After adoring Brigid Kemmerer's Cursebreakers series I was dying to get my hands on her newest fantasy release Defy the Night and it did not disappoint. In a world fighting for its life against a deadly sickness only the rich can afford the cure, our main character Tessa has a very Robin Hoodesque mentality 'steal from the rich to save the poor, however, this leads her into dangerous situations and a rebellion against the King and his brother who rule the kingdom with an Iron fist. I found this book to be full of angst and drama, just the way I like it. The plot was really strong and although a little cliche I found myself really rooting for our characters and I felt that the stakes were really high. I was rooting for the romance in here which can be really hit or miss with me in fantasy novels but I really enjoyed the hints of romance that fell throughout this book, I felt that it added to the plot without taking away from the main fantasy plot throughout the book. The ending had me craving more already and I really cannot wait to read the second book in this series already!
I really loved this one.
5 out of 5 stars

Defy the Night is the first instalment in this eponymous new fantasy series about a kingdom divided by corruption, the prince desperately holding it together and the fierce, fearless 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 neighbours 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 rumours 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. Set in a richly imaginative world with striking similarities to our own, Brigid Kemmerer's captivating new series is about those with power and those without and what happens when someone is brave enough to imagine a new future.

This is a scintillating and utterly enthralling fantasy from start to finish and an action-packed adventure teeming with thrills and chills throughout the pages. The worldbuilding is richly imagined, immersive and intricate and the personal and political intertwine superbly, so we get to see the cast of vibrant, memorable characters embroiled in their own individual struggles as well as them highlighting the issues that have recently befallen their home, the kingdom of Kandala. With courtly intrigue, a corrupt kingdom and a fated romance - this fiercely energetic fantasy novel is an exhilarating ride. Reeling with romance, rebellion and a feverish sense of doing the right thing, Defy the Night melds magic with political struggles to create a fast-paced, fantasy epic fronted by an indomitable young female apothecary. Gripping entertainment until the very last line. Highly recommended.

The thing I liked about this book: how compulsively readable it was.

The thing I didn't like about this book: basically everything else.

Soooo, I know that was harsh, but I promise I have good reason for the last sentence. Since there were a gazillion reasons why this book didn't work for me, I tried to build a complete list of all those reasons.

1. This Is Not a Fantasy. So I think if you're thinking of reading this book because the idea of Robin Hood in a fantasy setting sounds amazing just wait a minute and let me explain this. There is absolutely no magical element in this book, no magical creature, no magical power, no witches or wizards or anything that would classify this as a Fantasy book. I think there should be another genre other than fantasy called secondary world stories, or something like that. Because that is what this book is. I know that for some people, when they say fantasy is their favourite genre, what they actually mean is that they like stories about royalties and adventures and quests and rebellions and Great Destinies. So for those people this wouldn't be a problem. But I live for the magical elements, I want to lose myself in magical worlds, I want to see what insanely creative things every author comes up with every time I pick up a fantasy book. And I need to tell you this, if you're like me, you're going to be very disappointed with this book.



2. Corrick: this one really hurts because the primary reason I read this book was Prince Corrick. If you know me then you know even the mention of a cruel guy as the point of view character is enough to send me screaming from excitement. In the blurb he's mentioned as this ruthless prince that is willing to do anything to keep his brother in power, and in the book, he's not like that at all. I mean for a while I could believe him as such a character and I was dying for him and Tessa to meet. but after a while it becomes clear that he's just all talk and no show. Now, you could argue that is just a part of his characterisation, that he doesn't like violence and is just pretending to do so because he thinks it's necessary. But then we'll have a new problem, he doesn't even put up a good show for other characters. there's a scene when he has to execute others to show how ruthless he is, another character later on tells him that you looked like you wanted to cry, which is fair and accurate. but the point is that, he's not even convincing enough in front of the exact type of people he wants to convince. Which begs the question, why haven't these brothers been overthrown? they're neither competent enough to keep the elite and their subjects happy, nor cruel enough to keep them afraid. so again, how the hell have they lasted this long?


3. Tessa: this is the second book I read from this author and both books had heroines that were super kind and understanding and naive and saw the world through rose-coloured glasses and had no thought about the realities of leadership. Both of them had to face male characters who would explain to them that things aren't as easy as they thought. I'm not going to point fingers here, but if in all of your books the female character is the naive one and the male character is the one who sees the world for what it is, then maybe just maybe you have some internalised issues about gender roles.

4. This world is just very stupid. Here's the thing: there's a limit to my suspension of disbelief and I can't take it when a book asks me to throw away all of my logic and reasoning. there are certain things that just don't happen in real life. For instance, there's a scene of mob violence and the MC can just stop them by asking them kindly. I don't know which world Kemmerer lives in, but in my world you just don't stop mob violence like that. then there's the issue that when the revolution reaches the palace the king tries to stop it and it FUCKING WORKS. yes I've seen leaders trying to calm down revolutions ( with pretty promises, which is what the king does in this book ) when it's loud enough for them to notice it. the chances are that by then whatever they offer is too little too late. and the people have had enough, so it almost never works. By that point the only thing that can stop the revolution is even more violence from the authorities. lastly, there's the issue of incompetence. These brothers are extremely incompetent, so why the fuck the book wants us to root for them? For a looong time Corrick knew that they could cure more people with less medicine, and he's the second most powerful person in the realm, and he is the closest person to the most powerful person, and he chose to do NOTHING about it. I mean he has his excuses, but those are just that: EXCUSES. I'm sorry I can't root for monsters like that. He chose to do nothing about a cure and you want me to root for him?

5. The second twist was incredibly obvious and the fact that the two brothers haven't seen it is just another testament to their incompetence and stupidity. So there's a kind girl who is always advocating for the people, always talking about the fact that people are acting out of desperation because their leaders have failed them and the said leaders need to show them leniency, so you're telling me that girl wasn't the Big Bad our hero thought she was. Instead the Big Bad was the power hungry guy who is constantly trying to put doubt and distance between the two brothers, and is constantly asking them to prove their power and constantly trying to get benefit out of the completely terrible conditions. * gasps * wow just wow, I could never saw that coming. SUCH A GREAT TWIST. you know a twist is good when the guy you always knew was evil turns out to be, *gasps* actually evil.



Now don't get me wrong, there were some good parts. I liked the first twist with Corrick, and I liked the romance in the beginning, and like I said, the book is very readable. But it lost its readability when I saw all the flaws, and I can't ship a couple if I don't like neither of them. So basically, all the good things lost their value by the end of this book.

Loved this! I mean I like my characters morally grey and this was as a dark and twisty as you could get!.

Loosely (very loosely) based on the Robin Hood story of outlaws robbing the rich to save the poor - Tessa and Wes are brave outlaws who steal medicine that is being hoarded and only the rich can afford to save the people dying of a mysterious illness. Corrick is the cruel prince who has to be the King’s Justice and do all the nasty things needed to keep the country in line for his potentially ill brother.

I love almost everything about this book, it is filled with political intrigue and maneuverings, a slow burn heated romance, and awesome characters. I loved Corrick - you can see that he will do whatever it takes to protect his brother and the Kingdom, but some of the abhorrent things he’s forced to do, kills something inside him. Even Harriston for the brief times we see and interact with him is interrsting and charismatic. It is hard to say who the bad guys are as no one is totally evil or completely clean. I was so caught up in this book I couldn’t put it down till I finished at 5am in the morning. I can’t wait for the next book to come out so I can dive back in and see where the stories go.

4.5 stars overall - I had to deduct some marks because some things were super obvious from the start, and is there isn’t enough clarity about some of the reasons behind certain machinations from the Consuls. I guess that’s what Book 2 is for.

ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL!!

This book provided a much needed escape to another world and transports the reader into its universe

As a fever sweeps through kandala, tessa and Wes, a pair of outlaws who provide much needed medicine to people who can’t afford it go under the cover of night to deliver them. However neither of them know who each other truly is.

I absolutely loved this book, Brigid kemmerer is one of my favourite authors and she has well and truly excelled herself this time. I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone and everyone

*a big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review *

Ok I need book two please. I need to know what happens next.

Another fantastic world, full of brilliant characters created by Brigid Kemmerer. I was invested in their story from the beginning and loved the ‘Robin Hood’ steal from the rich to give to the poor feel it had. There were quite a few plot twists, most of which I guessed which did not in any way spoil my enjoyment of this book.

The writing was fantastic and I loved the dual POVs which gave us an insight into the political intrigue and backstabbing going on in the Royal Sector whilst still allowing us to see the struggles in the Wilds.

I loved the dynamics between Tessa/Wes, Corrick/Harristan, Quint and everyone! These relationships were complex and emotional and really made me feel like nothing is ever as it seems and that until you know both sides of the story, it’s hard to make a true judgment.

I have to admit that I really did love Corrick, I can’t say why without giving too much away but he was definitely my favourite character.

An amazing fantasy full of intrigue, corruption, loyalty and selflessness, Defy the Night is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2021 so far.

I really enjoyed the Curse Breakers Series by Brigid Kemmerer and I was not disappointed with this new series.

Tessa is an outlaw that helps people receive the medicine they need to cure The Fever with her partner Wes. She thinks that the King and his brother should be overthrown as they are very cruel with their punishments. When Wes is killed on one of their runs to get the supplies they need Tessa does not know what to do.

Tessa ends up in the Palace where she finds things are not what they seem and is Wes still alive.

Prince Carrick is known for being very cruel to prisoners but this is just an act - he really wants to be loved by the people and help them - can he achieve this and what will he need to sacrifice

I loved the two main characters and how they had to challenge what they believed and try and work together for the good of the people.

While I've loved Brigid's work in the past, particularly her contemporary titles, I was a little hesitant about Defy the Night - A Curse so Dark and Lonely intrigued me, but didn't really grip me enough and I'm afraid to say Defy the Night didn't either. While I liked Tessa and Corrick, and it was refreshing to see a supportive royal brotherly relationship in a fantasy series, there wasn't enough worldbuilding to my tastes; her work is very character-focused and I always feel fantasy needs that as well as strong, original worldbuilding. I think possibly I also wasn't as enamored with this as I'm tired of the 'one girl overthrows a corrupt regime' trope, but I can see that there are elements to this that other readers will go crazy for - mainly the central romance.

I didn’t really like the previous series written by the author but felt since this was a new series I should give it a good. The characters felt flat and I don’t love the writing style. Honestly just don’t think I’m the biggest fan of this authors books.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing UK and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Kemmerer’s previous series, The Cursebreaker Series but I didn’t LOVE it. It was a solid YA offering but didn’t blow my mind, so my expectations were broadly similar for this book although the premise sounded a little more up my street.

What I liked about this book straight away was the fact that the heroine, Tessa, isn’t a picture-perfect, morally flawless heroine. She comes from a difficult background; she has her own trauma, and she makes questionable choices sometimes and I felt like this translated into her character really well. I also really liked the whole Robin Hood vibe going on with Tessa and Weston, her partner in crime and their dynamic of stealing from the rich to help the poor. I thought Tessa was a multi-layered heroine and it would have been really easy for her to be preachy and sanctimonious considering her characters' motivations but there was a simplicity to her character and a genuine kindness I liked.

The book also contains another character point of view, that of Prince Corrigan who is the younger brother of the current king. Corrigan has a terrible reputation for being brutal and cruel to his subjects. He acts as a kind of Hand to the King type of idea and through his point of view, we get an insight into his inner conflict and turmoil about what he feels he is duty-bound to do and the burdens he has to take on so that his brother does not have to. I like that kind of dichotomy between his public face of strict brutality and his inner conflict.

I liked that there were examples of morally grey characters, even the villain type characters and by getting to glimpse their points of view we as the reader can gain an understanding that it’s not always as simple as good guys vs bad which makes the characterisation a bit more nuanced and more interesting to read. If you like your characters morally black or white then you might not appreciate this aspect of the book so much, but I liked the fact that it wasn’t always obvious who was on the right path or not. The morally grey aspects of the characters also linked into the wider rebellion plot line as it wasn’t simply a case of there being some bad guys and some good guys, each side in the conflict had its credible arguments as to whether or not they are in the right which made it just that bit more challenging as a reader to reflect on your thoughts and feelings about what makes something right or wrong, and why.

The crux of this story relates to a mysterious illness, a kind of fever, that is spreading through the population. The fever affects rich and poor alike with no obvious cause and the only thing that eases it is a type of flower. As would undoubtedly happen in real life, the rich have better access to this flower than the poor despite strict rationing. Tessa is a skilled apothecary who can process the petals and find better ways to administer them to people. This is highly illegal so she and Weston are taking a huge risk to steal this, often making forays into the royal quarter. The parts of the city are strictly segregated economically and by class.

The story has an old school adventure feel to it and manages to balance going to some pretty dark places without descending into grimdark misery even though there are some genuinely shocking and violent moments in the book.

There are some really nice little tricksy twists in this book and there were things I genuinely didn’t see coming. If you read a lot of YA books you know surprises can be quite difficult to pull off because there is sometimes a kind of predictability in these kinds of stories but there were a few events that caught me out which added to the fun.

There is a romance element in the story too and I think this was done well. I like a good romance in a YA book and the one in this book is enjoyable without overtaking the entire story. I liked the way it played out and I’m interested to see where the characters go next. I’m being deliberately vague here, once you read the book you will realise why!

Even though the book is being set up as a series, I think it stands on its own merits. It doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger which is nice because I’m more than a little tired of every book ending on a blood cliff-hanger recently. There are still lots of plot lines to be tied up and individual character stories to bring forward into future books but were you to only read this book and not the rest of the series I think you would still be able to enjoy it and get a lot out of the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and was pleasantly surprised by it and I didn’t expect that it was going to be as good as it was so that was a nice surprise. Roll on the next book!

This is such an amazing read and an amazing start to a new series. Set in a world succumbed to a mysterious illness, it has all the elements you need to make a perfect book romance, betrayal, heart aching truths and best of all comedy. This book is perfect for fans of Red Queen and Throne of Glass. Main character Tessa is our very own dystopian Robin Hood making her extremely loveable. This world is built without the help of magic or powers letting us readers relate to the struggles of the characters a bit more. The dual point of views gives us a great way of giving a sense of time and place, it has a real feel of the time with references to clothing and music.

Being fully packed with emotions and action this is a fantastic read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Once I started it I could not put it down. This is a book that I think would appeal to readers of ‘BookTok’ and fantasy fans. This is a book that I would highly recommend and it has quickly made its way into my top books list of this year and straight into my heart. I also think this would be a great Book Club read, there are many things that would make some great discussion points.

Brigid Kemmerer did a wonderful job with this one and I can’t wait to read her future work!

YES! I am all for this book.
I absolutely love Kemmerer's writing and very quickly fell in love with Tessa and Wes. Both characters are strong and proud but both have their insecurities and doubts and they were just perfect characters. Enemies to lovers is a trope that I ADORE so of course this book was straight up my alley. Kemmerer has once again (because I love the A Curse So Dark And Lonely series) created a world that sound so real and makes me want to visit. I devoured this book in just over two days and it was so worth it. And can I just say ... that plot twist! Ooft, that is going to leave some people SHOOK!
Absolutely loved this and cannot wait to read more from Kemmerer.

I was grabbed instantly by this retelling of Robin Hood. The characters were likeable and complex; I felt compelled to keep reading to find out what happened to them and their relationships. The plot was well paced and exciting. There was a good amount of action, romance and introspection throughout. Really enjoyed it - looking forward to seeing what Kemmerer does next with this series!

Who doesn’t like masked outlaws who rob from the rich and give to the poor? Particularly when the poor just need medicine to stay alive. Our protagonists, Tessa and Wes, are the epitome of this, stealing medicine and food, and distributing it to those who need it most. Night after night they make their rounds and save as many as they can. But the sickness is getting worse. And the medicine is more and more of a risk to procure in the castle grounds.
When Wes is captured and killed, Tessa risks all to sneak into the castle but for what, she is not sure. Assassinate the king? Spark more of a rebellion? But everything goes badly awry when she is captured by the horrific Prince Corrick, and she is forced to work alongside the royal brothers to try and save the kingdom. But all is not what it seems.
This story had an air of Robin Hood from the very start, and perhaps worked in underlying fears from the 2020 pandemic. The writing style kept me engaged, switching viewpoints from one character to another, keeping you on your toes. Kemmerer’s descriptive writing was also spot on, not too over used, yet really had you visualising the contents of tables, imagining you could see just what the precious moonflower looked like, and more. I welcome the next in this series, as I can see it being popular!
*I received this book for review from NetGally but all opinions are my own.

Okay, I'm ready to review. I think this could have very easily been a five-star read and I feel like my rating might change whenever I reread this. Because I will definitely be rereading this. In all honesty, this is one of those books which you read in one sitting.

I've read this whole book in two sittings and I really enjoyed myself. Kemmerer is amazing at creating amazing characters that you really root for and without spoiling anything, I fell in love with Tessa, Corrick & a whole vast of other characters. I liked the setting and I think this is a great start to a series though I am very, very nervous and excited about book 2.

Unfortunately, I wasn't really surprised by the big plot twists in the book. I saw them coming but it didn't really bother me because there were a lot of tense moments so that worked out okay. I do hope I'll be more surprised with elements in book 2 though!

Overall, I do think that this was a great book #1, am very intrigued to see where Kemmerer goes with this and would recommend! I'll definitely be rereading this soon!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

think game of thrones, robin hood and covid19 rolled into one and you get the gist of this book

wes and tessa steal the moonflowers to help the sick, though they risk their lives doing this on a nightly basis

the king and his brother rule with an iron fist and punish all rebels and thieves...

but one night wes never comes back from stealing the moonflowers and from that day on tess life changes

and with the rebels in uproar its not long before it all come to ahead

really enjoyed this book it does have a hint of all three game of thrones, robin hood and covid all rolled into one story and it gelled really well together...i for one cant wait for the next book in this series

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works as i really enjoyed the style of writing that flowed and her characterisation were spot on, there were characters to cheer for and boo

This was such an enjoyable read for me.
I could tell I would love it from the first few chapters.
I adored the idea of a ‘Robin Hood’ retelling, taking from the rich to give to the poor, a fantastic retelling. Throw in some hidden identities, found family, morally grey characters and a YA romance and what wasn’t to love? I was hooked!!

I completely loved the plot to this book, the premise is really unique, there are shock events, little twists and turns and there never seemed a dull moment.
I did guess at the revel at the end but there was so much to the plot and the adventure that this didn’t effect enjoyment at all.

The character backgrounds and stories really made me feel, more than any book Iv read recently. Emotions such as love, deceit, loathing and scepticism were all detailed so well that I really felt what the characters were feeling. Characters you love, love to hate, hero’s and heroins as well as rebels and royalty, this book has it all and they are all placed in a richly build world that you feel so emerged in thanks to the writing style.

I do have one pet peeve that showed itself on this book and that is the amount of crying the female protagonist does.
I understand this is a YA book, characters will be more vulnerable, have less life experience and generally aren’t as mature as a character you would find in fiction or new adult books but she really did cry an awful lot.
A small criticism for an over all fantastic book. It fits it’s audience well and was a most enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Brigid Kemmerer and Bloomsbury publishing for sending me an ecopy of Defy the Night in exchange for my honest review.

I went in to this with high expectations, because I love Brigid Kemmerers other books. I can tell you I was not disappointed!! Such an amazing book that had me hooked from the start

Brigid Kemmerer is a favourite author of mine, I've always admired how she can write in both of the contemporary and fantasy genres.
This story definitely feels like it's setting up the world and political climate so it was a little slower action wise so that may be something to take into account if you are a more plot driven reader.
I enjoyed our main characters but at the same time I didn't feel overly invested in them, I think they're still in the process of having their character arcs established and fleshed out.

There was definitely an element of romance to this new story as in her previous books, but I don't think it over powered the rest of the plot and I enjoyed that it was more of a slow burn.
Some of the plot reveals were a little easy to see if you read a lot of fantasy but it was still a highly enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next

I absolutely loved Defy The Night. Tessa and Wes/Corrick were brilliant and came alive on the pages of this story. I felt all their emotional turmoil and I loved the secondary characters of Quint and Harristan as well. The writing was superbly done and the descriptions were perfect for me. The entire kingdom was brought to life on the pages and I found myself gripped from start to finish. I can't wait to see where this series goes and read more from this very talented author.