Early Review – Defend the Dawn (Defy the Night, Book 2) by Brigid Kemmerer (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 440 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Release Date: September 20, 2022
ASIN: B09ZG5TKW7
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Defy the Night trilogy
Source: eGalley from NetGalley for Review
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Tessa Cade has gone from masked outlaw to palace advisor, but even with her newfound power, she can’t stop the sickness still raging. And the kingdom’s supply of Moonflower elixir dwindles all the while. Prince Corrick is trying to find a new way to lead, but it isn’t easy to repair the rift between the royals and the people–or the one growing between himself and Tessa.
When an emissary from a neighboring kingdom arrives with an intriguing offer, Tessa and Corrick set out on an uncertain journey to find a new source of the lifesaving elixir. But with tensions brewing on deck and the sea swirling below, Tessa and Corrick must decide who they can trust–including each other. But they’re shocked to discover that a craven betrayal may be much closer than they think . . .”
Series Info/Source: This is the second book in the Defy the Night trilogy. I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: This starts very slow, the first quarter of the book is all twisty turny politics and sitting through meetings with our characters. Once the emissary from a new country comes things pick up pace quite a bit and we go into more of an adventure mode. The story switches POV between Tessa, Corrick, and a mysterious outlaw. I was very engaged in the second half of the book but a bit bored by the first half.
There are some excellent new characters introduced here as well. The romance between Tessa and Corrick is a bit on again and was irritating at times. However, some of the new characters added made up for this.
I continue to love Kemmerer’s writing style, it flows well and is easy to read. I ended up reading this book in just a few sittings. I am excited to see how the story wraps up in the final book and hope the third book is action-packed rather than boardroom politic heavy.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this starts a bit slow and politics-heavy, but picks up in the second half and ends up being a very good read. I read this very quickly and found it engaging. I continue to really enjoy Kemmerer’s writing style, her world-building, and her characters. I would recommend this series to those who enjoy YA fantasy with politics and adventure.
