Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
Wren Southerland faces the consequences of her reckless use of magic when she is released from the Queen’s Guard and separated from her best friend—the girl she loves. When a mysterious lord summons her to his estate to cure a servant of a strange illness, Wren sees it as her chance at redemption.
But Colwick Hall is no ordinary mansion. Its walls are crumbling, the halls are ice cold, and Wren’s host forbids her from leaving her room after dark. To make matters worse, her patient isn’t a servant, but instead is Hal Cavendish—the infamous Reaper of Vesria and her kingdom’s enemy. Like Wren, Hal came to Colwick Hall seeking redemption, but the estate’s secrets threaten to cost them both their lives.
Forced to work together to save their kingdoms, Wren and Hal uncover a truth far more dangerous than they’d imagined.
The mysterious gothic mansion setting already has me sold, and there is apparently a great magic system. The romance is a slow burn enemies-to-lovers Patient/Healer trope, there is a bisexual MC, sapphic yearning, and a touch of found-family.
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Effy Sayre—believer of fairytales—has been haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood. The only thing keeping her tethered to reality is her copy of Angharad, Emrys Myrddin’s story about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King and destroys him. So, when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the author’s estate, Effy believes it is a sign meant for her. But Hiraeth Manor is crumbling, musty, and difficult to restore. Its residents are cold and unwelcoming, especially Preston Héloury, a young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As rivals forced to work together, Effy and Preston begin to unravel the dark legacy Myrddin left behind.
I’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews about this book, and I’m beyond excited to pick it up before diving into the sequel, A Theory in Dreaming. I’ve also been meaning to read more from Ava Reid, and while it’s not a YA, her other gothic novel, Juniper and Thorn, is firmly on my list too.
A Treachery of Swans by A.B Poranek
Odile Regnault is a master of disguise, a born thief, an actress for a theatre, and the adopted daughter of a vengeful, cruel sorcerer. She has been raised and trained for the most important mission of her life: to sneak into the royal palace and steal the king’s crown to restore magic. The one thing standing in her way is her royal ex-childhood best friend, Marie d’Odette. To succeed, Odile transforms Marie into a swan and steals her identity. As Odile grows closer to the Dauphin as a part of her plan, she uncovers secrets within the royal family. Once her brother is imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, she is torn between her loyalty to her father and the blood that binds her to her brother. She seeks help from Marie and begins to doubt her ability to be a villain.
I have already read this book, and while I am not fully planning on rereading it, I did want to include it since it’s been one of my favorite books of the year, featuring a gorgeous gothic world and atmospheric writing. It’s a Swan Lake retelling with Phantom of the Opera vibes, and I completely recommend it if you’re looking for something gothic and sapphic.
Gallant by V.E Schwab
Olivia Prior has spent her life at Merilance School for Girls, with nothing but her mother’s eerie journal to connect her to her past. When she receives a letter summoning her to Gallant, she hopes she’s finally found a place she belongs. But when she arrives, no one is expecting her, and the estate’s crumbling halls are haunted with ghouls only she can see. As Olivia digs into Gallant’s secrets, she discovers a shadowed version of the house. There, the Master of the House awaits, and Olivia must decide if she has the strength to claim her place as a Prior and protect the world from the darkness creeping in.
The haunted estate and the ghouls are what have me most excited to pick this one up.
Anasofia Alejandro, Pine Reads Review Writer