This book is set in a fantasy world called The Kingdom of Kandala, where a dangerous sickness has spread all over the country. The cure for the sickness is an elixir that requires the petals of a very rare and expensive flower. Tessa is a young girl who lives in a poor sector of Kandala. She, and the other people in her sector, cannot afford the cure to the sickness. To help the people in her community, Tessa meets up with a person named Weston. Together, they both steal from the rich in order to make the elixir to prevent the disease. They keep their identities hidden from each other because stealing is illegal and they can't be found out. The book switches between the perspectives of Tessa and Prince Corrick, as they are the prominent characters in this book. Prince Corrick, the brother of King Harriston, had to watch his parents be murdered by a hidden traitor four years ago. Now, he and his brother must rule over a country at the ages of 19 and 23.
This gave me a new understanding of what life is like for the characters living in the Kingdom of Kandala. For those who aren't wealthy enough to afford medicine, stealing is the only way to survive. The book follows the perspective of Tessa, a girl who is barely able to survive on her own, but still goes out of her way to steal medicine to provide to people in her community. The severity of her situation makes me realize how dangerous Tessa's daily life is. If I was in the same situation, I would do my best to help those around me. However, I don't think I would be as successful or nearly as brave as Tessa and Wes were, considering they risked their lives each night to save people in their town. The actions taken by these characters speak volumes about their courage and determination.
I would highly recommend this book to young teenagers (or any age) who love easy-to-understand yet fast-paced fantasy books. Defy the Night kept me interested throughout and is definitely one of my new favorite books. I rate this book five out of five stars because it’s difficult to imagine a book that could be much better. It was very entertaining and hooked me in immediately, from start to finish!