Down Comes the Night

Saft interweaves intrigue, romance, and magic to fashion a slow-burning and atmospheric fantasy debut. After combat medic Wren Southerland defies orders surrounding the use of her healing magic, her aunt, Queen Isabel of Danu, removes her from duty, causing a rift between Wren and her commanding officer, whom she loves despite circumstances forbidding their relationship. But Wren is soon contacted by a disgraced noble, who, in exchange for her healing his dying servant, offers a way to help her broker peace between Danu and neighboring Vesria. Much to her surprise, Wren’s new patient is Hal Cavendish, a sworn enemy from Vesria. Trapped in Lowry’s manor as the weather grows worse, Wren and Hal find unexpected common ground in their mutual desire for peace and growing attraction to one another. When they realize their host has a sinister ulterior motive, they must work together to save both their homelands. If Saft’s novel follows predictable plot points, it still finds ways to surprise and enchant, including a brief look at magic-infused medical techniques and an elaborately gothic feel, en route to an open ending that leaves plenty of room for further exploration. Ages 13–up. [em]Agents: Claire Friedman and Jessica Mileo, InkWell Management. (Mar.) [/em]