I couldn't wait to read this next instalment of the Cursebreaker Series by Brigid Kemmerer and it did not disappoint. Continuing from the end of Deft the Night , the novel moves quickly on through the problems King Harristan and Prince Corrick are facing; political treachery, mass sickness, despair, betrayal and mistrust. Tess, our feisty heroine brings an element of relief from the doom and gloom of their situation, and this in combination with some excellent writing keeps this novel from being too dark and treats us to a romantic element. The betrayals and hidden agendas of the political elite are very realistic and the twist was very unexpected.

5 stars!

This is quite possibly the best book I've read so far in 2022, and it hasn't even been published yet.

Brigid Kemmerer has done it again. She's created an incredible fantasy novel filled with angsty romance, unthinkable twists, and edge-of-your-seat political intrigue.

I always find that second books in series are hard to pull off and they always tend to fall a little bit short of expectations, but Defend the Dawn doesn't fall into that category. It raised the stakes so much higher and made me love the characters even more.

Every single page of this book was incredible, and I couldn't put it down.

I won't go into too much detail regarding the synopsis so as not to completely spoil Defy the Night, but know that you can expect new complex characters, a deeper understanding of existing characters, and lots go angsty, devastating moments.

Brigid Kemmerer can keep breaking my heart and I will keep loving it.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A decent follow up to defy the night, a good book for younger adults who want to see what fantasy is like and how world and character building successfully does to a story

Brigid's books are often fast paced and the stakes are always high. However, the first 30-40% of this book was slow? Not many things happened, and it was mainly political intrigue to set the plot for the second half. Brigid is a very talented writer, though, because where I would likely have DNF'ed it otherwise because politics are just not my thing, Brigid kept me interested. The second half was way faster for me, and the last 15% were just full of twists and turns which made me beyond excited for the next book. And although I did fully enjoy this book, I have to admit it felt like a bit of an in-between book to make the bridge from book 1 to book 3? But like I said: I absolutely loved this.

This series has the comforting feel of 2010s YA fantasy yet also feels fresh and right at home in 2022. We love to see it!

Defend the Dawn mostly takes place on a ship, and there's mystery and tension both of the political intrigue kind and the romantic kind. Can we trust anyone? Who knows! You even start to distrust the main characters, whose heads we're in, which is quite some feat. Only sometimes, but still.

The romance never feels too angsty, mostly because the tension is earned. Tessa is still trying to come to terms with Corrick's past and, honestly, that's smart of her. He's still clearly got issues too, and though we see from his POV that he really does mean well, that doesn't mean it comes across to everyone else, or that Tessa should forgive him. I actually love that this was explored because it's more common for YA protagonists to just conveniently forget their love interest's dodgy pasts. (Not that I hate this, it can be fun, but this was refreshing).

My favourite sections of this book though were the Outlaw sections. They were exciting and funny and ultimately emotional, and the Outlaw ended up being exactly who I hoped they would be!

I was debating whether this was a 4.5 or 5* read, but honestly, the fact I wanted the sequel immediately after reading it really pushed it into the 5* bracket for me. Defend the Dawn is just a really good, solid YA fantasy story, and I'm so happy I enjoyed it this much because I met Brigid Kemmerer at YALC recently and she was absolutely lovely. Bring on book 3!

Defend the Dawn follows our favourite outlaw-turned-major-political-figure, Tessa, and Prince Corrick, as they deal with the aftermath of a major uprising and continue to work towards a solution that will save their country from the virus that’s still ravaging the wilds.

Their situation seems entirely impossible until a spy for the former king appears out of nowhere with news of an entirely new stash of Moonflower in a country unknown to Kandala and, seemingly, the answer to all of their problems. From there ensues a voyage to a new and unfamiliar land, full of mistrust, romantic tension and high political stakes.

This book is very different from its predecessor and isn’t at all what I expected the sequel to be, but I think in the end I loved it even more than book one (which is saying a lot!). It focused almost entirely on the voyage so allowed a lot of time to get to know all of the characters aboard, and introduced us to some fascinating new side characters whilst also developing the will-they-won’t-they relationship between Tessa and Corrick even more. The addition of a new subplot surrounding an unknown outlaw also added so much to this book, and the plot twist halfway through that had me completely stunned.

As with book one, I couldn’t put this book down for even a second and I’m so, so glad it lived up to my expectations. Brigid Kemmerer’s world-building ability is flawless, her characters are some of my absolute favourites, and I’m already desperately awaiting book three.

Thank you Bloomsbury and NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Brigid Kemmerer has done it again! This book was so good, I went through so many emotions during this book, it was well and truly a rollercoaster.

Defend the Dawn is the anticipated sequel to Defy the Night. It picks up after the ending of Defy the Night and right from the get-go I could tell it was going to be full of action. Once again, the hidden identities trope is back, with the introduction of a new outlaw and honestly, I thought I had sussed out who it was. However, when their identity was revealed I was GODSMACKED. Literally.

I'm not gonna lie, I was swooning for Rian when he was first introduced. He's charismatic, confident and quite ballsy. I hated him so much at points but, man, I still love him. Corrick, however, there were so many points in the book where I wished I could just reach through the pages and shake some sense into him. Lochlan grated on my nerves throughout the majority of the book but by the end, I loved him.

The different plot twists in this book had my jaw on the floor. Kemmerer sure does know how to do plot twists and I may just have to send her my therapy bills for the amount of turmoil this book put me through. The ending... how could it just end like that???!!! I can't wait for the next book to come out but let me tell you, that ending is all I will be thinking about for the foreseeable future.

I have eagerly awaited the sequel to Defy the Night and it has not disappointed. Thanks to the publisher for providing a prepublication ARC. My biggest anxiety comes from having to wait for the next instalment. You just know when you’re 70% through and the journey’s not over that things don’t end here.

The story took a turn I didn’t expect and I loved getting Harristan’s point of view. I liked the character developments and the introduction of new characters. I await with interest how this will play out in the next instalment. The story is exciting with twists and turns aplenty. The next chapter can’t come soon enough.

The second book, which I thought was the last book which was a shocker for me at the end! The book picked up after the events of the forst with them all trying to find a solution to the medicine shortage in Kandala, when a mysterious ship Dock from a distant land that nobody can get to as the crossing is treacherous. With this comes new challenges for Corrick and Tessa, and boy is it a trip! I can not wait for the next book!

Wow, this book was everything. I absolutely adored the first book and I just knew I had to read this - Brigid creates a beautiful fantastical world, filled with romance, political intrigue, and suspense. This book had a sailor/pirate theme to it; I was unsure if I would like it but I ended up loving it. Similar to the first book, I adored the romance between Tessa and Corrick, my faves.

warning: there is a cliffhanger ending, and I NEED the next book ASAP.

This book was amazing! I absolutely adored Defy the Night and was thrilled to be given the chance to review Defend the Dawn as well. I read it all in 24 hours and it was so so worth it :)

Tessa and Corrick are back and things are getting tense, Harristan gets more page time and it’s fabulous to see his character developing. I gasped aloud several times in the course of reading this, I loved it!

Defend the Dawn jumps straight in from where Defy the Night left off, and despite being a little hazy with the details I was able to jump straight back into the world of Kandala without a problem. Things were a little drawn out in the middle but I thoroughly enjoyed myself regardless!

I kind of wish the romance was a bit more developed but I’m sure that will come in book 3! It’s especially needed after that cliffhanger. I was not ready for the book to end <3

4.5 stars

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for my e-ARC of this book! I loved every minute.

If you read the “Defy the night” and enjoyed it, the sequel guaranteed to blow your mind! It’s surpassed my entire expectations! It is so worth reading.

It’s good to see Tessa and Corrick back! But this book is more than moonflowers and their healing powers or cold-hot relationship of Tessa and Corrick or intimate bound between Corrick and Harristan! In this sequel: knives out on a ship with so many twists, action packed chapters taking your breath away!

I...I have no words.

I went in with high hopes for Defend the Dawn, after already having fallen in love with Defy the Night, and Brigid did not disappoint!

I will say this, it started kind of slow, but that may be my view as I fully believed this was a duology, but alas, it is not! And I am sitting in full anticipation for the next book, because that ending! That cliffhanger!

I went through a spiral of, I love you, I hate you, with a few characters, but that just kept me more invested. And if there is one character I did not hate, not even once, you guessed it, it was Corrick.

Next book, now, please and thank you.

Thanks you Netgalley and Bloomsbury for the e-ARC, this is my honest opinions and views.

I enjoyed reading this book with all the different characters and plot it wasn't boring and kept me intrigued. This was my introduction to this series of books as I hadn't read the first book Defy The Night.
Even though I hadn't read the first book it was easy to understand the story and the motivations of the characters and the story wasn't to complex understand who was who, and what happened in the previous book.
The story jumps from different perspectives with the book starting with introducing the Outlaw Fox then switching to Tessa then Corrick. At first I did find this annoying but Brigid transition between characters was done well so I didn't feel too displaced out of the story with the different POV's.
Overall a really good story that I will definitely read the next book and catch up on the first one, I highly recommended it if you like Robin Hood type of stories with high stakes and political institutions.
My rating 4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ due to switching of POV sometimes felt disjointed.
Have already placed an order for my library 😃
#netgalley #defendthedawn

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for sending me an arc of this book !

I have been waiting for this one for so long ! And it did not disappoint !
I'm always suspicious of the next book when I really love the previous one, because you sometimes can get disappointed. But honestly I think I might even love it a little bit more than the first one !

The setting is different, I love the character building of the previous protagonists and I really enjoyed the new characters too !

If I only have one thing to say it's this : I need the third one like Yesterday 😭 !

What an amazing sequel!! I really loved and enjoyed it because not only was so excited to read this but also wow(ly) it didn’t disappoint.

Another absolute smash hit from Brigid Kemmerer who has another 5 star sensation on her hands. After falling in love with her Cursebreakers series, thos author can do no wrong for me and this was another slice of brilliance from her.

4.5 ★
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a journey this was! We jumped straight back into action and it blew my mind 😳
Firstly, there is a little miscommunication, which I wasn't a fan of but it smoothed over quite quickly.
I spent most of the time at the edge of my seat not knowing what to expect or who to trust!
The writing is incredible and I have no idea how Brigid was able to create this world and this story.
That cliffhanger... Oh wow. It makes me want to time jump so I can read the next even though this one isn't even released yet 😂
I don't want to say too much but honestly, give this a read. You will not be disappointed! 🤍

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The kingdom of Kandala narrowly avoided catastrophe, but the embers of revolution still simmer. While King Harristan seeks a new way to lead, Tessa and Prince Corrick attempt to foster unity between rebels and royals. But the consuls who control the Moonflower will not back down, and Corrick realizes he must find a new source for the lifesaving Elixir. When an emissary from the neighboring kingdom of Ostriary arrives with an intriguing offer, Tessa and Corrick set out on an uncertain journey as they attempt to mend their own fractured relationship. This could be their only chance to keep the peace and bring relief to the people of Kandala, but danger strikes during the journey to Ostriary, and no one is who they seemed to be. . .

I’m rather in love with Tessa. Her wit, her determination, her kind heart. All of it draws me in and makes me love her more and more with each page. Getting to read chapters from her POV always feel exciting because you never entirely know what we’re going to see or how she’s going to react. I really adore how Tessa is firmly an advocate for the people, wanting to do all she can to ensure their health and that their outlook is a positive one - for the good of the kingdom.
Poor Corrick seems to really go through it in this sequel. We can really see how much he is missing being Wes, someone who could occasionally hide in the shadows and do good for others without judgement or distain. His role as the King’s Justice is a difficult one to balance and we’re really getting to see the toll it is taking on poor Corrick - on both him and his blooming relationship with Tessa. I liked that he seemed to be allowing himself to be more vulnerable with Tessa, even if we’re also seeing more cruelness coming to light thanks to the situations he finds himself in. It makes his character feel more authentic - that there are many sides to him but that he isn’t a bad person, he just has to do bad things sometimes.
Rian is a new and intriguing character - one certainly shrouded in mystery. I liked getting to know him and it will be interesting to see what part he plays in the next book after what went down here.

There is something so engaging about Kemmerer’s writing that I really struggle to put it down. I cannot express how much I truly love a book like that! We’re mostly on a ship in this book which means there is more than many opportunities for things to become heated and go wrong. And boy do we get that. I loved the building tension throughout the book because it really had me on the edge of my seat, desperate to read more and more. The characters, as is typical with Kemmerer’s writing, are so likeable and realistic that I want to jump into the story and join them on their adventures. The romance had me swooning, my heart leaping and my stomach swooping. But what I really liked was that the established relationship was not smooth sailing. It felt so real because there were hiccups and judgements and misinterpretations that come in all relationships - especially when there are major stressors like the ones our characters are experiencing. Now, that ending. WHAT ON EARTH WAS THAT?! HOW CAN I BE EXPECTED TO COPE OR FUNCTION LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEING AFTER THAT ENDING??!! But yes… All around this book was rather perfect.

Overall, Defend the Dawn is a book that has taken me on a rollercoaster ride that has utterly ruined me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

Nothing will top the first book cos that plot twist hit me hard but this book was still really good with the smaller plot twists and I didn’t manage to guess and except one. It feels kind of like a middling book as in there was all the plot for the first book and then this one feels like it’s just setting up for the next book rather than having a lot of plot going on itself but I guess it’s necessary.

Corrick is a bit annoying but that’s just because men can’t ever communicate their feelings so that’s obviously something Brigid portrayed well ;)