Defy the Night
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- Create Date：2021-09-15 07:19:19
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Brigid Kemmerer
- ISBN：1547604662
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
From New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer comes a blockbuster fantasy series about a kingdom divided by corruption， the prince desperately holding it together， and the girl who will risk everything to bring it crashing down。
The kingdom of Kandala is on the brink of disaster。 Rifts between sectors have only worsened since a sickness began ravaging the land， and within the Royal Palace， the king holds a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand。
King Harristan was thrust into power after his parents' shocking assassination， leaving the younger Prince Corrick to take on the brutal role of the King's Justice。 The brothers have learned to react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion--it's the only way to maintain order when the sickness can strike anywhere， and the only known cure， an elixir made from delicate Moonflower petals， is severely limited。
Out in the Wilds， apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her neighbors die， their suffering ignored by the unyielding royals。 Every night， she and her best friend Wes risk their lives to steal Moonflower petals and distribute the elixir to those who need it most--but it's still not enough。
As rumors spread that the cure no longer works and sparks of rebellion begin to flare， a particularly cruel act from the King's Justice makes Tessa desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace。 But what she finds upon her arrival makes her wonder if it's even possible to fix Kandala without destroying it first。
Set in a richly imaginative world with striking similarities to our own， Brigid Kemmerer's captivating new series is about those with power and those without 。 。 。 and what happens when someone is brave enough to imagine a new future。
The kingdom of Kandala is on the brink of disaster。 Rifts between sectors have only worsened since a sickness began ravaging the land， and within the Royal Palace， the king holds a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand。
King Harristan was thrust into power after his parents' shocking assassination， leaving the younger Prince Corrick to take on the brutal role of the King's Justice。 The brothers have learned to react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion--it's the only way to maintain order when the sickness can strike anywhere， and the only known cure， an elixir made from delicate Moonflower petals， is severely limited。
Out in the Wilds， apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her neighbors die， their suffering ignored by the unyielding royals。 Every night， she and her best friend Wes risk their lives to steal Moonflower petals and distribute the elixir to those who need it most--but it's still not enough。
As rumors spread that the cure no longer works and sparks of rebellion begin to flare， a particularly cruel act from the King's Justice makes Tessa desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace。 But what she finds upon her arrival makes her wonder if it's even possible to fix Kandala without destroying it first。
Set in a richly imaginative world with striking similarities to our own， Brigid Kemmerer's captivating new series is about those with power and those without 。 。 。 and what happens when someone is brave enough to imagine a new future。
Reviews
Lara
，
Loved this！ I mean I like my characters morally grey and this was as a dark and twisty as you could get！。Loosely （very loosely） based on the Robin Hood story of outlaws robbing the rich to save the poor - Tessa and Wes are brave outlaws who steal medicine that is being hoarded and only the rich can afford to save the people dying of a mysterious illness。 Corrick is the cruel prince who has to be the King’s Justice and do all the nasty things needed to keep the country in line for his potentially Loved this！ I mean I like my characters morally grey and this was as a dark and twisty as you could get！。Loosely （very loosely） based on the Robin Hood story of outlaws robbing the rich to save the poor - Tessa and Wes are brave outlaws who steal medicine that is being hoarded and only the rich can afford to save the people dying of a mysterious illness。 Corrick is the cruel prince who has to be the King’s Justice and do all the nasty things needed to keep the country in line for his potentially ill brother。I love almost everything about this book， it is filled with political intrigue and maneuverings， a slow burn heated romance， and awesome characters。 I loved Corrick - you can see that he will do whatever it takes to protect his brother and the Kingdom， but some of the abhorrent things he’s forced to do， kills something inside him。 Even Harriston for the brief times we see and interact with him is interrsting and charismatic。 It is hard to say who the bad guys are as no one is totally evil or completely clean。 I was so caught up in this book I couldn’t put it down till I finished at 5am in the morning。 I can’t wait for the next book to come out so I can dive back in and see where the stories go。 4。5 stars overall - I had to deduct some marks because some things were super obvious from the start， and is there isn’t enough clarity about some of the reasons behind certain machinations from the Consuls。 I guess that’s what Book 2 is for。 。。。more
Michelle
，
Defy the Night is Brigid Kemmerer is definitely a highlight of the September releases。 I truly loved this exploration of what a government owes its citizens when it comes to healthcare。 While Ms。 Kemmerer insists it is not a book about the pandemic， it definitely has relevancy as it talks about government-issued cures and the costs associated with it。 I adored Emma’s compassion and commitment; when the world feels like it is collapsing， it does a person good to read about someone who isn’t willi Defy the Night is Brigid Kemmerer is definitely a highlight of the September releases。 I truly loved this exploration of what a government owes its citizens when it comes to healthcare。 While Ms。 Kemmerer insists it is not a book about the pandemic， it definitely has relevancy as it talks about government-issued cures and the costs associated with it。 I adored Emma’s compassion and commitment; when the world feels like it is collapsing， it does a person good to read about someone who isn’t willing to back down when things get tough。 Emma’s and Corrick’s emotions are utterly real， making them highly sympathetic， blurring that line between fiction and reality。 Plus， they make the cutest couple， earnest in their desires to help those less fortunate。 I particularly love the fact that their relationship has its basis in a long friendship and not the insta-love that so many other YA novels contain。 I cannot wait to get more of them！ 。。。more
Devon Rose
，
This book was excellent。 Seriously， it was the perfect cure for a book slump。 The characters were so good， and I loved the dual POV…BK gave you true shades of grey in every twist and turn of the plot。 Yes， some parts were a little obvious （no spoilers） but I believe they were meant to be obvious to us， the audience， and that the anticipation was in waiting for everyone else to catch up。 I love Robin Hood， and this definitely had those vibes…Tessa was a sweet hearted， giving person who also posse This book was excellent。 Seriously， it was the perfect cure for a book slump。 The characters were so good， and I loved the dual POV…BK gave you true shades of grey in every twist and turn of the plot。 Yes， some parts were a little obvious （no spoilers） but I believe they were meant to be obvious to us， the audience， and that the anticipation was in waiting for everyone else to catch up。 I love Robin Hood， and this definitely had those vibes…Tessa was a sweet hearted， giving person who also possessed strength of will without ever becoming a whining Mary Sue。 Corrick was the perfect villainous foil for her。 This book doesn’t end on a cliffhanger， but it does end on a note that would leave it possible for future installments which I would run out and immediately buy。 I just finished it and my heart is still pounding。 Five stars for sure！ 。。。more
maralyn burt
，
ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL！！This book provided a much needed escape to another world and transports the reader into its universe As a fever sweeps through kandala， tessa and Wes， a pair of outlaws who provide much needed medicine to people who can’t afford it go under the cover of night to deliver them。 However neither of them know who each other truly is。I absolutely loved this book， Brigid kemmerer is one of my favourite authors and she has well and truly excelled herself this time。 I would recommend ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL！！This book provided a much needed escape to another world and transports the reader into its universe As a fever sweeps through kandala， tessa and Wes， a pair of outlaws who provide much needed medicine to people who can’t afford it go under the cover of night to deliver them。 However neither of them know who each other truly is。I absolutely loved this book， Brigid kemmerer is one of my favourite authors and she has well and truly excelled herself this time。 I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone and everyone *a big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review * 。。。more
Leah M
，
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this ARC。 I am offering my honest opinion voluntarily。CONTENT WARNING: death， murder， gore， violenceI had requested this book from NetGalley after loving most of the Cursebreakers series， but shortly afterwards， I was informed by a buddy read partner that this was a DNF for her。 The next day， I got approved for this， and approached the book with mixed feelings。 By 10% of the way in， I understood what she was talking about。While the character Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this ARC。 I am offering my honest opinion voluntarily。CONTENT WARNING: death， murder， gore， violenceI had requested this book from NetGalley after loving most of the Cursebreakers series， but shortly afterwards， I was informed by a buddy read partner that this was a DNF for her。 The next day， I got approved for this， and approached the book with mixed feelings。 By 10% of the way in， I understood what she was talking about。While the characters and the world are well-built， they’re also extremely tropey and predictable。 So is the plot。 Tessa is the outlaw with the heart of gold， who constantly gasps and loses focus at the sight of a specific man without his shirt on。 Never mind that she’s kind and brilliant and sweet and motivated， and well-spoken for a peasant girl。 Her partner， Wes， has secrets of his own， naturally。 The plot itself was fairly predictable， as you can tell from the lackluster gasp factor below。 It’s a Robin Hood retelling， and that happens to be one of my favorite stories。 I read the whole thing， because I did want to find out what happened， and I honestly hoped that it would become less tropey and predictable。 Unfortunately， it didn’t。 What I did enjoy was seeing the politics of the kingdom。 I would have loved to see a map of the kingdom， and from my understanding， there is going to be a map included in the finished book。 The author really did a great job with the way different factions in the kingdom interact， and how much pressure is on King Harristan and Prince Corrick to negotiate with them all to maintain a balance。 In addition， the presence of a fever sweeping through the kingdom hit kind of close to home， and made me realize how dramatically it alters how people behave — hoarding resources and becoming different than they ordinarily would be。 I did like how the story developed， although I kind of wished that it relied a little less heavily on the standard tropes。 It read surprisingly fast for nearly 500 pages。 The author has so much creativity and talent， and I found myself changing how I felt about some of the characters after seeing their POV。 Overall， this was a good story with so much potential， but it kind of fell a little flat for me。 Chances are， I’m still going to read the next book though。 。。。more
Jessica Harrison
，
I first fell in love with Brigid Kemmerer’s writing in 2017 with Letters to the Lost。 Since then， I’ve eagerly picked up everything new she’s put out， and Defy the Night is no exception。It’s hard to say much about Defy the Night’s plot without revealing some pretty major revelations， which is to say， it’s got some great twists。Kemmerer is great at setting the scene。 She’s incredibly detailed， yet never gets lost in the details。 She deftly balances emotion with plot， creating an immersive feel th I first fell in love with Brigid Kemmerer’s writing in 2017 with Letters to the Lost。 Since then， I’ve eagerly picked up everything new she’s put out， and Defy the Night is no exception。It’s hard to say much about Defy the Night’s plot without revealing some pretty major revelations， which is to say， it’s got some great twists。Kemmerer is great at setting the scene。 She’s incredibly detailed， yet never gets lost in the details。 She deftly balances emotion with plot， creating an immersive feel that nabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go。And though Defy the Night is fairly long — approximately 500 pages — it doesn’t feel overly ambitious。 In fact， I finished the book wanting more， which is good， because Defy the Night is the first book in a planned series。 。。。more
Nasi
，
The thing I liked about this book: how compulsively readable it was。The thing I didn't like about this book: basically everything else。Soooo， I know that was harsh， but I promise I have good reason for the last sentence。 Since there were a gazillion reasons why this book didn't work for me， I tried to build a complete list of all those reasons。 1。 This Is Not a Fantasy So I think if you're thinking of reading this book because the idea of Robin Hood in a fantasy setting sounds amazing just wait The thing I liked about this book: how compulsively readable it was。The thing I didn't like about this book: basically everything else。Soooo， I know that was harsh， but I promise I have good reason for the last sentence。 Since there were a gazillion reasons why this book didn't work for me， I tried to build a complete list of all those reasons。 1。 This Is Not a Fantasy So I think if you're thinking of reading this book because the idea of Robin Hood in a fantasy setting sounds amazing just wait a minute and let me explain this。 There is absolutely no magical element in this book， no magical creature， no magical power， no witches or wizards or anything that would classify this as a Fantasy book。 I think there should be another genre other than fantasy called secondary world stories， or something like that。 Because that is what this book is。 I know that for some people， when they say fantasy is their favourite genre， what they actually mean is that they like stories about royalties and adventures and quests and rebellions and Great Destinies。 So for those people this wouldn't be a problem。 But I live for the magical elements， I want to lose myself in magical worlds， I want to see what insanely creative things every author comes up with every time I pick up a fantasy book。 And I need to tell you this， if you're like me， you're going to be very disappointed with this book。 2。 Corrick this one really hurts because the primary reason I read this book was Prince Corrick。 If you know me then you know even the mention of a cruel guy as the point of view character is enough to send me screaming from excitement。 In the blurb he's mentioned as this ruthless prince that is willing to do anything to keep his brother in power， and in the book， he's not like that at all。 I mean for a while I could believe him as such a character and I was dying for him and Tessa to meet。 but after a while it becomes clear that he's just all talk and no show。 Now， you could argue that is just a part of his characterisation， that he doesn't like violence and is just pretending to do so because he thinks it's necessary。 But then we'll have a new problem， he doesn't even put up a good show for other characters。 there's a scene when he has to execute others to show how ruthless he is， another character later on tells him that you looked like you wanted to cry， which is fair and accurate。 but the point is that， he's not even convincing enough in front of the exact type of people he wants to convince。 Which begs the question， why haven't these brothers been overthrown？ they're neither competent enough to keep the elite and their subjects happy， nor cruel enough to keep them afraid。 so again， how the hell have they lasted this long？ 3。 Tessa this is the second book I read from this author and both books had heroines that were super kind and understanding and naive and saw the world through rose-coloured glasses and had no thought about the realities of leadership。 Both of them had to face male characters who would explain to them that things aren't as easy as they thought。 I'm not going to point fingers here， but if in all of your books the female character is the naive one and the male character is the one who sees the world for what it is， then maybe just maybe you have some internalised issues about gender roles。 4。 This world is just very stupid。 Here's the thing: there's a limit to my suspension of disbelief and I can't take it when a book asks me to throw away all of my logic and reasoning。 there are certain things that just don't happen in real life。 For instance， there's a scene of mob violence and the MC can just stop them by asking them kindly。 I don't know which world Kemmerer lives in， but in my world you just don't stop mob violence like that。 then there's the issue that when the revolution reaches the palace the king tries to stop it and it FUCKING WORKS。 yes I've seen leaders trying to calm down revolutions （ with pretty promises， which is what the king does in this book ） when it's loud enough for them to notice it。 the chances are that by then whatever they offer is too little too late。 and the people have had enough， so it almost never works。 By that point the only thing that can stop the revolution is even more violence from the authorities。 lastly， there's the issue of incompetence。 These brothers are extremely incompetent， so why the fuck the book wants us to root for them？ For a looong time Corrick knew that they could cure more people with less medicine， and he's the second most powerful person in the realm， and he is the closest person to the most powerful person， and he chose to do NOTHING about it。 I mean he has his excuses， but those are just that: EXCUSES。 I'm sorry I can't root for monsters like that。 He chose to do nothing about a cure and you want me to root for him？ 5。 The second twist was incredibly obvious and the fact that the two brothers haven't seen it is just another testament to their incompetence and stupidity。 So there's a kind girl who is always advocating for the people， always talking about the fact that people are acting out of desperation because their leaders have failed them and the said leaders need to show them leniency， so you're telling me that girl wasn't the Big Bad our hero thought she was。 Instead the Big Bad was the power hungry guy who is constantly trying to put doubt and distance between the two brothers， and is constantly asking them to prove their power and constantly trying to get benefit out of the completely terrible conditions。 * gasps * wow just wow， I could never saw that coming。 SUCH A GREAT TWIST。 you know a twist is good when the guy you always knew was evil turns out to be， *gasps* actually evil。 Now don't get me wrong， there were some good parts。 I liked the first twist with Corrick， and I liked the romance in the beginning， and like I said， the book is very readable。 But it lost its readability when I saw all the flaws， and I can't ship a couple if I don't like neither of them。 So basically， all the good things lost their value by the end of this book。 ****Pre-Review: I feel like I lost all of my brain cells reading this 🥴 。。。more
Rebecca Barber
，
While I've loved Brigid's work in the past， particularly her contemporary titles， I was a little hesitant about Defy the Night - A Curse so Dark and Lonely intrigued me， but didn't really grip me enough and I'm afraid to say Defy the Night didn't either。 While I liked Tessa and Corrick， and it was refreshing to see a supportive royal brotherly relationship in a fantasy series， there wasn't enough worldbuilding to my tastes; her work is very character-focused and I always feel fantasy needs that While I've loved Brigid's work in the past， particularly her contemporary titles， I was a little hesitant about Defy the Night - A Curse so Dark and Lonely intrigued me， but didn't really grip me enough and I'm afraid to say Defy the Night didn't either。 While I liked Tessa and Corrick， and it was refreshing to see a supportive royal brotherly relationship in a fantasy series， there wasn't enough worldbuilding to my tastes; her work is very character-focused and I always feel fantasy needs that as well as strong， original worldbuilding。 I think possibly I also wasn't as enamored with this as I'm tired of the 'one girl overthrows a corrupt regime' trope， but I can see that there are elements to this that other readers will go crazy for - mainly the central romance。 。。。more
Kaele’s Krazy Book Obsession
，
Five Perfect Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Defy the Night is the start of what I can already tell is going to be an amazing trilogy！ It is labeled as fantasy， but this book felt very dystopian。 There’s an alternate government， fast spreading sickness going around， and characters trying to save others。 It’s one of very few fantasy books I’ve heard of without magic and I loved it。 We need more like this。 It was just as interesting and intricate。 This story is inspired by Robin Hood， so it was fun to see main Five Perfect Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Defy the Night is the start of what I can already tell is going to be an amazing trilogy！ It is labeled as fantasy， but this book felt very dystopian。 There’s an alternate government， fast spreading sickness going around， and characters trying to save others。 It’s one of very few fantasy books I’ve heard of without magic and I loved it。 We need more like this。 It was just as interesting and intricate。 This story is inspired by Robin Hood， so it was fun to see main characters that are thieves who help those in need to get medicine they can’t afford for this fever。 The plot twist around a hundred pages in had me going crazy。 I did not see the direction it ended up taking but I absolutely loved it！ The main couple are so sweet and I just love their relationship。 I’m always happy to have a bad guy Mc who isn’t really a bad person。 I’d like to say， for anyone who read and enjoyed Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard， I really think you will adore this story。 The brothers relationship in here was so nice。 Quint is the best character ever。 I want him to have a book。 I’m so sad that it’s over and that I have to wait for the sequel。 But I promise it’s worth reading。 I absolutely loved the ending and I’m content to “mind my mettle” and wait to find out how they continue from here。 。。。more
Jenna
，
All done。Review will be up before or by publication， but I did enjoy this one。
Lee-ann
，
Thank you to Netgalley， the publisher， Bloomsbury USA Childrens Books and the author for this digital ARC！ I’ll start by saying I liked this book so much I bought 3 different special editions of it！ The characters， the atmosphere， the story… I cannot wait to see what comes next！—In the Kingdom of Kandala， a sickness has spread across the lands， causing a great divide between its people。 The only known cure， the moonflower petal， is in short supply and too expense for those less fortunate。 Tessa Thank you to Netgalley， the publisher， Bloomsbury USA Childrens Books and the author for this digital ARC！ I’ll start by saying I liked this book so much I bought 3 different special editions of it！ The characters， the atmosphere， the story… I cannot wait to see what comes next！—In the Kingdom of Kandala， a sickness has spread across the lands， causing a great divide between its people。 The only known cure， the moonflower petal， is in short supply and too expense for those less fortunate。 Tessa Cade and her best friend Wes vow to help those in need and in turn， risk their own lives to do so。 Meanwhile in the castle， the cruel Kings Justice， Prince Corrick， vows to keep order and keeping up with his reputation， severely punish those who don’t follow the rules。 When the Prince takes things a step too far， Tessa decides to take things into her own hands and sneak into the castle。 It is here that secrets are revealed and we see the fate of the peoples lives hang by only a small thread。 —Well。 It’s safe to say I found a new book boyfriend…Wes… 😍😂。 “ 𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯。 𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯。 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘭。”The World building was fantastic。 The characters had depth and personality and the the originality of this as Robin Hood retelling is phenomenal！ It was such a great story that I did not want to put down！I give Defy the Night ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫。 Bring on book two！ 😃 。。。more
Lexi
，
4。5/5 ⭐️ full review coming soon！thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the arc！
Zoranne Host
，
thank you to bloomsbury for an ARC of this book！！ it was my first ARC ever so i that made me feel extra special。 this book was a lot of fun and a solid start to a new YA fantasy series。 full review to come on my tik tok！ i highly recommend！
Natalie
，
I don’t even know where to begin except to say that I loved this book so very much！！ I’m a huge fan of The Cursebreaker series， so I was very excited for this new series and I think I might have enjoyed Defy the Night even more than the Cursebreaker series。Tessa was a fierce female who fights for what she believes is right and you can’t help but cheer her on。 I really liked Prince Corrick even from the beginning because I think he really wanted to do well but was also trapped by circumstances。 B I don’t even know where to begin except to say that I loved this book so very much！！ I’m a huge fan of The Cursebreaker series， so I was very excited for this new series and I think I might have enjoyed Defy the Night even more than the Cursebreaker series。Tessa was a fierce female who fights for what she believes is right and you can’t help but cheer her on。 I really liked Prince Corrick even from the beginning because I think he really wanted to do well but was also trapped by circumstances。 But I found myself rooting for both of them， as well as Wes！The plot was very intriguing！ I loved the tension between the rebels and the royals and the struggle between who’s on the right side and who’s on the wrong side。 Overall， I absolutely loved this book！ I read it in a day because I couldn’t put it down but also didn’t want to finish it because I didn’t want to leave their world。 Very excited for more in the future！ 。。。more
Oriel
，
~Defy The Night Review~•4/5•Brigid Kemmerer is one of my favorite authors because I met her at a book con and she was seriously the nicest person ever。 Obviously when I saw this book on Netgalley I knew I had to request it！ I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book and I’m excited to dive in！•Pros:+I love dual perspective books+I LOVE A DRAMATIC REVEAL。 AND DRAMATIC IRONY TOO！！！+A plus banter+drama and political intrigue+i love all the main characters tbh+romance <3•Cons:-world buildin ~Defy The Night Review~•4/5•Brigid Kemmerer is one of my favorite authors because I met her at a book con and she was seriously the nicest person ever。 Obviously when I saw this book on Netgalley I knew I had to request it！ I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book and I’m excited to dive in！•Pros:+I love dual perspective books+I LOVE A DRAMATIC REVEAL。 AND DRAMATIC IRONY TOO！！！+A plus banter+drama and political intrigue+i love all the main characters tbh+romance <3•Cons:-world building。 world building。 world building。 -slow start-not the most unique plot or story but it honestly was well written•This book took me awhile to get into but I enjoyed it once it picked up！ It’s not a new favorite or anything but I liked it and will definitely continue the series！ 。。。more
yorkshirebooknerd
，
Ok I need book two please。 I need to know what happens next。Another fantastic world， full of brilliant characters created by Brigid Kemmerer。 I was invested in their story from the beginning and loved the ‘Robin Hood’ steal from the rich to give to the poor feel it had。 There were quite a few plot twists， most of which I guessed which did not in any way spoil my enjoyment of this book。The writing was fantastic and I loved the dual POVs which gave us an insight into the political intrigue and bac Ok I need book two please。 I need to know what happens next。Another fantastic world， full of brilliant characters created by Brigid Kemmerer。 I was invested in their story from the beginning and loved the ‘Robin Hood’ steal from the rich to give to the poor feel it had。 There were quite a few plot twists， most of which I guessed which did not in any way spoil my enjoyment of this book。The writing was fantastic and I loved the dual POVs which gave us an insight into the political intrigue and backstabbing going on in the Royal Sector whilst still allowing us to see the struggles in the Wilds。 I loved the dynamics between Tessa/Wes， Corrick/Harristan， Quint and everyone！ These relationships were complex and emotional and really made me feel like nothing is ever as it seems and that until you know both sides of the story， it’s hard to make a true judgment。 I have to admit that I really did love Corrick， I can’t say why without giving too much away but he was definitely my favourite character。 An amazing fantasy full of intrigue， corruption， loyalty and selflessness， Defy the Night is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2021 so far。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher （Bloomsbury Publishing PLC UK & ANZ） for providing a copy of the book for review。 All opinions are my own and provided willingly。 。。。more
L A
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Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing UK and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review。I enjoyed Kemmerer’s previous series， The Cursebreaker Series but I didn’t LOVE it。 It was a solid YA offering but didn’t blow my mind， so my expectations were broadly similar for this book although the premise sounded a little more up my street。What I liked about this book straight away was the fact that the heroine， Tessa， isn’t a picture-perfect， morally flawless heroine。 She comes fr Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing UK and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review。I enjoyed Kemmerer’s previous series， The Cursebreaker Series but I didn’t LOVE it。 It was a solid YA offering but didn’t blow my mind， so my expectations were broadly similar for this book although the premise sounded a little more up my street。What I liked about this book straight away was the fact that the heroine， Tessa， isn’t a picture-perfect， morally flawless heroine。 She comes from a difficult background; she has her own trauma， and she makes questionable choices sometimes and I felt like this translated into her character really well。 I also really liked the whole Robin Hood vibe going on with Tessa and Weston， her partner in crime and their dynamic of stealing from the rich to help the poor。 I thought Tessa was a multi-layered heroine and it would have been really easy for her to be preachy and sanctimonious considering her characters' motivations but there was a simplicity to her character and a genuine kindness I liked。The book also contains another character point of view， that of Prince Corrigan who is the younger brother of the current king。 Corrigan has a terrible reputation for being brutal and cruel to his subjects。 He acts as a kind of Hand to the King type of idea and through his point of view， we get an insight into his inner conflict and turmoil about what he feels he is duty-bound to do and the burdens he has to take on so that his brother does not have to。 I like that kind of dichotomy between his public face of strict brutality and his inner conflict。I liked that there were examples of morally grey characters， even the villain type characters and by getting to glimpse their points of view we as the reader can gain an understanding that it’s not always as simple as good guys vs bad which makes the characterisation a bit more nuanced and more interesting to read。 If you like your characters morally black or white then you might not appreciate this aspect of the book so much， but I liked the fact that it wasn’t always obvious who was on the right path or not。 The morally grey aspects of the characters also linked into the wider rebellion plot line as it wasn’t simply a case of there being some bad guys and some good guys， each side in the conflict had its credible arguments as to whether or not they are in the right which made it just that bit more challenging as a reader to reflect on your thoughts and feelings about what makes something right or wrong， and why。The crux of this story relates to a mysterious illness， a kind of fever， that is spreading through the population。 The fever affects rich and poor alike with no obvious cause and the only thing that eases it is a type of flower。 As would undoubtedly happen in real life， the rich have better access to this flower than the poor despite strict rationing。 Tessa is a skilled apothecary who can process the petals and find better ways to administer them to people。 This is highly illegal so she and Weston are taking a huge risk to steal this， often making forays into the royal quarter。 The parts of the city are strictly segregated economically and by class。The story has an old school adventure feel to it and manages to balance going to some pretty dark places without descending into grimdark misery even though there are some genuinely shocking and violent moments in the book。There are some really nice little tricksy twists in this book and there were things I genuinely didn’t see coming。 If you read a lot of YA books you know surprises can be quite difficult to pull off because there is sometimes a kind of predictability in these kinds of stories but there were a few events that caught me out which added to the fun。There is a romance element in the story too and I think this was done well。 I like a good romance in a YA book and the one in this book is enjoyable without overtaking the entire story。 I liked the way it played out and I’m interested to see where the characters go next。 I’m being deliberately vague here， once you read the book you will realise why！Even though the book is being set up as a series， I think it stands on its own merits。 It doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger which is nice because I’m more than a little tired of every book ending on a blood cliff-hanger recently。 There are still lots of plot lines to be tied up and individual character stories to bring forward into future books but were you to only read this book and not the rest of the series I think you would still be able to enjoy it and get a lot out of the story。 Overall I really enjoyed this book and was pleasantly surprised by it and I didn’t expect that it was going to be as good as it was so that was a nice surprise。 Roll on the next book！ 。。。more
Heather - hturningpages
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Aw， I really enjoyed this！ Out 9/14！RTC
Jamie （jamies_shelves）
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4。5 Stars！Thank you Bloomsbury Books for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest reviewTrigger Warnings: mention of rape （not of MCs）， implication of possible rape that doesn't happen。。。 （I don't really know how to phrase that， but yeah。）I really loved this book！ I had so much fun reading it， and was always anxious to know what would come next。CharactersTessa is our main female character， and one of the two POVs that we read from。 She is trying to help her people by stealing som 4。5 Stars！Thank you Bloomsbury Books for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest reviewTrigger Warnings: mention of rape （not of MCs）， implication of possible rape that doesn't happen。。。 （I don't really know how to phrase that， but yeah。）I really loved this book！ I had so much fun reading it， and was always anxious to know what would come next。CharactersTessa is our main female character， and one of the two POVs that we read from。 She is trying to help her people by stealing some of the flowers （which is the only cure for a disease） and distributing the medicine after she makes it。 She is very intelligent， and has some ideas on how she can help the people even more by adjusting the medicine。 She is a very empathetic character， and willing to do whatever she can to help those around her。Corrick is our other POV and hands down my favorite character！ He is the king's brother， as well as the king's justice and the people know him as Cruel Corrick。 Ever since their parent's were murdered by their own consuls （even though they were loved by the people）， Harristan （the king） has relied on Corrick to dole out punishment and keep them safe。 Because of this he has done many terrible things， but each one tears at him。 It was really cool to get the perspective of one of the 'villains' and it led to a really interesting dynamic。 Showing that sometimes issues are not so black and white， and both sides are just trying to do their best。Harristan is the king and Corrick's brother。 I grew to really like him， and see that he really does care about his kingdom and the people in it。 He has so many politics to deal with that hinder him， and he can't just make decisions as easily as people would like。 BUT HE IS TRYING！！！Wes is Tessa's partner in stealing and making medicine， and she is also crushing HARD。 I really liked Wes， and thought he was a strong character。 I loved the way you could tell he cared for Tessa and how kind he was to the people they were helping。Quint is Corrick's best friend， confidant， and works in the palace too。 He was such a fun， quirky character， and I really hope we get more of him in the future！RomanceI did really like the romance of this book！ I thought there was some good tension and the relationship grew at a good pace。 I can't wait to see more development and where they go！PlotI thought this was a really good plot。 There were some moments where I was making some comparisons between this and covid， but it was different enough that it was still a good escape！There were some twists and turns， but to be honest I saw them coming from a mile away。 This didn't make them less fun， but I was not surprised。 It was still great to see what led to it， how it was revealed， and what came next。OverallOverall I really enjoyed this book！ I thought it was a great opener to the series。It did have a clean ending （as in wrapped up pretty well）， which is often typical of a first book in a series， but also doesn't make me feeling as anxious and eager for book two。 That being said， I will definitely be getting it and reading it immediately！ 。。。more
book_delight_
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In a kingdom where sickness stalks the streets and only the richest can afford a cure， King Harristan and his brother Prince Corrick are forced to rule with an iron fist。Tessa Cade is a masked outlaw marked for death， but she likes it that way。 Together with the mysterious， handsome Weston， she robs from the rich to help the poor， distributing food and medicine to those who need it most。 I loved this from start to finish！ A well deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review。 ARC provided by the publisher through n In a kingdom where sickness stalks the streets and only the richest can afford a cure， King Harristan and his brother Prince Corrick are forced to rule with an iron fist。Tessa Cade is a masked outlaw marked for death， but she likes it that way。 Together with the mysterious， handsome Weston， she robs from the rich to help the poor， distributing food and medicine to those who need it most。 I loved this from start to finish！ A well deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review。 ARC provided by the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 This is told in 2 POV’s Tessa & Corricks。 I adored them both， and even learnt to love King Harristan。 The world building and story flowed effortlessly！Brigid Kemmerer does it again！ I cannot wait for the next instalment， I need to know where their story takes them。 ❤️❤️ 。。。more
Ciara
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This is such an amazing read and an amazing start to a new series。 Set in a world succumbed to a mysterious illness， it has all the elements you need to make a perfect book romance， betrayal， heart aching truths and best of all comedy。 This book is perfect for fans of Red Queen and Throne of Glass。 Main character Tessa is our very own dystopian Robin Hood making her extremely loveable。 This world is built without the help of magic or powers letting us readers relate to the struggles of the chara This is such an amazing read and an amazing start to a new series。 Set in a world succumbed to a mysterious illness， it has all the elements you need to make a perfect book romance， betrayal， heart aching truths and best of all comedy。 This book is perfect for fans of Red Queen and Throne of Glass。 Main character Tessa is our very own dystopian Robin Hood making her extremely loveable。 This world is built without the help of magic or powers letting us readers relate to the struggles of the characters a bit more。 The dual point of views gives us a great way of giving a sense of time and place， it has a real feel of the time with references to clothing and music。 Being fully packed with emotions and action this is a fantastic read that I thoroughly enjoyed。 Once I started it I could not put it down。 This is a book that I think would appeal to readers of ‘BookTok’ and fantasy fans。 This is a book that I would highly recommend and it has quickly made its way into my top books list of this year and straight into my heart。 I also think this would be a great Book Club read， there are many things that would make some great discussion points。 Brigid Kemmerer did a wonderful job with this one and I can’t wait to read her future work！ 。。。more
Amy
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I would say this would be one of my top reads for 2021！！！I thoroughly enjoyed the characters。 The world building and politics were very intriguing。 I did guess a couple of things but for me that doesn't matter。 I definitely think I enjoyed this one more than A Curse so Dark and Lonely and I loved that！！ I think the whole Robin Hood stealing from the rich and giving to the poor really did it for me！ I would say this would be one of my top reads for 2021！！！I thoroughly enjoyed the characters。 The world building and politics were very intriguing。 I did guess a couple of things but for me that doesn't matter。 I definitely think I enjoyed this one more than A Curse so Dark and Lonely and I loved that！！ I think the whole Robin Hood stealing from the rich and giving to the poor really did it for me！ 。。。more
Caity
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I loved the setting of this book， it really brought the desperation and urgency that the main characters were facing to life。 The characters were compelling and it was particularly interesting to see Prince Corrik's character development。 Tessa was a wonderfully strong character and I loved seeing her apply her skills to solve different problems。 She really saves the day for so many other characters so many times。 The plot had several great twists that made the book so hard to put down and I rea I loved the setting of this book， it really brought the desperation and urgency that the main characters were facing to life。 The characters were compelling and it was particularly interesting to see Prince Corrik's character development。 Tessa was a wonderfully strong character and I loved seeing her apply her skills to solve different problems。 She really saves the day for so many other characters so many times。 The plot had several great twists that made the book so hard to put down and I really enjoyed the Robin Hood angle of the story。 I have really enjoyed Brigid Kemmerer's Cursebreaker series so I had high hopes for this book。 They were exceeded and this is my new favorite of her works。 。。。more
Elle
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I’ve been hearing very good things about this one。 :）*Thanks to Bloomsbury YA for an advance review copy！
Emma
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YES！ I am all for this book。 I absolutely love Kemmerer's writing and very quickly fell in love with Tessa and Wes。 Both characters are strong and proud but both have their insecurities and doubts and they were just perfect characters。 Enemies to lovers is a trope that I ADORE so of course this book was straight up my alley。 Kemmerer has once again （because I love the A Curse So Dark And Lonely series） created a world that sound so real and makes me want to visit。 I devoured this book in just ov YES！ I am all for this book。 I absolutely love Kemmerer's writing and very quickly fell in love with Tessa and Wes。 Both characters are strong and proud but both have their insecurities and doubts and they were just perfect characters。 Enemies to lovers is a trope that I ADORE so of course this book was straight up my alley。 Kemmerer has once again （because I love the A Curse So Dark And Lonely series） created a world that sound so real and makes me want to visit。 I devoured this book in just over two days and it was so worth it。 And can I just say 。。。 that plot twist！ Ooft， that is going to leave some people SHOOK！Absolutely loved this and cannot wait to read more from Kemmerer。 。。。more
Tracy （The Pages In-Between）
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I felt like I was reading about our current world situation。 It didn't feel so Fantasy。 I actually really enjoyed this book。 Brigid has incredible talent。 I felt like I was reading about our current world situation。 It didn't feel so Fantasy。 I actually really enjoyed this book。 Brigid has incredible talent。 。。。more
Lee
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This was my first YA book in a wHILE， so I was expecting to slog through it， but it was a fun and fast-paced read。 The world building wasn't overwhelming and the characters held my interest from the beginning。I really liked the dual POVs， it was sooooo much easier to get overly attached to Tessa and Corrick。 Look， the truth is that the second he was introduced as the angry， dangerous enforcer for the King and she was introduced as going against that to save people ？？？？？ I was salivating at the p This was my first YA book in a wHILE， so I was expecting to slog through it， but it was a fun and fast-paced read。 The world building wasn't overwhelming and the characters held my interest from the beginning。I really liked the dual POVs， it was sooooo much easier to get overly attached to Tessa and Corrick。 Look， the truth is that the second he was introduced as the angry， dangerous enforcer for the King and she was introduced as going against that to save people ？？？？？ I was salivating at the potential for an enemies-to-lovers storyline， but this？ THIS？？？？？ Amazing。 Iconic。 Petition for every love interest ever to have a moment of comfort where he says "easy。" It's so simple and yet soooooooooo good。 I loved their character development （and relationship development）， and I just have so many feelings！！！！The widespread fever storyline hit a little to close to home - as someone who reads for escapism having a plot line that similar to Covid was uncomfy - but that was just my personal reaction， so I can't fault the author for that decision。 If anything， it's a realistic event that would put a lot of stress and strain on the entire population。 I guess my overall point is more just that I really enjoyed the characters and the romance but the overarching plot wasn't my favorite。 I'm still definitely excited to see where this series goes。Anyway， this book comes out on Tuesday and I highly recommend you read it！ 。。。more
Ashley Steele
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4。5 stars， rounded up。Did I trade preciouses for this ARC just to read it a few days early？ Yep。 Did I stay up till 4am to read it in one go？ Of course。 Any regrets？ Not a one！Brigid Kemmerer has a writing style that pulls me in， and complete chapters pass where I caught myself with "oh yeah， I'm reading"， the imagery flowed so naturally。If you're a fan of ASCDAL， you'll love these characters too。 Though no magic， the kingdom politics is enough to leave you on edge。Spoilers:I did get to the last 4。5 stars， rounded up。Did I trade preciouses for this ARC just to read it a few days early？ Yep。 Did I stay up till 4am to read it in one go？ Of course。 Any regrets？ Not a one！Brigid Kemmerer has a writing style that pulls me in， and complete chapters pass where I caught myself with "oh yeah， I'm reading"， the imagery flowed so naturally。If you're a fan of ASCDAL， you'll love these characters too。 Though no magic， the kingdom politics is enough to leave you on edge。Spoilers:I did get to the last 50 pages and think "That's not enough for everything that needs to happen" and I felt that continued to the end。 Not everything is resolved， not every issue is answered。 And maybe that's the idea - that hope is what you get？ But I did keep seeing moments where "oh this will end badly" and then it wasn't so harsh， so I suppose my imagination wanted the characters tortured more than they were。 I want my own Quint though， definitely。 。。。more
Anna Kimbro
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I received Defy the Night as an ARC （my very first！）， and wow， what a ride！ I'm giving this book 4 stars because I know I would have LOVED it as an actual young adult。 That's not to say I didn't enjoy it as an adult - it just felt like a young adult fantasy that's truly intended for young adult （compared to some young adult books that are shoved into the category simply because their main characters are young - I'm looking at you Throne of Glass）。 Kemmerer's story is Robin Hood vibes with enemie I received Defy the Night as an ARC （my very first！）， and wow， what a ride！ I'm giving this book 4 stars because I know I would have LOVED it as an actual young adult。 That's not to say I didn't enjoy it as an adult - it just felt like a young adult fantasy that's truly intended for young adult （compared to some young adult books that are shoved into the category simply because their main characters are young - I'm looking at you Throne of Glass）。 Kemmerer's story is Robin Hood vibes with enemies to lovers （but add a twist） and strong political intrigue。 While it is fantasy， the world does not have magic。 Most of the plot focuses on the politics of a difficult situation， and I greatly appreciated the psychological debate between the two main characters。 Speaking of the two main characters， I've found I really like multiple point of view stories that only have 2-3 switching perspectives - Defy the Night does it well！ I got a strong sense of what motivated both Tessa and Corrick， and I could sympathize with both of their views on the difficult situation。 While the plot is not the same， I think fans of The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L。 Jensen will find this story has a similar feel and character dynamic。 。。。more
Kaley
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Holy crap that was so good。 How can I possibly wait WHOLE YEAR FOR MORE？？？
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Defy the Night
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Defy the Night&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Defy the Night&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0