Brigid Kemmerer

Defy the Night

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.

prawnie

I was ready to kneel at my brother's feet and beg for release. I'm ready to kneel at Tessa's and beg forgiveness. 

His fingers are warm against mine, and I try not to think about the fact that his lips were just against this piece of fruit. I twist it to bite at a different spot.

"One day we will have a conversation that does not end in accusations," he says.

Because she saw through me. Because she knew I was a breath away from shattering. Because her hope hasn't burned away into nothing.

"You get used to it after a while," he says.

No. I won't. And we shouldn't. We shouldn't get used to this.

I'll toss them into a fire. Then I'll toss myself into a fire.

Probably just like everyone else flocking to the gates: partly horrified, partly curious.

Partly relieved, because someone else's downfall generally means your own isn't imminent.

I stare down at him for a second longer than necessary.

I drop to a crouch in front of him. "Look at me," I say. "Is your nose broken?"

"I want him dead." His voice is thick and nasally, but he doesn't glance up.

"He will be," I say. "But I can't kill him twice. Now look at me."

Cutting off their fingers or whatever Allisander is imagining feels like overkill.

"I believe we've come to an understanding."

It's the best sentence in my arsenal of courtly lines, because it means absolutely nothing, yet somehow always makes people believe I've acknowledged their point.

He annoys Harristan to no end. He annoys pretty much everyone to no end.

"The problem of a problem is nearly as bad as the problem itself, Corrick."

"Tessa." Weston's voice is a bare hiss in my ear. "Mind your mettle, girl. They'll kill you, too."

One of my top fav  scenes I have read this year 

He reaches for my ankles again. "No!" I kick out at him. He seizes the chain easily, taking hold W and W and .boet, but my hands are free, so I lurch forward and punch him right in the face. I think  I genuinely take him by surprise. He swears and rocks back. and it grants me a few feet of freedom, but I don't get far before he grabs me again, so I swing around with my fist ready. This time I catch him in the stomach, but he deflects.  

“Tessa! Enough." There's blood on his lip. 

Good. I don't care. I throw a punch right at his crotch. Direct hit. He doubles over. 

 scramble for the door. My feet are still chained and I trip over myself, crashing to the lor. Corrick recovers faster than I'm ready for, and he takes hold of my shoulder and flips me over. I scream and kick at him again. Paning my hips, his dagger-what I hope is his dagger jutting into my abdomen. I shove at him, but he catches one of my arms and slams it to the ground. 

I narrow my eyes at him. "Only liars and villains"

“ I can’t," I say again, my eyes burning into hers.I can't, Tessa. You don't know how many times I wished dawn wouldn't come so quickly. How many times I wanted to stay with you instead of returning to this. How many times I wished I were truly Weston Lark, that Prince Corrick was the fabrication.” 

Micro trope unlocked. When he unexpectedly calls her my love for the first time 

"Please, my love," Corrick whispers into my ear. "Please"  

I think that very few people truly deserve what they get, Tessa. For good or for bad.

'A kinetic tale of the tension between duty, love and trust' - Cassandra Clare 'Defy the Night is everything I crave in a fantasy romance' - Stephanie Garber 'Addicting from page one!' - Jennifer L. Armentrout A spark of rebellion is all it takes to DEFY THE NIGHT. In a kingdom where sickness stalks the streets and only the richest can afford a cure, King Harristan and his brother Prince Corrick are forced to rule with an iron fist. Tessa Cade is a masked outlaw marked for death, but she likes it that way. Together with the mysterious, handsome Weston, she robs from the rich to help the poor, distributing food and medicine to those who need it most. As it becomes clear that the only way to save her people is to assassinate the King, Tessa must face a deadly mission that will take her to the dark heart of the kingdom ... and force her to work with the very people she intended to destroy. From New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer comes a brand-new blockbuster fantasy series about a corrupt kingdom, a star-crossed romance and a girl who will do anything for justice.

Rayane Rabaa

Hope can be powerful, but it's worthless without action.

Linara K.S

DNF at 70% 

this book is so hard to finish. It's fast-paced, yes, but it doesn't deliver the character depth i need to be completely hooked and enamoured with the storyline. Frankly idgf for what's gonna happen next. The story is addictive at first due to its sub-text and rapidness but like again, (i feel like i'm repeating myself) the story is just lacking depth and meaning. 

overall: it was ok. Not as compelling as A curse so dark and lonely books

someone told me years ago to read this and i am KICKING myself for not listening sooner. i laughed, cried, squealed, and screamed into my pillow out of anger. i’ve never read a robin hood inspired story before but i am in love. 

Janice

Okay so I bought this book believing it to be a YA Fantasy which it absolutely is not. It does not include any magical things and if the clock had been set back in our world and the kingdom of Kandala had existed then this story could have well been set in our reality. But, despite this book not being what I expected of it I rather quite liked it. I thought it would be rather political, which I'm not a fan of, but that turned out to be quite alright. 

The pace of this book was perfect, I wouldn't have changed a thing about it. It wasn't too fast nor too slow. The story is told from the perspectives if both Corrick and Tessa but the author refrained from repeating any events and kept a steady flow of the story going on even though she switched between perspectives. This switch between perspectives was rather intriguing because it deeply enriched the story and I honestly do not believe the story would have been to my liking had it been told from one perspective.

I'm looking forward to part two!

Really cute and easy read. I enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters and loved the twists.

claudia alford

Tessa and Wes are technically outlaws-stealing flowered to make medicine to save people too poor to purchase it. But a riot erupts, localities shift, and nothing is as it seems. How can the residents of their Kingdom of Kandala survive?

I enjoyed this YA fantasy. There is a bit of romance, but also plenty of action and intrigue.

Cheri McElroy

Tessa and Wes are technically outlaws-stealing flowered to make medicine to save people too poor to purchase it. But a riot erupts, localities shift, and nothing is as it seems. How can the residents of their Kingdom of Kandala survive?

I enjoyed this YA fantasy. There is a bit of romance, but also plenty of action and intrigue.

I loved this Robin hood inspired fantasy, that had political intrigue, a mysterious plague and a strong willed protagonist. I liked that the world building didn't go on for too long yet didn't miss out on any details. Tessa was a strong protagonist but she did annoy me from time to time. I liked how the plot unraveled and the political intrigue was my favorite part of this book

June

okay so the first 100 pages of this book were good and the rest of this book was FANTASTIC. it got so good when tessa finds who wes is it’s just 👌. just the development of corrick throughout the book and that we gradually get to understand him as well as his brother better. just really loved this story. 

Hannah Williams

(spoilers)

okay so the first 100 pages of this book were good and the rest of this book was FANTASTIC. it got so good when tessa finds who wes is it’s just 👌. just the development of corrick throughout the book and that we gradually get to understand him as well as his brother better. just really loved this story. 

This book was very much a twist on the Robin hood retelling with a mysterious plague and a strong willed protagonist. 

I really appreciated that the world building in this book was quick and easy to understand while not feeling like it lacked anything. I loved reading about the different sectors of the kingdom, the way they each felt about each other and the politics between them.

Tessa was a strong protagonist but her habit of failing to think clearly and not listening to anyone really annoyed me. But I'm glad her character developed positively later on and I ended up really liking her at the end. Aside from Tessa the other characters were really well written and my favorites were Corrick, Quint and Harristan. 

This was the first book I read by Brigid Kemmerer and I'm really glad I read it. I've heard alot of mixed reviews about her cursebreaker series so I'm not sure if I'll start it but for now I'm really excited to start reading Defend the dawn 

This book was very much a twist on the Robin hood retelling with a mysterious plague and a strong willed protagonist. 

I really appreciated that the world building in this book was quick and easy to understand while not feeling like it lacked anything. I loved reading about the different sectors of the kingdom, the way they each felt about each other and the politics between them.

Tessa was a strong protagonist but her habit of failing to think clearly and not listening to anyone really annoyed me. But I'm glad her character developed positively later on and I ended up really liking her at the end. Aside from Tessa the other characters were really well written and my favorites were Corrick, Quint and Harristan. 

This was the first book I read by Brigid Kemmerer and I'm really glad I read it. I've heard alot of mixed reviews about her cursebreaker series so I'm not sure if I'll start it but for now I'm really excited to start reading Defend the dawn 

Whoa this was a good one. I did not want to put it down once I started reading it. Got hooked right from the start. Off to read the next one bye!

Christine

Faith Kitowski

4.5/5. woah. can we talk about the plot twist?!?! i was flabbergasted. it was such a whirlwind of emotions. ALSO MIND YOUR METTLE?!?! BYE. LOVE YOU CORRICK <333

I wasn't really sure about this book at the beggining but then it really took me by surprise. Woah. It was a ride and there were many unexpected plottwists I didn't see coming. I was basically left speechless. 

-1🌟 for the slow beggining though. It took me over ¼ of the book before it started to captivate me more and motivate me to finish it in one breath. This was a book I bought blindly at a book store and I wasn't disappointed. 

Theo

I wasn't really sure about this book at the beggining but then it really took me by surprise. Woah. It was a ride and there were many unexpected plottwists I didn't see coming. I was basically left speechless. 

-1🌟 for the slow beggining though. It took me over ¼ of the book before it started to captivate me more and motivate me to finish it in one breath. This was a book I bought blindly at a book store and I wasn't disappointed. 

Emily B

4 STARS:

This one took me a while because I'm currently fighting off an incoming reading slump. However, that doesn't mean it wasn't great. This is my first Kemmerer book, and if her Cursebreaker series is anything like this one, then I need to get on them stat!

First, the plot. It never dragged, and though I felt the beginning was a little slow, after a certain point, it starts running. But it was never so fast that it threw me off. It was very politically focused, but it had some action here and there. Both were done well. It had a lot of twists, but only one of them left me shook. The rest I was kind of able to deduce, which either means it was predictable or I'm getting better at figuring them out. In this case, I'll assume it's the latter. It also ends the story in a really good way. It was satisfying for this book's plot, but it left open some things that can be used for the next book.

The characters were equally enjoyable. Corrick was definitely more three-dimensional and I really enjoyed his POV. He was both tragic and good-hearted. People say he's morally grey and, while I agree he has the potential for it, that's just not how I would describe him. Doesn't mean I didn't love him though. Tessa took me a little longer to get behind. In the beginning, I thought her entire character revolved around her partner Weston. I could see snippets of a personality, but not much. After a certain event, she was kind of forced to show her character, and then she was much more likable. I still don't think she's the best character I've ever read about, but she was easy to root for. Harristan was my favorite side character, and I loved his relationship with his brother. I loved the different sides to him. Weston was a joy. He was funny and flirty, but he knew when to get serious. He and Corrick are probably my favorites. 

I really can't say anything about the romance without giving away spoilers. Because of this, all I'll say is that I felt the chemistry, and the relationship took me by surprise. It was not what I expected AT ALL. It goes way beyond your basic enemies-to-lovers. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Point is, I thought this was a fun book with well done politics and great characters. I really recommend checking it out, especially considering the content. It's a book about a pandemic that was published  during  a pandemic. It adds some social commentary that I think is important. Go pick this one up! You won't regret it!

Sarah

Sabrina

** spoiler alert **
           I loved this ! I feel like if you’ve read ACOTAR & enjoyed it, you would enjoy this one. I loved the somewhat slow burn romance between Wes & Tessa, and I loved Harriston’s character. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one! Preordered already and I’m so happy I found this read😊

Andrea Rodriguez

I haven’t read a YA fantasy in so long, but I am so glad I decided to read this one. 

This was a book that I took my time with and didn’t want to finish because I just loved the characters and the story so much.

Also, please. I swooned at “Lord, Tessa.” every. single. time. 

I hate that I have to wait till September for the next one, but it’s fine lol.

Ashley Wendt

I guessed the ending pretty early on (and the early twist) but I still enjoyed the heck out of this book!!!

Bonita

2.5 ⭐️
I don’t know why I keep telling myself that I will like YA fantasy when I don’t. 🥴 The cover is beautiful though I’ll give it that!

Julie Janis

This book surprised me. It had elements that frustrated me, consisting of a trope I do not like. But by the end...I have to say that I enjoyed this.

The plot was what got me through it. I enjoyed the political intrigue, negotiating with the rebels, figuring out truths in the court, trying to get cures to people. That was enjoyable.

Now the characters were for the most part fine and I would say Corrick had a lot of good complexities to him. But they did have some frustrating moments, especially Tessa. She's not my favorite character but I'm glad she came to understand Corrick quickly. Their romance was not my favorite. Pretty unhealthy but hey, no surprise there since sense it seems every YA book these days has an unhealthy relationship. But I did still find some entertaining moments. I mostly focused on their friendship in this book rather than the romance to get me through it.

Overall, an interesting story. I'm intrigued to know where it will go in the sequel.

Avery Baumel

i am actually in love with this book and the fact that i have to wait an entire year to read the next book is making me lose my damn mind corrick is chefs kiss i really love tessa too so much shes so im in love also i would do anything to have quint as a friend 

i love LOVE the politics and i love the romance ofc although it is a subplot and not necessarily the plot i’ve seen people compare it to the cruel prince and the romance is infact not at all like the cruel prince its a lot more the cruel prince was like one scene at the end of the book and that was it but this definitely has a lot more romance to offer but the politics and the sides of this same story ugh its so good i loved it sm i cant even describe it well

Livia

3.5/5 stars


This book is pretty good. It does grip me and it was fun to read. This book has cliches and Bridgid Kemmerer wrote them well, and I'm glad for that. 

I do have several things that nag me. First of all, is Tessa. In the midst of tension and the promise of war in the kingdom, I wished but didn't expect, for her to at least learn how to defend herself properly, at least just the basics. But hey, I'm completely fine with seeing a non-weapon-wielding female mc. In fact, I was looking forward to seeing her with her own strengths and skills. Sadly, all she can do properly is to make medicines. Literally. This girl can't even talk out her thoughts properly, and they're always delivered at the wrong time and in the wrong way. She was shaking and being afraid too much... and it's jarring because she was supposed to be this outlaw that risks her neck every day to help other people, but she doesn't even have enough spine during her time in the palace. And I wished that she did more apothecary stuff to show her real strength because she didn't do it as much and with her poor way of words, she should not be getting away with 75% of what she did by speaking and begging too much.

Aside from that and the obvious plot, I love Corrick so much. Yes, he is the typical "cruel prince/royalty who was kind deep down and only does what he needs for the good of the kingdom" but he was written really well. I felt for his every struggle and how he tried his best to scheme against everyone around him. And I also adore his brotherly relationship with Harristan. It's dark but they both support each other no matter what, and in the end, it's always the two of them against the world and they are always willing to listen to each other first.

The plot was fairly simple and easy to follow, and I like that. The supposed plot twist was obvious to me but the reveal felt really satisfactory to me, as if I was proven right. The book was concluded in a satisfying way, but I can't wait to see what the next book has in store. I'm hoping the stakes are even higher and those who deserve a beating does get one.

Alison James

** spoiler alert **
           I really loved this book! It is in my top 5 reads for this year! The world that Bridget creates is so. I expected most of the twists such as Wes being Prince Corrick. Though I didn’t have any idea how Tessa would find out and i was squealing so much when she got captured in the castle knowing her world was about to get turned upside down and the action was about to start. I was very happy that Tessa stayed mad at him for a bit. Cause the issue with a lot of books is the main characters are pushed together so much that they forgive each other too quickly. But her staying upset with him for so long made it more real and raw once she forgave him. 

I was hesitant going into it because of the cursebreaker series. I really loved A Curse So Dark and Lonely and gave it 5 stars but I stopped halfway through the second book cause of how the story changed so much. I hope that doesn’t happen with this series too.

Valerie Moors

Wow I have no words for this book, it was so good so many plottwist’s I loved every second of it ! Definitely recommend you to read this book!!!

Defy the Night

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