“Revolution is simmering in the kingdom of Kandala. With sickness on the rise and supplies of the precious Moonflower cure running low, King Harristan and Prince Corrick must fight to maintain control. Tessa Cade has gone from masked outlaw to palace adviser – and she’s more determined than ever to help her people. When an emissary from the neighbouring kingdom of Ostriary arrives with an intriguing offer, Tessa must embark on an uncertain journey with Prince Corrick. The voyage could be their only chance to save the kingdom – but it will hold untold danger for Tessa as she navigates perilous waters…and confronts her feelings for Corrick. No one is who they seem to be, and the consequences will be deadly.”
What is the book about?
After stopping a near revolution, Kandala is in a precarious situation. Now the supply of Moonflower is running low and King Harristan and Price Corrick don’t know how long they can keep control and keep things calm in their kingdom. With Tessa’s knowledge on the correct doses of Moonflower, they have a chance of being able to help more people, which is the thing Tessa has always wanted to do, when she was an outlaw and now that she is the king’s adviser and apothecary. However, it is impossible to keep everyone happy and giving Moonflower to the rebels to keep the kingdom safe means making the consuls angry and risking a rebellion from the inside. When an emissary arrives from the neighbouring kingdom of Ostriary, claiming that the King of Ostriary is willing to start trade negotiations, the goods that he is willing to trade make it an intriguing offer and one Kandala cannot turn down. The only way to keep the citizens of Kandala safe is to board the ship with the emissary and come back with supplies, but that means that Corrick and Tessa must embark on a new adventure and leave behind Harristan to keep control of the kingdom on his own. The voyage will be dangerous, not just physically but also emotionally as Tessa navigates both the waters and her feelings for Corrick. Everything seems too good to be true and soon it is clear that not everyone is who they say and the journey will be much more dangerous than they ever thought.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
After finishing Defy the Night I was very intrigued to continue the story and find out what would happen next for Tessa and the royals. It was clear they just barely escaped a revolution, which would have ended with more deaths on both sides of the fight, and if they didn’t keep things under control, next time they wouldn’t be so lucky. My initial thoughts on Defend the Dawn were pretty clear and confident as I had finished the previous book and had been shocked at how much I loved it so I knew that this book was going to be just as good. I was also hoping for more twists and hoping that I wouldn’t see them coming like I had with Defy the Night. Once I started reading I was even surer that I would love the book as I so easily found myself back in the kingdom of Kandala, fully engrossed in a world that wasn’t even real. I finished the book in literally 2 sittings and was soon regretting my decision to read quickly as I was having to move on to the last book and would soon never hear more from the characters I had grown attached to.
Who was your favourite character and why?
In this book, although I still really loved Corrick, I did find him a bit more annoying. He got so annoyed at Tessa for still seeing his as the boy she had first met and not accepting him as Corrick (which I did understand) and he didn’t even consider than this was just as difficult for her as for him. Because of this I think my favourite character in this book would probably have to be Tessa or even Harristan. I loved how hopeful Tessa was and how she didn’t automatically assume the worst about everyone like Corrick did. Although everyone saw this as Tessa being naïve I saw it more as her not giving up and believing that not everyone is horrible. She had been through so much suffering and still had room for hope and I loved this about her because she was definitely not as cynical as some of the other main characters I have met. Harristan was very similar to Tessa in this way as he also had a lot of hope and cared for his people so much. All he wanted to do was help them, which was made clear at the beginning of the book (another plot twist that I did see coming as well). He believed the best of his people, even when they had staged a revolution that killed many of the people in the Royal Sector in the previous book and he was ready to help lead them as a true king would do, rather than sit and hide and wait for Corrick to come back. I can’t wait to see more of him in the next book and I really hope that neither he nor Tessa lose that hope and light that they have in them, and that Corrick rediscovers his.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
My favourite part was very clear to me when it came up and I didn’t even need to finish the book to know that no part that would come after was going to be superior to this part. This part was near the end of the book when my favourite and pretty much the only couple in the book finally made up. I had had enough of the drama between them to be honest and was prepared to throw the book across the room if there was one more miscommunication or lack of communication. In Defy the Night there had already been enough drama between them with how much they switched between friends to lovers to enemies to lovers and all I wanted was for things to be perfect between them as I knew they deserved and also I deserved. When finally this all happened near the end of the book the relief and happiness on my face was clear and I knew nothing would beat the emotions that I had felt reading this part. Then the ending came and all of the progress that the couple had made was made futile, but at least I had a moment of happiness and eventually it will have a purpose in the third and final book.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall I really loved Defend the Dawn and am so ready to find out the ending, though also absolutely terrified that Brigid Kemmerer will ruin it like she kind of did with the Cursebreaker series. One thing I really loved about the book was the plot. After reading the first book and seeing how action packed it was I was honestly unsure what could possible happen in this book as Defy the Night had had everything, from revolution to romance. However, when I started to read and realised there would be a whole new adventure, I was even more excited. Now that I think about it nothing much really happened on the boat, however the amount of secrets and tension made it feel like an eventful time (which it certainly was near the end of the book). It also made the book even better to have Harristan’s point of view so we could see what was happening in Kandala while the others were gone and these parts definitely added to the action and tension. Another thing I really enjoyed was the cliff-hanger ending and how much the author toyed with my emotions in these final chapters. I honestly was about to cry and throw the book across the room and then had the shock of realising that it was all just a manipulation and everything was kind of fine. The cliff-hanger had me on the edge of my seat, reaching for the final book, Destroy the Day, before I had even read the last sentence of Defend the Dawn. I am so desperate to find out the ending and have so much hope for this series. One other thing that really surprised me is that this book is written in the first person and it didn’t annoy me in the least. I honestly never thought that at this age I would find a book written in the first person that I would love from the first second I started reading, however when I started Defy the Night I wasn’t annoyed at all and didn’t find it any harder to get into the book. If I’m completely honest because of how much I have been enjoying it I thought for a moment it was written in the third person, but obviously not. Finally, my favourite thing about these books is the absolutely gorgeous covers (honestly they are so amazing) and the way that the 3 books match so perfectly with their alliterative titles. It satisfies my inner perfectionist so much and every time I look at the spines on my shelf I just want to scream at how perfect and gorgeous they are.
Which book did you like better, the first or the second?
Overall I loved both the books and found that after the amazing Defy the Night, Defend the Dawn definitely met my expectations, however I think the first book (Defy the Night) is definitely my favourite. There aren’t really many differences between the books and not much helped me make my decision, however there was one very small thing that I enjoyed more in the first book than in the second. This is the romance between Tessa and Corrick. I loved the way that both the characters were struggling so much in Defy the Night and that they were shifting between friends to lovers to enemies and then back to lovers. It was so tense and I loved it. It was clear that Tessa was struggling to see Corrick as the boy she had started to fall for and that Corrick was also struggling as he had never opened up to anyone before. Even though it did annoy me that they didn’t just get together quicker, I understood their doubts. However, in Defend the Dawn there were a lot of the same issues when I thought that it had been resolved already at the end of Defy the Night. There was also a lot of miscommunication and lack of communication which I hated. I was definitely very relieved when finally everything was resolved and I just hope that in the final book I don’t have to go through any more issues with the romance because I really just want a happy ending.
Would you recommend this book?
I definitely recommend this book and think you should absolutely read it (after Defy the Night of course). It is a great book for those over 14 who enjoy romance, fantasy, retellings and adventure.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A twisty, mind-blowing book whose ending will leave you desperate for the next book.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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