Trigger warnings: Pandemic

6/10, looking back at this it wasn't one of the greatest fantasy reads ever and since then I have read better ones since then even though the concept was quite interesting, I only realised that this was book two in a trilogy but now I must read the first book called Defy the Night for more context, where do I begin. It starts off with the main characters Tessa and Corrick whom I can barely remember due to the way the author wrote them but anyways they are recovering from the events of the last book which I have no knowledge of whatsoever yet. There is this special thing called a Moonflower which cures the people of the kingdom of Kandala from some mysterious illness which has been plaguing them for quite a while now but the councilors have strict control, but I just don't know why. Tessa and Corrick are set on a quest to find a new source of Moonflower and that comes from another kingdom named Ostiary and I'm not sure whether the Kandalans? are happy with their King called King Harristan or not, I don't think that's explained that much but it's most likely that it's the former. The book dragged on for several hundred pages considering that it's 435, however in the end Tessa and Corrick returned to Kandala, I think there was a big battle ending this thing in a cliffhanger and I'm not sure if I want the next book coming soon in 2024.

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4.5 out of 5 stars

Well that was a cliff hanger and book #3 cannot come fast enough!

I don't want to include any spoilers so I will say that this book had unexpected twists and turns, a budding love story, betrayal, and intrigue. If you enjoyed Defy the Night, you need to read Defend the Dawn. You will not be disappointed. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is the second book in the Defy the Night trilogy. I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: This starts very slow, the first quarter of the book is all twisty turny politics and sitting through meetings with our characters. Once the emissary from a new country comes things pick up pace quite a bit and we go into more of an adventure mode. The story switches POV between Tessa, Corrick, and a mysterious outlaw. I was very engaged in the second half of the book but a bit bored by the first half.

There are some excellent new characters introduced here as well. The romance between Tessa and Corrick is a bit on again and was irritating at times. However, some of the new characters added made up for this.

I continue to love Kemmerer's writing style, it flows well and is easy to read. I ended up reading this book in just a few sittings. I am excited to see how the story wraps up in the final book and hope the third book is action-packed rather than boardroom politic heavy.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this starts a bit slow and politics-heavy, but picks up in the second half and ends up being a very good read. I read this very quickly and found it engaging. I continue to really enjoy Kemmerer's writing style, her world-building, and her characters. I would recommend this series to those who enjoy YA fantasy with politics and adventure. ( )