This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I really enjoyed it! I thought the magic and quest were interesting and different for fantasy novels, and the relationship that developed between the love interests was fun to read as well.

This was such a fun read and one that had me staying up a bit too late just so I could finish. I don’t think this was doing anything new but what it did do was done very well. I particularly enjoyed the layered experience of: reading about an investigation of folklores, an almost narratorial telling of folklore directly to the audience, and lastly, that the plot itself is a folklore, and a self-aware of that fact. This combination worked really well for me and outweighed the gripes I had with Lorelei’s character and how I failed to connect with her beyond her trauma.

This one suffered from a lack of balanced pacing. I liked the folklore elements - particularly the little stories that were place liberally in the beginning and then all but disappeared - but I would have loved more of the differences between the provinces (duchies? Annexed nations? See, not really sure what those were other than that each of the noble characters was from a different one), but instead we got kind of blindsided by certain distinctions of those territories only when they became relevant. Also, the magic was way too hand-wavey. Lorelei, despite having minimal training, was always able to use magic conveniently without suffering any major consequences.

Also not sure why this is classified as dark academia? The university is barely present and no one is actually actively conducting research at any point except for Adelheid and Ludwig. I wish their respective fields of study were more relevant to the actual meat of the story.

As for the rivals-to-lovers romance, I actually rather liked it. Lorelei is so predisposed to roll her eyes at and poke fun at Sylvia that their constant awareness of each other just works rather seamlessly. Though I think Sylvia as “battle hardened warrior maiden” needed a bit more reinforcement - particularly at the part where her shiny silver saber designed to ward off magical creatures is pitted against a steel blade (a matchup which is clearly defined early on in the story and does not go as telegraphed)

Another thing that I really appreciated was just how well Jewish history (specifically the oppression of Jewish faith/practices and the corralling of Jews into slums) was integrated into this fictional and magical society. I think it gave an otherwise “fanciful” story quite a solid touch of reality without being heavy handed.

I really enjoyed reading A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft. Saft’s writing is beautiful, magical, and enchanting. The writing style is captivating and addicting. A Dark and Drowning Tide is a beautiful dark folklore with a murder mystery. I really loved both of our main characters Lorelei and Sylvia and enjoyed their own POV. The sapphic slow burn romance was perfection. I enjoy reading anything dealing with academic rivals and leading to romance. Saft executed this area perfectly and lead me to want more from the story. Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy. I can’t wait to purchase a physical copy because this cover is absolutely stunning.

I unfortunately DNFed this book. I wasn’t sure if I should count that as a review, as I appreciate that chance to read this early. I however just couldn’t get into this story. I kept giving it time but everytime I picked this one up I was left bored.

Lorelai is a sharp-tongued, quick thinking, prickly folklorist, who is holding on to a lot of guilt from childhood and is (reasonably) quite jaded after facing years of discrimination/ridicule. Sylvia is a positive-thinking, find the joy in life, sort of person; a naturalist and a long-time academic rival of Lorelai’s. They’re brought together as partners when their mentor, Ziegler, invites them both on an expedition to search for a mythic spring whose waters can grant untold power to a worthy person, by direction of the King of Brunnestadd (who is trying to stabilize his kingdom). With competing goals and personal agendas, the group sets out…and is immediately thrown into further chaos when Ziegler is murdered. In order to keep things together for the good of the mission, finding the spring, and identifying the murderer, Lorelai and Sylvia grudgingly agree to work together. Facing opposition both from within (other members of the expedition) and without (myriad magical creatures and mystical landscapes), the two uncover the truth about a number of secrets, including their carefully guarded feelings for each other.

Ok, I loved almost everything about this book. And I am going to focus mostly on that for this review. But there is one sticky thing that just wasn’t quite right for me, so I want to say it, to be clear and fair about my feelings while reading, and then move past it and into the good stuff. The thing is… I know that Lorelai’s character is supposed to be proud and independent and prickly and impatient, as her end of the “opposites attract” and “grumpy-sunshine” spectrum that she represents. I get that all of that personality was developed as a defense/protective mechanism, and it became who she is in a way she couldn’t stop. I respect the authenticity in this, as how she’d probably actually be, after her life/experiences. I also understand that this novel is from Lorelai’s perspective, in her narrative voice and with her internal monologue, so all that came through extra strong, as compared to any other character’s POV or voice. All that to say: it’s very great, realistic character development. And yettttttttt. By about a third of the way into the book, it was all to an extreme that was frustrating and I was quite ready for walls to start coming down. I mean, I am here for the slow burn, romance-wise, but this lack of ability to soften to anyone, at all, for any reason, got a bit tiring to read. Like, Lorelai couldn’t get out of her own way to an extent that it was not only affecting relationships, but also her own work and goals. It tried my patience to an extreme that was both frustrating and a bit un-fun to read (hopefully that got tightened a bit before publication).

But fear not! Just when I was getting bogged down to the point that I thought I might be disappointed in the book as a whole, there was a definite shift! We got just the slightest of softenings, when Lorelai and Sylvia take on a small side-quest together. That focused time on the two together gave the reader a bit more of their relationship development, and some particular insight into Sylvia’s internal and background story, which helped balance things out. I still feel, overall, that Sylvia was too easy a counterpart character (like, she had some depth, but it seemed chosen to too easily complement Lorelai and fit the narrative needs, and I would have liked a bit more…fight? nuance? idk exactly), but it was enough to win my general buy-in. (Side note: I do wish I could have some of the pure wonder in the world around her that Sylvia has.)

And then…this slow burn really hit its stride and the straining towards each other finally broke free and, phew, it was worth the wait. When they finally decided to give in to the pull between them, it hit. And it delivered on this love-and-hate-are-two-sides-of-the-same-coin romance set-up. Like, OH that ending! It left me cheesing so hard. These polar opposites, truly incorrigible in their own ways, are finally able to just be soft for each other (and enjoy the parts of each other that they’d labeled as disagreement, but were more lowkey jealousy), exactly as they are. And I cannot.

As for the rest… The real highlight(s) of this reading experience came from the ambiance and tone. It was darkly mystical, with threads of lighter magicality woven throughout. All the creatures mentioned (the wildeleute) and the folktales told/referenced are all based in or echoes of IRL folklore and I always love when books do that. Giving the familiar a new spin is the perfect mix of nostalgia/familiar and new discovery that makes for such a comfortable reading experience. This was a fairly isolated narrative, in that it focused entirely on this expedition and the members of the group, so the greater world-building was limited a bit. On the other hand, the history and entwining of these characters, how it’s all slowly revealed as they search for the spring (and Lorelai and Sylvia work in the background to solve Ziegler’s murder as well) and their individual motivations are all revealed, was really well paced. I was mesmerized by the story and the development of the plot and characters, moving forward with compelling interest, though never what might be considered a fast pace (heads up, if you’re looking for something with more intensity). It has all the elements of great fantasy – a very cool magic system (water-based), competing loyalties and secret scheming and betrayals, supernatural creatures, an otherworldly vibe, a few action scenes (both magical and not), political machinations/maneuvering, a bit of mystery – but with a steady sort of delivery (though it never felt like it dragged).

I was really enchanted by this darkly whimsical, sapphic romantasy. It very much gets my recommendation. (If you’re looking for more guidance, read if you liked: An Education in Malice, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue).

***Thank you to Del Rey for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

I loved almost everything about A Dark and Drowning Tide. It had a great academic rivals-to-lovers romance paired with a magical adventure full of murder and political intrigue. The grumpy and sunshine pairing of the main romance had so much witty banter, and the two characters had such a great dynamic. I was hooked on their chemistry from the very first chapter.

The world-building in A Dark and Drowning Tide was really, really cool. I loved the inclusion of the folk tales and how they were incorporated into helping unravel the central mystery. The wide variety of magical creatures was so interesting. I really enjoyed learning about each of them. Despite the many fascinating aspects of the world, I do think this was one of the weaker elements of the story. I would have loved to see a larger focus on the academic endeavors of the team. The story and characters felt mostly academic in name only. I also wanted a bit more background on the kingdom itself. The political backdrop was very bare bones despite being an extremely important element of the story.

The writing in A Dark and Drowning Tide was beautiful. It set the tone of the story well. The descriptions were lush and completely transported me to all of the stunning locales that the characters explored. This was my first book by Saft, but it definitely won't be my last. Her writing just kept drawing me back to the book, even when I needed to be doing other things. I can't think of higher praise to give.

I liked the main character, Lorelai, in A Dark and Drowning Tide. She was prickly and didn't let people close, and I enjoyed watching her learn to open herself up to Sylvia. Lorelai had her reasons for keeping people at arm's length, though. She faced so many hardships to accomplish her dream of becoming the best folklorist. I liked that her character was used to shine a spotlight on how difficult it can be to pursue education when coming from a working-class background. She often felt like she didn't belong at home because no one shared her interest in research and academia while also being the outcast in her school/work because she didn't have the right pedigree. I related to that hard, as well as her obsession to work harder and be the best to compensate for her perceived shortcomings.

Overall, A Dark and Drowning Tide was an entertaining and magical adventure with writing that completely immersed me within its world. The mythical creatures and folktales were a highlight for me, as were the main character's struggles to belong and lead her team while carrying the potential fate of her people on her shoulders. It was all very compelling. Her romance with her academic rival was just the cherry on top of a great story. Therefore, I rate A Dark and Drowning Tide 4.25 out of 5 stars.

First thank you to NetGalley, Allison the author and the publisher for allowing me an eARC of this book!

WOW I loved it so much!! The fantasy in this book was so well written and enthralling. I could picture every mythical creature in my head with complete clarity. The enemies to lovers of our two FMC was just *chefs kiss* I couldn’t get enough. I was interested from beginning to end, and honestly wouldn’t mind a book two. 👀

This is THE sapphic romantasy. I don't make the rules, I just follow them.

Allison Saft delivers A Dark and Drowning Tide on a gilded platter than promises dark academia, rivals to lovers, and a tale dripping with folklore. She hits the nail on the head so well, I almost dare say she's setting a precedent within the genre. If you're looking for rivals who turn into reluctant allies who then turn into lovers, Allison Saft delivers that and then some. Her writing is beautiful, whimsical, but also sharp and bitter when it needs to be. She weaves a world that is so rich you want to spend years in it just learning and unearthing all of its secrets.

With a murder mystery tacked on, this book's fantasy adventure backdrop is upped tenfold. If you love fairytales, you will love the depth in which Saft goes into the history there. (Jewish rep, as well as fairytales hailing from Germany.) Overall, this book is beautiful, tender, and so so good.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the early copy!

Lorelei Kaskel, a sharp-tongued folklorist, must team up with her longtime academic rival, Sylvia von Wolff, to solve the murder of their beloved mentor while leading an expedition to find a fabled magical spring. The duo's quest for truth takes them deep into a dangerous and mystical world, with untold threats from shapeshifting beasts and forests that come alive at night. As Lorelei and Sylvia work together, they must resist their growing attraction and confront the secrets their mentor left behind.

Despite an intriguing premise and Saft's signature atmospheric style, A Dark and Drowning Tide ultimately failed to impress. Lorelei, our main character, is difficult to connect with, coming across as bitter and resentful toward everyone, including the love interest. The character development is sparse, especially around Lorelei’s Jewish-coded identity, which is hinted at but never fully explored, leaving readers to make assumptions without sufficient world-building.

The pacing of the novel is its biggest flaw. The constant use of folktales, meant to enrich the plot, often feels like a distraction, stalling the main storyline rather than advancing it. Even without these interruptions, the story meanders, failing to find its footing. The central romance, which should offer some reprieve from the protagonist’s grim outlook, instead feels more like a series of frustrating encounters, making it hard to invest in their relationship.

Overall, while A Dark and Drowning Tide has the ingredients of a captivating fantasy, its execution falls quite short, and the slow pacing and underdeveloped world-building made it a challenging read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This book had me hook. line, and sinker. Pun intended. I fell in love with the world and characters throughout reading. It was amazing to not know what was around the next corner. I haven't read a book in a while that was able to hold my focus like this. I applaud Allison Saft and can't wait for more! Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this magnificent piece :)

"Back in the days when wishes still held power..."

this was my first read of the year AND first book by allison saft and it did not disappoint! a whimsical, dark, and atmospheric read w sapphic academic rivals to lovers, a murder mystery, political machinations, and magic.

“You're like something out of a nightmare.”
And you, Lorelei thought dispairingly, are resplendent.

brooding, sharp-tongued folklorist lorelei embarks on an expedition with her rival aboard, the bubbly, vivacious sylvia von wolff. when their mentor is murdered, lorelei must balance handling her precarious role navigating strange, mystical lands while trying to uncover the murderer.

“You saved me,” Sylvia said. “Again.”
“You still sound surprised.”

“You’re awful.”
“I’m aware.”

the banter between lorelei & sylvia is delightful and the romance builds well, but my focus was really on lorelei. thinly coded as jewish, she faces intense prejudice from the world around her and is constantly reminded of the danger in the very folktales she specializes in and loves. in a genre that has had many famous books that contain antisemitic tropes (goblins, witches, etc.), it’s refreshing as a jewish reader to see a jewish protagonist take the spotlight while dealing with these issues.

i felt quite connected to lorelei, who wields her wit as a weapon to protect herself, only amplified by the pressure she’s under. though there are numerous sunshine x grumpy stories, we rarely get the grumpy character as the sole POV. i loved lorelei and all her viciousness because i could see how she wore it as her armor.

“Don’t delude yourself. People like me don’t win the princess’s heart.”
“They’re just stories, Lorelei.” Sylvia’s voice frayed. “You must stop taking them so seriously.”
“You and I know very well that they’re not.”

i love saft’s writing. it’s a slower pace story, but i enjoy that; you’re really meant to sit and savor the tale and take in all its lush details.
this was the perfect book to start off what’s so far been a great year of reading!

"Maybe, just this once, she could be the hero of a story like this. Maybe, just maybe, there was a happily ever after waiting for her on the other side of this nightmare."

an honest arc review ♡

_________________________________

jewish sapphic academia rivals to lovers with dragons?

i'm SAT.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is Allison Saft's first adult novel and a great read. It's a darker historical fantasy in a Bohemia-inspired setting, "Brunnestaad." Lorelei is Yevanisch, an ethnic and religious minority villainized by mainstream culture. The book is written in a tight, limited third person from her POV. Her lived experience of ostracization informs the entire text and at times makes the book difficult to read.

Her greatest academic rival, Sylvia, is a princess from one of Brunnestaad's vassal nations. She's Loreilei's opposite in almost every way: Sylvia is blonde, Lrelei is dark; Sylvia is optimistic and cheerful where Lorelei is cynical and dour; Sylvia revels in fieldwork while Lorelei is confined to folklore; Sylvia chooses not to use her magic but has plenty, while Lorelei has to hide the fact that he has any magical aptitude at all.

The action of the book revolves around their academic voyage to find a source of magic for the king. The themes of the book are all about privilege and power, survival and selfishness. Lorelei is self-loathing and almost completely unable to correctly interpret other people's emotions and motivations. But she's also ferociously intelligent and ambitious, determined to make life better for herself and her people.

I think this book will appeal to fans of the Emily Wilde series who wouldn't mind if that series went a bit darker, or readers of Ava Reid's fantasies.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

1.75/5

I loved the premise of this book: Sapphic dark academia + a quest + water magic + murder mystery? Yes please! However, it felt poorly executed.

It started off really slowly… and continued to drag. To me, Allison Saft’s writing is filled with lush whimsy and sometimes the atmospheric language slows the pace a bit. But that wasn’t the case here. There is just a lot of 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, and back and forth between the two FMC’s that I think is meant to be banter? Their ‘rivals to lovers’ trope was not established except for a quick summary of something along the lines of ‘She’s my complete opposite and I’ve been competing with her for the past five years’ in the beginning. Though they had quite a few endearing scenes, it didn’t align with their romantic journey so their HEA was not satisfying.

There are also 4 more semi-main characters; and because everything was through the main FMC’s third person narration, it’s hard to keep them all straight. Maybe it would have helped if they own had their own chapters…

Since it was hard to connect with any of the characters, it was also difficult to care about the plot. I didn’t care who the killer was or who got the ‘prize’ at the end. There wasn’t enough magic in my opinion; more politics than anything. The introduction of the creatures like the nixies was fun but also scarce. The action scenes were my favorite but they were few and far between and most of the plot ended up in the last 15% of the book. This made the book feel rushed and unsatisfying.

Also there was not a lot of academia! I think this book was trying to do too many things and ended up falling flat on all of them. If there was a focus on 2 main things, I think this would have been a bigger hit for me. It almost felt like this could be a decent start to a series — even just a duology — but since it is a standalone, this was lacking. Maybe it’s me, but this book did not capture nor keep my attention, so I do not recommend.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eArc. All thoughts are my own.

A Dark and Drowning Tide: A Novel - Allison Saft

My Review:
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶
Pages: 384
Genre: Fantasy
Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, Slow Burn, Dark Academia, One Bed, Murder Mystery

Thank you to @NetGalley, @DelRey and @AllisonSaft for my ARC digital copy.

I’ve added this author to my auto-buy list! This book is absolutely amazing. I could not put it down! Fantasy is my favorite genre and this book checked all my boxes! I’ll definitely be ordering this book to add to my bookshelf!

This book is full of German folklore, forests that rearrange themselves, magical springs and magical creatures. Plus a murder mystery. Plus it deals with anti-Semitism. It has some very dark themes.

I am not going to give any spoilers or more information because I truly feel this book is best gone into blind. It is also the first book that I want to reread. My followers know that is something I never do!

Go get this book and read it! I consider it a must read and one of my favorite from 2024!

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3.5/5
A Dark and Drowning Tide grabbed me from the first chapter. The plot is intriguing, full of fantastical elements and mystery. The characters fell flat for me, and I didn’t really care what happened to them. I liked that the romance was slow burn and didn’t take over the whole story. It’s an easy book to get lost in and the writing is lovely! Thank you to Random House Publishing – Ballantine for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Allison Saft's new sapphic fantasy novel takes you on an expedition riddled with folklore about a magical, fabled spring. The crew of eccentric nobles has little to no interest in dealing with the outcast of the group, and she does nothing to qualm the rough, grumpy exterior or her ultimate utter disdain for her acaddemic rival in particular. A murderer is among their ranks, and it takes their combined skills to not only outwit this person but also to survive the danger lurking within the magical world. Even if they survive this expedition, there's a political war brewing, and everyone has a stake in it. It's easy to either love or hate these characters because of how layered they are. There's always a villain and a hero, but I find most of these characters to be in that gray area.

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I found the world building in the beginning to be a bit too much to get through, and it took away from my enjoyment of the book. It has great potential for those who don’t mind a bit of rough world building if the story pans out in the end.

I may come back to it and give it another try at some point, but for me it was a miss right now.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this story and wish it the best of luck!

Happy publishing day!
i enjoy this book a lot! I don’t want to give any spoilers but I do enjoy Allison’s writing. I actually have never read anything by her and now I am tempted to read more. She weaves this beautiful and dark atmosphere since the first chapter which hooked me. I’m not exactly sure what stops me from giving this a 5✨ but I am compelled in reading it again (which already says a lot) so have a second opinion! I hope you enjoy it as much as i did🤍

I loved this one. It didn’t take long to grab me with its multilayered characters, enchanting folklore, and a beautifully crafted slow-burn romance. The characters felt so real and layered, making their journeys emotionally compelling. I especially loved the way the romance unfolded—quietly and full of depth. The folklorian aspects of the novel added a magical, haunting atmosphere that really pulled me into the story's world. If you're looking for a book that blends myth, mystery, and romance, this one is a must-read!