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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
tessa cade? love her.
king harristan and prince corrick? deserved better.
king harristan and prince corrick? deserved better.
Prince Corrick and Tessa were absolute dreams but Quint definitely stole my heart. Love the twists and the subtle foreshadowing to shady characters and i cannot wait to read the next.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Defy The Night set the stage for an all-new YA Fantasy series that is sure to be a hit with readers of all ages. High-stakes adventure, a relatable and inspiring FMC and MMC, and a kingdom in desperate need of being saved. Brigid Kemmerer instantly became an auto-buy author for me with this series!
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.
Defy The Night has strong Zorro and Robin Hood inspirations, and this is such a fantastic departure from the Beauty and the Beast retellings that are rampant in the fantasy genre right now. Instead of "woe is me, I'm trapped here" FMCs, we have a badass heroine who will stop at nothing to ensure the people in her community are safe.
Tessa and Wes have a fantastic dynamic, and the dual POV kept the pace of the story progressing quickly. I quite literally couldn't put this book down, and instantly devoured the next two as soon as they were available as well!
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.
Defy The Night has strong Zorro and Robin Hood inspirations, and this is such a fantastic departure from the Beauty and the Beast retellings that are rampant in the fantasy genre right now. Instead of "woe is me, I'm trapped here" FMCs, we have a badass heroine who will stop at nothing to ensure the people in her community are safe.
Tessa and Wes have a fantastic dynamic, and the dual POV kept the pace of the story progressing quickly. I quite literally couldn't put this book down, and instantly devoured the next two as soon as they were available as well!
Enjoyed reading it but it was nothing special and was a little repetitive so I ended up skimming when I could tell a page was just filler. I predicted the ending/resolution of the central mystery.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fast-paced, engaging start to a series that balances rebellion, political unrest, and character-driven storytelling. I had a great time with this one, especially with how it explores the messiness of leadership and what it means to do the right thing when the “right thing” isn’t always clear-cut. Or, at least, that’s what the characters tell themselves.
Tessa is an easy protagonist to root for. She’s bold and compassionate, and I really appreciated how her perspective evolves as she gains a better understanding of the power structures at play. She learns how complicated governance really is, but she never loses sight of her kindness, even when everything around her urges her to harden. Corrick is a great foil: torn between morality and duty, burdened by his role as the brutal face of justice. His inner conflict adds depth, and the tension between him and Tessa worked for me.
That said, I have to admit: reading this in today’s political climate makes the “we want to do the right thing, but our hands are tied” angle wear a little thin. Corrick and his brother are in power, so why do they seem so powerless? It’s not that the story ignores the pressures of politics, but sometimes it leans too hard on that excuse, and I found myself rolling my eyes at their passivity. Do the right thing, you’re the rulers!
Still, the pacing is excellent, the stakes are high, and the moral ambiguity is compelling. I appreciated that no one is entirely right or wrong, and that everyone is forced to make hard calls. If you like thoughtful rebellion stories with high stakes and strong character arcs, this one delivers!
Thank you to Storygram Tours, Bloomsbury Books, and the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
Tessa is an easy protagonist to root for. She’s bold and compassionate, and I really appreciated how her perspective evolves as she gains a better understanding of the power structures at play. She learns how complicated governance really is, but she never loses sight of her kindness, even when everything around her urges her to harden. Corrick is a great foil: torn between morality and duty, burdened by his role as the brutal face of justice. His inner conflict adds depth, and the tension between him and Tessa worked for me.
That said, I have to admit: reading this in today’s political climate makes the “we want to do the right thing, but our hands are tied” angle wear a little thin. Corrick and his brother are in power, so why do they seem so powerless? It’s not that the story ignores the pressures of politics, but sometimes it leans too hard on that excuse, and I found myself rolling my eyes at their passivity. Do the right thing, you’re the rulers!
Still, the pacing is excellent, the stakes are high, and the moral ambiguity is compelling. I appreciated that no one is entirely right or wrong, and that everyone is forced to make hard calls. If you like thoughtful rebellion stories with high stakes and strong character arcs, this one delivers!
Thank you to Storygram Tours, Bloomsbury Books, and the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
Don’t get me wrong- the characters were phenomenal. The worldbuilding, also great. But the plot was just so…
predictable?
It was a bit of a Red Queen sitch; village girl meets boy, oMGEE turns out hes royalty she gets brought to the palace yadda yadda. I predicted every plot twist she wrote in the book and it just felt like a repeat of what I’ve read many times before just in a different font.
predictable?
It was a bit of a Red Queen sitch; village girl meets boy, oMGEE turns out hes royalty she gets brought to the palace yadda yadda. I predicted every plot twist she wrote in the book and it just felt like a repeat of what I’ve read many times before just in a different font.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. How did this one fly under the radar!?!? This is stunning. (This is another one that defies the YA category, too.) Set in a kingdom that’s wrestling with a virus that is killing its people. The rich have more access to cures and preventatives, the masses do not. It’s a kingdom sitting on the edge of rebellion. Two bandits, Tessa, an apothecary apprentice and the mysterious masked bandit, Weston steal the flowers that are scarce (by design thanks to those lands’ leaders) to brew the cure and distribute to those in need. And then there’s the whole political intrigue of a court on the verge of rebellion. There’s several subplots, just know this is a sweeping narrative that’s done right.
It’s twisty and action-packed. I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The narrators are incredible, voicing a number of characters, each with unique accents and cadences. It was so immersive, I hated when I had to stop and do actual work during the day. I’m excited to read the next book!