When it was announced that Brigid Kemmerer‘s new series would be a Robin Hood retelling, I was immediately sold. Not only is she one of my all-time favourite authors, I’ve also been obsessed with the Robin Hood stories since childhood. Truth be told, Defy the Night turned out to be more a Robin Hood-“reimagined”-tale than a true retelling, but nevertheless, I quite enjoyed this adventurous start to this new trilogy.

Defy the Night

In Defy the Night, the kingdom of Kandala is facing a mysterious sickness that threatens to throw them into rebellion. An elixir of Moonflower petals might bring relieve, but as its supply is very limited, only the wealthy have access to it. Tessa, an apothecary, cannot stand it anymore and decides to steal the petals and distribute the elixir to those who need it the most. But this is a terrible risk to take seeing that the King and his cruel brother are constantly looking to punish all who dare cross them. Luckily for Tessa, she’s accompanied by the mysterious Wes on her nightly adventures. But the desperation of the people only continues to grow and Tessa finds herself sneaking into the palace…

Mind your mettle

As I mentioned, I had expected this story to be a Robin Hood retelling, but the only similarity is the theme of taking from the rich to give to the poor. Nevertheless, the story was entertaining and I also appreciated that this was a multi-POV book because it allows you to better get to know these characters.

I have to admit I wasn’t fully convinced by Tessa though. Somehow, I wasn’t able to make any real connection with her yet, I hope that will happen in the next book. I did much more like “the bad guys”, namely the King and the Prince. Strangely enough, maybe, they came across as more well-rounded than Tessa did. Wes, on the other hand, I didn’t appreciate that much either. He was a bit too one dimensional for me. Which is ironic given the plot, I know. (although I’m quite fond of his expression “Mind your mettle!”) So I’m hoping book two and three will help me fall in love with these characters more than book one did.

Brigid Kemmerer‘s writing style is as fluent as ever. Nevertheless, I noticed that she employed much more repetition than she normally does in this book. Seriously, I think I can recite the locations where the flowers grow in my sleep by now. I wonder why she felt the need to repeat this several times. It’s true that it’s a key point for the plot, but I don’t think it needed to be stressed that often. Same for the history of Traitor’s Landing.

I was a bit confused about the world building at the beginning because, somehow, I had assumed that it was a medieval setting. But then they mention electricity. It turns out to be more of an early Industrial world, which is definitely refreshing. I’m not yet sure whether there will be any real reason for this (e.g. does she need any of the more modern inventions for the plot?) or whether it’s just to create a different setting, but either way, it was a pleasant surprise.

Apart from the slightly unusual setting, this is very much a typical YA fantasy book. While the characters are not that young (Corrick is 19, the King 23, for example), I had the impression that the book was targeting a younger YA audience than her other series, Cursebreakers. It’s quite predictable and the romance is quite clean (despite a couple of almost spicy scenes).

I’m looking forward to discovering the next book! Three gemstones out five:

Age Category: Young Adult

Do you want to discover more?

If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores.

Amazon.nl: Hardcover edition

Are you looking for a special edition? I have two editions of this book, the Fairyloot one (signed, sprayed edges & ribbon bookmark) and the Waterstones Exclusive one which contains a bonus chapter. Because of this extra content, I would recommend you to pick the Waterstones one if you have to choose between them. Both editions are sold out, but they are relatively available in the secondhand market.

Good news! Part two, Defend the Dawn, can already be pre-ordered (Publication date: September 2022)!

Amazon.nl: Hardcover edition (pre-order)

Strangely enough, I haven’t seen announcements for any special editions in Europe yet. I guess chances are real that both Fairyloot and Waterstones will offer them (Fairyloot mentioned in a Q&A that they will communicate more about it soon). If you are in the States, there’s one already available, namely the Barnes & Noble one. That edition will be signed, will include bonus commentary by the author, and will come with an exclusive cover and case stamp.

Similar to this

If you liked Defy the Night, I would also recommend the author’s hit series Cursebreakers. As of the very first chapter of A Curse so Dark and Lonely, I fell in love with this magical retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The romance will make you swoon, it’s filled with magic and adventure, and it will make you laugh out loud several times. Definitely a trilogy that you cannot miss! Interested? Check out my review of book one!

Looking for a Robin Hood retelling? You might want to try Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen. Its main character is a female version of Will Scarlet. I read this book years ago, but I didn’t realise at the time that it was part of a series. I will definitely reread it later on!

Do you want to discover even more of Brigid Kemmerer‘s books? I haven’t read it myself yet, but I have heard so many good things about Letters to the Lost. This story is about a girl who writes letters to her deceased mother, but a stranger starts writing back. It sounds way more romantic on the blurb and way less creepy than I’m making it sound, I promise 🙂