16 blockbuster September science fiction and fantasy releases to kick off Fall
By Lacy Baugher
September 2021 release: Defy the Night – Brigid Kemmerer
The first installment in a brand new fantasy series from Brigid Kemmerer, author of the best-selling Cursebreakers trilogy, Defy the Night takes readers on a new adventure in a kingdom torn apart by corruption and plague.
The story is set in the kingdom of Kandala, a land that has been suffering for years from an ongoing epidemic of deadly fever. The sickness can only be treated by an elixir made from a specific plant, which only grows in specific parts of the kingdom. Kandala’s young king is forced to maintain the peace with a ruthless hand – doing his best to provide medicine to the people, while ruthlessly punishing those who would steal it, with the help of his brother, Prince Corrick.
Elsewhere, young apothecary Tessa Cade knows something is very wrong with the systems in her kingdom. She risks her life to help her poorer neighbors, mixing medicines, sneaking in the richer areas to steal the Moonflower that can cure fever, and quietly seething against the system that makes all of this necessary. But when rumors of rebellion begin to circulate, Tessa takes matters into her own hands. And what she discovers in the palace may change her beliefs about everything.
The official synopsis offers much more detail about the story.
"The kingdom of Kandala is on the brink of disaster. Rifts between sectors have only worsened since a sickness began ravaging the land, and within the Royal Palace, the king holds a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand. King Harristan was thrust into power after his parents’ shocking assassination, leaving the younger Prince Corrick to take on the brutal role of the King’s Justice. The brothers have learned to react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion–it’s the only way to maintain order when the sickness can strike anywhere, and the only known cure, an elixir made from delicate Moonflower petals, is severely limited. Out in the Wilds, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her neighbors die, their suffering ignored by the unyielding royals. Every night, she and her best friend Wes risk their lives to steal Moonflower petals and distribute the elixir to those who need it most–but it’s still not enough. As rumors spread that the cure no longer works and sparks of rebellion begin to flare, a particularly cruel act from the King’s Justice makes Tessa desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace. But what she finds upon her arrival makes her wonder if it’s even possible to fix Kandala without destroying it first."
Defy the Night is available on September 14.