I was so excited to dive into Alison Saft’s debut novel. My first exposure to her writing was with A Far Wilder Magic and from the first chapter I was hooked. Down Comes the Night has many of the same positives, but did lack in a few areas that Saft’s other novel doesn’t.

To start with the positives:

Saft writes amazing characters that all show great depth. Wren feels all of her emotions deeply and that often gets her into trouble. With her friends also looking down on her for feeling emotional, Wren tries to make logical decisions and ignore her heart. By the end of the novel she eventually realizes that emotions are not a weakness and can actually be a strength when she listens to them. Hal is know as a ruthless killer who feels nothing at all. On the inside Hal is truly a soft hearted young man looking for forgiveness and the opportunity to apologize for his actions. These two make an adorable couple and it was so clear why they feel for each other.

On a similar note, I LOVE that Saft seems to enjoy writing slow burns. For me, it adds a lot to the story because I can get to know the characters and their motivations which helps me understand why they love each other. There is also something about a book riddled with tension that just pulls me in and doesn’t let me go.

Now for the negatives:

I think the world building was lacking in Down Comes the Night, something I find the complete opposite to A Far Wilder Magic. I don’t think the politics were explained enough. I still don’t really understand why the two countries are fighting (other than religious differences and even that isn’t explored in depth). There just wasn’t enough history in general. And I think the different religions that are practiced would have been fascinating to read about.

The way magic works in this world was also confusing. The word fola was used repeatedly, but it was never explicitly explained what that was. I assumed it was a biological part of the body (like muscle under the skin) but that is never confirmed. This is a disservice to readers - especially when you take into account the fact that there is a whole country where no one has magic! I think if this had been explained more in depth I would have enjoyed the book more.

Down Comes the Night - Likewise Book Reviews

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