He saw the darkness in her magic. She saw the magic in his darkness.
Wren Southerland’s reckless use of magic has cost her everything: she’s been dismissed from the Queen’s Guard and separated from her best friend—the girl she loves. So when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord, asking Wren to come to his estate, Colwick Hall, to cure his servant from a mysterious illness, she seizes her chance to redeem herself.
The mansion is crumbling, icy winds haunt the caved-in halls, and her eccentric host forbids her from leaving her room after dark. Worse, Wren’s patient isn’t a servant at all but Hal Cavendish, the infamous Reaper of Vesria and her kingdom’s sworn enemy. Hal also came to Colwick Hall for redemption, but the secrets in the estate may lead to both of their deaths.
With sinister forces at work, Wren and Hal realize they’ll have to join together if they have any hope of saving their kingdoms. But as Wren circles closer to the nefarious truth behind Hal’s illness, they realize they have no escape from the monsters within the mansion. All they have is each other, and a startling desire that could be their downfall.
Allison Saft’s Down Comes the Night is a snow-drenched romantic fantasy that keeps you racing through the pages long into the night.
Love makes monsters of us all.
With an atmospheric, beautiful cover and a description giving me all kinds of gothic vibes, I was anxious to settle in with this story on a dreary night.
After Wren is suspended from the Queen’s Guard, she ducks out of her next assignment and heads to Colwick Hall in an attempt to get back into the good graces of her aunt, the queen. Although Wren’s last living relative, the queen has never shown her any affection and barely tolerates her. Once Wren realizes the patient she’s been hired to care for at the hall is an enemy of her kingdom (Hal’s killed hundreds of people), the story really began for me. The crumbling mansion surrounded by acres of snow is the perfect setting for her to unravel the mystery of Hal’s illness and uncover the person responsible for the disappearance of several soldiers from her kingdom.
Wren is a compassionate person, an important trait for a healer, but she trusts too easily, and it comes back to bite her more than once. As the Reaper, Hal has a dark, violent past, but I wanted to know more about his transformation from the Reaper to the person Wren meets. Several blank spaces kept me from really knowing both of these characters. Their slow burn romance is sweet and gooey, but as I’m not much of a romance fan, it got a little repetitive – but that’s just me. Other reviewers were big fans of their relationship.
The story offers plenty of tense, action-packed moments and a few graphic medical scenes that may cause some readers to cringe. It’s not exactly the novel I’d expected, but still an enjoyable read with a satisfying ending.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Books and Such 
That cover is beautiful. It sounds great read with action, romance and interesting characters. Amazing review!
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Isn’t it? Lots of action with a little romance. I just wanted a little more character depth. Thanks, Yesha!
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I’ve heard good things about this one. It has me intrigued by the Gothic vibe.
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Gothic vibes will grab me every time. I think Tessa also enjoyed this one.
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She did. I remember her review, too
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I liked it. I mostly focused on the gothic-ness of it and how well it met those necessary attributes, which it did a great job of that.
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I think I’d be more interested in the Reaper part and less interested in the romance part, too. Thanks for sharing your review, Teri.
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Guess I’m not the only one! A little romance in a story is okay for me – just don’t make it the primary focus.
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What a great cover! Yeah, I’m not into the “gooey” romance either…lol. Thanks for the terrific review, Teri
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The cover is perfect for this atmospheric story – it really sets the tone. Thanks for visiting, Jill!
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This book does have a great cover! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one, Teri!
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Thanks for dropping by, Jan!
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I wanted to know more about Wren too. He must have had an interesting back story. And, you know, I could take or leave the romance. I didn’t even mention it in my review – I don’t think. I don’t know that I believed it would last. But, that’s just me 😊
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Yes! First he was the Reaper, then a decent guy. It was touched on, but I wanted more depth and explanation.
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This sounds like a good read, Teri. Strangely, I don’t like the cover. The picture is a bit to indistinct for me.
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It’s a little blurry, but I like the colors and the solitary light shining through the window. Kind of an eerie vibe.
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I think I could do without the graphic scenes, lol. The romance is the part that would appeal for me 🙂
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I’ve got a strong stomach so no problem for me, but parts were very descriptive. Not so descriptive during the more romantic parts, lol.
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You have a wonderful way with words. And this sounds like something I’d really enjoy. Thank you!
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Thanks so much! Hope you give it a try.
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Of course. Hopefully soon! 😆
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We’re currently reading it. Glad you enjoyed it.
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It’s very atmospheric, but I was hoping for more of a supernatural feel. I still enjoyed the read – hope you do, too!
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