*4.5 Stars*

This was a highly atmospheric gothic fantasy with such in depth world building and folklore that I couldn't put it down. I love how dynamic the characters were, each with their own distinct personalities and motivations driving them, and as we get to know them the mystery really builds, plus there is so much sapphic yearning! I loved how flawed and tough Lorelei is, and how her grumpy energy was matched in force by Sylvia's ceaseless positivity. I also loved that when googling the characters names they were so perfect for the characters in their meaning, for example Sylvia means 'spirit of the wood'.

This story follows a group of students setting of on an expedition by request of the king in search of a fabled spring that is the source if magic in their land. The newly united lands of Brunnestaad are in a perilous time in which the king will either maintain a stable nation or rebellion and civil war will break out, as such he seeks the power of the spring to secure his country and seat on the throne. After the group set off it is not long before the well organised and researched trip takes a turn and the entire thing is turned on it's axis, but with the fate of the country and the wrath of the king looming over them they are forced to venture on. The story flows well and is fraught with danger, angst, betrayal and longing, and while it was slow to get into it wasn't long before I found myself gripped.

The protagonist of our story is Lorelei, a folklorist who has grown up as part of prejudiced race and is haunted by the ghosts of her past (literally), who hopes the expedition is her way to gain a place as the King's advisor. She is grumpy, pessimistic and sometimes just wholly unpleasant, which is perhaps why I love her; she feels more real. She has continuously been beaten down by the world around her and that has shaped her into a sharp and ruthless individual that only holds two value close; survival and justice. Her vindictive and petty side are most clear in her interactions with her academic rival, Sylvia, who in many ways is the antithesis of Lorelei. The two have been pitted against each other throughout their academic careers and a resentment has grown between them. Sylvia's relentless optimism, joy and hope infuriated Lorelei to no end, however as the expedition progresses she finds her thoughts wondering and must constantly fight against the way her irritation seems to be evolving into something new.

Something that I think this book did so well was the way that it mirrored real history, antisemitism and discrimination but converted it into a fantasy setting. At every stage you could really see the way that Lorelei's experience as a Jewish coded character has shaped her world view and her encounters. While others may disagree with me on this, I think that by doing this Saft is highlighting an area of cultural oppression that people might not be aware of, and for those who do read it and think that Lorelei's experience is shocking it acts as a reminder that real people went through similar mistreatment and that many still do.

To end on a lighter note, I think that this was a well written sapphic romantasy, filled with dark academia vibes, rivals to lovers, murder mystery and magical creatures to top it all off! A highly enjoyable read!

Honestly? I was quite disappointed.
This was my most anticipated read of the year and it left me feeling…. well, I’m not really sure how I feel.

This, writing wise, is Saft’s best work. It felt very different to her other books but in a good way (because they were falling into a ‘type’ and were growing weaker) but this book is marketed as dark academia. It’s not. It had a wonderful magic system… that wasn’t explained properly or used in a gripping way. I didn’t get why Lorelei ‘hated’ Sylvia so much. She knew she liked her quite early on so it annoyed me how much she tried to pretend she didn’t like her. It was giving Cruel Prince but in an even more infuriating way.

I was hooked with the story until part 3, then it sort of just fell off and I found myself not caring half as much. The romance WAS cute and they had some great lines but it also just felt so sudden… then I got mad at Lorelei for ‘throwing Sylvia under the bus’ only for them to be best friends moments later. And why do they have to propose at the end??? Were they even properly together???

Overall I think I’d give this 3 stars. Which is unfortunate, but it is what it is.

Both the cover arts SLAP though.

Probably my favourite thing about the book was the writing style, very enticing I just flew through the book!
I really enjoyed the plot, the expedition part was great and I was very invested. For me the book focused a bit to much on the murder-mystery part compared to the magic part, but that is personal preference. I would have liked it if we got to learn more about the world! I wouldn't have minded this book to be a little bit longer.

All the characters were interesting, but again I wouldn't have minded if we got to know them a little bit more. I think then I would also have cared a bit more for the romance.

So conclusion, I really liked the book but I think I could have loved it if it was a bit longer! I would definitely pick up something else by this author.

Great concept but somewhat disappointing

The premise, a ragtag scientist expedition looking for the source of magic in the budding empire, is great. Allison Saft heavily borrows from German and Scandinavian folklore and culture and populates the world with fantastical creatures. The queer-centric love story is more of a side plot but I appreciated how she managed to standardise queerness in this society. The cover is stunning, no matter which edition you choose.

Unfortunately, there are several points that really grated and made the reading experience somewhat unpleasant. As a German-speaker, the borrowed terms were irritating at best, ridiculous at worst, as were the names. The setting is not fleshed out enough and her obvious use of Jewish culture (under a different name but pretty much exactly the same plus real magic) made me wonder if she would not be better off simply writing in a real-world setting and infusing that with magic, instead of wasting her time on a badly executed imagined place.
The characters, too, were somewhat flat. I wonder if the novel might have been more interesting and enjoyable to read from Sylvia's point of view instead of Lorelei's. Also, Lorelei or Loreley is a river maiden in German folklore. Calling your protagonist that might be somewhat misleading your audience if you choose a Germanic setting..
In short, I was disappointed by this book and that went beyond the content into the craft.

I would recommend this book to lovers of queer fantasy, close quarter murder mysteries and people with prior knowledge of Jewish history and culture, as many references would otherwise be lost on you, as Saft does not explain every single concept or term she uses.

✨3 stars✨

The first part of this book contains a lot of world-building which felt quite clunky and difficult to get through, so much so that I actually soft dnf’d this ARC earlier in the year but with the publication date being this month I picked it up again.

Once the murder mystery aspect was introduced I found it a lot more interesting (because I really enjoy murder mysteries/thrillers… when done right). However, the execution wasn’t great in my opinion because the suspects weren’t fleshed out and the narrative just seemed to flit from person to person really quickly so when the reveal happened I was left unsatisfied.

I did however enjoy the sapphic romance and felt that the two main characters were well-developed.

Personally, I feel like too much was attempted to fit in which was always going to be difficult with a stand-alone format.

Overall, if you’re looking for a sapphic rivals to lovers fantasy then I would recommend! Especially once you get past the first part of the story and the pace picks up, I found it to be a quick read which many will enjoy.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a dark, atmospheric fantasy romance novel that is steeped in folklore. We follow Lorelei, a folklorist, who has to unravel the mystery of who killed her mentor on their expedition. The only person Lorelei can trust is her rival, Sylvia. Together, they must figure out how to unmask the murderer, and how to navigate their growing feelings for each other.
This book was filled with whimsy, yearning, and tension. I absolutely loved the romance, and the world was very captivating!

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with the ARC!

Dark and mysterious! A perfect read if you like dark academia but want more of a folklore/fantasy element to it. Really emjoyed teh writing, althoug it took me a while to truly connect with the characters.

LOVED THIS!!! I really liked A Far Wilder Magic, so I was super excited when I saw this available on Netgalley. And wowowow. This is better than Wilder Magic for me. I absolutely loved how it mirrored real life history (I'm assuming Brunnestaad is supposed to represent Prague, and Lorelei is Jewish!) and the attention to detail with folklore. It's such a clever way to write a fantasy book but to make it relatable to a reader in our time who may know about some of the folk tales already. One of my favourites is the Golem so loved that reference!

The attention to detail with the historical references really made me feel like I could picture the team on their expedition, long skirts swishing and naturist equipment clinking. In my head I'm picturing Atlantis but make it sapphic!

Aside from the setting, the characters are all very well fleshed out and fully formed. They have their own motives and it's a really interesting take and setting what is essentially a murder mystery. I also adored the Lorelei/Sylvia relationship, this is very much academic rivals/enemies to lovers but done in a very interesting way that keeps you reading. It's also not just two people being horrible to each other to then fall in love - Saft explains their motives and feelings behind the words, which is something I think is often missing in enemies to lovers. This felt legitimately like a relationship that could happen.

Anyway, I loved it. I haven't read A Fragile Enchantment but now it's on my list. 4 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Daphne Press for the free review copy in exchange for an honest review!

How do I even review perfection?
For starters, the romance! At the start I could hardly believe it would supposedly fit an enemies to lovers trope because there was so much more than just hatred to the relationship. The girls had motive to dislike the other and showed no signs of wanting to improve on any form of relationship. But when the romance began, it was so perfect, so in character, didn't feel forced at any stage, and just had me head over heels for them!
I loved the commentary on race wars, clashes between cultures, power and corruption, and who we can really trust, even when the team seemed diverse from the start.
The murder mystery element was fantastic, with typical tools such as giving readers a viable reason to suspect everyone on the mission, and alliances every which way.
The worldbuilding and magic systems were easy to understand and the mythological creatures were described with so much reverence, the way Saft brought all the senses into it made them seem so three-dimensional as "monsters".

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher of providing me with an e-arc of this book. My opinions are my own.

I read a few 1 star reviews criticising this author of her blatant use of German and Jewish history, and their culture and folklore.
To this I raise an eyebrow, because what fantasy hasn't its inspiration from reality? Hasn't, like, every other fantasy author appropriated a culture and its history in some fashion?

Any who, I found this little tale endearing.
Sure Lorelei was a slightly insufferable character, and Sylvia was so whimsy she was borderline daft, they were meant to be the unlikely pair. I can accept that.
The story line itself actually gave me Poirot vibes. Murder on a boat, Kings mission and all that.
Also the writing was beautiful. Not overly prose-y, packed its punch where it mattered, in those gutting moments.

I enjoyed this one quite a lot. Loved the characters and the story. And the author as such a magical way of painting a beautiful picture with words. I kept thinking that I would also love to see an animated movie made after this book. The imagery throughout it was wonderful.
My only issue was that the book was a bit slow at times, but that didn't really take from the story.

This book was such a fun read, I loved the fantasical magic element of the wildelute, trying to imagine all the different creatures was fun. I really liked the Nixies in particular. I enjoyed the murder mystery element and how it added to the storyline and plot. I loved Lorelei and Sylvia, their grumpy x sunshine dynamic was so fun to read. It made their intimate scenes a whole lot more meaningful and passionate. It was such a perfect romantic dark academia. I'll definitely be treating myself to a physical copy of this book.

Thank you to Daphne Press and Black Crow for providing me with both a digital and physical copy.

I was unfortunately disappointed by ‘A Dark and Drowning Tide’ by Allison Saft. I felt that the concept and overall story line was really promising but it felt like half of the book was still in its draft phase.

The sections which were fully fleshed out and developed, I really enjoyed but then it would suddenly be followed by paragraphs that either didn’t make sense compared to what had just happened or skipped ahead too suddenly in the story. I kept wondering whether I’d missed out sections of the book when I hadn’t.

The final chapter jumped forwards in time every paragraph and whilst concluded the story, felt more like an unnecessarily rushed summary.

Overall the pacing needs work to let the story underneath shine.

Being a fan of the author’s previous book, A Fragile Enchantment, and loving the idea of a dark, folklore inspired academic rivals to lovers fantasy that was pitched for fans of Emily Wilde I couldn’t wait to read this one however, sadly, it was a DNF for me. I found it a bit of a slog to read, with chapters that felt long and even despite this I couldn’t picture or connect with the world at all and felt like I needed more substance and a stronger sense of worldbuilding. I also found Lorelai to be intolerable and immature, more suited to a YA fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very anticipated read for me, but unfortunately it fell a little short in my opinion. The dark academia, enemies to lovers, murder mystery sounded like it would be right up my alley. Unfortunately it felt messy, the world building was a bit clunky in my opinion and I had a hard time liking the main character Lorelei.

I feel like we missed out on important information, for example, there was no explanation to the magic system, which made some of it a bit confusing. The relationship between the main characters did not feel believable, I had a hard time caring about what was going to happen between them and everything else.

I do believe some people will enjoy this story and the writing, it just wasn't for me!

arc review | a dark and drowning tide
2.5 ⭐️
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“Death happens. There’s nothing you have done to invite it and nothing you can do to banish it.”
— Allison Saft, A Dark and Drowning Tide
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A folklorist expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader—Lorelei’s beloved mentor—is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff.
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Thank you NetGalley and the publishing team for granting me access to this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. I really wanted to love this. Academic rivals to lovers? Folklore? Sapphic romantasy? A murder mystery? In theory, this should have been one of my favourite reads of the year. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.
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I will start with what I DID like. The writing. I cannot fault the prose at all. Saft’s expert manipulation of language created this really magical, atmospheric world filled with beauty and wonder. The descriptions of scenery, characters, and folklore was done really well and I definitely enjoyed this aspect of the book.
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Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the rest of the book. Our protagonist, Lorelei, is filled with so much hatred and anger. This is due to prejudice she has faced. Or so we’re told. Everyone hates her but we’re not really given any further insight into this beyond the fact that she’s very Jewish coded. She has a STRONG victim complex, and absolutely HATES everyone, and I think this clouds her judgement when it comes to the ‘investigation’ side of things. I did not find her character compelling at all. And I think the book would have benefited from a dual pov to give us, the reader, a break from all the negativity and insight into the characters from a less biased perspective, like Sylvia’s.
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As for the investigation, this was not exciting at all. Lorelei already has an idea of who the murderer is, and there really is no big twist that I was hoping for. I was honestly BORED for most of this book and had to force myself to finish. I know that may come across as quite harsh, but I just think the pacing was off, the characters were flat, and where was the rivalry? We are TOLD they are rivals, but apart from a few snide remarks, we don’t see this. And the romance…there was no chemistry. I honestly think Lorelei had more chemistry with the alp trying to kill her than with Sylvia.
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Overall, I am really disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this book. I do think there are people that WILL enjoy this, especially those who don’t mind a slow-paced atmospheric book, but I just personally couldn’t connect with any of the characters or care about the story. I do recommend you decide for yourself, though. The book releases September 17!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was really excited when I got this arc because from the cover and the description it felt like the perfect dark and whimsical book. Alas it did not live up to the high expectations I had set.

I struggled to connect with the story, finding the pacing off and the writing style difficult to engage with. The plot felt scattered, and it took a while for the world and characters to make sense to me. I even considered dnfing the book at around the 30% mark.

Overall, while A Dark and Drowning Tide wasn’t the right fit for me, I can see how other readers might find it captivating. The book has its strengths, particularly in its world-building and the central romance, but it didn’t quite meet the expectations I had going in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for the ARC!
This was one of my highly anticipated reads of this year.
LOVED the wildeleute and the hazy dreamy feel of industrialism mixed with magic.
Allison Saft has an incredible ability to immerse the reader within the first few pages. Unfortunately, I was left wanting more world-building and character development. I felt that I didn't know enough about the FMC Lorelei to root for her, and I didn't find her likeable. I wanted to know more about Sylvia and would have loved a dual POV. I think this book could have done with 200 more pages with more story about the university and where everybody came from. This would have prevented the side characters from feeling so flat.
I was still transported by Allison's beautiful prose, but this was pretty disappointing for me.

Dark academia, sapphic rivals to lovers, magical journey - sign me up. This book was a lot of fun and very well put together. I enjoyed the characters and plotline, and as someone with an underdeveloped fantasy brain, it had just the right amount of magical elements for me to enjoy and be able to easily comprehend.

As I knew they would be from the gorgeous cover designs, the vibes in this one were immaculate. If you’re looking for that perfect dark academia, gloomy vibe, you’ll love this one.

I loved the diversity and nuance of each of the characters in this book, but my main issue with the novel lay in their lack of development. I felt that with more background and explanation of their motivation, this book would have been really elevated. I would have loved to have seen a deeper dive into each of them, especially our main two, even if that meant lengthening the novel.

Expanding on this, I thought that the romance plot was good, but would have been so much better with a little more depth to the characters and their backstories. The fantasy plot and elements were solid, with an interesting and unique magic system.

Fantasy readers, as well as anyone looking for a good sapphic tale will love this one. Make sure to check TWs before reading. 3.5/5

3.5 stars!

A really good dark academia, sapphic gothic murder mystery fantasy. This book was really well written (although it did read like a YA novel with occasional swearing than Adult to me) with decently sized chapters and I loved that the book was split up into parts.

The characters were mostly good, the main two characters Sylvia and Lorelai were particularly great. I thought that Lorelai (our pov character) was really well flushed out and you got a good idea of who she was as a person and Sylvia complimented all of her quirks really nicely. I really liked their relationship! Some of the side characters felt just as flushed out (Ludwig I am looking at you ily) but a lot of the others felt fairly surface level e.g. I’m not sure I cared much about the “big bad” character towards the end since I didn’t feel connected to them.

The plot overall was good, but the resolution to the “murder mystery” plot line lacked for me - it dragged on in the middle and then was suddenly over and almost felt “forgotten” when the characters found the murderer. The magic system seemed really cool and unique but I wish it was explained a little more (especially since all of the characters are scholars…) - I would love another book in this world to see more too!

Overall, this is a good read and highly recommended to anyone wanting a broody dark academia quest book :) thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eArc!