3.5 — oh wow. i will admit i did have a slow start with a dark and drowning tide but once i was past the 30% mark, i was invested. there is a lot to like — a murder mystery, political intrigue, a sound exploration of being 'othered', a dark academic setting and a trope dear to my heart - academic rivals.

short intro to the book: lorelei, our protagonist is a folklorist and is under the tutelage of ingrid ziegler. despite this, lorelei has her own aspirations to become a naturalist and finds the opportunity to prove herself in an upcoming expedition guided by her mentor. in this expedition, ziegler and five nobles are tasked to uncover the fabled ursprung - a natural spring which is rumoured to hold great power to those who find it. however, the expedition is jeopardised on the first night of the expedition when ziegler is found murdered in her study and suddenly everyone on the ship becomes a suspect. placed into a difficult position, lorelei steps forward into ziegler's role to continue the original objectives of the expedition whilst re-evaluating everything she knows about each person to uncover their true motives and well - their willingness to commit murder. with this in mind, lorelei teams up with her rival sylvia to navigate both the path to the ursprung and the murky motives of the other four nobles on the ship.

what worked for me
→ an insightful element woven into the story is the political unrest within the kingdom. this backdrop offers a glimpse into the motivations and inner workings of each character, particularly lorelei. as a young yevani woman who has faced prejudice due to her identity, lorelei has developed a tough exterior in order to protect herself. to voice out her grievances about the injustice she encounters, she frames her experiences through the folklore she studies and transcribes. i appreciated the use of lorelei's tales as way to cross-reference her own experiences as well as those of others she meets. i think it was an great way to connect lorelei to her work as a folklorist to the readers and deepen our understanding of her character.

→ i loved lorelei and slyvia together. the bickering. the push and pull. the pining. the yearning. they were a highlight for me during the read.

→ the writing is really beautiful in this book.

what didn’t work for me
→ as mentioned earlier, a dark and drowning tide does have a slow start. there is a lot of world-building to get adjusted to. i think once you get past this you'll be able to really get into the story.

→ unfortunately i wasn't really interested in any of the other characters aside from lorelei and slyvia. i do think the side characters were not greatly explored enough in the beginning of the book for me to note their importance. i had a hard time connecting with the others during the reading experience. although, the two characters i was actually interested in were excellent with sylvia being my favourite. both slyvia and lorelei as individual characters were designed with more care and emotional depth. together, they had an interesting dynamic that i was drawn to. in particular, i really enjoyed their juxtaposing characterisation.

→ the world-building was confusing at different points of the book. at times, i felt like there was a lot of information being given to inform the readers and during other times, there was not enough.

thank you to the author & netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a honest review!

This one was, meh. I midly enjoyed the first half of the book, and the premise of the book was amazing. But overall the writing definitely let it down. It was quite boring and non engaging, and too waffly. I was really looking forward to this so definitely disappointed!

The first thing I have to mention here and what really stood out to me in this book was the beautifully atmospheric writing style! Saft writes the most gorgeous, vivid descriptions and I absolutely loved the imagery throughout this book.
I struggled a bit with the structure of the story which felt quite disconnected especially in the first half or so, and unfortunately the side characters fell flat for me.
However, I liked the focus on folklore throughout and I also found Lorelei and Sylvia's characters very interesting. Overall if you are interested in books with gorgeous writing, dark academia and a focus on folklore I think you would enjoy this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Daphne Press, and Allison Saft for this ARC.

I wasn’t sure I liked this book at first. The first 50% was a bit of a slog, a lot of themes and storylines making it somewhat confusing - I mainly kept going because the vibes were so good. But I admit, as soon as the action kicked in, I became wholeheartedly invested and from then on really enjoyed myself. I still think one or two of the plot points could have been cut away for clarity, but it is still a good book, with absolutely impeccable writing. Anyone looking for an intriguing romance will not be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Daphne Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Gothic fantasy, academic rivals to lovers, sapphic, murder mystery, magic and folklore - what more could you want?

Lorelei Kaskel, a quick-witted folklorist, is venturing on an expedition with six nobles with the goal of finding a mythical spring of untold power. The King instructed them to find the spring so he can harness the power and secure his reign. Lorelei will do all she can to ensure the success of the mission so she can prove herself and secure her dream: become a naturalist and freely travel the lands.

The expedition gets off to a rather dark start, with the murder of Lorelei's mentor. The 5 remaining expeditioners, all except Sylvia von Wolff. Maddeningly beautiful Sylvia is Lorelei's long-standing academic rival, and the only one she knows to be innocent.

Left in charge of the journey, Lorelei must work with her rival, uncover the secrets of her mentor, and balance finding both the spring and the murderer before they strike again...

Overall, really liked this and I'm glad I read it. But I will say that my love for this book is pretty one-sided, with the romance really carrying the book for me personally. I loved the world, and really enjoyed the way folklore tales were used to support the narrative throughout - it was a really fun addition to the storytelling.

Lorelei and Sylvia have my whole heart I LOVE them. Academic rivals is one of my favourite romance dynamics...the competitiveness, the admiration, the tension. It was so well executed between them and every moment between them felt like it had been earned.

The slow burn and tension of the romance really carried for the book for me, with some of the murder mystery and overall plot falling a little short. I think the development of the 'villain(s)' was a little weak and I found the end a bit rushed and confusing.

Would definitely still recommend this even with the bits I wasn't completely enraptured with. A great choice for the autumn/winter season if you're looking for something atmospheric!

A Dark and Drowning Tide - 3.5

This is a beautifully curated eerie dark academia/murder mystery with Germanic folklore woven into the plot.

Plot: The premise is very intriguing - a group of young scholars set off on a dangerous expedition funded by the crown to find the original source of water magic. After a sudden death happens on board, the group quickly realises one of them is a killer who is trying to sabotage the expedition. The story is also enriched with folklore tales and creatures as well as a rivals-to-lovers sapphic plot line. While the writing was rich and vivid, the worldbuilding and the political intrigue could have been developed more, as it was sometimes hard to follow the information about all the lands they travelled to and mentioned throughout the book. Also, we do not get much of a background story on any other characters apart from the two main ones, which made the majority of the academic crew seem like one-sided characters whose motifs are unclear to us. It is also mentioned that some of these young scholars have already fought in a war for years and have battle scars, which was hard to imagine.

Characters: The main character, Lorelei, is smart, stubborn and, at times, insufferable. Her love interest, Sylvia, is by far my favourite character of them all - she is a free-spirited, enchanting wild creature who can communicate with wildeleute (mythical creatures). Each one of the groups has a specific task and scholarly niche in which they specialise. Hence, I wish we saw more of them in the midst of their work during the expedition. Another character that I absolutely loved was the Alp, a mythical creature, and I wish we saw more of him. I imagined them all having a little Kaffeeklatsch at the end of the book but we did not get that.

Themes: there are themes of ethnic oppression, death, and spirits. The main character is part of the ethnic minority, which has been oppressed and scapegoated for ages. There are also lots of clear references to the real-life history of Germany.

Overall, I thought the love story was well-written, it fit into the narrative and was very much on theme with the dark academia. They are academic rivals who despise each other whilst secretly being obsessed with each other. They are never really true enemies but they do go through a lot of betrayal and bickering. I absolutely loved all the mythical creatures and craved to see more interactions with them. Would almost want some of them to become one of the main characters. We learn bits and pieces about each wildeleute but considering they are such unpredictable and intricate creatures, it would’ve been cool to study them a bit more during the book.

I am in love with Allison writing style, and I have added her other books to my TBR. I loved how Allison put her own twist into modern fairy tales as this book deep dives into the heart of folktales and their origin.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a beautifully atmospheric fantasy romance. This book was exquisite and powerful. Allison has managed to stuff so much into the 384 pages. This book is a sapphic dark academia story that’s jammed with folklore, the enemies to lover’s trope, with an intriguing mystery plot, oh and I’m not quite done as we’re also go on an adventure. I mean I might be greedy but what’s not to love this book had everything I could possibly want in a fantasy book.

Reading about Lorelei and Sylvia was such an adventure, and I loved joining them on the journey. Lorelai is unemotional and sadly accustomed to racism. While Sylvia is beloved by all = and she views the world through rose tinted glasses.

Lorelai and Sylvia are obsessed with each other but are unable to trust each other enough to be vulnerable. It was cute watching them be so hopelessly in love and yet constantly deny it. I really enjoyed how in the book the enemies to lover’s plot was enhanced by only having a single POV from Lorelei. It was a slow burn enemy to lovers but it was perfectly paced for Lorelai and Sylvia story. They both also had good character development.

This is the perfect book for the changing season.

“I hope you understand that I will make every day of your life more difficult than the last, more complicated than it otherwise would be.” - “I welcome it.” 😭🖤

I genuinely loved this story & the subtle romance so much 🥹 it’s uniquely written - we have gothic folklore vibes blended into a murder mystery & the only crime this book has committed is not giving me more romance??? Not very demure, not very cutesy of you @allisonhsaft 👀

🖤 Rivals to lovers (sapphic romance & banter!!)
🖤 Dark Academia
🖤 Murder Mystery
🖤 Folklore/Fantasy vibes ✨

I've been highly anticipating A Dark And Drowning Tide for a while, so I was thrilled to be approved on netgalley, and it really didn't disappoint.

Lorelei is a folklorist who's building her career when she's about to undertake one of the most important expeditions of her life with six other academics. She's always dreamt of being a naturalist, but she's never been chosen or accepted among the people for pretty much anything. When her mentor, Professor Kiegler, chooses Lorelei to be her right-hand woman during the Ruhigburg expedition to find a fabled magical spring that will grant the king untold power, it's a chance Lorelei has to prove herself mainly against her strongest rival Sylvia.
The expedition starts in the most harrowing of ways as Professor Kiegler is murdered upon the ship, and since the ship had set sail, the suspects are limited. It has to be one of them. Suddenly, the ship isn't safe anymore, but neither is the land.

This is the first book I've read by Saft, although I have her YA books on my shelves. The writing style is hauntingly beautiful and so atmospheric. It is a slower paced book, but that worked for me as I loved learning more about the characters and the world building. The characters are all well established, and I loved the tension and drama between them, They are all pretty eccentric, but I had a soft spot for Ludwig.
The world building is immense with mythical creatures and environments, and the folklore really adds another dimension to it.
There is also a slow burn Rivals to lovers romance between Lorelei and Sylvia, which isn't the main plot of the story but definitely works better that way. I loved their slow progression, the yearning, and the built-up angst really had me rooting for them. Lorelei is blunt and headstrong, whereas Sylvia is more whimsical and a daydreamer, so I loved their connection and partnership.
The whodunit kind of mystery really kept me on my toes. There's twists and turns galore, and I actually gasped out loud at that conclusion.
Overall, this is definitely a book to savour rather than race through, but I was absolutely captivated. I can't wait to read more of Allison's work.

Many thanks to Daphne press for this Arc from Netgalley! I had been following the release of this book for quite a while since I first heard of it so was incredibly excited to receive it and have finally gotten round to posting my review.

If your interests include any of the following weirdly specific things:
Mr Darcy flexing his hand after helping Elizabeth into her carriage (Pride and Prejudice 2005)
John Everett Millais' Ophelia
The poem 'Aedh wishes for the cloths of heaven' - W B Yeats
The 'I'll take care of you' 'It's rotten work' 'not to me, not if it's you' quote from the Anne Carson translation of Euripides' Oresteia
That scene in Peter Pan (2003) with the mermaids that try to drag Wendy into the water

Then this book will be an absolute hit for you as it was for me. Saft expertly weaves together the feeling of a dark fairytale with political machinations, a murder mystery and a delicious sapphic rivals to lovers romance to boot and I loved every moment. Give me all of that 'wretched fondness'.

For extra atmosphere pick this book up when it's raining outside and thank me later 👌

I got stuck at 45 % and couldn't go on! The problem wasn't the plot and the writing (on the contrary) but the main character I couldn't hold on to. I tried to go on because I was enjoying the story and I wanted to know how it was going to end... but no, nothing doing

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this arc!

I really wanted to love this book as I did enjoy previous work by this author, but the pacing was way too slow for my liking. I also never ended up rooting for the main coupling, they didn't make me feel anything. This might be because the main character was SO unlikeable and judgemental towards everything and everyone!

I did however really like the whodunnit aspect to the story as it kept me guessing for what was next.

"You've acted the part of a villain so well, you've gone and convinced yourself it's who you truly are."

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5 - Thank you Netgalley and Daphne Press for providing me this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
Let’s just say, I am so happy I ordered the sprayed edge special edition, as I definitely want a trophy on my shelves for this one!

A gothic and magical whodunnit with romantic elements.
This book is perfect vibes for the autumnal months.

For me, one of the first signs of a good fantasy book, is when I am unable to pronounce most of the words.

I am so happy I got to experience this beautiful book for my first ARC read. Saft’s writing was magical in itself, I loved the style and Saft really kept me hooked! This was a book that I thought about throughout the day, counting down until I could read it again.

The whodunnit aspect was brilliant, more often than not I figure these out, however I did not see this one coming and was pleasantly surprised!

""Tell me," she said. "Do you still think me cruel? Would you like to see the depths of it?""

Tropes:
whodunnit
Rivals to lovers
Grumpy x sunshine
Slow burn

From the very first page, A Dark and Drowning Tide grips you with its eerie atmosphere, drenched in folklore and charged with mystery. Allison Saft weaves a dark, enchanting tale where the lines between myth and reality blur, drawing you into a world as dangerous as it is alluring.

The story follows Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist tasked with leading an expedition to uncover a legendary body of water. But when her mentor is found dead, the expedition spirals into a tense investigation filled with suspicion. Lorelei is forced to take charge and work alongside her sharp-witted academic rival, Sylvia von Wolff. The contrast between these two characters is one of the most gripping elements of the book. Lorelei is careful, compassionate, and deeply connected to the stories she studies, while Sylvia is strategic, fiercely intelligent, and unflinching in her ambition. Their dynamic is complex, creating constant friction that adds layers of tension, not just in their investigation but also in the emotional undercurrent that runs between them.

The push and pull of their relationship is spellbinding—two people so different, yet bound by shared goals and unspoken desires. Their rivalry sparks off the page, and as the mystery deepens, so does their bond. Saft masterfully balances their personal tension with the broader suspense of the story, keeping you hooked from start to finish.

Lorelei’s struggle to navigate both the political intrigue of the court and the dangers lurking in the magical forest is deeply compelling. The stakes feel real, and the emotional weight of her leadership and her growing connection to Sylvia adds depth to the unfolding plot. Every chapter is steeped in suspense!
Saft’s world-building is mesmerizing, with folklore woven into every detail, creating a setting that feels as alive as the characters themselves. The magic is subtle but powerful, grounded in ancient myths that make the story feel timeless yet fresh.

And the romance—oh, the romance. Saft delivers a slow-burn love story that simmers with longing and unspoken emotion. The tension between Lorelei and Sylvia is palpable, and their evolving relationship is handled with such nuance and care. It’s a perfect balance of rivalry, respect, and desire, leaving you breathless as they inch closer to one another, even as the world around them grows more dangerous.

Safe to say this was an amazing experience through and through, especially being my first ARC! Allison Saft has easily become one of my new favourite authors.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 4.25/5
This was a wonderfully atmospheric book, with an unique concept. I particularly loved the interjections of folklore stories as they really illustrated Lorelei's interest in folklore and her level of knowledge. The main two characters were fantastic, but I wish the side characters were more fleshed out. Their motivations didn't feel as real or compelling as I didn't know much else about them. It took me a while to get into the story too, as the pacing was fairly slow, and so I wasn't truly interested until the 30% mark. Still, I think any readers of Allison Saft will adore this book too, as will those who are looking for something folklore inspired.

I fear that I may be in the minority here with this review. I really wanted to love this book and fully anticipated that I would based off of the description and marketing. However, I just felt nothing about this book. I was pretty bored through the beginning, but I kept going hoping things would get exciting, but unfortunately whenever something that was supposed to be big and impactful came along, I couldn't get myself to care. Not to mention that the beginning of the book felt like I jumped in at chapter 3 or 4. I feel like I missed a lot of background info. Is this based on folklore that I'm supposed to have read beforehand? Because that's how it felt. There was no explaining the magic system or worldbuilding. It wasn't until the end of the book that I even realized that everyone's magic is the same. I spent the whole book thinking that there were different groups of magic that people had, but that was actually not true at all. I must have just made that up in my head trying to fill in the gaps because the author didn't explain the magic system at all. I think that having that buildup of explanation would have helped me become more invested too, because for all intents and purposes this book should have been great, but it was just blah for me. The characters were fine, I didn't feel strongly one way or the other about them. I don't know, I wish I had more to say about this book and I especially wish I had more positive things to say about it, but it fell really flat for me. I'm pretty bummed about it actually. I do want to emphasize, however, that this is not a bad book. My main criticism was the lack of background and building at the forefront, but other than that, my other points are all opinions. I personally am not much of a cozy fantasy person, and I think that I would classify this book as cozy, which is likely why I didn't vibe with it. I was expecting gothic/dark academia and I would not describe A Dark and Drowning Tide as those genres.

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lorelei is a folklorist who has learned to fight her way to the top. To try to escape her unfavorable environment, she has never been able to afford a single mistake. And the expedition she is about to embark on with six nobles to find a magical fountain on behalf of the King of Brunnestaad is her chance to achieve the life she wants.
When her mentor and leader of the expedition is murdered on the first night aboard, Lorelei’s position becomes more precarious than ever. She will have to discover who the murderer is if she doesn’t want to be used as a scapegoat. To make matters worse, the only person she can trust is Sylvia von Wolff, her fiercest academic rival, a woman unbearably beautiful and who works with unorthodox methods, but also the only person she truly knows.

What I didn't like:
The pacing felt uneven. The narrative dragged at times, and I had to force myself to keep reading. I was eager to unravel the mystery and get to know the characters, but despite the threat of death, the stakes never felt high enough. There were also some elements that were easy to forget (the characters can use magic!!) that shouldn’t have been, and the author seems to bring them up when it’s convenient.

What I liked:
The members of the expedition, most of them unbearable, have complex relationships with one another that make Lorelei feel more like an outsider than ever. The way they interact with each other is shaped by a life they’ve spent sharing for a long time, which brings up grudges, debts, and secrets. One thing I loved is that each of them was chosen because of their specialization within the academic world, something I would have liked to see explored even more.

What I loved:
Overall, this is a book with beautiful prose that transports us into the world of fairy tales, coexisting with the inhabitants of Brunnestaad. Blending reality and fable, Lorelei will use what she knows of these stories to make sense of what happens to her.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC**

Thanks for the opportunity to review. Unfortunately I DNF’d this book at around the 30% mark, despite loving some of Saft’s previous work. There’s a lot of world-building and characters introduced in the beginning, but none of it feels natural and I couldn’t bring myself to invest anything or anyone introduced. I was also excited for a Jewish-inspired fantasy, but it feels clumsily handled here; the author is clearly relying on cultural familiarity with Judaism, without doing any of the world building for this element of the story herself,

A Dark and Drowning Tide is chock full of snippets of folklore, fable and fairytale as we follow folklorist, Lorelei, and naturalist, Sylvia, on a journey to find a fabled spring that is the source of all magic.

This book crosses into a whole bunch of genres, giving something for everyone. We have a murder mystery, political machinations, a dose of academia, a fantastical quest and a slow burn, rivals to lovers queer romance. It's a fabulous offering from Allison Saft as she strays further from YA and into adult territory.

The pacing of the story was great, and the interactions of the various characters kept you guessing throughout - I never was sure who the murderer could be! It was filled with red herrings and murky motivations.
One thing I will say - I could have done with a map! I remain somewhat hopeful that one of my special edition copies will have one! It would have helped visualise the different territories, and how they'd been taken into the wider Empire. It also would've helped visualise the route of the journey.

This book is an atmospheric dark fantasy with stunning prose and a captivating world. Lorelai, the protagonist, is both strong and vulnerable, making her journey deeply engaging. The nuanced supporting characters, with their layered motivations, added much appreciated depth to the story.

I especially loved the slow-burn romance between Lorelai and Sylvia. It felt natural and added emotional complexity to the narrative.

The German-inspired setting, rich with dark folklore, and the water-based magic system were standout elements. The magic felt familiar yet refreshingly unique, woven seamlessly into the worldbuilding.

Overall, the beautiful writing, complex characters, and immersive world make this a must-read for dark fantasy fans.