Early Review – Defy the Night (Defy the Night, Book 1) by Brigid Kemmerer (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 496 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Release Date: September 14, 2021
ISBN-13: 978-1547604661
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Defy the Night series
Source: eGalley from NetGalley.com
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her people die. King Harristan and his cruel brother, Prince Corrick, ignore the suffering of their people and react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion, even as a sickness ravages the land. That’s why she and her best friend Wes risk their lives each night to steal the petals of the delicate Moonflower, the only known cure. But it’s not enough to keep everyone she loves safe-or alive.
When Prince Corrick commits an act of unspeakable cruelty, Tessa becomes desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace. But what she finds there makes her wonder if it’s even possible to fix their world without destroying it first.”
Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Defy the Night trilogy. I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: This was a well done fantasy that I really enjoyed. It goes back and forth between two characters; Tessa who works as an apothecary and Prince Corrick who is the King’s Justice.
The kingdom of Kandala is suffering a terrible sickness and only Moonflowers can cure it. Of course, the rich have better access to the Moonflowers than the poor. Tessa works with a mysterious man named Wes to steal Moonflowers from the rich and distribute them to the poor to prevent illness. Yes, there is a strong Robin Hood vibe here.
However, a series of events ends up with Tessa trying to breach the castle and getting caught. Suddenly she’s deeply entrenched in the complicated politics of a kingdom dying from fever.
This was very easy to read and decently written. The characters are very likable and easy to engage with and the world is well built out. My only complaint is that the plot is fairly predictable and the story is fairly simple (despite the politics woven in). The story feels decently tied up so I am curious to see what happens in the next book.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this is a well done YA fantasy; it has characters that are easy to relate to, is set in a well built fantasy world, and has some decent plot twists. It is fairly predictable and by the end of the story I felt the book was a bit long considering how little actually happened. However, it was a quick read and I enjoyed it overall.
