Listen to a sample
A Dark and Drowning Tide
- Author
- Allison Saft
- Publisher
- Bonnier Books UK
- Publish Date
- 18 November 2024
- Run Time
- 12 hours 13 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Dark fantasy, Myths and Legends / Mythic fiction, Narrative theme: Diversity, equality, inclusion
- Rating
- 2.0 (1 review)
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
A sharp-tongued folklorist and her academic rival must solve their mentor's murder in this lush sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.
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 to secure his reign of the embattled country, and Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and to make her dream come true: to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to faraway lands.
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 her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her long-time academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before a coup begins and 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 waiting 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 one another they discover that their professor had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, or if this kingdom is worth saving at all.
Critics Review
-
Richly imagined and as bewitching as a naiad's song, A Dark and Drowning Tide deftly weaves romance with powerful indictments of the fetid, nationalistic roots of our favorite fairy tales. But for each prick of a prejudicial thorn, Saft offers her readers a balm-at its core, this is a story about the healing capacity of love. Clever, emotional, and gorgeous.
award-winning and Sunday Times bestselling author of Juniper & Thorn
-
A Dark and Drowning Tide is an enchanting tale in an intricately realized world. The narrative is laced with folk tales and enlivened by brave and clever protagonists. Its adventures are enriched by Allison Saft's beautiful prose, making it the perfect read for lovers of fantasy.
author of A Secret History of Witches
-
Richly imagined and deftly told, A Dark And Drowning Tide is a story that draws you deep as any unexplored wild and leaves you changed on the other side.
New York Times bestselling author of The Foxglove King
User Reviews
Book 2.0
Narration 3.0
-
2.0 3.0
Very disappointing. Lorelei is completely unlikeable and her lack of self awareness makes her so frustrating to have as a narrator.
The grumpy/sunshine dynamic I usually love but this was almost a parody of it.
The folklore parts were the most promising but seemed to start and then taper off. Forests that rearrange themselves at night? Fascinating, tell me more! No, we’ve abandoned that and moved on to predictable retellings of existing folktales.
I love an enemies to lovers trope but this didn’t work for me, the tension just wasn’t there. When things started heating up it felt tepid and just, who cares? They had no chemistry so it felt pointless.
The good: I enjoyed the general world, felt kind of gothic and atmospheric. I enjoyed the small glimpses we got into the different cultures. I felt the exploration of discrimination was done well.
The bad: main characters seemed to feel that colonialism was best for everyone because rebellions are hard and not pretty. Hmm. No sexual tension, did not care about the characters. Actually the most interesting character disappears very early on. Lorelai was unbearable. The idea of ultimate beauty (Sylvia) being delicate and as pale as possible is very boring. And the murder mystery is annoyingly obvious, so it was extra frustrating that Lorelai was clueless.InTheForest 2025-11-30
Details
- Author
- Allison Saft
- Narrator
- Saskia Maarleveld, Saskia Maarleveld
- Duration
- 12 hours 13 minutes
- Release Date
- 18 November 2024
- ISBN
- 9781786586063
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bonnier Books UK
- Genre
- Dark fantasy, Myths and Legends / Mythic fiction, Narrative theme: Diversity, equality, inclusion
- Rating
- 2.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 3.0(1 review)
Synopsis
An Instant Sunday Times Bestseller!A sharp-tongued folklorist and her academic rival must solve their mentor's murder in this lush sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.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 to secure his reign of the embattled country, and Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and to make her dream come true: to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to faraway lands.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 her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her long-time academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before a coup begins and 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 waiting 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 one another they discover that their professor had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, or if this kingdom is worth saving at all.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.