Kemmerer’s second installment in the Defy the Night series finds the kingdom of Kandala desperate for the Moonflowers that are needed to keep its people alive. When a stranger arrives from Ostriary with an offer to trade the precious moonflower plants for steel, the king agrees to send his brother Corrick along with Tessa, the apothecary, to secure a deal.

The emissary from Ostriary , Rian, has a questionable past and Corrick is skeptical of his motives. As they sail to Ostriary to finalize the agreement, they are chased by other ships. There’s also serious problems navigating the dangerous waters. Contrary to Corrick’s doubts, Tessa believes in Rian’s stated intentions and this causes a strain between the pair. Tension builds as readers wonder if a deal will ever be made and the much-needed moonflowers secured. One wonders who is right and if Rian can be trusted.

The mystery of just who Rian represents and the validity of the deal keep, the suspense intense. The interactions between Corrick, Tessa and Rian add some spice to the growing unease. Readers may wish to shake Corrick for his self-imposed distancing from the girl he clearly has feelings for. So much is at stake and this makes the book hard to put down.

True to her writing style, there’s a cliffhanger that will leave everyone pining for the next title to be released as soon as possible. This is another wonderful offering from an author who creates riveting characters and breakneck action.
4.5*

I loved Defy the Night so I was super excited for this next book, and as usual, Brigid didn’t disappoint. When the first one ended I really wondered where she was going to go with the story! I loved the new characters, although I could have done without the cliffhanger, JEEZ. I also loved the different POV’s! I always love hearing from different points of view, and hearing from Corrick was really awesome. If you are a fan of Brigid, and enjoyed the first one, please pick this up! And if you haven’t you really should!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Poor Tessa! I don't know if she's being gaslit. If I'm being gaslit. If everyone is out for themselves. And nothing is what it seems. In other words, I LOVED IT!!! However, I thought this was going to be a duology. So now I'm depressed.

What a ride this book was! I thought I had it all figured out but this author knows how to keep me on my toes and a grin on my face, just admiring how well she crafted this plot. It’s definitely one of the best sequels I have read this year!

The book is written in the same way as the first, multiple point-of-views with one being a mysterious character. I thought this was well done again and I was guessing for quite some time on who the mysterious character could be. It wasn’t until some clues were given that it all clicked! I liked seeing a different side to that character.

The other characters were just as great as they were in the first book. Tessa and Corrick are very sweet together but there relationship is definitely tested. I can understand where both are coming from. They are both trying to figure themselves out as well as learn to navigate this budding relationship they have found themselves in after the masks have come off. It’s harsh waters ahead but they do manage to keep their heads up.

New characters are introduced and I couldn’t help but take a liking to a certain captain! He was very charming and a sailor. What isn’t there to like?

There was a lot to unpack from the beginning to the end. After the first book ended, I wasn’t sure what to expect with the sequel. It felt like everything kind of wrapped up, but I was wrong. There is still a lot going on when it comes to the medicine, rebels, and politics. I was very much shocked when certain events happened and the last 25% was very intense!

A few of the plotlines, mostly one in particular, were kind of eh and I still don’t know how I feel about the pulling and tugging that happened for the particular one.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I loved reading about these characters once again and meeting the newer ones. It was a fun adventure and I can’t wait to see how the rest unfolds in the next book.

I loved this installment! The palace intrigue and politics and new characters really took this story to new heights. Kemmerer did a fantastic job with the world building and it kept me interested. I devoured this in just a couple of sittings because the pacing was so perfect and I just needed to know how everything was going to pan out. I cannot wait for the next one! Tessa and Corrick are some of my newest favorite characters.

I loved this sequel so much!! I loved Corrick’s POV in this one. We really got to see a different side of him and it was so humbling for his character. Tessa on the other hand did frustrate me a lot this book. I also really loved the Outlaw’s chapters as well. The ending of this book had my anxiety on high and that cliff hanger really did me in! I need the next book asap!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Bridget Kemmerer for an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Book 1, Defy the Night, has been my favorite read all year of the 135 books I’ve read so far. So when I got approved for this ARC I was so excited to get to read book 2 early.

When I read the first chapter and it was a brand new POV. I was worried this book would be like book 2 in the curse so dark and lonely series. But, then we got Tessa’s POV and I relaxed and got into the story.

And wow this book was amazing. Not as good as the first, but it was so close.

I loved seeing Tessa and Corrick’s relationship grow throughout the book. I am glad there was some conflict between them because it made me even more happy when they finally got together.

That ending was brutal, If I had been reading a physical book, I would’ve thrown it at the wall. But I won’t do that to my kindle. Bridget really knows how to write a distressing cliffhanger. The book ends with the 3 main characters Tessa, Corrick and Harristan all in separate places facing their own issues.

I can’t wait for book 3 and to see how these characters find a way out of their current places and back together.

CONTENT WARNING: violence, murder, blood, mention of torture

I was on the fence about the first book in this series, Defy the Night. It was a bit heavy on the tropes, and it was fairly predictable, but I was willing to continue reading the series to find out what happened. I did enjoy the politics of the world, and after living through a pandemic, it wasn’t a stretch of the imagination to see how easily society can break down when faced with an unexplainable illness.

Tessa is becoming more of an actualized character rather than a collection of tropes. She’s now torn between two worlds, wanting to help people but forced into life at the palace to try to create change on a bigger level. However, it doesn’t seem to be making the changes she had hoped for. It’s also forcing her relationship with Corrick to change as well, and not for the better. Instead of having the freedom to act on their feelings, they’re pushed to hide how they feel, so that it doesn’t interfere with her professional integrity.

Corrick is working to change also. Instead of hiding behind his mask as “Cruel Corrick,” he’s realizing that he has to become more approachable and actually work with his people, rather than making them fear him. However, it’s also causing new issues, as his kingdom is facing rising threats and a new opportunity may not be all it appears to be. I loved his character growth in this book, and can’t wait to see where his arc takes him.

“Choices never seem like choices when the world only offers us bad ones.”

As Tessa and Corrick board a ship offering a potential new avenue for growth and opportunity, they have their reservations. They’re a great pair, since Tessa is all naïve and trusting, while Corrick is all cynicism, and they’ll have to work together to find a happy medium. They are able to discuss rationally a lot of the time and see each other’s point of view, even if it takes some time for the words to sink in once the emotional impact of the conversation fades.

The plot twists weren’t as surprising as I’d have hoped, and a lot of them were visible from a mile away. However, a few of them did blindside me. In addition, for a book that is nearly 500 pages, I read through this extremely quickly, and it’s a fast and enjoyable read.

I’m actually glad that I did continue reading. This story was more enjoyable that the first book, and that was partly because I was more invested in the characters, who became more introspective and willing to grow in this book, and partly because it relied less on the same tropes as the last book. Although it was still a little too predictable for my liking, I still found myself liking the read and I’m looking forward to the next book.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.

Nothing short of obsession is what I feel for Defy the Night. (I have seven copies of the book and counting. I’ve also read it twice in the span of less than three months last year.) So when given the chance to read Defend the Dawn in advance, you can bet that I dropped everything and read it asap.

I have missed this world so much! It’s so easy to fall back in love with the world and the characters and the author’s addictive writing.

I love that we are slowly getting introduced to the vast world and places beyond Kandala. We see a lot of new faces and reunite with many old ones. I found myself not knowing who to trust and constantly changing my mind about some of the characters. I was never not worried for Corrick, Tessa and Harristan.

This sequel throws us a lot of curveballs. (Some I didn’t expect and some I saw coming.)

Don’t even get me started on the ending. It had me desperately turning pages hoping for a few more chapters. Why?! Why would you do this to us, Ms. Brigid?!

Quint is still my favorite. I love that it’s heating up between Tessa and Corrick. (What can I say? I live for romance and banter!) Harristan’s last words gave me goosebumps. Rian… I don’t know. There’s a part of me that wants to like him and yet a part of me is just content to… kind of, maybe, on principle, hate him?

I still stand by what I said– Corrick and Harristan will give Sam and Dean a run for their money. I love both of them so much! The things they did and the things they’re willing to do for each other… The love they have for each other that is subtle yet immense… if I could fight their battles for them, I would. I just want to hug them and never let them go. No one deserves a break more than they do.

Defend the Dawn isn’t even out yet and I’m already more than willing to exchange my firstborn for the third (and final?) book. (Or maybe just beg the author or the publisher to give it to me? Please?)

This kept me up until 2:30AM - thoroughly loved it. I missed this cast of characters, and being back in Kandala was fun, and Kemmerer definitely had me swooning over a certain seafaring Captain who might have stolen my heart just a bit.
Definitely recommend!

Suffered a little from second book syndrome but still great! I absolutely adore these characters and I can’t wait to read more.

This picks up where Defy the Night leaves off, and it does not give you time to take a breath. Almost immediately we find ourselves smack in the middle of court politics, which both Corrick and Harristan are having a difficult time maneuvering. New characters are introduced, and we get a hint of a possible love triangle. But things (or should I say, people) are not what they seem, and secrets are revealed. For the first time as well, we see the brothers apart, and there is a lot of character growth in this 2nd installment. I'm happy to say, this doesn't suffer from the second book slump, you can tell this wasn't a duology that was merely stretched to be a trilogy/series. If any, it captures and sustains your interest more, and I for one, can't wait to read the next book!

I will be honest the first half was a little slow for me but the second half and that ending made it all worth it!
We get plenty of Tessa and Corrick and even better we have a 3rd POV, that I absolutely loved, called the fox.
The fevers are a continuing problem in the kingdom of Kandala and a new solution to access of more moonflower gets presented. Corrick and Tessa must go on a journey that will test their trust in one another.
Great twists, exciting action and betrayals. and a touch of romance.
Looking forward to seeing what happens in the next installment.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Full disclosure, I did not realize this was the second installment of a series when I started it 😅 but it became clear pretty quickly that I had missed Tessa and West’s story. Even though I know that I’m aware of the “twist” I still fully intend to read the first book sometime soon!

Most likely because I didn’t read Book 1, Defend the Dawn started a bit slow for me as I was trying to figure out who everyone was and what role they played in the story. Once I got my bearings, I slowly started to fall for the characters.

While the concept this series is capturing isnt 100% unique, the author tells the story very well and I really loved the story telling when they boarded the ship.

I loved the first book so I was very excited to get my hands on the sequel. It took me a while to get into, but the second half of the book hooked me. There were so many twists ESPECIALLY with Harristan, and I really enjoyed the new characters (Rian is my new fictional crush). I love a good pirate ocean adventure story so this was such a fun and entertaining read. The cliffhanger at the end was insane and I have no clue how I am going to wait another year for the next book.

At the end of the day, this series is one of the most consistently entertaining for me in YA fantasy right now, perfectly blending action, romance, and political intrigue. I enjoyed every second of reading Defy the Night and then again every second of Defend the Dawn, and I cannot WAIT for the next book.

There is something to be said for a book that I consumed in under 24 hours, which I absolutely did the second this showed up on my kindle (Thanks to Bloomsbury, Netgalley, and my fantasy frenemy fairy godmothers for my giveaway win). I feel like Brigid Kemmerer knows what works in her books, which is a lot of political rivalry, people sneaking around in disguises that it feels should be obvious to everyone but somehow aren't, and the constant angst of romance (that somehow gets disrupted obviously).

Defend the Dawn plays with all of these strengths, taking most of the action to sea, where Tessa and Corrick are trusting an emissary from another land to supply them with more of the Moonflower antidote for the sickness riddling their kingdom. Corrick continues to choose violence, Tessa continues to wish Corrick would not choose violence and become a better man, and Harristan...welll...you'll see!

There are new fun characters, there's a lot going on, and I also really liked the development of the plot in this book.

I have a few criticisms: I think we could have gotten there a little faster with some of the plot twists, and seen how the characters reacted to them in this book, rather than waiting for Book 3. I also think there's a lot here that doesn't necessarily feel incredibly original, but I don't mean that to say that Kemmerer is ripping anyone off. I think she chooses some popular tropes and does a great job with them. This isn't going to be the most literary fantasy you read, but it is just a lot of fun.

Also. Tessa's last line in this book...YES.

Just like Defy the Night, in Defend the Dawn, Brigid Kemmerer takes the reader on a whirlwind journey through a foreign land filled with complicated politics, beautiful princes, and a raging illness that threatens to destroy what little peace is left. I want to keep this review spoiler-free, so I'll keep this review on the more vague side of things, but I will share a few things I absolutely adored about this book. First, I like how romance is a part of the plot, but it's not the whole plot! I also like how multi=layered the conflict is-- I am constantly being taken by the twists and turns. I loved this one and can't wait to read more by Kemmerer!

I was so excited to get this arc as I absolutely loved defy the night! However; this sequel was a bit disappointing for me. It felt sluggish and slow getting through it for a little bit of action and plot twist at the very end.. which wasn’t really worth it to me! I did think the writing was excellent and character development wonderful. What I didn’t like was how little the plot moved forward and the book mostly centered on politics and conversations moving towards decisions. I give this a 3.5 star

Ugghhhh now I have to wait for the next book, that cliffhanger just about killed me!!! Defend the Dawn is a continuation to Defy the Night. Corrick and Tessa set out on an adventure to possibly get more moonflower to save their country. Everything starts to go wrong and you can’t trust anyone. I also really enjoyed have the kings pov in this book as well. Excellent read and I’m dying to get the next one!! 5 stars!!!

Amazing sequel! Honestly one of my favorite reads of the year thus far. I really enjoyed it and was genuinely surprised by some of the twists. I feel like I am so rarely surprised these days by books so when a book genuinely surprises me I’d appreciate it. This book was very entertaining to read and I loved being able to see the progression of these characters in addition to meeting some new ones. I cannot wait for the next one and hope that it is just as thrilling!