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A review by dinipandareads
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
TL;DR: I have such mixed feelings about this! I know I'm coming in with an unpopular opinion because I didn't love the same way everyone else seemed to. This had an intriguing premise but the execution didn't entirely work for me and it's unfortunate because with the fantasy, romance, and mystery rolled into one, I thought this would surely be something I'd enjoy! That's not to say it was all bad—I liked the writing, atmosphere and several character arcs, and overall, I'm glad I finally read something by Saft.
The story starts strong and Saft's wonderfully immersive writing and the atmosphere she creates in this book lends itself well to the chilling, creepy, gothic story. Knockaine is a filthy city crumbling under the weight of war. Colwick Hall is the embodiment of a gloomy haunted mansion runover with its endless dark halls, forbidden areas, constant creaking and haunting moans from... the wind (or is it?). I'm not usually great at handling spooky atmospheres in stories because I'm The Ultimate Chicken™️ but while Saft creates a decadently dark setting, it was enough to immerse you in the story without being overwhelming. The mystery of who was doing the bad thing wasn't necessarily bad but it was fairly predictable even for someone like me who doesn't often read mysteries. However, I feel it took some of the tension away from the plot even as I was eager to see how Wren and Hal would resolve the mystery and get justice.
I was intrigued by the magic system and how it's connected to science and the body but the world-building was a little hard to understand. Perhaps it's just me but even with the bit of info dumping at the beginning, I found it difficult to fully understand the tensions between the two warring countries and how it's possible for the third country to be so fully isolated from the constant wars. Especially when it's so easy to cross borders, as we see happen multiple times!
Sadly, what I struggled with most was the distance I felt from the characters and their romance. Of course, I cared and wanted to see them get a satisfying ending but at the same time, I felt disconnected. There were a few side characters like Una and the Queen who played important roles but it often felt like the story was happening in isolation from everything else, if that makes sense?
Wren was an MC that I wasn't always sure how to feel about. She's passionate about medicine and using her magic to help others and I loved that even though she struggled with how it made her look to others, she continued to follow her gut to heal instead of harm. She feels a lot and it's something she's constantly belittled for as it often leads to her getting into harmful situations. I felt for her struggle to find her place but I loved her growth and steady acceptance of who she is and that it's not a weakness to feel as much as she does. I also liked that she recognised how unhealthy her "quasi-relationship" was with the person she loved from the beginning. That said, I'm sorry to say that I found her constant indecision and change of mind became irritating. Especially when she would get upset that the person she pushed away would deliberately pull away in return. It just came across as immature and when it had even bigger consequences, like freezing to death in the mountain pass? Well, sometimes it is good to think before you act, y'know?
As the love interest and secondary MC who didn't get a POV, I liked that Hal's character was still explored well. Yes, he's the brooding enemy who has a monstrous reputation but in reality is a young man who is torn between duty to family and country vs. knowing what's wrong/right. He's trying to make amends for what he's done and his determination, patience, and admiration of Wren and acknowledgement of her emotions as a strength were what I loved most about him. Which brings me to their romance... Knowing that the extended use of magic on a patient creates a bond between them and the healer made the romance feel a little forced on top of it being rather instalove. I mean, I loved their moments of getting to really know each other beyond the rumours and stories painted about them but it wasn't enough to convince me that it was truly love, if that makes sense. It wasn't a huge deal although I obviously would've liked to feel more invested in their romance but I wasn't mad that they found their happiness because they both deserved it!
Overall, not a bad first read by this author and I'm excited to read more by her in the future!
The story starts strong and Saft's wonderfully immersive writing and the atmosphere she creates in this book lends itself well to the chilling, creepy, gothic story. Knockaine is a filthy city crumbling under the weight of war. Colwick Hall is the embodiment of a gloomy haunted mansion runover with its endless dark halls, forbidden areas, constant creaking and haunting moans from... the wind (or is it?). I'm not usually great at handling spooky atmospheres in stories because I'm The Ultimate Chicken™️ but while Saft creates a decadently dark setting, it was enough to immerse you in the story without being overwhelming. The mystery of who was doing the bad thing wasn't necessarily bad but it was fairly predictable even for someone like me who doesn't often read mysteries. However, I feel it took some of the tension away from the plot even as I was eager to see how Wren and Hal would resolve the mystery and get justice.
I was intrigued by the magic system and how it's connected to science and the body but the world-building was a little hard to understand. Perhaps it's just me but even with the bit of info dumping at the beginning, I found it difficult to fully understand the tensions between the two warring countries and how it's possible for the third country to be so fully isolated from the constant wars. Especially when it's so easy to cross borders, as we see happen multiple times!
Sadly, what I struggled with most was the distance I felt from the characters and their romance. Of course, I cared and wanted to see them get a satisfying ending but at the same time, I felt disconnected. There were a few side characters like Una and the Queen who played important roles but it often felt like the story was happening in isolation from everything else, if that makes sense?
Wren was an MC that I wasn't always sure how to feel about. She's passionate about medicine and using her magic to help others and I loved that even though she struggled with how it made her look to others, she continued to follow her gut to heal instead of harm. She feels a lot and it's something she's constantly belittled for as it often leads to her getting into harmful situations. I felt for her struggle to find her place but I loved her growth and steady acceptance of who she is and that it's not a weakness to feel as much as she does. I also liked that she recognised how unhealthy her "quasi-relationship" was with the person she loved from the beginning. That said, I'm sorry to say that I found her constant indecision and change of mind became irritating. Especially when she would get upset that the person she pushed away would deliberately pull away in return. It just came across as immature and when it had even bigger consequences, like freezing to death in the mountain pass? Well, sometimes it is good to think before you act, y'know?
As the love interest and secondary MC who didn't get a POV, I liked that Hal's character was still explored well. Yes, he's the brooding enemy who has a monstrous reputation but in reality is a young man who is torn between duty to family and country vs. knowing what's wrong/right. He's trying to make amends for what he's done and his determination, patience, and admiration of Wren and acknowledgement of her emotions as a strength were what I loved most about him. Which brings me to their romance... Knowing that the extended use of magic on a patient creates a bond between them and the healer made the romance feel a little forced on top of it being rather instalove. I mean, I loved their moments of getting to really know each other beyond the rumours and stories painted about them but it wasn't enough to convince me that it was truly love, if that makes sense. It wasn't a huge deal although I obviously would've liked to feel more invested in their romance but I wasn't mad that they found their happiness because they both deserved it!
Overall, not a bad first read by this author and I'm excited to read more by her in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, and Medical content
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: War and Torture