#BookReview: Down Comes the Night by @allisonhsaft

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.

Love makes monsters of us all. 



Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 4 Stars
My Review: This debut was amazing. An interweaved world that was very intricate and full of details.  I loved the gothic feels of the story and the mystery and romance.  This entire story was full of creepy feels and dark vibes.  I loved the characters and the plot was well paced. 

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Wren Southerland's healing abilities make her one of the best surgeons in the country of Danu, but being able to feel another's pain gives her a compassionate nature at odds with her place in the military. With soldiers going missing along the border and Wren's compassion bungling a mission (again), she ends up suspended. A letter from Colwick Hall contains a chance to prove herself and earn back her post. Arriving at the snowy, crumbling castle, Wren finds her patient is not a servant, but her country's worst enemy, Hal Cavendish. A romantic high fantasy at turns lush and ominous, the detailed setting is at turns comforting and eerie as Wren struggles for acceptance and love, while the personal and political plots happening within the walls of Colwick will keep readers on pins and needles. Saft's narrative voice makes reading effortless with the perfect blend of pacing and poetry. Wren has auburn hair and a white relative; her skin color is not explicitly mentioned the way diversity in the supporting cast is. Wren is bisexual, with f/f and m/f romantic plotlines on the page. Fans of Leigh Bardugo's "­Grisha Trilogy" and Marie Rutkoski's "Winner's Trilogy" have been waiting for this Darkling-esque romance. VERDICT Those who pick up Saft's debut will be richly rewarded on all counts-intricately woven characters, beautiful prose, and darkness around every corner make this fantasy a first purchase.-Emmy Neal, Lake Forest Lib., ILα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

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"Debut author Saft has crafted an intricate world that's figured out down to the details of each character. A choice addition to any collection where Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo rule. " - Booklist

"The Gothic atmosphere includes echoing, candlelit halls; a secret passage; and explosive secrets....readers who love slow-burn romances will find much to enjoy. A promising debut." - Kirkus

"Saft interweaves intrigue, romance, and magic to fashion a slow-burning and atmospheric fantasy debut." - Publishers Weekly

"Fans of Leigh Bardugo’s “Grisha Trilogy” and Marie Rutkoski’s “Winner’s Trilogy” have been waiting for this Darkling-esque romance...Those who pick up Saft’s debut will be richly rewarded on all counts―intricately woven characters, beautiful prose, and darkness around every corner make this fantasy a first purchase." - School Library Journal (Starred Review)

"This gorgeous book definitely has that 'must...keep...reading' power (I read it in one sitting!)." -Buzzfeed, "40 YA Fantasy Books We're Highly Anticipating In 2021"

"Down Comes the Night is lush, eerie, and feels like something fresh within this genre. A tale of politics and war wrapped around an enemies-turned-maybe-something-more romance and all set inside a crumbling mansion full of deadly secrets all combine to create something truly unique" - Culturess

"The building tension and blossoming romance add to the thrill and soon you’re flying through the pages of this book dying to find out what answer behind the murders happening at the Colwick estate.... would definitely recommend this story if you’re looking for something atmospheric and ultimately romantic." - The Nerd Daily

"From the setting (an isolated and crumbling hall) to the characters (two sworn enemies who need each other survive) and the tension both inside the hall and out, this was an enormous debut. Eerie, thrilling, and intense, this book has ensured I will read everything Allison Saft writes." - The Young Folks, "Best 5 Debuts of 2021"

"Complex, carefully rendered, and utterly addictive, Down Comes the Night is a YA fantasy classic in the making. Saft seamlessly blends an utterly original magic system, multifaceted main characters, and forbidden romance into a gothic narrative that will stay with you long after the last page." - Christine Lynn Herman, author of The Devouring Gray

"Down Comes the Night is a twisty dark ride through a gothic world that‘ll keep you up all night. Saft has crafted a deeply romantic tale with fresh magic and mystery on every page, and filled with an arresting cast. An engrossing, haunting, and beautiful addition to the YA shelf." - Isabel Ibañez, author of Woven in Moonlight

"I adored Allison Saft's complex world and engaging heroine. Wren navigates a war-torn country as a healer, wielding her compassion and wit as deftly as her magic. Atmospheric, romantic, and just a touch eerie―this is the kind of story I love to get lost in." - Emily Lloyd-Jones, author of The Bone Houses

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Posted in: 4 Stars, Review, Wednesdays Books, Young Adult