Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft. I’ve been looking forward to this book all year, and I’m happy to report that it delivered on my expectations.

A sharp-tongued folklorist must pair up with her academic rival to solve their mentor’s murder in this lush and enthralling 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 of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she’s only ever read about.

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 longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again—and a coup begins in earnest.

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.

***Thank you to Del Rey for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

I loved almost everything about A Dark and Drowning Tide. It had a great academic rivals-to-lovers romance paired with a magical adventure full of murder and political intrigue. The grumpy and sunshine pairing of the main romance had so much witty banter, and the two characters had such a great dynamic. I was hooked on their chemistry from the very first chapter.

The world-building in A Dark and Drowning Tide was really, really cool. I loved the inclusion of the folk tales and how they were incorporated into helping unravel the central mystery. The wide variety of magical creatures was so interesting. I really enjoyed learning about each of them. Despite the many fascinating aspects of the world, I do think this was one of the weaker elements of the story. I would have loved to see a larger focus on the academic endeavors of the team. The story and characters felt mostly academic in name only. I also wanted a bit more background on the kingdom itself. The political backdrop was very bare bones despite being an extremely important element of the story.

The writing in A Dark and Drowning Tide was beautiful. It set the tone of the story well. The descriptions were lush and completely transported me to all of the stunning locales that the characters explored. This was my first book by Saft, but it definitely won’t be my last. Her writing just kept drawing me back to the book, even when I needed to be doing other things. I can’t think of higher praise to give.

I liked the main character, Lorelai, in A Dark and Drowning Tide. She was prickly and didn’t let people close, and I enjoyed watching her learn to open herself up to Sylvia. Lorelai had her reasons for keeping people at arm’s length, though. She faced so many hardships to accomplish her dream of becoming the best folklorist. I liked that her character was used to shine a spotlight on how difficult it can be to pursue education when coming from a working-class background. She often felt like she didn’t belong at home because no one shared her interest in research and academia while also being the outcast in her school/work because she didn’t have the right pedigree. I related to that hard, as well as her obsession to work harder and be the best to compensate for her perceived shortcomings.

Overall, A Dark and Drowning Tide was an entertaining and magical adventure with writing that completely immersed me within its world. The mythical creatures and folktales were a highlight for me, as were the main character’s struggles to belong and lead her team while carrying the potential fate of her people on her shoulders. It was all very compelling. Her romance with her academic rival was just the cherry on top of a great story. Therefore, I rate A Dark and Drowning Tide 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Have you read A Dark and Drowning Tide or any of Allison Saft’s other books? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!