This was a slow start for me and the first 25% made me sleepy, I could only manage a chapter at a time. I definitely recommend going into this book with a clear brain as my tired self wasn’t coping. Thankfully I persevered and once my brain got used to the writing I was enjoying the story much more. This was my first book by the author and the writing was enchanting, giving vibes of historical fiction mixed in with a good dose of fantasy.

What I liked: the world building was just right, I could visualise the different regions which our noble characters were from without the descriptions being too much. The magical creatures were enjoyably varied and also familiar to many we know. I loved the magic and roles, though magic itself is quite a minor feature in terms of actual usage. I liked that this seemed to follow German folklore, but I saw some Jewish inspiration to the FMC and heritage and people. The public perception of the Yeva felt familiar to our history but was written really well.

What I didn’t like so much: though it may seem strange I actually didn’t care much for any of the characters. Lorelei’s character development felt slow, but wasn’t unenjoyable, but it was more the other characters I didn’t either love or hate. I was much more interested in the plot and world than the characters themselves. The romance is very much sub-plot which worked for this book, but it also easily could have not been there at all as for me, it didn’t add anything.

Overall after a rocky start I did really enjoy the story, I liked being on an expedition and learning each characters profession/role and how they contribute. The murder mystery element was executed well and I had plenty of fantasy to keep me intrigued.

Huge thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an early e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was the perfect blend of magic, folklore and adventure. The world-building was fantastic and I loved how elements of folklore were woven into the narrative. The main characters were very well structured and had so much depth. Sylvia was my favourite! I loved her whimsy and charm. I wish 'folklorist' was a real job title. Sign me right up! XD

This was a really fun book and I would definitely read more from this author :)

3.5 stats.

There is a lot to like about this book, and for the most part it is enjoyable. It isn't without its sore points, though.

This book, labelled Saft's 'adult debut', is a blend of political fantasy, murder mystery, sapphic romance, and (admittedly a bit too heavy-handed) folklore. All of these elements usually work for me. In combination, they *almost* hit the spot - the folklore was a little too "info-dumped" and the murder mystery was at points very formulaic in its execution, but for the most part Saft wove these into a convincing and enjoyable story, and her prose is at times absolutely sublime.

Lorelai and Sylvia are not likeable characters. In fact, there isn't a single likeable character in here. For this reason, the novel actually works brilliantly. This is ultimately a story of selfishness and self-preservation, rather than one of 'the greater good' - if you are expecting a heroic tale then I would say this probably isn't the one for you as you won't find a hero in this cast of characters. The tension between Lorelai and Sylvia is at moments brilliant and at others slightly nonsensical, but I was ultimately rooting for them. Lorelai, a 'Yevani' outcast who grew up isolated in a ghetto and is trying to chase her dreams via her academic ventures, is the right character for this novel to centre around. Despite her pretty major character flaws and questionable decisions, I did feel an emotional connection to the grief and prejudice in her backstory.

However, and without any spoilers, the ending was rushed. Additionally, for a story that heavily relies on its elements of fantastical antisemitism, through this lens it is not what you would call a satisfying ending, even if it is true to the characters' motivations throughout. It is for this reason that I emphasise that this is not a novel to read seeking for a heroic morality story, as I don't think you'll find that here.

Review posted on Goodreads and Storygraph.

I’ve seen this book around on social media, and after looking into it, was pretty sure that this would be a book that I would definitely enjoy for three main reasons:

Dark academia - yes, great.
Folklore - yes, great.
A murder to solve? - yes, great.

Was it everything I hoped for? No, sadly. For me, it took me quite a while for me to really get into the story and to develop an understanding of the world building going on with the folklore and creatures included. I wanted more about the characters, more about their motivations and more about Sylvia. From about 60%, I did find that the story picked up a bit and the action was enough to keep me interested, with characters coming into contact with some unusual elements, occasionally with quite deadly consequences.
There was also a very slow enemies-to-lovers burn throughout, with one closed door intimate scene, so I would rate the spice at 0.5. The representation throughout the story was interesting, especially since I have not encountered many sapphic books with Jewish representation.

Thank you to NetGalley, Daphne Press and Allison Saft for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Daphne Press for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Spoilers below

The story follows Lorelai, who is a folklorist making her way through her academic career. And the book starts when she's ready to set out on a big expedition with her mentor and some peers. The expedition has been commissioned by the king with the goal to find a spring said to be a powerful source of magic. Shortly after the group board Lorelai's mentor (and their group leader) is murdered. So the story has almost a dual storyline there's part where Lorelai is trying to work out who killed her mentor and survive the tension, and then the other half is the search for the spring.

I had a good time reading this, and for me the best part of this book was the relationship dynamic between Lorelai and Sylvia. It's an academic slow burn rivals-to-lovers dynamic, full of yearning, tension and longing which is slowly drip-fed throughout the book. Although I will admit I did find myself a little confused about the perspective I was reading from between these two on a few occasions.

Overall it was a good blend of fantasy, dark academic, folklore and suspense.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Daphne Press. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review A Dark and Drowning Tide.]

Rating: 4.5/5

Overflowing with dark folklore and sapphic yearning, A Dark and Drowning Tide will lure you into its watery depths where all manner of magical creatures are poised to steal your last breath. Featuring a dangerous expedition where crewmates can be as deadly as the mythical beings they study, this story takes the reader on a twisting journey where loyalties are tested, friendships are broken, and death lurks in the shallows.

When Lorelei Kaskel embarks on a quest along with six nobles to find a mythical spring - a fabled source of magic that promises incredible power - the journey gets off to a tragic start when Lorelei’s beloved mentor is murdered. Leaving the remaining five members of the team as suspects, she is left in charge of the expedition and of rooting out the murderer in their midst. It’s no easy task when motives can easily be found for each of the nobles, but Lorelei is certain she can rule out Sylvia von Wolff, her long-time academic rival and object of ire. If they are to have any chance of surviving this venture into the unknown, they must grudgingly work together to find the spring before the killer strikes again.

I went into this story knowing little of what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised when so many tropes that I love were featured throughout the book. First there is the enchanting combination of dark academia and even darker fairy tales that hooked me from the first page. In addition to that there is an absolutely beautiful romance that grows between Lorelei and Sylvia as the plot progresses. Lorelei is a troubled character who appears to have little love for Sylvia at the beginning of this story, but as time goes on her obsession becomes more and more apparent. Every scene that they share is charged with pure tension and attraction that will leave your heart racing, wondering if they are closer to blows or kissing.

There’s also an underlying exploration of themes such as prejudice and antisemitism which is often linked to folklore in a way that is reminiscent of the propaganda we may see in current times. We mostly see this through the eyes of Lorelei, whose Jewishness paired with her own experiences in life has left her cautious and withdrawn, and completely at odds with those who would sooner paint her as a villain than value who she is as an individual.

I’m left with a feeling of tentative hope after reading this book, as the main takeaway for me was the enduring power of love, and the healing capacity that comes with it. This is a truly beautiful story that I’d urge everyone to read, and I’ll be excited to look out for more from this author in the future.

WHAT A READ! I read this in only a day and it was enchanting, mysterious and queer. From academic rivals to a sapphic romances we follow Lorelai the Folklorist and Sylvia the Naturalist as they embark on a journey to find a magic water source previously unlocated alongside a team and their mentor. The sudden murder of their mentor during their travels leads them on a trail of uncovering mystery and betrayals and schemes they couldn't have imagined.

Inspired by german folklore this is the perfect queer fantasy read for all to pick up this fall once it releases.

The book was decent but not exceptional. It took me nearly a month to finish it. The main character was rather irritating, and I figured out the killer's identity early on, so the reveal lacked impact. There were too many references to fairy tales—some fit the story, but many seemed irrelevant.

On the plus side, the story itself was intriguing. The magic system was interesting, though I had trouble fully grasping it. Sylvia was the only character I genuinely liked, and the slow-burn romance between her and Lorelei was engaging. However, I found the ending a bit cheesy.

My second book by this author and it may just be a case of 'its me'. There was nothing wrong with it, but I wasn't particularly invested or interested in this story. It was just meh...

Thank you so much to the publisher for the earc!

It was my second book from Allison and while it sounded like something I’d love, unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations.

We follow an expedition as they try to find a magical spring for the king. Lorelei’s mentor chose her to be second-in-command, so when someone murdered Ziegler she becomes the leader of the small group. Lorelei must find the killer, if she wishes to live. But the others all have their own motives, so revealing the truth is harder than expected.

I loved the setting so much. It was inspired by German folklore and while I am completely unfamiliar with it, I didn’t feel like I was missing some background. I think this is one of the trickiest parts of writing a story based on folklore, you need to make sure the readers understand what’s happening and why and I feel Allison did a really fantastic job with it. Allison’s writing is still magical and atmospheric. It made me feel like I’m in the forest with the group and trust me I do not want to be in that forest.

I also loved the characters. And while I expected to relate to Sylvia (for obvious reasons), I felt Lorelei’s character closer to me. She was more of a “think first, act later”, while Sylvia was running headfirst into danger without second thought. I do think that they made a perfect pair, but I have to admit, I did not like the romance. For years they hated each other, then a few weeks and they are so in love? For me it happened all too quickly to be believable.

The others were also really interesting. I loved that all of them, including the king, knew each other since childhood, and some of them even fought for his case. Not surprisingly my favorites were Ludwig and Johann. I wish we could have seen a little more of them, especially Johann. He was a ruthless killer, but also a medic, promised to Adelheid’s brother that he would always protect her. It was so interesting, and the promise created a strange dynamic in their friendship. I truly wish we could have gotten just a little more of their past.

So why didn't I give this book 5-star and scream it from the rooftops to read it? I feel like something is missing. Even when I was reading, I had a feeling, and when I finished the book, I had an empty space that shouldn't be there. I can’t tell what is missing, ever since I finished the book I’m thinking about it, but no words appear that would be satisfying. It’s also possible that I had too high expectations for this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

From here and now, I shall be a Saftie and the the President of all Safties! After loving A Fragile Enchantment, Allison Saft became an auto-buy author for me, and after adoring A Dark and Drowning Tide, she has established herself in my bookworm heart as a favorite.

We follow Lorelei's perspective, and she is an mc with a firecracker of a personality. She has a temper and no patience for nonsense. She is witty and her comebacks are both sharp and hilarious at times. She is an icon of broodiness and efficiency. She has suffered a lot in her life and deals with grief and discrimination all the time. She feels like she doesn't belong anywhere. I absolutely loved her character!!! I'd follow her anywhere at any time.

Her love interest (even though she does not realize it lmao) is Sylvia. Sylvia is beautiful and well-liked by everyone (except her rivals). She is carefree and finds the light and joy in everything, but she also has scars--literal and metaphorical. She has struggled with mental health issues and the aftermath of war and death.

Lorelei is the broody pragmatist, Sylvia is the optimistic sweetheart. Together, they are incomparable.

The plot was twisty and well-paced. It gave us time to reflect over the characters' emotions, decisions, and development without slowing down the overall plot. It also kept us guessing who committed the murder, and I loved the hints and murder mystery aspect.

I also loved the variation of characters. We have the good ones, the evil ones, the incompetent and competent ones, and the morally gray ones. It gave off a very fulfilling character ensemble, which I admired!

The worldbuilding was a Saft trademark, as I will now call it. It has this charming emotional resonance that comes with reflecting our world in a fantasy setting. I loved every second of being in this world.

I ADORE THIS BOOK!!!! Sapphic romance with delicious rivalry and yearning!!!!!! Run to preorder it!!!!!!!!!

It's the September monthly pick of a box (I think they even announced that it was?) and there is no way I am skipping!!!!!!! SAPPHIC RIVALRY AND YEARNING!!!!

*3.75 ATMOSPHERIC STARS*

Well, this was definitely an interesting read!
Being my first experience with Allison Saft's books, I had no idea what to expect.

While this wasn't particularly scary, this definitely would have been a great Halloween read, as I found this to be very atmospheric and sometimes even dark. I also liked the underlying themes of family, friendship, love and hope. The sapphic romance wasn't the main event, but the story was, and while I was confused about the worldbuilding, the many German-ish words, and some other things at first (was Lorelei the fantasy version of Jewish or am I tripping?), I ended up very immersed in the story.

I also loved the murder mystery/whodunnit aspect and while I was mainly focused on Lorelei and Sylvia and not so much the other characters, I was still pretty surprised by the twists and turns!

Once again Allison Saft did not disappoint, this book was absolutely everything. The way Saft writes is so rich and utterly compelling that I could not help but fall in love with another book of hers again.

A Dark and Drowning Tide, while having interesting prose, and vivid descriptions to bring the world to life, strikes a strange tone; the Yeva being culturally Jewish and oppressed by the proto-Germanic coloniser state, and Lorelai being resentful of the aristocracy of that state makes sense. However, the resolution of the politicking at the book's conclusion is at complete odds with the espoused politics of the protagonist - Wilhelm's rule and dreams of empire have been shown consistently to be destructive for the nations he 'conquers', and the decision to have the protagonist fall on the side of his regime rather than that of the rebellion seems rather incongruous.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for access to this ARC

My first Allison Saft book - and what a book it was!

Bursting with folklore and fantasy and beautiful prose, A Dark and Drowning Tide is a divine sapphic dark academia book that I think will nestle into the hearts of so many readers. I have wanted to read a book just like this for so long, and this more than exceeded my expectations. The characters were well fleshed out and I enjoyed getting to know them more and more as the book went on. Sylvia von Wolff has my heart.

The mystery was slightly lacking, but it did not affect the overall enjoyment of the story.

Thank you to Daphne Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC, All opinions are my own.

First, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It's never fun to write a slightly negative review, but it feels unfortunate when the book hasn't been released yet (and has such gorgeous cover art). I also have to preempt this review by saying that while there are elements that did not work for me that are generally applicable, a major reason why this book did not work for me is quite specific and will not apply to most people. If it doesn't apply to you, chances are you'll have a much better time than I did.

Okay, let's start with the criticism specific to me: I am a native German speaker and I was aware this book was inspired by German folklore (it was part of what intrigued me). I don't have super strong negative views on the use of German folklore here, however, the integration of the German language was incredibly frustrating. In general, the choice to sometimes give things German and sometimes English names felt quite inconsistent in terms of world-building, but that was not my issue. Instead, every other use of German was grammatically incorrect or incorrect (or at least confusing) in application/meaning. To give a couple of examples: the magical beings in the novel are collectively referred to as "wildeleute". Now, Wilder Mann (wild man), and sometimes Wilde Leute (wild people), were used in old German folklore. However, it is not spelt together or uncapitalized. Depending on the use within a sentence, it should also be changed to Wilden Leute, for example. I realise this sounds nitpicky, but as a German speaker, these kinds of word choices completely remove you from the flow of the novel. Grammatically incorrect words (often it's a non-use or incorrect use of the plural, time and case) appear in every chapter and it's super frustrating. When it comes to the meaning of words, there are also weird applications left and right. Continuing with the "wildeleute" example, Wilde Leute in German folklore were more frequently called moss people and were specifically associated with the woods. Not water. But all beings in this book are apparently "wildeleute" even if they are clearly water beings, or something entirely different. Look, maybe there is more to this specific application of the term, I don't know, I'm not an expert on folklore. But this stuff happens more often: there is a region in one of the countries that is called "Waldfläche" which literally means forest area. Beyond it being a weird choice of name (a lot of the names given to things feel like somebody just used Google Translate), that same area is known for its mountains. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be irony? Anyway, I disliked the use of German in the book. It read clunky and pulled me out of the writing completely. It is also seldomly explained what the words mean so for non-German speakers German remains mysterious. If you don't speak German, this should not really be a problem for you, so you might enjoy the book more than me.

Moving on, I also was not a fan of the world-building. We get very little exposition and instead are thrown into a world with an unexplained magic system, complex politics and a large cast of characters with complex dynamics. None of these are properly explained. It raises so many questions (I still do not have answers to most of them) and makes the first 1/3 of the book difficult to grasp. By the halfway mark, I kind of got the hang of what was going on but it was impossible to connect with the story or characters cause I didn't understand the dynamics at play in this world. The book also felt like it couldn't quite choose if it wanted to be an adventure or a murder-mystery fantasy. Combining the two is fair enough, but it felt like you were always skipping between the two plots instead of having them integrated as one. The proper connection between them wasn't executed well. Characters and their motivations remain largely unclear for most of the book, and a few of them lack any kind of personality. I understand that there is a mystery involved, but even our FMC remains very one-dimensional. Sylvia is an especially flat character considering the amount of page time she gets. I don't understand her motives properly, I think she might be a bit unqualified to hold any political power. This of course means that the romance element didn't get through to me. I don't think the two have a connection. They have some chemistry when they fight, sure, but all of their fights are childish and are often resolved strangely. Both of them constantly change the way they talk and act and their opinions. It's all very inconsistent. I think the last point I want to make is that I found it very difficult to connect with the cast because their political opinions seem entirely misplaced. From the little that is elaborated upon, I gather that the regions in this country were brutally won through war. Since the regions have been annexed, the people who come from them are treated like lesser. The king is running the regions into the ground and everyone is upset by his rule and the annexation. On top of that, the king wants to gather all the magical power to make sure he can continue to oppress everyone in his realm. He is so clearly not a good ruler, the war and annexation are clearly problematic and the treatment of some groups of people as non-humans is even worse. And yet we are supposed to be against the people trying to stop him and for the ones trying to back him? When he has made no promises to change the way he rules or provide autonomy to the different regions? I don't get it. Maybe other dynamics don't get explained well enough so I've misunderstood the sides. I get that the methods of the anti-monarchy people are maybe not great, sure. I also get that more war is bad, I agree. But then the other option is... oppression. Our FMC herself acknowledges that she is taking up a position where she will be exploited by the monarchy while her people don't get any additional safety!

At the end of the day, there are a lot of things here that I can see working for other readers. Folklore and mystical dark beings are always fun. As I said, if you don't speak German, you will be able to enjoy the writing as well (which is otherwise beautiful). For me, this book was a huge miss, sadly. I am still thinking about picking up some of Allison Saft's YA books since I have heard great things about them.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a dark academia style fantasy thriller about a group of scholars who are on an expedition to find a magical spring that will grant someone the power of immortality. It is packed with folklore about the fantasy world and the main character Lorelei is a folklorist from a marginalised group of people. Her struggles from childhood shape how she views the world and I really enjoyed her stubbornness. She didn't care if she was everyone else's villain as long as she got the job done. Lorelei's dynamic with the rest of the group very much gave me 'The Secret Histories' and 'If We Were Villians' vibes as she was the one entering this already close knit group and was learning more about them as the story progressed. However, the murderer was a mystery in this novel and so it turned each member against each other.

I really enjoyed the interactions with the fantasy creatures, known as the 'wildelute' in this story, they all seemed whimsical but potentially malicious. There is a sapphic rivals to lovers storyline. I would say my main criticism of the story, while an interesting read, I just couldn't completely connect with the world and it's main folk stories. I wasn't enchanted by it. But overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dark academia and other books like 'A Study in Drowning'.

When I applied for this arc I was so excited. Rivals to lovers is my favourite trope, that coupled with folklore tales in a dark academic setting sounded so perfect.

However I felt incredibly let down. I struggled to get through this book. I can’t even count the amount of times I considered DNF’ing.

Now, the descriptions of the world was wonderful, and I could picture everything. But the story was just so incredibly slow. I felt like basically nothing had happened until 20% in, and even then the event was met with next to no reaction from the characters. That’s another point, the characters. I felt absolutely no connection to any of them, and they all felt lacklustre. Lorelai was so mean and judgemental to everyone, and the rest of them were no different. The rivals to lovers came on so late in the story, and felt quite abrupt. There was no gradual transition or tension.

By the time I got to about 60% of the story, I was still wondering what on earth was actually happening. And even now that I have only just finished it, I just feel meh.

I’m sure that there will be other people who will absolutely adore this book, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

Thankyou to NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

2.75 stars

This book has a lot — murder mystery, political intrigue, adventure, romance and folklore. But in my opinion, the different things distracted too much from each other. For example, the murder mystery starts at the beginning, but then other plot points arrive and I sort of forgot that I also had to think about who had done it. Additionally, I wish the romance was more fleshed out. I picked this book up with the hopes of reading a romance mixed with folklore, but the romantic subplot took forever to develop and felt forced; I wasn't convinced the characters truly liked each other.

Thank you NetGalley and Daphne Press for giving me access to this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

TL;DR: The aesthetics and the glimpses of the world were brilliant, but I felt like this book didn't live up to its full potential.

We are introduced to a cast of very interesting characters, but only end up focusing on Lorelei and Sylvia -- which makes sense, since they are the protagonist and her rival / love interest, but I still was left wanting to see more from the others.

Speaking of our MC, Lorelei... I didn't fully like her. She had understandable reasons to be wary of others, given her background, but some situations felt like gratuitous miscommunication that could have been easily avoided, and like she was being unnecessarily mean to Sylvia.

And the ending felt weirdly rushed and unearned, to me. I will not say more to prevent spoilers.

But let's talk about good things, shall we?

- The magical creatures in the world -- intriguing and bloodthirsty, recipe for success!
- The chemistry between Lorelei and Sylvia was beautifully written. I don't normally care for steamy scenes, but these were fantastic! Not too over the top, but definitely filled with yearning and passion
- The little stories and bits of folklore showing up and being compared to current events. Very nice touch to immerse us in Lorelei's specialty as a folklorist
- The promise this book shows throughout. I just wish it had been developed into something more solid! Spending more time on the murder mystery to make it feel more relevant, learning more about the other characters and the lore of the world... But you can feel the sense of wonder and the love the author put into this book. And that, to me, is huge