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A review by laelyn
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
4.0
Oh how I loved this book! I admit I went into this with some level of expectations because I've heard good things, and these expectations were absolutely met. "Down Comes the Night" has a beautiful cover and an intriguing premise, its atmosphere being likened to Guillermo del Toro's movies which is the aspect that got me the most interested. Admittedly, it started a little too slow for my taste and it took me a moment to really get hooked, but once the book moved into its more gothic scenery, I was sold. Once Wren, the protagonist, arrives at the eerie mansion of Colwick Hall, the atmopshere gets darker and grittier and I couldn't put the book down until I finished it.
Saft has a beautiful writing style that she uses for rich world building and great character development. Wren is sympathetic and endearing, and her love interest Hal appropriately dark, mysterious and different-than-she-thought. They have chemistry and the perfect amount of enemies-to-lovers-tropeyness to make the reader root for them. While the book never really hides its antagonist, the mystery is still fun to solve especially due to the tense, dark atmosphere of Colwick Hall.
Some aspects of the story would have needed a bit more development - the relationship between and reconsiliation of Queen Isabel and Wren being one example - but these little things never took away from the enjoyment of reading this gothic little gem.
many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the arc!
Saft has a beautiful writing style that she uses for rich world building and great character development. Wren is sympathetic and endearing, and her love interest Hal appropriately dark, mysterious and different-than-she-thought. They have chemistry and the perfect amount of enemies-to-lovers-tropeyness to make the reader root for them. While the book never really hides its antagonist, the mystery is still fun to solve especially due to the tense, dark atmosphere of Colwick Hall.
Some aspects of the story would have needed a bit more development - the relationship between and reconsiliation of Queen Isabel and Wren being one example - but these little things never took away from the enjoyment of reading this gothic little gem.
many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the arc!