"Down Comes the Night" is a unique blend of an old-timey Gothic romance novel and a YA fantasy adventure. In a classic YA fantasy world where some have magic and others don't, two warring countries produce a pair of star-crossed lovers who must battle a mad scientist, a mysterious illness and the prejudices of their people to come together.

So there are three main plots/things our heroine, Wren, must solve in this book. Who is kidnapping her soldier friends, why and can she save them? What is this mysterious disease that is killing the staff at this creepy mansion and can she cure it? Can she and her new lover boy bring peace to their warring kingdoms and take down the baddies?

Not gonna lie, it was the romance part that had me interested and the magic part that solidified it. This multi-genre mixed plot was really interesting. You had the classic horror tropes - mad scientist, creepy castle, isolation, bit of gore (ooged me out!). Then the magic and fantasy elements - magical powers, political plots, warring kingdoms. And finally the romance tropes - sharing a hotel room with one bed, longing looks, lots of angst, fancy ball dancing, rescuing each other, slow-burn smooching and one low key love scene. All in all, the characters moved through them pretty seamlessly.

It felt a little long for me towards the end. I wanted the big battle with the mad scientist to be over halfway through and leave the Gothic part of the plot behind completely before moving on to concluding the secondary queen/execution plotlines. I think it could benefit from a different title and cover as well. These don't really reflect the story.

I also didn't really see the need to make Wren and Una's relationship a sexual love instead of just a close friendship. I'm all for inclusion, but that really blurred the lines of their motives for me and over-complicated an already complicated storyline.

Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5. There were a few things I would tweak, but the writing is very good and so is the pace. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! It was a great addition to my Halloween reading.

Rating 2 (DNF)

As soon as I saw the cover for "Down Comes the Night" by Allison Saft I knew I had to read it. Then when I read the synopsis for the story I was more intrigued. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed and did not finish reading this story. I felt nothing for the main character and already in the first chapter I felt she had nothing that set her apart from the side characters. All she did was get on my nerves and the nerves of the side characters. Even though I kept being told there was a lot happening and a lot at stake I didn't feel it. I didn't feel any true emotion from the story, it just felt dry to me. I will say the author did a great job at world building and her descriptions were awesome. Maybe sometime in the future I will give this book another try because I really wanted to enjoy it.

**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

After reading the blurb on this one, I had to give it a go...especially with the colder, darker months approaching. And as it promised, this book did hold me in the pages pretty well.

Wren is supposed to be a princess, but after her mother's death, her aunt, and now queen, has put Wren's talents to use as one of the most amazing healers in the country. Unfortunately, Wren's empathy causes her to defy her orders, and she winds up in the worst position possible. Until an unexpected letter arrives. While she's ordered to ignore the letter, she can't, since it offers her not only the chance to redeem herself but also hope to give her country an edge in the approaching war. But when she sneaks away in hope of finding a way to save her country, she runs into the one thing she never expected—the bedside of her enemy and a prison guarded by unseen monsters.

Sounds amazing, right? And it is quite the woven tale. Wren is a girl with awesome healing powers and kind of a mess thanks to her tragic upbringing. But she does have a heart of gold, and that's what drives this tale onward and beyond. The book starts right in the middle of action and immediately draws in. It also quickly becomes clear that Wren isn't always the sharpest knife in the drawer. She makes stupid mistakes, but somehow, it fit to her personality. She has a lot to learn, and this book takes her down the hard path to do it. In some ways, it made her easy to cheer for and others, I wanted to flick her. But it worked and I still rooted for her.

This is a dark tale but not in the way I thought. There are two rivalry countries engaged in bloody skirmishes and on the brink of war. There is a nasty queen, very loyal soldiers, and a war based on magic and religious differences. While there is a mansion in the snow, which locks Wren up with strange happenings surrounding her, it wasn't what I expected. A bit of a mystery unfolds as she tries to figure out what's behind the moaning and secret East Wing. There's a blooming romance. There's uncertainty about loyalty and trust. But monsters aren't in the form I expected. Which isn't bad. This is quite the tangled story of intrigue, secrets, lies, lunatic-like desires, and all sorts of dark things. The weave (and constant growing romance tension) did keep me in the pages chapter after chapter. It could have been a masterpiece of a book.

'Could' because there were a few, tiny stumbles. My biggest problem was simply the very, very, very obvious clues, which Wren just constantly overlooked. These should have been more carefully woven in because it was clear what was happening, and it made her look more stupid than she already did (which doesn't help her case). Then, there were a few logic holes in the plot and the supposed 'genius' ideas of the evil-doer. While everything looked great on the surface, deeper thought unravels a few things. Still, it was an enjoyable read, and I can't say I regretted diving into this one. Because I didn't. It did keep me in the pages for hours, and I did fever for Wren most of the time. Plus, there were several well laid secrets and surprises, which definitely made for several exciting chills and thrills. And by the end, I was a fan again.

Lovers of darker young adult fantasy who love enemy-to-lovers romances, evil plots, gothic gore...and are ready to forgive a few dumb moves on the main character's part, are going to love this one.

I received an ARC and did get lost in the pages most of the time.

2.5/5 stars
I really wanted to love this book, but it did not do the job. I thought it was going to be a fantasy romance with enemies to lovers stuck alone in a house during a winter storm, but instead it's two characters in a house full of people, and there is no chemistry between the leads. The plot was boring, and even though it takes place during a war and between feuding sides, there is no political intrigue. The characters make stupid decisions and don't learn from them. The author also dangled a sapphic romance in front of us just to make it a heterosexual couple we are supposed to root for. Overall, super underwhelming and lots of wasted potential.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved the cover and the gothic vibes it gave, and the premise sounded right up my street, but I don't feel as though it lived up to what it was promising. There is a somewhat gothic atmosphere at points throughout the book, but for the most part it feels like it veers more firmly into being a mystery with a gothic-esque backdrop. However, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed the writing in this book, it flowed beautifully and created a intriguing and fascinating story, on deep, detailed worldbuilding, and while it did take me a while to warm to some of the characters, once I had, they were were well written too. It just fell short of what I had been expecting, but it was still an entertaining read and a strong debut and it would be interesting to see more set in this world.

DOWN COMES THE NIGHT is a debut novel by Allison Saft. The synopsis sparked my interest, but I definitely wasn't prepared for what laid inside.

Wren is a healer in the Queen's Guard who isn't a favorite of the Queen even though she's a princess. However, we learn early on her rightful title was intentionally snatched away due to the Queen despising Wren's father, a commoner. A war rages between Wren's homeland and a neighboring kingdom. Wren is sent on errands with a watchful guardian to keep her out of her aunt-queen's sights, but a severe mistake sends her to a dreary place she received her magical training. A letter from a foreign lord asks for her talents at his mountainside gothic manor. In exchange, he promises to assist her in ending the war and getting back into her aunt's good graces. However, when she arrives, she discovers not all is what it seems as the ill patient she's been tasked to heal is actually a deadly war criminal.

I enjoyed this reading experience immensely. It was such an excellent tale to read as the weather gets colder and rainier. It was a gothic mystery suspense novel with a dose of magic, war, and politics. The magic system is so unique that I was drooling over it. Saft's prose is clear cut but lyrical. The pacing was just right. I liked all the characters. I also loved the enemies-to-lovers subplot. My only issue was the foreshadowing was too heavy-handed. When a major character is introduced, I genuinely believed they'd be a red herring to the grand scheme of things. I made attention to other characters because I was certain the author wouldn't chose such a stereotypical choice.

Well, she did.

The reveal was presented as a plot twist which dampened my excitement a little, but other than that, I'd recommend this story absolutely.

The ending tied everything up nicely.

I, also, appreciate this is a standalone and I look forward to more stories from Saft.

PUBLIC NOTICE: Wren and Hal both have permission to stab me. It's okay. I'd probably end up saying thank you.

Thing is, my heart has already been skewered and handed back to me thanks to DOWN COMES THE NIGHT. It has the intense, dreadful atmosphere of CRIMSON PEAK with writing that sings so clear and sharp, I found myself having visceral reactions: to the cold, to the longing, to the constant tension tip-toeing throughout the book. In a way, DCTN is bleak, dealing with powerlessness, guilt, death, and generational war, but at its heart this is a story of hope. Call me soft, but I'm always on board for a bit of amor vincit omnia.

I don't want to overwrite this review in fear of giving too much away, but here is a list of delicious things sprinkled throughout, in case they tickle your fancy:
-THERE'S ONLY ONE BED
-enemies-to-loves
-disaster bi energy
-sickly victorian LI vibes
-mysterious debonair in a crumbling mansion
-"I'm fighting you, I'm into you, oh NO" feelings
-kinda a murder mystery? yum?
-scientific magic
-THERE'S ONLY ONE BED.

What else can I say? DCTN is gorgeously romantic, expertly written, and aches in all the right places. It's an overwhelming 5/5 from me.

An enthralling and fast-paced fantasy standalone.
First of all, I wouldn't categorize this book as gothic, but just fantasy. Could it have been a gothic story? Maybe, but it turned out as more of a murder mystery. Additionally, this is a fantasy ROMANCE, stay away if that is not what you are looking for.
It has come to my attention that most YA summary provided contain spoilers. This was no exception, the description gave away a couple of initial plot twists. I mostly never read them before the book, but afterwards, that is how I noticed. Anyway, don't do it. Although you probably already have.
Now, my thoughts and opinions. Even though it was different from what I expected, I enjoyed the story and atmosphere. As I usually do in YA.
Wren is the main character of the story. Don't be discouraged. She's quite a moron in the beginning, but you'll grow to like her. Then there's Hal, the best character. End of discussion. Sadly, there's also Una. Una was supposed to be a friend, but she was just mean and rude. For most of the novel, the few times she appeared, she kept belittling Wren. We believe Wren is a fool firstly because that is what her best friend thinks. How can we assume any differently? I'm not even going to start talking about Isabel. I fear I would never stop.
Writing-wise, I thought it was perfect. Detailed without been overdone. Simplistically descriptive. It focused on feelings and emotions instead of traditional external descriptions. I adored the creepy house vibes. Always here for them. Still not gothic though.
I liked the plot. It was fun, entertaining. There were a few plot holes, but considering the book doesn't come out until next year they will be solved or explained in the final version. There were many twists and turns, particularly in the second half. The intrigue was a bit weak. You could predict who the culprit was and what was going to happen, but that didn't stop me from wanting to continue reading.
But honestly, the greatest assets of the book were: the remarkably science-based magic system, the politics and cultures, and the characters' interests and motivations. Particularly the medicinal aspects and procedures were astounding, and my favourite part. They felt accurate and authentic.
I'll be looking forward to more by Allison Saft in the future!

This was an interesting read. I loved the storyline and the characters. It was beautifully written.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I thoroughly enjoyed Saft’s debut. The story was unique, though the foreshadowing was quite heavy, and it was exactly what I needed to get out of my reading slump.

The way that Saft has written the bisexual main character was really appealing to me- there was no emphasis on the fact that she has feels for two people of different genders and that is the way I feel it should be.

I feel like some topics really had the potential to be expanded on and give the reader more insight, such as the mental trauma that child soldiers go through, or even adult soldiers.

Also was happy with the ending but I was really hoping for a more open-ended conclusion to the novel, though that is because I really want for there to be a sequel.

Even with my critiques I can’t give this novel less than a 4 stars as I loved reading it and will definitely be buying a physical copy next year.

I enjoyed the story itself, although the ending wraps up too neatly and some elements are reminiscent of other famous fantasy stories. I also wish there had been an introduction to the "history" of this fantasy world, with a fuller explanation of the magical elements and the characters themselves. Since the story begins in an action scene and we just "jump right in" to this world, we're left to figure it all out on our own. This took a bit longer than I would have liked, so I had a harder time investing. I was about a quarter of the way in before I felt like I understood the setting and I could just enjoy the plot.

Overall, this wasn't exactly the right book for me, but it could still hit all the right elements for someone looking for a light romance with supernatural elements.

Wow! I finished Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft, and I seriously hope it will be a series.

Down Comes the Night is a young adult fantasy novel due out March 2021. Wren Southerland has magic, obligating her to train and work as a healer. After her most recent impulsive action, as a healer in the Queen’s army, she is suspended from duty and reassigned as a general healer.

When an opportunity to forge an alliance with a neighbouring kingdom presents itself to Wren, she is eager to go. All it requires is her healing abilities, at the request of a flamboyant Lord, but the Queen refuses Wren’s request to go. Wren decides to disobey, confident she will bridge relations and win her Queen’s approval, at long last.

When Wren arrives at the creepy residence, nothing is as she expected. Most of the staff and servants have died from the mysterious illness she has yet to witness or identify, and the Lord demands her signature on a stifling agreement before she meets her patient. When he makes the terms somehow seem more reasonable than they are, and Wren considers that she is storm stayed there for the foreseeable future anyhow, she relents and signs.

Shock is about to hit when Wren discovers who her patient is, and she is amazed her host seems to be completely oblivious of who they are. She soon learns that the patient is there under false pretences, but they might be the key to helping solve a mystery plaguing her home kingdom. If she agrees to work with them, there is also the possibility it will lead to rescuing a dear friend.

Saturated in magic, mystery, and danger, this story also shares what it is like to feel like an outcast, fighting to prove your self against all odds. I recommend for fans of the following to add it to their TBR lists: Brigid Kemmerer’s Cursebreakers series, Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J Maas, and Shelby Mahurin’s Serpent & Dove. The release date is the 2nd of March, 2021.

A firm 5/5 stars from me!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for the amazing opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Rating: meh in the middle / 5

**Received Netgalley ARC in exchange for honest review.**

"Average" is the word that comes to mind when I read YA books nowadays, and this one is about as average as they come. Granted, they've got an "original" world as a setting, but there are just so many "original worlds" out there, that...nothing's original when everything's original, if that makes sense.

Therefore, with average "trying so hard to be original" characters, "an original but aren't they all" setting and "oh, it's a war!" conflict as the backdrop, it's a whole bunch of ya-da-ya-da-ya-da conflict that I've kind of outgrown by this point. Honestly, I think I'd only be interested in sci-fi YAs as far as the war plot goes, more specifically with series like The Aurora Cycle or the Skyward series. But for new authors like Alison Saft, if they want to make their stories stand out, they really need to stop basing everything off of older formulas that have already been known to work, and take risks outside of the generic advertising of a "deeply romantic YA fantasy". It just doesn't work for me, sorry. Maybe some people are willing and eager to read the same thing over and over and over again, but that ain't me. What can I say, I'm hard to impress when it comes to the YA genre, specifically since my own YA years are behind me.

As for the "gothic" genre, I've said it once in my review of Ruth Ware's The Death of Mrs. Westaway and I'll say it here: modern day authors cannot do Gothics correctly. It's just past the time of them, I'm sorry to say, and trying to incorporate them into the YA genre feels like a double form of incest or something--in any case, something that should just not happen. If you want to do something dark with YA, then do either a dark fairy tale retelling or go straight into horror--House of Salt and Sorrows does both of these excellently, and sort of ends up with a Gothic atmosphere as a byproduct, but not as the main point. If you try to go for Gothic as the main point, as Saft does, then believe me, you're going to miss. Just....no no no no no.

Also, writing-wise why I lost interest in this book so early on is because it drags. Good god does it drag. It doesn't help me get to know the main characters better, it doesn't make me care, and it doesn't keep me invested. It's a classic case of Erin Morgenstern + Catherynne M. Valente over-detailed writing that I really couldn't give a damn about. The whole "intrinsic drawn to magic but let's make it long and detailed so that people think it's aesthetic and therefore my writing must be considered better in some way" shtick is something that just doesn't work. Not now or ever. Some authors can sometimes pull it off, like Naomi Novik, but consider that the exception, not the rule.

Colour be underwhelmed, unresponsive, and uncaring for this book overall, but willing to give it a decent final rating because...meh, I didn't really read it (maybe a quarter, but not much more), so I can't judge completely. I didn't like the direction it was going in at all and I just didn't care though, so, free ARC or not, I wasn't putting myself through this.

NEXT NEXT NEXT, and I will quickly forget this.

First off thankyou so much to the publisher for granting my wish. The synopsis originally pulled me in. I went in blind and was happy I did. I did think it was beautifully written and the overall themes were done well. It had likeable characters but it felt unfinished. Im not sure if there will be a sequel, but I feel it would benefit from one. It was an enjoyable read.

It seems I am going to be one of the few who don't like "Down Comes the Night". When I first started reading, there was just something about the the main character, Wren, that bothered me. I'm still trying to figure out what it was exactly, her personality maybe. Another thing I found was that I was skimming through the book within the first five chapters, and for me that's a big red flag that the book isn't for me. So many other reviews love this book, so please, don't disregard the book because of me. This is probably just one of those “It’s not you, it’s me” break ups.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

4.5 This gothic ya fantasy was my drug! This delved way farther into the semantics of the two places at war. Books with yearning and enemies to lovers are my absolute favorite. The mutual hesitancy and disgruntled helping of each other is very nice. I sometimes felt the book was slow, mostly in the beginning, but I also feel like at the end, everything happens so quick. By the end, all the problems are good enough for the book to end, but I feel, like many others, that this book could easily be a duology or trilogy because of it’s world building and other questions that could be brought up. Overall, Romantic slow burn with enemies to lovers with forced proximity and caring for wounds and pining with some yearning.

This gothic debut is the book of my dreams!

The romance, the dueling kingdoms, the dark fantasy vibes made this a fresh fantasy that was different than anything I've ever read before. The rich setting is reminiscent of Guillermo Del Toro and one of the strongest aspects of this book was the world-building, The religious and military aspects were clear and easy to follow., meaning that it was easy to sink into a new fantasy world. The Colwick House felt like a separate character of its own - dark and twisted and the perfect setting for a mysterious forbidden romance.

The main characters were likable and compelling, the story-telling was action packed and exciting, and the romance was such a great slow burn. Wren's character development was fantastic - she really grew into her own over the course of this novel.

I would recommend this to any fantasy fan who enjoys enemies to lovers romance. It was a solid standalone, but I would love to see this turned into a duology or trilogy so I can follow these characters through more adventures. The book comes out in March so there's plenty of time to preorder!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for my early copy! All opinions are my own

Oh wow, I loved this book. 4.5 stars for sure.

I just… gothic horror and a murder mystery, bisexual protagonist, enemies to lovers romance… what more could I ask for?

I found the themes of the story very human and universal, a struggle between strength and forgiveness that was executed beautifully. I really feel that Wren developed strongly as a character, and I loved the journey that got her to that point. The other characters also developed—even ones I would never have expected—which I thought was amazing.

The magic meshed with science was super cool and I thought the worldbuilding was very good. I never felt lost, even as the main character clearly knew more about medical everything than I do.

I did feel that the story dragged at points, and that there were almost too many obstacles that kept popping up. It might just be that I read this in two sittings, but I expected it to be over long before it was. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy all of it, but it was an effort to keep up at times.

That said, I would gladly read a thousand sequels to this book. And I’ll be excited to buy a print copy when it comes out in March.

I did not anticipate this book being as in depth as it was. Going into it I was expecting a simple ya gothic romance. It was missing some of the creepy gothic vibes I thought I was going to get and focused more on the military and strategic aspect. I felt like there was so much more I wanted to know about the world that I wasn’t given. I also left the book wondering if there was going to be a sequel.

This is a story about kingdom s at war . Unrequited love . Redemption.

Danu is a female dominated society . The focus of this land is the three fold law of the goddess. I really found this interesting, I’m familiar with this , but have never seen it put into practice into a book. The goddess is the inspiration behind all . It’s with her grace , healing magic is passed down under certain family lines and generations.
Wren Southerland is a healer , one of the best . She not only heals with magic but also looks for the scientific reason. Queen Isabel is wren’s aunt. They have a very uncomfortable relationship . Not only from past hard feelings but current ones as well.
Cernos is a male dominated god society. Their god wants war and death at any cost . Hal is a warrior , a man who can kill with the magic he contains in his eyes.
Now our story switches from battle in the fields to the battle inside. Wren is called to a hidden , out of the way mansion to cure a unknown illness. When she arrives she finds a arch enemy and a unexpected opportunity. Heal the enemy and get in good with the queen ?

This was a wonderful story that kept me up to finish it. A enemies to lovers , but so much inner conflict . Redemption . A new story to be told.