Defend the Dawn

by Brigid Kemmerer

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

A gorgeous fantasy world rich with danger, mystery and romance, Defend the Dawn continues the Defy the Night series in all the best ways. With an abundance of twists and romantic tension, this is the kind of romantasy series that has series sticking power.

In the eagerly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller Defy The Night author Brigid Kemmerer continues her electrifying series with more royal intrigue, more sizzling romance, and shocking twists that will leave readers breathless.

What will they sacrifice to save their kingdom?
Their honor?
Their love?
Their lives?

Tessa Cade has gone from masked outlaw to palace advisor, but even with her newfound power, she can't stop the sickness still raging. And the kingdom's supply of Moonflower elixir dwindles all the while. Prince Corrick is trying to find a new way to lead, but it isn't easy to repair the rift between the royals and the people—or the one growing between himself and Tessa.

When an emissary from a neighboring kingdom arrives with an intriguing offer, Tessa and Corrick set out on an uncertain journey to find a new source of the lifesaving elixir. But with tensions brewing on deck and the sea swirling below, Tessa and Corrick must decide who they can trust—including each other. But they're shocked to discover that a craven betrayal may be much closer than they think . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547613229
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	09/26/2023
Series:	Defy the Night Series , #2
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	14,174
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Brigid Kemmerer is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Defy the Night and Forging Silver into Stars and the New York Times bestselling Cursebreaker series, which includes A Curse So Dark and Lonely, A Heart So Fierce and Broken, and A Vow So Bold and Deadly, and Forging Silver into Stars. She has also written the contemporary young adult romances Call It What You Want, More Than We Can Tell, and Letters to the Lost, as well as paranormal young adult stories, including the Elemental series and Thicker Than Water. A full-time writer, Brigid lives in the Baltimore area with her family.
www.brigidkemmerer.com
@BrigidKemmerer

Editorial Reviews

Brigid Kemmerer has woven her compelling heroine into a kinetic tale of the tension between duty, love and trust.” —Cassandra Clare, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE LAST HOURS on DEFY THE NIGHT

“Immersive and engaging, Defy the Night is a romantic epic that blends magic and politics with a deft hand.” —Adrienne Young, New York Times Bestselling author of FABLE on DEFY THE NIGHT

“Defy the Night is a twisty, edge-of-your-seat fantasy that has it all—outlaws, court intrigue, rebellions, and romance. Addicting from page one!” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout on DEFY THE NIGHT

“A captivating combination of thrilling adventure, swoon-worthy romance, and royal intrigue, Defy the Night is everything I crave in a fantasy romance.” —Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series on DEFY THE NIGHT

“Defy the Night has everything you want in a story: a complex, dangerous world where anyone could be your enemy, a tortured hero, and my personal favorite: plenty of kissing. This book is unputdownable.” —Isabel Ibañez, author of WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT, a William C. Morris award finalist on DEFY THE NIGHT

“A high stakes fantasy with heart and originality. Kemmerer is a master of nuance and political intrigue, and readers will fall in love with her characters while they race through the pages.” —Elizabeth Lim, New York Times bestselling author of SPIN THE DAWN and SO THIS IS LOVE on DEFY THE NIGHT

“A breathtaking, tender, and fiercely page-turning story, Defy the Night has left me thinking and questioning, which is the best thing any book can do.” —Mary E. Pearson, New York Times bestselling author of THE REMNANT CHRONICLES on DEFY THE NIGHT

“A second volume that sets the scene for more to come.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The multifaceted cast of characters sparkles. . . . A foreboding twist on the tale of Robin Hood, Defy the Night is a promising series debut.” —Foreword Reviews, starred review, on DEFY THE NIGHT

“The slow-burn romance—between an idealist with straightforward moral beliefs and a pragmatist trapped by duty—will keep the pages turning, as will the scheming of the king's consuls and the rebellion brewing in the background . . . . The personal and the political intertwine in this engaging series opener.” —Kirkus Reviews, on DEFY THE NIGHT

“Kemmerer employs dual narration with a deft hand. . . . a page-turning read.” —BCCB, on DEFY THE NIGHT

“Defy the Night hits the ground running and never slows down. . . . Brigid Kemmerer takes readers on a breakneck journey about power, deceit and the price of progress. . . . Thoughtful, multifaceted and truly character-driven, Defy the Night is ultimately a hopeful story that shows how those who dare to envision a better future also have the power to make it a reality.” —Bookpage, on DEFY THE NIGHT

From the Publisher

11/01/2022

Gr 8 Up—After the events of Defy the Night, the country of Kandala is running out of Moonflower, an ingredient required to cure fever sickness. Tessa Cade has gone from Robin Hood—style Moonflower hunter to the Royal Apothecary, but her quest to find a new cure for fever sickness is in jeopardy until the neighboring nation of Ostriary comes into play. Dual points of view often go over the same plot points, slowing down the pace. The ending sets up more story, but for the moment the series remains a duology. The cast has a variety of skin tones. VERDICT A secondary purchase, unless Defy the Night is flying off your shelves.

School Library Journal

2022-06-08
As the Moonflower supply in Kandala dwindles, a ship arrives with a trade opportunity in this follow-up to Defy the Night (2021).

Moonflowers are critical for an elixir that cures the fever sickness. Prior to his assassination, King Lucas of Kandala sent a spy to neighboring Ostriary, whose connection with Kandala had been severed. Now Capt. Rian Blakemore arrives in Kandala claiming to be the spy’s son, offering Moonflowers in exchange for steel, and inviting a delegation to meet with the Ostrian king. Tessa Cade, outlaw-turned–royal apothecary, is eager to go. Since the invasion of the Royal Sector, Kandala’s King Harristan has attempted to negotiate better distribution of Moonflower petals to the poorer districts, but tension among the rebels, consuls, and royals has stalled progress. An alternate supply of Moonflowers would buy time for Tessa to find another cure. Her hope is countered by the cynicism of the King’s Justice, Prince Corrick. Nevertheless, he boards Blakemore’s ship along with Tessa and rebel leader Lochlan Cresswell. As Tessa and Corrick try to discern hidden motives and a possible trap, they reexamine their relationship, which gets tested by the mysterious captain. Chapters told in alternating perspectives draw out the plot at a measured pace, ending with a series of shocking revelations. The structure results in introspective accounts following different concurrent events, slowing the story’s forward momentum. Characters have varying skin tones.

A second volume that sets the scene for more to come. (map, cast of characters) (Fantasy. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews