Summary
From New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer comes a blockbuster 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.
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.
Book Facts
Published: September 2021
Genre: Fantasy
Format: e-ARC
Review
You know when you start a book and you don’t really have that much expectation for it is like shaking I guess is the best way I can put. Well this was me when Starting Defy the Night.
I was so blown away by this story. It’s very different to anything else I’ve read recently. I love the intrigue and the adventure. It was such a journey! So many twists and turns I was on the edge of my seat!!
This book is told in the duel perspectives of Tessa and King Corrick. Which I really liked, I feel like I get a much more whole story when you get perspectives from both of the main characters. I enjoyed Tessa and Corrick’s characters I thought they were well developed and I enjoyed their interactions.
Now there is a little twist in the first quarter of this book that I did guess pretty early on. I also figured out most of where the plot was going early on but I did not hinder my enjoyment, to be honest, it only made it more intriguing.
Overall this as a fantastic read, it was my first by Brigid but it certainly won’t be my last.
My Rating: 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
About the Author
Brigid Kemmerer is the New York Times bestselling author of dark and alluring Young Adult novels like A Curse So Dark and Lonely, More Than We Can Tell, and Letters to the Lost (Bloomsbury), as well as paranormal YA stories like The Elemental Series and Thicker Than Water (Kensington). A full time writer, Brigid lives in the Baltimore area with her husband, her boys, her dog, and her cat. When she’s not writing or being a mommy, you can usually find her with her hands wrapped around a barbell.
Books & Other Pursuits 