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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
Hmph. I don’t know what it is about this author. I love their first books in a series so much and then the second book does ridiculous stuff and I just want to leave. I guess I’ll go to the third book, begrudgingly. And if it doesn’t work for me, I’ll have to pass on this author going forward because what’s the point of loving the first book in a series when all the rest to follow are this bad?
BRIGID YOU HAVE *GOT* TO BE JOKING
if you or a loved one have had to deal with the emotional fallout from this cliffhanger you may be entitled to financial compensation
—
*Thank you to Bloomsbury YA for the ARC! All opinions are my own.*
GOODNESS WHERE TO BEGIN. Brigid Kemmerer seriously just never lets me down. She continuously delivers on all the tropes I love and is just *clenches fist* SO good at the angst and the tension and the romance and the twisty turny plots!!!
Defy the Night was my favorite book of 2021, so Defend the Dawn was easily my most anticipated release of the year. I FLIPPED when I received the eARC (thanks Bloomsbury!!) and immediately dove in and didn’t stop until it was 3 AM and I was turning the last page. And BOY, THAT ENDING. Absolute chaos.
To be honest not too much happens in this book. It’s very much a “we’re traveling” sequel. They’re on a boat for the majority of the book. BUT I was just having so much freaking fun with everything that was happening (even though my stress levels were also at an all time high) and I tend to like when characters are in close quarters for a long time. I liked the expansion of the worldbuilding but it was definitely a setup for the next book. The characters are always the star of Brigid’s books though, so let’s dive into those!
Tessa & Corrick’s relationship hits EXTREMELY rocky waters (pun intended) in this book. It seemed like every one of the interactions somehow got WORSE and I was flailinggggg. Even MORE angst than in the first book and they both really had to grapple with figuring out where they stand in terms of morals and trust. I love them so much so it was fun to see their relationship evolve!
Side characters were, as always, great. The additional POV chapters were definitely necessary so we could know what was happening outside of Tessa/Corrick, and I enjoyed them. The new addition of the sea crew added A LOT of fun and A LOT of anxiety; my opinions of them were constantly changing (my opinion on Rian flipped DRASTICALLY throughout this) and I really could never guess what their motives were. This book was truly a rollercoaster from start to finish.
I can see how some people might call this a filler sequel, because so much of it really won’t be a factor until the next book, but I love these characters so much that I am just enjoying the journey. I wouldn’t say this is as good as DEFY, but it is definitely a thrilling follow up.
if you or a loved one have had to deal with the emotional fallout from this cliffhanger you may be entitled to financial compensation
—
*Thank you to Bloomsbury YA for the ARC! All opinions are my own.*
GOODNESS WHERE TO BEGIN. Brigid Kemmerer seriously just never lets me down. She continuously delivers on all the tropes I love and is just *clenches fist* SO good at the angst and the tension and the romance and the twisty turny plots!!!
Defy the Night was my favorite book of 2021, so Defend the Dawn was easily my most anticipated release of the year. I FLIPPED when I received the eARC (thanks Bloomsbury!!) and immediately dove in and didn’t stop until it was 3 AM and I was turning the last page. And BOY, THAT ENDING. Absolute chaos.
To be honest not too much happens in this book. It’s very much a “we’re traveling” sequel. They’re on a boat for the majority of the book. BUT I was just having so much freaking fun with everything that was happening (even though my stress levels were also at an all time high) and I tend to like when characters are in close quarters for a long time. I liked the expansion of the worldbuilding but it was definitely a setup for the next book. The characters are always the star of Brigid’s books though, so let’s dive into those!
Tessa & Corrick’s relationship hits EXTREMELY rocky waters (pun intended) in this book. It seemed like every one of the interactions somehow got WORSE and I was flailinggggg. Even MORE angst than in the first book and they both really had to grapple with figuring out where they stand in terms of morals and trust. I love them so much so it was fun to see their relationship evolve!
Side characters were, as always, great. The additional POV chapters were definitely necessary so we could know what was happening outside of Tessa/Corrick, and I enjoyed them. The new addition of the sea crew added A LOT of fun and A LOT of anxiety; my opinions of them were constantly changing (my opinion on Rian flipped DRASTICALLY throughout this) and I really could never guess what their motives were. This book was truly a rollercoaster from start to finish.
I can see how some people might call this a filler sequel, because so much of it really won’t be a factor until the next book, but I love these characters so much that I am just enjoying the journey. I wouldn’t say this is as good as DEFY, but it is definitely a thrilling follow up.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm miffed that the third book isn't out yet. I hate it when I discover a good series before it's finished.
I think I said this in my review of the first book, but I love that this series delves into all sides of a conflict. Most YA stories involving revolution have a clear villain. The rulers are always heartless and cruel, and the revolutionaries are always in the right. But in this series, everything is complicated. No one is wholly good or wholly bad; everyone has justifiable reasons for what they're doing, and it's so much more interesting to read.
Corrick is infuriating at points in this book. So is Tessa. And while I understood their reasons, it was so frustrating! I just wanted them to TALK for a minute without worrying about the politics. It was highly satisfying (and heartwarming) when they finally allowed themselves to be vulnerable with each other.
The addition of the Outlaw's perspective was great. Even though it made me much more scared for the safety of Corrick, Harristan, Tessa, and basically all of Kandala. I also appreciated getting to know Lochlan better. Again, no one is wholly bad in these books. At least not so far.
I'm just mad about the cliffhanger. Hopefully, the third book is the last one (I'm not sure if this is a trilogy or not), and I won't have to wait too long before it's released.
I think I said this in my review of the first book, but I love that this series delves into all sides of a conflict. Most YA stories involving revolution have a clear villain. The rulers are always heartless and cruel, and the revolutionaries are always in the right. But in this series, everything is complicated. No one is wholly good or wholly bad; everyone has justifiable reasons for what they're doing, and it's so much more interesting to read.
Corrick is infuriating at points in this book. So is Tessa. And while I understood their reasons, it was so frustrating! I just wanted them to TALK for a minute without worrying about the politics. It was highly satisfying (and heartwarming) when they finally allowed themselves to be vulnerable with each other.
The addition of the Outlaw's perspective was great. Even though it made me much more scared for the safety of Corrick, Harristan, Tessa, and basically all of Kandala. I also appreciated getting to know Lochlan better. Again, no one is wholly bad in these books. At least not so far.
I'm just mad about the cliffhanger. Hopefully, the third book is the last one (I'm not sure if this is a trilogy or not), and I won't have to wait too long before it's released.
Edit after Feb 2024 reread: ITS FINALLY OUT
I can’t believe I have to wait 9 months for the next book I may perish waiting :’’’’’)
I can’t believe I have to wait 9 months for the next book I may perish waiting :’’’’’)
Okay, super boring for the first half, but the last quarter? WOW. Really enjoyed the last portion of the book. However, it still doesn’t change the fact that I was so bored initially that I didn’t pick this book up again for 9 months.
This book was way longer than it needed to be and I wish we had more good scenes with Corrick and Tessa.
This book was way longer than it needed to be and I wish we had more good scenes with Corrick and Tessa.