This next read is full of sparks of revolution. Defy the Night is a fantastic start to a new series by Brigid Kemmerer as it’s thrilling and adventurous with lots of danger to round it all out. I found myself on the edge of my seat the entire time waiting to see where Tessa and Wes’ story was going to go. Kemmerer’s storytelling is compelling and draws in the reader to a world that builds upon itself as you read the story and you’ll find yourself wanting to explore the Wilds as well as the kingdom of Kandala. The characters are unforgettable, and I’m excited to find out what’s going to happen in the first book. If you’re someone who worries about cliffhangers at the start of a series, you won’t find any here, so add it to your TBR!
The kingdom of Kandala is on the precipice of catastrophe. Disease is devastating the people, while the sectors of the kingdom turn against one another, and the royalty has turned to ruling the land with cruelty. King Harristan and Prince Corrick have had to step into the their power after the assassination of their parents, and their merciless nature against rebellion has earned them a terrible reputation. It’s the only way to protect the people who are desperately trying to gain access to the Moonflower, the only cure to the sickness. Meanwhile in the Wilds, Tessa Cade and her friend Wes spend their days and nights stealing and distributing Moonflower petal elixirs to their neighbours who would die without it. When rumours begin to fly that the elixir is no longer working, the threat of rebellion looms. Tessa will become desperate enough to sneak into the castle, but what she finds there might destroy Kandala faster than it will fix it.
It’s so easy to fall in love with the characters that Kemmerer writes. Tessa Cade is a compassionate young woman in a terrible situation, but willing to risk everything in order to save the people she loves. She wears her heart on her sleeve and doesn’t apologise for it. For once, there’s a heroine who is afraid of death. Her reaction in a certain scene was incredibly realistic and definitely what I envision would happen in a situation like that. Continuing on, I loved her interactions with Wes, especially as they make their night runs to deliver the Moonflower elixir. We also get to read this story from Prince Corrick’s perspective, which I liked a little less; a young man who is forced to play a villain but secretly has a heart of gold. However, his relationship with his brother is excellent. I see a lot of sisterly relationships explored in books, but it’s rare to see brotherly relationships explored. They’ve been through a lot, which explains their need for a ruthless façade, but there’s so much more to them. Despite liking him less, I do still have a crush on Corrick *grumble*.
The story moves along at a pretty steady pace, and it honestly didn’t even feel like a book of 500 pages as I read it. Everything about the story is solid, but I especially fell in love with the worldbuilding in Defy the Night. Kandala is broken down into sectors, which all factor into how the disease is spreading as well as how people are able to access the elixir. Although we don’t get to explore further than where Tessa and Corrick are, I hope that maybe the world will be explored further in the next book.
If you’re looking for romance, this book certainly has it in spades. No spoilers here, but I definitely enjoyed it. Some might find it a little trope-ish, but I loved it all the same. What I can tell you is that you’re going to want more from them, and I can’t wait to see what happens with the relationship in the next book.
There’s a lot of political intrigue with Harristan trying to run a kingdom, and the Consuls of the sector attempting to play their games. They’re all walking a fine line, and it’s clear that it’s not just the common folk who are unhappy, but the elites as well. It raises questions as to the appropriate way to run a kingdom, since Harristan and Corricks’ parents were killed for their kindness.
The book does have some triggers, including murder, disease epidemic, parental death, execution, imprisonment, and quite a few more. Some of the triggers are more prominent than others, but if you’re sensitive to darker fantasy fiction, you might approach this story with caution. I enjoyed this story immensely, and encourage you to read it, but only if it aligns with your interests.
This was an incredible read for me. I binged this story in a day, and there’s something so nice about a story not ending in a cliffhanger. Still though, I can’t wait for the next book. There’s a lot of loose threads that need tying up, as well as more of the world of Kandala and the Wilds left to explore. There’s even the possibility of another kingdom! Add it to your TBR, and get ready for the start to a rebellious new series!
Defy The Night is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
A fantasy series about a kingdom divided by corruption, the prince desperately holding it together, and the girl who will risk everything to bring it crashing down.
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.
