Title: Down Comes the Night
Author: Allison Saft
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Tropes: Gothic, Secluded/Snowed in, Enemies to Lovers
Edition/Pages: E-ARC, 400 Pages
Goodreads page

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Edelweiss+ for providing an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review

This gothic, fantasy romance delivered on all the ominous atmosphere and high tension drama I was looking for going into this!

This story takes place is a country weighed down by the ever present threat of war. After years of fighting, Wren’s homeland is crumbling and feeling the pressures of the rival magical land. But despite her relation to the high queen, Wren is an outcast. As a healer she feels empathy and duty to outsiders – even those who may pose a threat. And after she saves one too many foes, she’s dismissed from the Queen’s Guard. 

But Wren receives a mysterious note from a neighboring, reclusive lord begging her to come to his home and to heal a dying servant. But when Wren arrives at the crumbling mansion, she discovers secrets that may save not only her career, but her queendom as well. 

This setting is definitely one of my favorite parts of this story. Everything felt dark and eerie and gritty and it lent so well to creating the perfect mood and backdrop for this story. There was a sense of foreboding and mystery shrouding everything and I never knew who to trust. And I love how the author captured that feeling not only in the characters and plot, but the very setting itself.

While this is definitely a fantastical story, I will say the emphasis is often more on the relationships than the fantasy plot. There is an overarching plot, but the themes and messages are all woven in to the romance and platonic relationships. 

But while I loved absolutely everything this book did, I do wish it had gone just a little bit further. I wanted it just a little more gritty, more romance-centric. But overall I thought this was an absolutely outstanding debut that will definitely grip a lot of readers! I absolutely cannot wait to see what Allison Saft writes next!