3.5 Stars.

Firstly, I do want to say that Allison Saft’s prose is as gorgeous as I remember it being in A Dark and Drowning Tide, and is the only reason why this isn’t just a three star read for me. Her descriptions are so lush, vivid, and unique and I always feel completely immersed in any scene she crafts. The scene with Ciara and Shea in the boat towards the end was honestly breathtaking, and I do really appreciate Saft’s dedication to the sapphic fantasy genre. Unfortunately, her prose alone was not enough to carry this book.

It could partially be my own fault, but I did not anticipate this book being portal fantasy, so the real world with phones and technology and such being incorporated really threw me for a loop. Sometimes I think that this combination can work within fantasy, but in this case I do think they clashed with one another, and part of this is largely due to Shea being American. The “Irish Fae” showing up in America as Ciara does when we first see her just logistically doesn’t make much sense to me, and I spent so much time wondering about the Americentrism of it all. We have a story derived from an Irish myth featuring Irish folklore… primarily taking place in America (when we are not in the Otherworld)? I do think both of these issues could have benefitted with the entire book being set in a fantastical setting - a classic fantasy village for the mortals, and the Otherworld for the fae.

Then onto the chess…. While they were easy to understand as someone who does not play, I read one of Saft’s blogposts because I was curious as to why she made the decision to include it (there is really not a huge chess scene in Ireland). In it, she speaks about fidchell, the actual name of the game mentioned in the myths that are being adapted - not chess. From reading her essays, Saft clearly knows her stuff when it comes to Irish myth and has done her due research, but I can’t help but feel another clashing of tones with the whole chess thing. Saft mentions that chess and fidchell serve the same narrative purpose, so why not simply use the word fidchell instead? Why replace it for a word more palatable for an English speaking audience? Things like this didn’t really sit right with me as I was reading, personally.

The overall plot was good, but I wasn’t completely enthralled, and the same goes for the characters. This book was simply nice asides from my gripes, and really shone when Saft was able to show off how gorgeous her prose can be, but it’s not one that’s going to stick with me unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.