Sadly I could'nt connect with the story and had to dnf at 41%
I did like the writing style however so I'll put it at 3 stars in the middle

It has been a while since I read a proper rivals to lovers and it's save to say that I was not disappointed.

I found the world building quite easy to understand, so I got into it pretty quick. I loved the setting and the places Saft described and I was able to get a clear picture of it in my head. Both main character's were likeable even with their faults (I love mean lesbians) and I liked seeing their character development.

NOW FOR THE ROMANCE. I loved it. Like I said, finally a good rivals to lovers. I felt like it was timed really well, not too slow and not rushed either. Sometimes you have to yearn for someone you (think) you hate.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book is at its core the perfect autumnal read, it is a sapphic academic rivals to lovers! This book follows a group of nobles on a search for a spring of legend, tensions between the group are heavy and they only multiple when on the first night the leader of the group is murdered and no one knows who to blame! The atmosphere of this book combined with its rich details of all this worlds folklore truly made this something completely unique to the genre. The chemistry and longing between our two main characters is what made this book impossible to put down, these characters are perfect together. It was not just our two main characters that had me binging this book, it was the whole cast. Each of them are written in a way that you don’t know who to trust. Trying to solve the murder whilst reading about their epic journey to the spring was by far my favourite aspect of this book!

3.5/5 ⭐️

I found Lorelei to be an intriguing protagonist and I feel for her situation. We get glimpses of how her trauma manifests itself throughout the story, and it was heartbreaking to hear her discuss folktales with clear discriminatory intentions. I enjoyed her dynamic with Sylvia, the human embodiment of hope and optimism, as she is the perfect counterbalance to Lorelai’s understandably doom and gloom outlook on life.

Unfortunately, I did have some minor issues with the book. Firstly, the story would’ve benefitted from having multi-POV chapters, especially Sylvia’s, so we could get a better understanding of each character’s motive. Secondly, while I enjoyed the inclusion of folktales, their additions felt jarring and at times took me out of the ongoing dialogue or conflict. And lastly, without delving into spoiler territory, there was a lot that needed to be addressed in the ending and it could’ve been handled better if the book was a duology instead of a standalone. Nonetheless, Allison Saft’s prose is mesmerising and I was completely immersed in the world she built for the story and its characters.

If you enjoyed 𝑬𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒆’𝒔 𝑬𝒏𝒄𝒚𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒂𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝒐𝒇 𝑭𝒂𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 but also wanted a whodunit murder mystery with political intrigue in a slightly darker setting, then this book is for you 🌿

Thank you to Netgalley, Daphne Press, and Allison Saft for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

On paper, A Dark and Drowning Tide fills quite an extensive checklist of things I've always wanted in a book, things I believe would universally appeal to me, not unlike the checklist many people have concerning future partners they'd like to date. Unfortunately, just like those who utilise checklists to seek appropriate dating candidates, my list did not take into account one of the most (arguably the most) important things: chemistry. I should have loved this book... but I didn't.

Allison Saft has created a lavish world full of lively creatures — or so readers are told. That, perhaps, is my biggest takeaway from this book. Readers are constantly told, rather than shown. We learn about the names of entities, locations, magic systems... yet we rarely see them. We hear about cultural differences, but they are rarely demonstrated. We are told characters despise one another, yet we do not see this in their monologuing. To me, this firmly lies in my belief that A Dark and Drowning Tide should have been a duology, not a standalone. To create such an expansive fantasy universe in so few pages is ambitious. To carefully and thoughtfully develop a political system fuelled by systemic racism and xenophobia in so few pages is even more ambitious.

It is rare that I ask for more pages when reading a book, but in this case, A Dark and Drowning Tide truly would have benefited. This review will remain relatively spoiler free, but I do want to note that the ending is what really cinched this belief. Early in the book, one of the main characters expressed a (remarkably sound) belief that being with another character would be impossible without sacrifice, and it was a sacrifice they were unwilling to make. Not only is this conversation glossed over, but when they do start considering being with this character, this conversation is never mentioned again. Those very real concerns lay abandoned for the sake of love, and despite being a romantic at heart, I found this difficult to swallow.

Overall, A Dark and Drowning Tide was a book I liked, but did not love. I think it is decent for a debut, but it is not a debut. My star rating reflects that.

From the beginning the writing felt very formulaic as if the author was checking trope boxes as they wrote. I found some of the worldbuilding interesting, especially the folklore elements, but instead of discovering things as we went along there’s frequent inelegant infodumps which takes the fun out of engaging with a new world. There wasn’t a lot of subtlety and I never bought into the romance.

I really enjoyed the overall vibes of this book, and the dark academia / folkloric romance cross over is something I’d love to see more of. This book had everything that I love (mostly yearning and angst in a fantasy setting) and I enjoyed it thoroughly. A Dark and Drowning Tide is a slow burn, one bed, sapphic romance and an epic adventure through an immersive setting with a unique and interesting magic system.

Thank you so much to Daphne Press and to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of A Dark and Drowning Tide.

Wow, what a wonderful book! I have been looking forward to this release for MONTHS so I was super happy to get an ARC; and it absolutely did not disappoint. I can't stop thinking about this story; I loved Lorelei as a character, and that she was revealed to us a little at a time. The book was really well-paced, very beautifully written and I felt really immersed in the world.

I really enjoyed this version of an 'enemies to lovers' story, because I think right from the outset we know Lorelei is in love with Sylvia, but she doesn't know it herself and we kind of follow her along that journey to discovery. We also follow Lorelei in her journey of self-forgiveness which I think is very beautifully and sensitively written.

The murder mystery aspect of the book was good, but I think the focus on all the characters and their interactions was most interesting to me (even though I love a good whodunit!). I also absolutely LOVED the world of this book; I would read a whole series set in this world! I thought the stories Lorelei studies were woven into the book very cleverly, and all the creatures reminded me of Holly Black's world in a really lovely way. The way each character interacts with the world they travel through in the book was so well-written too, and so vividly imagined.

this was beautifully written and I loved the concept, however it felt a bit like it went nowhere, and has already been done before very similarly

Thank you to NetGalley, Allison Saft, and Daphne Press for a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for an honest review.

5⭐
A DARK AND DROWNING TIDE is a beautiful mystery by Allison Saft, following an uptight folklorist and a whimsical naturalist as they seek to uncover the truth at the heart of their expedition. These academic rivals (turned lovers, my absolute favourite trope) are joined by four other fascinating characters. These six individuals are the true heart of the story, with the standout being the main character, Lorelai.

Lorelai’s portrayal is deeply moving. Despite her prickly exterior, her journey of self-forgiveness for events no one else blames her for makes her incredibly endearing. She navigates a world steeped in anti-Semitism, and this adds another layer of depth to her character. Watching her grow while facing external and internal battles is one of the novel’s highlights.

Saft’s writing beautifully captures the balance between rich world-building and the emotional complexity of her characters. The relationship dynamics, especially between Lorelai and Sylvia, feel authentic and engaging. This is a beautiful dark fantasy, with a delicious sapphic slow burn romance that had me entranced until the very end. Fans of Samantha Shannon who want the same emotional and complex characters will find a lot to love here, but following a germanic fairytale theme perfect for autumn. I really loved this book, and look forward to the next from Saft!

3.5/5 ⭐️

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a fantasy standalone with a strong dark academia feel throughout. In which, we follow Lorelai and Sylvia, two academic rivals of folklore, and their journey to uncover the murder mystery of their mentor and their feelings for each other at the same time.

I enjoyed the main premise of the plot and must say that I’ve never encountered a murder mystery plot in a fantasy setting before and found it added to the eerie atmosphere perfectly. I also really enjoyed the quest and all of the folklore we met along the way- that was probably my favourite part of the whole book, I thought it was really well done.

Lorelai and Sylvia’s romance I found enjoyable, particularly the yearning- I liked what we had but would’ve definitely loved even more. I did, however, find the use of the enemies to lovers style trope a little confusing. The term academic rivals to lovers certainly feels more fitting. The tension between the two, I found, felt almost wholly one-sided and a little forced.

As for the characters generally, I think I liked (and disliked) them as much as was intended. Although, I did expect to connect with Sylvia more than I did. Perhaps dual perspective would’ve helped with that.

This book is made for the autumn time, so I definitely read it at the right time of year. I think I would recommend this book to fans of Ava Reid’s A Study in Drowning and Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series.

4.5 stars!!

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft is a sapphic academic rivals (and trust me they are really rivals!!!) to lovers murder mystery grumpy sunshine adventurous epic quest type fantasy? Whatever it was, I was eating it up!!
We follow our main character Lorelei Kaskel, who is a folklorist, as she embarks on an expedition with her mentor and some peers to find a spring said to be a source for magic. When her mentor gets murdered, chaos erupts, an unlikely alliance forms and their trip just barely begun. The drama was very entertaining as well.
Our main character Lorelei Kaskel was so so brutally honest which I found hilarious at times. And Sylvia Von Wolff was almost a mythical creature the way Lorelei described her. Her white silver hair reminded me of Alina from the Shadow and Bone Trilogy. The romance arc is a little more on the side but still so fleshed out and the timeline of the romance feels realistic alongside Lorelai’s and Sylvia’s character development. It is a REAL slow-burn rivals/enemies to lovers people!!
“When Lorelei looked at her, she felt sick with an emotion she preferred not to name.”
The way Saft illustrates the world they live in is enchanting and magical. From the whimsical villages, to the dark forests, to the icy mountains, everything feels alive due to the writing style. It was a very atmospheric read with expansive fantasy elements and worldbuilding. So much that it could still be a duology!!! (Allison please).

SOMEONE SAID THE SONG TO SWEET FITS THE STORY AND KNOW I CANT UNSEE IT
*screaming*

Okay so I will be reading all of Allison Saft’s backlog know because I love her writing style and character building!!!

An absolute dream of a book. A Dark and Drowning Tide is a beautifully written and incredibly atmospheric fantasy read that centres around a murder mystery and a folklore-inspired academic adventure. Saft's writing is lyrical and immersive in a way that transports you straight into an eery, misty, sparsely candle-lit setting with characters you don't trust but can't help growing fond of.

The story is riveting from the start. I love the fusion of an academic setting with folklore and magic. The way Saft weaves several folklore stories into the book really elevates the dark whimsical atmosphere, and enriches our understanding of Lorelei Kaskel as a character by providing insight into how she views or interprets the world through these stories. This book grappled well with difficult themes such as belonging, racial/ethnic injustice, loyalty and forgiveness. I especially appreciated the way Saft wrote Loreli's experience as a Yeva in Brunnestaad - a second class citizen, an outsider. It was harrowing to read but I felt that Saft did justice to the issues explored.

The only small gripe I have for this book is that it is marketed as academic rivals to lovers and I do not believe the romance in here delivers on that. Don't get me wrong: the romance plot is especially good and filled with lots of yearning and is a deliciously slow burn. I also LOVE that it is sapphic. However, it is not a rivals-to-lovers (and it shouldn't have to be labelled as such). To call it a 'rivalry' is a slight exaggeration and feels a bit forced. That being said, I loved the way the romance subplot was written and the development of their affections. The angst and suppressed longing between these two is simply spectacular.

If you are looking for dark academia vibes featuring institutional politics, career rivalries, and a whodunnit ... this is definitely the book for you. I adore this book. A solid 5 stars from me.

Loved it and had a lot of fun. A mix of fantasy and mystery, two rivals who must join forces, and a lot of action+adventure.
I loved how the author was able to balance the different aspects and keep the romance as one of them and not the main one.
Great storytelling and world building. Can't wait to read another book by this author
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Ps: I fell in love with the gorgeous cover

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

I wish I could go back and read this for the first time again. From the first page, the writing style was so luxurious that I couldn’t tear my eyes away, the worldbuilding so darkly captivating that I couldn’t help but read on to learn more. Simultaneously, I wanted to inhale the words until there were no more left and drag out each luscious sentence so it wouldn’t end. Following a group expedition to find the fabled source of magic, the plot soon takes a turn when the team’s leader—and our protagonist’s mentor—is murdered before it can truly start. Ostracised because of her heritage and religion, Lorelai must prove her innocence and find the real killer before the the quest’s end. As a Jewish folklorist, Lorelai’s narration was at once richly whimsical, seamlessly interweaving a myriad of folktales throughout the plot, and thoughtfully critical of the antisemitic origins of the real world fairytales from which they take their inspiration. But for me, the highlight of this book was the expertly crafted sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance. The shift was so subtle that I truly didn’t notice when exactly Lorelai and Sylvia crossed into the territory of friends, not until they became something more entirely. And if you think that’s where their story ends, well, you’re in for a surprise. After all, what’s a folktale without a few twists?

Really loved the writing of this book, and I felt very immersed in the world that was built! One of my favourite aspects of this was actually the romance - although it was perhaps a secondary plot, I just really loved the character growth that happened alongside the budding romance. Plus, the ending really amused me with the misunderstanding on the letters...

I received an ARC from NetGalley.

As a fan of Allison Saft (I continue to say: A Far Wilder Magic IS SO UNDERRATED!), I was so happy when I received this arc!!
This enchanting tale blends folklore, fairy tales, and a murder mystery, following six eccentric nobles on a quest for a mythical spring. And to make everything better, there’s also a sapphic romance where they’re academic rivals and cannot stand each other.

All this sounds good in theory, and I did really enjoy the book on the surface. But after I finished, I started to think about some aspects of the book, that I just couldn’t see past it. For example, the book felt a bit pro-colonialism (???). I mean is not in your face, but the clues are all there (I understand the reason for that, it was needed for the characters to have a motive to work for the king. I would be okay with this if in the end it was resolved). Another thing that didn’t sit right with me was some phrases in the romance. What do you mean you want to hurt the person you love? Maybe I’m just too soft. And I’m not going to even dwell on the fact the group of characters tried to have the same type of toxicity like the characters in The Atlas Six.

It feels like a bit contradictory my review with the rating, the thing is: this had everything to have a full rating. The mix of different genres/tropes could make the book too messy. But it all blends really well together and I think that’s hard to do in a story!
I love the writing, and I was totally obsessed with the romance (besides the thing I already said). So, as you can see, this had everything to be a 5 star. It’s still a really good book maybe I’m being a bit too picky.

DNF AT 74%


I know that DNF a book at 74% doesn't make a lot of sense, I mean, I am almost done so why stop now? But the point is that I didn't care about the book and I just reached a point that made me go "Okay, enough" and that's it.
Mind me, I think that this book has somehow a similar concept to A Study In Drawing, but it does it better. It is atmospheric and it has characters dialogues and situations that make sense, and all in all, I think that the other book is poorly done, while this is just bad (for me) but not so poorly done.
And now let's get on to what it didn't work for me:
1) it should be enemies to lovers. I don't think that this is true. Or, to be more precise, it is but just sort of, and for two main reasons:
a) the rivalry is completely one-sided
b)Is it truly enemy to lovers if the two characters are secretly lusting and caring for each other, but one of them has some trauma and cannot cope with her feelings so she resents and envies the other one?
I suppose that enemies to lovers is the etiquette that goes nearer this situation but... but it is not really so correct.
2) Lorelei is a scholar and an academic, and she collected stories from people (and uses these stories to make sense of the world, and this particular thing is a thing I highly appreciated). She should be one of the best in her field, but you don't see it. At all. She is constantly using Sylvia's knowledge to save herself, and never her own.
Also, all the characters in the expeditions are supposed to be academics too, and soldiers, and they should be the best of the best, and yet... the author tells us this, but we don't see it. At all.
3) The characters are all unlikeable. Okay, this is an exaggeration. Ludwig is almost likeable, and Sylvia is not unlikeable. But that's it.
So I just reached a point in which I didn't care and didn't want to see how things progressed.

That said, there are some things that I enjoyed:
1) It is a highly evocative book, the atmosphere is good and the wildleute are interesting.
2) Lorelei uses the story to make the world make sense, and this is such a relatable thing. And an interesting trait in a character. I think it was the thing I liked the best in here.

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for sending me an ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow this book was a ride. Needles to say I absolutly adored this book. If you think you would like shappic academic rivals to lovers trying to solve the murder of their professor while they are in an expedition trying to find a magical spring YOU NEED TO READ THIS. Our main character Lorelei- a folklorist goes on this expedition with six other people in the search of the magical spring and when her mentor is killed on board of the ship she teams up with Sylvia- the naturalist to figure out who did it, and what sparks there is pure magic.

The angst in this is incredible I literally felt it in my bones, I adored the pinning and the romance in this book. The world the author created is so detailed and magical, there were so many passages that felt out of a fairytale. There were ghosts and magical creatures in this that were so nicely detailed I absolutly loved reading about them. The writing was lyrical and beautiful and made me want to go to an enchanted forest and get lost there. It was full of German folklore and talked about antisemitism since the mc is Jewish, I really liked seeing how this was explored and I loved the mc with all her flaws and how slowly she was able to break free of some things she was dealing with and learn to be a bit happier.

“Until they returned to Ruhigburg, there was no one to turn to, no one to trust, but Sylvia von Wolff.”

I do not believe that I can objectively rate this book, even more that I don't believe that I can truly rate any book. My reading experience was… particular, and I am afraid that it would play a bit too much on the rating. This book was hard to start for me, even though it sounded perfect.

We are talking about a murder mystery, a scientific expedition with a lot of folklore inspired by German folklore, magical creatures, dark academia vibes (perfect for this start of autumn), and a lesbian rivals to lovers that is kind of slow burning. As I said, it sounds perfect to my eyes. And it became nearly perfect when I reached the middle of the book and finally got into it. And yet, the first half isn’t bad. I just believe that this author has a particular style and that it didn’t suit me for a long time. But that depends purely on me, for once.

The story, however, and its resolution were extraordinary. Once I was in the book, I couldn’t really put it down and ended in 3 days what I had been dragging for 2 weeks. I do believe that when you can get inside of it, this is an excellent book. The murder mystery part was really nice, even though I felt like it was lacking a bit in some parts before the middle. But every time Lorelei, our main character, was suspecting someone from the crew or investigating, I was invested. But I think that the best part of this book was the folklore. There were a lot of stories told across the pages of this novel, and it gave this very peculiar vibe to the story that was really lovely and nearly bewitching, maybe.

And last but not least, the characters. They are the people with whom we spend the novel, so they are, in my eyes, one of the most important parts of the book. And here, it's a hit. Lorelei, our main character, is a bit hard to like at first, she's quite tempered, and she doesn’t really trust people. But that makes her story interesting! She has been an outsider all her life, as she is Yevani (which seems to be the Jewish community equivalent in this fictional country inspired by Germany), she has no reason to trust the crew, especially when some of them are straight up horrible, and she needs to investigate the murder of her captain. So, it took me some chapters to get attached to her, yes, but once I was attached, I liked her very much. And Sylvia!! I do like her very much. She is forced to make an alliance with Lorelei as they are the only two who couldn’t have done it, and she is the other person in our rivals-to-lovers subplot. And listen. I am not the biggest fan of enemies/rivals to lovers. It needs to be really well done in order for me to like it. And here it was really well done. I love them, I love their relationship, and in fact, I started to get more involved in the book when the slow burn started to burn a bit more. As if I was falling for the story at the same time Lorelei fell for Sylvia. As for the other characters, I really liked Ludwig and the relationships between the crew in general.

So I do believe that this is a great book if you want an atmospheric read with folklore, murder, lesbians, and great characters. I would like to thank Netgalley and Daphne Press for sending me this ARC, it goes out today!