Q&A: Allison Saft, Author of ‘Down Comes The Night’

We chat with author Allison Saft about Down Comes The Night, which is a snow-drenched romantic fantasy that will keep you racing through the pages long into the night.

PLUS we have an excerpt to share with you at the end of the interview. Get your copy today from Hachette Australia or Hachette UK!

Hi, Allison! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hello! Thank you so much for having me. I’m a writer living in California. In my free time, I practice and perform circus arts. I have an Italian greyhound named Marzipan. Recently, in an effort to introduce more childlike whimsy into my life, I started collecting Pokemon cards for the first time in, like, 20 years.

Down Comes the Night is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Magical doctor makes bad decisions.

What can readers expect?

A wintry atmosphere, political intrigue, enemies-to-lovers romance, forced proximity, angst and yearning, medical horror, Victorian Gothic flair, and my take on the archetype of the brooding YA love interest.

Where did the inspiration for Down Comes the Night come from?

My book ideas typically come to me in the form a relationship dynamic and a situation that forces the romantic leads to spend time together. For Down Comes the Night, it was something like ‘in an isolated, snowy setting, a magical doctor must cure her sworn enemy of a mysterious illness.’ It wasn’t until I wrote the first draft that I saw the potential for leaning into the Gothic elements baked into the premise. 

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I absolute loved writing Wren and Hal’s first encounter; it’s maybe my favorite “meetcute” I’ve written. Wren is a brilliant doctor, and she arrives at Colwick Hall expecting her task to be relatively easy. When she walks into the sickroom and finds out that her patient is a notorious enemy soldier, she has to wrestle with her oath to save lives and her desire for vengeance. It’s a very fraught moment—one that intensifies when Hal attacks her first in what he believes is self-defense. He doesn’t get very far, considering he’s dying. The hostility sets the tone for their early relationship. I loved thawing the tension between them over time.

Did you face any challenges? How did you overcome them?

Down Comes the Night is the first book I ever finished! I wrote the first draft in a feverish six weeks, way back in 2017. It was awesome. Everything after that was terrible, because I had no idea what I was doing. I always had a very clear sense of the characters, but the plot (a whydunit mystery, with lots of moving parts) eluded me. I think I rewrote the entire book 3 to 4 times, and I could not get the ending right for the life of me. Many tears were shed. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my Author Mentor Match mentor (and now dear friend), C.L. Herman, who taught me everything I know about revising. To this day, the only way I survive a revision is the support of my friends.

Can you tell us a bit about your worldbuilding process for Down Comes the Night?

The bulk of my research was ‘scientific’ in nature. Wren is a magical doctor, and I wanted both her magic and her expertise to feel grounded. I learned a lot about anatomy and surgical procedures. I also did some period research; the book takes place in a very loose analogue to the Victorian era. The most fun part was reading tons of Gothic and sensation novels to absorb its conventions and atmosphere. Some of my favorites are The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.

What’s next for you?

My next book is called Immortal Game, which I’ve been pitching as The Cruel Prince meets The Queen’s Gambit. It’s a very loose retelling of the Irish myth “Tochmarc Étaíne.” I am so excited about this one. I’ve had the idea for over ten years now and finally found the right shape for the story.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

For whatever reason, I’ve been gravitating towards classics this year. I loved Middlemarch by George Eliot, Persuasion by Jane Austen, and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. I also have read a lot of chess nonfiction while researching for Immortal Game, the highlight of which was Bobby Fischer Goes to War by David Edmonds and John Eidinow. As for what I’m looking forward to: I was fortunate enough to read it already, but I’m very excited for the rest of the world to experience Kika Hatzopoulou’s Moth Dark!

Will you be picking up Down Comes The Night? Tell us in the comments below!