Wonderfully written and delightfully creepy, Down Comes the Night is a stunning gothic debut reminiscent of del Toro’s Crimson Peak. It tells the story of *disaster bisexual* Wren Southerland who has a heart of gold, a brilliant scientific mind, and very little common sense. Choking under the yoke of her imperious Queen-Aunt, Wren strikes out on her own, fleeing to Colwick House: the crumbling rural estate of an eccentric foreign Lord. Snowed-in and tasked with healing his ailing servant, Wren soon discovers things are not as they appear and it is not so easy to tell ally from enemy.

The magic system in this world was extremely interesting and unique. Magic users have a second network of veins called “fola” that carry magical energy throughout the body. Saft dedicated a lot of focus on the medical/scientific functions of magic since Wren is a healer, which was quite refreshing to find in a YA fantasy novel. Religion and politics are adequately explained (standalone) and easy to understand/ follow along with. Culture is a bit glossed over, but is not all that important since the important meat of the story takes place in Colwick House. These sinister surroundings are described perfectly, and evoke an ominous unknowable “other” that leaves a creeping feeling up the reader's spine. Like Wren, I too felt like I was being watched.

The main villain was entirely too cartoonish and very obvious from the jump. I was quite literally picturing them twirling their handlebar mustache and holding their cape up like Dracula. Queen Isabel was a rather lackluster, though critical, character. I would have loved to have gotten some more descriptions of her history and intent through flashes of personal experience. It felt like far too much of her was explained in the context of her sister, Wren’s mother. She truly felt like a “Paper Queen”- she was rather dimensionless and rang flat.

Wren’s endless compassion actually grew to be a bit much by the end of the novel. The lesson in Down Comes the Night seems to be that compassion is the greatest asset in this compassion-lite world, but there needs to be some balance here. Yes, the world as a greater whole needs to be more compassionate; but this also left Wren stagnant and without any real character growth. Wren from the first page and the last page is more-or-less the same person; only the people around her developed in any lasting meaningful way.

Down Comes the Night is a beautifully-written atmospheric love letter to gothic mansions and snowed in horror scenarios. I loved it and I am very interested in reading Saft’s future work.

This review is live on goodreads and will be posted upon publication to the following: amazon, ibooks, kobo, bookbub, and barnes & noble.

My first disappointment of the year is unfortunately one of the books I had most been looking forward to reading. Down Comes the Night sounded promising with a synopsis indicating a darkly gothic story and an atmospheric fantasy. However other than the romance, many of the elements I had been hoping for were sadly missing.

The first issue I encountered was from early on there was lack of connection between myself and the book. The story wasn’t as captivating as I had been hoping. This was attributed to both the writing, which I found lacking, and my dislike of the main character. Wren acted childish and rashly at times, and there was a lack of critical thinking with some of her decisions which failed to endear her to me.

The romance was the book’s saving grace. I’m always a sucker for hate-to-romance and I thought the author did a really good job with this one. I found the romance to be really sweet and beautifully written. Another aspect of the book that I thought worked well was the ending. The ending was the perfect conclusion for a standalone novel: it wrapped the plot points nicely, while also giving a slight open-ending feeling.

Down Comes the Night promised a story full of gothic vibes, dark fantasy, and magic. Unfortunately, it failed to deliver on those promises which left me feeling disconnected to the story and disappointed.

3.5/5⭐️

This is a YA fantasy romance featuring a healer (Wren) who, as an illegitimate niece to the queen, was raised in an abbey before serving in the military during a war with a neighboring country.

For me this had vibes of Beauty and the Beast/Cinderella as Wren changed her stance about the “monster” enemy soldier Hal, and her aunt was portrayed as evil and conniving. There’s a truly evil mad scientist and a creepy castle thrown in as well to add to the dark ambiance.

In the end, this story is about gaining self confidence and the courage to be one’s self rather than everyone’s ideal you. Pretty good overall.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #WednesdayBooks for providing me the early ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

I really enjoyed this book! the characters were compelling, I especially loved Hal (I'm a sucker for morally grey characters). The magic system was very interesting and different, and the romance was amazing too. I'm a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, so when I saw this book I was like, sign me in! and it did not disappoint!!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys ya fantasy romances.

This book is glorious! I loved every emotionally overwhelming moment.

Any bleeding heart out there will adore the MC, Wren. Oh, soft characters are not for you? That's fine. There is someone for every appetite. One character even gave me serious Dr. Frankenstein vibes.

Dark towers and isolated estates make fabulous settings for mystery, philosophy and political unrest. There's even an abbey with a stern matron!

Mostly, though, I loved the message. And the romance. And the betrayal. Ok, I loved it all! I want to gush about so many things, but spoilers are not my jam. You'll just have to read it for yourself.

This was an unbelievably well done and beautifully crafted debut!

Down Comes the Night follows Wren Southerland as she tries to do right by her country, Danu, and earn the respect of her aunt, Queen Isabel, by accepting the invitation of eccentric aristocrat Alistair Lowry to his estate in Cernos, where he requires her aid in healing his servant who has mysteriously fallen ill. When Wren arrives against the queen's orders, she discovers that Lowry's servant is none other than Hal Cavendish, a notorious Vesrian mage responsible for killing many of Wren's own comrades. Wren quickly comes up with a plan - heal Cavendish and sneak him off of Lowry's estate and back to Danu, where she can present him to her aunt to be tried for his crimes. However, the illness plaguing Hal puts a wrench in Wren's plans, especially when she starts to draw connections between the missing soldiers from both Vesria and Danu, and the erratic behavior of her host. Wren and Hal must put aside their differences and own desires for justice in order to work together for a common cause. The closer they get to their answers, the less they struggle against the pull they feel towards each other.

Down Comes the Night includes political intrigue, murder mystery, yearning (!!), and hope for a better future. Wren is one of my favorite protagonists of all time, and the romance is absolutely wonderful. Highly recommend!

Wren is one of the best healers amongst her people, but even being the Queens niece doesn’t get her very far. She feels small and at odds with herself all the time.

That is until she gets an invitation to care for a dying patient, she decides to take the opportunity to finally be of use.
Once she gets to Colwick Hall, things start to get tricky, the Lord who invited her seems to be lying to her, but the most important thing is she is supposed to save Hal Cavendish, a villain who has killed thousands of her people.

The plot was interesting, I really liked the “murder mystery” theme, but I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, Wren came off as very childish and Hal was just blank, he barely spoke. I really don’t get how they fell in love.

Overall this is an ok read if you are looking for some mystery, fantasy and a dash of romance.

I’m not really sure where to start.
Do I begin with the writing style? The characters? The atmosphere? The plot? There are countless elements that make up a great novel, and I’m happy to say that Down Comes The Night very nearly exceeded at each and every one of them.

This is a world where two magical kingdoms have been fighting over land for years and years, while a kingdom with only technological advancements sits untouched in the mountains. The magic is called fola, and it’s unique to every person that has it. Despite this being a fantasy world, magic isn’t the answer to every problem and it’s certainly not the focus of the story. Truly, I loved being immersed in place brimming with a fantastic balance of politics, history, and magic.

Wren as a main character was rather refreshing. Her magic is that of a healer’s, and you can see great empathy in how she treats others. It was really interesting seeing Wren grapple with a lot of confusion about herself: should she be more ruthless? Are empathy and trust weaknesses in a land rife with war and danger? I loved that the author didn’t rely on what is normally considered “strength” for a female protagonist. Wren is also bisexual I believe, but I don’t want to put a label if it’s not explicitly stated, you know?

Hal gave me hardcore Zuko vibes. He’s brooding, angsty, and above all, is seeking answers and redemption. His character is both careful and reckless, caring and ruthless. I loved getting to know him, and seeing him and Wren grow closer.

This has such a slow-burn romance!!! With enemies-to-lovers!!! Which actually fits the story and setting perfectly. This is a slow-burn, character focused novel that doesn’t rush things. In that regard, it might not be for everyone.

Although with that being said, I have to praise the writing! Allison Saft writes atmosphere with such practiced ease, I sometimes forgot that this was a debut. It’s the sort of writing style that will only grow more polished with time and experience. I can only recommend curling up with a hot drink and a blanket to read this. The dark corners of a nearly abandoned mansion, the icy blizzards of a snowstorm, everything comes to life.

On that note, the second half of this book didn’t strike quite the same chords with me as the first half. The second half of the plot started feeling a bit too predictable and generic for me, as well as several of the events towards the end feeling especially a little too contrived for my tastes. Also, a few of Wren’s decisions did frustrate me. But I really loved the ending itself, and since this is a debut, I’m perfectly satisfied to let my minor grievances go.

Finally, I wanted to touch on the fact that while it is a book rich with gothic atmosphere, a slow-burn romance, and a solid plot, Down Comes The Night offers a thoughtful commentary on the price of war. And not just the cost of lost lives, but of lost humanity. Not only did this flesh out the world and characters, but it left me with a somewhat deeper appreciation of the novel as a whole.

A huge thank you to Wednesday Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited when I saw that this book was temporarily on the read now section of NetGalley. This was one of my most anticipated books of 2021 and so I couldn't pass up the chance to get to read and review it early. Let me just say, it did not disappoint! This is a very strong debut that works within the conventions of gothic and mystery novels to create an enchanting story that draws the reader in.

So much of the strength of this book is its ability to build tension in the dark, cold, lonely atmosphere the author has masterfully created. The first 20% or so is slow, but after that, once the plot truly kicks in, the book never lets up. The tension and masterful timing of each intricate piece of information's reveal had me unable to put this book down. I read the first 20% or so over many days in short bursts, the last about 80% I read in one go through one day because I just didn't want to stop, I had to see where it was going.

The dynamic relationship from enemies to reluctant allies to I'd die for you without thinking twice, wait when did that happen? between Henry and Wren was so good. The initial tension slowly bleeding away as they get more comfortable together but also being still so tense because they refuse to think the other might share their same goals. Their relationship keeps the reader on their toes until the very end as to exactly how anything is going to pan out. The representation of a bisexual main character,

Wren, whose bisexuality is made evident throughout the book, and her bisexuality isn't minimized by the fact that she ends up in a relationship with a man is definitely an important piece of representation because it isn't often seen. Wren's relationship with Una and her relationship with Henry are shown to be so different from each other, for good reason, but neither is viewed as less important or valid. 

Wren and her aunt's journey from mutual hate to mutual understanding was something I didn't see coming based on Isabel's actions throughout the novel, but it also showed that women in power are stronger when they allow other women close to them rather than pushing away anyone who could make them seem less coldly professional.

<i>*This book was given to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review*</i>
The premise of this spooky gothic horror/fantasy had a lot going for it, but I'll admit, I struggled with this one. I thought the medical spin was well written and the dynamic love/friendship with Wren and Una felt believable. The story dragged for me and I struggled to connect with the characters, I wish that there was more time of Wren sneaking through the castle, hearing ghostly moans as that's where the story peaked for me. Overall, I thought I was going to get a haunted, creepy love story, but in the end, I got zero spooks. 2.5 stars

Thank you Wednesday Books for this free copy.

This book honestly wasn't my cup of tea- I just couldn't get into it, meaning I sadly did not finish this book.

Read. Be happy. Stay Safe.

This book has got a complex magic system, extensive historic and political world building, warring nations, a murder mystery angle, a kind of love triangle and family drama.

This should have been right up my alley. I love gothic stories, especially when it’s sold as a love story as well, but this was disappointing. I found it extremely hard to engage with the story beyond the character interactions. I also didn’t find it very gothic. I couldn’t read it beyond 10% at a time without zoning out or desperately wanting to skim and skip pages. I actually ended up taking a break from it because it was so sluggish and I generally just lost interest at the 50% mark (but kept going to the end due to having an e-ARC). All I can really say is Down Comes the Night lacked the allure that books of this kind tend to evoke adoration.

I’ll go on to the good stuff: I was pleasantly surprised by how medically and biologically orientated the roots of this story were. It was very reminiscent to and will likely go down a treat with fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper, combined with the role of the Grisha Corporalki healer.

Wren was a decent and likeable character. As was Hal. Their interactions were the most enjoyable part of the book for me. And I definitely feel Wren’s bisexuality is positively portrayed, to the point it’s probably one of the book’s best accomplishments. The love triangle dynamic between Wren, Hal and Una actually reminded me of Kristoff’s Nevernight’s Mia, Tric and Ash. So that was verrrry nice.

The on page sex scene toward the end of the book was also enjoyable (sue me). It wasn’t particularly explicit, but it certainly wasn’t implied either. You know what’s happening and I was all the happier for it (sue me, again).

I’m sure many bookworms will like Down Comes the Night. Sadly for me it tried way too hard to be a bit of everything, with the subsequent result being an extremely overloaded story that made it very hard for me to want to pick it back up again.

I made it to just over 50% and I am so bored I have to give up. I'm really bummed because it held such promise. I was really gripped by Una and Wren's relationship and storyline, then Wren gets to the mansion and it just really lagged for me. I wasn't intrigued at all with the relationship between Wren and, we'll just call him the illness-stricken man. I just found the pacing lost me to the point that I'm bored by the prospect of continuing. Bravo for a bisexual character, though!

a massive thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me an earc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

to start with, this book was incredible. it was a joy to read and throughout i struggled to put it down. i instantly fell in love with both wren and hal – they're both such well developed characters and each relatable in their own ways. i loved the setting of this book – though it was clearly inspired by the victorian era it remained unique, and i'd happily read more set in this world saft has created.

the romance between wren and hal has almost everything i want in a romance, and saft's clever use of fanfiction tropes such as enemies to lovers, sickfics and more only made me love wren and hal further. despite wren and hal's arguably being the novel's most important relationship, i was also invested in the relationship between wren and una, and i loved una's appearances in the book, though i have to say some of them broke me slightly.

i'll admit that perhaps some elements of the plot of down comes the night were predictable, but for me that was entirely made up for by the strength of the characters. i would genuinely do anything for wren, hal and una.

all in all, i was thoroughly invested in the characters and the world throughout – i loved this book. i'm so excited for it to be released to the world and for other people to be able to experience saft's richly imagined world and wonderfully created characters.

content warnings: detailed descriptions of medical procedures, implied torture, gore, murder, poisoning

This is a book that seems exactly like my kind of book. It promised goth vibes, magic, romance, and adventure. Unfortunately, I had the hardest time getting into this book.

I think I just never really bought in to Wren’s personality and ended finding her pretty cringe worthy. To be honest, I had to DNF this book. I only got to about 30% but it was like a chore having to pick it back up again.

I can see this potential for some readers, unfortunately, it wasn’t for me.

This review is a little late in the making, but GODDAMN did I love this book.

From the very beginning of reading the description, I was hooked, and if it wasn't for the fact that I was alternating between reading two other books at the time, I would have devoured this one right up.

A mysterious large castle / estate nestled in a snowy tundra with a dark yet eccentric lord? Noises in the dark and countless mysteries to be discovered? Frozen lands making it impossible to leave? It gives off a refreshing Crimson Peak feeling, but it is so much more than that.

Neighboring kingdoms in a never-ending war? A unique magic system? A beautifully crafted world with rich histories and realistic portrayal of the political positions that rule?

And then there's the romance . Mutual pining between best friends that are forbidden to act upon such feelings due to their positions in their country's military. Then the enemies to lovers romance that comes later through a nicely-packed slow burn as Wren and Hal find themselves trapped within Colwick Hall; with only one another to depend on and trust.

From start to finish, this book is stunning, and such a delight to read. The characters are all realistically flawed and crafted together in a way that you can find yourself empathizing with even some of the worst of them. There's so many small conflicts and obstacles to overcome that it kept me on my toes the entire time reading it, but neither did it feel as if it was too packed.

If I had any complaint about this book, is that I wished it was longer, or the story was split between a sequel. There was so much in this world, that I found myself wishing that there was more time to slow it down and appreciate the world more. Saft did a beautiful job weaving so much into this single book, but I just wanted more

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this exciting and fun YA fantasy!

Overall, I really enjoyed Down Comes the Night. It's a YA fantasy novel set against a backdrop of warring nations, and the main character, Wren, comes from the royal family of one of those nations, Danu, and possesses powerful healing magic. Danu and its enemy Vesria both have magic, while their neighboring country, Cernos, does not, but instead has used science instead of magic to get ahead. I really loved the mixture of fantasy elements and science elements, and I thought it made the world feel very rich and real. I also very much enjoyed getting to know Wren and watch her struggle with herself and her relationships throughout the book. The relationships Wren forms with other characters, especially her friend and first love Una, are extremely deep and I enjoyed watching those relationships develop and change.

The one thing that bothered me a little was that the main romance in the book between Hal and Wren felt a little too contrived, and I felt that there were too many romance parts for the kind of novel that this was trying to be. I absolutely don't mind romance, but I felt that here it detracted a bit from the rest of the plot. I also felt that the plot twists were also a bit too obvious, and I wasn't at all surprised by the ending. I don't mind straightforward plots or obvious endings, but I don't like it when I feel like the author is trying for plot twists and not quite hitting the mark.

Definitely an enjoyable read, though, and I'd certainly recommend it to fans of YA fantasy!

Five stars for Down Comes the Night. The characters are lovable, the mystery was captivating, and the romance was an amazing slow burn. It took a while for me to get into it, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down! I can’t wait to see what Saft does next!

YA fantasy meets Frankenstein. I didn't know that was something I needed in my life, but it absolutely is.

The first few chapters I was a little bit hesitant. It didn't quite seem to fit the cover or gothic description and it was difficult to pin down exactly where the world was, (at first the magic made me picture middle ages but eventually realized it had more similarities to turn of the century London)...

BUT as soon as Wren arrived at the manor I was hooked. Great character development and relationships, enough twists that you think you know what's going to happen, without ever being sure, and beautiful combination of magic and science.

In her world of black and white, Wren sees all the grays, and that is something that we need more of in this world.

Allison Saft's Down Comes the Night is a wonderful world of magic and mystery. The story follows Wren Southerland, a healer for the queen's military, as she explores the mystery of her missing comrades.

The premise of this book had me hooked immediately. Enemies to lovers trope? With magical elements? In a gothic castle setting? Count me in! And Saft did not disappoint. However the first few chapters were a bit slow for me and I really wish Hal's POV would have been added into the book. Even though it started slow for me, once I was hooked I couldnt put this book down and I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it! I loved watching Wren and Hal's realtionship develop while she's healing him and coming together to find who's responsible for their missing soldiers.  Although the book does little to hide the main antagonist it was still fun to watch the story unfold!

This is a great standalone novel, but I cant help but hope we will get to see more of Wren and Hal in the future... and possible a book for Una? I would love to see Una have a HEA.

If you love enemies to lovers, magic, and murder... I highly recommend this book!

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy to read and review.