I was raised on a steady diet of sci-fi, fantasy and atmospheric gothics and this book hits ALL my weaknesses at once.

An ostracized plucky heroine? (Check) A remote gloomy manor full of shadows and secrets? (Double check) A twisted spiral of wants, needs, does & don’ts & mysterious disappearances & deaths, yep! Throw in a mercurial lord, dueling nations, a really interesting system of magic and her country’s greatest enemy and you’ve got ALL the ingredients for an OUTSTANDING story!

The plot is tight and twisty. The characters fully fleshed and invested in their motivations, and it keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat to the very end!

Really appreciate Netgalley granting me the opportunity to read & review this outstanding book. Can’t wait to get my hands on a hard copy and start lending it to all my friends. Here’s hoping Ms. Saft will revisit the continuing adventures in Vesria & Danu of Wren, Una, Queen Isabelle & Hal very, VERY soon!

Saft is an excellent slow burn romance author. The beginning of the book started off fairly slow, whether it's because of quarantine putting me into a reading slump or not is beyond me.

Once I hit the halfway point, the story started to pick up. The slow burn romance had me picking up the book wanting the characters to finally give in. Once they did, it was worth the wait. There's so much twisted corruption and delicate relationships within the 3 countries and the game has to be played a certain way or lose everything. I was very satisfied by the ending, it made me happy & bubbly inside.

This book was ABSOLUTELY DREAMY. Enemies to friends to lovers is my dream team and the world building and writing in this book brought that dream to life. I’m so glad I got a chance to read this and I cannot wait to hold a physical copy in my hands !

This is truly a spell-binding book. From page 1, I was pulled in by the mercy and kindness of the main character. Too often we are teaching young girls that they have to be cruel in order to survive or get anywhere in this world, and this book shows us just how far we can go when we stick true to ourselves. I loved it. I cannot wait for it to be released so that my students can read it.

Danu and Vesria, sworn enemies, have recently had soldiers disappear from their borders each kingdom blaming the other. Wren Southerland is a gifted healer in the Danbian Queen's guard, her compassion for others is seen as a weakness by her supervisors. When Lord Lowry, sends a letter asking Wren to come heal one of his servants from a mysterious disease that has been plaguing his estate Wren thinks this will be an opportunity to prove her worth. Wren soon discovers that Lord Lowry is not what he appears to be. Her patient is none other than Hal Cavendish, The Reaper of Vesria, and her countries most sworn enemy. Trapped in the estate and part of an evil plan that may lead to both kingdoms downfall, Hal and Wren must work together if they want to save their kingdoms.

Down Comes the Night is a beautifully written debut fantasy involving two characters each with powerful magical abilities who happen to be sworn enemies. Wren is a compassionate young woman who possesses the magical gift of healing; she is often seen as weak for her prevalence towards mercy. Hal Cavendish is a known as a merciless monster; his magical eyes kill anyone who dares to meet his stare. When they find themselves prisoners of a sinister plot, they begin to work together and eventually develop feelings for each other. The novel does contain sexually romantic elements (both lesbian and straight) but the content wasn't explicit and I felt it was appropriate for even young YA readers. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this novel but I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed this one. I look forward to seeing more novels by this author.

This was actually quite good! I enjoyed the magic, the drama and the romance. A few parts dragged for me but other than that I enjoyed the story line and the friendship between Wren and Una. I feel like this story had something for everyone.

Okay, I started this book eight months before it comes out because Charlotte made me. I knew I’d like it from the dedication (“For the girls who feel too much“) and guess what, I did! Part fantasy, part Gothic horror, Down Comes the Night explores what is more important: your duty or doing what’s right.

The illegitimate niece of the queen of Danu, Wren is a magical healer and a soldier who’s been told over and over that her emotions get the best of her. Still, she heals a prisoner and gets suspended from her position, sent back to the abbey where she was raised. A mysterious letter arrives one day from Lord Lowry from a neutral country; he offers her a chance to prove herself in exchange for healing one of his servants. She seizes this chance even when the queen refuses to let her go. Unfortunately for her, the servant she’s been summoned to heal turns out to be her country’s biggest enemy: Hal Cavendish, a Vesrian cold-hearted killer whose magic allows him to kill with a look. However, they grow closer in this strange estate, and they soon set off together to solve the mystery of missing soldiers from both of their countries.

I really enjoyed the prose of this book. This is a Gothic horror novel set in a fantasy land, and an air of mystery is woven throughout the book. The worldbuilding was also incredibly detailed; we have both magic and science here. Magic is a recessive gene that’s only active in the people of Vesria and Danu. Also, it’s noted that Wren is unique as a healer in that she doesn’t only rely on her magic to heal, but also her scientific knowledge of the body.

I also really liked the presence of religion. Vesria and Danu have very different religious systems that explain their magic. Danu has a three-faced Goddess who is alternately compassionate and cold, whereas Vesria’s God is cruel and primarily associated with death.

The plot pulls you in, slowly but surely. Wren reluctantly agrees to heal Hal, only because he has information on some missing soldiers, one of whom is Wren’s friend. They investigate Lowry’s estate, but there are more sinister forces at play. Wren also has to fend off the queen’s soldiers who are looking for her while facing her feelings for Una, her friend and the person leading the search for her.

Perhaps what I love most about this book are the characters. Again, Wren is someone who feels too much; she’s been told often by the queen and Una, who are both withholding in their emotions, that she’s too compassionate. Really, Wren just wants to be loved; she was sent away by the queen, her aunt and the person whose approval she seeks the most, as a child. This is why she upholds her healing magic as the most important thing in her life: if she can’t be kept around because she’s loved, she will be valuable because she’s useful. It’s perhaps not the healthiest thing, but I found it very relatable. Wren’s yearning for love is palpable and I really loved that we got such an empathetic protagonist.

Hal also has more depth to him than being the most decorated Vesrian soldier; he too suffers under the weight of expectations. I also liked Una, who’s uncomfortable with expressing emotions. She’s the opposite to Wren in this way; I found it funny when she tries to comfort Wren but she clearly has no idea what to do.

I also loved the romance! Wren and Hal have an enemies-to-lovers dynamic although it didn’t have as much hate-to-love as I wanted. Still, they were so soft, and I love them. Oh, also, there’s a “oh no! there’s only one bed” scene, and I cried. I also liked that LGB relationships are normalized in this Victorian-esque world. Wren is bisexual, and Una is sapphic. There are other characters who also are, mentioned in passing. It’s never a point of contention, which I liked.

This is a stand-alone fantasy, and it wraps up very nicely. I actually really loved the ending; I might’ve teared up a little. Please, Allison Saft, I would love a little sequel novella!

With lovable characters and a soft romance, Down Comes the Night was an amazing debut; I can’t wait for more from this author. I loved the protagonist and the worldbuilding, and you will too. I definitely recommend Down Comes the Night if you like enemies-to-lovers, fantasies with detailed worldbuilding, and emotional female protagonists.

Down Comes the Night is a curious book, good but not great. With the high ratings I have seen, I was expecting something very different. I enjoyed the story. I would not call it gothic at all, besides the old mansion, there was nothing gothic about it. The story had so much promise but really fell flat for me, it was incredibly predictable. As for the characters, they are all over the place. I found Wren nasty and needy. While I loved her healing magic, the rest of her was terrible. I do think she would make a good villain in a future story. Una is the same, but flat with no personality. I did like the crazy Lowry character though. He was the best part of the book other than the setting. The author is a fantastic writer, I just never really found the story exciting enough to keep me really engaged.

I was excited when I first read the synopsis for this book. I didn't expect to like the main character Wren since at the beginning of the book she's very weak-willed but also defiant. She grows during the book to become this strong-willed woman who is still defiant. She basically just wants her aunt's approval (who is the Queen of Danu) as she is a bastard and her parents died leaving Isabel as her guardian and only remaining family. So Wren decides to accept a deal from a foreign nobleman to cure his ailing servant Henry (who is really Hal Cavendish, the Reaper of Vesria) without the Queen's permission. However, she doesn't realize it's a part of a sinister trap and she and Hal have to race against the clock to uncover a dastardly plot and stop a war.

I want to say that I loved this book. It's the first book I've read in a while that has made me excited to read again. Down Comes the Night gave me the same vibes I felt when I first read Wicked Saints. If this is Allison Saft's debut novel I can't wait to see what she releases in the future.

Just as I had predicted, DOWN COMES THE NIGHT did not contain a single thing I don't enjoy. Allison might as well have written this for me specifically. The story follows Wren, a magical healer who is part of the military but is guided by her empathy. She was a wonderful character - strong, but also kind. When her desire to help everyone in need causes her to stray from her duties, she's forced to face the consequences.

Luckily - or perhaps, not so - that's when Wren receives a letter from the enigmatic Lord Lowry, requesting her skills as a healer at his estate. And oooh, what a fabulous setting that estate was! It lends to that gothic, slightly claustrophobic sensation so well. Combined with the unrelenting snow, the atmosphere was all at once cozy and creepy. As Wren uncovers secret after secret, all the while healing the man she was certain is her - and her country's - worst enemy, the tension only continues to grow.

I don't wanna give too much away, but if you like:
- strong & sweet bisexual girls!
- dangerous bad boys!
- the nursing-back-to-health trope!
- mild body horror! (including medical stuff, which was SO well-researched)
- an impending sense of doom!
- only one bed!

THEN YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Allison's prose is top-notch and the story she weaves is at once complex and effortless.

Wow! I devoured this! Never has a book been more catered specifically to me. Fantasy? Check. Enemies to lovers? Check. Gothic mystery including crumbling house and creepy host? Check! Everything about this book, right down to the dedication “For all the girls who feel too much,” was absolutely perfect for me. Allison Saft has constructed a richly emotional and compelling story, filled with suspense and one of the more touching romances I’ve read in some time.

Allison Saft did an amazing job constructing the two main characters. By the end of the story I was in love with Hal and Wren. Their relationship was really beautiful, I loved watching it grow as Wren healed Hal. It felt very natural, and both of them grew tremendously by the end of the novel. I just found their relationship very sweet and it makes my heart sing!

Very rarely in books am I concerned about how it’s going to end. For the most part I realize (and this is definitely dependent on the type of book I’m reading) that it’s going to end with a happy (at least somewhat) ending. This was not the case with Down Comes the Night. I was stressed! I did not know how things were going to turn out! I was hoping for a happy ending, but there were times I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to get it. Saft’s writing was so engaging I was so sucked into the novel that I did now know how it was going to end. I loved it! I wish this would happen more often.

I am eager to see what Allison Saft does next, and I cannot wait to get my greedy little paws on her next book! If this is anything to go by, Allison Saft has a wonderful career ahead of her, and already a very devoted fan.

I will post a longer review on my blog closer to publication.

I received an ARC of this book from the publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley!!

*Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Book, and Allison Saft for an EARC of "Down Comes The Night" in exchange for an honest review * So this was a good read. I liked Wren and Uma and Hal. (Although I selfishly wished Hal stayed dark.) The magic system was interesting and I'd love to see what other mages powers are besides Wren and Hal's.

When all I knew about this book was that it was about enemies trapped inside a crumbling mansion with monsters around every corner, I was still so, so eager to read it. All the early reviews I heard for it were nothing but praise and it sounded dark and snowy and gothic. I honestly couldn’t quite believe it when I was lucky enough to get an e-ARC. A bi main character, a mysterious disease, and snowy mountains. Really, the pull I felt towards this book was strong. Trigger warnings: death, blood, gore


This book is one that kind of left me in awe. The best way I can describe it is gorgeous. I know that seems like such a common word, but the beauty seeping through this book is truly gorgeous.

Alright, I’m starting out with the immense FEELING packed into this book. This is a book about emotion. It’s built on emotion, it revolves around emotion, it’s focused on emotion. It’s about compassion, it’s about the ache to be loved, it’s about feeling too much. It feels weird to even call it emotional development because it feels like so much more than that. It’s about learning what your emotions mean to you, how you allow them to affect your life, and learning how feel, the way you want to feel. It touched me, in a way that isn’t common. It was a ripple across me.

The characters, dang they made me fall in love with them. This book is incredibly character driven. They felt so REAL. They felt like flesh and bone and sweat and blood and tears and everything made real. I felt like I could touch them. Wren, a healer determined to prove herself, caught in the whirlwind of her compassion. Hal, a boy trying to find the good. In himself and what he can do for his country. He was so sad, but he has this dry humor and kindness to him. It was so easy to fall head over heals for him.

I also really loved the side characters! Una, a military captain who will always follow orders. She was so well written that I honestly thought she could have been a POV character. I think it would have been fascinating to see this story though her eyes. Hannah, a kind servant who helps Wren with her shenanigans.

And the WORLD. Yet another thing that I loved. It was another thing that was gorgeous. It was snowy and war torn. Two countries stuck a pattern of vengeance, with a third neutral party. Everything about it was so well written. The scenery left me breathless and the politics were fascinating. Also, I thought this was going to be hardcore fantasy, but there were modern inventions that popped up and surprised me. I thought it was kind of cool to see lightbulbs along with healing magic.

The writing, wow the writing. It made the book come alive. It’s what made this world so well done, it’s what made these characters so lovable, and it’s what made this book so full of feeling. It felt like a snowflake, a ripple across an always still pond. It was gorgeous.

The plot was something that surprised me. It wasn’t what I expected at all. It feels weird to say, but it felt like the main plot wasn’t the whole point of the book. It was what held the overall message and that’s what made it special. It felt a bit straightforward, and I think it would have liked for it to be a bit more twisty. But, I still ended up really liking it. It allowed the characters to grow, it allowed so much emotion to be showcased, and it still managed to be interesting and amazing in its own right. It might not have been what I expected, but I still ended up liking it!

Yes, this book truly is amazing. It has casual queerness, a say boy, a determined girl, snowy mountains, healing and destroying magic, a creepy manor, war torn countries, some amazing hugs, and a snowball fight. This book is full of feeling and all kinds of amazing.

I drawn to this book by the cover because it looked like a Victorian/Edwardian postcard Impressionist painting. Once I read the description of the book I knew I had to request an advanced reader. This was an enjoyable read - the dialogue was engaging from the start. The plot flowed very nicely and you truly got the sense of all of the characters trying to rebuild themselves after being taken down by through circumstances intentional or unintentional. This book is different from any other dark fantasy I've read in the past 2 years and I would encourage you to add this lovely title to your library. Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this great debut author's book.

Down Comes the Night is an incredibly atmospheric story. It follows Wren Southerland, who is a healer in the Queen’s Guard. After receiving a letter from a lord asking Wren to come heal a servant from a mysterious disease, Wren sets off to try and prove herself. Upon arriving, Wren discovers that the servant is Hal Cavendish, a sworn and wanted enemy of her kingdom.

This story is a page-turner filled with beautiful descriptions of gothic manors, realistic characters, and a world full of clever politics. These characters were emotional, and I loved how they needed to work through their feelings and prejudices in order to overcome the real evil. The plot is well-written and full of surprises. I loved all of the twists and I couldn’t put it down.


I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this story.
We follow Wren, she is the bastard niece to the queen of a country ravaged by war. Wren is a healer in the military who seems to always get things wrong. After making yet another mistake on the field, she’s given a risky opportunity to prove herself, she’s invited to a Lord’s mansion to heal a friend of his. Things take a turn when she realizes the guy she’s there to save is the most notoriously deadly soldier in the opposing country’s military. A story about war and love, accepting who you are and making things right.
Although i enjoyed it, there were some aspects that fell a bit short for me.
The magic system was really interesting but I felt it could’ve been expanded on a lot. We really got to know Wren’s magic and her healing abilities, but aside from that we know of like 3 other people with magic.
It was atmospheric and gothic, however I felt at times it dragged.
From the synopsis you can tell there’s going to be a hate to love romance and it was done alright. We see them develop and get to know one another, but I wasn’t super invested in their relationship.
All and all, a fun fantasy story with magic and war but nothing super different. I’m interested to see what the author does next.

Wren, soldier and healer for her country, which had been in a war for decades, only wants to win the queen's (her aunt) favor. But Wren continues to make fatal errors; it seems her heart is just not meant for a soldier's life... at least that's what her commander and her queen keep telling her. So, after she is banished from all she knows, she answers a summons that may allow her to reclaim her life and the queen's favor. Or perhaps she may find something else...
Overall, a decent read that is action-packed and suspenseful with a dash of romance to keep up the sparks.

Nondescript. Poorly drawn and an insufferable heroine made for an unengaging read that I would not recommend to anyone.

I want to start this off with the most important part of this review, and that is that I would die for Wren and Hal.

This book made its way onto my list because the words, gothic, romance, and enemies were used in the span of a sentence. I honestly didn’t need to know anything else about the book other than that. Of course, when I did realize it was two kingdoms about to be at war again with each other and the main character had magic, I dove head first into this book.

I don’t think I ever willingly put this book down, except when I first started, simply because I thought I was reading it too fast and didn’t want it to end. That was just me at 20%! Next time I sat down I made it 70% and only put it down because I had to return to work. Safe to say that I didn’t take it slow for the ending of this book. I devoured it. I couldn’t stop reading it. Like yes, we had these two kingdoms at war, and I thought I would want to see the action of that, but since this story takes place mostly within this manor? Estate? You get a more creepier feel to it.

I don’t even know what more to say that wouldn’t be spoilers and isn’t just more of me screaming about how much I loved this book!

Down Comes the Night is an epic tale, full of mystery and intrigue. It sweeps you away from the first page in to a well crafted and fully immersive world that makes you feel you are experiencing the story along with the characters. An absolute must read.