A Dark and Drowning Tide: A Novel
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • 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.
“Clever, emotional, and gorgeous—at its core, this is a story about the healing capacity of love.”—Ava Reid, author of Juniper & Thorn
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 in order to secure his reign over the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come true: to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she’s only 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 the 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 dark: forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons hiding 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 each other—they discover that their leader had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, and if this kingdom is worth saving at all.
“Clever, emotional, and gorgeous—at its core, this is a story about the healing capacity of love.”—Ava Reid, author of Juniper & Thorn
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 in order to secure his reign over the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come true: to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she’s only 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 the 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 dark: forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons hiding 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 each other—they discover that their leader had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, and if this kingdom is worth saving at all.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
I didn’t hate this one but I didn’t love it either. For me it was a bit challenging to envision most of the settings. Only a few parts came to life for me. I didn’t feel overly immersed in this one as opposed to other Fantasy I’ve read. I liked it but definitely not a memorable read or story for me.
For me this was like the author bought a bunch of ingredients that could have made a great dish, but nothing was seasoned or cooked properly and it just kind of tastes like bitter mush. If you like mean lesbians who have no character growth, grumpy + sunshine pairings where neither have any nuance, dark academia: backpacking edition that feels as immersive as a puddle, extremely thin allegories, and a gaggle of uninteresting interchangeable characters, then this will hit the spot. Jokes aside, I feel like there will be plenty of people who enjoy this who aren't as character-driven of a reader as I am. I could not make myself care about the main character and her straight line of starting the book as a broody jerk and finishing the book as a broody jerk, and her perception of every other character is so narrow and unforgiving that I couldn't latch onto anyone or anything to keep my attention. Despite excellent narrator Saskia Maarleveld's efforts, I felt like my mind was constantly wandering away from the book. 3 Stars because I think there was potential and I think there will be an audience for it and I'm happy for those readers, but I personally didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped.
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Colonisation, and War
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Colonisation, and War
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.