Love your fantasy romance with sailing, espionage, and royal stakes? Defend the Dawn brings political twists and sea-swept adventure in a high-stakes sequel worth reading.
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If you’re craving a blend of kingdom politics, tangled emotions, and unexpected nautical adventure, Defend the Dawn is a must-read. As the sequel to Defy the Night, it deepens the danger, expands the world, and raises the emotional and political stakes.
Let’s check it out.
Defend the Dawn Book Review
📔 Book: Defend the Dawn
✍️ Author: Brigid Kemmerer
⚙️ Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
🏢 Traditionally Published
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If Defy the Night felt like a spark, Defend the Dawn feels like a flame—brighter, bolder, and harder to put down once it gets going. I wasn’t expecting a seafaring fantasy when I picked it up, however, it was the perfect surprise summer read. In Texas, it’s still hot so the warm weather vibes worked.
As with the first book in the series, this book’s first few chapters felt a little slow as the political landscape unfolded. Basically, I don’t have patience for world building—ha! But once the sails go up (literally), this book delivers surprising twists, intense moments of mistrust, and a love triangle you won’t see coming.
Defend the Dawn is a gripping second installment that transforms its slow setup into a storm of secrets, danger, and romantic tension. Moreover, this book is bursting with action and adventure and set against the backdrop of shifting alliances and high-seas danger that make it a must-read in the series.
Some Things You Might Enjoy:
Espionage 👀
Love triangle ⚠️
Political intrigue 🧑⚖️
Sea travel ⚓️
Young adult readers who love clean fantasy romance with political scheming and ocean-soaked action; this one’s particularly for you.
For a detailed look at how I rate and review the books I read, check out my rating system.
Summary From Amazon:
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 . . .
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🌊 Have you read Defend the Dawn? Let me know what surprised you the most—or share your favorite seafaring fantasy adventure in the comments!
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