Defy the Night
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- Create Date：2021-09-15 08:51:31
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- 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
Matthew Valdez
，
Happy pub day！！！ As always， thank you so much to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for providing me a galley in exchange for an honest review。 I was SUPER pumped to be approved for this one as I will literally read anything Brigid Kemmerer writes。 After completing falling in love with the Cursebreaker series， I was excited to dive into a world that was completely different。 I LOVED this book。 I struggled to put it down most days， and read well into the night in order to finish it。 It even travelled with Happy pub day！！！ As always， thank you so much to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for providing me a galley in exchange for an honest review。 I was SUPER pumped to be approved for this one as I will literally read anything Brigid Kemmerer writes。 After completing falling in love with the Cursebreaker series， I was excited to dive into a world that was completely different。 I LOVED this book。 I struggled to put it down most days， and read well into the night in order to finish it。 It even travelled with me on my Vegas vacation and was read by the pool every day and at night just before bed！ It was just that good。 The story follows Tessa Cade who is an apothecary alongside her best friend Wes who work diligently to steal petals from the Moonflower， known to heal a sickness that ravages the world of Kandala。 Honestly I can say that this was easily in my top 3 favorite books of 2021。 The characters in this story are so well fleshed-out that I actually missed them when I finished the book。 There was definitely something about these particular characters that enveloped me into their story from the moment they spoke。 Even though Defy the Night is rather long， it keeps you enthralled the entire time。 If you are looking for a great fantasy novel with twists， turns， and kick ass females， you found it！ Look no further！ Run to your nearest book store and purchase it today！ 。。。more
Aundreya
，
Mind your mettle， Tessa。 After Finishing Vow by BK。。。 I'm going to be honest。。。 I was heartbroken and afraid to read anything by her again。 BUT， as a fan of her writing I thought I would give Defy the Night a go， and it was worth every minute and page turn。Robin Hood meets the pandemic and it feels a little too close to home， you may just be praying to see your own sexy bandit in the night saving you a bit of moonflower to rid the fever。Read if you like:-masked rebels with a cause-treason-no li Mind your mettle， Tessa。 After Finishing Vow by BK。。。 I'm going to be honest。。。 I was heartbroken and afraid to read anything by her again。 BUT， as a fan of her writing I thought I would give Defy the Night a go， and it was worth every minute and page turn。Robin Hood meets the pandemic and it feels a little too close to home， you may just be praying to see your own sexy bandit in the night saving you a bit of moonflower to rid the fever。Read if you like:-masked rebels with a cause-treason-no lines between good and bad-a sickness that continues to spread like COVID-romance。。。 the slow burn mushy kind you can't get enough of。-brothers。。。 and not just any brothers， royal ones （wiggle brows）-a new YA series that will automatically sit in your FAVESMy rating:story-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️characters-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️steam- like a sexy tango with no touching。。。 you see it don't you？Song: Save Me by Nicki Minaj 。。。more
Teri B
，
Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer is the beginning of a new YA fantasy series of the same title。 I got an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review。In Defy the Night we get introduced to the kingdom of Kandala， and meet Tessa Cade and Weston Lark who are two outcasts who have set up a secret distribution service of the moonflower elixir to the poorest inhabitants of the kingdom， the Wilds。They desperately are trying to even out the odds between the rich and the poor in Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer is the beginning of a new YA fantasy series of the same title。 I got an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review。In Defy the Night we get introduced to the kingdom of Kandala， and meet Tessa Cade and Weston Lark who are two outcasts who have set up a secret distribution service of the moonflower elixir to the poorest inhabitants of the kingdom， the Wilds。They desperately are trying to even out the odds between the rich and the poor in this kingdom where the rich can afford to buy the moonflower that is needed to fight a fever that has swept into the kingdom a few years back and is taking its toll on young and old， rich and poor all the same， unless you regularly take an elixir that is made from the moonflower。Kemmerer's world building is well done as she paints the picture of economics and politics。 There， too， is a map that is just fabulous。 We get a second perspective from the second in command in this kingdom， Corrick， the King's Justice who does all the dark work for his brother Harristan in the dungeons of the castle。The two royal brothers have come into power very young when their parents got assassinated and the stability of the kingdom was at risk。 Now they have to stick together as they get more and more under attack from the consuls who govern the various regions of this kingdom and are vying for as much power as ever possible。 In addition， rebellion and revolution is brewing everywhere。In the book we meet the two sides of the same coin， the ones that have no power at all and the ones that have the power in this kingdom and， as can be expected， they are on a collision course。Over this first book， the main characters grow， their perspective and horizon changes and they start to move on， change what they believe to be true and start to try out new things， get into new situations and possibly even envision a future that they never thought about before。 There， too， is a slow burn romance。 And climbing。 Yes。 Climbing。 I loved it。What I most loved about this book is its female main character， Tessa Cade。 She is so very well fleshed out and stands her own throughout the whole book。There， too， are the royal brothers， Corrick and Harristan， who are caught up in their past with their parents being murdered and a kingdom that now threatens to eat them up alive。 Their dynamics is very well done as well as their relationship starts to creak and gets strained。And then there is the plot。 The beginning feels a little bit slow， but the second half definitely picks up speed to come to a very fast paced ending。（view spoiler）[Even though that some scenes in this book feel rather unlikely to happen in our current human experience， specially where groups or mobs are involved， I think， it is important to hear this author's voice， that makes such a clear point for kindness， for supporting each other， for hearing each other out with wisdom in the heart and an open ear for knowledge and understanding and the willingness to relinquish power that no longer makes happy and to stand down from using power in the form of violence in order to make a point。 （hide spoiler）]The end of the book leaves me curious about what is going to happen next and how things will develop。 Please check on trigger warnings for this book， there are quite a few。 。。。more
tiffany
，
Defy the Night4/5 starsI have never read any of Brigid Kemmerer’s fantasy books so I had no idea what I was getting into when I read this but I was pleasantly surprised。 This book was super action-packed and thrilling to read。 Kandala has been plunged into chaos and it’s all due to a mysterious fever that can only be cured by an elixir made from moonflower。 We follow Tessa Cade， an apothecary apprentice， who is tired of seeing all her friends and neighbors die so she does the only thing she can， Defy the Night4/5 starsI have never read any of Brigid Kemmerer’s fantasy books so I had no idea what I was getting into when I read this but I was pleasantly surprised。 This book was super action-packed and thrilling to read。 Kandala has been plunged into chaos and it’s all due to a mysterious fever that can only be cured by an elixir made from moonflower。 We follow Tessa Cade， an apothecary apprentice， who is tired of seeing all her friends and neighbors die so she does the only thing she can， alongside her friend Wes， she steals moonflower and distributes them to the people in need。 Alternatively， we follow another perspective， Prince Corrick who is the King’s Justice as well as his brother。 His brother was forced into power after their parents were assassinated。 This particular experience has taught them to rule mercilessly， quashing any sign of rebellion at the first sight of it。 However， rumors begin to flare up that the moonflower elixir no longer works， and a rebellion sparks。 One night， Wes is captured and brutally killed， and Tessa， who is stricken with grief， in an attempt to get some sort of revenge， sneaks into the palace but not everything is as it seems。 She begins to wonder if they can save Kandala instead of relying on a revolution to solve their problems。 I loved the characters as well as their interactions。 I do wish Tessa’s moral compass was less strict because she never gave up a chance to mention how much she was against Prince Corrick’s actions。 I look forward to reading the next book！Thank you Bloomsbury and NetGalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
ApoorvaReads
，
i dont read fantasy but BRIGID KEMMERER aka the person who wrote one of my all time fav book- Letters to the lost？ SIGN ME UP！！
Reba
，
A "twisted" retelling of Robin Hood？ Yes， please！ And since Brigid Kemmerer wrote it， I knew it will be full of searing characters， taut action scenes， and plot twists galore。 The kingdom of Kandala is plagued by a sickness that only the rare Moonflower petals can cure。 Apothecary apprentice Tessa is tired of watching only the rich have access to the elixir， and it seems like King Harriston and his cruel brother Prince Corrick don't even care。 So she decides to do something about it。 Along with A "twisted" retelling of Robin Hood？ Yes， please！ And since Brigid Kemmerer wrote it， I knew it will be full of searing characters， taut action scenes， and plot twists galore。 The kingdom of Kandala is plagued by a sickness that only the rare Moonflower petals can cure。 Apothecary apprentice Tessa is tired of watching only the rich have access to the elixir， and it seems like King Harriston and his cruel brother Prince Corrick don't even care。 So she decides to do something about it。 Along with her outlaw friend， Wes， they steal precious moonflowers and make the elixir for the poorer people in the kingdom。 Prince Corrick， known as the King's Justice， is the one responsible for carrying out brutal punishments to quell the rising rebellious acts。 To Tessa， he seems to enjoy being merciless， and when tragedy strikes， she decides she must sneak into the castle and confront the cruel King and savage Prince。 But Tessa discovers that things are not as they seem and uncovers secrets that could unravel the kingdom。 She has to find a way to save the people of Kandala。I was PULLED IN from page one！ And， oh， the characters！ One of Kemmerer's greatest talents is writing characters with heart， and DEFY THE NIGHT is no exception。 I loved every single one， including the "secondary" ones。 （Quint made me laugh out loud！） I also can't forget to mention the swoony romance。 I am here for it。I loved every bit of it and wish I could read it again for the first time。 。。。more
Lucy
，
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。This is my first Kemmerer novel， and I can definitely see why lots of people like her writing。 The narrative moves forward well with enough time for character development， and I really liked the two main characters。 The coincidence of this being almost a pandemic novel is interesting， although the rebellion in Kandala seems to be driven by more altruistic intentions than our own anti-lockdown protests。 I'll definitely look out for the next book， Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。This is my first Kemmerer novel， and I can definitely see why lots of people like her writing。 The narrative moves forward well with enough time for character development， and I really liked the two main characters。 The coincidence of this being almost a pandemic novel is interesting， although the rebellion in Kandala seems to be driven by more altruistic intentions than our own anti-lockdown protests。 I'll definitely look out for the next book， and to pick up some more of Kemmerer's back catalogue。 。。。more
Courtney Chappelear
，
This was advertised to me and I've never been so confident that Goodreads knows me better than I know me。 This was advertised to me and I've never been so confident that Goodreads knows me better than I know me。 。。。more
Kat
，
Wow， Okay， Is it possible to hug fictional characters？ Because they all need one。"Someone once told me that we should be riding at the front， not hiding in the shadows。"This Robin Hood， inspired fantasy captured my heart very easily and very quickly。 Completely blowing me away from the characters， the plot， the interactions， the details， to the world-building， Defy the Night may not contain any magic but is most certainly a magical read。"You make me want to do better。"I fell in love with Tessa Wow， Okay， Is it possible to hug fictional characters？ Because they all need one。"Someone once told me that we should be riding at the front， not hiding in the shadows。"This Robin Hood， inspired fantasy captured my heart very easily and very quickly。 Completely blowing me away from the characters， the plot， the interactions， the details， to the world-building， Defy the Night may not contain any magic but is most certainly a magical read。"You make me want to do better。"I fell in love with Tessa/Wes along with Corrick， his friend Quint and his brother Harrison。 Each character had their personal growths throughout Defy the Night， the banter between them all， especially Tessa/wes/Corrick had me smiling for the majority of the read。 I had seriously thought I had the early on plot twist figured out， but for the writing to somehow make me change my mind only for it to happen in the very next chapter， Which is a testament to how beautifully Brigid Kemmerer wrote this book。 Not only do you get hooked very fast and you also experience a lot of emotions throughout the read。 YA gems like Defy the Night within the current YA climate makes this story a breath of fresh air that I would happily reread over and over。 Defy the Night was such an unexpectedly great read and I can not wait to get my hands on the next book。 I really do hope it is soon！ 4。5****Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc & thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me a Physical Arc。 。。。more
Stephanie P （Because My Mother Read）
，
Thanks to the publisher for a free advance copy to read。 This book is out today！This exciting start to a young adult fantasy series follows a kingdom struggling against a ravaging sickness。 The only known cure comes from the petals of the Moonflower， but not everyone has equal access and a young woman risks her life to distribute it to those most in need。The story has a great Robin Hood vibe， but with medicine instead of coin。 It is full of political intrigue， intriguing characters， romance， and Thanks to the publisher for a free advance copy to read。 This book is out today！This exciting start to a young adult fantasy series follows a kingdom struggling against a ravaging sickness。 The only known cure comes from the petals of the Moonflower， but not everyone has equal access and a young woman risks her life to distribute it to those most in need。The story has a great Robin Hood vibe， but with medicine instead of coin。 It is full of political intrigue， intriguing characters， romance， and moral dilemmas。 I really appreciated the way it showed the layers of rebellion and provided perspectives and complications of both the masses and those in leadership。 Although it is the start of a series it concludes the story arc in a satisfying way。Trigger warnings: fair amount of death and violence。 。。。more
Andi （Andi's ABCs）
，
This review was originally posted on Andi's ABCs I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。 In 2017 I fell in love with Brigid Kemmerer and her writing。 I picked up one of her books， Love Letters to the Lost， at 7am one day and by the end of that night I was done， while working a full day。 Her writing grabbed me immediately and I never turned back。 Since then I have devoured 5 other books by h This review was originally posted on Andi's ABCs I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。 In 2017 I fell in love with Brigid Kemmerer and her writing。 I picked up one of her books， Love Letters to the Lost， at 7am one day and by the end of that night I was done， while working a full day。 Her writing grabbed me immediately and I never turned back。 Since then I have devoured 5 other books by her and have loved them all to pieces thinking she could never get any better。 And then I read Defy the Night。 This book， to me， is by far Brigid's best work and I'm obsessed and head over heels in love with it。Defy the Night is the first book in Kemmerer's newest fantasy series。 It's the story of Kandala， a kingdom being torn apart by corruption。 There is an illness sweeping through the lands and only the richest can afford the elixir made with a diminishing supply of Moon Flower。 While King Harristan （put into power after his parents assassination） and Prince Corrick， the King's Justice， trying to keep the country from falling apart， Tessa and Wes sneak around the Wilds stealing what they need to create the elixir and passing it out the poor。 But when words starts that the elixir may not be working and the King's Justice commits an act that destroys Tessa's heart， she makes a decision and sneaks into the palace。 But behind the palace walls is not anything Tessa expects and soon she learns that not everything is completely black and white and things she thought she knew are not as they seem at all。Without going into detail， Defy the Night is a magical book。 The world and characters that Brigid created had me on the end of my seat， crying， and swooning。 I was so completely wrapped up in Tessa world and in Prince Corrick's world that I didn't want it to end。 Even with the story feeling close to current life， an illness destroying a nation， I was never focused on that aspect。 I was focused on the position King Harristan put his brother in as the King's Justice。 I was focused on Tessa and her need to help at any means。 I was focused on my love for Prince Corrick and my heartbreak for him too。 All these things lead to a story that was so full of intrigue and love I couldn't turn away。In my eyes Defy the Night is complete perfection。 It had everything I love in a good fantasy book。 It was the start of a series that I think is going to be amazing and will stay with readers for a long time。 This is not a book to sleep on。 You want this book and you want it NOW。 Simply put。。。it was fantastic！ 。。。more
Maisha Farzana
，
=》Currently Reading Yay。。。I am so excited。 😃😃~Buddy reading with Chaity ~。
Nashita
，
HAPPY RELEASE DAYY
Holly Marshall
，
After adoring Brigid Kemmerer's Cursebreakers series I was dying to get my hands on her newest fantasy release Defy the Night and it did not disappoint。 In a world fighting for its life against a deadly sickness only the rich can afford the cure， our main character Tessa has a very Robin Hoodesque mentality 'steal from the rich to save the poor， however， this leads her into dangerous situations and a rebellion against the King and his brother who rule the kingdom with an Iron fist。 I found this After adoring Brigid Kemmerer's Cursebreakers series I was dying to get my hands on her newest fantasy release Defy the Night and it did not disappoint。 In a world fighting for its life against a deadly sickness only the rich can afford the cure， our main character Tessa has a very Robin Hoodesque mentality 'steal from the rich to save the poor， however， this leads her into dangerous situations and a rebellion against the King and his brother who rule the kingdom with an Iron fist。 I found this book to be full of angst and drama， just the way I like it。 The plot was really strong and although a little cliche I found myself really rooting for our characters and I felt that the stakes were really high。 I was rooting for the romance in here which can be really hit or miss with me in fantasy novels but I really enjoyed the hints of romance that fell throughout this book， I felt that it added to the plot without taking away from the main fantasy plot throughout the book。 The ending had me craving more already and I really cannot wait to read the second book in this series already！ I really loved this one。5 out of 5 stars 。。。more
Tayler
，
I ADORED THIS SO MUCH。
Kristen Duncan
，
ACSDAL is my very favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling， and I’ve had a major girl crush on Brigid and her storytelling abilities ever since reading the trilogy。 When I found out I would be able to read an ARC of Defy the Night， I squealed， did a happy dance， poured a glass of wine， and immediately dived in！ Defy the Night is a retelling of Robin Hood like no other。 The kingdom of Kandala is plagued by a fever that comes on quick， kills too many， and seems unstoppable。 The only known cure come ACSDAL is my very favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling， and I’ve had a major girl crush on Brigid and her storytelling abilities ever since reading the trilogy。 When I found out I would be able to read an ARC of Defy the Night， I squealed， did a happy dance， poured a glass of wine， and immediately dived in！ Defy the Night is a retelling of Robin Hood like no other。 The kingdom of Kandala is plagued by a fever that comes on quick， kills too many， and seems unstoppable。 The only known cure comes from the petals of moonflowers， but not everyone can afford to take them everyday， or they do not have access to them。 Our quirky and badass duo， Wes and Tessa， steal the petals from the elite， create the tea that aids in fighting the fever， and disperse it to the poor every evening they can。 Until the unthinkable happens and everything changes forever。 The book is action packed， with major plot twists， redemption， power play， and a sprinkling of romance that gave my heart the pitter-patters。 。。。more
Tiffany McCrary
，
3。5 stars。 Love a good Robin Hood-esque plot where the outlaws are doing good for the people。 This is fast paced and engaging。 The world building is relatively light， and I forgot until I was almost done that this was a series starter。 But the characters are interesting and I’m intrigued by the idea of a series where a big climax has happened and the next book is about picking up the pieces。
Ariel
，
This book was everything and more that I expect from a Brigid Kemmerer book！ I enjoyed the Cursebreakers series， but it doesn’t hold a candle to Defy the Night！I haven’t been much in the mood for fantasy over the last few months， but you wouldn’t guess that by the way I devoured this book in less than 24 hours。 There is action， angst， rebellion， a romance that will have you swooning all over the place， and so much more。 I was invested in all of the characters， the world Brigid created， the impos This book was everything and more that I expect from a Brigid Kemmerer book！ I enjoyed the Cursebreakers series， but it doesn’t hold a candle to Defy the Night！I haven’t been much in the mood for fantasy over the last few months， but you wouldn’t guess that by the way I devoured this book in less than 24 hours。 There is action， angst， rebellion， a romance that will have you swooning all over the place， and so much more。 I was invested in all of the characters， the world Brigid created， the impossible obstacles set before our main characters。 Did I mention it’s told in dual POV？ How about that it’s a Robin Hood retelling with a spin on our own pandemic filled environment？ This book was so unique and I love every single second of it。 I need the next book ASAP！ 。。。more
Lou
，
Defy the Night is the first instalment in this eponymous new fantasy series about a kingdom divided by corruption， the prince desperately holding it together and the fierce， fearless 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 Defy the Night is the first instalment in this eponymous new fantasy series about a kingdom divided by corruption， the prince desperately holding it together and the fierce， fearless 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 neighbours 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 rumours 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。 This is a scintillating and utterly enthralling fantasy from start to finish and an action-packed adventure teeming with thrills and chills throughout the pages。 The worldbuilding is richly imagined， immersive and intricate and the personal and political intertwine superbly， so we get to see the cast of vibrant， memorable characters embroiled in their own individual struggles as well as them highlighting the issues that have recently befallen their home， the kingdom of Kandala。 With courtly intrigue， a corrupt kingdom and a fated romance - this fiercely energetic fantasy novel is an exhilarating ride。 Reeling with romance， rebellion and a feverish sense of doing the right thing， Defy the Night melds magic with political struggles to create a fast-paced， fantasy epic fronted by an indomitable young female apothecary。 Gripping entertainment until the very last line。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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The things I liked about this book: how compulsively readable it was。 the writing and the pacing were good enough to get me through this book。The things I didn't like about this book: basically everything else。Soooo， I know that was harsh， but I promise I have good reasons 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 if you're thinking of reading this book because The things I liked about this book: how compulsively readable it was。 the writing and the pacing were good enough to get me through this book。The things I didn't like about this book: basically everything else。Soooo， I know that was harsh， but I promise I have good reasons 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 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。 Even the sickness and its cure had no relation to fantastical elements。 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
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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
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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
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All done。Review will be up before or by publication， but I did enjoy this one。
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