Not quite as spooky or romantic as I wanted it to be, but is that probably just my problem? i'm inclined to say yes, because a lot of people really love this one.

“You’re even more delusional than I thought if you think you can save the world by conquering it,” as Wren goes on to prove just that in this sci-fi thriller. When dark and treasonous forces are at work, cruelty is often the rule of the day, but when a kind healer comes on the scene, she may be able to put things to rights.
Saft’s characters are unique, the plot macabre yet hopeful, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey she took me on.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I downloaded this book from NeGalley. The description and cover made it seem like a young adult fantasy filled with magic, mystery, and war. As I dove into this book, I found it was a little eerie and Gothic. I loved those aspects of the story and what I loved even more was that it was an unexpected enemies to lovers tale. Also, the physiologist in me loved all the anatomy and medicine!

Wren is a disgraced royal with healing magic and a compassionate heart. During this time of war, her compassion and empathy towards others is seen as a shortcoming and often gets her in trouble. She finds herself in the home of the mysterious Mr. Lowry, tending to an injured servant. What she finds is the most feared enemy of her people, Hal Cavendish. Nothing is quite what it seems in this estate or this war.

There is a great amount of world building in the beginning of the story, so the pace is rather slow to start. But things to pick up once Wren and Hal meet and as they start to uncover the secrets of the Lowry estate. There were unexpected twists and turns, a sweet enemies to lovers arc, and heroine who finds that who she is - that is more than enough.

Take the vibes of Wuthering Heights or an Oscar Wilde story. Add in a war that’s been going on for decades. Sprinkle in some magic (not too much! we want to keep things realistic!) Stir in some conflicts of emotion. Top off with a Bi heroine.

If the recipe above sounds to your taste, you’ll likely enjoy this book!


I will note that it took me a bit to feel *in* the story— the introduction to the world takes some time, and I wasn’t really expecting that.

« 𝕎𝕖 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕔𝕣𝕦𝕖𝕝. 𝕀𝕥 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕤 𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕. 𝕋𝕠 𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕦𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕗𝕦𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕥 »

In a world torn apart by an endless war, a young healer who has always sought the approval and recognition of her aunt the queen decides to do whatever it takes to stop this war that has ravaged her country and her people for far too long.
Released from her duties after letting a prisoner escape during one of her missions, she decides to flee in order to clear her reputation after receiving a letter from a mysterious Lord asking for her help.
When she arrives, she discovers that her host has not been entirely honest with her and the road to redemption seems longer and more dangerous than expected.

I had a bit of trouble at the beginning of the story with Wren's character who I found a bit naive and quite reckless, bordering on boring but you quickly learn to get attached to her even though I did roll my eyes on more than one occasion.
I just wish I could have learned a little more about this war and its origins.

The writing is fluid and quite pleasant to read and the plot of the story, although quite easy to guess in my opinion, seems to hold up.
DOWN COMES THE NIGHT by Allison Saft is a debut novel that will not leave you unmoved.

Down Comes the Night is an enchanting read fit for any lover of fantasy and adventure. While this book was advertised and marketed as a ghost story, the narrative is more of a romance mystery in terms of genre. The imagery is spell-bounding as a romance slowly forms throughout the book. In the background, tensions rise between the very nations our romantic leads are from. This story has enough tension and background plot to keep the reader invested in the overarching narrative, while creating genuinely intimate scenes which will have you rooting for the couple's happiness together (despite the odds).

At times, this plot feels slow and like many fantasy novels, it can be hard to keep track of the intricacies of the world itself. Restricting the story mostly to one central location was a great choice for this story, as it allows the reader to focus on a handful of characters rather than the sociopolitical state of the two warring nations. For fantasy readers who love exposition and battle details, this book won't be for you. For readers who like fantasy elements and want to try their hands at reading more stories with magic systems, this is a great introduction.

The representation in the book is very casual, with the main character being bisexual and another character in the story is a lesbian. These points are only brought up briefly and is not a plot point to the story. This is certainly refreshing in its own way, as many LGBT narratives tend to be about the character's identity. I can appreciate a story which has representation which remains a minor detail to the character.

Overall, this is a great March read and is highly recommended. With spell-bounding writing and passionate characters, Down Comes the Night is a swift read sure to make a rainy evening magical.

I started Down Comes the Night with the highest of expectations, which, ironically, ended up being my downfall. I'm more than a little devastated with this turn of events — especially considering how so many of my friends wholehearted adored this book — but, in hindsight, my ambivalent feelings were not entirely unexpected.

More on all of that later; first — let's start at the beginning:

I'm normally all for the quiet, slow-paced fantasies — but, for whatever reason, Down Comes the Night pushes even my limits. I can't pinpoint exactly why, but it took me no less than three separate tries of starting the book to get past the first twenty or so pages.

As the story progresses, it does get better, though! On my third try, I flew through the book and finished it in a day. While I can't say that the pace gets faster, I do think that the events taking place are just substantially more interesting, and, for that reason, the glacial pace is excusable.

Part of my problem — or if I'm unabashedly honest, the majority of my problem — with this book stems from the fact that I just did not care much for the characters. We follow Wren Southerland, who feels too much — in fact, all her troubles start because of her reckless abandonment of caution & reason in favor of pursuing her emotions. Perhaps I've just become too cynical, but most of the times where Wren displayed her aforementioned kindness felt more like virtue signaling.

What I did love about Wren was her character arc. Wren goes from being soft-spoken, kind without reason, and frankly, pathetic and needy (me too, Wren, me too 😔), to becoming someone who knows her worth and finds strength in her kindness, rather than weakness. Wren retains a healthy dose of vulnerability, while also reminding herself that her love for someone should never overpower her love and respect for herself. This is the sort of character arc I will always be here for, no matter how many times it's done. 💕

...... which brings me to Hal Cavendish, Reaper of Vesria, and Wren's (and her country's) sworn enemy. I'll be honest: the "boy who's done bad things but regrets them now and is secretly misunderstood" trope is a tried and true one — and also, in my opinion, a tired one. I couldn't think of anything about Hal that distinguished him from the many other men who are part of this trope.

Because I didn't care about Hal, and didn't connect to Wren at all, you probably don't need me to spell out the fact that the romance in this novel was a miss for me.

Despite all of this, there were definitely plenty of things that redeemed this book for me — at least to some degree.

As I mentioned before, Wren's arc was lovely. Also, Wren's bi! I loved the rep, and the normalization of queerness in the book's world, in general, which I feel like I can never have enough of. Allison Saft's writing is lush and atmospheric — her descriptions transcend the page, and it's easy to fall into the world with a soft thud as she weaves the story. (I do want to interject and quickly note that this book is strongly marketed as gothic, which I didn't quite feel. While the creepy mansion is certainly there, there was something indescribably missing which took away from the gothic atmosphere. The vibes just weren't right, if you will.)

The politics in the book were intriguing, the worldbuilding satisfying if not particularly inventive; my favorite part, though, without a doubt, is the magic system.

The magic in Down Comes the Night stems from science, and this biological influence on the magic system was so refreshing to me. I don't want to mention it here, because I feel like Saft explains it best, but I just truly adored this aspect of the book. Wren just approaches her healing magic in such a scientific, methodical way, and I just [clenches fist] love to see it!

TL;DR — I wouldn't call Down Comes the Night anything incredibly special, but my qualms with the book are personal enough for me to still recommend it to those who feel like it might be a good for them. It wasn't for me but I wouldn't let my review hinder my decision in picking up this book.

Also, I mentioned this nowhere in the review, but I love Una Dryden with all my heart, and would probably like this book better if it had been written about her.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and Allison Saft for the opportunity to read Down Comes the Night in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this novel, but it really has a nice blend of magic, adventure, mystery, horror, and romance. Said blend is much appreciated. The book is well-written, easy to read, and fast-paced, using just the right vernacular for a given situation.

Wren is a healer who serves under her best friend (and once lover) Una for the Queen's Guard. The Queen just so happens to be Wren's aunt, but nothing Wren ever does seems to impress her. After Wren heals a captive and he escapes, both her and Una's jobs are turned upside-down. Wren is sent back to the Abbey where she originally learned how to heal. During her stay there, she receives a letter from one Lord Lowry who asks for her specific medical expertise. This is perfect for Wren to undertake to gain favor with the Queen and to build a relationship between her own country and that of Lowry's. When the Queen refuses, unexpectedly mad about the letter and Wren's idea, Wren takes her fate into her own hands, knowing she can do something good for both countries to help prevent a war.

When Wren arrives at Lowry's manner, she is surprised to find the patient he wants her to heal is none other than Hal the "reaper," a magic user who has killed many opposing Wren's country in battle. Not only was he someone who went missing, but six other magic users, three from each warring country, likewise vanished. Hal is only the first clue in a strange mystery that Wren wants to solve, she's just not quite sure how to go about it.

Lowry is a very eccentric young man that just has something off about him. His whole servant staff died from a strange illness, and Wren does what she can to figure out what the illness could be. The horror aspect involves somewhat graphic surgery images, among other similar spectacles. The house itself has a nice gothic spooky feel to it. And of course there's some romance that's built quite well. 

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. It was a bit longer than I would have liked and thus took me longer than expected to read, but it was certainly well worth it. I highly recommend.

Wren is the queen’s niece, but she is a soldier in the Danu army, not to fight wars but as a medic. She uses magic to heal the queen’s soldiers, when they are hurt. However, she makes a mistake one night healing the wounds of a prisoner, who then breaks free and runs off. The Queen is furious and suspends her from the army. To make amends with the queen, Wren accepts a strange offer from a Lord to come to his estate in a different kingdom and heal his butler. The lord promises to put Wren back in the good graces of the queen and stop a war between Danu and Vesria. It seems like the perfect plan, until Wren gets there and has to sign an agreement with some odd rules. Also, the nature of the butler’s illness is strange and not as expected. In addition to finding a way to heal the butler, Wren must also investigate how the butler became sick, was the Lord involved, and is she now in danger? My only two issues are that it could have been shorter by at least 50 pages and there were a couple events at the end that seemed repetitive. Overall, a pretty decent debut novel. A special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. An actual stand alone where I want/need a sequel (or 2).
Wren Southerland’s reckless use of magic has cost her everything: she's been dismissed from the Queen’s Guard and separated from her best friend—the girl she loves. So when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord, asking Wren to come to his estate, Colwick Hall, to cure his servant from a mysterious illness, she seizes her chance to redeem herself. But the ailing servant turns out to be none other than Hal Cavendish, the sworn enemy of her people. Suffice it to say that while Wren works on healing him and find out the true cause of this particular ruthless disease, sparks fly. Wren and Hal both fight against their growing feelings for each other, their people's expectations, centuries of needless war, duty, and doing what is right rather than what is easy. This is a great fantasy read with well drawn LGBTQ+ characters, which is always a plus. Do yourself a favor and pick this book ASAP!
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy of this book for an honest review.

Down Comes the Night is Allison Saft's debut novel. As a debut, it is a perfectly adequate story involving two war-torn countries on the brink of another disastrous war and two enemies who learn to look beyond the surface to see the truths lying underneath. As an enemies-to-lovers fantasy, there too is it acceptable. While the story fails to wow you, it does enough to entertain as it drives home its lesson that emotions are not a form of weakness.

To me, Down Comes the Night is really more of a coming-to-age story. Wren must find her path as she waffles between her love for her best friend, wanting acceptance from her aunt, and following her heart. The story is Wren's journey as she uncovers secrets, learns some hard truths, and discovers love where least expected.

The romance within Down Comes the Night is sweet but lacks any chemistry between the two characters. Even one very intimate scene is missing the heat one expects with such tropes. While I still enjoyed the trope, I missed the butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling a steamy, chemistry-laden relationship creates.

All of this reiterates that Down Comes the Night is a decent debut novel. After all, it follows a predictable path with one or two minor surprises to jolt you out of any sense of complacency. Ms. Saft's writing is basic and simplistic, but I do think she shows promise. With a little maturity and more experience, I believe Ms. Saft has the makings of a good writer of young adult fiction.

Wren Southerland, a healer in the Queen’s Guard, makes an ‘emotional’ mistake that costs them a captive that may know where the Guard’s missing soldiers might have disappeared to. Despite being the Queen’s own niece this results in her being dismissed from duty. After this, she receives a letter from a lord of a neighboring nation asking for her help in curing a sick servant of his. Determined to prove herself useful she goes only to find that the so called servant is none other than her kingdom’s public enemy number one—Hal Cavendish, the Reaper of Vesria.

This was the gothic, fantasy romance book I didn’t know I had wanted this year. With a disaster bi main character and a heaping dose of enemies to lovers I was completely hooked. I found the prose to be engaging and atmospheric. The magic system and the world building, in my opinion, were great. I just loved it all. I would say if you are a fan of the movie Crimson Peak this book is absolutely worth the try.

By the time Wren arrives in snowy Colwick Hall the gothic vibe really begins to shine. Is that moaning she is hearing in the hallways at night? There are rumors that the residence is haunted after all. And on top of that there is of course the infamous Hal Cavendish to deal with. He claims there is something worth investigating here; something not quite right about the lord of the household. What secrets are hiding in Colwick Hall’s walls?

Despite knowing he is her enemy, Wren cannot help but feel for Hal. Perhaps their interests are not as different as they both thought and the redemption both of them are craving may be possible if they’d just work together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the free copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

When Wren Southerland uses her healing magic recklessly, she winds up dismissed from the Queen’s Guard and separated from her best friend (who also happens to be the girl she’s in love with). Her only goal is redemption – and it seems like fate is working in her favor when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord of a neighboring kingdom asking for her help to cure his servant from a mysterious illness. But when she arrives, she discovers the mansion is crumbling, the master is eccentric, and her patient is Hal Cavendish… who is her kingdom’s sworn enemy. But Hal has secrets too and when they puzzle out that more sinister forces are at work, a partnership between them is the only chance they have at saving both their kingdoms. This is the premise of Down Comes the Night, a debut young adult fantasy on my radar since last year. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to the high hopes I had. It starts off slow, slow enough that I nearly set the book down. It does eventually pick up, though it incorporates familiar YA tropes (in plot and character) in ways that felt mediocre to me. I persisted in reading this one even though I wasn’t hooked, and I don’t regret that since it coalesced into a solid story in the latter half. Sadly, Down Comes the Night was just okay overall.

Wren Southerland is a magical healer in the Danu army, part of her Aunt, Queen Isabelle's, guard. One careless mistake lands her back in the healer's sanctuary, which she had left as soon as she could enlist in the army. To regain her Aunt's trust, Wren accepts a job from Lord Alistair Lowry (part of the nobility of Cernos, which is the neutral, non-magical country between Vesria and Danu). He has asked her to help him heal a dying servant. Only, it turns out that the dying man is none other than Hal Cavendish, the Reaper of Vesria, and Wren's sworn enemy. Lord Lowry appears to be hiding something sinister in Colwick Hall.

Okay, so I loved the world building, the magic system, and the relationship between Wren and Hal. All of those elements, mixed with gothic Colwick Hall and whatever macabre events were happening there, had me invested in the book. However, it took much too long to get to Colwick. The book was longer than it needed to be. It was bogged down by unnecessary scenes and drama. I could not believe the amount of times you think Wren will escape only for her to be captured. The two countries being at war was interesting, and made a good back story for what was happening at Colwick. However, it also felt as though the book was trying to be so many things (a war story, a fantasy, a gothic/horror) that it started to fall flat under the weight of too much.

Hal and Wren though were wonderful! Their chemistry, their anger, their working toward forgiveness. They worked to solve the mystery, helped each other while still unsure whether to trust the enemy. They complimented each other very well. I wish the story had been based mostly at Colwick Hall, it was the best narrative position for all of the details and character development.

The relationship between Wren and her best friend, and commanding officer, Una, was fraught with tension. The two have a deep love for each other, one that at one point was romantic, but because of their work together could go no further. I was not a fan of Una, of her making Wren feel small for her emotions, for her helping others. She also does not show trust in Wren, even though Wren places all of her trust in Una. Una, though, has such great character development that she becomes a favourite.

Overall, an interesting story involving two countries at war, each with different magical abilities and different belief systems. Danu and Vesria are in a cease fire at the beginning of this novel, but the disappearance of soldiers from both sides are threatening another altercation. Because of this, there are bad deeds and worse deals being made behind closed doors. Deals that could lead to more death, more war, more pain and loss. This book deals with political intrigue, with familial obligation and with the heaviness of a countries expectations. It also highlights the need for people who believe in change, in peace, who feel empathy for others.

I recommend this novel if you love a mix of gothic/horror/fantasy.

I really enjoyed this!
The characters were all fascinating and I loved that we actually got bi-rep here.
The plot itself was exciting, especially the murder mystery aspect of it.
I definitely recommend checking out this book!

I loved this book so much more than I had anticipated. This is a story of forgiveness and understanding and love and acceptance all wrapped up in a magical gothic murder mystery. But, like, literal magic. And I loved how the author introduced the medical side to how a character in her world has magic - the physical manifestation in the body.

The official synopsis of this book may lead you to believe this isn’t a story for everyone, but I feel it truly can be. All of the subjects covered here are written so delicately and without feeling like I’m being bashed over the head with someone else’s ideology. It’s a beautiful story of love and finding oneself, and I’m so glad I took the time to read it slowly and savor it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! This was my first book by Allison Saft but won't be my last. She has created an interesting world and engaging characters that will have you turning the pages to see what happens next! If you're looking for a new YA Fantasy, definitely pick this one up!

DOWN COMES THE NIGHT is the character driven, science-meets-fairy-tale dark fantasy I've been waiting for, the type of story that hits all my buttons. Beauty and the Beast meets THE MONSTER OF ELENDHAVEN with a strong bi lead and a fascinating cast of characters, a rich, inventive magic system and a thrilling, twisty plot. Saft weaves a poignant, creepy, angst-filled tale that will keep readers turning the pages until the very end. My only complaint is that this is (as far as I know) a standalone - I'd love to read more books set in this world, and I look forward to whatever Saft has for us in the future!

I received Down Comes the Night as an eARC via NetGalley and the publishers. I request this because the cover pulled me in and I had some friends on Twitter that were also excited for it. This book did not end up being what I was anticipating. I thought this was going to be a spooky story about a creepy house but with magic.
This story is actually about Wren, who has magic that can be used to heal. She’s impulsive and compassionate. She’s told again and again that her feelings keep her from being the soldier she is supposed to be. I liked that Wren never let herself change. She wanted to be able to change, if only to please the people in her life that were asking her to, but she made the same choices over and over. I liked this about Wren, even if she didn’t like it about herself. It hurt to read about Wren’s internal thoughts and motivations. She’s motivated by those that want her to change. It was so good to see her finally grow out of that. She learns to appreciate the things about herself that others are always criticizing. I think her growth was well done. I also really liked that Wren is bisexual, but it wasn’t really a part of the plot.
Now, the love interest. I had a really hard time liking him. Hal has done some really terrible things. But somehow, I couldn’t help but liking the relationship between Hal and Wren. I don’t know that I can say I liked Hal. But I liked their romance.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The romance was one that I found myself invested in. The world was interesting. There was a fascinating and creepy villain. The politics of the world was interesting, too. I especially liked the ending. There were consequences for the things that Hal had done, but there was also a happily ever after for the romance. The resolutions between Wren and her loved ones was one that I could get behind. I think many people are going to love this book.

This gorgeously dark, atmospheric debut is a masterpiece. The story is spectacularly told, interwoven with unforgettable moments, a glistening slow-burn romance, and brewing with deception and intrigue. I could not put this book down.

Wren is every bit the character I expected her to be. She’s caring, selfless, headstrong, and passionate about her work. Yes, she is the definition of reckless, but her reasoning is plausible. Wren wants to prove that she can make a difference, that she’s not weak and reckless and easily manipulated. So, even though the queen denies her request to go to Lord Lowry’s crumbling estate to solve an unknown illness, Wren does anyway, in hopes of securing an alliance with him to defeat Vesria. But when she arrives, she’s introduced to the Reaper himself, Hal Cavendish, who just so happens to be her patient.

Even though Wren works to uncover this crippling illness, she wasn’t expecting to come across the deception hidden within the estate. Wren and Hal realize there’s more going on than they can comprehend and that something sinister lurks within these decaying halls, so thus begins an unsteady alliance between two sworn enemies. The connection between Wren and Hal was palpable, sizzling between the pages. The emotions Wren felt leapt off the page. She’s an emotionally in tuned character, and her emotions made this story that more interesting. She’s such an easy character to relate to because of her struggles and inner battles.

I was all over the atmosphere of this book. The world building is deliciously dark and eerie, with a wonderful spooky aspect. There’s no ghosts or anything like that, but there’s definitely a spooky setting to this story. You can tell just from the cover itself (which is so gorgeous, by the way). The richly setting is both beautiful but ominous. As the reader, I knew nothing good was coming. It’s a story that’s foreboding, but also full of moments with light. So while the setting is dark and wholly uncanny, there’s brilliant scenes where moments of lightness slip through.

Allison Saft’s writing was superb. Her writing was poetic and brought this beautiful, gripping story to life. Saft’s writing was, without a doubt, exquisite. She’s crafted a story that is masterfully told and created a world that is darkly and magically captivating. The magical aspect of this story is so well developed and depicted that it fit right in with the delectable setting of this story. There was never a moment where I wanted to put this book down; I was enamored with Saft’s writing and the word she has created.

Overall, this richly dark and romantic tale is everything I needed in a book. Down Comes the Night is a story that is full of lingering feelings, surviving the monsters hidden behind shadows (internal and external), and uncovering the mystery behind countless missing people. Down Comes the Night is a definite favorite fantasy book and worthy of all the praise. This sparkling, gothic tale is one I will always recommend. Trust me, this is a debut you are not going to want to miss.