This was a great YA gothic novel. I really enjoyed the story, and the characters were fantastic.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

'Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for providing me with this arc to review'

”Because you are the only person who has seen me for something beyond my magic. As anything but a monster.”

I am beyond thrilled that I got to experience the beauty of this book.
Down Comes the Night follows our MC Wren, a bisexual woman who works in the military as a healer in her Kingdom. She works alongside her superior officer, best friend, and the lady she loves, Una.
I was immediately sucked into the book the moment I read the dedication, which was 'for all the girls who feel'
Wren is a sensitive and feeling character, her main goal is trying to prove to both Una and her Aunt Isabel that she is worthy, while also coming to love herself for who she is.
The book had an air of mystery through and through, and though the plot was predictable, I still could not take my eyes off of it.
Hal is another character that we get to meet. He is an enemy of the Kingdom from which Wren is. I ADORED Hal, he's not witty or entirely mean, if anything he's taking a turn and trying to better himself, he's also the quiet, and serious type of guy.
The enemies to lovers trope was executed perfectly in my opinion. The chemistry between these two was breathtaking, and I mean that literally because I was holding my breath every time they were together.
Now onto the worldbuilding and magic system. I loved to see the mix of modernism in the worldbuilding, every detail was imaginable, and I for one approved of the slightly gothic setup.
The magic was also a very interesting thing to learn about, so well thought out and easy to catch up with. I had no questions whatsoever which I tend to have because some magic systems are not thoroughly explained.

Overall I think this is a great book that will definitely keep you racing through the pages long into the night.

I greatly enjoyed this story. Wren Southerland is a different type of protagonist - fragile, uncertain, emotional, and yet strongly certain of her convictions. In a society built on magic, Wren is a healer; in a country at war, she is a military medic, with a personality completely unsuited to war. Wren is also the queen’s illegitimate niece, conveniently exiled to a convent to learn to use her healing magic after the death of her mother, and a significant disappointment to her royal aunt, a fact she is never allowed to forget. In an attempt to do what she sees as right, and also as a way to prove herself to her aunt, Wren accepts a commission to work for Lord Lowry, a lord in the neighboring neutral country, who offers not only to employ her, but to bring the power of his country to aid her own. As seems to happen with so many of Wren’s decisions, her attempt goes badly awry.

Down Comes the Night is an engaging story, and generally well-written, but the occasional oddly-phrased analogy, as well as archaic and rare medical terminology, are jarring and distracting, to the point that this novel is rated lower than it might otherwise have been.

After all the creepy thrillers and nonfiction I have been reading, this was a disappointment. This book was trying to be too much like a young adult/teen version of Mexican Gothic, which I thought was overrated and predictable AF. A no for me and I do not like to give poor reviews. Skip this one and read something else.

Thanks to Netgalley, Allison Saft and ST Martins Press Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 3/2/21

Don't you just love it when one of your most anticipated novels doesn't disappoint? It's dark and macabre, it's gothic and chilling, and it's terribly romantic.

Wren Southerland is a military healer sidelined by her own reckless actions. She is a kind-hearted bastard girl with a lot of deeply felt emotions, and all it earns her is zero respect from her aunt, the queen of Danu. So, when the opportunity to step back into the queen's good graces arises, Wren takes it without hesitation. What follows is a tale of enemies, betrayal, the threat of war, and so much magic.

While the book was a bit text heavy in the beginning, I truly fell in love with this book. My friend finished reading it right as I started, so it was delightful to have someone to screech about certain scenes with. And that happened a lot. There is just so much to commend with this debut. The plot is well-rounded and paced just right to keep adding new layers of intrigue while ramping the stakes up to 11. I adored the main characters, Wren and Hal, because not only were they both complex and relatable, but their chemistry was phenomenal. The villain was terribly interesting and difficult to predict, which only heightened my reading experience.

I was fascinated with Saft's world-building from the start. It feels so well developed with a fresh twist on the combination of magic, science and industry. Not everyone has magic, but those who do must wield theirs with great care. Within each healer, there is a source called the fola., and when magic is pushed too hard, too long without rest, the magic can disappear entirely. The concept added a whole new level to the conflict of the plot. Of the three countries we learn of, the two in possession of magic have been at war with each other for centuries, while the third has remained neutral. Instead it turned to technology as a replacement for magic, inventing such amenities as electricity. It is in this third country, Cernos, that we get the best Guillermo del Toro vibes. Colwick Hall had all the gothic ghost vibes and was the perfect setting to kick off the main events.

The enemies-to-lovers trope is usually all I need to hear in order for a book to be added to my TBR, and this was a most excellent usage of it. Wren is summoned to Colwick Hall to heal someone of a mysterious and horrible illness, but little does she know that she is to heal the Reaper of Vesria, Hal Cavendish. Like her, he has magic, but where hers is used to heal, his has been used to murder hundreds of her people in war. And now she has him entirely at her mercy. It was just so well done, the development of their relationship. They are exactly the kind of combative but tender couple I love in my YA novels, and I'll fight who I need to to keep Hal safe.

By now I'm sure you've heard that Wren is bisexual, so let me just assure you that this was truly the best bisexual rep I've ever read. It was handled so beautifully and intricately. Instead of being mentioned in passing, it was shown to us in all its glory and heartbreak.

I feel a little silly about this, but I had no idea this was a standalone. I was so sure this was a duology, so the entire time I was expecting things to snowball and roll into a sequel. Then I was struck speechless by an ending that was just ... oh my word it was just so warm and good. All it means is I will just have to reread this book again to appreciate it even more.

Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

9781250623638


400 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Wednesday
Release Date: March 2, 2021

Fiction, Sci Fi & Fantasy, Teens & Young Adult, Magic, Paranormal

Una and Wren are patrolling the kingdom boundaries of Danu and Versia for missing soldiers. So many had gone missing in recent weeks. Una is a major in the Queens Guard and Wren a healer. After a young prisoner escapes, Wren is removed from the army and sent back to the abbey.

After arriving at the abbey, Wren receives a letter from the leader of Cernos, Alistair Lowry asking her to come and heal a servant. Many in the area are dying of mysterious deaths and Lowry needs a healer to find out the cause. In return for her healing services, Lowry will pledge assistance to her Queen Isabela in the war with Versia.

The book is written in third person point of view. The characters are developed, and the story has a steady pace. If you enjoy books about magic with a twist of mystery, you will like this book.

The world crafted in this book was so rich and gorgeously gothic. The enemies-to-lovers romance was beautifully swoon-worthy. I thought the way this relationship was built against a backdrop of heavier topics, such as the impact of war, was done very effectively. It can be challenging to set up a convincing romance when opposite sides of a war are involved, but the balance of power, trust, and remorse (especially since the characters were pulled into war at such a young age) was thoughtfully presented. I didn't find Queen Isabel's character arc very compelling (her huge change didn't feel supported), nor the character of Lowry sufficiently developed as an antagonist (he came across as a fairly superficial caricature), but I don't think they were the heart of the story anyway, and there are limits to space, so I'm glad the focus was kept on Hal and Wren.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Down Comes the Night was such a fun book to dive into! Even if I predicted who the villain was way before it was revealed. It was just way too obvious not to think of that one person being evil. I will also admit that this book had some interesting twists as well.. but some of it was, again, a bit predictable.

Don't get me wrong, I devoured this book when I was awake and had coffee in me. There was just something about Hal and Wren that just made me fall in love. At first, I was thinking Wren and Una were a thing because they had some tension going on between them. Then Hal came into the picture, and Wren and him just fit better in my opinion. That doesn't stop me from shipping Una and Isabel though. Especially after that ending..

In the end, I'm really happy with out it ended. Although I feel like it seemed that a book 2 could happen? Not sure if that's true or not.. but I wouldn't be mad. Who knows.. out of the three kingdoms.. one could have some revenge in the next book. Just saying..

Down Comes the Night is about a magical healer for the Queen's guard named Wren Southerland who is constantly berated for her recklessness and empathy. In an attempt to prove herself to her Queen, she accepts an offer from a lord of another nation to visit his estate and cure his servent of a mysterious disease. However, upon arriving, she realizes that the servant is not a servant at all, but her kingdom's sworn enemy Hal Cavendish, a brutal and feared warrior that can tear down enemies with his eyes alone. As both Wren and Hal realize that their respective kingdoms may have been deceived, they grow closer and fight their treasonous feelings for one another.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book all that much. I was REALLY anticipating it, hence my reading it so early before the release date, but I must say I'm disappointed. I went into this book thinking that it would be a gothic romance/suspense, but I felt that the promise of that from the marketing fell extremely short. Down Comes the Night did not know exactly what it wanted to be--a murder mystery? A gothic romance? A fantasy? And sure, it's perfectly fine to be a mix of all of those, but the book seems to change genre so starkly as if a curtain falls over one genre as it introduces the next. The "gothic" part of it was barely there. And personally, I would have preferred the good ole gothic romance with the creepy factor turned up a few notches! Additionally, it's extremely wordy, so much so that my eyes started skimming for the important bits instead of taking it all in. I feel as though Saft lost the plot while detailing everything else.

If you know me, you know I am a huge fan of enemies to lovers--it's probably my favorite romance trope. And in terms of this story, I think calling it *slow burn* enemies to lovers is not super accurate. The whole story takes place within like 14 days, so... that's that. Also, the story needed more Hal in general or needed more from him. I'm allllllll for a baddie with a deadly magical trait, but sadly I was not satisfied there.

Something I want to praise is having a bisexual heroine at the forefront. From the very beginning of the story, Wren is in love with her female commanding officer Una, who is also her closest friend, and I really liked that whole arc between the two of them. Also, another positive part of the book is the message that being kind and having a heart is a strength, not a weakness. Was it a little too on the nose at times? Sure, but as a fellow empath, I resonated with this part of the story, even though I didn't particularly have any feelings towards the main characters themselves.

All in all, this book was alright, but certainly not very fun to read like I was hoping for. It wasn't what I wanted personally, but that doesn't mean it won't work for others--I'm certain a ton of people will love this fantasy romance.

Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

Initial Thoughts: So, I chose this book because I really like the creepy vibe of the cover. Then, after reading the description, I was sold. And it turns out I was right!

Rating: 4,5-stars!

In this novel, Wren, a magical healer, leaves for Colwick Hall, a estate in neutral territory. The Lord of this estate has a servant suffering from a mysterious disease and Wren is asked to save this patient. Wren is happy to oblige, as her recent reckless behavior has caused her to be suspended and temporarily send back to the Abbey. Wren seizes this chance to prove her worth to the Queen. However, her patient turns out to be not any patient.... In Colwick Hall she uncovers a sinister plot that could either save or destroy her nation. Wren faces tough choices in which she tries to do what is right....

What I liked about the book:
So, as a Fantasy-fanatic, Biomedical Sciences-student, this book is just everything you need. There is magic, medical and biological references, creepy houses and an even creepier atmosphere. I loved it!
At first, the book was a bit hard to get into, as the story progressed I got so hooked on the book I could not stop reading. As soon as the creepy house got in the picture of this book, it gave me 'The Haunting of Hill House'-vibes, which I liked. Furthermore, there was enemies-to-lovers in this book, with a lovely slow-burn love. That is my favorite kind of romance in a book. I really liked how the characters evolved around each other. Additionally, I liked the relationships Wren, our main protagonist, had with other characters in the book. This really made me feel for Wren, got frustrated for her or made me cheer for her. The character development and the relationships within this book were really well developed.
Last, but not least, I LOVED the magic system in this book, mostly because of the endless medical and biological references. As a real Biology nerd, this is something I will always admire about authors. Also the references to evolution, genetic mutations, etc. Fantastic! Every medical procedure was so well written and so detailed, I really admired it. It gave the magic meaning, instead of just: Poof, now his wound is better. Allison Saft gave very detailed descriptions of how Wren healed, how Wren examined her patients, and that was really awesome! Taken together, the world in which the story takes place was also very great. I like the differences between the different nations and I loved how this was woven through the book.

Things I did not like:
I am always a bit skeptic about third person writing, ever since I read Fallen, in which it just did not work out well. However, after getting used to the third person writing, I really liked it in this book! Allison Saft did a great job on this perspective! As I said, the book was hard to get in to at first, but after a certain point the book just opens up and I promise you, you cannot stop reading! Other than that... I do not really think there was much I did not like.

I mean:
- Slow burn, enemies-to-lovers: check,
- Creepy well-written setting: check,
- Awesome plot with twists: check,
- Villain with a solid motive for his actions: check,
- Fantastic magic system: check.

It must be obvious by now, that I loved the book and I would recommend it to anyone, not just Biology-Fantasy-nerds like me. This book has something else over other books I read, it has a mixture of things normally not combined in one book and that was what really drew me in. After reading the E-Book, I pre-ordered the physical book, because this is definitely a book I will re-read some day! Cannot wait to read more of Allison Saft!

The world building was breathtaking and I really enjoyed the writing. Can't wait to see more from this author!

I enjoyed the ARC I received from the publishers. It is a story about two war torn countries and the hatred between them. Wren is a healer who is trying her best to prove to those around her that she is worth something and not just a screw up. After screwing up one too many times she takes a huge risk and ends up defying orders. She thought she would be able to fix things, only to realize that she stumbled into a bigger problem when she is asked to heal the biggest enemy of her country,

I did enjoy the story, but there were a few things that just didn't add up and were a little distracting/confusing. But all in all I think it was interesting and fun.

Incredible romance and characters!

Typographical errors:
Chapter 18, page 163/348:

Hal did not withdraw from her even when she raised his* gaze to his.
correction: HER gaze*

Chapter 26, first line:
No one could never* accuse Alistair Lowry of lacking a sense of humor.
correction: could ever*

Goodness! What a read, and that cover! Simply lovely. Characters are immensely likeable and/or quite fascinating.

Alistair Lowry must be one of the most complex and dreadful characters I've come across in a long time, but one you cannot drag your attention away from, I was repelled and intrigued in equal measure. Wren was okay, a bit of a mooner to be honest, although she came right in the end. I wasn't mad about Una, or Isabel, who went from being a right so and so to suddenly being reasonable. I loved Hal, he added something to the story, strength, and dependency without being cloying or overbearing.

Definitely worth reading, and a world I'd love to delve into a little bit more.

Many thanks for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this thrillling fantasy novel! I loved the gothic feel and was enamored by the storyline. With magic, mystery and forbidden love you won't want to put this down!

A refreshing twist on the magical tale! I really enjoy the creativity, the excellent writing,the twists and turns and the storyline.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Allison Saft’s debut Down Comes the Night was a read entwined with magic, darkness, secrets, and betrayals. It was a captivating sort of read, yet at times I did feel my attention drifting. I went into this one almost blind, except being deeply intrigued with the description. Sadly, it wasn’t a read that was 100% me, but did have its high points.

Wren is a healer who has never been able to live up to the standards of her aunt Isabel, who is also her queen. Her dearest friend, Una, and her fiercest love does her best to look out for her, but even Una’s rank won’t be able to save her when Wren makes the mistake of letting an enemy of the kingdom escape their grasp.
When Wren decides to secretly take a job to heal someone from their neighboring and enemy kingdom, she will have to hurt the one she loves most in order to save their kingdom and bring honor back to her name. Though, not so much in a Mulan sense.

Right away, I was not digging the relationship between Una and Wren. Namely because Una was just so cold and emotionless. It was amazing that she and Wren shared a night together off page of the story. Una is girl very much married to her job and rank. She’s all about the rules and when Wren starts breaking them, she turns her back on her. It almost felt like she just wanted Wren to be her little pet or something by the way she goes on about her always having to take care of her. I was just not feeling the love, Wren was crazy in love with Una, but it just didn’t feel like Una felt the same.

Then of course, we get a bit of a love triangle when the person Wren is sent to heal is the Reaper of Vesria. Of course, Lord Lowry, her employer does not seem to know that his newest servant is the famed assassin who kills without remorse. Wren saw him once upon a time a few years ago and managed to live to tell the tale. Wren feels a conundrum when she sees her patient. Should she heal him as she was hired to do? Or should she let the murderer rot?

Well, as you might guess, she takes the healing path, if only to turn him over to her queen to regain her favor. But naturally, things start to change between them as they spend more time together. And it soon becomes apparent that someone inside the household of Lord Lowry wanted Hal, as the Reaper is truly known by, dead.
I think one issue I had with this book was the pacing. It was a little slower than I would’ve liked. I was doing fine with it for the first half but when I thought I had to be nearly done with the book, I discovered I was only halfway through. I did some skimming through the chapters just to get through them and caught onto most of the story. But I was just feeling a disconnect from the characters and the story in front of me. It wasn’t turning out to be the story I was hoping for in the long run.

I did enjoy it in some sense, I can honestly say I don’t really know what I was hoping for. I was with the story for the first half, but somewhere down the line I felt disconnected from everything happening. It wasn’t overly predictable but some things were and I guess the motives were just so bland that I was struggling to even finish the book. But I did.

The ending was a good one. I liked where the characters ended up and that it was a standalone was refreshing. I love a good standalone every now and then! While this wasn’t the 5 star read I was hoping for, it still made for an entertaining time. I guess I was just expecting a little something more and a little bit of a faster and more enticing pace.

But if Down Comes the Night sounds like a captivating read for you, I would highly recommend checking it out for yourself. While it wasn’t a favorite read for me, it could be your next all time favorite!


Overall Rating 3/5 stars

Down Comes the Night releases March 2, 2021

I couldn’t really get into the characters on this one and it sucks but I did like the atmosphere presented to the reader.

4/5

There's something about being trapped inside a crumbling mansion with your sworn enemy that can actually be so personal. After Wren Southerland is suspended from the queen's guard for her reckless actions, she travels to the estate of an enigmatic lord who's sought out her healing services for one of his servants. Upon her arrival, she discovers that the very person she's been tasked with healing is none other than Hal Cavendish, an enemy of the kingdom and of Wren herself. As the two grow closer, they uncover a sinister plot at work within the dilapidated estate connected to the very fate of their respective kingdoms.

This truly is a rich, gothic fantasy, that seemingly pulls you into its gravity from Wrens arrival at Colwick Hall. The setting is eerie and atmospheric, and an air of mystery is present that is palpable from the very start. To say this book felt like a dream would be putting it lightly. Maybe it's because I read this all in one sitting, but there is truly no way to describe the feeling of reading this from start to finish. The characters were witty and utterly hilarious, and the slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance kept me going during moments where things needed a spark. I think the magic system that the author presents is really fascinating, but there needed to be more explored within the world since it played such an integral part to the plot. The same could be said for the character background of Wren. You don't get the whole picture of who she is as a person or what drives her to do what she does beyond the events in the book. There are some key moments mentioned, but not thoroughly examined for my liking. A blanket statement for this book: it just needed more. I loved what was given, but if you look beyond the surface, it's clear that it's lacking something. The plot is altogether imaginative and I thoroughly enjoyed where everything ended up though. If you came here for enemies trapped in a mansion together and solving a mystery, look no further. This one doesn't disappoint.

I adored this book.

Wren is a strong lead who is kind, brave, and we get to see her grow a lot in the story. Hal is sad and misunderstood.

I loved seeing their relationship and personalities develop as they learned to trust and love each other.

If you love a good enemies to lovers trope, this book is for you!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.