Scan barcode
A review by jayseejewel
Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer
5.0
A great romance filled with political intrigue and internal conflict. While it has a few flaws, they do little to interfere with the enjoyment of this story.
What I liked:
- The romance was basic but built off its simple premise really well. The characters grew together and build each other up, rather than remaining stagnant. I was waiting eagerly for their relationship to grow.
- The political intrigue is immersive and interesting without getting too complicated. It's easy to follow along nd become intrigued by.
- The characters are solid, particularly the prince. I much preferred his POV, as the girl's was a lot more simple and nothing we haven't seen before. All of the characters felt real and fleshed-out, though.
- The setting is very basic but that isn't a bad thing. The plague is well described and drives the story. The politics are integral to the plot and ever-changing so it keeps you on your toes.
What I didn't like:
- The villains and political characters were hard to keep track of. Some of them we barely got to see so when they were mentioned, I barely recalled who they were referring to
- (Spoilers) There are 2(?) scenes where the dialogue gets cringey and breaks my immersion (in which civilians start listing off all the things the MC did for them). It feels very much like an attempt to be inspirational and emotional but just comes off as awkward and odd. It ruined the ending slightly and if the dialogue was just rewritten to be more subtle and natural, it would have been fine.
Overall, it's a great story. One of the best I've read this year. I sped through it and while it isn't anything particularly amazing or new, it's a solid story with a romance that really drew me in (which is rare for me). I recommend it to fans of romance and fantasy, as well as political conflicts. There is less fighting here and more talking (which I love but I know others might not).
What I liked:
- The romance was basic but built off its simple premise really well. The characters grew together and build each other up, rather than remaining stagnant. I was waiting eagerly for their relationship to grow.
- The political intrigue is immersive and interesting without getting too complicated. It's easy to follow along nd become intrigued by.
- The characters are solid, particularly the prince. I much preferred his POV, as the girl's was a lot more simple and nothing we haven't seen before. All of the characters felt real and fleshed-out, though.
- The setting is very basic but that isn't a bad thing. The plague is well described and drives the story. The politics are integral to the plot and ever-changing so it keeps you on your toes.
What I didn't like:
- The villains and political characters were hard to keep track of. Some of them we barely got to see so when they were mentioned, I barely recalled who they were referring to
- (Spoilers) There are 2(?) scenes where the dialogue gets cringey and breaks my immersion (in which civilians start listing off all the things the MC did for them). It feels very much like an attempt to be inspirational and emotional but just comes off as awkward and odd. It ruined the ending slightly and if the dialogue was just rewritten to be more subtle and natural, it would have been fine.
Overall, it's a great story. One of the best I've read this year. I sped through it and while it isn't anything particularly amazing or new, it's a solid story with a romance that really drew me in (which is rare for me). I recommend it to fans of romance and fantasy, as well as political conflicts. There is less fighting here and more talking (which I love but I know others might not).