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 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.

The description of this book caught my eye immediately so I was so excited when I was able to read this from NetGalley!

It was really good. It was a slow pace read, but it held my attention the whole time. Wren and Hal were both complicated and interesting characters who I rooted for all the way through. Every other character was awful, but they were meant to be that way so it worked.

My only complaint is that the author got too carried away with the medical terminology. She obviously did a lot of research into anatomy and that’s really cool, but there were definitely a lot of unfamiliar medical terms popping up in analogies and descriptions that might have been unnecessary considering the regular reader won’t recognize them. But this was an ARC so maybe some of that will get trimmed back by publication time.

I’ve had a hard time trying to rate this book. I did not like the beginning of the book. In my opinion, this is just a murder mystery. There is a castle and it had the opportunity to be a gothic story but it just wasn’t.

I love the name Wren and was so excited for this book. Wren was an idiot during the beginning of the book. I guess it was the 30% mark it started to get relatively interesting. And I love the cover!

I enjoyed Wren more when she was at the castle taking care of Hal. I enjoyed the slow burn little romance but it was mostly a let down for me. I will say the ending was good and that made me happy.

I’m in the minority as most people love this book so you need to read it and make up your own mind.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for a digital copy of this book.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

A gothic story rich in detail, deliciously dark and a little bit of something for everyone. Truly a book for those looking for something different, something extraordinarily and something that will keep them turning the pages coming back for more.

First off, my thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy for review.

This book would've been the perfect read on a cold, stormy night cuddled in a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate. As it was, I read this book in the middle of summer, but it definitely did not impact my enjoyment of this novel. Down Comes the Night is a young adult novel that is full of emotion, strong characters, and a heroine who manages to be strong-willed yet vulnerable at the same time. I definitely got some elements of Beauty and the Beast that were flipped on their heads.

Wren Southerland, the main character, is constantly reminded of her failures by nearly everyone in her life. She sees a chance to redeem herself when in invitation comes to a secluded mansion to heal the lord of the mansion's favorite servant. Ignoring the advice of those around her, she accepts the invitation, only to find out that the person she's meant to heal is Hal Cavendish, her country's enemy. As the events of the novel unfold, Wren and Hal are forced to work together to get to the bottom of a mystery involving both of their countries. As they continue to work together, they realize their feelings for each other are more complicated than they'd first expected them to be.

What I really enjoyed about this novel was the setting. It felt like we were visiting Victorian England , if Victorian England were plopped in the middle of a fantasy world. Some people are gifted with magic while others are not, and that magic can take the form of many different things, from healing to causing immense pain. The world truly felt real. I think readers are in for a treat come March 2, 2021, when Down Comes the Night is released. Fans of young adult, magic, strong characters, and gothic settings will devour this book, and I highly recommend!

Sometimes I request books on Netgalley and I'm not too certain what compelled me... and then they turn out to be real gems! (Could I be 'book psychic' ?!) Anyway, just saying I was pleasantly surprised by this title.

Saft's world-building is first-rate, the characters were well rounded (well maybe with the exception of Una and Isabelle, but they are pretty secondary). Dark, gruesome, and pretty darn sexy, I'm hoping this is the first in series so we can see what Wren and Hal get up to next.

I think one of the things I most liked about the novel is that it didn't necessarily read as YA, this is gritty, real and I appreciate not being coddled as a reader.

I look forward to seeing what Saft has in the works!

Wren has healing magic, but her superiors feel her emotions make her too reckless. Her aunt, the queen and a woman who has no love for Wren, pulls her from military duty Wren choose to accept a mysterious letter from a reclusive lord asking her to come heal one of his patients. But her patient isn't who she expects. Instead he's her country's sworn enemy and she doesn't know if she can trust the dramatic lord of Colwick Hall. Not to mention the mysterious groans and screams she hears in the night that can't be the wind. The mountains and snow storms keep her trapped at the mansion, but investigating leads to her to a sinister plot that could destroy everything she longs for.

I enjoyed the mix of fantasy and gothic mystery surrounding Colwick Hall. The romance also added tension and stakes to the mystery. Those who love enemies-to lovers-romances will enjoy this one. The story pits magic against science at times in a way that added some interesting elements to certain characters and I liked the way the story kept me guessing about the lord.

My biggest regret about this one is not reading it during the winter to really get into the snowy atmosphere surrounding the mountains. It would be such a cozy winter read with a hot drink.

I received an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This book wasn't quite what I expected (for some reason the description and cover made me think it would be a little... spookier?) but I enjoyed reading it. The main characters were intriguing and believable, the plot was suspenseful if a bit forced in places, and I liked the consistent writing style. I wish the romance had taken up a little less time and there had been a little more fantasy and worldbuilding, but I can also see a lot of readers really liking the romance.

There were a couple plot points that pulled me out of the story. Of course, it's a fantasy novel - some suspension of disbelief is required - but that didn't really apply to a couple of choices made by the characters. There was one choice a character made near the end that I felt was really forced in order for the plot to proceed, and I didn't think it was foreshadowed or earned. There were also a couple parts that felt a little tropey (oh no! we're in an inn and there's only one bed!) that sort of made me roll my eyes. But it was cute, and again, will probably appeal to many readers.

As Saft says in her dedication, this truly is a book for all the girls who feel too much. I loved brave, smart, ridiculous Wren so much. The book has a haunting Gothic feel to it and truly creeps you out at times. Enemies to lovers is my absolute fav relationship trope and this book does is wonderfully. The tension between them is palpable and I love every bit of it.