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A review by woodslesbian
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I LOVE YOU OBLIVIOUS, AMBITIOUS, MEAN BUTCHES!!!!!
I was so worried I wasn't going to like this book because I was really looking forward to it (and therefore had a lot to lose) but ooooh it gave me everything I wanted!!! It really delivered on these compelling characters and especially their romance all throughout, developed through this compelling fantasy plot in a rich, fantastical world. I loved all the references to fairy tales, some I was familiar with and some I wasn't, and especially how they tied into the characters and the way they were viewed by the world at large. The magic system was also just spellbindingly beautiful, it felt simple enough to understand easily but the incorporation of fairy-type creatures really brought everything together so nicely and felt so vivid. Plus I'm always a sucker for a good love of science and the natural world, and with the way that magic was blended with naturalism in this book, I really got to be reminded of my own passion for being outside.
As I said above, I loved Lorelai as a protagonist so so so much. It always makes me feel so incredibly seen to have a butch in literally anything, much less a butch protagonist with as much depth and interest as she does. I love that she's genuinely so curmudgeonly and bothered by things easily, and I also love the way in which her defensiveness is so justified because of people's prejudice about her. With her past and her fears and her goals, she was just so deeply compelling to me and I loved getting to explore this world through her eyes--especially when it's so fun to see her be completely oblivious about her own feelings for Sylvia.
Speaking of those two, their dynamic... oooh I am so picky about any kind of rivalry, especially when it turns romantic, because it both has to feel a little justified but also has to be fun to read and not just mean, and this was absolutely the perfect balance!!! Right from the beginning, every interaction between them was just so charged and delightful to read, and the progression from their bickering to genuine openness with each other was just perfect!!! Once I got into the second half of this book it was just giving me everything I dreamed of and more, like we got homoerotic wound tending, hair brushing, ooooh they have to sleep in the same tent, and so on and so forth. Sylvia just felt like such a good balance for Lorelai's dour attitude with all of her optimism and honesty! I would read a full series more of books about these two alone just because I loved getting to spend time with them, even though I was fully satisfied by both their arcs in this standalone.
I did really like the mystery as well! I had a theory right from the beginning that turned out to be very, very wrong, but in general all the conclusions and twists felt so satisfying. Everything really came together perfectly in the way where I could look at past details and go OHHHH right!!! It also felt like the quest was genuinely tense and I never doubted the stakes of the world, especially with the (fantasy) antisemitism Lorelai faces. I tore through the last third because I was so caught up in the conclusion and what would happen to all of the characters.
I really cannot emphasize enough how much this gave me what I have been missing in terms of a standalone, Sapphic fantasy romance, with the dynamic, the worldbuilding, and the level of plot. So glad I read this!!!
I was so worried I wasn't going to like this book because I was really looking forward to it (and therefore had a lot to lose) but ooooh it gave me everything I wanted!!! It really delivered on these compelling characters and especially their romance all throughout, developed through this compelling fantasy plot in a rich, fantastical world. I loved all the references to fairy tales, some I was familiar with and some I wasn't, and especially how they tied into the characters and the way they were viewed by the world at large. The magic system was also just spellbindingly beautiful, it felt simple enough to understand easily but the incorporation of fairy-type creatures really brought everything together so nicely and felt so vivid. Plus I'm always a sucker for a good love of science and the natural world, and with the way that magic was blended with naturalism in this book, I really got to be reminded of my own passion for being outside.
As I said above, I loved Lorelai as a protagonist so so so much. It always makes me feel so incredibly seen to have a butch in literally anything, much less a butch protagonist with as much depth and interest as she does. I love that she's genuinely so curmudgeonly and bothered by things easily, and I also love the way in which her defensiveness is so justified because of people's prejudice about her. With her past and her fears and her goals, she was just so deeply compelling to me and I loved getting to explore this world through her eyes--especially when it's so fun to see her be completely oblivious about her own feelings for Sylvia.
Speaking of those two, their dynamic... oooh I am so picky about any kind of rivalry, especially when it turns romantic, because it both has to feel a little justified but also has to be fun to read and not just mean, and this was absolutely the perfect balance!!! Right from the beginning, every interaction between them was just so charged and delightful to read, and the progression from their bickering to genuine openness with each other was just perfect!!! Once I got into the second half of this book it was just giving me everything I dreamed of and more, like we got homoerotic wound tending, hair brushing, ooooh they have to sleep in the same tent, and so on and so forth. Sylvia just felt like such a good balance for Lorelai's dour attitude with all of her optimism and honesty! I would read a full series more of books about these two alone just because I loved getting to spend time with them, even though I was fully satisfied by both their arcs in this standalone.
I did really like the mystery as well! I had a theory right from the beginning that turned out to be very, very wrong, but in general all the conclusions and twists felt so satisfying. Everything really came together perfectly in the way where I could look at past details and go OHHHH right!!! It also felt like the quest was genuinely tense and I never doubted the stakes of the world, especially with the (fantasy) antisemitism Lorelai faces. I tore through the last third because I was so caught up in the conclusion and what would happen to all of the characters.
I really cannot emphasize enough how much this gave me what I have been missing in terms of a standalone, Sapphic fantasy romance, with the dynamic, the worldbuilding, and the level of plot. So glad I read this!!!