This dual-perspective narrative tells the story of Tessa, a young woman who is working to help the poor people of Kandala receive access to medicine in order to survive the terrible fever sweeping the nation, and Prince Corrick, the king's brother and justice, who is trying to keep the unrest of the nation under control.

The novel provides both a serious, political story while simultaneously offering a romantic narrative which work alongside each other well. The writing style, as always with Kemmerer, is impeccable and the pacing works perfectly for this novel.

There were the perfect amount of twists and turns, however, one of the biggest was rather predictable however the characters and the world building did make up for this. Ultimately, the story was an easy read which has the reader hooked from the beginning right through until the last page.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Defy the Night is the dual-perspective story of the cruel Prince Corrick, brother of the King, and Tessa, an outlaw, smuggler and local people’s hero, as their paths converge on the brink of civil unrest. The two find themselves in very difficult but equally conflicting situations as they try to ultimately reach the same goal of preventing a civil war.

This is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. I didn’t want to put it down for even a second and, the few times I had to, I found myself itching to pick it back up. Multiple times I found that my heart was actually racing or that I was holding back tears, and I definitely became far too emotionally attached to Tessa, Corrick, and even Palace Master Quint, or Corrick’s brother King Harristan.

The story is of civil unrest, so there are a lot of political undertones, along with a fairly intense romantic storyline, but I found learning the politics of Kandala much more exciting and necessary than I expected to. It was fascinating to learn about the inner workings of all sides, and have these all be tied together with violence, action and romance, and I likewise loved watching the characters’ romances building with dangerous intensity as the story went on.

It’s hard to talk about this book without spoilers, but I absolutely urge any YA lover to read this. It has a gripping storyline, wonderful characters and so many climactic points that it’s impossible to put down, and I’ll absolutely be reading Brigit Kemmerer’s other books now to see if they’re all as truly incredible.

Enjoyed this book, however I question its inclusion in the 'fantasy' genre? It contains many messages within, but above all it was just a good story...updating of the Robin Hood tale has been mentioned a lot wrt this tome...I agree! Many thanks to Netgalley.co.uk for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

As you may know I really enjoyed the Cursebreakers series by this author and so when I found out about her newest series I immediately requested a ARC from netgalley and was lucky enough to be accepted, and honestly I think I actually preferred this one which was a big surprise to me.

This book is set in the kingdom of Kandala which is currently undergoing it’s own pandemic of a fever that is killing thousands of it’s citizens. The cure for this fever is moonflower petals, however these only grow in two areas of the kingdom and there aren’t enough to go around which means if you can’t afford to buy it then your basically screwed. This has led to many people becoming smugglers to steal the cure and that is where one of our main characters comes in. Tessa who along with her friend has been stealing petals not for financial gain but to distribute to those who can’t afford it. I really enjoyed reading from Tessa’s point of view and seeing her quiet strength and again she is a refreshing change from a lot of the main heroines we tend to see in YA currently.

Our second POV is Corrick our Kings Justice and the King’s brother. Both Corrick and his brother came to power at a young age after their parents were assassinated and are hated by the people due to the shortage of moonflower petals and the harsh punishments that they deal out to those caught smuggling them. At first I wasn’t too keen on Corrick however he did grow on me throughout. He is very flawed but also wants to do the right thing and very conflicted over his ruling.

This book starts off quite slow mostly because there is so much that needs to be understood about the world and background before the story can really take off. Therefore it did take me until around 20% in to really get swept away by the story but once I did I feel in love. The plot really picks up at this point and I found it hard to put the book down as I just wanted to know what happened next.

Brigid does such a good job at crafting her worlds and there is so much detail to them that really makes you feel like you are a part of it. I also love how fleshed out her main characters are however I would have liked to have seen more from our side characters.

I also enjoyed the romance and didn’t feel that it took away from the plot of the book in anyway which can often happen. Looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

Overall, really enjoyed this and can’t wait for the next book. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

Trigger warning for death of a loved one, pandemic, violence, torture.

It’s safe to say, when I heard that Kemmerer was going to be releasing a new book, I squealed. I absolutely adored her writing in the Cursebreakers trilogy and somehow she’s soared way above my expectations and created a fully immersive, gripping and entertaining new read that I loved!

I adore the resemblance to Robin Hood. The stealing from the rich to give to the poor always entertains me and always helps me to love the characters that do so. It’s an instant win for me.

I have only 4 starred this because of the predictability factor. One of (what I think should have been a more important plot twist,) wasn’t exactly surprising for me as I’d kind of figured it out quite quickly. This wasn’t a huge thing for me, but I did have to deduct a star as I’m absolutely pants at figuring out plot twists ahead of time, so this said something to me about how easy it was to figure it out.

So a bit about our characters is in order...
I think I’ve found a new book boyfriend, and his name, Prince Corrick. I love it when we have morally grey characters and Corrick is the perfect example of this. I don’t want to say too much as to not give away spoilers but he is such a well written character and if you don’t fall in love with him I will be highly surprised.
Tessa, I think she may have been my least favourite character of the variety we meet in Defy the Night. I just can’t with female characters who lose themselves when they see a man topless, please get yourself together girl. Other than this slight annoyance with her, she was an acceptable character. I definitely had others that I enjoyed more though. She was brave and very kind-hearted which gave her points in her favour.

The world building in this read was fantastic. I fully felt like I was watching this as a movie in my head while I was reading, which doesn’t happen all that often for me.

I’d definitely recommend this books to fantasy lovers. And if you loved the Cursebreakers trilogy, this is SO MUCH BETTER! I can’t wait to read more of her works. Please release another soon!

I loved this book so much! The characters are written so well, they are complicated and nuanced and this book is full of morally grey characters!

Despite the characters doing questionable things, I still felt myself rooting for them because they were put in such difficult situations and you can see they are trying their best to do what’s right but also make decisions that aren’t the best. But they acknowledged what they had done and that it wasn’t right but they did it because it was the lesser of two evils. They had remorse for it and actively tried to do what’s right. It just made the two brothers so interesting to read. I especially loved Corrick’s point of view because of that. Seeing him and his brother from other perspectives it seems as though they are just heartless people who care nothing for the suffering of it’s people but when you see how they think and everything they are trying to do and trying to juggle and balance between so many groups of people.

Corrick is probably my favourite character just because of how complex and nuanced he was. He did questionable things but he also deeply cared for his people. He could trust no one and so struggled with all this alone unable to even speak to his brother because he had to protect him. I did like Harristan as well but we didn’t get to see as much of him but I hope we see more of him in the sequel as I think he will also be a really interesting character.

Tessa was another interesting character because she sees everything as black and white at the beginning of the book. But as she learns more about the complexities of everything that is going on she realises that everything isn’t as simple as she first thought. I also really loved that she is a healer and that she uses that to help those who are the most vulnerable and even helps the King to help the people. I liked seeing that she had confidence in her skills and yet still has moments of self doubt, it made her seem so much more real.

This book surprised me with a plot twist early on that I did not see coming at all and left me shook! I literally had to stop reading to scream because WHAT! But I loved that twist so much because it made the story so much more interesting! I also loved the slow build up to the climax where all the pieces finally fit together and I liked that the ending felt like a complete story but also that there’s more and honestly I am so excited for the sequel!

I highly recommend reading this the story had me hooked from the beginning and I just couldn’t stop reading. I loved the complex characters especially and cannot wait to read more about them.

i was so excited to receive an e-arc of defy the night! the expectations were high and it certainly didn't disappoint! defy the night has definitely earned a space on my favourites shelf! wow that book was incredible, i couldn't put it down, it was plot twists galore! from tessa, a mere worker in a remedy shop to cold, dark, ominous prince corrick, the characters in this book were incredible, relatable and loveable! the romance in this book was perfectly written and i can't think of a single negative about this book. i was blown away by this book.

This is by far my best read this year!!! I’m just blown by it!

The story is Robin Hood inspired with masked outlaws stealing from rich to give to the poor but with a very interesting twist. The plot isn’t one you haven’t heard of but BK excellent storytelling skills make it an outstanding read! It’s gripping, dark and atmospheric and had me hooked from page one.

The world building is remarkable as you would expect from BK. The characters are so well developed and honestly ring so true throughout the book. They are loveable and so likeable, with my forever favourite Prince Corrick!

I didn’t want this book to end and I really felt a loss once I finish it. Needless to say that I will be waiting the second book like a Christmas present!

My first book by Brigid #DefyTheNight didn't disappoint. I good read from start to finish. The characters are well written. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Please remember I received an ARC copy from Brigid and publishers for my honest review. Thanks also to the team @netgalley

Defy the Night was a fantastic fantasy read. A Robin Hood story that is even more poignant because of the world jus now.
The story of a girl and boy who steals medicine from the rich to give to the poor. A duo who offer empathy and comfort in a time when a sickness is sweeping the land and it seems their king and consuls rule with an iron fist.
Brought together through a tragic event, by night Tessa and Wes help the people of the Wilds and by day live worlds apart. Wearing masks they have no clue who the other truly is but that doesn’t stop the connection between them. A connection that will be tested when all is revealed. When things are not so clear cut and enemies threaten the kingdom on all sides.
Tessa is brave and compassionate yet at times naive and innocent and the author really captures how she wears her heart on her sleeve and her emotions on her face.
Weston is protective and the epitome of duty, something thrust on him at a young age and can feel like a burden.
I really liked the pace and build of this book, the characters, a monarch and rulers of the different regions, the world it is set in and the side characters who added to the story. While the book came to a close, the story hasn’t and there is still so much to learn about those other characters, the fever and the fate of the world they are in. I Look forward to reading more in the future.

I was so excited to be approved for an ARC of Defy the Night and I was not disappointed at all. In this new series from Brigid we are introduced to the kingdom of Kandala, and our new protagonists Tessa Cade and Weston Lark who are outcasts, it’s a Robin Hood theme going on, Brigid’s world building is so good as she creates so much detail i loved the fact we are shown the two sides of the story, those with and without power.
What I loved the most in this first book was Tessa Cade, just loved her so much, the plot itself feels a little slow, but this picks up by the second half definitely and it certainly makes up for it right up until the end, I can’t wait to see where this takes us next.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I really enjoyed this book!
The characters are all so great, they are loveable and complex. Such a fun and interesting adventure and I look forward to reading more of Corrick and Tessa

It was an absolute pleasure to get throughly wrapped up in this world with these characters who are wonderfully developed & stole a little piece of my heart while I read.

Told from a dual perspective, my current favourite means of telling a story, this is an addictive read as we follow our two protagonists as they fight for survival from a fever that is killing the population, a rebellion that threatens the king & the country but also from the secrets that everyone seems to be keeping.

This was my first Brigid Kemmerer but I will definitely be back for more.

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer is the latest young adult fantasy novel from the bestselling author. This time around, the story is set in the kingdom of Kandala and has a hint of Robin Hood as our heroes struggle to save the poor.

Our two protagonists Tessa Cade and Prince Corrick: Tessa is an outcasts who is secretly making and distributing the precious moonflower elixir to the poorest inhabitants of the kingdom. A strange illness is sweeping the kingdom, killing the rich and poor alike. However, those is power are ensuring that the richer members of society have easy access to the life-saving elixir, while the poor are reduced to stealing for their supply. Tess and Weston are leading the crusade to save the villagers of The Wilds, but it is dangerous task, and they are constantly trying to elude the soldiers of the King.

Tessa provides an insight into the life of the poorest villagers in Kandala – showing the reader the altruistic reasons for being a thief, and providing the ‘Robin Hood’ aspect to the tale. Meanwhile, we are also shown the viewpoint of Prince Corrick, the King’s Justice as he meters out cruel punishments to those who oppose his regime. Again, this viewpoint proves crucial as the readers learns about the political circus and just why he acts as he does.

The story serves as an analogy of contemporary economics and politics and is an enjoyable read. Although not the target audience of the novel, I was compelled to finish as I wanted to learn how the tale played out and just how our protagonists would ensure a fair and safe resolution of all citizens.

5 stars!

WOW OKAY I NEED THE WHOLE SERIES LIKE RIGHT NOW!

Brigid Kemmerer is back again with an incredible new series following a Kingdom that's on the brink of revolution and destruction and all the people within it that are trying to save it.

I absolutely fell in love with Corrick and Tessa. They are such well written characters and honestly I could read about them forever. Corrick is top tier book boyfriend material!

Kandala is overrun by a sickness that can only be cured with moonflower elixir, and whilst King Harristan tries his hardest to make sure his population is cared for and moonflower petals are distributed, people are rebelling and are sick of seeing their loved ones die.

Tessa and her best friend Wes risk their lives every night to make runs around their sector to provide medicine for those who cannot afford it.

I won't go too much into the description of the book because I don't want to spoil anyone, and also because I really recommend not knowing much at all before going into this. It will make the twists and turns even better!

Brigid's writing style is once again incredibly easy to read but also incredibly powerful in the feelings it provokes in the reader. Honestly, I fell in love with the world and the characters right from the beginning.

There is not a dull moment in this book so be prepared to never want to put it down! It is full of twists and pain and angst and so much GOODNESS!

This is absolutely a book you won't want to miss!

[Actual rating - 2.5/5 stars]

(Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

When i heard this was going to be a Robin Hood retelling, i was so excited to see how it would play out but i was left feeling disappointed.

This story follows our two protagonists Tessa, a apothecary/outlaw, and Corrick, the prince of Kandala. I liked how Tessa was an apothecary but i wish there was more emphasis on this. Instead of other characters telling us that she is really good at it, i want to see her doing it which only happened slightly on a couple of occasions. As for the other characters, they where okay but nothing special. I didn't find myself caring for any of them apart from Quint who was a fun, kinda cocky side character and i spent the entire book wishing for more of him. I did like the relationship between Corrick and his brother, the king. I feel like sibling relationships are often overlooked in books so it was refreshing to see focus on a relationship that wasn't romantic.

Speaking of which, i wasn't a huge fan of the romance. It was okay but very in your face the entire time as this book is definitely character focused. We started the book with their romance almost solidified and we didn't get to see their relationship really develop at all. This meant that when Tessa is worried over Wes and his safety, I wasn't too bothered. We're told that he means so much to her but never see where that came from so i found it difficult to feel anything for them or love their relationship.

My favourite part was definitely the world and the kingdom of Kandala. I thought the politics and conspiracies between the different sectors and the consuls (leaders of the sectors) was really interesting and helped make a good plot. I also loved the whole plague aspect and wish that this, as well as the moonflowers, where explored more. I would have loved to learn more about how they found out how these flowers where the cure and as that side of things would have been really interesting to read, and would allow for more apothecary work to be featured.

Overall, i think that this book had so much potential but spent to much time focusing on a romance that didn't interest me and ended up being a little dull

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.

<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. </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.

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.

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.

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