Book Review: Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Book Summary
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.
Book Details
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
Fiction / Fantasy / Gothic / Romance
Published March 2nd 2021 by Wednesday Books
Hardcover, 400 pages
My Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Review
DOWN COMES THE NIGHT is a debut YA dark fantasy filled with magic, mystery, and a forbidden romance set in a winter-drenched landscape where two enemies are trapped inside a crumbling manor fighting for their survival as each night threatens their lives.
I did enjoy the story, and loved the fact that it was a standalone novel that felt complete, but ended up being disappointed by the novel’s description labeling it as a “gorgeously gothic” YA debut.
Having a forbidding landscape of ice and snow and a crumbling mansion does not make for a Gothic read.
What Down Comes the Night did excel at was its strong combination of magic and science set in a fantasy world of gods and goddesses where two enemy kingdoms are battling for supreme reign. It had all the elements that I enjoy in dark fantasy.
Wren Southerland is the Queen’s most talented healer, but after using her abilities to mend an enemy soldier she is removed from her post and finds herself sent far north to the doorstep of a reclusive lord in order to cure his servant of a mysterious disease.
Nothing is quite what it seems. The lord is odd, the staff distant, and the patient hiding secrets. All of which I loved.
Wren uses her healing abilities, which are a blend of science and magic, to heal. This gave the novel a unique feel and Wren’s personal struggle to use her healing in a meaningful way made her a relatable and engaging heroine.
There is a slow-burn romance that I enjoyed while the mystery surrounding his illness and the remote location of the manor, made for a sinister feeling of danger.
Overall, I enjoyed the writing. The story felt atmospheric and its unique blend of magic made this YA fantasy interesting. There is also a nice message about forgiveness and compassion that readers will appreciate.
I would recommend this to readers of YA fantasy and look forward to more of Saft’s work. I anticipated a dark Gothic read but got a dark fantasy instead, enjoyable, but not what I expected.
