Sapphic dark academia folklore. Give me twenty!
At the beginning, I wasn't sure how to feel about the characters and the story but the more I got them together, the more I couldn't stop reading.
It feels like there's magic in every line, woven into the story

2.5 stars

The main characters sucked so much that why was I even reading this book?
In general, the main idea gave me a mixture of Emily Wilde and Voyage of the Damned. While I enjoyed the second one, Emily was an Ok book for me. This one here, however, was not good. The main character was so unlikable that I'm not even certain how she got the girl at the end. And I am all about morally grey and bad characters. Also, in the other two, the humour mixed in was a good balance. This one had no humour. Even the gothic vibes were meh.

There is something about the way Allison Saft writes that is so deliciously poetic fuelled, giving her narratives that lush magical feel that I personally adore. In terms of themes, A Dark and Drowning Tide felt very whimsical to me, and I think that's exactly the vibe it was going for. I'd argue that this book is more focused on the side of Folklore, coming of age, and identity alongside the sub-plot of a murder whodunnit mystery. The atmospherics and prose gives it slightly gothic undertones but I'd say they are driven by the eerienes of the Folklore, rather than the actual 'gothic' category. I would not go as far as to call this Dark Academia, and I think many presumed it would be more heavy on the dark academia side with the 'rivals to lovers' trope. Unfortunately, it was missing very key elements that would make it a 'dark academia' read for me.

That did not deter it from being a good read, I just felt I wanted more from it.

This story was so interesting to me. I am always a sucker for rivals to lovers and Allison Saft delivered it.
This book is whimsical and gothic and gripped me from the beggining. The character arcs are so well done as well.
Truly a great read

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft is a hauntingly beautiful journey through secrets and storms, where danger and desire ebb and flow like the tide itself. Saft’s prose is atmospheric and lush, pulling you into a world that’s darkly enchanting, alive with whispered promises and hidden depths. The story balances romance and suspense with ease, each page steeped in tension that feels as inevitable as the coming tide. It’s a tale of resilience and love set against a backdrop as wild and unforgiving as the sea—a deeply evocative read that lingers like the memory of salt on the breeze.

Disclaimer: review copy was provided by Netgalley. All opinions and experiences are my own.

I have a very unstable experience with fantasy romances. The current trend of sexy elf new adult book don't cut it for me and so I started avoiding them. However, I keep trying and I still have this idea in my mind on how I would still like to find a fantasy romance of a different kind. A book where fantasy and romance share the attention or maybe where romance is secondary but not a lesser plot line and the one without sexy elf dudes who are fated enemy to lovers. And if you are also looking for something similar and don't mind sapphic as well, then this is perfect for you.
On top of what I have just said this has a wiff of murder mystery and dark academia, since few days into this important expedition someone is getting killed and all others, who are supposed to be friends and colleagues since childhood, suddenly are all suspects.
The world building seem to be inspired by some German folk tales, or at least thats what I picked up from certain creature names. Magic is fuelled by aether and many folk tales creatures exist in this world. Other than that it is a soft magic system and serves as a means to tell this story of broken friendships and betrayals.
The ending did not dissapoint as well - it wasn't cheesy albeit a bit convenient. But I believed it and that is good enough.
Even though the book failed to get my emotional investment into romance and so I can't call this ideal fantasy romance (for me), all other aspects were greatly enjoyable. I liked the prose, loved all the dictinct characters, enjoyed the mystery and drama, and generally had a great time reading this.
Overall, 3.75/5

Unfortunately this book was not for me but I am sure others will love this. The premise sounded promising but after reading the first couple of chapters i found that it did not capture me as i would have hoped.


Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this e-copy.

Dark Sapphic fairytale. Love the academic rivalry, the dark atmosphere and the folklore elements. Romance was sweet, but seemed rushed at times. And would have loved more interactions between the whole group. Overall a fun read.

This review has taken me a while to get to but i’m here now!

First of all I adored the characters in this book and I ended up loving Sylvia and Lorelais relationship. I did find the side characters slighty confusing as they all started to blend together.

Unfortunately the plot itself was a let down for me, I found it hard to picture anything that was happening and the lore was really lacking. I was also confused on the location and the journey taken, it just didn’t make sense to me (a map really would have helped!).

Overall I did enjoy myself with the characters but the plot was a bit lacking, I may try and re read via the audiobook as it might of just not been the right time for me.

This was an enchanting tale with a dark undertone. I loved the politics of the realm and the complicated group dynamic. The folklore and the sinister creatures that popped up throughout the story really fired my imagination. The developing relationship between Lorelei and Sylvia was heart felt and the mystery kept me on my toes. I enjoyed it so much I couldn't resist a finished copy when I saw the gorgeous Waterstones edition.

2.5 stars rounded down.

This is the second Allison Saft book I've read, and I think it will be the last.

Let's start with the things I liked.

Sylvia was great, just a really likeable character, and you can see why Lorelei falls in love with her. I was on board with the idea of a grumpy, irascible protagonist in theory, but Lorelei was mean to the point that I was doubting her when she said she put survival ahead of all other goals. Someone so bent on surviving would try to make herself liked, or at least useful. I also found her a very inactive protagonist - she spends most of the story acting reactively, and a lot of times things would work out for her based purely on luck.

I appreciated that the romance was actually somewhat slow-burn, at least as much as is possible in a book this short. I did think Sylvia <spoiler>forgave Lorelei for her betrayal too quickly</spoiler> though.

Some of the supernatural creatures were interesting or cute. I especially liked the coffee craving Alp.

Things I didn't like:

The way the expedition is setup and introduced makes no sense. At first it seems like finding the Ursprung was a collaborative effort between all the expedition members, but then as they are leaving, Ziegler, their mentor and leader, just announces the location. First of all it's weird that she waited until they were leaving to tell them - didn't they want to know how far they were going, at the very least? - but also while everyone is surprised at the actual location, no one asks how she came to her conclusion. I get that she's the leader and they must obey her, but no one seems to have any intellectual curiosity even, which is strange for academics. Lorelei does bring up that it doesn't fit with what she knows (without telling us why), but Ziegler just mentions "the data" and that shuts her up. In general there is not a lot of academia in this supposedly dark academia book, which I found disappointing.

The murder mystery plotline was the one I was most interested in, but it was half-assed. Lorelei does basically no investigating, assumes who the murderer is based mostly on her own dislike, then accidentally finds out the real culprit about two thirds through the book. What a waste.

Like Saft's other book <i>A Fragile Enchantment</i>, the setting is very obviously based on historical real world countries with the names changed. This isn't the worst thing ever but it seems lazy and kind of boring. I would rather have either a completely new world or for it to actually just be set in a real country, with no pretending otherwise. The few changes Saft makes to the setting often don't make sense either. Here we have a society with nobility and royalty, where bloodlines matter, but there is also gay marriage somehow. This bothered me in <i>A Day of Fallen Night</i> too.

I didn't care about any of the characters apart from Lorelei and Sylvia.

The writing was fine, I guess? I didn't hate it but didn't love it either. A few times Saft uses the word "evidently" where "apparently" or "supposedly" would make much more sense.

Not recommended.

I used up every ounce of willpower to finish this book, and even now, I can’t decide if it was worth the effort. From the start, this book struggled to hold my attention, with pacing so slow it felt like slogging through mud. Every scene dragged on, and no amount of lyrical prose could disguise how little was actually happening.

One of the biggest letdowns was the so-called "murder mystery" at the story’s centre. In theory, having a murderer among you should create a sense of fear or urgency, but there’s absolutely none of that here. The main character, Lorelei, responds with indifference to multiple life-threatening situations and misses every chance to investigate or show any real interest in the danger around her. At one point, Lorelei finds a button in her room—a potentially critical clue—but her lacklustre response (asking one person about it and never revisiting it) reveals how truly low-stakes the entire situation felt.

The plot twists were similarly disappointing, failing to add depth or excitement. Likewise, the romance fell flat, with hardly any chemistry between the characters. Identifying the characters and understanding the world they inhabit felt unnecessarily difficult. The worldbuilding was overcomplicated, with confusing details and unexplained terminology that left me genuinely lost for the first third of the book. The lore and world felt convoluted rather than immersive.

Overall, A Dark and Drowning Tide ended up being a frustratingly monotonous read. Despite it's intriguing premise, it ultimately failed to deliver on suspense, romance, or even basic character agency. If you’re looking for a murder mystery with real stakes and tension, keep looking—this one isn't worth your time.

A fantastic enemies to lovers slow burn romance. The worldbuilding is great and the character growth is well done. If you enjoyed her other books then you'll love this one too!

3.5⭐️

Rather slow and Lorelei annoyed the hell out of me with how insistent she was on being awful to everyone for seemingly no reason (even when she acknowledged to herself she liked them). Infuriating!! Maybe if this wasn’t set in Lorelei’s pov I would have liked it more. The concept and the folklore was so interesting!

I loved the vibes of this book, it was almost a Nordic shadow and bone but if shadow and bone was made about sapphic pirates. I am obsessed to see what this author does next.

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft (3⭐️)
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I was lucky enough to receive an arc! A sapphic dark academia fantasy with a murder mystery sounded amazing. While I enjoyed it, it unfortunately did not meet my expectations and it left me a bit underwhelmed.

I’ll start with what I liked. I’m still obsessed with the cover. Both covers actually. I loved the writing about the nature, the wildlife and the magical creatures in the story. I’m glad there weren’t chapters full of info dumping. Instead it was spread throughout the book, which made the writing very accessible and the political & magical system understandable. I would have loved a map though!

My main issue with the book was the pace. I liked some parts a lot, but other parts were too slow for my taste and it dragged a bit. In the second half, the pace picked up fortunately and I was enjoying it a lot more. The same applied for the romance actually.

I wish the side characters (the other nobles) were more fleshed out because they all felt rather similar to me and I sometimes confused them. I felt like I didn’t get to know them. Although Lorelei frustrated me sometimes, I liked how clever and direct she was. And to be fair, her behavior & opinions to the others were very understandable. The part I was most interested in and I think was done well was Lorelei’s background and family. I wish we saw more of that!

The ending left me confused. However I don’t want to spoil it, but with the themes of the book, it did not feel wrapped up very well to me. I would say if you love a slowburn sapphic fantasy with grumpy and morally grey characters in a magical dark academia setting it might be something for you.

A Dark and Drowning Tide
A re-review - the issues I had with the reading experience I had put down to the experience of reading on a phone and so I reviewed it more positively initially. But on reflection, I remember very little of the plot and I forgave many lacklustre elements largely because I loved the cover and really wanted the book to live up to it.
There are definitely readers who would still enjoy this a lot, but it lacked depth, and leaned too heavily on the idea of various genres without really engaging with any of them fully, leaving the book feeling a little empty.
Both covers are still a 10/10

First things first, thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had read more Allison Saft's books before and loved them dearly, that's why I asked for an arc of this one, since I felt that I would love it as well and, don't get me wrong, I still love her writing and her stories, but this was a little bit underwhelming... The gothic vibes are immaculare and the plot and characters hooked me up from the very beginning, I really liked the romance as well (who doesn't like a good academic rivals to lovers?) but the murder mystery side of the story is what really threw me off, since I found myself not really caring much about it.
But, don't get me wrong, I still think the book it's great, beautiful and atmospheric, it was just that it wasn't totally for me.

3.75

I really enjoyed this book. I feel like the characters were well build, and that they were interesting to read about

So, this was a big one for me.

A Dark and Drowning Tide was one of my most anticipated books of the year and now that I've read it I can confidently say it did indeed live up to most of that hype, as I'll go on to explain.

Firstly, the magic system in this book is so beyond fascinating. I loved the fact all magic is water based and it all flows from one singular source. Such a fascinating idea and it was executed so well throughout the book with new and creative ways to use water based powers showing up each time magic was used. Unless I missed it however (and I probably did knowing me) I wish we were told a bit more as to how this power was harnessed in the first place and how certain people can use it and others can't. The world itself also feels very fairytale like, with myths and legends being truth. Saft truly has a talent for making a world feel lush and the descriptions of the environments were beautifully written.

LORELEI KASKEL MY BELOVED!!! Oh how I adored her. It's such a refreshing change to read a book from the perspective of someone so closed off emotionally and angry at the world around her. Lorelei has every reason to behave the way she does but seeing that slowly crack open even the smallest bit was so lovely to see. She's all sharp edges and cutting remarks and often comes off as uncaring to those around her, but under it all you can tell it's a form of protection for herself and those she cares about. Lorelei is for those of us who have had to fight our whole lives because of the cards we've been dealt and have watched on as others with more privilege than us go about the world unaware they have it. She's for those of us who find ourselves horrified that one person can break open the shell of self-preservation we've built around ourselves for so long and finally face the horrors of being seen and known.

Sylvia is also a wonderful character and as a love interest she initially, to me, felt very much like the ray of sunshine/dream girl trope. She's free and uninhibited and takes risks and lives life to the fullest and is everything Lorelei isn't. But as the book goes on and the two are forced to spend time together, we see while being born into royalty with a silver spoon in her mouth, she too has had her own struggles. Sylvia is a result of growing up with expectations and hopes pinned on her that she doesn't see herself fulfilling and she would much rather chart her own path than live on one trodden for her. Her and Loreleis banter and eventual deep connection is done so well throughout the book and it honestly makes me wish we could have gotten a prequel about their earlier years at to see how they fell into this dynamic.

If I have one gripe with this book, I felt that the pacing was where it suffered the most. The beginning of the book and the last 40% were the best parts in my opinion, as they fulfilled what the description stated which was that this would be a murder-mystery adventure to find a magical source. While I did enjoy the almost bait and switch nature of the middle of this book it truly felt like it dragged on a bit too long and much of the urgency and mystery was left to the side only to pop up again in small increments. Once they finally return to the ship, that is when things pick up again and I wish that certain moments were either expanded on more or cut down to save time. I felt the middle tended to drag on with moments while I understand their importance, could have been done in a more efficient way.

In summary, I had a good time with this book and will be recommending it to other readers! While it does have some issues I'm more than willing to forgive the book for what it does right. If you're looking for a fun fairytale flavoured adventure with a good splash of sapphic romance, this is your jam.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!