A Dark and Drowning Tide Book Review

If there's one thing I learned as a reader last year, it's that I love a good academic rivals-to-lovers story. Allison Saft's adult debut, A Dark and Drowning Tide, was a big part of that revelation.

Genre: NA / Adult Fantasy

Category: Epic Read

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Rating: 5/5 Stars

Plot: 5/5 stars

Characters: 5/5 stars

World: 5/5 stars

Pairings: Eiskaffee + streuselkuchen for something sweet, OR kartoffelsuppe + radler beer for a savory option.

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PLOT

Lorelai Kaskel is a folklorist on the Ruhigburg expedition. Their mission: locate the Ursprung, a legendary spring believed to be the source of all magic. When her mentor is murdered, Lorelai is trapped on a ship with the six eccentric Brunnestaad nobles who form the rest of the team. As an outsider, Lorelai is automatically suspected, which forces her to work with the one person who knows she's innocent––Sylvia, her academia rival. (More on her later)

As they work to uncover the true murder's identity and motive for sabotaging the mission, Lorelai and Sylvia traverse land and sea, fighting fae, angry mobs, curses and enchantments, political manuevers, and a constant urge to punch––or kiss––the other. Along the path to discover magic and truth, they also find inner strength, forgiveness, friendship, and more.

Some readers may have preferred a dual POV, but I think Saft made a good call keeping us in Lorelai’s mind for the entirety of the story. Her desperation and suspicion were palpable, and I was constantly oscillating between feeling frustrated by her stubbornness and giggling over her angsty pining and subsequent denial of it.

I'd say this is a medium-paced adventure, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring. I love a good who-dun-it. The romance, character development, and rich worldbuilding were just a bonus for me. I would revisit this story––it would be perfect for spookytime!

CHARACTERS

As a Yeva and aspiring naturalist in a kingdom that has oppressed her people and forced her to settle as a folklorist, Lorelai’s developed a sharpness of mind and tongue. The stories Lorelai has collected act as personal armor and compass while illuminating society's evil. Haunted by a bloody history, she is determined to use the Ruhigburg expedition to clear her name, rewrite her own story, and lift her people to a more equitable life.

Sylvia is the light to Lorelai’s dark—in both appearance and personality. She’s an optimistic dreamer whose self assurance and hero complex borders on naive and reckless. But despite her station, Sylvia has had her fair share of struggles as a soldier and a woman who is seen only for her noble blood.

Lorelai and Sylvia's rivalry, paired with their differences in background, station, and demeanor, provide plenty of ammunition for conflict, banter, and growth. They're both adorably oblivious to each others' perceptions and feelings, and the YEARNING made for an agonizing yet satisfying slow burn and ending.

The rest of the crew is a tight-knit group with mysterious histories and motives that are deeply intwined with the worldbuilding. As the plots and their stories unfold together, layers of betrayal, masks, and resentment are uncovered. I don't want to spoil anything, but some of their personalities put me in the mind of Helga from Atlantis, Drina from Alyson Noel’s Immortals series, and Madoc from Holly Black's The Folk of the Air series.

WORLD

While most of Saft’s work to this point has featured Celtic-inspired fae and lore, A Dark and Drowning Tide shifts toward Germanic stories and history. Brunnestaad reflects real world horror as Lorelai’s people are forced to live behind walls with travel restrictions and second-class citizenship.

Lorelai’s journey outside the Yevanverte takes her across dark rivers and oceans, deadly forests, snowy mountains, rural villages, mysterious islands, and underground caverns. Along the way they encounter dragons, nixies, ghostly apparitions, and even a coffee-addicted fae (is that you, Jordan?!).

I'm a sucker for dark fae and folklore, and Saft did an excellent job of weaving those aesthetics into the story. I also loved the role stories played and the blending of science and magic.

FINAL THOUGHTS / TL;DR

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a sapphic romance that is part fantasy adventure, part whodunnit murder mystery, and fully comprised of what I like think of as Saft’s signature literary blend: a grumpy cinnamon roll + sunshine pairing, immersive world-building that is heavily inspired by folklore, political unrest, and women proving people wrong.

I highly recommend this book to fans of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries, Pride and Prejudice, Disney's Atlantis, Dramione, mysteries, dark fae and folklore, and tropes like academic rivals, reluctant allies, forced proximity, only-one-tent, tending wounds, opposites attract, and ragtag teams.