Down Comes the Night

wasted potential

Cute book, the two main characters are easily likeable. But the ending fell short a bit imo

The eARC was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange of honest review. 4.5 stars. Where do I begin? Down Comes The Night is an perfect standalone, the kind of book you'll love to read muzzled in your blanket with a steaming hot chocolate in your hand. How could a book be so full of yearnings? Saft’s main character in this story, Wren, believed all her life she was good for nothing except her magic. Being a royal bastard, she didn't even get love—not even recognition—from the Queen, even though she wanted it desperately. There's also Una, who had been her friend and past lover, but the girl is also seeing her as weak and too softhearted. It seemed that she could never be enough for everyone around her. So when she met Hal—the sworn enemy—in Colwick Hall, having to attend his injury, slowly she's getting used and close to him. At this part, the attraction between them is undeniable. Hal saw her like she's precious. He admired her compassion, her kindness, and her softheart; something that Wren never got from everyone else before. And she saw Hal more than his magic, that he is human that capable of feeling something—emotions, remorse of what he had done. I love every bit of their interactions, full of tenderness and love. How they would go against the world to save each other, again and again. They warmed my heart. Till the end, Wren is still as compassionate as ever, even in the face of her enemy and danger. It cost her greatly. But also it's a part of her that I admire throughout the entire story, the part that makes Wren so Wren. She learned to embrace her nature; that she didn't have to be what everyone expected her to—hard-edged and ruthless. She could just be her kind self, that there's a bravery in them, too. No wonder Saft wrote For the girl that feel too much in her dedication page. It's appreciated that Saft blended the perfect amount of mystery, science, apothecary, and medicine in it too. Down Comes The Night is truly an enticing, gothic and romantic story you shouldn't miss. P. S. The last chapter! It's the best conclusion, I love that for them. Wren and Hal are always going to be my favorite soft pairing. I'm crying, you all.

This was a fairly competent YA novel, definitely one of the better ones of the past few years. I love a gothic mystery and I thought that it was its most compelling element.

Unfortunately, this really falls through in the last 25% of the novel. There is a kind of dissonance between this last section and the remainder of the novel that leaves the reader disoriented; it really feels like an entirely different book in the last few chapters.

4.25/5 Rounded Down

It took me a little bit to get into this book, but once I did I was hooked! There's magic, enemies to lovers, great characters, and wonderful writing. What's not to like? One thing I really appreciated about the magic system Saft created is it has clear limitations and is treated more like a biological part of the character, rather than this mystical ability that no one truly understands. It made it easy to believe the magic existed and figure out how it fit in with the story. And I loved how magic and politics intermingled with the different cultures introduced in this book. I also loved the characters. Each one was so well developed and strong in their own way. Especially the main character, Wren. It took me a few chapters to feel like I knew Wren, but once I understood her she became one of my favorite characters! I loved her mix of sass and compassion. If you like books with political intrigue, multifaceted characters, magic, and romance, I'd recommend giving this a read. It might take you a little bit to get a feel for the story, but once it gets going I think you will enjoy it as much as I did! Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

‘𝐖𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩. 𝐈𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭. 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞. 𝐇𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭…𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐝?’ —————— This. Fucking. Book. It tore out my heart, stomped on it, mended it, then broke it again and put all the pieces back together. I think this book was particularly impactful because there’s been such a rise of “unfeeling” and “heartless”, “headstrong” female leads, especially in upper YA fantasy, and it was incredible to see a heroine who managed to be both strong and emotional. Wren supremacy. 😌🤌 And the writing… Dont get me started; it was BEAUTIFULLY eerie and macabre and enchanting, I could picture everything so, so clearly (well, maybe excluding all the medical stuff). Some examples: ‘From above the desk, the taxidermied stag’s antlers cast long, stark shadows over the floor like a tangle of briars.’ ‘Wren watched emotion pass over his face like clouds over the moon, a slow bleed from defensive to confused to resigned.’ ‘ “I still have things I would kill for. But perhaps the most important things—what drives us—are the things we would die for.” ‘ ‘Framed by the window, Hal stood before a stretch of navy sky. Snowfall dappled the dim moonlight streaming in behind him. As lovely as ever, she thought bitterly—especially with that suppliant expression.’ ‘But did her feelings truly make her weak? Could someone love her because of them, not in spite of them?’ ‘But the world only had a part in shaping him. All of them had suffered from this war. It was *his* choice to succumb to the pain it had caused. *His* choice to meet hatred with hatred. If she didn’t prevent the war, it would only create more monsters like him.’ ‘ “We were all raised to be cruel. It takes incredible strength to be kind in this world. To endure suffering instead of further it.” ‘ Okay, okay, I’ll stop there lest I give away all the gems of writing here. Wren, Hal, Una, Hannah and all the gang own my heart. And that ending, my god, Saft had me in a chokehold throughout. If you want an eerie, fantasy, enemies-to-lovers slow-burn romance, read this book, just read it.

I don't know if I would consider this gothic in any capacity of the word. It's got a house. And strange sounds. But there's so little focus or attention ever given to it beyond a scene here or there. A creepy house alone does not a gothic make.

That said, I really enjoyed this book. Saft's world building is still strongly present, though her writing has noticeably improved between this and far wilder magic. I can't wait to read her next novel!

This book had so much promise for me, but it fell flat. I liked wren. She’s a solid character. But Una annoyed me and I never connected with her. Though a small part, Bryer was much better for me. Hal is incredible and I liked his and Wren’s chemistry. As for the story? It was lacking for me. I needed background about the 3 countries and their quarrels. I needed to know why Danu and Vesria were at war. I needed more background. Where I needed less background was the medical stuff. It’s obvious the author has a medical background, but at times it got too much. To that end, the part with Wren’s skills at the end came out of nowhere for me. I wished that could’ve been built upon more in the story. I also felt it was a bit predictable. While this book had promise for me, it fell flat. Sorry!

DNF at 63% - One of the weaker plot concepts I’ve read in recent years and the execution is iffy at best - character motives are questionable and boring - this feels like it should still be in the first round of edits - what a milk toast “villainous” love interest. Like why bother lmao I’m embarrassed

3.5/5 stars This book has me screeching and swooning but also at some times it just pulled me out by how jarring the pacing of the plot is. I love the romance between Wren and Hal, and I do love the overall message of the story, plus the gothic atmosphere of this story. However, I do believe that this story is better suited to be read by people who are more like Wren, instead of someone like me who process information in a complete opposite way than Wren. Because of that, some of her thought process and choices was very much frustrating and even more so how it was justified at the end. But overall I enjoyed my experience of reading this and I also love soft-boy Hal who just want peace and affection.

this wasn't bad but i was extremely bored and did not care for the plot nor the characters

This book doesn't hesitate to bring us some reall exciting adventures. The book starts with our main character acting out and getting suspended from her job, but is there a logical way out from this place? What is she supposed to do? Wren is part of the royal family, but not even her looks fit into the bloodline, she is too kind and sometimes it becomes a weakness. But how can being caring and emphatic be such a bad thing? This book contained a fantastic world-building, it was so vivid and beautifully written, I loved imagining the snowy mountains with the scary and gothic Colwick Hall. The creepy shadows and the dark staircases. The romance that takes place in the book was so well composed, it was dynamic and it didn't seem forced, it came natural to our characters. The slow burn romance gave such a lovely thread to the scary and sad story behind it. I definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for an unfolding heartwarming romance set in a gothic and scary castle with a really thrilling mystery and magic.

the whole book is boring with no climax. the writing was okay but reading this was such a snooze fest. the connection between characters aren't real and their interactions felt so forced. i love the vibes tho, and just the vibes.

It was an okay book. I didn’t really like either of the protagonists and I REALLY REALLY REALLLY didn’t like the ending sooo.

It's admirable that something happened every chapter. The middle section is really good, which is... the only reason why I give this 3 stars, honestly. Not every day that you get that for a YA. Hal and Una are both wonderful. Everything else is either not fleshed out enough for my tastes, or horribly basic, or static and bored me to death (Wren belongs to... all three categories). I also didn't care for the romance very much. I think I'd like this so much more if the prose was a tad better and didn't rely so much on telling? And I think I'd cut on the entire ending part, it was way too long. Rest is fine, though.

“Maybe the only difference between a monster and a hero was the colour of a soldier's uniform.” This book has everything you could need in a great YA fantasy book: enemies-to-lovers, the one-bed trope, a bit of a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, a murder mystery, and an LGBTQ+ main character! Wren is a magical healer in the war effort who gets cast out of the Queen's Guard after taking things too far. She loses everything, including the girl she loved. When an intriguing opportunity presents itself, Wren runs away and takes it and finds herself in a new country taking care of a patient that turns out to be her sworn enemy. A few murder attempts later they decide to work together to uncover the mystery surrounding them and find that the disappearances of both their countries' soldiers are actually murders and that war between their countries is imminent if they don't stop it. I loved the gothic vibes this book gave off and the pacing was great. The characters were so complex and I loved that when they officially met, Wren was actively trying to kill her enemy. Too many enemies-to-lovers books have "insta-love" and this just proved how set in her beliefs Wren was and how she had to have a complex character arc before teaming up with her enemy. Naturally, this made their encounters all the more entertaining too! The writing was excellent and I felt so immersed in the world that it was easy to read in one sitting. The plot was great and I love a story where the main characters are tasked with saving the world as it shows what extremes they are willing to go to. Also, a bisexual main character who has all the chaotic vibes and is reckless? Yes, please! This was such a good book and I can certainly see myself rereading it again. It's a fun read that also keeps you on your toes as the characters encounter various obstacles and must get to the bottom of the murders. I highly recommend this book since it has a little of everything and so many fantastic quotes! “It takes incredible strength to be kind in this world. To endure suffering instead of further it.”

Ugh, this book was soporific. The enemies-to-lover trope was done in a shy way. One audible credit went to waste 💀

Content warnings: (view spoiler)[war (and associated violence and death), medical surgeries (detailed and graphic), torture, parental death (before the book began) (hide spoiler)] That’s a delightfully gothic cover, huh? I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this book, but I love books that star healers, especially ones that have to make hard decisions, and this book definitely lived up to that (and the creepy cover). The fragile peace between the kingdoms of Danu and Vesria looks ready to break, and Wren, the illegitimate niece of the Danubian queen, is the only person who’s able to stop it. After being thrown out of the guard for healing (and then losing) a prisoner, she receives a mysterious letter from a noble in Cernos, a neutral neighboring country that’s more technologically advanced than Danu and Vesria but lacking their magic. If Wren will go attempt to heal a sickness that’s infected his household, Lord Lowry will convince the Cernosian nobility to side with Danu. It sounds too good to be true, but with no other good options, she accepts. Wren can’t help healing someone in pain, even if they’re her enemy, which is how she got herself in hot water in the first place. But it’s even worse when she discovers that almost everyone else in the house is dead, except the mystery patient, who turns out to be Hal, the Reaper of Vesria, a monster who’s killed many Danubians with his magic. Healing him would be treason, but letting him die is unthinkable. Her compromise? Healing him enough to be able to kidnap him back to Danu to stand trial. But there’s more going on than just a sick patient, and soon Wren’s life – and the war between the two countries – is hanging on her skill and bravery. “Everyone is afraid of me. But not you.” There was a strange brew of hope and frustration in his voice. “Do you want me to be?” “No.” He removed his hand from hers. He spoke softly, almost achingly. “I don’t.” Wren starts the book in love with Una, her guard commander and friend. While it seems like at least some of those feelings are returned, Una’s committed to her job and a relationship would be both a distraction and, even worse, illegal due to the chain of command. Her relationship with Hal builds slowly – after all, it’s both enemies-to-lovers and he’s near death when she first meets him, and forgiveness is the last thing on her mind. Danu has a history of retribution. One of the favorite sayings of their Goddess is “whatever is done unto you let it be repaid thrice over” and the Vesrians have similar warlike tendencies. Wren, on the other hand, is compassionate and kind, traits she’s been told make her too soft and unsuited for the Guard. While she’s tried to push them down to be useful, to not feel anything, it feels almost impossible to her. Wren’s desperate for love, and between her upbringing and training in the Abbey and the Queen’s cold reaction to her, she’s convinced the only way she’ll win any approval is to be the best healer in the Guard. She’s also willing to settle for whatever scraps of affection Una’s capable of giving her. But during her time healing Hal, she slowly realizes that maybe her emotions aren’t the handicap she thought, and that maybe all her worth doesn’t lie in how well she can heal someone. “It gets to be quite claustrophobic. The shortening days. The wind and snow and the insufferable creak of the old foundation. It’s enough to drive anyone mad.” Wren’s a healer first and foremost, so there’s a lot of medical terminology and some particularly squicky surgeries (the words “eyeballs” and “speculum” do not belong in the same sentence, please) which gave it a bit of a Frankenstein feel. The book did have some of that delightfully gothic feel as well. I mean, there’s even a scene with the heroine wandering around in a nightgown with a candelabra. The villain is creepily sinister, and Wren spends a chunk of time wondering, with all the weird things going around in the manor, if she’s going mad or just plain paranoid. “What was Hal Cavendish against everything she held dear? What was guilt against the certainty of survival, of redemption? She liked him, yes. Far, far more than she should. But she could not trust her own heart; she had wrecked herself in the storms of its desires time and time again.” As for cons, it does get a bit heavy-handed with the moralizing, and while I liked the complicated relationships between Wren and Una and Isabel, I found their actions at the end of the book a little too pat. I also had a hard time buying how quickly Wren forgave Hal for basically being a mass murderer. Yes, he was brainwashed into it, and yes, he’s changed, but I didn’t feel like he earned his redemption. Overall, I’d give this 3.5 stars. I was captivated by the emotion and ambiance, and if this turns out to be the start of a series, I definitely want to know what happens next. I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 stars. so so good and hopefully, a full review to come! honestly, i think i would have given this 5 stars had i enjoyed it as much as a far wilder magic. regardless, this is still such a fantastic novel and i adore allison saft's writing!!

I got to 42% and had to stop. It just wasn’t for me. Hardly any world building, the characters were kinda irritating. Barely anything happens in the first half.

2.5 stars (rounded up to 3) RTC

all im going to say is that i love this book. i love all of it.

3.5 stars rounded up. Content warning: intense violence at the end of the book