This pulled me in as it was marketed to fans of the Grisha Trilogy which I adore immensely. First thought after finishing was that I loved the representation of the LQBTQ+ community in the character of Wren. It was interwoven to be natural, and not pandering like some stories can feel. The second is while the story was interesting, it left me sort of disjointed. I had mixed feelings about this as I was sometimes pulled in and others my attention easily waned.

Down Comes the Night follows Wren, who has healing magic, as she is kicked out of the Queen's Guard and takes a job at a spooky old mansion in order to help heal this guy's servant who is like sick sick and literally dying. Normal!!

Especially when it turns out for some reason his servant is not actually a servant, but ~Hal Cavendish~ who is basically the opposite of Wren lol because he has KILLING magic :P he also is on the enemy.. team? They're not really at war I don't THINK but there's two rival kingdom thingies and he is from one and Wren is from another. Hal can kill someone by looking into their eyes with his magic and they call him The Reaper because of it

So yeah he's dying, Wren goes in and is kind of concerned about healing The Reaper at first lol but then she's like hell why not and she tries to first diagnose then heal whatever is wrong with him

Eventually it turns out that there's a mystery to solve surrounding the illness and the two of them spend a lot of time together, as ya do, and they realize maybe they're not so different than they think, as ya do!!! Their relationship does have a very organic development and is very appropriately paced, which I definitely think is a strength of Allison Saft's!!

Outside of the romance and the disease mystery, the main conflict between Wren and herself is that she isn't quite sure who she is outside of the spot she's always taken up in her life. The queen of her kingdom is her aunt like biologically but she really dislikes Wren and Wren has always felt like she had to live up to her expectations (impossible btw). Wren's best friend (who has previously been more?) is like the head of... maybe a little army group it's not super easy to tell but yeah Wren heals alongside them but she has a tendency to be sorta lenient on enemies because she wants to heal them too!! And it just doesn't always end in the other ladies being proud of her.

Wren is either bi or pan or whatever since she previously had something romantic with her female best friend!! So that was a nice surprise in terms of representation :-)

The reveal in the mystery is one of those ones that is so obvious you're like it can't be that back to the point it's shocking again lol but I think it had a decent level of intrigue and danger so I'm not too mad at it

But really I didn't ever get to the point of being invested or caring too much about these characters which is a shame. It had a lot of things that A Far Wilder Magic had, which is the author's sophomore book, but it's like what she started in book one she perfected in book two. Dislike to love, resilient female MC with shoddy maternal figure escaping the internal pressure the maternal figure applies, characters developing a strong relationship in a pretty isolated setting... A Far Wilder Magic just HAD it and frankly I feel like if I had read this first I wouldn't have been too inspired to pick that one up just because this one was kinda generic!!

I feel like her writing DEFINITELY is only going to get better tho so I cannot wait for the next few projects of hers that I see on her goodreads page :0)

"Down Comes the Night" by Allison Saft is a hauntingly beautiful gothic novel that seamlessly blends romance, mystery, and fantasy. Wren Southerland, a healer and soldier, is tasked with healing a prisoner at a remote estate. The characters are well-developed and complex, and the relationship between Wren and the prisoner, Hal Cavendish, is emotional and heart-wrenching. Saft's writing is atmospheric and evocative, creating a vivid and immersive world. As one character says, "It takes incredible strength to be kind in this world. To endure suffering instead of further it," which perfectly captures the tone of the novel. The resolution is satisfying and emotionally resonant. "Down Comes the Night" is a stunning debut novel that's a must-read for fans of gothic romance and fantasy.

Allison Saft's debut novel, Down Comes the Night, is a captivating dark fantasy with a touch of romance. The story follows Wren Southerland, a disgraced Queen's Guard who is sent to a remote estate to cure a mysterious illness. But upon arriving, Wren discovers that her patient is none other than Hal Cavendish, the infamous Reaper of Vesria, and her kingdom's sworn enemy. As Wren and Hal work together to uncover the secrets of Colwick Hall, they begin to realize that their respective kingdoms may be in grave danger.

Saft's writing is lyrical and atmospheric, drawing the reader into the eerie and mysterious world of Colwick Hall. The pacing is well-done, keeping the tension high throughout the story. The characters are complex and intriguing, particularly Wren and Hal, whose initial animosity towards each other slowly transforms into something more.

The romance between Wren and Hal is a slow burn, and it's refreshing to see a love story that doesn't take center stage. Instead, the focus is on their personal growth and how they come to understand each other despite their differences. Their relationship is just one element of the larger story, and it's all the more compelling for it.

Overall, Down Comes the Night is a fantastic debut novel that will appeal to fans of dark fantasy and slow-burn romance. With its lush prose and compelling characters, this book is sure to captivate readers from start to finish.

Hits the nail on the head with its gothic storytelling but like with many gothic stories it just dragged for too long. The relationship between the protagonist and love interest felt a little forced. The character arc of the protagonist was successful as I found that there was an over arching change in her from the beginning to end but overall kind of forgetable.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story had me at the beginning and I was engrossed until the end. It has a bit of everything in it: mystery, romance, betrayal, politics and fantasy.
Wren is a healer and the neice of the current queen but she is not seen as anymore that an embarrassment. Soldiers are going missing and one of them is her friend Byers and when on a patrol with her best friend and commanding officer Uma she makes what is seen as yet another mistake and she is banished as healer in the coal mines, but Wren is not willing to obey her queen's orders and runs away to work with a Lord in healing one of his workers. The only problem is the worker is none other than wanted man Hal Cavendish. Wren is determined to prove herself to the queen and return to her place in the military. However once Wren starts to really get to know Hal she is torn between him and her duty.
When Wren and Hal find the proof they need to show who is taking and killing soldiers Wren thinks that she now has the proof to show the queen and Uma that she is worthy of her place in the squad. The only problem is that this news is not received how Wren expected it to be and now not only is Hal's life at risk but so is Wrens and her fellow countrymen.
The beginning did drag out a bit but once the real story came through it was page turning for me. The main characters had depth and although Uma came across as condescending and dominant at times she was still someone who could be relatable. The queen Isabelle left a lot to be desired but she deemed herself in the end also.
I thought this was a very enjoyable read and would recommend to others if interested in a bit of a mix of everything in their books.
3.5/5

A lot more political than I had thought this book would be. However the world itself was interesting.

Could not for the life of me get into this story. I wanted more about the magical workings of the world but the plot was lagging too much to keep my interest.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for a copy.of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I just want to start by saying that this book is beautifully written! The author has such a way with words and is very detailed in how things are described. I felt like I was part of the book. This is something that I look for the most in a book and so many other books lack. If you love a book with great detail, then look no further!

The one issues that I could not get past was the relationship between Wren and Hals. The author did such a great job with descriptions eight from the start of this book, but that description did not continue when it came to Wren and Hal's relationship. I could have used a little more detail. I kept thinking that they just seemed more like good friends then anything else.

I definitely got the creepy vibe from this book and really enjoyed reading this!

At the beginning of this book I did not connect with Wren nor particularly like her but that changed by the end of this story. I appreciated the twists that were revealed to Wren, a couple of them were expected and a couple of them were not. Overall, this was a quick romantic, fantasy read and I am looking forward to reading more novels from Allison Saft in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I usually am not a big fan of fantasy romance with enemies to lovers - so if that's your jam you'll want to pick this one up. Wren is trying her best but it's not good enough for everyone else - specifically, the Queen, even if they are related. As the synopsis states there are some mild LGBTQ+ elements within the book but it is more mentioned than actual scenes - same with the romance brewing between Wren and Hal. I do feel like Wren fell a little fast for Hal but... in reality, he could more or less be akin to a rebound. Honestly - I'm always here for the fantasy over the romance portion of a book and sometimes when the two are blended together one suffers.

The dark, dreary, and snowed-in mansion sets the perfect place for this story to unfold. I do wish that a little more time was spent on building the world out or explaining things a little bit better - especially for the two sides to be at war. Industry/technology versus magic is an interesting premise that deserved a little bit more page time in my opinion.

I would like to thank Wednesday Books and Allison Saft for the opportunity to read this cold and dreary - at least on the outside - fantasy romance. All opinions are my own.

This was SUCH a great YA Fantasy. I’ve been moving away from the genre recently so this was a nice reminder of just how great it can be. It was so atmospheric and the tone of the story was perfect- I felt really immersed in the story & setting. Loved the subtle LGBTQIA rep too, I liked that it was present but didn’t over explain things or make it a big deal. It was just who Wren was and no further discussion needed. And we love when a villain becomes the lover 🥹

I listened to the audiobook and I’m so glad I did! Narrator was 10/10.

Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft is a solid option in the YA fantasy genre. As the cover suggests, it has some darkish, gothic vibes. I would definitely recommend it for your TBR as a great standalone book option, which are often definitely more difficult to find in this genre.

Great gothic fantasy! I love that it’s a romance, tied with a mystery. A female lead that is all up in her feels and feels so strongly? Perfect! I just loved it even if it was a bit slow paced.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

It took me a little bit to get into this book, but once I did I was hooked! There's magic, enemies to lovers, great characters, and wonderful writing. What's not to like?

One thing I really appreciated about the magic system Saft created is it has clear limitations and is treated more like a biological part of the character, rather than this mystical ability that no one truly understands. It made it easy to believe the magic existed and figure out how it fit in with the story. And I loved how magic and politics intermingled with the different cultures introduced in this book.

I also loved the characters. Each one was so well developed and strong in their own way. Especially the main character, Wren. It took me a few chapters to feel like I knew Wren, but once I understood her she became one of my favorite characters! I loved her mix of sass and compassion.

If you like books with political intrigue, multifaceted characters, magic, and romance, I'd recommend giving this a read. It might take you a little bit to get a feel for the story, but once it gets going I think you will enjoy it as much as I did!

DNF. Couldn't get into this book, this book just wasn't for me, sadly. Thank you for approving me and I'm sorry I didn't enjoy the book.

I'm a big fan of gothic stories. There’s just something about the setting that always gets me. And this was no different. Amazing.

I don't remember requesting this book and I was really confused because this is not the genre that I read. But that being said I was surprised by the dark setting and how amazing everything tied together

This had very interesting themes, among those, what a heritage of war and hatred do to children/people/soldiers and how often empathy is seen as a weakness when in fact it is the one important thing that can save humans from destroying themselves in senseless wars over old, long ago forgotten reasons.

Here the main character works together with her enemy to achieve peace for both their people, and I enjoyed how the plot was about going over mistrust to stop hatred and bring forth cooperation and union.

All that said, I wasn't the right audience for this book. Its high level of young adult/new adult romance angst and long winded description for the Gothic atmosphere made for slow plot advancement. Therefore three stars, but if you enjoy Young Adult Gothic romance with all the doubts and evocative, atmospheric descriptions, this might be for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.