Lovely photo by @thebritishbookgirl
Hello Fairy Friends!
Welcome back to day 2 of the readalong for Defy the Night! Who’s ready to dive back into this book?
Today we’re reading chapters 9 to chapter 17.
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer, from chapter 9 to chapter 17. Please only read on if you’ve finished this section!
-!SPOILERS!-
This book is wild, I can’t handle all this action!
Tessa and Wes are not in agreement, the new bounty on smugglers means that those handing out elixirs will be punished, and despite Wes warning Tessa that it’s too dangerous, she still wants to help. Wes is frustrated, telling Tessa that he isn’t afraid for anyone, except for her. And then they kiss! Who else loves these two?!
Wes agrees to hand out the cure, but Tessa waits all night and he doesn’t return. Tessa runs through the Wilds and sees Wes hanging on the gate, dead, with a dagger in each eye. Tessa’s upset, I’m upset . . . did anyone see this coming? The feels!
Back with Corrick, Counsel Cherry visits the King’s Justice and Quint. She argues that those who are taking the cure illegally aren’t criminals but people desperate to survive. She wants the King to be fairer to his subjects, reminding Corrick that his job is justice, not the executioner.
Riddled with grief over Weston’s death – like me – Tessa pushes through work, ignoring her friend’s attempts to gossip and agrees to go on a supply run. While out on delivery in the Royal Sector, she sneaks into the palace.
Panicking, she hides in the supply closet and ends up being locked in overnight. Tessa contemplates killing the king, and while that seems like a good way to get vengeance, she soon realises that Wes didn’t want her to be a killer and that her parents always wanted to heal people.
Tessa bumps into Quint, who has her chased down. Corrick demands that she’s chained in his room. Is anyone else getting very nervous?
In Corrick’s room, blindfolded and chained, Tessa is terrified for her life and then suddenly, she can hear Weston’s voice, he’s here, saving her . . . what! She takes her blindfold off and comes face to face with Corrick. Did anyone guess that Corrick was Wes? I did not see that coming!
Turns out, Corrick lives a double life, with Quint helping him out. Talk of rebellion meant that he had to kill Wes off, and having Tessa in his room was the only way he can protect her. My mind is blown!
Harristan wants to meet Tessa and is very unhappy that Corrick is keeping secrets from him. Does anyone have any theories about how Harristan will be involved in this plot?
Quint has arranged various lessons and lunches for Tessa, who is very emotional and feels as though Wes has lied to her. She’s to meet the King and dine with Corrick . . . what could possibly go wrong?
What a dramatic section! Tell me all your thoughts and theories in the comments below.
I’ll be back tomorrow to catch up with you all.
Love
Nicole
wow, i did not see that coming! I thought Quint was masquerading as wes, because corrick’s pov was actually used and there isn’t any mention before the reveal. Now he suddenly can’t seem to stop thinking about her ?. Jossalyn seems nice, i wonder if she will become an ally of tessa’s
RIght! Today was action-packed. I agree about Jossalyn, I hope her and Tessa developed a friendship.
Hi guys!
Just when I was wondering why I thought Wes and Corrick were the same person, I mean… Corrick is pretty cruel and Wes isn’t, it turned out my gut feeling was right. Maybe Corrick isn’t as cruel as I thought … ?
Nice to know he’s got Quint as a friend who knows all about Wes and Tessa!
Oops! The King wants to meet /speak to Tessa!! Let’s see how that’ll work out!
See you tomorrow! ?
Love, Sandy
SUCH a rollercoaster section! Finally, they kiss, & I was so happy for them. I had my suspicions that Wes was Corrick, so when they showed Wes killed by Prince Corrick I held my devastation at bay with “maybe he faked his death ????” (which became harder as Tessa continued to grieve).
Heartbroken & scared for her, I’m glad she decided “I’m not a killer.” From Corrick’s POV, we know why he does the things he does & how he truly feels, but I was still panicky when they met in front of Consul Cherry. Again, hoping against hope that him sparing her & sending her to his bed chamber meant my suspicions were true. Sometimes, blind hope pays off! I was (am) torn between understanding her POV & knowing his while knowing his. “Just trust in him! He’s WES!” Although, Quint being in the know threw me, I’m glad for it because I liked his character, & he already seems to be a ally to this secret to both Corrick & Tessa. ??
With Corrick called away during the King’s meeting with Tessa, I can only hope she keeps her temper & her head, so she doesn’t force Corrick to wear the mask he hates, especially when he wants nothing more than to regain her trust! ?
I’m ready to read tomorrow’s chapters already, but I know it’ll be hard to stop there until the read along is posted before finishing the book. Honestly, I could binge this book in a day. The short chapters, the POV changes, & all the action & intrigue keep me sucked in, unwilling to put down this book. ?
Poor Tessa I really felt sorry for her when she saw the body at the gate but I already suspect it to be a decoy. Wes hoping Tessa would stop her crusade when he was gone. I knew, hoped, Wes and Corrick where the same person and I love how Tessa reacted. Her fear of the prince is definitely larger than her trust in Wes and who can blame her after hearing and seeing all the prince has done. I love Corrick for still believing in Tessa and want to trust her even though she had a poisonous powder with her. I love how at ease Quint is with everything going on and I am curious how Corrick is going to win back Tessa’s trust. I am getting warry of the king. He is just portrait to ”innocent” compared to Corrick. Can’t wait to read the next chapters.
So much drama here! I was so sad for Wes but Hey!! He isn’t dead! And he’s Corrick (Congrats to you all here that guess that, i didn’t see it coming :o)
I love this book!
Ok but WHYYYYY Corrick?? Why is he leading this double life? I mean, yes I get it this is like a robin hood retelling sort of, but I don’t really understand why he can’t just have a conversation with his brother about how they are divvying out the cure. Also um SOMEBODY died in Wes’ place so that’s pretty messed up. Seems like Corrick is playing games.
Poor Wes I can’t believe he’s gone I have a strange feeling that it’s not him on the gate and he works in the palace that’s why he kept the masks on??
And now Tessa has got into the palace will she see him? Will she be found? I’m very tense ?
Omg I was right he’s there! He’s alive!! This is such a shock I wonder what Tessa will do going forward
It’s so weird reading Wes as the price
Now THAT was a twist I didn’t expect! I was so confused as to how Corrick could possibly be redeemed after killing Wes, but WHAAAAAT.
Really starting to enjoy this book now, and have very little idea where its going to go next so I can’t wait for tomorrow! My favourite character so far is definitely Quint; he seems like a lot of fun and I hope we get to see more of him. I’m also interested to hear more from Harristan, perhaps moreso than I am from our leads.
Well, that escalated quickly ?
I was devastated when Wes was hung on the wall – I’d been thinking he was someone from the Palace, but that really threw me off the scent!
I’m excited to see what happens now that Tessa has been taken in to royal life. And whether she manages to hold her tongue in front of Harristan
I had my suspicions that Wes was Carrick the more he refused to let Tessa take off his mask and see him without it (I still don’t understand how a mask that only covers the top of your face can hide your identity so well…we all recognise each other at masquerade parties?!). She had me doubting my suspicions when Tessa saw who she thought was Wes strung up by the gate, but leaving a mask on a dead body? No one would do that…
We’ve already started to see the softer side to Corrick so I’m interested to watch how the relationship between him and Tessa evolves as Tessa begins to realise what it’s like in the palace and royal elite life.
Corrick as Wes caught me completely guard also. The beginning of this book has been very exciting and has me hooked!
I don’t think this reveal makes sense at all even though it wasn’t a surprise for me… Surely he could change things from the inside of the system rather than as an ineffective rebel… I’m disappointed… Sorry to be such a negative one. I hope everyone else is enjoying it 🙂
So much happening in this section and so much emotion! I was shocked when Wes supposedly died. Since we had Corrick’s POV, I didn’t suspect him of being Wes at all!
The scenes with Tessa and Corrick are intense, and I really feel sympathetic to both of them. I’m looking forward to more scenes with them. Also love that Quint knows Corrick’s secret and is helping.
I’m so wrapped up in the characters that I’ve completely forgotten about the sickness and the elixir. Looking forward to learning more though.
I really did enjoy this section of reading! I’m curious what stakes Counsel Cherry really plays here. While I would like to think her intentions to find a cure and help the poor folk get medicine, I know better than to trust a politician and I’m suspicious.
My theory was right, I can breathe a sigh of relief since I may have shed a tear when she found the body of “Wes” ?. But all that aside I also absolutely loved the reveal of Corrick being Wes and the mix of emotions that came with it. I’m super interested to see how their interaction changes. I really hope it’s not a sudden love situation because I feel like there definitely needs to be some emotions worked through, but I’m excited to keep reading!
I knew it!! I had a suspicion that Corrick was Wes.. it just the way they both behaved seemed so suspicious. I like Quint, and he looks like a good guy. Tessa locking Corrick we’re not first the most is my type of the main character in a book ? I am guessing people are mixing something wrong or over mixing the elixirs for the king to be, so I’ll. ☹️
I can’t wait to read the following few chapters. Also dine with Corrick will be interesting after the dinner they had in his room ?
**Tessa punching Corrick where it hurts most is my type of the main character in a book ?*
I am too excited I can’t type ??
i couldn’t believe that Wes was actually Corrick. I hope Tessa will be able to get past this.
When I first read about Wes hanging from the wall my heart was crushed! I think it was more denial than intuition but as soon as I read about the daggers I suspected they were to hide that it wasn’t West. What I was not expecting was the reveal to come so quickly. Does anyone else love how ‘Cruel’ Corrick seems to have butterflies over Tessa? I am really appreciating this dual perspective.
So my guess about Harristan being Wes was way off! 😀 I was 100% convinced he didn’t die, when Tessa saw that body. I did not expect it that Wes is Corrick, but to be fair we don’t know that much about him yet. It’s interesting that Quint knew of his detours!
I wonder if Tessa will be able to cure Harristan’s cough and is it really overdose on the Moonflower.
I’m curious how will the meeting between Tessa and Harristan go and whether Corrick will slip on something verbally and almost out himself. 😀
I loved this so much, I legit laughed so much as I was reading this section.
I know a lot of people did, but totally called it with Wes/Carrick and man does he have problems!?
Super fun book, I loved the Cursebreaker series but I think Bridgid out done herself with Defy the Night.
Well F me sideways – that was a ROLLERCOASTER. Brigid knows how to put us readers through pain! I actually shed a tear when Tessa saw ‘Wes’ hanging from the gate.
I thought the maids mention of the knights captain paying for gossip was very interesting, especially as in Corrick’s most recent POV he thought about how much he trusted the captain. Corrick also seems to think that the captain discourages gossip. Hmm. I wonder if this guy is getting paid off by Allister – where else is he getting all of the coin to pay the guards?
I had an inclining about the twist! Enjoying this book so far!
Well… I certainly was not expecting that. When I suddenly read that Wes was dead, I was shocked. The way it was shown how Tessa was grieving was so heartbreaking that it made me believe Wes was truly dead and I had been wrong to suspect he was one of the main characters in disguise. I kept hoping he would be Corrick, and that somehow he had faked his own death. But I couldn’t see how the two of them could be the same person, as that would mean he had tricked Tessa and lead her to believed he had died in the most cruel manner.
These chapters were such an emotional rollercoaster and so action packed. When Tessa managed to get into the palace I was very excited as I wanted to see what would happen when she was face to face with Corrick. And when it was revealed that he was Wes after all, I could feel all the conflictive emotions running through Tessa’s head.
This book is so compelling I can’t wait to read what happens when she meets the king, and when she meets Corrick again for dinner.
And what’s up with Harrington and his cough? I’m very intrigued! Has the medicine stopped working? Is the dose wrong? Is someone altering his medicine in an attempt to kill him? So many questions!
Oh mylanta!!!!!!! The book took such a turn. I love how the author killed off Wes and made me think that I was wrong about Corrick being Wes. And then all of a sudden the mask is taken off and Corrick is Wes.
I hope that the meeting with the king goes well for Tessa and she might be able to figure out what is making him sick! I am so excited to see where the story is going to take Tessa, I feel like her character has so much room to grow! And to be able to do what her parents could not is amazing.
I am so ln love with Cory no one really understand him other then Quint and Tessa even though she is struggle with coming to terms with the fact that he is Wes. It’s so hard to dislike him when you see that he struggles with being cruel but does it to protect his brother because that is what he feels like he needs to do. I hope that the king does learn about what Corrick and Tessa have been doing and tells his brother that being the Kings justice doesn’t mean he has to be know as cruel.
I didn’t suspect a thing as Wes “died”. But afterwards I had a feeling, a thought that “wait, what if Wes is actually Corrick?”, which I threw aside because I felt as if I was grasping at straws – and then it was fricking true! I was gutted when Wes tied (and if truth be told, a bit upset with Tessa), but now – the plot thickens.
Just like Tessa I am struggling to see Wes and Corrick as the same person, but it adds so much to my curiosity.
Truly, this book excites me. I just want to know where we are going and what’s going to happen and how Tessa and Corrick’s relationship will develop.
So I totally didn’t buy into Wes’s “death”. I figured he probably either killed someone else (hopefully an actual bad guy who deserved it anyway) or some other rebel got killed on their own and Wes had a golden opportunity to fake his own death before the body was claimed.
100% did not expect him to be Corrick. I thought Harristan maybe…maybe that would explain why he was sick and sleeping so much, because he was living a double life and working himself to the bone. But Corrick?
So my new hope is that Tessa will help him see that there are alternatives to this harsh mask that he thinks he has to wear. Him and Harristan both seem to have been thrust into roles they weren’t at all ready for and they made the choices they thought were best at the time…but there’s got to be a better way.
Keen to see how Corrick regains Tessa’s trust. I still don’t have any real theories re the sickness. Is it poison in the water supply? Will be very interested to see how Tessa fits into court life.
This section was a serious rollercoaster! My heart broke when Wes died – then I got scared (and a bit frustrated I guess?) when Tessa ended up walking in the castle with no plans!
And the reveal about Corrick, wow! I must say, I seriously thought the King was actually Wes as it was insisted how blue his eyes were… Just like Wes’.
But at least life should be a bit easier this way! Now Tessa needs to chill and open to the possibility that life is not all black or white.