I want to thank the author and netgalley for this ARC. The mystery surrounding the murder is incredible. the folklore part is not at all disappointing. I loved the plot the characters and the romance.

There were parts where that felt very flat for me and I didn't understood the connection of the characters. I loved the murder mystery.

I had really high expectations for this book, because the premise sounds right up my alley and I did really like the author’s previous book. Unfortunately I was quite disappointed. While I did love the gothic vibes and magical atmosphere, the story was just kind of boring. Also the characters felt so one-dimensional that I could not bring myself to care too much. The romance was sweet but overall this one just fell kind of flat for me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book however I'm afraid I had to mark it as DNF. I struggled to fully grasp and take in the infodumping of world lore throughout the book which didn't make it an enjoyable read for me as I couldn't remember certain pieces as they became relevant or were mentioned again. I'm sure a lot of people would enjoy this book but I couldn't keep up with it personally.

I requested this book from NetGalley without knowing much about it—the intriguing plot description and the captivating cover drew me in. Allison Saft, though new to me, has written several other books that I had yet to explore. Upon reading this novel, I was blown away by the beauty of her writing. Her language is not only lyrical but also imaginative, painting vivid pictures in the reader's mind.

The highlight of this book for me was the seamless incorporation of folklore and fairy tales into the storyline. The main character, Lorelai, is a folklorist who seems to have a fairy tale or a story about/for every creature or moment. These reminded me of the original Brother Grimm fairy tales I used to read as a kid, making me terrified of the world for a moment or two 😅

Without going too much into the plot details, if you find any of the following elements appealing, you might enjoy this book as much as I did:

✔️ Academic rivalry: Lorelai vs. Sylvia, two smart and strong characters that were both great in their academic fields.
✔️ Germanic-inspired folklore and fairy tales: Imagine creatures, the woods, dark water, and often a teaching moment.
✔️ Sapphic romance: Oh they were burning for each other 🔥
✔️ Murder mystery: A ship, a dead body, six suspects.
✔️ Quest and heroine journey: Both literal and metaphorical, the journey was compelling.
✔️ Elemental magic ( 🧊 🧊 👶 ): There was plenty of water and ice in this story.

What didn't work for me: I'm just not a huge fan of murder mystery elements in the stories I read, and that was the case here as well. While the mystery was well crafted, I didn't enjoy all the speculation and guessing that goes with it.

Also, I felt that the ending was rushed. After a story that unfolded at a measured, deliberate pace, the conclusion felt somewhat abrupt. I would have loved if we had more time to appreciate and enjoy with the characters the journey they've been on and a HEA .

Despite these minor issues, "A Dark and Drowning Tide" was a lovely story overall. The world-building, character development, and beautiful writing make it a worthwhile read. Saft has a talent for creating an atmosphere that is both haunting and beautiful, and I look forward to exploring more of her work.4/5 ⭐

Thankyou NetGalley for this arc,

The synopsis of the book was very promising but unfortunately it fell a bit flat to me. There were parts where a lot information was given at once and parts were things didn't really make sense. Also the way the main characters fall in love all of a sudden didn't really make sense to me. What I loved the most about the book was the murder mystery.

3.5 stars

"A Dark and Drowning Tide" follows Lorelei Kaskel on an expedition with six other nobles, searching for a magical spring of power. When Lorelei's mentor is murdered onboard the ship, all she knows for sure is that her academic rival, Sylvia von Wolff, is innocent. Now that Lorelei is leading the expedition, she needs to find the magical spring, uncover the murderer and survive all the dangers the group faces on this expedition.

I enjoyed the magic system in this universe. Diving into a new fantasy novel, the magical system and world-building are my favourite things to explore. I love the folklore-mythological-inspired magic system, the complexity of it and how deep we as readers get into the magic; I also liked the German and Grimms Brothers' inspiration, giving it a dark fairy tale vibe.

The major issue I had was the tension between Lorelei and Sylvia. I thought Lorelei's reason for hating Sylvia was a bit weak and could have been developed differently or developed more. Considering this was a major aspect of the novel, it didn't feel convincing. In addition, Sylvia was characterised so perfectly that it felt difficult to be suspicious of her and therefore believe Lorelei's hatred for her.

So, overall, it was an enjoyable book, however, the relationship between Lorelei and Sylvia was lacking for me.

"A Dark and Drowning Tide" is a novel that takes readers into a world rich with mystery, introspection, and folklore, all wrapped in an enchanting ambiance. This book captivates from the first page, largely due to its beautiful writing that paints vivid pictures and stirs deep emotions.

The novel boasts an amazing set of characters, each contributing to the story's allure and keeping the plot engaging. Sylvia, in particular is my personal favorite. Her complexity and depth make her a fascinating character to follow, and she anchors the story with her presence.

One of the strengths of "A Dark and Drowning Tide" is its blend of elements. The story mixes mystery, introspection, social issues, and folklore into a seamless narrative. The result is a novel that feels both timeless and contemporary, much like a dark and haunting Grimm tale combined with the cozy, enchanting qualities of classic Disney movies such as "Snow White" or "Sleeping Beauty."

The trope of a dysfunctional group of friends is handled with a deft touch. This dynamic feels more convincing and real than the often idealized "found family" trope, adding a layer of authenticity to the relationships depicted in the book.

However, the novel is not without its flaws. There is a tendency towards info dumping, which can bog down the narrative and overwhelm the reader with excessive details. Additionally, the enemies-to-lovers arc between Lorelei and Sylvia falls a bit flat. The hatred Lorelei feels towards Sylvia is not well justified, making this crucial aspect of the story feel forced and unconvincing. This is particularly frustrating given its importance to the plot.

Despite these issues, the ending of "A Dark and Drowning Tide" is perfect in my opinion as it ties up the story beautifully, leaving me with a sense of closure and satisfaction.

Overall, "A Dark and Drowning Tide" is a beautifully written novel with a captivating mix of elements and an unforgettable cast of characters. Its few shortcomings do not overshadow the enchanting experience it offers, making it a worthwhile read for fans of dark folklore, beautiful ambience, and intricate character dynamics.

Wow. I love this book so much!
This book has a murder mystery, sapphic academic rivals to lovers, magic and beautiful folklore. The writing was lovely and moody and atmospheric which really made me like this book more.

While I did struggle just a bit getting into it, once I did, around 15% in, I finished the rest in one sitting and it was so worth it.

Insane, perfect, everything I ever wanted in this book.

Saft has outdone herself with this beautiful, ode to exploration and unexpected entanglements. The ache I felt for the characters even just reading this book was too much to handle. Truly a masterpiece, the expedition was beautiful with the added mystery and unknown pining between characters.

Lorelei and Sylvia are my new favorite sapphic pairing 🤍

4.5 ⭐

"A Dark and Drowning Tide" is an adult fantasy standalone written by Allison Saft.

Allison Saft has won me over again! I have read several books by the author, enjoyed them a lot, and couldn't wait to jump on this new title! A novel that has captivated me since its announcement, thanks to the intriguing premise and the gorgeous cover. I had very high expectations and was not disappointed at all! I loved "A Dark and Drowning Tide" so much! The spellbinding, evocative and lyrical writing completely absorbed me into the vortex of the narration, enchanting me with its vivid descriptions, dark academia side, gothic overtones and abundant folklore present. This is not a quick or a particularly action-packed novel, but a tale that takes its time, proceeding slowly until the second half becomes more eventful. It is a narrative choice that I have also found in her previous books and that I personally like, especially because it puts more focus on the characters and their evolution. I loved Lorelei and Sylvia, the beautiful way they are portrayed and the fantastic evolution of their relationship!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

All my thanks to Daphne Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was an absolute joy to read. I was hooked from the first page, and I adored the beautiful descriptions, the world-building, and the aching relationship between Sylvia and Lorelai. This is a book I didn’t know I needed, and I’m so grateful to have read it.

The author’s character work was exceptional, and I loved the slow build relationship between Sylvia and Lorelai. The little moments between them as the book progressed was just lovely, and I found myself outright grinning at my phone while reading!

The stunning descriptions of the scenery helped immerse me into this world, as well as all the creatures and magic.

And of course, only one tent!

This was a highly anticipated read and it did not disappoint. I loved this lush, gorgeous sapphic fantasy novel and I can’t wait to read more from the author!

4 stars.
A dark and drowning tide would be perfect for fans of the Emily Wildes series, it is an academic fantasy based on, I believe, their world’s version of folklore with elemental magic. It’s a sapphic rivals to lovers with an expedition setting.
It took me a while to get into this, I didn’t find the main character very likeable until her personality started becoming more fleshed out. She reads as very standoffish at first but her background with trauma and oppression, and interactions with other characters provide us better characteristics to like.
The relationship development between the main character Lorelei and Sylvia progressed at a good pace, I feel it didn’t develop too quickly, although the characters were angsting and pining for one another pre-book.
I felt the plot was well devised with the plot points merging well together, the only personal hang up was how many of the characters were royalty. I think it may have been better to have had some of the characters have ties to government or in some other capacity for their agendas to work for the main plot.
Overall, I liked it, the authors way of blending fantasy with mystery and working in complex characters with moral dilemmas and differing world views made it for a great read!
Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and Daphne Press for the opportunity to read this.

This book didn’t work for me, unfortunately: I found the characters immature and moody, and the set-up not inventive enough, as this was clearly bits of German history smooshed together and rehashed at surface level. The gratuitous addition of German words sprinkled throughout in their most literal and basic meaning was unintentionally hilarious, throwing me off the sentence level reading. It’s fine with serial numbers sawn off it’s fine says the book. Or the Buch lol.

thank you to Netgalley for the arc!! ♡

I loved reading this book so much.
A dark and drowning tide is a story lush with folklore, with characters that are flawed and even unlikeable but heartbreakingly real. At its core, there are two elements: a hunt to find a magical spring and Lorelei's desperate quest to find the murderer who is sabotaging the expedition, and the relationship between Lorelei and her academic rival, Sylvia. Both elements are dealt with care and attention, and at no point did I feel that one suffers because of undue attention to the other.

The expedition is the main plot of the story, and is tangled with Lorelei's fears, pains and deepest desires. As a discriminated minority in Brunestaad, the only way for her to gain a secure position of respect is to be recognised as the expedition leader and deliver the king with the fabled spring. Yet the pursuit of this dream has caused her to alienate herself from her family and culture, separating herself from all that can mark herself as other to fit in. Lorelei's story is an examination of bigotry, anti-Semitism and cultural erasure. Her trauma is a constant companion, and this combination of guilt and burning want forces her to adopt a persona of the worst qualities that people brand her with- becoming the viper everyone thinks she is to survive a cruel and harsh world. Lorelei may not always be likeable, but it's clear how her character today has been molded by Brunestaad's treatment of her and her people.

The relationship between Lorelei and Sylvia is a product of Lorelei's tangled emotions- to Lorelei, Sylvia represents the perfect, privileged life she could never have. As a result, she despises Sylvia, yet at the same time is fascinated by her. The murder of Lorelei's mentor forces Lorelei to enter an uneasy alliance with Sylvia, and as she interacts with her fiercest rival, she begins to realise that there may be more to her than she had previously assumed. Lorelei and Sylvia's relationship is a tender slow-burn, and it was a delight to read them navigating their pain together.

The book is not perfect- I found some of the dialogue, particularly the banter a bit clunky and forced. The plot reveals were also a little predictable, however I don't think that's a major drawback since the book reads less like a whodunnit and more as an exploration of the magical wilderness of Brunestaad. The misunderstandings at times felt frustrating, however they didn't drag for too long. The conflict towards the end was the weakest section for me, but despite that I did enjoy reading it a lot- all in all, this is a solid 3.5 stars, rounded up because of its use of fantastical creatures, folklore, and the well-crafted relationships and characters.

I really enjoyed this book! It was easy and engaging. I liked how the dynamics shifted amongst the six main characters. The folk lore and magic aspect was very well done and enjoyable. I can definitely see this being a longer series with how nicely everything was set up.
My only complaint was that it was a bit trope heavy and cliched at times but that didn’t put me off too much.
Overall a really fun and easy read!

A dark and drowning tide was my most anticipated book release this year and it did not disappoint! I liked the main character Lorelei and enjoyed her dynamic with Sylvia. I like reading through her perspective and I didn't find her surliness offputting. For someone in her circumstances I would not expect their outlook to be sunshine and rainbows.

I haven't read any other fantasy novels with a backdrop quite like this one and I enjoyed the world building and gothic vibes. The folk tales Lorelei recites weave into the events of the novel and the characters actions adding extra layers to the storytelling and adds to her characterisation by her using folk tales as the lens in which she sees the world.

As for aspects that didn't quite hit for me. The ending didn't really feel particularly satisfying to me and Wilhelm's reaction was very underwhelming. He was the driving force behind the expedition yet it felt like he had no impact in the story overall. How he was described by the other characters and his goals didn't really match up with how he presented when we saw him talk. The story took a bit to get to the mentor's death which slowed me down a little when reading. There was mentions of the characters fighting in wars together and I was a little unclear of when and why especially as I had read it through multiple sittings and the details didn't always stick with me.

While I had my gripes about certain things there is still, of course, so much to love about the story! I think I'll eventually purchase the physical book when it's released as I feel I would reread it and immerse myself in a dark and drowning tide yet again.

4.5 stars rounded up ✨

The way I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars for this!

So, I think I really liked this, but I had such a hard time through the first half that it’s holding me back. This is a story where you’re landed fully in the middle of a deeply developed group dynamic of privileged people who all come from complicated former kingdoms that have now been colonised into one…and you learn all about it from the perspective of Lorelai, an outsider. It’s a lot to get your head round and I didn’t find myself wanting to pick it up as the info dumping was a lot.

Lorelai and Sylvia were highlights for me and when they finally get to go off together, the book really took off for me and I was really into the last half. Their romance - rivals to lovers - was so brilliantly done. It was complex and there was so much yearning.

Lorelai was great as someone who’s lived a difficult life under persecution but has developed their own coping mechanisms of grit, distrust and hard graft. She is not that likeable, a trait she is very aware of and thinks that means no one could love her - enter Sylvia!

Sylvia was my favourite. She was written so vividly and she was so goood; she just sparkled for me. Ludwig was also great but he didn’t feature much, and like the other side characters from the royal group was a bit underdeveloped.

This is a fairytale whodunnit, with more emphasis on the whodunnit. It covers themes of persecution and power, with Lorelai coming from a Jewish coded fantasy community who face constant discrimination. This side of the story was covered so deftly that it’s surprised me about the ending, which leans towards pro-colonialism for me.

Overall, a slow start with great sapphic romance and an intriguing whodunnit, just over complicated world building and overemphasis on the crime over the magic took away from it for me.

I really wanted to love this one, the blurb was sooo promising. I mean I didn't hate it, but I did almost DNF'ed it, but since I generally don't like abandoning books, especially ones that in a way were gifted to me, I decided to soldier through. And yes, I am glad I did. It does pick up around 40% in. My biggest issue was the main character itself I think. She hated literally everyone and everything, including the love interest, and in her case it was for no other reason that... she decided to hate her ?

A spellbinding rival to lovers set in an academic landscape- how could it be bad honestly.
Our protagonist Lorelei is all thorns, a mask she has spent her academic career carefully crafting. Sylvia is her opposite in every way, where Lorelei is brooding sharpness, Sylvia strives to see the magic in the world. When the two of them alongside some of their peers are sent on an impossible journey by the king to find a fabled magic spring, they all have to work together.
Saft's characters are all very complex and are driven by their own personal goals. Throughout the novel we watch them all struggle to survive in a world that would perhaps see them dead.
It took me a moment to orientate myself in the complex political machinations of this world, but once I did it was amazing watching Lorelei and Sylvia specifically struggling to navigate their people's precarious situations.
Reading in Lorelei's view (who is the groups Folklorist) was fascinating, watching her attribute things to fables or continuously using the stories to justify means or understand the others in her group.
Overall this novel was absolutely beautiful; dark academia, sapphic, rivals to lovers and set in German folklore- honestly amazing.