Defy the Night

Tessa and Corrick both reflect on Corrick having more “power” as Wes, even though Corrick is a prince. Compare and contrast Corrick and Wes’s forms of power.

At first, Tessa thinks Harristan and Corrick deserve to die, but after she meets them and rebels start burning the palace, Tessa thinks what the rebels are doing is no better than the royals’ violence. Why does Tessa disagree with the rebels’ violent methods? Do you agree or disagree with her? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

At the beginning of the novel, when Tessa and Wes are hiding in the “shadows” to illegally distribute medicine, Tessa reflects that they should step into the “light” to make lasting change. What does this metaphor mean, and how do Tessa and Wes seek out the “light” as the novel progresses? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Why does Corrick initially feel that kindness and trust are dangerous for a ruler? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Choose two or three characters who partake in deception. What tools allow these characters to hide in plain sight? Why do they do so?

In Kemmerer’s Acknowledgements, she says she wanted to write a novel similar to Robin Hood, in which characters steal from the wealthy and give to those in need. Compare and contrast Defy the Night and Robin Hood. Do these stories suggest that stealing in such a way is justified? Use evidence from both texts to support your argument.

In Kemmerer’s Acknowledgements, she admits she started writing Defy the Night before the COVID-19 pandemic, and that she doesn’t believe it’s a “pandemic novel.” Still, many readers will undoubtedly draw similarities. Analyze how the pandemic in Defy the Night affects Kandala and its everyday life. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

How is the Moonflower medicine used as both a political and financial tool in the novel? What does this usage reveal about the politicians controlling the flow of medicine? Use examples from the text to support your answer.