A review by ellelainey
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft

5.0

  ** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

 Copy received through Netgalley 

 ~ 

 A Dark and Drowning Tide, by Allison Saft 

★★★★★ 

 384 Pages 

 3rd person, single character POV 

 Content Warning: mild violence, references to anti-Semitic behaviour, murder and assault 

 Themes: rich v poor, rivals, murder mystery, fade to black, grumpy x sunshine, pining, betrayal, politics 

 A Dark and Drowning Tide is one of my favourite novels of the year. 

 The novel is an incredible standalone novel where folktales come to life. Told in 4 parts, it follows Lorelai – a young, brash academic who strives to prove herself in a world that looks down on her. The novel has a constant theme of the Yeva people being persecuted and mistreated, segregated and treated like criminals by most people of the kingdom, Brunnestaad. 

 The Yeva people have a strong – though not blatantly stated, although Lorelai is mentioned as being of Jewish faith – resemblance to Jewish people and how they were mistreated in the past. The Yeva live in a segregated community together, afraid to leave for fear of violence, sew identifying symbols onto their cloaks etc. This may be triggering for some readers, as it's a running theme of the novel. 

 Due to this, Lorelai is the underdog – a Yeva amongst enemies and people who might hurt her – but also haunted by her past. Ziegler is her mention, an academic at the university and the only person who has ever seen potential in Lorelai. 

 When King Wilhelm asks his most trusted friends – Johann, Heike, Adelheid, Ludwig and Sylvia – to find a magical pool, the Ursprung, he places Ziegler in charge. And she chooses Lorelai to be her second in command, much to the chagrin of the others in the expedition. The five friends have known and worked with each other for years, leaving Lorelai the outsider, so when the first leg of their journey begins with Ziegler being murdered aboard a ship, it's up to Lorelai to investigate the friends. 

 The only one she can trust is Sylvia – the beautiful, flighty, fairylike princess who has been her academic arch-nemesis for years! 

 The novel is a blend of familiar folklore traditions and a unique, complex world, built from the ground up. Most – though sadly not all – terms are well explained, at the right time, making it easier to understand and follow the world that was unfolding page by page. 

 The plot, strength of characters and style of writing – NOT the same, just giving me the same vibe – remind me of Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy and Ellen Kushner's Tremontaine series. All three are eloquently written, with a vast, unique, well explored world and a hint of whimsical magic, with an added mystery to solve. 

 There are limited suspects to the murder, but there's a constant undercurrent of malevolence, danger and a simmering heat of romance and rivalry between Lorelai and Sylvia. The romance is a definite slow burn – the first kiss is at 70% – and surprised me by going from sizzling attraction and chemistry to fade-to-black quite suddenly. 

 In terms of the mystery, there was a constant tension and suspicion between all the characters. All of the suspects felt plausible at some point, which made it interesting to see how they navigated each other. 

 I loved how Lorelai and Sylvia worked together to solve the murder. Even though Sylvia had grown up with the others, she knew Lorelai would never hurt her beloved mentor and helped support her. Despite being Yeva – who the others all looked down on and hated taking orders from, making the perfect scapegoat for them – Sylvia stands by Lorelai the entire way. 

 I loved their chemistry and how the tension between them slowly morphed from frustration and annoyance to romance and attraction. 

 The novel had the perfect ending, though it came suddenly, within a short space of time. I would definitely read the author again. 

 ~ 

 Favourite Quotes 

 “I'll keep you safe.” 

 Lorelai's heart thudded too fast in her chest. For the first time in five years, Sylvia had said something that shocked her beyond words, beyond derision. She didn't think she'd ever heard those words before in all her life.” 

 “All of them were haunted women. Violence had broken and reforged them, and the sharp edges it left behind made them dangerous.”