A Dark and Drowning Tide

by Allison Saft

A sharp-tongued folklorist and her academic rival must solve their mentor's murder in this lush sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.

Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper and an even quicker wit, 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, and Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and to make her dream come to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to faraway lands.

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, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her long-time academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before a coup begins and the murderer strikes again.

But there are other dangers lurking in the  forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons waiting beneath the water, and shapeshifting beasts out for blood. 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.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Lesbian, Queer, Dark Academia, LGBT, Gothic

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 17, 2024

About the author

Allison Saft is the New York Times and indie bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic and Down Comes the Night. After receiving her MA in English Literature from Tulane University, she moved from the Gulf Coast to the West Coast, where she spends her time rolling on eight wheels and practicing aerial silks. She lives with her partner and an Italian greyhound named Marzipan.

Reviews

[Cindy Pham]

timothee chalamet what are you doing on the cover

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

you had me at sapphic academic rivalry

okay but i may have gone a little insane reading this.

Read my full review here

thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review

Bookstagram | Blog

[Esta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever heard of "backpack fantasy"? (Shoutout to Zana who enlightened me). At first, I had a little laugh at how oddly specific it is but then I found out Tolkien and T. Kingfisher are part of the crew, so apparently, I've been into it this whole time without even knowing.

Fast forward to A Dark and Drowning Tide, and it seems that we can go even more niche: I’m a folklore-inspired backpack fantasy murder mystery romance with a splash of dark academia stan because sentient forests that rearrange themselves at night, fantastical wildlife and botany, and a hiking buddy who’s your rival but also annoyingly charming checked all the boxes I never knew I had.

So yeah, Allison Saft is now firmly in my top new author discoveries for 2024, and I’m ready to add every book she has written or will write in the future to my TBR pile. This book had some of my favourite tropes, premise settings and rep:

• Grumpy cynic/sunshine optimist
• Slow-burn academic rivals to reluctant allies to lovers
• Forbidden romance vibes
• Childhood friends group cast where everyone is in love with each other
• One bed/tent
• Fantasy adventure expedition/quest filled with nature and magical flora and fauna
• Murder mystery
• Sapphic romance
• Jewish-inspired rep
• Tortured yearning
• Abundance of German folklore and fairytales
• Unique magic system

Lorelai our self-sabotaging and aloof FMC, and Sylvia, our secondary FMC who is a ray-of-sunshine naturalist and basically Newt Scamander and Steve Irwin’s lovechild, make for an unforgettable duo.

Moreover, I cared not just for the main characters but also for the morally grey whodunnit supporting characters, who all had realistic motivations and desires. Sure, some are more insufferable than others but there are some fabulous trope subversions. Plus, there are multiple female friendships and queerness is normalised amongst multiple characters.

Notably, I always appreciate immersive world-building that doesn't bog me down with clunky info dumps and that's exactly what I got in this book. Set in the German-inspired kingdom of Brunnestaad, this tale swept me away on a magical expedition through vast rivers, enchanted forests, snow-capped mountains, magical secret springs and charming small villages. On top of that, it introduced a unique magic system and hinted at some deliciously devious political scheming. I found the style of prose really suited to my tastes, lush and descriptive yet refreshingly free of flowery excess.

Nonetheless, it’s not all whimsical escapades. The story also tackles serious themes like anti-Semitism and prejudice. It’s a fantastical journey that navigates both a mesmerising world and the complexities of the human experience, explorations of loneliness and belonging as well as imparting timeless lessons about respecting and revering the natural world. As a nature and wildlife enthusiast myself, I was pretty smitten!

For the ultimate experience, go in with as little knowledge as possible. The story, with its clever twists and incredibly unique characters and magical creatures and beings, is best enjoyed with a fresh perspective. Trust me, you’ll want to savour every surprise as it unfolds. Highly recommend!

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley & Daphne Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

🔹🔹🔹

Trying to dial down my NetGalley addiction but this had me at academic rivals romance, murder mystery, perilous forests and river dragons!

[EmmaSkies · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Yearning is so BACK, baby!!!

[liv ❁ · Rating 2 out of 5]

A sapphic rivals to lovers taking place over the length of a folkloric expedition in order to find a magical spring sounds so up my alley that it was soul crushing that the best thing I can say about this book as a whole is that I’m relatively ambivalent towards it. Where I was expecting a more fleshed out expedition rich in magic and folklore I primarily got a not-so-well fleshed out whodunnit murder mystery that checked so many formulaic boxes and investigated so many people that were just random cut outs instead of fully realized characters that I just got bored. Lorelai, our main character, is also so frustrating to be in the head of that I wanted to rip my hair out. Being in the head of someone who hates other people so much and also refuses to feel her full range of emotions makes it incredibly hard to care about any of the side characters, which was disappointing as I think I would’ve liked the book a smidge more if I cared. Even the folklore, which I was most excited for, felt so crammed into the story that I was getting annoyed every single time a new, random story was brought up. The whole of this really was boring and I felt as there was no reason for me to care about anyone or anything. Maybe I’m just having a bad day, but nothing about this surprised me and almost nothing made me feel anything. It's an incredibly sad day for me when I have to say that atmosphere doesn't hold a book together.

One thing I think was handled really well was how Saft used Lorelai’s heritage (fantasy Jewish) to discuss antisemitism and hatred that is still incredibly rampant. The most hard hitting moments were memories from Lorelai’s life where her and her family had to deal with so much hate anywhere they went and the way that she had to go through with this mission so she would hopefully be seen as a citizen with full status, something her people were not readily given.

I don’t like how the villain(s) or resolutions were handled and found the message to be… weirdly pro-colonialism? Or at least accepting of colonialism? It left a bad taste in my mouth, especially as we were shown all the harm that the conquering nation did. Maybe it was just a bit half-baked, but it left a sour taste in my mouth as our “good” characters were so anti-revolution. I think this was an attempt to flesh out everyone a bit more, but it fell flat with the end message.

I think I may be being extra harsh on this because it sounded so perfectly up my alley and I am now sitting here, a bit heartbroken that it wasn’t.


Thank you netgalley for the arc

[bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bleeding with folklore, adorned in the atmosphere of a sentient forest, and hung with tension and yearning so thick you can feel it like a mist curling around your heart, A DARK AND DROWNING TIDE is the Jewish, sapphic romantasy of my dreams.

Call me delusional but I’m convinced Allison Saft wrote this book for me. (Sapphic, check! Jewish MC, check!! Folklore-heavy, check!!! Discusses antisemitism in fairytales as a major theme, check?! Sentient forests, check!! Dark academic elements, check!!!!)

A DARK AND DROWNING TIDE has been luring me in like a siren song since its announcement, calling my name as it pulled me into its alluring tide. And as soon as my toes hit the water, I was torn beneath the surface and down into its depths by my ankles. My lungs swelling with rich atmosphere, my eyes burning with the salty sentimentality of the characters, and my throat singing with the reverberations of gorgeous prose as this story swallowed me with a gulp.

We enter a world of fantasy, of fairytale, and of mystery, as Lorelei Kaskel—a folklorist—sets out on an expedition with six nobles to seek out a fabled magical body of water for the king. But when she finds her mentor—who is also the expedition’s leader—dead in the middle of the night, tensions grow high. Lorelei must work with her academic rival, Sylvia von Wolff, to solve her mentor’s murder, all while taking over the leadership of the expedition and dealing with political and emotional turmoil of her own. Not to mention the dangers that lay beyond in the forest ahead and in the court back home. Oh, and all of her peers hate her. As she makes her way through the thick foliage of a political and literal landscape, Lorelai has to decide what risks are worth taking and who is worth trusting.

The melody of this book’s themes soothed me like a monster’s caress: its tender yet sharp exploration of fairytales and the prejudice that lies within them. I felt so seen by our main character that it ached. Her Jewishness and her experience with antisemitism profoundly colors her worldview and therefore the entire book. Its pages are saturated with the hues of hatred I’ve grown to know all too well, as Lorelai struggles with the way she’s been painted as a villain or a witch or a monster just for existing as herself. As a Jew. And the grief and survivor’s guilt and fear and pain that comes with that existence.

But the bloody and fatal sting of this book’s siren’s kiss was its romance. Alexa, play Abstract (Psychopomp) by Hozier. There was so much heart-wrenching angst and the characters burned with such yearning and desire, they left scorch marks in my heart. I found myself making noises that were far too inhuman (maybe some of the wildness of this book worked its way down my throat and into my vocal chords). I’ve been craving a sapphic romantasy that gets the tension just right, and Allison Saft absolutely delivered on this front.

I’m not sure I’ve quite emerged from Saft’s taloned and tranquilizing grasp. And if I ever do find my way back to the surface, my water-logged heart will never quite be the same.

If you’re looking for a sapphic Jewish story with the perfect blend of fantasy, folklore, dark academia, and romance that will seize your heart and tear your hair out and linger like a ghost long after you’ve left it behind, run and do not walk to pick up A DARK AND DROWNING TIDE. (The alp will get you if you don’t.)

Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC! This is my honest review!

CW: death, murder, antisemitism, eugenics, colonization, grief, loss of sibling, blood & gore, violence, dead body, injury detail, drowning, drugging, fire, emesis, alcohol consumption

[Lau ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

glorifying colonialism for the sake of a forbidden romance: a 2024 goodreads award nomination

Lorelei is a Yevani (equivalent to being a Jewish in Germany during WWII). Yevani people are treated as inferior humans: they can’t move freely outside their city, they can’t protect themselves and they are abused for having a different culture, language and religion. Lorelei is determined to change that.

After being discovered by a professor, Lorelei is given a chance to study in the university. She still needs to cover her capacity to do magic and endure the constant bullying, but she’s finally in a position to help her people. She only needs to beat Albisch heiress to the throne, princess Sylvia, by being chosen as their mentor’s assistant.

When the king asks their mentor to bring him a magical source of power that will help him ‘stabilize’ the country, they embark on a quest to find this mystical source. Only that someone gets killed, and Lorelei will have to find out who wants the killer before she gets the blame.

A Dark and Drowning Tide starts strong: an academy competition, a quest, a mystery and sapphic love. What more do we need in life? Well, a good execution. Let’s start with the mystery: Lorelei starts looking for clues, only to forget about it because the author decides to go in another direction and let the killer solve it for her. I’m not mad about Lorelei not finding out who was the killer: I’m mad about all the clues that were left unsolved.

The inconsistencies were constant: they lost all their material, but Sylvia and company had a collection of cosmetic products, clothes, coats and whatever you can imagine. How did they carry it? They supposedly lost all their money, but they had enough material to build a small shop. While I was reading this, I decided I had missed the point where the author explained they were able to use magic to compress matter into a little purse (like Hermione from HP).

While I find inconsistencies annoying, they aren’t a major obstacle for my enjoyment. But I draw the line at excusing colonization. For context, the king of one of the regions is trying to annex the other kingdoms to his territory, in order to get an ‘united kingdom’. He argues that they had just fought a major war and, that way, they could defend themselves from future threats better. The reality is that we’re witnessing a colonization attempt; people are afraid their identity and freedom is going to be taken from them and, therefore, they are rebelling (rightfully so).

For some reason, Sylvia and the other members of the expedition (except Lorelei, who is Yevani, and another commoner) support the king. This felt highly unrealistic because all of them are part of the nobility of the other kingdoms. Again, the excuse is that they are traumatized by the war and don’t want to endure a civil war fighting the king back, who happens to be their friend. What I’m hearing is that a bunch of noblemen are making the decisions without taking into account what the population wants.

Sylvia, who is the love interest and was portrayed as a wise twenty-something scholar who knew about everything, has no clue about what identity means. Her whole take in this very complex situation was:

“War would see so many lives lost. For what? The Albisch fear our culture being taken from us. We are proud of it-understandably so. But the way that pride has manifested…It unsettes me.”

Even if they supported the king, I was expecting at least a discussion about the situation. What was the cost of annexing the other kingdom? Were their language, culture and values going to be replaced by the one used by the king’s nation? The main characters were going on a quest to find a magical source of power that will serve as a weapon against their own people. This was never addressed.

There was a person who refused to follow the king and fought back. By the end of the book, they were not only depicted as the villain, they turned mad and went berserk. Because only a madman would fight to preserve the identity of their people.

As you may imagine at this point, this is a theme that hits home because, if you didn’t know, I live in Spain. We have different nationalities that were suppressed by the Castilian Crown hundreds of years ago. Nowadays, there are territories where people are still fighting for independence (politically, because the terrorism group ETA dissolved in 2018). By how the conflict was treated in this book, as if holding on to their independence was something expected from crazy and poor, uneducated people, it seems that the author lacked the understanding necessary to write a book about it.

On top of that, there was the Yevani situation. There was a point where Lorelei discovers who is the killer, and must choose between letting Sylvia get the blame or getting killed. The killer offers, in exchange for supporting the cause (even though Lorelei has no political power to be of importance in this aspect) a place for the Yevani in their own kingdom. Lorelei, instead of doubting the killer and lying in order to save herself, she believes them and starts mourning her betrayal. She didn’t question how they were going to move the Yevani community, if there was a region owned by the crown that they could use, who was going to build the houses they needed to live in or how they were going to deal with the fact that Yevani people were treated as monsters and the heir of the kingdom, somehow, invited the whole Yevani population over. Lorelei was portrayed as someone extremely clever and reflective, yet she never once thought about the mechanics of the offer.


Sylvia and Lorelei acted outside how they were described to maintain the angst. While I LOVE academic rivals to lovers, I couldn’t believe their characters any longer. They acted as teenagers who didn’t have a clue of what was happening around them when it was convenient. In fact, they were both in their mid twenties yet behaved as characters from a young adult book.

Both the characters and the political situation were constantly used to create a forbidden romance. That’s why I avoid romantasy despite romance and fantasy being my favorite genres. A lot of authors use themes like colonization to ensure the romance is forbidden, choosing to ignore what they are supporting with their narratives.

Overall, I don’t know if the author did it on purpose or not, but she wrote a book where she glorifies colonialism and where the main characters go into a quest to find a massive weapon to ensure the tyranny against their own people. In my modest opinion, if you lack the understanding to write about complex political themes, don’t write about them.

BR with Charles, who was kind enough to listen read all my complaints. It was fun to discuss this together 🤗 You can check his review here .

[ingrid ₊]

the dynamic where A believes that loving them will be the hardest thing ever or that someone like B couldn't possibly love someone like A, and then there's B who loves A as easy as breathing.. i cry every time

[chan ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

i don't think i gel with this author's writing... this didn't work for me and i DNF'd A Fragile Enchantment.

which sucks because the concepts are great. but execution is a little muddy for me. either overly complex plot lines for standalones or characters that are too inconsistent.

[♯ ahmaya. · Rating 5 out of 5]

‧₊˚ ┊ 4.5 ☆
➼ no spoilers !!
~ thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a copy in exchange for my honest review !!

"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..."

🎧 — Delicate by Taylor Swift



─────────────── I WENT IN NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT AND FINISHED AND KNEW THAT I WOULD DEFINITELY NOT GET OVER THEM. This was my first arc and I was soso excited and I'm actually so happy that I loved this one and the experience was good for me. This book gave me such strong vibes of Kristin Cashore's Graceling series, and it might've just been because I haven't read a book like this in some time but it gave such huge matching vibes. This was the first book I've read from Allison and I'm definitely eager to pick up her other book as well. i was honestly so desperate for this to live up to my expectations and I'm so happy that it didn't disappoint. I'm honestly not even sure how to describe my feelings about it but I'll try my absolute best.

➵ the writing. was so fucking gorgeous, I'm in love with her writing style. The tale has been intertwined with so many different topics so beautifully that I adored it so much. It was written so elegantly and was so enticing, it made me want to keep going. I feel like even if I didn't like the actual book, I would have continued solely for the writing. I did get confused at times, but it's morely because I'm slow than anything else. Another thing I loved was how Allison put modern fairytales and gave it her own twist. It was a new aspect that I haven't really seen before and it made me so giddy. The plot was so interesting to me, even if it shocked me for it to end up as who I thought was way too obvious and another who I didn't even think about 😭. The entire time, I suspected others. In my defense, it made more sense. Everything about the writing was so perfect, I adored it. Some of the quotes are so beautiful, they hold a special place in my heart.

➵ the worldbuilding. confusing the fuck out of me shouldn't even be surprising at this point. It's a regular occurrence!! But I love how it was built, how the things were described and how uniquely they were constructed. It literally reminded me of Kung fu panda: the dragon knight 💀💀. But from what I got, there are several different countries and the king combined them into one country as a whole. Or maybe not. as I said, lost ✨.

➵ the romance. the thing that had me screaming pretty much the entire book. I literally love love love the romance so much. This was the first time I read a sapphic rivals to lovers, and I'm so glad I decided to apply for it. It did feel a little choppy, because Sylvia kinda just started caring for her out of nowhere. I wish it had been a little more gradual, but it wasn't so bad that it tipped the whole romance off. It was super slow burn, and I swear I was giggling when they literally held hands and I'm not even slightly ashamed. Sylvia and Lorelei own my heart, i love them so much 🫶🏼. their banter, the way they looked at each other, the way the talked, everything ‼️

➵ the characters. while well written, irked me off. There was depth to them, there were layers, and you connected to them. however, it felt like you could only connect to them to a certain extent. It frustrated so much at times. You knew what the characters were feeling but you weren't feeling what they were feeling, and, in my opinion, that's a huge part of reading. It's not just about telling the readers about how they felt, it's about feeling what they felt. kind of like "show not tell" .

Reading about Lorelei and Sylvia was such an adventure, about them being so hopelessly in love and constantly denying made me scream and die and fall in love. I finished and read more than half the book one night, and I swear I was kicking my feet and feeling all warm and fuzzy the entire time the words flowed through the page. Sylvia and Lorelei made this book so much better, forget the mystery aspect. That itself had me ripping my hair out in an anxious attempt to find out who the fuck did what. Literally what do I need to say to convince you to add this book to your tbr and wait for it to release in anxiousness? I'm literally impatient for it to release so I can snatch a physical copy 😋.

YALL THERE'S A LETTER SUB-TROPE, SOBBINGGGG-



⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒



𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 ‧₊˚✩彡

𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐢 𝐊𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐥

"He deserves to be yelled at," she said spitefully. "I wish he could understand how unimpressed I am with him. Perhaps we should leave him here to die."
this girl was everything 😭. she was so brutally honest and savage, I was cackling half the time. Lorelei is such a strong and firm-willed character, I'm so glad we got her as our main lead. She was smart, courageous, brave, and badass. I love her. She was determined, she knew what she was doing mostly. She was insecure, she's never had anyone care for her as Sylvia wanted to and watching her experience it all was so heart ache inducing. Her lines were everything, I adored them sm. She was so witty and sarcastic, my favorite. She's a character I could have connected to brilliantly if there wasn't that little blockage I felt, but I feel as if I already connected with her on so many levels.

𝐒𝐲𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐯𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐟𝐟

"Go on, then. Far be it from me to distract you." Sylvia smiled beautifully.
"Wonderful! Then please be quiet." Lorelei had half mind to shove her into the river, but she complied.
the way she always snapped back at lorelei had me dying 🫸🏼. She was literally the only one who could handle her girl, it was hilarious. Sylvia was reckless and wild, much unlike Lorelei. Then again, opposites do attract! Tbh, she was so like Lorelei, the two of them were just so eager to deny such notion. The way Lorelei made fun of her for being called moon princess or something like that 😭. She was everything. She was sassy, smart, and balanced. The way I saw that she would have to do it from miles away, but it was somehow still unexpected? I adored Sylvia, and the fact that she's a princess is sm better 🤭

𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐢𝐒𝐲𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐚
THESE. TWO. WHERE. EVERYTHING!!! I'm literally in love with them, you do not understand guys. they were so perfect? THE LETTERS, THE LETTERS STOP IT OMG 😭😭. Someone kill me, they didn't even tell us what the letters were, but i died 😩. THE WAY LORELEI DID NOT HESITATE TO KILL FOR HER. I adore these two, I can't evenn. Lorelei read all her books and denied it too 🤭. She talked described her as beautiful as the moon and water, and how every breath without her was like she was dying. GOOD BYE.



⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

quotes and playlist to come soon!!

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒



𓏲 . ˙ ˖ 🎀 ꒱ POST-READ REVIEW

"which means that one of the people in this room killed zeigler"
me: iT's tHe nIcE oNe, iT'S aLwAyS tHe nIcE oNE 👹👹

bye, i don't think i can even explain my feelings for this book, how tf am i supposed to write a review about this??? someone send help!! and my throat is kinda sore from screaming over them holding hands like 490234092384 pages later 😔🫸🏼



⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒



𓏲 . ˙ ˖ 🎀 ꒱ PRE-READ REVIEW

DID I JUST GET ACCEPTED FOR MY FIRST ARC 😦🫸🏼

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus)]

Fresh off a long hold, my library just dropped this into my Libby account... and then I just saw the avg rating is in the absolute gutter lmao - Gonna give it a try anyway. 🤞😩

ೃ⁀➷🖤Sapphic Romance
₊⊹⁀➴🤍Murder Mystery
ೃ⁀➷🖤Fantasy Adventure
₊⊹⁀➴🤍Academic Rivals to Reluctant Allies to Lovers
ೃ⁀➷🖤Optimist x Cynic
₊⊹⁀➴🤍Inspired by German Folklore
ೃ⁀➷🖤Tortured Yearning
₊⊹⁀➴🤍Childhood Friend Group
ೃ⁀➷🖤Only One Tent

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dark and Drowning Tide is the upcoming Adult debut for beloved author, Allison Saft. I have loved all three of Saft's previous YA Fantasy releases, with my favorite probably being, A Fragile Enchantment.

Saft's writing is accessible and fluid. It's magical and enchanting, but without feeling overly-done. Her plots never get drowned out by flowery writing. It's easy to follow along and become emotionally attached to her characters, as well.



In this story we mainly follow Lorelei, who is a folklorist making her way through her academic career. At the start of the tale, she's getting ready to set out on a serious expedition with her mentor and some peers.

Their goal is to find a fabled spring said to be a powerful source of magic. They're being commissioned by the King, who believes the powers of this spring will help him better secure his reign of their embattled country.



Shortly after the group boards the ship however, the unthinkable happens. Lorelei's mentor, their group leader, is murdered in the middle of the night. An ominous start.

Since the ship was sailing at the time, the suspects are limited. It has to be one amongst them. To me, Lorelei's academic rival, Sylvia, is immediately suspicious.

She keeps popping up at strange times and places. A bit of a midnight wanderer, if you will...



But Lorelei feels she is innocent. Plus, the four others have equal amounts of motive. Honestly, it could be any of them.

It's too late to turn back though, so Lorelei takes charge and hopes that they'll be able to find the spring before the murderer strikes again. Unfortunately, dangers do not just lie aboard the ship, there's dangers all around them.

The group knows they need to band together in order to survive, but that's easier said than done. Tensions are high and tempers flare on a regular basis. Is anyone going to make it through this expedition alive?



Saft's Adult Fantasy debut succeeded in transporting me to another time and place. I had a very good time reading this, although I will say, it definitely has a more serious tone than her YA stories. Nevertheless, it's still as powerful.

This also had a slower build than her YA-stories, but I did like the introduction to the characters prior to them setting out on the expedition. Once they board the ship though, that's when things really pick up.



I enjoyed the combination of the academic side of this story mixed with the dangerous Fantasy world. I thought that was a lot of fun. The expedition provided plenty of setting changes and you were seeing unique circumstances in each one, different terrain, magical creatures, etc.

The expedition group has a good mix of personalities and there's a lot of tension running among them, which provided solid drama throughout. Some of them were fairly insufferable, but I love having characters to hate.



There's also a light Romance element to this; an enemies-to-lovers trope that develops nicely over the course of the story. The Romance, IMO, isn't the focus of the story, but it does provide a means for developing the two characters involved more deeply.

Saft's character work is always top notch and happily, that carried over into this Adult release. There's also a ton of action though, so Plot Lovers, you won't be disappointed.

Overall, I think this is a sensational Adult debut, and I feel like so many Readers are going to absolutely adore it, and I know I'll continue picking up Saft's work regardless of what age category it falls into.



Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a lush, exciting, engaging and entertaining read!

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prepare to be immersed in the enchanting depths of "A Dark and Drowning Tide," where Allison Saft orchestrates a mesmerizing tale of mystery, magic, and self-discovery. This sapphic dark academic rivals-to-lovers romance, adorned with German folklore, unfolds as a slow burn ignited by remarkable banter, ensnaring readers right from the opening notes.

Saft masterfully crafts a plot-driven narrative, weaving elements of magic, mystery, and a spellbinding quest that keeps you teetering on the precipice of anticipation. The prose isn't just delicious; it's a lyrical symphony, painting vivid tapestries of landscapes and characters imbued with profound depth. The magic system's uniqueness and the atmospheric setting contribute to the lush canvas of the story.

At the story's core are Lorelei and Sylvia, whose love story blossoms amidst a tapestry of faeries, unexpected twists, and a mystical murder mystery. Sylvia, an embodiment of passion and kindness, acts as the perfect counterbalance to the grumpy and emotionally intricate Lorelei. Their dynamic journey evokes a whirlwind of emotions, creating a profound connection between the reader and their enthralling tale.

Saft's exploration of societal reform and the burden of survivor's guilt adds layers of complexity to the characters, particularly Lorelei. As the narrative unfolds, themes of self-discovery and emotional growth seamlessly intertwine with the central mystery. The beautifully perfect ending delivers a satisfying resolution that will undoubtedly leave a cascade of emotions in its wake.

This book showcases Saft's storytelling prowess. The nuanced characters, vibrant landscapes, and suspense-laden plot coalesce into a reading experience that is both atmospheric and character-driven. Saft ingeniously melds fantasy, mystery, and romance, providing readers with a narrative that is not just gripping but also deeply immersive.

In the realm of Brunnestaad, where forests shift ominously and rivers conceal dragons in their depths, Saft beckons readers on an enthralling expedition through treacherous beauty. The pursuit of truth becomes a harmonious dance with the characters' self-discovery, rendering this novel essential for those yearning for narratives that resonate on emotional frequencies.

Overall, "A Dark and Drowning Tide" is not merely a book; it's a symphony that transports readers to a realm where magic, suspense, and moral dilemmas converge. Allison Saft's bewitching novel leaves an indelible mark, and aficionados will eagerly await her future compositions, craving more of her enthralling storytelling.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballentine/ Del rey for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

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[Sasha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel bamboozled by the intriguing synopsis, it did not capture the story at all. Here's a more accurate one: a spineless team of bratty fools go on an adventure to help the imperialist that is subjugating them.

This is going to be a long review because there was just so much in this book that did not work for me. I definitely would've dnf'd if I didn't buy a physical copy.

The main thing that the synopsis doesn't prepare you for is the antisemitism. Yes, it is portrayed in a negative light, but there is a lot of it. Since I was expecting a magical adventure with an exciting murder mystery, I was caught off guard by the prevalence of such a depressing topic.

I won't speak on how well the Jewish representation was handled, but I will say this about Lorelei. The world hates her, and she hates herself, and she presents herself as unlikeable, but, as a reader, give me a reason to like her! All she does is brood and self-depricate, which makes her feel one dimensional and fails to endear her to me. I wish more facets of her personality were explored.

Since the description said Lorelei was sharp-tongued, I, as someone who greatly enjoys queer women who aren't afraid to speak their mind, was ready to get behind a mean lesbian protagonist. That is not what I got! Lorelei is biting her tongue around the people insulting her constantly. The only person she's even remotely snippy with is Sylvia, the only one who is nice to her.

There's not much to say about Sylvia. She's a spoiled, happy-go-lucky, rich princess running away from her mother's expectations. At some points she felt like Lorelei's manic pixie dream girl.

Now, I'm a sucker for opposites attract and rivals to lovers, but the romance was completely fumbled. The setup in the first chapter was amazing. We can see the clash of their ideologies and recognize that Lorelei's anger isn't truly directed at Sylvia. However, that goes nowhere since they barely interact for the first half of the book. The "yearning" is just a loop of Lorelei thinking, "I caught myself looking at her. I hate myself for it, I look away." over and over. It gets stale. The second half of the book proceeds to speedrun their relationship so it can catch up with the drama of the plot.

Academic rivals to lovers was also a stretch. Most of this book takes place on a boat and then in some mountains, so I wouldn't recommend this to fans of dark academia, like this book is being marketed. I wouldn't even say that there is a true rivalry between Lorelei and Sylvia. They're in different fields, like a chemist trying to upstage a physicist. Lorelei gets the position that's up for grabs in chapter 2, so there's nothing for them to rival over for the rest of the book.

The supporting cast was incredibly unlikeable. Even for antagonists, they failed to do anything that would intrigue or entertain me. They hold bigoted beliefs about one another, so how are they friends exactly? The excuse was that as noble kids they were forced to hang out during childhood. I find that incredibly flimsy, I think friendships stop when friends start spewing racism at each other.

Speaking of, we have reached my biggest gripe with the book. Almost all the crew are important figures in regions taken over by the previous king. Their people are unhappy and being treated like second class citizens or their land is completely war-torn. Now, you might be thinking, why are they helping this new king (who wants to follow in the footsteps of his dad) gain immeasurable magic power? Apparently, they were also friends with him when they were young and he's a pretty chill dude, so why not?

Lorelei is the only one not part of this friend group, so you'd think that'd she'd be the one to see all the reprocussions that could occur if their expedition succeeds. In the beginning, she says something gross about admiring the former emperor. It felt like she was trying to be the exception from the other Yeva. Toward the middle, we got her wisening up to the king sucking and being openly willing to throw her and her people under the bus. And I was like, yes, finally! We're getting somewhere! But nope, we weren't. The best we got was "Well, at least if I do this for the king, he'll keep me by his side, so I'll be safe, and maybe I could suggest he be fairer to my people." And that's good enough for Lorelei and Sylvia apparently.

When met with people and plans that sought to diminish the king's control, they painted the revolutionaries as bad guys for wanting to free their countries and protect their cultures. The only reasoning behind it was "it might cause more war," as if the kingdom they're helping wasn't the one that started it all off.

What did I like about this book? The magic had so much potential. Water, as a thread connecting all life, was an excellent choice for the source of magic. I liked the little folktale interjections, even though they occasionally took me out of the moment. The creatures were fun to learn about. I wish each of the cast's main areas of study was explored more since studying magic is a fascinating topic to me. This book was best when it was magical, but Allison Saft bit off more than she could chew and let it fall by the wayside in order to cram in all those half-baked dramatic plots.

Shoutout to the murderer, cause at least they had the balls to do something and not perpetuate the awful status quo.

[Jeannine · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's an Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade* retelling, but Indy is a miserable, self-loathing, woman living in a Jewish ghetto. Sprinkle in Saft's usual tactic of renaming religions and countries (while not bothering to rename some people or practices), a bit of purple prose, and you have this book. Suffice it to say, this is the review of someone disappointed by a lack of subtlety and poor world building.

First of all, getting approved for the ARC of this book many months ago made me read the author's backlist. I found the repetitive use of the same world-building lazy. If Saft had created one world for all of her books and each showed different characters existing in it, that might have been interesting. Instead, we have certain aspects reused in every book (Catholics, Jews, and Protestants, but with different names), but in a "new" world. I think someone who doesn't know historical events might find these books interesting, but I don't think people who know history will feel the same way.

For this review, I'm not going to use the words Saft gave established people and places. The Jewish people are called Yevani in this story (most likely a reference to Yevanic). They are living in a ghetto in a kingdom ruled by Wilhelm, who is obsessed with unification. So we're getting a mash up of WW1 and WW2 here. Some of Wilhelm's people are "hounds" who are clearly playing the role of the Nazis in this story. The Albisch people are the Catholics and they're a bit of a wild card, as they aren't persecuted like the Jews, but are lower status in the society. The only aspect totally made up was the magic system, which wasn't fully defined. It's like a child attempted world-building, thinking they were being deep and not realizing that it came off as shallow and simplistic.

Lorelei, the main character, is a selfish, self-loathing, miserable scholar living in the Jewish ghetto. She's part of a group of academics, but is on the outside as the rest of them are either from the mainstream cultural group or have submitted to it. She despises everyone, including Silvia, the sweet and ethereal Catholic naturalist. Lorelei has navigated many traumas, but she's as negative and selfish at the end as at the beginning, which isn't the most satisfying character arc. She reaps a reward for the result of the mission, but the Jewish people are still in the ghetto at the end.

The overall story is that scholars have a mission to find a magical spring that will give Wilhelm power. Each scholar used their academic specialty to help identify where to look. Lorelei's specialty is folklore, though we randomly learn that she didn't even want to study that. This revelation doesn't serve the plot and her interest in other things is never resolved. Folk tales are thrown into the story in a haphazard way. Sometimes they are new, sometimes they are tales you'd recognize (The Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm, for example). There are a few parts where you must suspend your disbelief or forget what you just read. For example, after some treacherous rock climbing, a character has their pack with tent, furs (to sleep on), and a sword on them. At another point, a character's hands are injured and useless, but they then are able to take off clothes one scene later.

Regarding the romance here, it feels shoehorned in. Lorelei loathes herself and the others...until close to the end, when she very suddenly likes the aforementioned Silvia. Silvia likes Lorelei all along, no matter how nasty Lorelei is to her. It would have been so easy to make Lorelei prickly with the rest of the group and let her guard down with Silvia, who is also part of a marginalized group (though one that isn't persecuted the way Lorelei's is).


*There was a point when I was thinking I had to be mistaken about The Last Crusade aspect of this story, but the use of the word "penitent" in the cavern scene when they find the spring sealed it. That word is critical to the movie.

Reviews are for readers. I received an advanced copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[mina reads™️]

DNF at 35%

I really did give this the ol college try but it just is not grabbing my attention whatsoever. Conceptually it’s an interesting narrative but Lorelei internal monologue is dull as dishwater to me and life’s too short to push through a read that’s not entertaining me.

[aimee (aimeecanread) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm genuinely so confused how A Far Wilder Magic is still my favorite book of 2024, while Saft's other books have been 3 stars-and-below reads for me. 😭

2.5. Hopes were HIGH for this one, but the characters were A LOT to deal with, and there was way too much telling than showing here. I might've enjoyed this as a movie, but as a book? It required more brain cells than it was worth.

[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ . · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

this was my first book of the year AND first book by allison saft and it did not disappoint! a whimsical, dark, and atmospheric read w sapphic academic rivals to lovers, a murder mystery, political machinations, and magic.

“You're like something out of a nightmare.”
And you, Lorelei thought dispairingly, are resplendent.

brooding, sharp-tongued folklorist lorelei embarks on an expedition with her rival aboard, the bubbly, vivacious sylvia von wolff. when their mentor is murdered, lorelei must balance handling her precarious role navigating strange, mystical lands while trying to uncover the murderer.

“You saved me,” Sylvia said. “Again.”
“You still sound surprised.”

“You’re awful.”
“I’m aware.”

the banter between lorelei & sylvia is delightful and the romance builds well, but my focus was really on lorelei. thinly coded as jewish, she faces intense prejudice from the world around her and is constantly reminded of the danger in the very folktales she specializes in and loves. in a genre that has had many famous books that contain antisemitic tropes (goblins, witches, etc.), it’s refreshing as a jewish reader to see a jewish protagonist take the spotlight while dealing with these issues.

i felt quite connected to lorelei, who wields her wit as a weapon to protect herself, only amplified by the pressure she’s under. though there are numerous sunshine x grumpy stories, we rarely get the grumpy character as the sole POV. i loved lorelei and all her viciousness because i could see how she wore it as her armor.

“Don’t delude yourself. People like me don’t win the princess’s heart.”
“They’re just stories, Lorelei.” Sylvia’s voice frayed. “You must stop taking them so seriously.”
“You and I know very well that they’re not.”

i love saft’s writing. it’s a slower pace story, but i enjoy that; you’re really meant to sit and savor the tale and take in all its lush details.
this was the perfect book to start off what’s so far been a great year of reading!

Maybe, just this once, she could be the hero of a story like this. Maybe, just maybe, there was a happily ever after waiting for her on the other side of this nightmare.

an honest arc review ♡
_________________________________

jewish sapphic academia rivals to lovers with dragons?

i'm SAT.

[Greekchoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dark and Drowning Tide delivered the sweetest love story, a tempest of a main character, and the most beautiful descriptions of landscapes to distract me from how Allison Saft cannot politick her way out of a paper bag. I forgive her. 3.5/5 stars

[rêverie]

gothic lesbians ftw

[Maeghan 🦋 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allison Saft has a magical and poetical writing. I’ve read a lot of her books and came to that same conclusion with each of them.

Sadly, this story didn’t speak to me. I loved the gothic and dark vibes (perfect Autumn read) - but I knew who the culprit was from the start. So the big reveal was extremely underwhelming.

In addition, it was definitely hard to be in Lorelei’s head. She was selfish and narrow minded. It would’ve helped to visit other POVs.

I love sapphic romances and we don’t get enough in fantasy. Especially main love interests. That being said - believe me when I say no one deserved Sylvia. She was my definition of perfection. I would’ve given up everything for her.

•« You’re like something out of a nightmare ». And you, thought Lorelei despairingly, are resplendent •

[Mariana ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

what a waste of 2 beautiful covers…



Well. This book was boring as shit. I literally couldn’t get into this goddamn book. It was so slow-paced and tedious that I had to give up and DNF at page 153 / 41%. 🫥

The book starts off with an insane amount of exposition. The story kept getting interrupted so we could learn about some random folk tale, which made sense since Lorelei was a folklorist. However, since the plot literally wasn’t moving, these constant interruptions to the very few bits of plot we were actually getting just felt *annoying*. Like, what do you MEEEEAN nothing’s been happening for 30 pages and once something FINALLY starts happening you decide to interrupt it to tell me about some random tale about an old peasant? I don’t care! Just get to the plot already! I’m BEGGING!!! 😫😫😫

Instead of feeling like an interesting way to expand on this world, these folk tales felt like bloating, and became really annoying because there’d be MULTIPLE unnecessary folk tales and just a teeny tiny fraction of plot. It should be the other way around, babe. 🫤 Also, a better way to make the reader understand this world would’ve been a map. This book desperately needed a map.

Let’s talk about the plot (or lack thereof). This is supposed to be a murder mystery. It takes 70 pages for the murder to actually happen, and that first chunk of the book was insanely boring, but whatever. I hoped that at least once we got into the murder mystery the book would actually start to get interesting…….. Yeah…. No…. 🤡🤡🤡

Pretty much nothing, and I mean NOTHING happens in regards to the murder mystery. There is no sleuthing, no investigating, there’s barely even any FEAR from the MC, which is ridiculous, given the fact that THERE’S A MURDERER AMONG YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! Slight spoilers, but on page 107 someone tries to kill Lorelei, and she STILL doesn’t care about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🤡💀🤡💀🤡💀 I thought this would make her finally start doing SOMETHING in regards to the murder, but nope! On page 117 she finds a button in her room (possibly the killer’s?!); all she does is ask 1 person if it’s theirs, they say it isn’t, and she never thinks about it again. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I read 150+ pages of this goddamn book, and Lorelei NEVER cared about the fact that there is a murderer in her group (that already killed someone, and that literally tried to kill HER). She isn’t scared, she doesn’t investigate, she doesn’t spy on anyone, there’s no sleuthing, no urgency, no stakes. There is NOTHING. Pretty much nothing happens for 150+ pages. It’s insane! And how do you expect me to care about this murder mystery when the next victim herself doesn’t seem to give a shit? 🤡 Absolutely dreadful.

This author has managed to write 2 terrible “murder mysteries” (this one and “Down Comes the Night”), and at this point I am BEGGING her to never attempt it ever again.



Now let’s talk about the relationships. I found the relationships really weird. Ziegler was supposed to be Lorelei’s mentor. She’s known Lorelei for a really long time and literally changed her life, giving Lorelei an opportunity to get a much better life. However, when Ziegler is murdered, Lorelei barely even cares…??? Not only does she not care at all about finding the killer, she also doesn’t seem affected by finding her mentor’s body. She’s barely even sad, and she rarely thinks about this great loss she just suffered.

At some point she says “I am still in mourning”, and I thought *FINALLY*! Lorelei is FINALLY gonna show some emotion about Ziegler’s death! But nope! She continues her sentence, and she actually means “I am still in mourning about our equipment.” (because they’d lost their equipment earlier)…………………………….. I’m sorry, but what the fuck? It’s been like, 1 day since you found this person who supposedly means so much to you MURDERED, and yet you don’t even THINK about her??? What is this?? I genuinely don’t understand it! Is it supposed to show that Lorelei is a sociopath? That she literally doesn’t care about the death of her close ones? I’m genuinely asking…

Lorelei and Sylvia’s relationship was also quite strange. From the very beginning Lorelei is clearly attracted to Sylvia (mentioning “an emotion she preferred not to name” when she looked at her, feeling flustered when they talk, wanting to touch her hair, looking at Sylvia’s lips, etc.). I personally would rather see this attraction develop, rather than have a previously established crush already, but whatever.

What I really didn’t get about Lorelei and Sylvia’s relationship was their hatred for each other. It just didn’t make any sense to me. 😐 Even when it was explained, it made no sense. Lorelei hates Sylvia because she’s smart and cheerful… or something???? It was genuinely so ridiculous I couldn’t even keep track. And I never understood why Sylvia hated Lorelei. Maybe it’s because Lorelei was always rude to Sylvia for no reason, though.

At some point Lorelei really angered Sylvia and refused to do what she *begged*, yet the scene ended with Lorelei saying Sylvia is the only person she can trust… Why??? I genuinely don’t get it 😭. Why was Lorelei being so mean to her only ally, then? It just felt so confusing… Their relationship was just really poorly established, and straight up nonsensical at points.

The main relationships just felt so bizarre. Ziegler was Lorelei’s mentor for YEARS and literally changed her life for the better, yet Lorelei doesn’t feel a thing when she dies. Lorelei hates Sylvia for petty reasons and thinks the worst of her, yet she has a crush on her and says Sylvia is the only person she can trust… It just made no sense. 🫥🫥🫥 The relationships felt completely contradictory. The author should’ve tried to make these relationships make some semblance of sense.

I won’t even go into the side characters because they were mostly irrelevant. In a murder mystery you usually learn about the SCs (aka the suspects) when the MC is investigating, and therefore learning more about them. However, since there’s no investigating in this book, the SCs end up being just glorified decorations for the story. They’re just there. They dislike the MC (everyone does lol, and I kinda do too – it’s incredibly frustrating to follow a MC who doesn’t do anything), and that’s about it. What we learn about the SCs is completely irrelevant, since no one’s trying to find out who the murderer is. They were pointless.



Long story short, this book was incredibly dull, slow-paced and made very little sense, especially when it came to the MC’s emotions (or lack thereof) about the murder and her main relationships. Perhaps the book gets better in the 2nd half, but I won’t torture myself any longer. Shoutout to everyone who managed to get through this slog.

[talia ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this cover might be the most beautiful thing i have ever seen with my own two eyes

[nini · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Dark and Drowning Tide saw the untapped potential of Sapphic Romantasies and finally thrust open the door to whimsical, fantasy-heavy stories of lesbian knights and magic. Indeed, Saft’s idea and general plot felt like a breath of fresh air, gearing up to compete with straight romatasy novels and even holding its own against the genre’s colossi (not that it is such an impossible task). The queer representation, too, was wholly refreshing, portraying the two main characters without relying on stereotypes, but, rather, placing a lot of importance in their fluid gender expression and fully abandoning heteronormative portrayals—for example, in this novel, Sylvia, the femme co-protagonist, has all the innate traits of a brave and honorable knight, adept with her sword and combat skills, while the masc character is more of an avid academic, whose strength lies in their mind and their magic.

Furthermore, the narrative seemed to be brimming with potential: part quest, part murder mystery, with a specific attention to the power of folktales and a political intrigue undertone (we will be unfortunately circling back to this shortly). The cast of characters, as well, looked to be promising: a motley team of six academics (most of which noblemen from one of the five regions of the newly unified country of Brunnestaad), all with very conflicting personalities and hidden political beliefs (while outwardly putting up a front of support and loyalty to the unified crown). It’s in this arena that our protagonist (in whose head the reader is stuck in for the entirety of the novel), Lorelei, gets involved in; what precludes her from being wholly accepted by the elitist members of the expedition is her otherness, which is apparent and scorned as her appearance and name betray her ethnicity: indeed, Lorelei is Yevani—this world’s fantasy equivalent of Jewishness—and, therefore, not only is she supposed to be relegated to Ruhigburg’s (the capital of the kingdom) Yevanverte (the Jewish ghetto), but is also feared and abhorred for her identity. In this respect, here is where one of the book’s outermost conflicts lie: A Dark and Drowning Tide is, indeed, a (not so) veiled exploration of antisemitism and prejudice, delving in the tragedy of having to be precluded from all manners of life outside of the ghetto and fighting tooth and nail to survive. Indeed, throughout the book, Lorelei struggles with being used as a scapegoat, being outwardly denied access to all manners of establishments, and being distrusted and hate-crimed by everyone, even her own research team. She, herself, having been raised in such a situation, displays a staggering level of self-hatred and recrimination, sentiments that are only partially addressed and deconstructed throughout the novel. Despite this fantasy device having been employed plenty of times as an apologue for historical Jewish struggles, Saft’s take felt original and like a powerful reclamation. Despite this, it has to be said that, especially in the latter part of the novel, the genuine exploration of antisemitism gave way to a much more muddy and individualistic narrative of personal freedoms and self-redeemings, rather than the impassioned denunciation of the early novel. Indeed, though Lorelei struggles openly with the injustices that befell her own people, in the end, she happily takes her own freedom and conveniently forgets that nothing has truly changed for those that, unlike her, have not embarked in an extraordinary feat. Indeed, the very end of the novel shows her living outside the ghetto, but forgets to mention or even cast its look to the rest of the Yevani, who we must assume have in no way been liberated, remaining disenfranchised and persecuted while Lorelei walks free, accomplished and happy.

Herein lies one of the biggest issues of this book: the fact that Saft refuses to properly commit and carry out anything more than what is superficially shown to the reader. She does not deliver on her characters’ desires and aspirations (Lorelei, who initially joins the expedition to gain the king’s favor and free her people, stops short of doing just that and finds herself contented with her own freedom as the king’s lackey, and Ludwig, who desperately sought out lands and titles gives up the pursuit for no reason whatsoever and last we know of him he is perfectly happy being an academic with no explanation for his change of heart), but she also doesn’t fully commit to her narration and logical cause-effect relationships: starting with the absolute lack of effort put into the worldbuilding, in which every aspect (except the magic) is a 1:1 scale model of imperial Germany disguised with mere different names unconcernedly glued on. The narration, too, sometimes suffers from this half-hearted curse, causing massive rifts in the immersion and requiring a lot of suspension of disbelief, because of the author’s predilection for running changes (such as when the reader is told that Character A cannot have gone far, because he left his tarp where they’ve all made camp, but later on in the novel said Character A is discovered in a remote location, sheltered in his tarp… you know, the one we were told he had left behind? Or when the reader is told that the party has lost most of its equipment and luggage at the bottom of a lake, but then everyone still has their backpacks and clothes and instrumentation) or leaps in logic (such as when one Character B takes off their jacket to be able to properly dive into an underwater cave, while still keeping on the backpack that conveniently later on holds furs, FURS, a change of clothes and all the requisites to make yet another tent).

Despite all of this and the elementary revelations, the book proved to be a pleasant read, magnified by the lovable dynamic between Lorelei and Sylvia: their banter is quick-witted and compelling, their interaction are hilariously entertaining and, together, they hold their scenes perfectly, immediately grabbing the spotlight whenever they’re made to work unitedly. In this aspect, A Dark and Drowning Tide succeeds in what many sapphic novels fail: their relationship unapologetically drives the story, without sparing any thought to any discourses regarding their sexual identity, the slow burn isn’t there because they’re lesbians and it’s forbidden, rather, because they’re two giant idiots. Furthermore, Saft doesn’t shy away from making her characters unpleasant and difficult, forgoing all propriety and decency that is oftentimes conventionally expected from female characters.

It is especially because of this, that I found the choice of villain(s), events and consequent denouement of the story so sourly disappointing. Indeed, it is now time to talk about the aforementioned political undertones of this novel: this book’s uttermost sore point (one that, in this past year especially, cannot be overlooked or done away with a slap on the back) is, to me, the fact that it reads as openly pro-colonization in the name of choosing the “lesser-of-two-evils” because that would “maintain peace”. Matter-of-factly, this very reasoning is at the base of the king’s initial call to action that brings about the pivotal quest: in the wake of major annexations (that the book discusses as “unifications of the kingdom”, but the reader later on discovers that it’s more so a matter of conquest and subjugation), the king seeks out a power (called the Ursprung, the source and origin of all magic) that will make him so powerful that no one will be able to challenge his reign and, therefore, will allow him to stabilize (yes, this is the term chosen) the regions (yes, the author is, of course, American). The reader, of course, isn’t presented the matter in these terms, instead, they’re fed a much mellower narrative of a desperate king who wants to protect his justly secured reign from outside attacks. As Lorelei, and thus the reader, slowly uncover the truth about this endeavor, I wholeheartedly expected the story to take on a more proactive condemnation of the task, even going so far as to hinder the expedition and this plan. Instead, while recognizing the threat and danger of delivering such a weapon to what essentially is an imperialist, both Lorelei and Sylvia convene that the king possessing such a tool would be much better than assassinating him and rendering independent the new annexed regions, because that would cause unrest, and unrest is dangerous—indeed, in one instance, Sylvia jumps on a stage and speaks to a crowd of what, had Brunnestaad not colonized her country, would have been her subjects, and essentially propagandizes the importance of following the king, because only by remaining under his rule will they find peace, prosperity and (wait for it) civility .

Essentially, then, the major conflict of this story rests on the fact that, among the six-party expedition, there is one (or more) people trying to sabotage it to not surrender Brunnestaad’s regions to this enforced and coerced unity. The crux of the conundrum, thus, lies here: while Lorelei and Sylvia admit that the king isn’t a good person and his quest for absolute power is concerning, they argue that sacrificing everyone’s freedom is definitely better than a civil war/war for independence essentially dubbing it the “lesser of two evils” (it is thus a true mockery when, very quickly in the epilogue, the author lets us know that some civil wars still happened, but they were quashed quickly so that is what matters)—going even so far as to killing two of their companions (one of which we indeed discover to have been planning to assassinate the king and extricate her country from the empire) to ensure this plan—and while the narration doesn’t technically vilify the character trying to liberate their country from colonization, it also very clearly offers a skewed assessment of imperialism. But, let me make this clear: in no world, no time, no context, can colonialist subjugation ever be the better option between two and, I believe, that such a position (be it unintentional, which I think it must have been, given the author’s stance on certain political issues) warrants a much-needed reassessment of one’s own worldview, positions and indoctrinations. In the end, I believe that Saft’s blunder was caused by her inability to properly delve in the complexities that such a discussion requires, choosing to instead maintain the topic at surface-level and wanting to quickly resolve it. It completely ruined the book for me, because an ending such as this, where the characters (even though we’re made to believe that their hands were tied by a, very very very invisble force) essentially quell all the options for dissent of multiple regions, does not warrant even a bitter-sweet ending, let alone a happy one. Instead, this is exactly what we get! Lorelei and Sylvia are in love and this is what matters, please ignore all the people still in the Jewish ghetto, please ignore the two colonized countries, please ignore that now the king has a weapon of mass destruction. Please ignore that all of this has been the price for their happiness.

And maybe some people might be happy to ignore these glaring issues in message and theme to enjoy the wholesome and well written romance (one which the sapphic community dearly deserved), citing that “it is not that deep”, but I think it is. If an author does not have the bandwidth to properly write about political issues, then they should not write about political issues, it’s that simple. It wouldn’t have been difficult to make the villain of the story someone else, wouldn’t have been difficult to write the same story without these appalling implications and yet, somehow, they ended up here and it genuinely soured the experience for me. To me, my enjoyment of everything else wasn’t worth it.

But, sure, love live the lesbians, I guess.

“By the time King Willhelm is through, this country will be ruined. Whatever influence you have will be gone. What culture you cherish will be diluted when we are all forced to assimilate. Some of us will be snuffed out entirely. Open your eyes. We are relics already. Can you bring yourself to hasten our demise?”

My thanks to NetGalley & Daphne Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Laurens.Little.Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

Beautifully written, deeply atmospheric, this is very much so a “me” book 🫶🏼

ADADT is a novel about the characters operating within a larger political landscape, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the lack of detail into all that politicking irked some readers.

If you want my two cents, the book would have benefited from a more thorough exploration, simply by spending more time with the characters, perhaps expanding the novel into a duology instead.

Even still, this is a story that deals in subtleties, especially in its Jewish representation. Anyone familiar with my reviews knows I dislike heavy-handed authors; the ones who don’t trust the reader to be smart enough to pick up what they’re putting down. Saft has faith in her reader to note what she’s trying to achieve without bashing our heads in about—and I appreciate that immensely.

In terms of the romance? Good lord, this is a good one. The frustration-cum-yearning unfurls at just the right pace, with the perfect amount of woeful insight into her own feelings (on the part of Lorelei) for the reader to fall in love along with her.

Many a romance featuring an academically-brilliant FMC have trounce right across the line of believability and left me groaning in aggravation. Because surely she can’t be THAT stupid?

Well, there’s none of that here.

Once again, it’s Saft’s subtle touch that saves the day.

[✮demi✮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️
In a nutshell: so I really really loved the whimsical vibes but i feel like the plot wasn't executed very well because of the confusing worldbuilding. I think I would have loved this if it made more sense but I barely understood what was going on! Howeverrrr, the characters were well written except idk, to me it seemed like Lorelai and Sylvia acted more like teens rather than mature adults. I somewhat liked this but it really fell flat.
Overall, it was okay but the worldbuilding was my main issue.

(and on a side note, the cover is gorgeous)

[Evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Brend · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trust me; no one's sadder than me about this

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkly beautiful and so richly alive with folklore that the pages almost seem to breathe. This is a murder mystery, a political fantasy, and an epic quest all swirled up together and set against a backdrop of quaint yet sinister towns, forests that move around at night, and remote, glittering icy locales.

The slow-burn sapphic academic rivals to lovers arc is just to die for. Lorelei was a very tenderly realized prickly character, and her growth happens in ways that feel so organic and believable. I was obsessed with her, and with the ethereal, idealistic Sylvia; I actually really wish we had gotten Sylvia's POV as well, particularly for a handful of specific scenes. I really feel like if that had been integrated it would have elevated this from a four to a five star book for me personally. I'm a huge sucker for some yearning, some angst, some unrequited love, and I just KNOW Sylvia was yearning up a storm while we were glued to the POV of the clueless character who keeps her emotions super locked down.

I'm left with a hint of wanting more at the end of the story, particularly from the geopolitics of this world - I finished the book thinking, "surely we can't leave things here???" If Saft ever decided to write a sequel, I think that this story is primed for one; but I also recognize that that isn't really her style. This isn't a book where every wrong will be righted, every bad person punished, every social injustice neatly eliminated by the end of the novel. It's a story about people surviving and finding a way to be happy the best they can in a hostile, imperfect world.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

arc copy provided in exchange for an honest review

this was so gorgeous!! i cannot emphasise enough the beauty of allison saft's writing (though that surprises no one, she's never let us down). this was such a stunning fairytale type story, with a really unique mythology and magic, and the most insane academic rivals to lovers sapphic relationship.

"back in the days when wishes still held power..."

i really enjoyed this world with all its heavy folklore aspects - it was well formed, interesting, and such fun to read. the plethora of fascinating creatures and clever little stories were so well interwoven into the novel, and i honestly wanted to know more about all the unique beasts and critters. please write a little compendium, allison saft!

"this place had made lorelei into a viper, and if she should go down, she would go down hissing like one."

i also adored these characters. lorelei was angry and sometimes rude, she was brusque and trusted no one, but she had so many reasons to be that way. it broke my heart to see her and her people beaten down time and time again, and i thought her character was really well-written. i loved seeing lorelei slowly open up and begin to trust people (sylvia) more, she deserves the world!

and sylvia... my little angel. just a ball of happiness and fluff - sylvia always looked on the bright side, and trusted in everyone, to almost a concerning level. get this girl some street smarts! some suspicion! she always tried to treat lorelei with kindness, despite sometimes receiving... not kindness. and honestly, i loved her full obsession with lorelei. their obsession with each other, really! their rivals to lovers relationship was so gorgeous and all-consuming, and i want more of it!!

"that night, as she did every night, she dreamed of drowning. only that time, in the exquisite and unbearable sweetness of sylvia von wolff's eyes."

thank you so much to netgalley, and the author and publisher for the arc copy!

~~~

pre-read review: I GOT THE ARC RAHHHH i’m unstoppable now. i am SO excited, sapphic academic rivals to lovers by allison saft??? INSANE