I absolutely adored this book.

I have read books by this author before however this book was so much darker than her others but still equally as cosy.

This is a sapphic, academic rivals to lovers plot book and it was brilliant.

We follow our two FMC’s on a journey to finding the ultimate power however their course is quickly changed when they encounter a murder on their ship. On their new journey to finding out who done it, we are met with betrayals and heart warming moments.

I would recommend this for lovers of Ava Reid as well - very similar vibes.

Sadly this ended up as. a DNF. I was excited to read this book and had high expectations especially since one of the book boxes will do a special edition.

Sadly this was a let down. I found the info dump in every chapter unhelpful, mostly confusing and making it boring. The characters seemed inhuman with no feelings at all when the leader of the expedition dies. Some areas was repetitive and the characters was irritating. I was expecting a lot more from the book and author.

This has potential for a great book if the excessive info dumps are rewritten. Which currently leads to confusion and boring drawn out chapters. Plus give the characters some empathy, feelings or emotions they’re not robots.

Hopefully someone else will enjoy this book.

Another absolutely fantastic book by Allison Saft! I recently read A Fragile Enchantment and really enjoyed it so I knew I would love this!

If you live all things fantasy, Sapphic romance and dark academia, you will devour this!

In theory this book should have been ideal for me - a sapphic folklore tale based in pseudo-Germany. Somehow it failed on all counts. The sapphic element was tedious (oh she would never like someone like me, I shall hate her, wait she likes me, it can't be true blah blah) and the characters read like YA because they all suck at communicating. Especially Lorelei. The (one measly instance of) sex was boring and mostly consisted of Lorelei telling Sylvia she was going to "ruin her" over and over.

I found all the characters dull and the writing overworked and again more like a YA novel. There's only so much "a seed of bitterness had taken root within her and over the years it had grown wild and sprouted thorns that coiled around her heart," kind of flowery stuff I can take. This style continues through the whole book and I just didn't enjoy it.

The folklore seemed like it was shoehorned in; every now and then Lorelei just spouts off a semi-relevant tale. It felt awkward. The Jewish stuff was ok, I get Lorelei has this inferiority complex, but if she just communicated like a normal person half this book wouldn't need to exist. And seriously what's with the ruining? Maybe I'm just too old and too literal for a book like this.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a whimsical fantasy where our FMC Lorelei and her academic rival Sylvia must solve their mentors murder. An expedition of folklorists and naturalists is taken to find a hidden source of magic but when Lorelei’s mentor is murdered, the suspects are the five remaining expedition crew. This fantasy has folklore, a smart, sharp-tongued and witty FMC who must now lead the expedition and solve the murder.

🧚‍♀️ Sapphic fantasy
🪷 Academic rivalry
🌲 Folklore and magic
🍃Strong FMCs
🌊 whimsical fairytale themes

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The writing throughout this book is really stunning, it leaves you wanting to read more and I couldn’t put the book down. This book has whimsical themes that entrap you into the story.

I absolutely loved this and cannot wait for more people to read it 🧚‍♀️🌲🪷🍃🌊🌲

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this amazing book! I finished it and immediately wanted more, it has become one of my top books for the year so far!

The world building was immaculately done and I felt immersed in this world of folklore, magic and exploration. I loved learning about the folklore and different mythical creatures and I went in not knowing a lot about german folklore and mythical creatures to googling them all to learn more! I found it really fascinating and the lores really gave the overall story a great background and support to the plot.

The characters are perfect! They are expertly written and I felt deeply connected to them. I think I might be a little bit in love with Sylvia, and I'm left wanting so much more from her and Lorelei; I want to follow them on their next adventures and it felt like closing a chapter on friends when I finished the book. I rarely have this much emotional connection with characters from a single book, so Allison Saft poured some magic into these characters!
I loved the enemies/rivals to lovers and the ever-growing tension kept me enthralled. It felt like a natural course for our main characters, rather than it feeling engineered as it can in some enemies to lovers. Lorelei and Sylvia are the best and worst of each other, their dynamic is impeccable and I wish there were more books to follow their journey because I would devour them.

There is an undercurrent of challenging anti-Semitism throughout the book, and we see how Lorelei paints herself as the villain in her self-hatred and self-destructive way, because she believes this is that all anyone will see her as anyway. Her experiences of being a Yevani, the discrimination, the hatred, the abuse and the way all of these things have shifted her view of the world into a dark and dangerous place for her to live, really come to life in the book. However the way that she continues to fight, to challenge people's expectations of her and forge forward to find a better way for her people is beautiful, as is Sylvia's adoration for Lorelei no matter the challenges they face.

This book is a beautiful, dark, sapphic fairytale romance that will truly capture your heart and imagination. It has easily become one of my top reads for the year and I can't wait until it's realised so I can get a physical copy and stare at this gorgeous cover all day long.

I don’t quite know how to feel about this book… much like Sylvia and Lorelei’s feelings for each other, there is a very strong sense of love and hate for the whole thing.

I liked the plot and the writing, but struggled with Lorelei’s character in particular, who I found had no redeeming aspects whatsoever. Why on Earth would Sylvia have been pining for her for years? In her own words -Lorelei is rude and her self pity is both exhausting and boring. As an ethnic minority I appreciate the highlighting of the effects of racism, but I felt too frequently it was just too on the nose; too much telling without showing.

The interwoven folktales also had the potential to be really magical, but unfortunately they felt ill-placed at times, and inserted, rather than incorporated.

I love the LGBTQ+ rep and that, amongst racism and classism, this was one aspect that wasn’t problematised.

Maybe it was just me but I also struggled with the multitude of side characters, none of whom were fleshed out enough to be memorable. Until the very end, I had no idea who was who, from where, with what loyalties.

Loved the happy ending though!

4.5 stars

This might be the most stunning cover I've ever seen.

Thank you so much to Daphne Press and NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. A Dark and Drowning Tide was on my 2024 release radar so I was so honoured to be able to read it before its release later this year.

My gosh, this is utterly, utterly gorgeous. A dark academia, rivals-to-lovers, sapphic romance, tale that is utterly dripping with German folklore, and adorned in flora, fauna, and water-based magic.

The prose is rich, including that of Lorelai as she comes to terms with her emotions, and the novel is littered with folklore tales that explore the prejudice that resides within them. The world-building is wholly immersive and the expanse of creatures inspired by Germanic folklore make regular appearances throughout. I almost forgot I was reading throughout most of it as I just wanted to be dropped into the gorgeous yet tricksy sentient forest.

The story follows the our FMC, Lorelai, an outcast at her university and suffering with the trauma of her past. She is then chosen by her mentor to join five other companions on an expedition to seek out a mythological body of water that is the source of magic for the King. One of the other candidates for the expedition is Lorelai's own academic rival, the ethereal silver-haired Sylvia Von Wolff who is the purest of souls wanting to respect and bond with all creatures, no matter the dangers that they present.

The slow-burn romance between Lorelai and Sylvia is full of angst, yearning, tension, and longing, which is slowly drip-fed to us throughout the book. We don't get to know the rest of the expedition team as thoroughly as Lorelai and Sylvia so sometimes their we don't quite understand their actions until a little more is revealed.

I'd recommend this to anyone and everyone that loves fairytales, magical creatures, epic quest narratives, and devastating romances.

Thank you to Netgalley and Daphne press for approving the ARC for my honest review.

I liked the book it had a lot of twists and turns I just thought that it will be more focused on the murder mystery part, but it was a very minor plot in my opinion. Some of the bickering was a little too much of downright hating and not tension but the last 30% of the book was just perfect! It was really a nice way to conclude the book and the overall story.

Lorelai Kaskel feels like the world is out to get her - and for the most part it is. As a child she took a chance to reach out to her idol, Ziegler, now mentor, and has risen to be named co-leader of her expedition to find the source of magic in the world, the Ursprung. Unfortunately, she’s just found Ziegler’s body, and unless she can uncover the murderer, will be named culprit herself.

This book at its heart is two mysteries: who killed Ziegler (and what do they want?), and where is the Ursprung? More importantly, however, it is a devastating romance.

The worldbuilding itself is strongly tied to allegories of our real world, borrowing names and languages where relevant, but with added whimsical magic beings. Scheming and tricksy magic beings, the kind with sharp teeth and a desire to injure those who have harmed them. Sylvia is pure of heart and wants to learn from these creatures by bonding with them, while Lorelai has already seen too much of the world’s cruelty and wants to protect herself. The women are introduced as polar opposite characters, which weaves and fluctuates between them as the novel goes on.

The pacing is perfect in this book - no one sequence, fight, in-world folk tale, etc. goes on for too long. The prose is beautiful, giving enlightening descriptions while delving deep into Lorelai’s emotions - even as she herself isn’t paying attention to what they might mean.

The other characters in the band of friends (questionably) are fleshed out well enough, but you don’t get close enough to any of them to figure out for yourself who might have killed Ziegler, which does leave them feeling quite at arm’s length. However, I assume this is intentional, as the 5 of them have been friends since childhood and grown up together, leaving Lorelai feeling on the outside due to this, as well as her own culture/background.

We as the readers are fully aware of the depth of Lorelai’s feelings for Sylvia, through her obsessive “hatred” - she just had to read all of Sylvia’s books and learn her favourite colour so that she could be informed in her hatred, ok?! The romance building in this book is devastating, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s beautiful. There’s so much yearning that it brought me to tears, as well as Lorelai being an utterly useless sapphic and not understanding her own emotions (or anyone else’s intentions).

It’s just a truly wonderful ride, including the mysteries not being too predictable, and getting to enjoy some fae trickery. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a sapphic romance with a hint of fantasy/folklore. I’m rating a 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This book to me is a combination of fantasy, 'whodunnit' and romance. The leader of an expedition to find the source of an untold power is murdered. Lorelei and Sylvia determine it must be one of their group. The story is a mix of the investigation, trying to find the source and romance (eventually) between the two women. I was not sure what to expect but found it quite enjoyable to read.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE READ THIS YEAR SO FAR. SUPER LOVELY. SUPER WELL WRITTEN. THE PLOT IS FANTASTIC. LOVED EVERYTHING

A beautiful fantastical tale revolving around an expedition to locate a fabled spring. Combining academia, folklore, rivalries and a sapphic romance. It is beautifully written and absolutely my cup of tea. Most of that characters are fairly unlikeable which some people may struggle with but I love it when everyone has secrets and no one can trust anyone else.
I have to admit that I wasn’t fully invested in the romance but it was a minor niggle rather than a big stumbling block. The two characters just didn’t seem to have that sort of chemistry between them.
The book isn’t particularly fast paced but more than kept me invested and wanting to read more.

Thank you for the ARC! I loved this story, it was extremely well written. Will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author!

4.5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
I loved this book so much!! The writing was beautiful and I loved the exploration of folk tales and the prejudices within them, the way the author wove those tales into the narrative was masterfully done. Although the secondary characters could have been a bit more developed, Lorelei and Sylvia were incredible. I'm not super into romance so I was surprised to find myself very invested in their relationship and thought that the "rivals to lovers" was nicely executed. The atmosphere of suspense, angst, and the inevitability of betrayal was super intense and went incredibly well with the setting of these dark, dangerous forests and mountains the characters were exploring. The consistently slow pace also helped intensify that feeling. The book kept me on my toes the entire time and I could not have predicted the ending.

I absolutely devoured this book, couldn't put it down! A beautifully written story full of folklore and mystery. The academic rivals to lovers was brilliant, i absolutely love the dynamic of a character slowly realising that the person they've built up in their mind to hate isn't actually like that at all. The writing was so flowing and poetic, it made the whole book feel like a folktale.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is my new personality trait. I loved every minute of this book. Slightly toxic sapphic romances you will always have my heart.

Saft's worldbuilding was unique, exciting, and whimsical. The storyline was mysterious, exciting and enrapturing. I loved each of the characters as much as I hated them for all (with the exception of Sylvia, she can do no wrong in my eyes) being awful people. It's one of those books I'll be thinking about for a long time even after I've finished it, and I'm definitely planning on re-reading it once it officially releases.

Without a shadow of a doubt this book is a five star read.

4.5 ☆
A dark and Drowning Tide is a gorgeous gothic/cosy fantasy with a sapphic romance, magic, academic rivals, grumpyxsunshine and a lot more!!
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Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness to secure his reign of the embattled country of Brunnestaad.
The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader-Lorelei’s beloved mentor-is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are her five remaining expedition mates. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, Sylvia von Wolff.
Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again. As Lorelei and Sylvia grudgingly work together to uncover the truth-and resist their growing feelings for one another-they discover that their professor had secrets of her own.
Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, or if this kingdom is worth saving at all.
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I loved everything about this book!!
The vibes are immaculate, and as a true lover of gothic and cosy fantasy I felt at home!
The writing is poetic, atmospheric and very vivid as well as all the characters. The plot begins in a very calm way but as the chapters scroll through the action and the tension begins to rise until the end.
Everything was truly perfect!
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Thanks to Netgalley, Daphne Press and the author for providing me with this ARC!
A Dark and Drowning Tide s coming out everywhere on September 17th, don’t miss it!

I want to start out by saying that it's not bad, but it's not good either. Somehow it falls square in the middle of the land of indifference.
In this case, the main problem is that this kind of book is not my cup of tea. I didn't like the vibes and I certainly didn't like all the banter, it felt straight out unnecessaryand honestly annoying.

The premise in itself is interesting, but it could have been better developed. It was extremely slow, and I couldn't connect with the characters at all. Although I will say, the novel is very well written, and even managed to snag my attention right in the first few chapters.

I think that in this case it was overall just a matter of personal preference. Really, I should stop reading these kind of books when I know I'm not gonna like them, but I'm still delusional lol.
I can definitely see how people like this, it was sadly just not for me.

Review will be posted on Goodreads during publication month.

eh… i don’t know. i really liked the premise and the fact that it’s a sapphic romance, but the execution felt kind of clunky — there was lots of gratuitious info dumping that led to nothing and i couldn’t bring myself to feel invested in any of the characters, bar the protagonist and her love interest. and even in their case i felt like something was off the whole time — they went from ‘enemies’ (more like rivals who were simply miscommunicating i guess?) to lovers far too quickly. idk, it simply didn’t feel organic enough, which is a shame, because this had every ingredient to make a superb read. ultimately, though, it simply fell a little short.