Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

13 reviews

lawbooks600's review

adventurous 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

4.0

Representation: N/A
Score: Seven points out of ten.

One year ago, I mistakenly read the sequel to Defy the Night, Defend the Dawn. I initially enjoyed it, but soon enough, I picked out the flaws, now making it only an okay read. One year later, it was time to read the first instalment in the trilogy, Defy the Night. I soon picked it up and read it, and when I finished it, it was enjoyable.

It starts with the first person I see, Tessa, whose last name I forgot, working alongside her friend, Wes, to steal medicine and food to cure people from the epidemic that plagued the country they lived in, Kandala. They had to do this because the price for a cure to this disease is exorbitantly expensive and creates a barrier between the affluent king and his associates and the ordinary citizens of Kandala. It feels a lot like Robin Hood, but with an original twist. Defy the Night has an explosive beginning but the middle is where the pacing slows, with someone killing Wes, much to Tessa's dismay. I predicted that Tessa would have an enemies to lovers romance with the antagonist, Corrick. It turns out I was right. I don't know why the romance had to be there when it took me away from the fantastical aspects. I engrossed myself in Defy the Night since it was so immersive, but the worldbuilding left me one question: where did the epidemic come from? I don't know--that is an inquiry that has no answer yet. The conclusion picks up the pace, ending Defy the Night on a cliffhanger, but I know what happens next. The library has the final part, Destroy the Day. I'll pick it up when I have time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Confinement, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Torture

Full trigger warnings: Fire, pandemic mentioned, near-death experience, kidnapping, death of a friend and murder of parents in the past, physical assault, poverty, medical content, imprisonment, torture, blood, grief and loss depiction

middle_name_joy's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense 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? Yes

3.75

Though the main themes are beaten to a pulp by the end, this is a decent adventure story with characters you come to be invested in. There are slow sections, but there is also action and shifting loyalties and castle intrigue. Lots of gore, too. I'm going to need a romance cleanser before reading the second book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Child death, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, and Vomit

thumbeleia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Gore, Body horror, Child death, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Police brutality, War, Classism, and Torture

annelihghh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Grief, Medical content, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Death of parent, Classism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Sexual content

readingwithmeredith's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Medical content

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture

kryzysowa_narzeczona's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Medical content, and Police brutality

Moderate: Torture and Grief

zozo_reads's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Great world building did sort of expect the ending though. There was a plot twist in the beginning that I would have never expected. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

bookworm247's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical content, Violence, Child death, and Death of parent

sunsetcity's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Torture, and Violence

emilysreadingbooks's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, and War

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Medical content

Minor: Pregnancy