3.75 rounded up to 4. Overall, I really enjoyed 'A Dark and Drowning Tide'. The dark, wild atmosphere really reminded me of something like 'A Study in Drowning' which I loved.

The elements of the plot that discussed oppression, colonisation and war were nuanced and sophisticated. The characters who are from colonised kingdoms all have their own feelings about loyalty and patriotism that are complicated by their childhood friendships with the king. Taking this into account, I didn't really love the ending in that I felt like it just further justified the colonisation by framing it as 'for greater good'. Otherwise, I really loved the world building and politics. It's definitely for the girlies that love their fae fantasy.

Longing glances, forbidden love, and pining from across the room - the ingredients for the perfect slow burn, sapphic romance. The relationship between Sylvia and Lorelai was a real highlight of the book. As previously mentioned, the side characters themselves were interesting but their romances didn't do much for me.

Twisty, dark, otherworldly and intensely magical, I would highly recommend 'A Dark and Drowning Tide'.

Saft captivated me from beginning to end, she is a master storyteller and I think this might just be my favourite of all her books to date!!

“Back in the days when wishes still held power..”

Sapphic Romantasy
Academic rivals to lovers
Grumpy X Sunshine
German inspired folklore
Water Magic

The story follows Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of the source of all magic. When Lorelei’s beloved mentor is murdered aboard their ship, Lorelei and her optimistic, infuriatingly beautiful academic rival, Sylvia von Wolff must work together to solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again.

Lorelei is grumpy, witty and self-critical, she is an outsider subjected to near constant discrimination. Lorelei carries the guilt of her past and distances herself from her family, deep down she just wants freedom for herself and her people. Sylvia is optimistic, brave and caring, she sees Lorelei for who she truly is and forgives her when others probably wouldn't. She befriends the creatures of this world and her character was like a warm comforting hug. Their love story unfolded beautifully and although it wasn't easy, in the end, they were exactly what each other needed.

The characters were well developed, they each had depth and although not all were likeable they were understandable. The dynamic between them was messy and loveable. The writing is gothic and poetic, extremely easy to read. The plot was interesting and full of folklore, which was one of my favourite elements. The murder mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing. The longing felt between characters had my heart aching. The world building was descriptive and imaginative. There is water magic, forests that rearrange themselves, creatures who will lead you astray just for the fun of it, nixies and plenty of danger.

Honestly, I didn't want this story to end, it's an easy 5 star read for me. Allison Saft is now on my automatic read author list, I cannot wait to dive into more of her work.

Thank you to the author, Daphne Press and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is one of my favourite LGBTQ fantasy books to date, once I'd started reading I had trouble putting it down and it was constantly on my mind.

I love fantasy worlds and this one was beautifully crafted, I got the sense that I was experiencing the events with them and had a perfectly clear picture in my minds eye throughout the book, thanks to the amazing writing.

I loved watching the relationship between Sylvia and Lorelei change, the slow burn was killing me in the start but it was definitely worth it, the last few pages I have reread more times than I care to recall.

I loved the characters, I didn't like all of them, but I understood them well enough and each one had their own unique traits.

I'll definitely be looking for more works from this author, thank you for the opportunity to read this amazing book!

This blew my MIND. It was so clever, seductive, mysterious and had this slowburn feeling that something dark was always around the corner....

I loved the author's writing style so much, I felt so immersed in the mythology and characters on the expedition.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is one of the best books I’ve read this year. A Dark and Drowning Tide perfectly encapsulates the fantastical murder mystery with a beautifully written sapphic romance.

From start to finish this story had me in its claws, I didn’t want it to end. The writing was so elegantly written with prose without being overly dramatic and hard to understand. The pacing was the perfect balance, the plot progression with the character building left me content and only wanting and wishing the story would never end.

The character we meet all felt flushed out enough for me to appreciate each of them individually and as a group, their motives and reasoning felt honest to each character, which I appreciated in the over all story.

The murder mystery was so tantalising, I loved that it was the fore front to the over arching plot but didn’t completely overtake the small details that really made this story as beautiful as it is.

The romance between Lorelei and Sylvia was so beautiful to me, an academic rival, enemies to lovers story that felt so realistic. The chemistry was perfect and I was rooting for them from the start despite their connection and feelings not coming into play until later in the story.

Lorelei was such a complex character yet easy to understand, losing her mentor and taking leadership of the crew whilst trying to find the truth and also battling with her own demons made her story so captivating. As much as she was dislikable, I loved her.

A Dark and Drowning Tide will be a story that sticks with me for a long while and definitely a new favourite read.

Thanks to the Author, Publisher-Daphne Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

❀❀❀❀❀ 4,75 out of 5 flowers!
"𝑇𝘩𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒." 𝑆𝑦𝑙𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝘩𝑒𝑟 𝑗𝑎𝑤, 𝑎 𝑓𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛 𝘩𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑠. "𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝘩𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝘩𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑏𝑟𝑢𝑡𝑎𝑙, 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑡. 𝑆𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠. 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑖..."

I have to admit, I couldn't believe it when I got the arc for this book, and now I'm so excited to share my feelings here. Oh my goodness, how I love A Dark and Drowning Tide! Reading A Dark and Drowning Tide felt like being pulled into a fairytale all of its own. From the moment I opened the book, I felt entranced by the beautiful writing style, the characters, the atmosphere, the story... It felt like being lured by the song of the nixie into a dark pool of water, not being able to resist the lure, being drowned in words, and then when coming out of it on the other side of the water, coming out of it way differently than before having been lured into it: enchanted in the best way possible. A Dark and Drowning Tide weaves sapphic romance, lore, mystery, and dark fairy- and folk tales into each other, blending that beautifully with vulnerable topics being explored.

We follow Lorelei Kaskel, a sharp-tongued determined folklorist, who is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. But when she has boarded the ship and finds out that her mentor - who is also the expedition's leader - has been murdered, Lorelei must work together with her academic rival Sylvia Von Wolff, to solve who the murderer could be, all while dealing with political and emotional struggles of her own. And the dangers lurking around the places that are to be explored, and the dangers of court at home. And while being looked down upon by her peers. While tension keeps building, and feelings of romance begin blossoming, Lorelai has to decide who is to be trusted, and which risks are worth to be taken.

''𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑙.''

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.•

When I first stepped into the thick mist, I felt the atmosphere hugging around me. A Dark and Drowning Tide is so atmospherically written. It feels mystic, dark, enchanting, mysterious, and oh-so-beautiful. The prose-like tender, yet deep and emotional writing style let my heart ache and feel wonder. Allison Saft's writing style is so so beautiful, and gorgeous!! I completely fell in love with it and I feel the beauty of it all in my heart even now after having read the book. It's truly something precious. I sometimes completely forgot to annotate because I was so in awe, but when the romance started blooming, I kept on marking quotes, and telling and showing them to my boyfriend, and I am going to cherish them in my heart. Allion Saft explores folk - and fairytales and their prejudice of them, and different topics, in such a sharp, compelling, brave, elegant, and beautiful way. I adored it. I do have to admit that I sometimes lost a bit of interest and concentration when reading the folk- and fairytales, but that was because I was so invested in the actual story of the book, that I just wanted to keep reading more about that. Nevertheless, the tales added depth and uniqueness to the book which I admired. The plot and story itself were so very interesting and enthralling. It drew me in. It has a murder mystery element, and I didn't see the reveal and ending coming at all. I thought I was so sure of who it wouldn't be, and who could be, and It turned out that I had it completely wrong. I enjoyed seeing the story unfold slowly and getting to know the reasons behind the murder. In the end, it all began to make sense. It was so perfectly done. I also was very invested in the worldbuilding and magical aspects and that with an academic expedition leading us and the characters to different places each with its dangers and creatures.

When I stepped further into the mist and heard the nixie's song when I couldn't resist it, walked slowly into the water, took in a deep breath and amount of air, and went all in the water and let myself be led by the magic of it all, I was entirely captivated by the story and the characters. They turned out to be deep-layered ones. The one is more likeable than the other, but no less interesting. All were different in their way with their motivations and personalities, which created some tension. For me, they each grabbed my attention, each had their allure. We see Lorelai struggling with anti-semitism, being looked down upon, and being hated, the pain and fear of it all. The pain of having lost loved ones as well. Sylvia, having been let grown up by her mother as the idea of who she could be, instead of who she truly is. The loneliness that comes with that. But then, when having been lured into the deepest parts of the water, we get to the romance part. And oh my goodness, Lorelai and Sylvia gripped me by my heart. I loved the romance so so much!! And the slow-burn!

''𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢?''

''𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑦𝑙𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦, 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟, 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠. 𝐼𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠. 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝.''

From seeing each other as rivals to lingering glances, standing a bit too close (but not too close for the reader though of course) in front of each other, brushing and braiding one of the love interest's hair, holding hands, gentle touches, how they talked to each other, looked at each other, let each other feel, the longing, pining, angst, denying, aching, and then finally kissing and loving, ah It was all so so good!

''𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑖 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒.

''𝑁𝑜𝑤, 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟.''

I feel like, even though Lorelai and Sylvia differ so much from each other, they complement each other so well. They truly have my heart. And oh my goodness, that ending was so funny, adorable, and cute, so them. Lorelai could be so oblivious at times, and I loved how Sylvia loved her even more for that. Lorelai was honest and savage, and witty and sarcastic at times, she often made me laugh. She is such a strong character. With everything that she has been through, and was still going through, she was still selfless, determined and courageous, even through her insecurities. I liked her a lot. Sylvia was kind, enthusiastic, reckless, often snappy, and intelligent, and I admired how Sylvia was always so in touch with her emotions. There was so much strength in her vulnerability. She was kind and brave and loving and I found her enthusiasm so charming and adorable. There were many heartfelt, emotional deep scenes, as well as cute ones. Although I loved it all, I do however feel that sometimes I as a reader didn't fully get to feel the emotions the characters were feeling. That they got told and shown, but not...felt. I did connect with them, but not very deeply. But that's personally. I appreciated that even though the romance was such a good part of the book, It wasn't the main focus. I feel like it all just was very well balanced out; romance, yes, but also fantasy aspects, worldbuilding, emotional depth, glimpses of other characters, and topics being explored. If there wouldn't be romance in this book, I still would have found it a very good one. I think the strength of this book isn't the romance, it's everything I just said combined.

And then, when I reached the surface of the water I was left breathless and in awe by all that I had read. I think you'd like this book if you think you'd like a captivating sapphic romantic fantasy filled with folklore and a dark fairytale feeling, beautiful prose, witty banter, deep layered characters, important and emotional topics, slow-burning tension, and an undertone of mystery. To me, this book felt like a dream coming alive. And I absolutely LOVED and still LOVE it all so much. I am truly mesmerized by this precious treasure of a book. A book I will cherish in my heart, think about often, the feeling of it long lingering around me, and which I hope will reach other readers' hearts as well, and which I would love to re-read one day. Honestly, I will read any book by Allison Saft now I have read this one! :)

''𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠.''

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author, for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review. ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

ps. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT SYLVIA WROTE IN THE LETTERS TO LORELAI. AND, POETRY?? WHAT IF WE WILL NEVER KNOW? *internally screaming*

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and the premise was so promising - but it just fell flat for me. I could not connect with the characters at all and I struggled to want to pick up the book. There was a lot of information dumping in the beginning and I lost my interest.

This being said - it was beautifully written hence the 2⭐️ and I know this story will find its target audience, I just am not one of them.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC of this book to review.

As an ardent connoisseur of dark fairy tales and folklore, diving into the pages of "A Dark and Drowning Tide" by Allison Saft felt like stumbling upon a hidden treasure trove. This book is like a rollercoaster ride through a haunted forest, full of heart-wrenching struggles and enchanting moments that grab you and refuse to let go. From the get-go, I was hooked, unable to tear myself away.

Each character within these pages possesses a magnetic allure, , but none so much as the central duo, Lorelei and Sylvia. Their odyssey through the intricate web of this tale held me captive, each twist and turn of their journey unfolding before me like a vivid dream. Witnessing their evolution in motivation and interaction, both with the world around them and with each other, was a truly mesmerizing experience. And as their romantic entanglement slowly unfurled, I found myself positively exhilarated, swept up in the tide of their burgeoning love.

At its core, "A Dark and Drowning Tide" isn't just a book. It's like a love letter to the profound power of storytelling itself. Within its pages, we find echoes of our own desires and fears, woven into the fabric of fantastical dreams and haunting narratives. It reminds us of the magic that resides within the written word, and the transformative journey that awaits those who dare to venture into its depths.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC of A Dark and Drowning Tide. I’d like to start off by saying ADaDT was recommended to me by my roommate and added to my TBR back in January. I was so excited to read about sapphic academic rivals in a rich fantasy world and, goodness, Saft did not disappoint!

All of the characters have a real, tangible feel to them that makes me truly love them—and truly hate others (ahem, Johann). They are multifaceted and are each handling the structure of Brunnestaad’s political and academic climate in their own unique ways. I, especially, adore our main girls Lorelei and Sylvia! Lorelei has so much depth in her longing for more out of the hand she’s been dealt in life, but also her longing for more of herself. Sylvia is so beautifully aloof and passionate; I thoroughly enjoyed her kindness not just to other people but also to the many creatures that feature in this world.

Saft’s interweaving of rich storytelling with Lorelei’s folklorist specialisation makes for a fairytale-esque story that draws the reader in as effectively as a Nixie’s song. Each folktale was clearly an allegory for something Lorelei was experiencing and added depth that simply telling the reader could not. This is the first time I’ve seen this technique used as a writing device and I loved it!

Usually, I am the kind of reader who can’t enjoy who-done-it’s because I’ve already guessed who the assailant is and the mystery is broken. ADaDT had me completely duped. I genuinely believed Lorelei’s theories and accusations and was just as confused as she was when they proved false. Saft has a talent for immersing the readers so wholly in her story, that every twist and turn is truly shocking.

My favourite thing has to be the unique magic system, using water and aether to fuel magic across the realm. And the magical creatures are so interesting and individual!

The only “negative” so to speak was the density of information in the first half of the book. In trying to introduce us to the magic, society, and history of Brunnestaad quickly so that we could get to the meat of the story, the first 100 pages do feel a touch overwhelming with information. I feel any sequels or parallel stories won’t have this issue as we’ll already be across the semantics from book one.

''Where is your sense of wonder? Sometimes I think you would sooner let a cyanometer tell you what color the sky is, rather than simply looking up.''

I realize I'm in the minority here, as many readers have loved this book, but it just didn't resonate with me as much as I hoped it would. In theory, “A Dark and Drowning Tide” by the blurb alone is my gem but the more I read this story the more I wanted to scream. However, what perplexed me is that I finished the entire book despite not liking a single character. I couldn't bring myself to care about any of them. In fact, I should gift Lorelei an extra signet ring as a congratulations, because she is the first main character I've disliked after just a few sentences. Some minuses first so I can finish with something positive afterwards. The slow-burn romance gave me no emotions. Characters were either dull or irritating. What is even communication? We don't know her. On the positive side, I appreciated the themes of academic rivalry, the murder-mystery aspect, and the intriguing lore surrounding myths, creatures, and legends. But, alas, when everything was put together—plot and characters—it just didn't work for me. I know this story will find it's target audience, but again, I'm sadly not one of them.

Thank you NetGalley and Daphne Press for providing for providing me with an ARC of this book!

I'm going to be honest and say I hated the characters. I couldn't care less about either of them. And unfortunately this made it incredibly hard to keep reading this book. So I had to throw in the towel.

“A Dark and Drowning Tide” is an intelligently enigmatic academic rivals to lovers romance with a gothic atmosphere. Lorelei and Sylvia’s tense relationship is pushed to its limits when their mentor turns up dead during the voyage of their expedition, and the two are stranded and have to find her killer all the while navigating their ever-growing feelings for each other amongst a crew of untrustworthy scholars and soldiers.

The book was so beautifully written and unique— it reminded me of Emily Wilde a bit but much more gothic and decadent. It felt dark and intense from the get go, and I was immediately drawn in by the setting and the tumultuous relationship between our heroines Sylvia and Lorelei. They were captivating and complex, they were so exciting to read about and it was just heightened by the backdrop of the story. It’s my first Allison Saft book but it definitely won’t be my last!

For fans of “An Education in Malice” by ST Gibson.

Dark folk fantasy vibes with light horror elements, perfect for an enemies/rivals to lovers enthusiast who also enjoys a bit of grump/sunshine in their MC pairings. (Don't we all?!)

Saft's world building is excellent across all works I've read and this story is no exception. The plot is full of difficult to predict twists and turns, which the analytical reader will appreciate.

If you are a fan of stories within stories, MC folklorist Lorelei provides the perfect opportunity to weave folk tales throughout the plot. These provide beautiful and poetic insight into the lore of the world and also maybe a breadcrumb or two. This is definitely a book you can reread and pick up on easter eggs.

Overall this a solid debut entry into the adult genre for Saft. Like myself, you will be left wanting to read more.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is an upcoming adult debut by Allison Saft. This was my first book from her, and I'll say now that I loved her writing style and I fully devoured her words. Her writing feels extremely accessible and is very easy to follow along, with her character descriptions being easy to pick up and her narrative voice being very well suited for fantasy.

This story follows Lorelei (amazing name) who is a folklorist and is going to be going on an expedition with a ragtag group of researchers. They're going to find a magical spring and are being commissioned by the king. However, once onboard, a murder occurs and everyone is a suspect. Among the group is "the folklorist, the naturalist, the botanist, the medic, the thaumatologist and the astronomer.".

Particularly important here is Lorelai's academic rival, Sylvia, described as basically being the most beautiful person ever (at least according to Lorelai), but also all around good person. Or is she? No, she's definitely a good person, as Lorelai discounts her being a murderer from the get go. With the person being murdered being her mentor, Lorelai takes charge of the expedition and the murder case, trying to solve it before someone else becomes a victim.

However, the dangers are not only amongst the people, but also amongst the world itself!! There are Nixie's, pixies, alps, changing forests and just really dangerous climates, to be honest!! How do people live out there? You wouldn't catch me in Brunnestaad.

As you could tell, this novel is heavily based off of German folklore, and something that I really appreciated was that Lorelai could understand something based off of a folk tale that she had grown up on, such as Godfather Death. It was really interesting to have these breaks in the story to be told a similar tale in order to understand our main protagonist's perspective.

There is also a love story here, very queer and very wlw, but with a definite emphasis on cynic x optimist, because boy does Lorelai need an arse kicking. Not that I didn't love her, she was amazing, but if I were Sylvia, I would NOT have been nearly as patient. That's true love, I guess.

In all, I really enjoyed this novel and the dark academia/dark fantasy elements, as well as the magic system and the class system as well, where classism and racism were heavily explored. I think this is a unique world I was transported to where my only criticism is that I wish I could have had longer with it!

Thank you to Netgalley for sharing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was everything I wanted it to be and MORE.

This book follows Lorelei, a folklorist who is trying to make a name for herself and her people in her studies. Her rival Sylvia, is everything Lorelei wishes she could be. They journey off with a small group to find the Ursprung (the pool with the largest source of aether) for the King. The plot turns a little bit into a murder mystery filled with dark mythical creatures from German folklore.

Every moment of this book was wonderful. The way the scenes are described made me feel like I was in a fairytale. The banter between the characters was numerous, and the love story made me absolutely sob.

The unique magic system was also fabulous. We have magic users who draw their power from water and can manipulate it in any which way.

The plot took me through soo many twists and turns, It never felt lacking. I wish this book became a series because I could live in this dreamland of a book forever.

I will say if I wasn’t translating the names of the mythical creatures on my kindle I might have been a little bit confused, and I wish there was a map to help with visualising the locations of places. I think it would’ve make my reading experience that teeny bit better. The first 4 or so chapters are also very dense, but everything fell into place for me after that and I was having a brilliant time.

Overall, I had a wonderful time and highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley & Daphne Press for approving me for this terrific ARC 🖤

This was a bit of a fun, folklore heavy, sapphic fantasy. Also, surprise! locked room murder mystery! Except it’s not a room but rather a scientific expedition through whimsical forests in search for the source of magic.

This cover art is some of my favourite of the year. I remember being shocked at how stunning this was when it was released initially.

I can see why they marketed this as dark academic (the current popularity alone would be enough reason) but I don’t actually agree on that for a genre fit. For me an important element of dark academia also includes the institution. Whereas in this story the characters are all researches/ scientists but the story occurs on their exploration.

You are kind of just dropped in the deep end with the magical world building and political landscape on this one. King Wilhelm has recently united a number of neighboring countries through war and there is still significant unrest and distrust among the people of the countries and peace is very delicately balanced at the moment.

Considering how feral I am for enemies to lovers as a dynamic I continue to find rivals to lovers a bit uninspiring. I enjoyed Lorelei and Sylvia together later in the book, but I found their initial chemistry a bit flat and like there wasn’t enough of the internal push/pull that comes with the revelation of “oh shit, I misunderstood what this feeling was” which is always part of the fun of this trope. I think in part it’s cause Lorelei is a hard character to like, she’s cold and callous cause the world made her that way, but she is not a character with much warmth (maybe hidden deep deep down). That being said, pretty much everyone in this is pretty unlikeable, with the exception perhaps of Sylvia, so I suspect that’s meant to be the point.

Saft is a very capable writer and the writing craft in this was lovely. I’ll admit though it was not especially ground breaking and the ending didn’t shock me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide my thoughts on this eARC

Allison Saft is an auto-buy author for sure. This was one of my most anticipated reads and it did not disappoint. A sapphic academic rivals to lovers romantasy, this book was perfection! I was captivated by Lorelai and Sylvia’s journey.

From the atmosphere, to the writing, to the characters - everything just fit perfectly. Heart wrenching and utterly entrancing, this is my new favourite book. If you’re looking for dark academia, fantasy, and folklore (with sentient forests), then look no further.

Beautiful prose and stunning characterisations. I loved getting lost in this story with all the folktales woven throughout. There are so many sections I could quote but this completely undid me: “Do you still think me cruel? Would you like to see the depths of it?”. In isolation it doesn’t seem like much, but please read and feel the unbridled yearning between Lorelei and Sylvia. I adored them together and never wanted to leave this world.

I absolutely devoured this book and can’t wait to read the rest of this authors works. I recommend this so highly and have immediately preordered a physical copy!