A Review of Down Comes The Night
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.
Plot
This book, as promised by the reviews and promos you may have already seen, has a unique and memorable plot. While things did initially start out a bit slower than I had expected, by the end of the first chapter, I was flipping pages without thinking. On the rare occasion that I had to put the book down, I could not stop thinking about it. Some of the plot twists were predictable but were still enjoyable and furthered the plot.
Characters
As intriguing as the plot of the novel was, the characters were just as fascinating and gripping. Wren is a frustrating protagonist, as she constantly makes choices that you know will result in more problems, but there is a complicated wholesomeness behind her actions that make it hard for you to take your eyes away from her. Additionally, the author does a great job of developing complex relationships that feel realistic and well-rounded. Even more impressive is that the reader is quickly able to get a sense of these relationships in a way that feels organic and doesn’t slow down the plot.
Setting
The world in this book is established almost immediately. We immediately get to the magic system at work and understand the protagonist’s role in both that system and her setting. While the magic on its own was fairly generic, the author did a great job of adding some new dimensions to the magic that was unexpected and I hadn’t seen in other novels. Both the world and magic were memorable and will stick with me for a while.
My Recommendation
Down Comes The Night is a one-of-kind read that is sure to grab any Young Adult Fantasy fan and pull them into a beautiful story. The characters are complex and although, they can be frustrating, just as engaging as the story. If you’re tired of YA magic systems that are all the same, you’ll love the new twists to familiar systems that this setting introduces. I highly recommend Down Comes The Night.