Dark academia, mystery, enemies to lovers, sapphic, stunning writing, folklore, I literally requested this for the beautiful cover, and it turned out to be one of the best fantasy's I've read all year, will.be exploring the authors other works for sure! Thank you.

Thank you NetGalley and Daphne Press for sending me this ARC to review in exchange for
my honest thoughts.

"Lorelei knew the shape of a fairy tale: a prison."

I was immediately captivated by this book from the name & cover and it did not disappoint! Sapphic, enemies to lovers, dark-academia, fantasy folklore - *chefs kiss*.

The start felt a little slow and was difficult to get into hence why it's not 5 stars, but after that I was absolutely enthralled with the character dynamics & world-building. I loved the creatures descriptions - anything involving siren/water nymph creatures has me SOLD! Sylvia has my whole heart.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a lush and captivating fantasy tale with elements of folklore, fairytales, murder mystery and dark academia. It’s filled with folklore-inspired creatures, magic and mystery. I loved the atmosphere of this book, the beautiful writing style and the fairytales woven into the narrative. This novel is also an academic rivals to lovers sapphic romance, which I think is quite well done.

What could be done better is the murder mystery. It felt like Lorelei was not really trying to solve the murder but rather blaming the most convenient suspect for it. Also, apart from Lorelei, Sylvia and maybe Ludwig, the characters were predictable and needed more depth. It’s a rather short book with many subplots that needed more space to unfold. Still, I enjoyed this story.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is Allison Saft’s latest and greatest book. Whilst I have enjoyed the unique worlds and magic systems in some of her other books (A Far Wilder Magic in particular) it wasn’t until this book that I fell in love with her writing. You can see the amazing growth and progress she has made as an author since her first Indie book Down Comes the Night.

First of all, the beginning of Autumn is the perfect time to get immersed in this book. When the leaves are beginning to fall and the skies are starting to darken, you can truly appreciate the eerie atmosphere of this book. Personally, I think that Autumn is the best time to read about mysterious woods and adventures in nature. In this book, we not only get a fantastical forest but also plenty of stories about folklore (the perfect combination). The adventure that the two female main characters go on is wonderful and spooky at the same time.

The mix of some academia and an adventure style story was also perfect. It reminded me slightly of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairytales but with more of a murder mystery plot line. Whilst these genres are quite unique, and it could have been easy for Saft to allow the different tropes to overwhelm her own story, I think that she blended them all very well. There is adventure, magic, politics, mystery and more!

The romance in the book was also fun to read about. The academic rivals to lover’s trope seems to be growing in popularity and I think that’s a good thing. It may not be as intense as enemies to lovers, but that just allows the characters to interact with each other and co-exist on the page more. I think that this is Saft’s first queer romance, and I think that it was done quite well. I like that queerness was normalised in this world and that it did not define our main characters. They also had strong friendships and relationships outside of their romance which made them seem more developed as characters. Whilst the supporting cast weren’t particularly memorable, they definitely added to the character arcs.

I would recommend this book to fans of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies, A Study in Drowning and other books that look at folklore as an adventure and an academic mystery rolled up into one.

Another beautifully written and deeply atmospheric story from Allison Saft! I loved everything about this book, the gothic undertones, the use of folklore, the character dynamic, the pacing, and the list goes on. A Dark and Drowning Tide proves yet again why Allison Saft is an auto-buy author for me! One of my top reads of 2024, without a doubt!

Mysterious dark academia sapphic fantasy romance.

The FMC Lorelei had been an outsider all her life, a commoner amongst royalty. She was quick-tempered and witty, and was determined to prove herself. I really liked her as a character.

I enjoyed the rivals to lovers element and the dynamic between Lorelei and Sylvia. I liked how their relationship didn’t get super sweet all of a sudden, and instead they stayed true to themselves and had their issues. The romance wasn’t the main point of the story but developed nicely throughout the book.

The storyline with the murder mystery and multiple secrets was intriguing and kept me guessing what was going to happen next.

Overall the book was well written, the world felt magical, and both the world and the characters were well developed.

A Dark and Drowning Tide
By Allison Saft
Pub Date: 17th September 2024

Thank you so much to Daphne Press for this enchanting ARC!

This is a magical, genre-bending book, which combines dark academia with fantasy and murder mystery, to create a tale that is also heavily influenced by Germanic folklore!

There is so much to get my teeth into, but I shall begin with the characters, and Lorelei. For me, Lorelei was an instantly captivating and fascinating protagonist: ruthless and logic-wired, with a hard-headed belief that feelings are weakness. It took me longer to warm to Sylvia Von Wolff, who is the opposite of Lorelei: whimsical, bubbly, and reckless, but what won me over was her connection to the mythical creatures. The repertoire between these two was very well done and it was a lot of fun to see it evolve into more!

The other characters were well-written and I was fascinated by their dynamics, but also how ruthless they all were for distinctively different reasons. There was also an interesting sense of characters acting as personifications of different parts of the country, which allowed the tangled politics and inter-country divides to flow in a fascinating way throughout the story. The injections of random fairy tales were also a fascinating thing to add and really imbued the whole story with an extra layer, which was very fun to interact with!

The magical creatures and Germanic influence were a great success, giving the story a unique flair, and making it distinct from other fantasy worlds. The idea of studying magic under a scientific lens was fascinating, but did not stop magic from being a tangible and ephemeral force, that held a strong atmospheric presence throughout the book. What I particularly loved was the strong sense of place, which was really present in the quest chapters and that grew the closer the characters got to the Ursprung.

The plot was packed, going from genre to genre and point to point, to the extent that I can see why the author felt that she fought this book. It is almost trying to do too much. This made the plot unwieldy, especially in the middle, and limited the introspective time that characters needed to undergo convincing pieces of personal development. Pacing was a double-edged sword. On one hand, it was addictive and stopped me from putting the book down. On the other, it moved far too quickly, especially at the beginning: where it sped on without giving me a sense of who the characters were, where they came from, and why they were even going on a quest, in the first place. The fairy tales added to this confusion and often derailed the plot from its original course, making it harder to pick back up again. This all had a negative effect on the ending, which felt a little rushed, and far too clean for a book that was so messy and complicated in its politics.

The only major critique I had was the world-building. The logic of it seemed weak: especially in believing that Wilhelm is a powerful and wise figurehead, when he actually seems not only a slightly pathetic figurehead, but one who cannot make strategic decisions. And why would you send the children of the nobility off on some hair-brained quest? Power seems a meek answer. This book also left me with a lot of questions, especially with how everyone could be happy in the end and how the subjugation of the Yeveni could be swept under the rug. So, all in all, the logic and the need of bureaucratic backbone brought this one down to 3 stars.

That being said, it was a wonderful piece of dark fantasy, with a beautiful cast of morally grey characters, unique world-building, and an enchanting romance. This roller-coaster of a book shall take on a wild-ride and leave you wanting more!

I’d give this a solid 3.5 stars, which I’ll round up to 4. I did like this book, but I didn’t love it. I did love aspects of the book, in fact a lot of the book I did love. I loved the folklore aspect and the way Saft showed how folklore can be used for good and for bad, to put forward your intended narrative. I also really liked the murder mystery, I was not expecting the murderer to be who they were! The ending was very unexpected, which doesn’t happen to me often.
Whilst I did think that Lorelai and Sylvia make a good couple, I did think it totally came out of nowhere. They were rivals and then all of a sudden were lovers, which I found a bit jarring. I also wish there had been a bit more focus on the creatures of the world. None of the other characters were particularly memorable, all of the focus was put on Lorelai and Sylvia. So I think there could have been some more work done on the supporting cast. But otherwise I think Allison Saft’s Adult debut is a success and I did enjoy reading it.
Thanks to Daphne Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

A Dark and Drowning Tide was my first Allison Saft book so I wasn’t really sure what to expect outside what I read of the books description and the heaps of praise I’d heard for Safts writing across the internet. Expectations were expectations.

I really enjoyed the writing in this, and in many ways it reminded me of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, a series I’m really enjoying, so that stoked a fondness. I really enjoyed the magic system and the folklore and I found that to be my favourite part of the novel.

The much wider plot and political aspect of the novel fell much flatter for me. I didn’t really enjoy it. It was such a large presence in the novel and yet I don’t really feel like it went anywhere and it was all wrapped up rather quickly. I don’t think Saft was able to balance the political plot and all its themes well alongside the magic and folklore, and both suffered from it. Therefore, this book only gets a 3 from me — it was fine, it was good, but there was plenty of potential for it to be way better.

Finally, I really loved both Sylvia and Lorelei. They were both great characters and I enjoyed their chemistry, however I wish their POVs were separated as sometimes I felt the characters blended together. It also would’ve been great to see the story unfold from both of them and get Sylvia’s perspective of her friends.

I enjoyed this, originally it pulled me in by the gorgeous cover/s and I found the characters instantly magnetic and inviting.
This book was so whimsical and original, with an interesting if barely explored world, and a magical-murder-mystery element that kept me on my toes trying to figure out who did what and who to trust.

A sizzling enemies to lovers, sapphic romance with two characters I loved equally despite them being very much opposites. I’d have loved some more depth into them and the world/culture, as this book barely scrapes the surface of the politics, magical system and history.

Although I did enjoy this book, I initially struggled to get into it as it had a very slow start in terms of actual introductions and storytelling. The whole book was quite slow and the plot took its merry time, and then the ending was even more so; it could have been wrapped up much quicker and more effectively.

The story felt a little dragged out for me, though I do prefer fast paced books as a rule. Still, I would recommend for a fun, twisty story full of whimsy.

***

𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤. 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦? 𝘛𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘴 𝘨𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘹 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵.

I wanted to love this one, the blurb had everything going for it but unfortunately I was just so bored. All of the characters were so awful and felt underdeveloped that I didn’t care what happened to any of them. The timing was choppy which really took me out of the moment. The two FMC’s went off on a side quest that felt like was described over 2 days to be told later it was closer to two weeks. Most disappointing for me was that the chemistry between the Lorelai and Sylvia was nonexistent. This one honestly felt like an outline for a really amazing fantasy novel that just hadn’t been polished off yet. Im sure this one will find its audience but unfortunately it was a miss for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Daphne Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

For me, this wasn't the kind of book that sucks you in from the beginning, it did actually take me a while to really get into the rhythm of the story and feel somehow involved in the development of the plot. Perhaps because it is a bit slow and does some info-bombing, which doesn't always help in understanding the worldbuilding, but despite this bumpy start, the prose was so beautiful that it sparked my curiosity and it made me really appreciate the eerie yet dreamy atmosphere surrounding the different landscapes.

I must above all applaude the psychology behind Lorelei, our main character - I'd say she got me stressed and frustrated to the point where it made me very angry, but that would still be an understatement - , she definitely isn't your typical nice and easygoing protagonist, but at the same time she feels so real and concrete that I still ended up caring about her, so a really well-rounded and deep construction.

The real issue though was the "main event", the focal point of the plot; beside feeling a bit confusing, it was too rushed, I was hoping to discover more about that kind of magic and feel more connected to it, but sadly that chapter ends at the climax of the whole expedition, and it was disappointing to be left out at the best part.

Still, I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a character-driven story, which is definitely the strongest quality of this book, and to those looking for a different interpretation of mythical creatures and folkrorism.

There is no simple way to describe this book as it is a combination of fantasy, sapphic romance and murder mistery.

The writting is great, with descriptions of the landscapes and characters that make you feel part of the plot.

The main characters are Lorelai, a folklorist and Sylvia, a naturalist. They are rivals that slowly become lovers.

The story is presented from Lorelai’s perspective and I love the way Sylvia is described throughout her eyes. There are so many quotes that I highlighted.

“Like this, with all the starlight reflected in her eyes, she looked almost divine.”

Another thing I liked a lot is the way Lorelai knew a story that matched a situation or another. There is also magic, fantastic creatures, secrets and hidden agendas that makes everybody suspicious.

Sylvia is my favorite character, but I think that Lorelai is the most complex. There are some plot twists that I did not see coming and betrayal that I did not expect.

I wish there was also a part from Sylvia’s POV and more development of the other characters (especially Heike and Adelheid).

Also, I think the story could be continued. I would read a sequel.

Thank you Netgalley and Daphne Press for sharing the advance reader copy. This is my honest opinion about the book.

This book took me a long time to warm up to it, about 50% in I found my feet! I absolutely loved the themes of fantasy, adventure, academic rivalry, and murder mystery.

I do feel that some of the plot points were slightly lost because of the saturation of themes. Perhaps a greater focus on some of the themes and removing others would have worked better, for example, the magic was a core part of the book, however wasn't explored much, but we got a lot of folklore tales (which were great) that didn't actually contribute a lot to the overall plot (such as the wish theme throughout). I really really wanted to like this book more as the themes are perfect for me. I did struggle with Lorelai at times and just found her to be very difficult to empathise with, and while I know this was intentional and great writing, I found it difficult to connect with her as a character.

On a positive note, loved the representation of gender fluidity, pansexuality and sapphic romance in this story. I feel that this is greatly missing in popular fantasy and adventure books! I also feel that a the mystery aspect tied in well with the academic rivalry, I just think that it got slightly lost along the way to find the Ursprung.

Overall I did enjoy this book, but at times I felt it rushed over important plot points and at other times dragged in parts that could've been glossed over.

I'm rating this 3.5 stars but I think this will be a really popular story, just wasn't my favourite read unfortunately. Thanks for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my review.

Ever heard of "backpack fantasy"? (Shoutout to Zana who enlightened me). At first, I had a little laugh at how oddly specific it is but then I found out Tolkien and T. Kingfisher are part of the crew, so apparently, I've been into it this whole time without even knowing.

Fast forward to A Dark and Drowning Tide, and it seems that we can go even more niche: I’m a folklore-inspired backpack fantasy murder mystery romance with a splash of dark academia stan because sentient forests that rearrange themselves at night, fantastical wildlife and botany, and a hiking buddy who’s your rival but also annoyingly charming checked all the boxes I never knew I had.

So yeah, Allison Saft is now firmly in my top new author discoveries for 2024, and I’m ready to add every book she has written or will write in the future to my TBR pile. This book had some of my favourite tropes, premise settings and rep:

• Grumpy cynic/sunshine optimist
• Slow-burn academic rivals to reluctant allies to lovers
• Forbidden romance vibes
• Childhood friends group cast where everyone is in love with each other
• One bed/tent
• Fantasy adventure expedition/quest filled with nature and magical flora and fauna
• Murder mystery
• Sapphic romance
• Jewish-inspired rep
• Tortured yearning
• Abundance of German folklore and fairytales
• Unique magic system

Lorelai our self-sabotaging and aloof FMC, and Sylvia, our secondary FMC who is a ray-of-sunshine naturalist and basically Newt Scamander and Steve Irwin’s lovechild, make for an unforgettable duo.

Moreover, I cared not just for the main characters but also for the morally grey whodunnit supporting characters, who all had realistic motivations and desires. Sure, some are more insufferable than others but there are some fabulous trope subversions. Plus, there are multiple female friendships and queerness is normalised amongst multiple characters.

Notably, I always appreciate immersive world-building that doesn't bog me down with clunky info dumps and that's exactly what I got in this book. Set in the German-inspired kingdom of Brunnestaad, this tale swept me away on a magical expedition through vast rivers, enchanted forests, snow-capped mountains, magical secret springs and charming small villages. On top of that, it introduced a unique magic system and hinted at some deliciously devious political scheming. I found the style of prose really suited to my tastes, lush and descriptive yet refreshingly free of flowery excess.

Nonetheless, it’s not all whimsical escapades. The story also tackles serious themes like anti-Semitism and prejudice. It’s a fantastical journey that navigates both a mesmerising world and the complexities of the human experience, explorations of loneliness and belonging as well as imparting timeless lessons about respecting and revering the natural world. As a nature and wildlife enthusiast myself, I was pretty smitten!

For the ultimate experience, go in with as little knowledge as possible. The story, with its clever twists and incredibly unique characters and magical creatures and beings, is best enjoyed with a fresh perspective. Trust me, you’ll want to savour every surprise as it unfolds. Highly recommend!

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley & Daphne Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Dark and Drowning Tide encompasses all the elements desired in a grumpy x sunshine, rivals-to-lovers narrative. This story is a murder mystery set against a dark academic backdrop, filled with atmospheric tension. The narrative follows a courageous group on an expedition to uncover the source of magic in their realm while simultaneously investigating a murder that occurs along the way.

I found the writing style captivating and poetic, skillfully blending various folklore and tales that held my attention from the start.
The sentient forest, enchanting waters, and folklore intricately woven throughout the plot enhance the immersive world-building. The vivid descriptions of scenery, characters, and folklore were delightful and added depth to the narrative.

The slow-burn romance between Lorelei and Sylvia evolves from animosity to heartfelt love. Their initial fierce animosity & contrasting personalities intensify the romance as it gradually transforms into a sincere love story.

While the beginning is somewhat slow, the story truly gains momentum after the murder takes place. I highly recommend this book to fans of dark academia and slow-burn romance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"There's time." Sylvia cradles her jaw, a fond smile playing at her lips. "I want you however I can have you. I want you brutal, and I want you tender, and I want you at your best and your worst. Saints. I want you, Lorelei, and I..."

Allison Saft’s debut novel is a masterful blend of fantasy, heart-pounding mystery and dark magic. From the first page, this book pulls you into a world brimming with secrets magic and danger, making it impossible to put down.

The story follows Lorelei, a folklorist, who goes on an expedition with six young scholars in a dark academia adventure. One night their professor gets murdered and together with her long time rival Sylvia, she has to find the murderer, before one of them is next.

Saft’s wordbuiling and magic are well thought of. I love the folklore and the slow-burning rivals-to-lovers relationship. She has a talent for creating suspense. The 5 others crew member all have a motive to be the murderer and you keep guessing who it is untill the very end. The world-building is detailed and immersive, with a strong sense of history and lore.

I really loved the characters and growning relationships. Lolerlei and Sylvia’s banter was everything. This book was beautiful and moving. I’d love for Allison Saft to write more adult books. CAN NOT WAIT for what she writes next.
I can only say that this is a 2024 must read!

"Go on, then. Far be it from me to distract you." Sylvia smiled beatifically.
"Wonderful! Then please be quiet." Lorelei had half mind to shove her into the river, but she complied.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me a copy for a honest review.

Such a great read for the colder months because the atmosphere and gothic-ness (is that even a word?!) are perfect for the spooky season!

I loved the slow-burn Sapphic romance that was really well woven into the plot alongside the mystery and super interesting academia. I was impressed by how well-written the folklore was as well, it was a realy treat!

Some sections were a *little* tough to get through, but it may just have been my mood at the time of reading so take that with a pinch of salt!

"Good sense tended to flee wherever Sylvia von Wolff went."

I love this. I loved that this book contained an engaging mystery and complex emotions that were brought forth and showcased Saft's writing style and craft. This was a gothic fantasy with academic rivalry and romance that I was looking for.

I understand that readers may feel that they have jumped into the deep end with the quick and sudden immersion into the world's landscapes and politics, but Saft manages to bring you along with immersive descriptions and an complex insight into one of the main leads. Saft continuously manages to create a rich gothic atmosphere and grand descriptions throughout the story. This is not just limited to the story's descriptive nature but also the dialogue and action in the story is as strong.

I loved that the cast characters featured in this story were full of personality, emotion and motivation. It was enjoyable to see each of their characters, in particular the main academic group, have distinct characteristics. Nobody bleeds into each other and instead it was smooth for the readers to follow each character and attempt to work out the mystery (if you are like me and can't help but try and create your own hypotheses). The complexity of the characters can only be felt through reading the story yourself, the emotions and development of characters flows so smoothly with the pacing and action of the story.

If you are like me and the sapphic romance was an additional enticement to read the story, prepare for yearning. I do not wish to spoil anything about it, but I found the yearning and craving to be so satisfying. It is a slow build, but in a way its also not - but that it as much as I want to say.

Overall, if you are looking for a gothic mystery and romance that features writing showcasing heavy descriptive imagery and a gripping cast of characters that I would suggest you pick this up!

Thank you to Daphne Press for a copy of the book, I am voluntarily leaving a review.

When I first read the blurb of ‘A Dark and Drowning Tide’, I was immediately intrigued. A lush, sapphic fantasy romance with a murder mystery? Right up my alley. But, after finishing the book, I was left feeling a bit disappointed. There were some aspects I really enjoyed, but overall, I was expecting more from this “enthralling” story.

Let’s start with the plot. I have to say, I quite liked it. The murder mystery and the academic rivalry between the characters were engaging, and I appreciated the gloomy, dark atmosphere—perfect for a cozy autumn read. The ‘wildeleute,’ creatures in the book inspired by folklore, were such an interesting element, though I wish they had played a bigger role in the story. I also would’ve liked to see more different wildeleute. The world-building was whimsical and rich, but with a dark twist, which I enjoyed. However, the folklore aspect sometimes felt a bit random, and I found it slowed the pacing down.

The language in the book might throw some readers off at first. Saft uses a lot of German-inspired words like ‘wildeleute’ and ‘ursprung,’ which takes some getting used to. I’d recommend looking up these terms to fully grasp the world. It makes the book harder to get into, but after a few chapters, things started to flow better.

I liked the academic setting, especially seeing each student have their own specialty. It added a nice dynamic to the story. But when it comes to the characters, I struggled. Lorelei, the main character, didn’t appeal to me. She felt one-dimensional—mostly just mean and angry, which made it tough to connect with her or the other characters. I understand that she has trust issues, and I did appreciate the subtle commentary on her background, which drew from a fantasy Jewish heritage. But overall, I just didn’t find her compelling. Sylvia, however, was a standout for me. She was the only character who felt consistent and true to herself throughout the story.

As for the other characters, I didn’t feel like I got to know them well. The story focused more on the quest and the romance, leaving little room for deeper character development. The mystery, too, felt underwhelming. There wasn’t enough investigation, and when the killer revealed themselves, it felt rushed and underdeveloped. I just didn’t feel the stakes were high enough. It was also hard for me to guess who the killer was because I just didn’t know these characters and their motives.

And now, the romance. I picked up this book expecting an academic rivalry with a slow-burn sapphic romance. The academic tension was definitely there, but the romance? Not so much. In the first half, it was nearly non-existent. I love a good slow-burn romance, but this one felt forced. Lorelei and Sylvia didn’t seem to like each other much, and the few hints of attraction we got—a flush of the cheeks here, a racing heart there—weren’t enough to convince me. It did improve in the second half of the book, but even then, it never felt quite right to me. All of the sudden everything happened so fast that it just wasn’t believable anymore.

As I’ve mentioned, the second half of the book picked up, and I found myself enjoying it more. But overall, this one just wasn’t for me. If you’re into a lighter fantasy with a touch of folklore, this might be more your speed, but I was left wanting more.

Would I recommend it?

I’d say it depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re into lighter fantasy with a dash of folklore and don’t mind a slower start, this might be worth picking up. The atmosphere is perfect for a gloomy, autumn read, and the world-building is beautifully done. However, if you’re hoping for an intricate murder mystery or a well-developed romance, this might not hit the mark. It wasn’t quite for me, but if the vibe of the book appeals to you, it could still be worth a try.