A Dark & Drowning Tide: Characters, spice, triggers & review
A Dark and Drowning Tide synopsis/summary:
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.
A Dark and Drowning Tide characters.
Our female main character (FMC) is named Lorelai Kaskel, and A Dark and Drowning Tide is narrated in third-person from her perspective. The secondary main character is Sylvia Von Wolff, and Lorelai’s rival-turned-reluctant ally and possibly something more. Here is the full A Dark and Drowning Tide character list:
Main protagonists.
Lorelai Kaskel, the folklorist
Sylvia von Wolff, the naturalist
Other characters.
Johann zu Wittelsbach, hero of the Battle of Neide and medic
Heike van der Kaas, the expedition’s astronomer and navigator
Adelheid de Mohl, the thaumotologist
Ludwig von Meyer, the botanist
King Wilhelm II
Herr Professor Ingrid Ziegler, leader of the Ruhigburg Expedition
Anja von Wolff
Aaron Kaskel (mentioned)
Emma (captain)
Emilia
A Dark and Drowning Tide book review.
My rating: ★★★★★
Spice level: 0.5
0.5/5, slow-burn, mild spice
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.
View my review on GoodReads here!
A Dark and Drowning Tide book FAQs.
SPOILER ALERT:
Some answers may spoil A Dark and Drowning Tide if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution.
What are the content & trigger warnings for A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft?
Blood and gore
Bullying and threats
Violence
Child death
Complicated family relationships
Fantasy animal death
Anti- Semitism
Xenophobia
Toxic friendships
Injury and injury details
Body horror
War themes
Classism
Hate crime
Grief
Colonisation
Panic attacks
Is A Dark and Drowning Tide standalone?
Yes, A Dark and Drowning Tide is a standalone sapphic fantasy romance with folklore and a murder mystery.
What is A Dark and Drowning Tide’s age rating?
A Dark and Drowning Tide is an adult fantasy so roughly aimed at readers above 20+ and features characters older than 20 years old.
Is A Dark and Drowning Tide spicy?
A Dark and Drowning Tide has a steamy scene or two but they aren’t detailed explicitly.
Spice level: 🌶
0.5/5, mild.
What is the spicy chapter in A Dark and Drowning Tide?
You can find the mildly spicy scene of A Dark and Drowning Tide in Chapter 25.
