Defy the Night
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4.4 • 188 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Instant New York Times Bestseller!
From New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer comes an electrifying fantasy romance, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Victoria Aveyard.
A desperate prince.
A daring outlaw.
A dangerous flirtation.
In the Wilds of Kandala, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade has been watching people suffer for too long. A mysterious sickness is ravaging the land and the cure, Moonflower Elixir, is only available for the wealthy. So every night, she defies the royal edicts and sneaks out, stealing Moonflower petals and leaving the elixir for those in need.
In the palace of Kandala, Prince Corrick serves as the King's Justice, meting out vicious punishments and striking fear into the hearts of agitators and outlaws. Corrick knows he must play this role convincingly--with a shortage of elixir and threats of rebellion looming ever closer, the King's grip on power is tenuous at best, and Corrick knows his brother is the kingdom's best hope for survival.
But when an act of unspeakable cruelty brings the royal and the outlaw face to face, the natural enemies are faced with an impossible choice--and a surprising spark. Will they follow their instincts to destroy each other? Or will they save the kingdom together . . . and let that spark ignite?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This sweeping young-adult fantasy makes some sharp points about our own society—and serves up an exciting and empowering adventure tale. Tessa is an apothecary in training who, with her friend Wes, has managed to create an elixir to fend off the deadly fever that’s been plaguing the nation of Kandala. But there’s a catch. The treatment requires Moonflower petals, which are owned exclusively by the noble class—forcing Tessa and Wes to steal them to save their compatriots. This riveting novel pops with adventure, intrigue, shady politics, and double-dealings, and we were obsessed with Tessa’s breathtaking character development (and, yes, the swoony romance). The first book in Brigid Kemmerer’s Defy the Night series proves that seemingly ordinary people can become the beating heart of an epic story.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A new series starter from Kemmerer (A Curse So Dark and Lonely) centers on an illness that divides the kingdom of Kandala into those who can afford the Moonflower petal elixir that keeps the deadly fever at bay and those who cannot. By day, 18-year-old Tessa Cade, whose parents were killed by the King's night patrol, is an assistant apothecary; by night, though, she is a masked outlaw stealing petals to make elixirs for the poor. When Tessa's accomplice, Weston Lark, is killed by Prince Corrick, the King's Justice, she sneaks into King Harristan's palace for revenge. Discovered, Tessa bargains for her life with her knowledge of potions, assisting 19-year-old Prince Corrick in tracing the fever's trajectory. Political intrigue flourishes as the royal brothers battle outsider rebels and scheming counsels; Kemmerer presents intense moments of torture amid scenes rich with covert power plays and swoon-worthy romantic dialogue, and the positioning of Tessa as peacekeeper and nurse conforms to gender stereotypes. Switching between the perspectives of Tessa and Prince Corrick, the expansive plot promises a commanding sequel. Main characters are assumed white; many secondary characters are described as having dark skin. Ages 13–up.
Customer Reviews
5/5 and wow, holy plot twist
This book is good to great, then pretty soon the plot gets next level and it’s like WHOA!!! You think you know where this book is going, you think you’ve read something like this before—you are wrong. Amazing characters you love or love to hate or hate that you love, where not everyone is who they seem the more you learn about them. Plus a complex fantasy world and a realistic and intricate power struggle playing out at the castle while the people suffer in the kingdom. I couldn’t put this down
I Think I love whatever this Author writes
Love, love, loved! Loved the story and the whole Robin Hood like feel to it! Great plot, what a page turner! Finished it quickly and now I’m left waiting for the next book! Loved Tessa and Wes!! And Corrick! I think I just pretty much love whatever this Author writes!