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Book: Defy The Night by Brigid Kemmerer
Read From: 6th September - 10th September 2021
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: A deadly sickness has taken over the kingdom of Kandala and is only treatable with Moonflower petals - rationed out to the kingdom by the elites. There isn’t enough to go around so Tessa and Wes take matters into their own hands by stealing the petals from the Royal sector and distributing them to the poor. However the sickness requires King Harristan and Prince Corrick to rule without mercy, and the price for smuggling is as grave as death.
Do you ever pick up a book and just know from the first chapter, or even first page, that you’re going to love it and that it’ll be a 5 star read? This was exactly how I felt about this one. Inspired by Robin Hood, this story and concept completely gripped me - throw in merciless rulers, disgruntled political figureheads and loveable outlaws and you have a recipe for literally everything I could’ve ever wanted from a YA fantasy novel. I absolutely loved this!
The world-building was so vivid and rich, it was so easy to imagine Kandala. I loved how the kingdom was split up into sectors, with each being governed by a consul. It was such an interesting political dynamic because A. it highlighted some key power imbalances particularly where Moonflower supply was concerned, and B. whilst all of the consuls have Kandala as a whole in their best interests, of course they also want what’s best for their sector - even if this is conflicting!👀 I seriously can’t get enough of court politics and royal drama, ESPECIALLY when you never know who to trust!
As interesting as the plot was though, what absolutely MADE this book for me was the characters. I adored Wes and Tessa from the first page - they worked so well together and there were so many funny and cute moments between them, I couldn’t get enough (especially of their banter)! Prince Corrick and King Harristan were complex characters - particularly Corrick - we normally see redemption arcs in later books but it was almost like this one happened throughout? He would do something completely abhorrent but then in the next paragraph or even sentence he would say something that completely changes your outlook as a reader about who he is as a character and I LOVED this! Even the side characters were so well developed and all had their own individually crafted personalities - Allistair was jarring but all of the interactions he was involved with were super entertaining. And QUINT🥺 the purest, funniest and most loyal soul who should be protected at all costs!
CURSEBREAKERS WALKED SO THAT DEFY THE NIGHT COULD RUN. I’m SO excited for the next book to come out but at the same time I’m grateful it didn’t end on a cliffhanger so that I’m not waiting around for a year, maybe more, just to find out what happens. There were some unanswered questions though which give a great set up for book 2! I think it’s obvious at this point that I highly recommend - this is such a great YA fantasy and would be enjoyed by both lovers of the genre and those who are new to it.
Thank you Bloomsbury for the gifted review copy!