Defend The Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer Review

Title: Defend The Dawn

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 448

Release Date: 20 September 2022

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Hello fellow book lovers, today I’m sharing my review for Defend The Dawn the hotly anticipated sequel to Defy The Night from bestselling author, Brigid Kemmerer. If you love whirlwind and action-packed, YA fantasy then I highly recommend checking this series out.

Synopsis

The kingdom of Kandala narrowly avoided catastrophe, but the embers of revolution still simmer. While King Harristan seeks a new way to lead, Tessa and Prince Corrick attempt to foster unity between rebels and royals.

But the consuls who control the Moonflower will not back down, and Corrick realizes he must find a new source for the lifesaving Elixir. When an emissary from the neighboring kingdom of Ostriary arrives with an intriguing offer, Tessa and Corrick set out on an uncertain journey as they attempt to mend their own fractured relationship. This could be their only chance to keep the peace and bring relief to the people of Kandala, but danger strikes during the journey to Ostriary, and no one is who they claimed to be. . .

Review

The heart-stoppingly electric sequel to Defy The Night is just as addictive as its predecessor. With a whirlwind plot and compellingly complex characters I couldn’t get enough of this breathtaking tale of love, duty and revolution.

I loved every action packed and plot twisty second of this! It a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, the world building is phenomenally detailed and the writing was just as masterful as the first.

There’s plenty of action in this multiple-POV fantasy which alternates between the Tessa, Prince Corrick and a mysterious new outlaw whose identity I definitely didn’t see coming!

The relationship between Tessa and Corrick which I loved soo much in Defy The Night, definitely hits a rocky patch as Tessa (conflicted in her feelings for Corrick) is still trying to come to terms with her feelings for the prince and the rebel boy she fell in love with.

The conflict is definitely exacerbated by the arrival of dashing sea captain, Rian with his optimistic views and disparaging opinion of Corrick. He’s very charismatic, confident, and for the most part I really liked him, but at times, he was a little annoying—though maybe that’s due to how much I loved Corrick (who he clearly disliked.)

Corrick’s actions throughout weren’t much better and it did get a little frustrating watching the angsty, almost love triangle dynamics unfold. I did however enjoy seeing more of Corrick’s brother, Harristan who really came into his own as a character—he definitely felt more fleshed out in this book than he did previously and I can’t wait to see more of him.

The non-stop twists and shocking turns we encounter more than made up for all that angst, and my opinions on certain characters (and their motivations) were constantly changing— I definitely spent the last half on the edge of my seat.

Overall, a really enjoyable and thrilling continuation of Defy The Night that fans of Kemmerer’s Cursebreakers trilogy definitely don’t want to miss. If you enjoy plot twisty YA fantasy with a healthy dose of romance then I definitely recommend checking this (and the first book) out.

Also,a massive thank you to Bloomsbury UK and Netgalley for the e-arc.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

About The Author

Brigid Kemmerer is the New York Timesbestselling author of dark and alluring Young Adult novels like Defy the Night, 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 cats. When she’s not writing or being a mommy, you can usually find her with her hands wrapped around a barbell.