“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 Vade 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 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 faces 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.”
What is the book about?
The kingdom of Kandala a mysterious sickness plagues everyone and with no idea how the disease spreads or where it came from, everyone is panicked. The only known cure for this sickness are Moonflower petals that only grow in 2 of the sectors of the kingdom and they are hard to come by for the poor as they are incredibly expensive so only those with the means can survive the sickness. As a result, smugglers and outlaws now try to steal the petals, either for themselves or to help others and King Harristan and Price Corrick are forced to rule with an iron fist to try to keep their country from destroying itself. Tessa and Wes are 2 of the outlaws, risking their lives to steal Moonflower petals from the rich who have too much and distributing them among the poor who would otherwise already have succumbed to the disease. When Tessa realises that her attempts to save people have been pointless and the only real way to change things is to assassinate the King, she heads off on a mission that will likely be her last. But soon she realises that everything is not as simple as it initially seemed and that now she may have to work with the very people she set out to destroy or she will never be able to save the people of Kandala.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
I had really enjoyed another of Brigid Kemmerer’s trilogies (Cursebreakers) and when I found out that she was writing another one I knew I had to have it. I didn’t know what to expect exactly as I had completely forgotten everything about the other books of hers, however I knew that I had really enjoyed them so one thing that I was quite confident about before going into this series was that I was going to love it. Once I had purchased all the books of the series (as I hate not having the complete series and having to wait before jumping in to the next book) it didn’t take long for me to start staring at the series, longing to read the gorgeous books. If I’m completely honest I didn’t even read the blurb before buying these books and just put my faith in the author, however before I started reading it I did give it a glance and it made me even more confident in my initial thoughts as it looked like just the kind of story I would love. When I started reading, I initially did have a few chapters where I had no idea what was going on and wasn’t quite in the world yet (which happens with every fantasy book to be honest). However soon I was completely engrossed in the book and coming up with wacky theories and just longing to see how it would end.
Who was your favourite character and why?
My favourite character was definitely Wes, though I also loved Tessa and think she is definitely a great, strong and determined female main character. Wes was just so sweet and the fact that all he wanted to do was help people literally broke my heart. The poor guy spent the last few years being hated by everyone because of the things he had done and the only reason he did them was because he didn’t want someone he loved to have to suffer through making those decisions and doing those things. He never wanted to do them, though, and everyone thought that that was just who he was when in reality he was just a boy who was trying to keep others from being hurt. The scene in the Hold literally broke me and all I wanted to do was give him a hug and tell him that it wasn’t his fault and that no matter what he did I would still be there for him. He uses this cruel version of himself as a mask and deep down he is just Wes and all I want is for him to take off the mask and be the sweet guy I know he is. The way he would make Tessa smile, and he would joke around, and he would bring her food in the beginning of the book made me smile and I just want to see more of this side of him.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
My favourite part of the book was probably the scene near the end of the book (pretty much right before everything started to go downhill for the characters – not that it was going amazing well before that) when Tessa and Wes are in their little workshop and finally have a moment to just be their cute little selves. The slow burn friends to lovers to enemies to lovers of this book literally had me on the edge of my seat and I needed a scene where they did something more than just stare at each other and this scene definitely gave me that. When they were interrupted I almost threw the book across the room and honestly am surprised I didn’t. It was such a cutesy scene and I really want more of these so please don’t let the author complicate their relationship any further, these guys have already suffered enough.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall I really loved Defy the Night and I am so ready to read the next book and have this be one of my favourite series. One thing that I loved about the book was the amount of tropes and clichés and stereotypical Young Adult and Fantasy things there were in this book. To a lot of people I’m sure this would have been annoying but to me it was so comforting to read a story that had so many things that I have seen in so many other books. I mean it literally has a teenage girl who has no powers and is a nobody having to try to save the world and a morally grey male she is falling for and hundreds of other elements that are so common for this kind of genre, however that’s why I loved it, because it was like all the other books that I loved. Another thing that I really enjoyed was the Robin Hood element and the fact that it is kind of a retelling but is nothing like the original story and just has similar vibes. It was a lot like that with her other books that I read and I loved it. I haven’t read any books with a Robin Hood retelling before so it definitely gave the book some originality. One other thing that I loved was the sort of plot twist there was. I cannot say anything or else I will spoil it but it definitely gave the book something that most other books don’t have as it wasn’t fully predictable. However, and I am not joking, I was actually able to figure out the truth after the second chapter. Initially it was just a joke and I was just like ‘oh I bet that…’ but when it came true I was honestly shocked at my wizarding skills and I think I have just read far too many YA Fantasy novels but I do not care because it is hands down the best genre. One last slight thing I feel the need to mention is how stunning the covers of this book series are. I am pretty sure I said this about all the covers of the Cursebreaker series but oh my goodness does Brigid Kemmerer know how to pick a gorgeous cover that will have readers squealing.
Would you recommend this book?
I would absolutely recommend Defy the Night and think it is an amazing fantasy, romance novel. It is perfect for people over 14 who enjoy this genre and I am pretty confident this series is going to be a fast favourite of mine and many others.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
An original, action-packed fantasy novel that you will not be able to put down.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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