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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It was going to be 4 or higher but then I got to the end. Not in a ‘Oh I’m sad it’s over’ way, more so in a ‘…huh?’ kind of way. The book overall was endearing, I wish more had been elaborated with the plot I will say. As much as I love Lorelei and Sylvia I would’ve also liked to have been more attached to the world they were in to some degree. The ending felt kinda rushed, it also kind of felt like a cop out to me I don’t know. I enjoyed it, it was a sweet read just wished it felt more… full?
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoyed most of the book. I found their expedition compelling and I enjoyed the aspects of mystery. Lorelei was an interesting protagonist, and I enjoyed the romance as well. However, the ending was hard for me. To go through all of the hardships of the expedition, and have almost half of the crew die, to then chose to remain loyal to Wilhelm didn't make a ton of sense to me. They took their positions of power to keep the kingdom together, but it honestly felt more like self preservation. I think it also took away from Lorelei's growth, when she spent a lot of time learning to reconcile with the fact that her mentor hurt her relationship with her culture and family. It, to me, didn't make sense to then move away from her family to live in luxury. She also spent her entire life dreaming of being a naturalist, and then took a desk job. I think the ending was somewhat rushed, and it honestly I wish there were a sequel or something rather than ending with 'well that was rough ok everybody gets married now'. That being said, I liked Lorelei and Sylvia. Lorelei being somehow too dense to realize Sylvia loved her was kind of funny to me but also made sense for her character. I started this book mostly because the cover art is gorgeous and for the most part I enjoyed it, despite it's flaws. :)
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I often struggle with extensive world-building common in fantasy novels, but I actually found Allison Saft's A Dark and Drowning Tide quite enjoyable. It's an action-packed enemies-to-lovers tale laced with mystery and all-too-familiar dynamics of prejudice and scapegoating. If you're a romantasy fan, I'd definitely give this one a try.
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DON'T WALK, RUN TO GO BUY THIS BOOK IN SEPTEMBER
Delicious, lyrical prose
Vivid, richly-layered characters
Incredibly unique magic system
Deeply atmospheric
Chock FULL of faeries
Several twists
With a magical murder mystery?!
AND THEN SYLVIA FREAKIN VON WOLF
Sylvia is the type of character that I have been scouring the fantasy genre for; She's wildly passionate, kindhearted and selfless, utterly charming and lovable, and yet still incredibly tough and strong-willed. She sees the world with so much wonder, and believes in the good in everyone. I love her sm.
And thank god the author put Sylvia in this book to balance out grumpy, lack-of-emotional intelligence Lorelei. I felt so connected, and in love with Sylvia, that anytime Lorelei would speak to her in that nasty, pig-headed way, my anger would flare right up haha. I couldn't stand Lorelei throughout most of the book (although that was kind of the point). But then the ending was so beautiful and perfect, I forgave Lorelei, and cried my little eyes out.
I felt enchanted, heartwarmed, entertained, and on the edge of my seat throughout this entire tale. Thank you so much Allison Saft for putting this into existence.
**arc copy received from netgalley
Delicious, lyrical prose
Vivid, richly-layered characters
Incredibly unique magic system
Deeply atmospheric
Chock FULL of faeries
Several twists
With a magical murder mystery?!
AND THEN SYLVIA FREAKIN VON WOLF
Sylvia is the type of character that I have been scouring the fantasy genre for; She's wildly passionate, kindhearted and selfless, utterly charming and lovable, and yet still incredibly tough and strong-willed. She sees the world with so much wonder, and believes in the good in everyone. I love her sm.
And thank god the author put Sylvia in this book to balance out grumpy, lack-of-emotional intelligence Lorelei. I felt so connected, and in love with Sylvia, that anytime Lorelei would speak to her in that nasty, pig-headed way, my anger would flare right up haha. I couldn't stand Lorelei throughout most of the book (although that was kind of the point). But then the ending was so beautiful and perfect, I forgave Lorelei, and cried my little eyes out.
I felt enchanted, heartwarmed, entertained, and on the edge of my seat throughout this entire tale. Thank you so much Allison Saft for putting this into existence.
**arc copy received from netgalley
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I am so glad I picked this book up when I did because Saft's poetic prose, gripping story, and slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance got me through one of the toughest events of my entire life this past December. I don't know what I would have done without this magical world to anchor me.
A Dark and Drowning Tide is a commentary on anti-Semitism mixed with magic, romance, and political intrigue. Saft is not subtle about what she based her story on in the least. She mixes elements from both World Wars into one fantastical tale while simultaneously including real religious practices from Catholicism and Judaism. Sometimes Saft uses the correct terms to describe the practices while other times she uses descriptions. For example, Lorelei, who is Jewish, talks about how they would normally mourn the dead by bathing, praying, and watching over the body for several nights before burial. Not once does Saft mention this is called "sitting shiva" but that is exactly what she was describing. While I am not Jewish, I am familiar enough through friends, coworkers, and previous work experience to know exactly what she was talking about, and was thankful she didn't bastardize very sacred practices in the process of telling her tale. I felt her descriptions, uses, and inclusion were done so respectfully, but as someone outside both faiths, I cannot speak with authority on this issue.
I did not mind that Saft wasn't subtle in her presentation but did sometimes find it lazy that she was unable to come up with systems and practices of her own. Others have mentioned this in their reviews as well, and I am inclined to agree. However, this wasn't enough for me to rate the book poorly. With a severe lack of media literacy, I can see why Saft would want to be as blunt as possible. I am sure we all remember just a month ago that "Books shouldn't be political." Yes...yes they should and sometimes the political aspects need to be better spelled out for people to understand. Because this book isn't spicy, I am sure the people who really need to hear this message aren't picking it up to begin with, which is an utter shame.
Despite lifting practices and history straight from reality, the magical system, world-building, and story were rather unique. The entire magic system focuses on the use of water, as water holds the magic from the original source, the Ursprung (which means 'origin' in German by the way). I absolutely adored this system as water has a tendency to hold onto things much longer than other sources. For example, spent radioactive cores are stored in pools of water because water retains radiation. I viewed the magic in A Dark and Drowning Tide as radiation being held exclusively by water. Water closer to the source contained more magic and therefore was easier to wield, while water further away was less so. I honestly wish Saft had spent more time delving into this magical system than she did and why water was the magical source and not others.
On top of an interesting magic system, the world-building was beautifully constructed, full of interesting and unique creatures. Many of these creatures were pulled directly from folklore but with a twist. I am a sucker for folk and the fact that our main character, Lorelei, is a folklorist herself sucked in me. From Saft's description of the landscape to the creatures to the plant life, I was hooked. I could fully immerse myself into this story, the images blooming across my inner eye as I read. It's not often a book sucks me in so completely, and this one certainly did.
Finally, I adored the story. I am not super into romance, let alone such tropes as enemies-to-lovers, but I felt Saft did a good job making the romance secondary to the main plot. It's a slow burn as Lorelei grapples with her feelings and the little bit of spice was tastefully done.
My only complaint is there is no real resolution at the end of the book. Everything Lorelei does is to save her people, rescue them from the ghettos, and allow them to exist free of discrimination, but there is no resolution. They are never freed, there is no talk of what is to happen to them in the future, nor are they granted full citizenship. Yes, Lorelei is free, but that's it. I was disappointed that anti-Semitism took center stage, but there was no real addressing it. We were fed crumbs when we should have been given cake. This was the biggest disappointment.
With everything that is going on in the world, A Dark and Drowning Tide is definitely a book I would recommend others pick up, especially older teens studying more recent history. Reading teaches empathy and we could all use a little more of that right now.