The banter and wit between these two was as amazing as their tenderness with each other. I was giggling and kicking my feet reading their scenes!

I found that I disliked the majority of the characters besides Lorelei and Sylvia; just annoying and so far up their own butts…but honestly that could have been the point. They definitely help develop the plot but sometimes they made me wanna pull my hair out.

I really enjoyed this story & i'm thrilled for it to be released so i can grab a copy….literally the most stunning cover i’ve seen in a long long time!

I’m so sad that I didn’t love this book like I thought I would. This was my first book by this author and I do want to read her other books, but this one wasn’t for me.

The beginning was a little confusing, it was a very slow start and hard for me to find the motivation to pick it up to read. I wanted to love it because I’m a sucker for dark academia and sapphic books but unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this one as I had hoped.

I love Allison Saft's writing. There is a lot of different parts to this book, but she makes them fit together flawlessly.

I loved Sylvia and Lorelei. Their first kiss was my favorite scene in the entire book. It actually had me blushing.

I can't wait for release day so I can own a copy!

i liked this! ive now read three allison saft books and while “a far wilder magic” is still my favorite, i enjoy her writing in each book from her :). i do wish the world building and character backgrounds were a bit more developed but it’s still a solid read!

Lorelei Kaskel is a folklorist with a temper as dark and deep as her pain. She's got a rapier wit but no physical skills to speak of. Instead, she keeps everyone at bay with the fact that she's risen far above her station and lets the mask of "viper" speak the volumes she cannot utter aloud. With the seething anger and hatred of the six nobles forced into companionship with Lorelei, they set off in search of the source of all magic. Throughout the expedition danger lurks constantly, murder fuels distrust and betrayal, and Lorelei must face harsh truths about her own heart's character while she decides if the kingdom of Brunnestaad deserves to be saved at all.

Allison Saft is a new-to-me author and with a title like A Dark and Drowning Tide, I expected great things from this ARC from NetGalley. I was not disappointed! The writing is exquisite. The characters are fully fleshed and the web of flaws and connections between them all is so juicy that I could barely put the book down. If you're looking for sapphic romances, love triangles, and unrequited love then this book will check all the boxes, twice. All the while delivering mayhem and madness. This is a brilliant book, and one I will be purchasing once it is published!

A beautifully dark tale filled with magic, folktales and pining. A Dark and Drowning Tide offered such a unique magic system, along with an expertly crafted group of complex characters. Murder-mysteries are always so fun to read, and Allison Saft did such a fantastic job planting moments of uncertainty that had me on the edge of my seat and second guessing who might be guilty. Also, the yearning & longing between Lorelei and Sylvia was *chefs kiss*. A delicious slow burn between academic rivals that makes you DESPERATE to read more.

Allison Saft has done it again! The folklore, the sentient forest, the beautiful love story set against a backdrop of war and tensions were magnificently told. And there was a twisty murder mystery! I loved it. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book.

I want to start out by saying that this is a well written book but I’m giving it a 3.5 for the slowness of it. I would usually give it four stars but it took me a long time to get through the first half of this book. When I saw it on NetGalley I was super excited because sapphic academic rivals?? 😏 A murder mystery set in a fantasy novel? One of my favorite types of stories. But it just took too long to get interesting so it took me months to read it when it usually takes me a day or two to read a book of this size. Albeit a little boring, but I think the wor;d building was really well done without being a complete info dump of knowledge. The banter was top tier as well.

I really wanted to like this book. I’m definitely a reader who bases a lot of the books she reads off of their covers (sorry, I know some people hate that), and the cover is insanely beautiful, so I had such high hopes. Unfortunately, even months after I was approved, I just had to DNF. I couldn’t connect well to any of the characters, the writing to me made the storyline very slow, so it felt like a tough pill to swallow every time I picked it back up. I really wish I could love it, and the plot seems really amazing, but it just fell flat for me to the point I couldn’t finish it.

Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book. I really wanted to love it, but I found the writing a little stilted. The characters had an interesting outline but failed to really hook me. I think this would be a great read for fans of Six of Crows or The Atlas Six, but it just wasn’t for me.

I can’t wait to tell all my friends about this book when it comes out. i fell in love with it right away. From the world building to the characters everything was just so captivating.

3.5

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*Received an eARC from netgalley for an honest review. Thank you!

I was lucky to receive another one of Allison Saft's books to review. This book hits the type of vibes and atmosphere I gel with, and I think the author's writing style has improved since A Fragile Enchantment. A very smooth reading experience, abundant with vivid descriptions, and a dark, compelling premise featuring a sapphic pairing who happen to also be academic rivals. Their contrasting personalities were, for the most part, an enjoyable facet of the plot. While they both bicker constantly and fight for their standing in academics, their relationship can be described as a tide pushing and pulling, sometimes fervently and sometimes gently. Lorelei's cold, withdrawn and abrasive disposition pushes but also retreats from Sylvia's more carefree and confident personality. I appreciate the author for making it clear that each of these characters hold unique strengths and weaknesses. In some situations, one will rise to the occasion, while the other lends their support.

While I will praise the character dynamic and tone of the writing, it doesn't come without criticism. Firstly, I think my biggest issue was the pacing and length of this book; It did not need to be almost 400 pages. There was too much repetition of events and narration that didn't need repeating, but it certainly needed more relevant buildup. I don't think the actual character development was done eloquently. I understand Lorlei is meant to be insufferable to a degree, but I expected her to have more gradual development in her emotional maturity. Her big, heroic moment did not dispel my grudges against her by the end of the book. The biggest mistake Lorelei makes still made me despise her, and if I had been a character in this story I would not forgive her so easily.

The side characters also weren't very memorable to me, and if they were, it was also because I didn't like them.

The plot itself was okay and I'm not sure I have much to say beyond that. The premise itself serves to build the characters' ambitions and the obstacles they face are meant to test their morals, but the execution lacked much substance. Things happen, but they didn't seem very relevant.

Additionally, the author inserts so many different folktales, which I would usually be a huge fan of. I love stories of fae and I especially love when they are told with the purpose of teaching a life lesson, but there was just too much of it and I started to lose focus on the actual story. Usually I'm patient with info dumps, but this sometimes ruined the pacing.

Overall, this book delivers on its promise of a gothic story with two women as rivals to lovers, and I did enjoy it for the most part. I just wish other facets of the book were as fleshed out and given more care.

OH HOW I DEVOURED THIS BOOK!!! To be 10000% honest, I had never read Allison Saft before, but the cover caught my attention, the synopsis sounded RIGHT UP MY ALLEY, (gay AND gothic???? yes, please!), and the story kept me turning page after page after page.. Before I start my review, I just have to say that I am already awarding this book "Most Beautiful Book Cover in the History of Forever." DO NOT LET THIS ARTIST GO. My god, so GORGEOUS!

Now, onto the actual review. As I said before, I truly devoured this book. I wanted to literally CRAWL into this world. I was HOOKED and was pretty much pulled in within just the first couple pages. Lorelai Kaskel and Sylvia von Wolff: Name a more iconic duo. You can't.

"A Dark and Drowning Tide" is an incredibly lushly written, angsty tale of beautiful SAPPHIC (yessssss!) love that is intertwined with tales about injustice. This book was so unique and different than anything I have ever read before that I am struggling to try to compare it to something similar. This book really is different. Would not be surprised AT ALL to see this up for the next Goodreads Choice Awards. Without being dramatic, this really was a masterpiece in all things gay and gothic.

I normally DESPISE (and I mean LOATHE) the "grumpy/sunshine" trope, but Saft pulled it off here PERFECTLY, and now I'm beginning to question if I actually *do* like this trope, but just thought that I hated it because other authors failed to execute it in a way that didn't make me physically cringe.

The gothic, the gayness, the MYSTERY, this book HAD. IT. ALL. It's only the first month of 2024, but I already have a feeling this will be in my top 5-10 reads of the year. It's *THAT* good and I already want to do a re-read. I will absolutely be recommending this to my bookish friends and family and without a doubt will be adding this to my personal library.

PLEASE, I AM BEGGING YOU DO NOT CHANGE THE COVER ART BEFORE THIS IS OFFICIALLY RELEASED!!! THIS COVER IS ICONIC. IT'S ART. IT'S GIVING CINEMATIC.. 10/10.

I'd give more than 5 stars if I could. You all have a winner here. A+++++

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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