This book has been on my to-read list on Goodreads for quite some time, and wow. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

⚢ Sapphic romance
📖 Academic rivals to lovers
📚 Dark academia vibes
✡️ Jewish folklore
🔎 Murder mystery
⚔️ Adventuring party
🖊️ Complex character designs and relationships

I've been sitting for ages trying to figure out where to start with this review. This book was incredible and addictive; I honestly could not put it down.

Firstly, what was so refreshing was that the fantasy world created by Saft was devoid of homophobia. It was never a part of a single character's narrative or development, and same-sex relationships were spoken of just as hetero relationships would be.

This ultimately leaned into ensuring that the oppression experienced by Lorelei's people was a key focus of the book's plot. I am astonished at the way that Saft wove the complex real-life history of Jewish oppression into a fantasy world without it feeling inauthentic or out of place. Lorelei's battle to come to terms with her experiences and their impacts on her self-image and mistrust of all others is a central part of her development. It's done so well that rather than her suddenly being ok, you can see the cracks in her self-protective shell form with each new experience until the shell falls away. I can only imagine what this development could be like for someone who identifies with Lorelei or is Jewish. There are other incredible reviews by other readers who discuss this, so please check them out!

The Jewish folklore and creatures woven into this world were terrific as a mythology/folklore enthusiast. I love this new genre of books, taking real-world folklore/mythology and weaving it into fantasy worlds. PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING.

The romance is slow-burning, and the characters are not suddenly in love but instead show a build-up of yearning, devotion, and desire for each other. This is no easy feat, and it is done incredibly well. No character is perfect, and they all have justifications for their actions that are not simply black or white to the reader. The complexity of their beliefs and emotions left me feeling like no one was ultimately the 'good or bad guy'. It was mature in that way and reflective of human nature.

I am by no means a literature expert - I just love good books - but I hope this might convince you to read it.

This gothic, sapphic murder mystery is perfect for your autumn tbr, but it’s so, so much more than that too. The gothic fairytale paired with sinister creatures creates a spooky atmosphere, whilst the academic rivals to lovers storyline fills the book with undeniable tension and yearning.

The biggest theme throughout this book however, is Lorelei’s experience with anti-semitism in both the fairytales she’s spent years studying and in her real life. We learn through Lorelei’s narration how this has shaped her character and see the depths behind her guarded and often cold exterior. I was instantly endeared to her and her journey to claim her own power and place in this world.

I was gripped from the start of this book and the mix of whimsical and gothic elements with darker themes made it a thought-provoking read that’s going to stick with me for a while.

I have a fraught relationship with Allison Saft's novels. I adored A Far Wilder Magic but DNF'd A Fragile Enchantment, so I was a little cautious going into A Dark and Drowning Tide, and this one fell in the middle for me. This was such a dark, atmospheric read with its landscapes, folktales, and magical creatures. I enjoyed the expedition element and the different members of the team, and I command Saft for writing a book so jam-packed with action and different threads of plot. I loved Sylvia's character with her whimsical optimism and hopeful eagerness, she was the heart of this book for me. I also liked seeing Lorelei grapple with her painful past and slowly let go of her guilt.

I think the main source of my discontent is that the promotion of the book set my expectations quite high and I felt misled by the premise. The academic rivalry is not at all present on-page, we're just told that Sylvia and Lorelei were competing for the position of expedition leader for years. I'm uncertain why that was even relevant as they both ended up going on the expedition, because they were clearly both important for their fields of expertise. The murder mystery element is again not very important in the grand scheme of things, and the romance between Lorelei and Sylvia was a little zero-to-a-hundred for me. In addition, Lorelei is straight-up mean to Sylvia for the majority of the book, even after she confesses her feelings to herself and Sylvia. Since the story is focalized through Lorelei, I have no idea why Sylvia put up with this treatment and fell in love with her regardless.

I also felt frustrated because there was so much history between the other five members of the expedition (and the king) that we only heard a fraction of, and their personalities and motivations were also left quite vague. I would have loved multiple points of view to round out the character-building a little more, because I was left wanting. The history of the country and its people also felt a little glossed over to me, I was often confused about relationships and power structures. Other reviewers mentioned the annoying lack of a map and I agree wholeheartedly. Since the geography of this country is so crucial not only for the story but also in connection with the political machinations in the plot, it's an oversight not to include a visual guide for readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The tone is set before you turn to the first page—tales told by murky water, deceptively deep. You are invited to drown in it, and you want to.

In a land at war, a king sends his unwilling right-hand woman on a mission to find the Ursprung—a source of magic strong enough to ensure his success in a unified kingdom.

The right-hand woman brings along Lorelei—a folklorist despised by most—and the Rhuhiburg Five—a group of educated twenty-somethings who love and hate each other. But not everyone is willing to risk losing their identity in a nation becoming one, and soon the expedition's leader is found dead.

This is my second novel by Allison Saft, and with both of them, I’ve been prepared to dive into the water and let the flood drag me with it. Actually reading has felt a bit more like walking alongside it, and though I enjoy a stroll down the river, I wanted to feel engulfed by it. This could very well be an issue with me taking a couple of weeks with both ‘Down Comes The Night’ and ‘A Dark and Drowning Tide’—when I read more by Saft, I will make sure I have time for her.

I’m just going to have to also mention Lorelei and Sylvia’s dynamic. A long history of prejudice can mean becoming unpleasant—hate me for this, instead of who I am—or it can mean wanting people to love you—will you forgive what I come from if I’m good enough? And then they fall in love? I’m so obsessed.

I don’t feel ready to let this cast of characters go. By no means did this story feel rushed, and it’s refreshing to have an author give you it all at once, but Saft makes me crave the longing that comes with waiting for the next installment. I want to hold on. I think I would lose my mind a bit if she ever wrote a duology.

Until I find time to read this story again, staring at absolutely stunning fan art every other day will have to suffice.


Thank you to Daphne Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to the Publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Folklorist Lorelei has always dreamed of becoming a naturalist, which would allow her to escape the Yevanverte and to travel the world. The Yevanverte is the part of Brunnestaad where she and all Yeva have to live. They live as second class citizens in a kingdom that fairly recently conquered all the neighbouring kingdoms. Lorelei sees her chance with an expedition to find a coveted magic spring for their king. But when one of their members gets murdered, Lorelei must team up with her rival to find out who did it before their return.

This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I'm so glad to say that it did not disappoint. I loved this from page 1.

I often have trouble imagining faces and surroundings but the writing was so lush and easy to read that this wasn't an issue at all. The writing and atmosphere reminded me of A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid, which I enjoyed very much as well.

I found the world super interesting and would love to read more books set in this world in the future. The plot moved at a good pace in my opinion and I got to love the two main characters.

I also really loved all the tales that Lorelei has collected during her years. Over the course of the book we got to read a couple of these tales and this is one of my favourite things in books.

“Back in the days when wishes still held power”

All in all I really loved this and I will definitely buy myself a copy when it’s out!

As i was reading a dark and drowning tide i realized it wasn’t that heavy on the magic and folklore, although i did enjoy the amount that it had, it was more like a mystery. I can’t say i enjoyed the characters, especially the secondary ones, i felt like at the most part most of them weren’t that likable and it kept me from enjoying the book.
Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Gorgeously written and utterly atmospheric, Allison Saft’s folklore infused, adult fantasy debut felt like the sapphic, dark academia twin to Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and I loved every mystery-ladened second!

Saft’s vividly detailed descriptions of the world and the creatures who inhabit it were phenomenal, and I adored all of the magical (and often deadly) creatures (ie: nixies, alps, wildeleutes & lindworms) that we got to encounter, however brief. I do wish we had a companion novel detailing each creature as some of them (like the Alp) were super fascinating.

The murder mystery aspect, and introspective, character driven elements were also really good and managed to propel the plot in such a deliciously satisfying manner-which had me on tenterhooks the entire time.

I do want to note that this is a single POV story, told from the perspective of Lorelai, our surly, sharp- tongued protagonist who I found thoroughly compulsive. Her perspective was complex and rife with emotion, but did mean every character was a suspect whose motivations we had to work out. Which, admittedly, did help to keep the mystery (and high stakes intensity of the team’s political machinations) at the forefront of the story.

Though a little prickly at first, I ended up really loving Lorelai, whose tragic past experiences and guardedness have allowed her (and her heart) to remain protected from the world. But her academic rivalry with the sunshiny Sylvia Von Wolff, who soo easily managed to break down her walls (and get under her skin) really helped to showcase a slightly softer more, selfless side of Lorelai that I found quite endearing.

Their slow burn romance was good too and I chuckled quite a few times at how oblivious they both could be —despite the blatant yearning and long stares they threw at one another.

Overall, a satisfyingly magical read that messy, political intrigue addicts, folklore fiends and sapphic fantasy lovers should definitely consider adding to their TBRs this autumn. But do check the TWs.

Also, a huge thank you to Blackcrow PR and Daphne Press for the proof.

An easy enough fantasy story with characters in their twenties, that nevertheless reads quite young. German inspired folklore, which also means random german names and titles.

I went into this read completely blind, I just knew the cover was beautiful and that it was quite anticipated – and I’m really glad that it didn’t disappoint. A Dark and Drowning Tide is a Sapphic academic-rivals-to-lovers with a murder mystery that explores folklore. This was a very magical, sweet, and enjoyable read and the author had a really nice writing style.

The set-up of this being an adventurous murder mystery/fantasy drew me in quickly and engaged in the story. I’ve found that I quite enjoy books with a premise of a mystery to solve/quest/expedition but in a fantasy setting. In that sense, this book gave me Emily Wilde (by Heather Fawcett) vibes. The setting was also very whimsical and magical and certainly tied in well with the entire premise.

Lorelei and Sylvie were great characters, and overall, I thought their romance/chemistry was fun. I will say that I found the beginning of this book a little bit slow and perhaps that is due to the rivals-to-lovers trope which I am personally a bit burnt out on currently (I do enjoy it but need a break from it right now!). It definitely picked-up for me as their relationship developed, alongside my interest in the murder mystery plotline. Looking forward to reading more Allison Saft and exploring her already published works.

Thank you to the publisher l, author & netgalley for the review copy.

Unfortunately this was just not for me and I am more than certain this will be quite alot of people's cup of tea, it's just unfortunate it wasn't mine as I was looking forward to it.

I did DNF as I found the characters quite annoying and unlikeable and found it was hard for me to get into the story. But I really do think this is because of my personal preferences.

The world building and writing was absolutely beautiful. The cover is also stunning

Book review 📚
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I went into this book completely blind, after judging whether to read based entirely on the cover. Well, it did not disappoint. I devoured this book and will be in a book hangover for a while! I’m praying and hoping for more writing from Saft.

To say I was captivated from the start, doesn’t even come close to saying how captivated I was. The fantasy, emotion and atmospheric tension is just phenomenal. The world Saft has created is so deeply imagined with an otherworldly and eerie feeling. I found myself so completely emerged within the world of this story thanks to the descriptions Saft had given us. The imagery is beyond perfect.

The sense of urgency that comes from the story itself, is so masterfully created. Saft has balanced the moments of intensity with the quieter scenes which allowed me to catch my breath from time to time. I’m telling you, chokehold!

I didn’t really gel with this book and I’m not sure how much of that is the book’s fault or mine. So I’ll break it down.

This is an academic-rivals-to-lovers fantasy romance. I don’t really read a lot of fantasy romance, but I am open to it (I love fantasy and romance separately!) which is why I gave this a whirl. The setting is essentially fantasy historical Germany, and the main character, Lorelei, is fantasy Jewish and deals with a lot of the sort of discrimination and ostracisation that Jews in Europe have historically faced. I found the setting interesting, but unfortunately I just didn’t find the world to be developed well enough. I know that’s often the case where the focus is squarely on the romance… but I just didn’t feel that was well developed enough either. The secondary characters felt flat to me too. When I read in the acknowledgements that this is the author’s first venture into adult, having previously written YA, that kind of clarified things a little bit for me — I don’t think this feels like adult, really. It lacks the depth you would expect of an adult fantasy, and it also didn’t really have sex or violence to justify an adult label. Maybe it would have been better as YA, I don’t know.

Some people will love this book, I’m sure, but alas, I’m not one of them. I’d be interested in checking out the author’s YA work though.

Thank you to Daphne Press and Netgalley for gifting me this e-arc, all thoughts are my own!

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

What to Expect:
- Unique magic system tied to water
- Gothic setting
- Slow burn
- Murder mystery
- Sapphic romance
- Folklore and whimsy writing style

Plot:
Lorelai's mentor is murdered by one of her team members on a voyage to find the legendary Urpsprung for their king. The suspects are Sylvia, her infuriating yet enchanting rival; Johann, a selfish brute; Adelheid, a prim and proper socialite; Heike, Adelheid's lover and ambitious young woman; and Ludwig, botany enthusiast and Lorelai's only friend. As they continue their journey to the Ursprung they encounter several wildeleute, magical creatures that try to ensorcell you, and growing tension between the group as they try to navigate the situation. I found the pace of this story to be a little slow, though intriguing with its premise. As always, Allison Saft has an incredible writing style and she nailed the gothic setting with dark and mysterious descriptors. I found the magic system very unique however did not feel like we got enough detail around how it worked, where it came from etc. and I'd love to know more. Definitely found the twists and turns to be fun and surprising, with the tension and slow burn romance building between Lorelai and Sylvia done really well! I did find Lorelai just a little bit infuriating, but I think you're supposed to!

Characters:
Lorelai is closed off for many a reason, and to read her slowly open up to Sylvia is really sweet. I adored Sylvia's wild and carefree personality, and found as we continued getting to know her much more depth than anticipated. While I did find Lorelai a little annoying, I think ultimately the pair work well together. I didn't really enjoy how the ending played out and felt it was too rushed and such a change in their personalities. The rest of the group didn't have much of an impact on me and I think the final reveal was a little anticlimactic. Still enjoyed this though!

I'm giving this a 4.5 purely because it took me a little bit to get into the story but once I was in it was such a fun time and I found the beginning world-building to be a little choppy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review. This book was everything I was looking for in a dark academia, gothic, fantasy with sapphic characters and a plethora of folklore interwoven within the story. I knew very little about the folklore aspect of the novel but quickly picked up on the Germanic influences and loved the interwoven conflict of racism that our main character faces throughout the story. The atmosphere of this book was so lovely and all of the fantastical elements and creatures explored were so well done in my opinion. I'm very happy I read this and recommend it to everyone when it is released. Overall I loved the plot and atmosphere but most of all our main characters. I love Sylvia to bits and want her POV asap.

*Actual rating is 3.5. stars*

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a sapphic academic rivals to lovers, where a folklore inspired expedition mixes with a murder mystery. I have been meaning to read Allison Saft for a while now, and the sound of the expedition sounded like this book would be right up my alley. After all, one of my favourite parts of books is when the world of the book is being explored. But sadly the murder mystery took the front row, and my hopes for an explorative adventure were thwarted. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of adventure across both land and sea but the murder and romance are the main focus.

I liked the writing, and will read more of the author's books in the future because the atmosphere was there. The folklore aspects, with the mythical creatures, were brilliant and I wish we could have gotten more of that. Also there’s some great banter and dynamic between the main character and her love interest. It’s a shame that most of the characters were either frustrating (although understandable) or awful. There's nothing wrong with dislikable or grey characters, but when most of them are awful it’s a bit hard to care for them and in turn the story. The ending felt a bit rushed, but the very last pages had a sweet wrap-up for the romance so it’s not all bad.

If you enjoy cozy murder mystery, sapphic romance, an atmospheric fantasy world filled with mythical creatures and/or the Emily Wilde books then I can see you liking this book.

Sapphic academia rivals lets all scream together!

The cover of this book sold it to me before I even read the plot. The tension and yearning was A+ and I was hooked from the start.

Oh, man, there's a whole story linked to this book and how I came into its possession but essentially, I was roaming through Netgalley and decided to request this title. Long story short, I got approved as a reviewer (thank you for the ARC!) But unfortunately, my experience with this story wasn't quite positive. 😔 I ended up DNFing it at 50%.

🌊 The plot is cool and all but can you please stop dragging it on? I was honestly intrigued by the premise, especially since it promised adventure and fantastical beasts weaved together with a murder mystery, however, I ended up swimming among a sea of words which went through one ear and left through the other. The storytelling was all over the place and I sadly could not connect with any of the characters although they had potential... In any case, I ended up closing the book halfway in.

🌊 Who are you? The dialogue and inner monologuing were rather confusing. The main characters somehow also got interlaced in my head (probably because I also got the complete reverse image of each of them...), and worst of all, although they seemed interesting at first, I lost interest the moment they started speaking or interacting with one other. The secondary characters were also rather similar, so they didn't manage to make me care for them either...

🌊 Nazis everywhere. There is, of course, a king who wants more and more power and dominion over all other nations. Then there is a population called the Yeva (Lorelei, one of the MCs, is one of them) who are known for their cunning, avarice, and coldness. Evidently, the Yeva are guilty of all kinds of crimes and thus isolated from the rest of society and even persecuted.

🌊 Let's go with the local legends. Whether we're talking about creatures or fairy tales, Lorelei always manages to integrate them in the strangest way possible into the narrative (written in third person) and lead our attention in other directions. Thus, the initially created atmosphere simply dissipates and we end up on a different plane.

🌊 The cover art is amazing and the title is great. I was instantly drawn in by the beautifully illustration by Erica Williams. I loved the colors and delicate lines that outline the characters and the environment, as well as the way Jane Tibbetts designed the cover, carefully choosing fonts and placing the text elements over the illustration.

This book is unreadable. I am seriously doubting this author has ever been to Germany. While I am not a fluent speaker German is very close to Dutch and the weird names and places are completely throwing me off. If you want to write about a fantastical Germany/ Europe please go there. Now all the world building feels off and pulls you out of the story. I did not get too far in the book because it was so hard for me to follow the story but the academic banter and character personalities also did not feel real to me. I loved A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid and was really hoping this would be a similar reading experience. Unfortunately this is not living up to that expectation.

Another arc review where I honestly agonised over what to write because I LOVE this book! If I could give it 6 stars I would, I might be a little biased because I've always loved a good women in STEM book (Science, Technology, Engineering and Magic) but this really is the 2024 must read! Some of the most comforting parts of this fantasy were the lack of sexism, homophobia and sexual threat (which I hadn't even noticed at first) which made the story that much more enjoyable. An immersive fantasy reminiscent of the adventures we read of as children, written for us now in a graduate setting, is exactly what I needed.

I had been SO excited for this book. Sapphic dark academia rivals to lovers?!? With magic?! And folklore?! It sounds perfect.

Unfortunately I just…didn’t care about any of it. I found the world building very lazy, the magic system is barely explained, and the characters are all one dimensional.

Our main character hates everyone around her and they mostly seem to dislike her in turn which makes it very hard to grow attached to any of them. As a character-driven reader, this makes things difficult for me. I understood the main characters bitterness but her attitude was just exhausting to read.

The intended romance held NOTHING for me. There wasn’t a hint of anything between these characters.

I gave up on this one halfway through.