Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5⭐️

This is, without a doubt, Allison Saft's best and strongest novel yet, and this has only made me excited for whatever she has coming next. This novel was incredible in so many ways that I doubt I will be able to comprehensively discuss, but just know that this book consumed me body and soul. I was in love and hooked from just the opening chapter, and remained ensorcelled for the entire book.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is so many things, it is a tale of academia and rivalry, a murder mystery among a group of terribly flawed yet intensely human people, an exploration of guilt and grief and deeply harmful prejudice in a world that closely mirrors our own histories, and a fairytale of two women coming together with hope and falling in love against all odds. Allison Saft handled all aspects of this tale masterfully. The prose in this novel was outstanding, intensely atmospheric and richly woven with folklore and fairytales, and I adored how these aspects served to both expand and mirror the narrative. The worldbuilding in this was also incredible. From the unique magic system to the folklore influences and the vast nuances of a world touched by war and prejudice and a loss of culture, this world is one that had me enthralled from page one.

It would be remiss of me to not mention one of the most compelling parts of this novel, which is of course Lorelei and Sylvia's relationship, which I believe to be one of the most beautiful and hopeful romances I have read in a while. Their relationship is definitely a highlight of this book, an academic rivals to reluctant allies to lovers accompanied by the perfection that is sapphic angst pining. I was routing for Lorelei and Sylvia from their first interaction, and was entranced by their beautiful story.

This book was so close to being 5⭐️, but for me I just wanted a little bit more out of the ending, perhaps a bit more closure on the state of some of the side characters and the wider world, but I do think it was an ending that worked well for the novel and the darkly real world the tale took place in.

I truly cannot recommend this wonder of a book enough and urge everyone to pick this up when it releases next month!

This is one of those books that promises a lot of vibes but leans on them too much. The author seems to have a problem with plot and world building, as nothing seems to develop. Which is also the reason the MC is so unlikable to me; Lorelai is judgemental and holds grudges that make no sense, which could be an interesting character arch, yet towards the end she hasn't learned anything. This book, unfortunately, felt empty to me as it didn't deliver on development and remains empty. And the choice of telling folklore stories throughout the middle of a scene was very jarring. Not to mention the German vocabulary is off. Unfortunately, a pass. Could use a lot of more edits.

I. Am. In. Love.

Since first seeing this book and the short description of it as a Jewish sapphic mystery with lots of folklore, I knew I needed to read it. My expectations were high and they weren't disappointed.

It is a rivals-to-lovers story that is literally full to the brim with magic and folklore, incorporating stories to provide a great understanding of the world in a really beautiful way. The use of fairytales, fantasy and mystery keeps you on the edge of your seat and absolutely addicted to turning page after page. I wanted to know how it ended but also dreaded reaching the conclusion as it would mean that it was over.

All of the characters are so rich and while the story is told from Lorelai's perspective, I felt as if I knew every character so well by the end - and yet I was still surprised by the reveal. Seeing the relationships evolve, change and be challenged was beautiful and felt entirely authentic. Similarly, seeing how Lorelai was othered by the characters, the world and even herself was heartbreaking but made the end all the sweeter.

The slow-burn romance was perfect and so believable. Within one chapter you know exactly the type of people Sylvia and Lorelai are and from then you spend the whole book wishing they could see how perfectly they complement each other. I was so invested in their relationship, even though it was so subtly addressed, with the main focus of the story (and Lorelai's focus) being on solving the mystery and reaching the end of their mission.

This was a beautiful Jewish sapphic love story that used fantasy, folklore and dark academia perfectly to create a book that I couldn't put down and know I won't stop thinking about.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for accepting my request to read and review this book

I saw the cover of this stuuunninngggg read and knew I had to give it a go!

Also heard magical dark academia and BAM on the TBR it went!

Loved reading a sapphic book for a change too - I feel these are few and far between. Sylvia and Lorelai were such great characters to follow and their interactions were sublime.

I have to say the writing style really did stand out to me, I often felt myself rereading prose and marking quotes. I wish I had read a physical copy so I could have annotated it!

My biggest complaints and reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was honestly just the pacing. There were times I was yawning a little, and add in a little confusion I sometimes was taken out of the book and wasn’t super enticed to pick it back up.

The confusion I had was mostly due to the world building. I struggled to picture everything and felt a little shoved into the story in the deep end.

I loved the sentient forest aspects and all the folklore - I think this kind of “magic” is something I quite enjoy in fantasy - but it needed a little more exploration for me.

But overall I did still love this book and know this will be a hit especially with the YA readers.

Love love love LOVE the dark academia vibes of this book. The dark and brooding characters had me hooked and I could almost feel the atmosphere in their magical world right from the get go. I felt like I was in a Victorian fantasy world and It really reminded me of the haunted mansion ride for some reason!! The feel of the book matches the cover art/artwork that I have seen and this really did not disappoint.

The book is very descriptive and honestly I had a clear picture in my head of characters and occurrences throughout which is something that I can struggle with when it comes to fantasy/dark academia like it. I did struggle with some of the pronunciation but I loved that this book was filled to the brim with folklore and interesting creatures.

I found the pace a bit of a struggle and I wasn't gripped from the get go, I found myself needing to force myself to sit down and read but this was rectified about 25% way in and I was hooked - just stick with it!!

I want to avoid spoilers in here but all I will say is that I am looking forward to my Illumicrate edition of this book and it will be displayed proudly on my shelf!!

I really enjoyed this! I loved the fantasy academia vibe and that’s not something I’ve really come across before, so it was fun to read a unique story. The murder mystery plot was engaging, and the red herrings caught me a few times too.

Lorelei was a super interesting protagonist and it was nice to see Jewish sapphic representation. That being said, if she could have lost that chip on her shoulder a little sooner, I would have been happier. The decisions she made eventually started to feel like less of an informed character choice by Saft, and more of a way to just keep Lorelei and Sylvia apart for a bit longer. I understand the self-hatred and her trauma, but Lorelei’s arc was only really resolved in the last chapter, which felt rushed.

I really loved Sylvia and wanted only the best for her tbh. She deserved better and I will die on this hill. I also liked Ludwig and I wish we saw more of him!

The references to folklore and fairy tales were cute, although possibly a little too frequent in parts and took me out of it, but I also understand it.

Overall, I have a lot of thoughts and most of them are about how I’d maybe like to read this again someday, so that’s good!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Daphne Press for the arc!

𝗔 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗱𝗲 • 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝘁
★★★★

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁
- Sapphic fantasy
- Academic rivals
- Dark academia
- Murder mystery
- Opposites attract
- German folklore
- Setting of a ship/wilderness
- Standalone

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This whole story is a quest for academics and heirs to find a magical spring which gets dark when the research trip leader is found murdered.

Other than Sylvie, all of the characters are dislikable. Including our main character Lorelei. However, Lorelei has good reason to be so intolerable of others, as they’re just as—if not more—intolerable of her ‘kind’ as part of a kingdom that is considered traitorous.

I loved the world building and I would be happy to read more books set in this same world of dangerous creatures, magic, and powerful folk tales. AS orchestrates a tentatively darkly enchanting atmosphere that has both the potential to be wonderful and terrifying. This coupled with a murder mystery creates a tense ambience and an inability for the reader to trust any of the characters.

There were a few plot points that I felt were not explored enough including Lorelei’s magic, the dynamics between kingdoms, and the different academic foci each person held.

4 stars

I loved this book, that's simple. The writing style was just perfect for this narration and the world building was a masterpiece. My only "problem" was that I wished the relationship was a bit more developed in the last part.

Synopsis: Magic, darkness, murder and two academic rivals at the centre of it all. But the two are forced to work together when their beloved mentor is murdered.

CW/TW: Violence | Death | Murder | Drowning |Grief | Loss | Racism | Others may be present.

Rep: Sapphic MCs

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
3.75 Stars!

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a gorgeous gothic novel seeped in academia and mythology underscored with a delightful dash of darkness.

Rooted in rich folklore and fables, this book absolutely brimmed with magic and emotion. Beautifully written, this book will draw you in and root itself within you. From the descriptive yet easy to glide through prose to the engaging character perspective and tense pacing, this book completely engulfed me – it was a joy to read.

Though the plot is rooted in folklore, driven by these characters and their academic ambitions, it is a deeply personal story. Centred around the murder of a beloved mentor and the fable of a magical spring, a group of noble academics set out to find the truth only one of them is a murderer. But the story is much deeper than that. With themes of power, racism, colonisation, belonging, loss and love, the characters are what make the story shine. Saft manages to weave a rich dark magical tale that is deeply emotional and heartfelt.

Overall, this is a magical, dark but heartfelt read that has a raw humanness that will have you absorbed.

*Thank you to Daphne Press for the Netgalley eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc! I was so excited when I saw this acceptance email.

“Some fire within her had certainly gone out, but a new one kindled at the centre of her chest, war and insistent and soft. It was horrible.”

Lorelei is a broody, intelligent hard working folklorist whose goal is to make something of herself and prove her people are worth more than what society has deemed. Her people are looked down upon, shunned and are treated poorly by all the other nations. There was some really great parallels drawn with the oppression we see often in reality that I found heartening to see represented in its own way.

Silvia is a wild spirit, beloved by everyone and famous for her exciting and dangerous adventures, overly positive and headstrong she uses this persona to hide her dark past. She and Lorelei have a tenacious relationship fraught with tension as they are academic rivals both coveting a prestigious position on an expedition.

The world building in this is brilliant, particularly the societal status quo and government make up. It is so well written and explained for a standalone book and brings a whole other level to the story. Politics is a vital part of this and each character has their own agenda. The politics don’t overshadow the fantasy element of the story however, and there are all sorts of amazing creatures and lore to discover.

This book really has everything, a diverse group of characters that have to band together for a mission, a murder mystery, academic rivals, tense politics, extremely complex yet loveable main characters and a beautiful love story.

An epic mash up of genres that are reminiscent of Six of Crows and The Cruel Price but with a murder mystery and a slow burn academic rivals to lovers sapphic romance thrown in. This not only is a gripping and fun read but it is powerful in its depictions of class struggles even within a fantasy setting. I highly recommend this book I hope everyone gives it a read! You won’t regret it.

I am such a fan of books based around folklore and A Dark and Drowning Tide didn’t disappoint.

I found it so fascinating and loved how elements of the folklore was weaved throughout the narrative of the story. The world building was exceptionally well written and beautifully woven into the story with its vivid and descriptive details and as for the water based magic system it was so unique and held an eeriness to it that was so visual.

I really liked the romance and thought it was very bittersweet and believable but I would of liked to have seen it developed just a little bit more and I do feel the ending was a little rushed. There was a lot happening to fit into a a book of around 300 pages so I feel it could of done being just a little bit longer to flesh out the development of certain things.

I did really enjoy A Dark and Drowning Tide and would definitely recommend to anyone who loves a sapphic romance steeped in folklore.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

I love Alison Saft's work and this new edition to her list did not disappoint. The way she writes fantastical worlds but includes Jewish folklore as well as their customs, and the prejudices that they go through, and have gone through throughout history is just wonderful. She can mesh reality and fantasy in the most beautiful way.

The main characters in this are very compelling, but I feel it was the side characters that let this story down a little - they felt a bit two dimensional and your standard mean girl, nerdy girl, jock, and gay. The plot did feel a little long and meandering as well, but overall this was a delicious book with a simmering romance that kept me glued to the page.

thank you so much for the arc opportunity, I really enjoyed this book!! 4.5 stars rounded down, the only thing keeping me from giving it 5/5 is the initial pacing, which I found to be a little slow and uneventful. other that that though, I loved the vibes, loved the story, and sapphic academic rivals?? with betrayal?? and magic??? this was exactly what I needed. I absolutely adored the folklore and quest too. The mythical creatures fascinated me and I fell in love with Sylvia’s love for them. ALSO THE BANTER BETWEEN LORELEI AND SYLVIA I JUST CANNOTT I was smiling at my screen like an idiot. anyw I loved this sm and thank you again!!

Magically Marvellous. I wasn't sure this was a bit of me at first and as I started to get bored at 19 percent BAM! I was pulled in hook line and sinker. I am absolutely obsessed with this it was incredible. I adored how it was written, the names took me a moment to get the hang of but I was rooting for Lorelai from the start. I loved Sylvias character, I enjoyed the banter. I enjoyed everything about this book the plot the storyline the character development I was enraptured in this world so much it was probably one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a while, I felt like I was in the pages not just reading it. I am so happy the characters got the ending they deserved I sat reading this book giggling, rocking back and forth kicking my feet and also with my hand over my mouth in shock. IT has everything it should and more.

Firstly, I would like to thank Daphne Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3,75 stars*

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a blend of political fantasy, murder mystery, folklore and sapphic romance. This story follows Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist as she is chosen by the king to lead an expedition with six magical nobles to find The Ursprung, a mysterious spring that controls magic and can secure the king’s rule. After her mentor and co-leader of the expedition is suddenly murdered shortly after they began the expedition, Lorelei has to find whom of the nobles is the murderer. Lorelei also has to rely on the one person she is sure who hasn’t done it, her long academic rival, Sylvia von Wolff. The closer they get to finding The Ursprung, the more questions appear about whether the spring will bring their country to salvation or to its destruction.

This was quite a wonderful read. Saft’s writing was absolutely beautiful, and I loved the German folklore that was woven into the story. At first I couldn’t really get into the story as the book started with info dumping. However, after the first few chapters the plot picked up, and that made me interested again.

Even though I really liked the story, I think it would have worked even better as a longer book, or as a duology. There’s a lot of worldbuilding for a book that’s only around 300 pages. A longer book would have allowed Saft to explore all political and magical elements that she has thrown into the story. I would have loved to have seen more of Lorelei’s magical abilities. And the politics are a huge part of the plot, but I feel like the political issues were too big to be solved.

In short, A Dark and Drowning Tide was an enjoyable read. It reminded me of books like Emily Wilde and A Study in Drowning. However, those who are looking for a tightly woven fantasy, might be more disappointed.

I was excited to receive this arc as I was looking forward to a sapphic dark academia rich in folklore. Unfortunately this book missed the mark for me.

Plot:
I enjoyed the adventure aspect of the plot, but the murder mystery component only confused me. Perhaps as it was hard to tell any of the side characters apart, I felt that it could have been done better and didn’t add to my enjoyment of the book.

Folklore:
What I was hoping for was rich folklore woven into the narrative that hints at the direction of the plot or character motives. However, while the folklore itself was interesting, it just appeared in info dumps throughout the story. It took my attention away from the current conversation or event that was happening and didn’t add much to the narrative with how it was incorporated.

Characters:
I found it so hard to distinguish any of the side characters until right at the end! And even then I still got Heike and Adelheid confused right up until the end. They had roles for the most part, but nothing else that really distinguished them from each other. Johann was the only one who had some sort of personality and that was really only because Lorelei suspected him.

Romance:
It just didn’t feel believable. The characters were a stark contrast to each other and were just constantly at odds with each other but not in a building tension or sexually charged kind of way. Just in a ‘all these two ever do is fight’ kind of way.

The Magic system was Interesting but underdeveloped. The world building was easy to follow, but I felt the ties to Germany and the war and Jews and Catholics were quite obvious yet didn’t enrich the plot. They perhaps would have been better off if they were completely fictional factions or subtler. I did enjoy the magical creatures in the book.

I apologise as I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it was honestly difficult to read and to finish

I really wanted to like this one. I've read some of Saft's other works, and was excited to see her try her hand at an adult novel. Unfortunately this just wasn't good enough, in my opinion. The writing style is still more suitable for YA than adult novels, and the parts that would make it "adult" the salacious scenes, are written rather awkwardly and felt shoe-horned in. For a book being touted and sold as dark academia, I expected a level of maturity in the writing and in the themes explored that just wasn't there. The info dumping was quite extreme at the beginning, and yet I still found myself not knowing how the magic system worked until three quarters of the way through the book. The characters were quite surface level- not unlikeable enough or interesting enough for me to be invested. Overall, I think this should have been a YA book, and not adult, and this also confirms that Saft's writing just isn't for me.

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft

✨️ dark academia vibes
✨️ murder mystery
✨️ slow burn sapphic romance
✨️ rivals to lovers
✨️ German folklore inspired
✨️ water magic

This was my first book by Allison Saft and she has now secured a spot on my autobuy author list. The writing was magical, the world-building exceptional, and the slow-burn romance beautifully developed.

Despite the book's short length, the world-building was impressively detailed. I enjoyed the setting and the vivid descriptions, which made it easy to imagine all the places they visited. I loved how strongly the story was rooted in folklore and I found the magical creatures very interesting.

Initially, I found it hard to like Lorelei but she gradually grew on me. Once I understood her motives and feelings, I couldn't help but love her. My favorite part of the book was the evolving romance between Lorelei and Sylvia, and the way Lorelei's feelings transformed over time.

As for the murder mystery, the revelation of the culprit and their motives surprised me, but I appreciated the happy ending. The only aspect I didn't like was the separation between Lorelei and Sylvia at the end; it felt a bit unnecessary.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the eArc, I can't wait to get my special edition of this book!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

What I liked:

- the water based magic system - I loved the atmospheric descriptions of the water magic. It was eerie and very visual.
- the romance - I thought it was believable and sweet, and I'm always a big fan of a sapphic romance.
- the world building - it was woven into the story beautifully. I also liked how it linked in with real world examples of colonialism and the plight of Jewish people. Super interesting and well written.

What I didn't like:

- the writing style - it just didn't capture my attention whatsoever and I felt my mind wandering constantly.
- the story - I didn't find myself wanting to pick this up. It took ages to read for that reason.
- the main character - she was so unlikeable. I rolled my eyes at her behaviour more than once. I just don't vibe with the "cold and unemotional but with a secret heart of gold" character type.
- the ending - this felt almost in favour of colonialism which was weird... I expected a much different ending.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review*

Did I like this book? Yeah?
Do I want to read it again? Probably no.

The premise was good but the book was too heavy on the folklore side. The romance seemed a little bit forced and even though it's supposed to be enemies to lovers, all Lorelai and Sylvia did was fight and insult one another. The murder case and the solving of the murder were a little too predictable for my taste. It was a decent effort of Saft's tryout on adult novels.

3.5 stars