Reviews

a perfect balance of fantasy and romance, and i loved the gothic vibes of the story as well. the comparison isn't perfect, but this was a lot of what i'd hoped that a study in drowning would be. this + a far wilder magic cement allison saft as a favorite author for me.

rowansandvig's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ashction's review against another edition

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5.0

This was such an enthralling story! I didn't research to see if it was intentional, but it's a very loosely-inspired Beauty and the Beast retelling in a magical world, complicated by decades-long war and a mystery at the center of the novel. I really loved Wren as a protagonist, and her complicated romance with Hal was so fun to watch develop. I'm a sucker for a classic "good" girl, "bad" boy romance! But what I most appreciated about Down Comes the Night is the emphasis on forgiveness, kindness, and emotions. The story makes a point to show that people and events like war may seem black and white, but they are much more complicated and often filled with shades of gray. I appreciate that things aren't automatically solved at the end of this, but that there is hope found in breaking the patterns of violence and mistrust that often lead us to such terrible places to begin with. I don't think Allison Saft's sophomore novel is for me - doesn't really seem my style - but I loved her writing enough to look forward to whatever book she might next publish I may love. Definitely a stellar debut novel here for sure!

ladyofswans's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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