Once Upon a Bibliophile

SERIES- Defy the Night trilogy

AUTHOR- Brigid Kemmerer

GENRE- romance, fantasy, dystopian elements

RATING- 4.5/5

Believe it or not, A Curse so Dark and Lonely wasn’t the beginning of the romantasy obsession, or even my Brigid Kemmerer obsession. Before my current phase, when my bookcase was stocked not with fantasy but with crime drama and romance, I picked up Defy the Night by complete chance.

And now, a few years later, here I am…

DEFY THE NIGHT

INDIVIDUAL RATING: 4.5/5

PLOT

In a kingdom where sickness stalks the streets and only the richest can afford a cure, King Harristan and his brother Prince Corrick are forced to rule with an iron fist. Tessa Cade is a masked outlaw marked for death, but she likes it that way. Together with the mysterious Weston, she robs from the rich to help the poor, distributing medicine to those who need it most.

As it becomes clear the only way to save her people is to assassinate the King, Tessa faces a deadly mission that will take her into the dark heart of the kingdom…and force her to work with the very people she intended to destroy.

MY THOUGHTS

I really like the plot of Defy the Night. At first impressions, it seems like a Robin Hood, good vs bad story. Instead, readers are given a tale of rebellion, but seen not from the eyes of the rebels but from the eyes of those in power. Defy the Night isn’t just a story of justice and survival, but one of courtly intrigue, politics and power.

And yet, despite all this, it retains the high stakes, romance and adventure that you would expect from a young adult fantasy.

It’s brilliant.

Finding these balances is what Brigid excels at. In ACSDAL, it’s the balance between romance and fantasy. In Defy the Night, it’s the balance between politics and action.

This balance is one that was really important to get right, as it could define the book’s tone. One wrong move and the tables could have turned. But instead of being one or the other- an adventure story or a political novel- it became a bit of both.

I think this was a really smart choice because it sets Defy the Night apart from many popular romantasies. The deviation from standard ‘good vs evil’ narratives while still retaining the idea of heroes and doing the right thing made Defy the Night a very unique story. I found it really refreshing to be viewing the rebellion from the POV of the person in power as opposed to the POV of a rebel.

I’m really glad that Brigid chose to add this side to Defy the Night. Like I said in my review of Sherwood, this side to the story brought the book to life. While the story did have that kind of fantastical storyline that is impossible to escape in romantasy, it did also feel real. Or, if not real, something I might believe if someone told me it had really happened.

And, in a way, I felt like it did really happen. Having, like many of us, lived through the Covid pandemic, I could very readily relate to the ‘fever’ plot. Of course, my Covid experience was, in reality, nothing like Defy the Night (I was 8; they were 18, for starters) but it felt easier to relate to and connect with the characters because of this.

However, that said, Brigid herself acknowledged that Defy the Night is not a ‘pandemic book’, and there are so many more things about Defy the Night that made it such an enjoyable read, and one that was easy to connect with.

For one, the outlaw trope is one that always appeals to me. I especially liked how Brigid portrayed Weston in the beginning. Because, yes I am a teenage girl, and when confronted with a handsome, mysterious, masked outlaw, there isn’t a lot I can do. ( and no, Friends, this doesn’t mean I’m in love with Wes, so don’t even start).

Another thing I enjoyed about Defy the Night is the element of courtly intrigue. I don’t read a lot of books like this (mainly because some part of my brain still believes that books with politics in are boring), and I found that I really liked this element of the story. I remember feeling bored during these parts when I first read it, but now I’m older I find that the cruel, cynical, backstabbing nature of the Kandalan court was possibly my favorite bit of the book. Again, it moved away from the quest and magic centered plots I’m used to, and it was a welcome change from physical battles. Instead, Defy the Night put a bit more focus on fighting in different ways- though this is explored more in Destroy the Day- and I enjoyed the lack of gore and violence.

In terms of characters, I think that Brigid did her usual amazing job of creating ones we can connect with. She fell back a little on the ‘tortured prince’ idea she used for Rhen in ACSDAL, but I think that it worked equally as well with Corrick. I liked his internal conflict between duty to his brother and the Crown, and his duty to Tessa and his people, and this kind of split loyalty created some great conflict between Corrick and the other characters.

Another thing I really really liked about Corrick was how many personalities he had. It felt like the further into the book you got, the closer you were to taking off Corrick’s last mask and seeing who he really was inside. As I’ve said in previous posts, complex characters are by far the best kind of characters.

Tessa was a great character as well, but overall, I did like Corrick more. Tessa just felt a little more generic, a little easier to understand. She’s such an open, earnest person that it didn’t take a lot to get to know her. I find that characters with multiple layers make for a much more entertaining read, so Tessa wasn’t really the best. However, once again, Brigid excelled in creating a strong female character without relying on physical strength and sass.

In conclusion, I think that Defy the Night was an amazing way to start the series and the characters and plot all showed Brigid’s usual high quality.

“Just for a moment, I close my eyes, lean into his touch, and remember what it was like when it was just the two of us against the night.”

Tessa Cade

DEFEND THE DAWN

INDIVIDUAL RATING: 3.5/5

PLOT

Revolution is simmering in the kingdom of Kandala. With sickness on the rise and supplies of the precious Moonflower cure running low, King Harristan and Prince Corrick must fight to maintain control. Tessa Cade had gone from masked outlaw to palace advisor- but she’s more determined than ever to help her people. When an emissary from the neighbouring kingdom of Ostriary arrives with an intriguing offer, Tessa must embark on an uncertain journey with Prince Corrick.

The voyage could be their only chance to save their kingdom- but it will hold untold danger for Tessa as she navigates perilous waters…and confronts her feelings for Corrick. No one is who they seem to be, and the consequences will be deadly.

MY THOUGHTS

One thing I didn’t enjoy very much about Destroy the Day is Rian. Or rather, I didn’t like how he tried to steal Tessa away from Corrick. I must admit, Defend the Dawn wasn’t my favorite of the three books.

I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as Defy the Night because it moved away from the original ‘outlaw vs. the fever’ idea. In Defend the Dawn, the scales of action/response tipped more in favour of character and relationship development, as opposed to action scenes. I am glad that Brigid took the time to develop the original characters’ relationships and introduce a new POV, but I felt like the book might have benefited from a few more action scenes. Most of the real drama happened at the end.

That said, I was so, so glad that Harristan’s POV was introduced in Defend the Dawn. It really brought an element of…newness? to the plot. I think that if Corrick and Tessa were the only POVs in Defend the Dawn, it wouldn’t have worked. Harristan’s plot re-kindled the old outlaw vibes of Defy the Night, and added some action to what might otherwise have been a very character-centered plot.

Defend the Dawn was a pretty risky book, because, like A Heart so Fierce and Broken, its purpose was to expand the plot in a new direction. This could have gone in two very different ways, so I’m glad that the plot did work out, and that it didn’t feel too separate from Defy the Night.

I liked how Brigid introduced Ostriary and Rian as a new storyline. It worked quite well to move the plot away from simply trying to survive the fever and it made a lot of plot twists and revelations possible.

However, I didn’t like how Rian was portrayed as the new enemy. I do understand why Brigid portrayed him this way, but it felt on the border on turning the book into something completely different from what you would expect from a Defy the Night sequel.

As I said before, the main selling point of Defend the Dawn was that Harristan has a POV. I feel like we’d been waiting for that since he first appeared in Defy the Night. Harristan is by far my favoire DtD character, and I just loved being able to finally get inside his stoic, kingly head.

And, despite my complaining about it earlier, I do appreciate that Brigid developed the Corrick/Tessa relationship. Conflict between love interests is unavoidable in a series, and Brigid did a great job in expanding on existing problems between the two, instead of just making something up.

All in all, I didn’t enjoy Defend the Dawn as much as Defy the Night. The transition between different plots and the focus on character development made it a much less engaging read. However, I very much enjoyed Harristan’s POV and am super glad that he got his own story.

‘ “Do forgive us for the delay,” I say, but I’m pretty sure my eyes say, ‘I’m about to push you into the dock’.

That spark of challenge lights in his gaze. “Forgiven, Your Highness.”

But his eyes say ‘go ahead and try’ .’

Prince Corrick (POV) and Captain Rian Balkemore

DESTROY THE DAY

INDIVIDUAL RATING: 4/5

PLOT

Prince Corrick is out of options. Held captive by the vicious Oren Crane, he’s desperate to reunite with Tessa, but will need to ally with the rebel leader Lochaln, who until now wished him dead.

An island away, Tessa Cade is heartbroken, angry and doesn’t know who to trust, Until Rian- the man she trusts least- makes her and offer: aid in a plot to finally oust Oren Crane, then see what the future holds.

Meanwhile in Kandala, Harristan is dethroned and on the run. He’s struggling to unite the rebels in his fractured kingdom, but he finds support- and maybe more- in unexpected places.

As outside threats loom and the fires of revolution burn in Kandala, time is running out to save their kingdom.

MY THOUGHTS

I liked Destroy the Day much much more than Defend the Dawn. It felt like the story had really settled into the new direction that the author took in Defend the Dawn. The characters added in the previous book became real fixtures, and Harristan’s POV now felt like a permanent and natural thing, instead of a novelty.

I think that, in terms of plot, it still didn’t live up to Defy the Night, but I did like how Tessa and Corrick were separated, and the author took this opportunity to dive into some themes of grief and love. However, I did kind of resent the fact that, once again, it moved away from the original ‘outlaws vs the fever’ in Corrick and Tessa’s POVs to focus a lot more on the conflict between Rian and Oren (which is really funny for me because oren is the Welsh word for orange and I just find it hilarious that one of the characters is called orange).

But, although I was a little bitter that Tessa and Corrick got a whole new plot, the fever and rebellion themes still stayed strong in Harristan’s POV, something I’m very grateful for.

Speaking of Harristan, I don’t want to ruin this for you guys, but he does meet a…significant other…in Destroy the Day and I LOVEDLOVEDLOVED it infinity times, caps locked and in bold. I adore the romances in Brigid Kemmerer’s novels.

Plus, despite my complaining about it, the new plot for Tessa and Corrick meant that they had plenty of opportunities to be romantic and wistful while they fought to be reunited. Which I loved.

Actually, I loved quite a lot of things in this book.

And Erik!

Erik!

My family are by now very sick of Erik.

Erik, also known as Rocco, is the best thing in Destroy the Day. He’s like Grey, but better, if that’s even possible. Because he’s funny. And I need funny.

Destroy the Day really excelled in introducing some new characters into the narrative. Or, rather, it excelled in expanding characters we knew on surface level. Erik, Lochlan and Rian came in to their own as characters in this book. True, we might have known them a little from Destroy the Day- or even from Defy the Night- but we never really knew them.

So I was super glad when Brigid decided to add more depth to these characters because it added so much more depth to the novel as well. No matter how much I love a group of characters, I will get sick of them if the entire series is focused solely on a few people. Adding new characters was the perfect way to keep people hooked to the bitter end.

“Dear Tessa,

I’m coming, my love.”

Corrick

CONCLUSION

I adore Defy the Night. Maybe the sequels weren’t as strong as the original, but that’s true for so many serieses that it isn’t too much of a hardship. As usual, Brigid’s characters were brilliant, and I loved the way she wasn’t afraid to step away from romantasy norms and add some royal intrigue and politics to the story.