3.5
Lorelei was given an opportunity that she is fighting to maintain. Seen as an enemy by most of the people in her country, she is in an expedition in order to find the source of the magic to deliver it to the king. That way she thinks she'll be able to secure safety for her and her people. But she is accompanied by five noble that may make everything harder for her. Especially Sylvia von Wolff. When someone is murdered and Lorelei suspects everyone aside from her rival, Sylvia, they must team together to save themselves and the expedition.

I really liked Lorelei as a character. She really feels as a real person. She is not exactly likeable; she does a lot for her survival and she is single-minded in this task, she grows a lot throughout the book even if I felt by the end that her development was a little rushed. She changes slowly through most of the story but in the end I felt the author rushed to get Lorelei how she needed to be. Sylvia was an interesting character in how she interacted with the magic in the world; everybody else feared them, she was the only that seemed interested in understanding them. I wish we had her PoV, not for the romance, but for her views of the world. The romance is not a big portion of the book for most of it; I could see the yearning from both of them (I liked how the author showed slowly the change in and understanding of Lorelei's feelings). The other characters weren't really explored but they did what they had to do and it was easy to differentiate them.

The politics of the book, which play a huge part in the book, were interesting but I didn't feel the world building was that way done. For how important it was for the story, it was really surface level. For the scope of the narrative, I felt that the politics should have been better interwoven within the story; there were a lot of different cultures and lands but they weren't really explained. There was mention of a war and how the king was governing the conquered lands and there was dissent regarding his government but it all felt really far away. It should have been better laid out considering that the main thread was linked to it.

By the end, I liked the book.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Dark and deeply enchanting, A Dark and Drowning Tide took me in a journey of adventure and slow burn romance. I loved this book so much because of the world and characters. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book

I had high expectations for this book. I absolutely 💕 the cover art but that didn’t extend to the rest of the book. This book dragged so bad I was falling asleep 😴… plus, I didn’t get pulled into the world or the relationship between the characters very well. There is also the constant info dumping that I just skip.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful genre blend of dark academia and dark fantasy fairy tales, I was once again blown away by Allison Saft's gorgeous characters and flawed, but relatable characters.

This was an incredible read! The characters were so well thought out the story was beautifully written. The dialogue and the whimsy, haunting prose was to-die-for!! Will absolutely be reading everything else from this author in the future.

If you're a fan of fae stories where the fae are far from human in all the senses, then this is for you!!! After reading the Emily Wilde and Folk of the Air trilogies, I love stories that lean into the horrific aspects of fae-dom, and am so glad to have A Dark and Drowning Tide join the ranks. Even better is that this is sapphic, has academic rivals who are on equal footing, and a compelling mystery anchoring the plot. Perfect for colder/sharper parts of the fall season! This is my first Allison Saft and I will be reading more of her work!!

I didn't know what to expect going into reading this book but found myself increasingly drawn to the story as it unfolded. A Dark and Drowning Tide follows our main character, Lorelai Kaskel, a folklorist, who sets out on an expedition with her academic peers (most of whom hate her) to find a mystical spring containing a powerful ancient magic to bring back to the King who claims to use the power to unite their war-torn region. At the very beginning of the expedition, Lorelai's mentor and leader of the cause is murdered, and Lorelai is bestowed the position of expedition captain. Amidst solving her mentor's murder, Lorelai must navigate the crew towards their cause while not knowing who to really trust, grapple with her so-not-obvious crush on our other main character Sylvia von Wolff, and learn that sometimes, the weight of the world doesn't have to fall only on her shoulders.

The journey is fast-paced with just the right amount of world-building to keep the wonder alive without too many bogging derails. It is lighthearted when it needs to be with tasteful romantic tension that keeps you hooked. The story covers serious themes such as anti-semitism and politics impressively well too through the discovery of Lorelai's past and learning about the motives of each character. I also found the normalization of queer relationships in the book profoundly refreshing.

Overall this was was so fun to read! The dialogue was poetic and snappy and the characters so morally gray yet realistic, I couldn't bring myself to hate any of them. I kept thinking as I was reading that I would definitely enjoy an on-screen adaptation of this.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC and privilege of writing this review!

A Dark and Drowning Tide was a fun read with dark academia, rivals to lovers, sapphic main characters, and magic. I'd recommend it to people who like magical, dark academia, and fae who are scarier and more otherworldly.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is many things at once, and it does all of them very well. It's dark academia vibes. We have a. professor and her two rival students competing for the same position, while fighting their mutual attraction. We have an ensemble cast as our main character (who is different and doesn't quite belong) becomes part of an important expedition to find a fountain said to be the source of magic. And we have a closed room murder mystery, where someone in the party comes to an untimely death upon their departure. If this combination sounds fun to you, you will likely enjoy Allison Saft's new book. It's dark, it's sapphic, it has some pretty interesting twists, and it kept me guessing through much of the story.

I went into this book with the highest of expectations. I am, unfortunately, in the minority of people who didn’t like this book as much as I’d hoped. The tropes I love are there though!

✅ Sapphic Enemies-to-Lovers
✅Dark Academia
✅Whodunit Type of Mystery
✅Fairytales and Fae (but the scary dangerous kind, not the attractive kind…)

Lorelei and Sylvia are two students of the same mentor who have fight tooth-and-nail to earn the praise and attention of their mentor, Zeigler. Then their mentor is murdered (likely by one of their friends) at the start of the most ambitious expedition that could make, or break, all of their careers. The following chapters are filled with reluctant partnership, sexual tensions, and dangerous moments.

I’m not sure what didn’t do it for me in this book. I know a lot of people have loved, and will love, this book! It has all of the ingredients that should normally be a win for me. But I felt the love story side of this story wasn’t believable. I adored Sylvia, but Lorelei was not someone I enjoyed reading about. And the story is from her POV. There is a difference between someone who is grumpy (think grumpy/sunshine trope), and someone who is just pessimistic and negative all the time. Lorelei is the latter, and I just didn’t enjoy it.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks for the arc : if your enjoy slow-burn sapphic romance, magical creatures, and mysteries you will devour A Dark and Drowning Tide. The CW: death, murder, antisemitism, eugenics, colonization, grief, loss of sibling, blood & gore, violence, dead body, injury detail, drowning, drugging, fire, emesis, alcohol consumption . The elements of a sapphic Jewish story with the perfect blend of fantasy, folklore, dark academia, and romance are all captured and will suck you in . Where I was expecting a bit more magic and folklore , we got alot of murder mystery that checked so many boxes and investigated so many people that were just random that I just got semi bored. One thing I think was handled really well was Lorelai's heritage (fantasy Jewish) to discuss antisemitism and hatred that is still incredibly rampant.The cover is absolutely stunning and what drew me in as well .
3.8-4 stars for me .

I really enjoyed this!! Honestly I got this arc so long ago I couldn’t remember anything about it other than it was sapphic academic rivals and I really enjoyed going into this book with that little information.

While yes, this book does have sapphic academic rivals, there’s a lot going on here!! Lorelei, our main character, is chosen to be the lead for an expedition to find this magic source call the Ursprung. The other members of this expedition have known each other their entire lives so as you could imagine the dynamics are a little bit complicated.

Shortly after the expedition takes off, things immediately go wrong and someone dies, oopsies! It’s now up to Lorelei to figure out who killed this person, and why, on top of completing the initial goal of the expedition. What’s the catch you might ask? Oh you know, if she doesn’t figure out who actually did it, she will be killed in their place 😀

I really enjoyed getting to know Lorelei and while she does fall into some of the common tropes we’ve seen become very popular recently with the grouchy academic FMC, she still felt refreshing and not quite the same as other characters I’ve read with similar traits. I especially loved seeing her dynamics and relationships with the other members of the group.

I’m always a sucker for complicated group dynamics and boy does this book have them!! Since Lorelei doesn’t know the majority of these people very well, we get to uncover their pasts and the small twists and turns and betrayals that unfolded between members of the group and I was LOCKED IN I live for this kind of drama in books.

I will say, though, when you’re dealing with a small group of characters for the entirety of a book I always think it’s more interesting when it’s multi POV. Even if it doesn’t cover every POV possible, I think it adds a lot of layers and perspective to see the plot from different members of the group and I think that this book could’ve been even better had we gotten another POV. I think at the very least we should’ve had Sylvia POV chapters but I think this easily could’ve had 4 POV chapters and been strong. That’s probably my biggest complaint about the book but that’s really more of a personal preference and thinking about what could’ve been. I could also be biased in that Sylvia was easily my favorite character and I wanted so much more of her, Sylvia supremacy for real that’s my daughter and no one better speak badly about her!!!!

I really enjoyed the romance in this book and that it was a slow build up. I think some could complain that it took too long for something to actually happen between them but I think it was realistic and made the relationship much more believable and authentic. I think the progression of their relationship made so much sense and I loved seeing how both of their characters grew independently through the trials and tribulations they were put through but also how they were able to grow together and learn how to be vulnerable with the other in ways that they couldn’t before.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book as well. The writing was so beautiful and once the plot got going after a few chapters I was completely pulled into the world and I could so clearly picture everything that was going on. I also love how folklore was so thoroughly woven into the fabric of this book but it was done in a way that was interesting and made sense. It was a mixture of tales old and new and it was presented in a way that wasn’t boring.

The pacing was a little slow in the beginning and I think that the “villains” of the story could’ve been fleshed out a little more, but other than that I really enjoyed this book and think that this is a fantastic adult debut.

Thank you so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC!

DNF @16%

The lack of world building and the writing style made it boring and hard to follow the plot.

An incredibly unique story full of nuanced and fascinating characters, A Dark and Drowning Tide is one of my favorite books of 2024. Allison Saft is amazingly gifted when it comes to world building, as she has demonstrated in all of her previous work, but this novel may be her best yet. The world in which Lorelei and Sylvia inhabit is absolutely engrossing and Saft’s depiction of their environment left me longing for a world which I was sad to ever leave. The unique perspective and experiences which shape Lorelei’s background, in particular, were equally compelling, and contributed to the heroine’s memorable voice. I look forward to returning to this story for a reread when my copy arrives in the mail!

I was very excited to receive this title, and even though I had some problems with it, it was still a good book. I just felt as though I couldn't gel with the writing style. I also did not feel connected to any of the characters at any point in the book which overall didn't make me care about the plot.

If you’re looking for a book that wields folktales like a sword while simultaneously unraveling a murder mystery during a grueling expedition, you’ve found the perfect story.

Lorelei is a folklorist tasked by the king with finding the Ursprung—a fabled water source harboring the original magic of this world—alongside a group of powerful, nobility specialists and her own mentor. When her mentor is found murdered at the start of their journey, Lorelei must take up the leadership mantle and continue the trek to the Ursprung… even with the murderer still hiding amongst their team.

My absolute favorite part of this book was the world building. From the folktales Lorelei tells readers and her peers to the magical creatures spawning up alongside their trip—this world felt LIVED IN. I loved getting to visualize Allison’s descriptions of the creatures and then doing my own research (much like Lorelei) online to see artwork of them.

A wonderful surprise was the sapphic, academic-rivals romance. I tend to find rivals/enemies romance tropes to be lackluster, but Allison proved me wrong. Their rivalry is built off of insecurity, yearning, and tons of miscommunication, but that is due to assumptions made for years during their tutelage. Even when readers think the romance is set in stone, another hurdle is thrown that sets the relationship back tenfold because these characters are flawed and make mistakes. It made the couple have to fight more for their truth, which is something I think is missing from most rival/enemies romantic plots.

Overall, A Dark and Drowning Tide was one of the perfect books to get me into the fall spirit, and I cannot wait to read more of her work in the coming years!!

This book has a lot of great things going for it and I enjoyed it overall. Dark academia with rivals who set out on a journey to find the source of magic. They are joined by a group of friends who each have their own personal goals for the quest, even if that pits them against one another (a kind of toxic found family). Our main character is very much an outside, both of this particular group and the society as a whole.

There's a murder mystery and creatures from folklore as well as lots of stories from folklore. A rivals to friends to lovers relationship. Political intrigue. A solid read.

I really enjoyed A Dark and Drowning Tide. The plot was mysterious and full of adventure, and the romance was sooooooooo good. Lorelai and Sylvia have such a fun dynamic. I also just really enjoyed the group dynamics overall. I liked the tension between characters that increased as the story went on.

A Dark and Drowning Tide follows the story of Lorelai, a folklorist on an expedition with a group of nobles to search for a spring that is supposed to be the source of all magic in their land. When her mentor is murdered shortly after the trip begins, Lorelai is tasked with finding the culprit. Each of the members on the expedition have their own motive, with the exception of Lorelai's rival, Sylvia von Wolff. Lorelai begins her investigation to unmask the murderer and keep the expedition moving forward as smoothly as possible, but things do not go as planned. (Shocking, I know.)

This felt like more of an adventure-y historical fiction than a dark mysterious fantasy. I enjoyed it, but I do wish that the fantasy and magic elements had felt a little more important throughout the story. I loved all the creatures and the parts they played throughout the book, particularly the nixies. I think they're neat.

The romance in this book was fun to read. I enjoyed the little hints of Lorelai pining for Sylvia throughout the book before she would inevitably shut herself down. Like, girly, it's ok to think your hot ethereal rival is beautiful! That's just a fact! You can be a little in love with your sworn enemy who drives you crazy. As a treat.

Lorelai is very broody and holds a lot of disdain for the people around her, and rightfully so. Most of them (with the exception of Ludwig and Sylvia) treat her like garbage! I would also be grumpy and wary of other people if I were in her shoes.

Anyway, Allison Saft has done it again. I have thoroughly enjoyed every book I have read by her so far, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!

An alluring blend of folklore and magical intrigue, A Dark and Drowning Tide is a sapphic fantasy romance perfect for fans of Ava Reid and Freya Marske.

We are drawn into a world of fantasy, fairytale, and politics inspired by nineteenth-century Germany as Brunnestaad is still in its infancy after its king, Wilhelm, completed the campaign for unification his late father had started, unifying the different provinces under one kingdom. With unification tenuous and threats still beyond their borders, Wilhelm orders an expedition to find the Ursprung, a mythical spring that can grant unbridled magical power in order to secure his reign.

Enter Lorelai Kaskel: a folklorist tormented by guilt and grief at the murder of her younger brother, turned cynical by the path she chose that led her to be named co-leader of the expedition alongside her mentor, Professor Ziegler. Succeeding in finding the spring is her one chance at freedom. Lorelai is a Yevani, a ethnoreligious minority in the world of Brunnestaad who have been persecuted for centuries and whose movements are heavily restricted. She’s determined to see this through and be granted authority by the king to travel the world and fulfill her dream of becoming a naturalist.

This dream is ruptured when her mentor and the leader of the expedition is found murdered in the dead of night, all of her notes and journals vanished without a trace. Each member of the expedition is a suspect with their own hidden motives. Lorelai must work with her academic rival, Sylvia von Wolff, to solve the murder while assuming leadership of the expedition as more dangers lay ahead—mythical monsters, forests that rearrange themselves at night, and tensions simmering among the remaining members of the expedition.

I cannot reiterate enough that fantasy with unapologetically Jewish elements has become one of my favorite subgenres. I think part of it is that antisemitic tropes have been so deeply ingrained into the fabric of fantasy and fairytales, which is a key element of A Dark and Drowning Tide. As a folklorist, Lorelai is deeply familiar with the ways in which the Yevani have been portrayed through fables and fairytales. We are told many of them that echo our own—most notably The Jew Among Thorns, a fairytale collected by the Brothers Grimm, becomes The Yeva in the Thorns. Saft and many other Jewish fantasy writers are intimately aware of this and use fantasy as a way to engage in a conversation about that history, which makes their writing all the more refreshing.

Allison Saft is a master in the craft of yearning and a well-built slow burn. Her writing style is exquisite, always deeply evocative and heart-wrenching as she unfurls the layers of her main characters until their bloody, still-beating hearts are exposed on paper. I fell in love with Lorelai and Sylvia von Wolff and found myself letting out guttural, inhuman noises at their frustrated yearning. (A tried and true sign of a masterful romance, if I may say so.) If you’re a fan of rivals to lovers and unabashed sapphic desire, this book will pull you under its current like a riptide and leave you gasping for air.

At its core, A Dark and Drowning Tide is a bruising love letter to folklore, an unabashed confrontation of the prejudices that lie at the center of many fairy tales, and a burning but tender love story.

A sapphic dark academia story perfect for my transition into fall. The atmospheric mysterious vibe was great. Saft has a way of writing these beautiful settings that are extremely immersive. Definitely need more!