A Dark and Drowning Tide

Rating Description:

1.0 - DNF/Despise

1.5 - Almost DNFed and wish I had

2.0 - Almost DNFed but had redeeming qualities/just boring

2.5 - Alright with lots of notes

3.0 - Alright with notes but I'm not raving about it

3.5 - Technically good but I'm not raving about it

4.0 - Love but with notes

4.5 - Love it so much I want to highlight the book but still with notes

5.0 - Love it so much I want to highlight the book and notes are very positive

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I was all set to rate this book a 3.5 as I read it.

1. Prose was good.

2. Pacing was good.

3. World building was not extraordinary but it was ok.

4. Characterization of the characters seemed good.

Then, starting at around Chapter 21, characterization fell apart. Let me explain.

1. Lorelei remained pretty consistent and when she did seem to change a bit it was still understandable given her past or her need to be pragmatic about the circumstances they found themselves in. However, the way she flipped flopped from admitting she loved Sylvia to selling her out was just weird. I tried to rationalize her actions given how she was essentially backed into a corner. But then she flipped flopped again when they reached the Vanishing Island. And yes, she felt guilty. But come on.

Another thing I found annoying was how some of Lorelei’s actions caused drama for drama’s sake. She’s a smart woman but would do small dumb things. Then she’d get in her feelings and pout. For months. Which all felt unnecessary and was just written to create filler.

2. My issue with Sylvia’s characterization was the opposite of my issue with Lorelei. She was too consistent. She didn’t change. Even after Lorelei sold her out to Adelheid, she was still professing how much she loved Lorelei.

She’s a beautiful and accomplished woman. For god’s sake, she’s a princess. Can’t she have some self-respect and standards?

I truly believe that Sylvia’s character, despite some sad background, was very one note. It felt like such a waste of a potentially great character.

3. The characterization of Wilhelm also did not sit well with me. He was congenial enough to be friends with the heirs of rival territories but those same people regard him as a person who will betray them at any moment.

That’s fine. He’s a king who’s trying to hold on to power. I understand how he can be viewed as opportunistic.

But then later on Lorelei was thinking that he was basically giving her a “nudge, nudge, wink, wink” when he was handing her letters from Sylvia. Would a power hungry monarch do that?

So why did I rate this as such?

While it might seem like I have a lot of notes for this, it’s really just one big issue for me. Characterization.

Other items are just minor issues such as:

1. The overuse of metaphors. But those metaphors didn’t take you out of the scene unlike in ‘Home Is Where the Bodies Are’.

2. Some creatures’ names are so close to each other that I got confused but I put the blame on me because for some parts of this book, I was listening to the audiobook version.

Editor Issue

I found a mistake at Chapter 3 - page 42:

- In all fairness, she had hidden on a balcony until Ludwig coaxed her into his carriage at the end of the night, but she would not concede he point.

A very easy to read book with a mystical and almost a whimsical feeling storyline. My favourite parts all involved touches of folklore or even the mystical creatures themselves. This was a definite rivals-to-lovers rather than enemies-to-lovers.

Allison Saft introduces us into a world divided, but with inhabitants that live in the wild nature that could either ignore or maul you. The world building is exquisite, though I wish we delved more into the magic that flowed through the people. Most of them just seemed to make ice spears...

Our main characters are both feisty and headstrong, which does get a little bit irritating sometimes (especially with Lorelai), but when they realise their lack of communication with each other clears up a lot of misunderstandings, it's almost endearing to see them together.

The other characters were also interesting in their own way (Ludwig has become his own botanical wonder for investigation). Their personalities shone through, each with clear determination to do what they set out to. Perhaps more than some...

Nonetheless, an enjoyable dark sapphic read.