Down Comes the Night Review

“‘When night falls, I won’t be the one left alone in the dark.'”

Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

Synopsis: He saw the darkness in her magic. She saw the magic in his darkness.

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.

The mansion is crumbling, icy winds haunt the caved-in halls, and her eccentric host forbids her from leaving her room after dark. Worse, Wren’s patient isn’t a servant at all but Hal Cavendish, the infamous Reaper of Vesria and her kingdom’s sworn enemy. Hal also came to Colwick Hall for redemption, but the secrets in the estate may lead to both of their deaths.

With sinister forces at work, Wren and Hal realize they’ll have to join together if they have any hope of saving their kingdoms. But as Wren circles closer to the nefarious truth behind Hal’s illness, they realize they have no escape from the monsters within the mansion. All they have is each other, and a startling desire that could be their downfall.

Allison Saft’s Down Comes the Night is a snow-drenched romantic fantasy that keeps you racing through the pages long into the night.

About the Author: Allison Saft was born in a Philadelphia blizzard and has been chasing the sun ever since. After receiving her MA in English Literature from Tulane University, she moved from the Gulf Coast to the West Coast, where she spends her time hiking the redwoods and practicing aerial silks. Down Comes the Night is her debut novel.

Genre: young adult, fantasy, romance

More Info: Netgalley ARC, 400 pages, published by Wednesday Books on March 2, 2021

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Whenever Wednesday Books sets their eARC’s to “Read Now” on NetGalley, I always make sure to download at least one of their titles (because they are one of my top favorite imprints). My latest digital review copy is Down Comes the Night, which is pitched as a YA gothic fantasy romance.

Down Comes the Night does have gothic elements—the story is centered around an ancient mansion that conceals terrible secrets; the setting boasts dark and chilling (yet picturesque) scenery; the tone is one of fear, mystery, dread, and macabre terror—though I wouldn’t call this pure gothic fiction.

This book certainly does belong in the fantasy genre, though. We don’t know much about the world beyond Vesria, Cernos, and Danu (the three countries centered in this story), but we do get to know each country quite well. Danu and Vesria have been at war for centuries despite what their recent armistice would make you think. Meanwhile, Cernos remained neutral and spent their time being industrious—inventing new technologies, progressing medically; however, the one thing Cernos couldn’t accomplish: acquiring magic like that of their neighboring countries. Now, with Danubian soldiers suddenly disappearing (and Vesria the likely culprit), Wren must discover who is really behind the kidnappings before another war starts. Unfortunately, her reckless use of magic has cost Wren her position in the Guard. So, when a letter arrives from Cernos promising an alliance for her healing expertise, she hopes to redeem herself and potentially stop thousands of innocent lives from being lost. Overall, the plot, mystery, stakes, and ticking clock were all set up so well that the rest of the story just seemed to fall into place. The world-building (the history, the magic system, the religions, etc.), though it’s actually quite simplistic, also becomes a complex entity that becomes almost as important as the characters themselves.

And, oh, the characters! I loved all of them. Especially Wren Southerland. I’ve seen some reviews saying that Wren is too eye-roll-worthy in the beginning or that her background isn’t fleshed out enough, but I disagree. I think her past and her present, and her motives, were all thoroughly explored and gave me a great sense of her character. Yes, she makes mistakes and is impulsive (especially in the first half of the book), but she learns and grows so much based on her experiences and emotions.

While Down Comes the Night is also pitched as a romance, the romance is actually my only criticism of the book. I simply don’t feel the chemistry between Wren and Hal. I’ve been trying to piece together why I feel this way, and what I’ve determined is that the other characters are just too strong. Hal, though he has the potential to be one of the most interesting characters, pales in comparison to Wren and Una and Isabel and Lowry (and even Hannah). Everything needed to make him a desirable love interest and an interesting character is technically there . . . but I still don’t feel like I truly know him. Perhaps what is lacking here has something to do with Wren’s narration or with how Wren’s romantic love for Una (yay for bi rep!) feels so overpowering.

That being said, I still enjoyed reading Wren’s POV. The writing and voice was incredible, with on-point similes and metaphors, balanced narrative techniques, and mood-setting descriptions. This book also dives into topics, such as war, love, emotion, prejudice, so deeply that everything ties together through these themes.

In fact, I think that’s my main selling point for Down Comes the Night: everything comes together so perfectly (except the romance, in my opinion . . . though I did enjoy the “enemies-to-lovers” and “there’s only one bed” tropes). From both a reader’s and writer’s point of view, this book is a masterclass on character arc, pace, stakes, and having every little detail come together to create a satisfying story.

Have I convinced you to read Down Comes the Night? If yes, make sure to submit a purchase request at your local library or put the book on hold. If you want to buy a copy for yourself before the book releases on March 2nd, then don’t forget about the preorder campaign: Preorder from Kepler’s and receive 1) an exclusive print by Nicole Deal, 2) a set of 5 character cards by Mélanie Bourgeois, 3) a signed and personalized copy. If you preorder elsewhere, submit your proof of purchase to get the set of 5 character cards by Mélanie Bourgeois (open internationally).

CW: gore, blood, implied torture, death/murder, depictions of war, descriptions of surgical procedures, kidnapping, ableist language (hysterical, insane, blind(ed), idiot, stupid)

*I RECEIVED AN ELECTRONIC ADVANCED READER’S COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER THROUGH NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.*

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